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Project seeks Navajo elementary students

Sayyed Shah | August 19

The Family Listening Project, funded by the University of New Mexico and run by the Center for Participatory Research in collaboration with the Ramah Navajo community, is recruiting elementary students from the Navajo community for the fall semester. The Family Listening Project was initiated in 2002-2003 to conserve local knowledge and improve the level of education in the community. The program also aims to reduce health disparities within the community, project officials said.

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Welcome Back Week: Matching students to organizations, activities

Robert Maler | August 18

This week several University departments, student organizations and other groups will set up information booths and provide free food and live music to help welcome students back to school. Many off-campus vendors have rented space near the SUB to help make this week’s events possible. The vendors will vary throughout the week, and most will provide services catered specifically to students.

Students leave the classroom at the Dane Smith building on Tuesday afternoon. UNM officials said having supplies and looking through the materials before the semester begins is the best way to succeed.

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Officials: Best way to survive the semester? Hit the ground running

David Lynch | August 18

With the start of the semester and new academic year dawning at UNM, many students might elect to hit the snooze button, wait on buying supplies and keep their brains in third gear for another week or two. But University officials said setting the tone for the coming months early is key to having a healthy and successful semester. Sonia Rankin, associate dean of University College, said students will cultivate their characters and discover their passions over the course of the year -- but asking some key questions is important when getting started. “Ask yourself: 'what am I here to accomplish or become? What steps do I need to take to reach that goal? What tools do I need to achieve the steps?'” Rankin said.

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Abundance of freshmen attributed to University reputation, Honors College

David Lynch | August 18

The University is expecting 3,330 freshman in the fall of 2015, compared to 3,132 in 2014, representing an increase of more than six percent, according to a University press release. UNM’s reputation as the state’s flagship university, as well as broader outreach by the Office of Admissions, has been key in the influx of new students, said Terry Babbitt, associate vice president of enrollment management. “It’s gratifying to see the number of traditional students from within and outside of New Mexico who recognize the incredible educational quality we provide,” Babbitt said. Interest in the recently established Honors College is also a key component in attracting not just new students, but driven and motivated individuals, according to the press release.

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Seven faculty members promoted to distinguished professors

David Lynch | August 18

The University recently announced the promotion of seven instructors to the status of distinguished professors, the “highest faculty title” that UNM bestows upon its employees, according to a University press release. They are Bill Gilbert, Hua Guo, Zachary Sharp, Arthur Bankhurst, Robert Sapien, Daniel Savage and Cheryl Willman.

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Regents approve 2017 University budget

David Lynch | August 18

A request for nearly $8.9 million in research and project funding was approved by the Board of Regents, and will next go the New Mexico Higher Education Department, according to a University press release. The document stated that the list of proposals is “a preliminary step in developing the University’s fiscal year 2017 budget”. More than a third of the total requested amount – $3,060,000 – would go toward UNM’s Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO), which “improves access to specialty care for underserved patients in rural New Mexico”.

A protester put together the protest signs on Wednesday afternoon as part of the Black Lives Matter movement. Party of the Socialism and Liberation organized the rally.

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Movements unite against police brutality for #BlackLivesMatter campaign

Fin Martinez | August 17

On Wednesday, protest chants, car horns and red-and-yellow picket signs appeared in front of the UNM bookstore to draw attention to police brutality. The event, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown’s fatal shooting by a Ferguson, Missouri officer, was held by the Answer Coalition and Red Nation in support of what has been dubbed the #BlackLivesMatter movement. The three movements are social justice campaigns founded on the initiative to end racism and promote peace and equality. This particular event at UNM focused on police brutality and accountability, with each speaker at the event voicing their opinions and relating their experiences of police actions that were directed at their person. One speaker, Joel Gallegos, a coordinator for the Answer Coalition, recalled times in his life when he said he was hassled by law enforcement.

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A vaccine to remember

Matthew Reisen | August 17

Researchers at the UNM Mind Research Network have developed a vaccine that presents the possibility of a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Assistant professor Kiran Bhaskar and senior research specialist Nicole Maphis at Molecular Genetics and Microbiology have worked on several projects that relate to Alzheimer’s pathology, including the new vaccine development. Alzheimer’s affects 5 million people nationwide, Maphis said, because it is an age-related disorder and develops over time. The number of Alzheimer’s patients is expected to triple by the year 2020, due largely to the “baby boomer” generation.

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GPSA dams flow of paper and ink

Sayyed Shah | August 17

Some graduate students at UNM are perturbed by the Graduate and Professional Student Association council’s decision to no longer provide free printing services to students. The Graduate Resource Center and GPSA provided graduate students the facility to print their assignments and class readings for free. But effective immediately, as a result of the council’s decision, they will have to pay for printing. Adnan Bashir, a computer science graduate student, said that the decision will increase the burden on students. It will be especially hard on those students who are studying at UNM while financially independent, he said.

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Students rank UNM among nation's best

Sayyed Shah | August 10

UNM has been profiled in the seventh annual edition of The Princeton Review’s “The Best 380 Colleges”. The organization, an educational service that rates colleges based on performance in different fields, did not profile the 380 colleges in order. It provided ratings of performance in 62 categories, The Princeton Review officials said in a press release. It surveyed 136,000 students who rated their schools on scale of 1-99 in 62 different categories. Only schools that received a score of 60 or higher in all categories made the list. UNM was rated 62 in quality of life, 64 in Academics and 77 in Admissions.

Senior American studies and journalism major Samuel Kerwin is running for the District 6 city council seat.

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Student skips student council, vies for city council

David Lynch | August 10

Last year, Samuel Kerwin discussed with his friends what they would do if they were city councilmen. Come October, he might get the chance to turn those words into action. Kerwin, a senior American studies and journalism major, is one of three candidates on the ballot for the seat of City Councilor Rey Garduño, who is nearing the end of his second term. If elected, soon-to-be-23-year-old Kerwin would be the youngest city councilor in Albuquerque history. Kerwin’s campaign for the vacant seat began in May, when he arrived home after a vacation and read that Garduño, who had initially planned to run for re-election, was retiring. Further, a potential successor had been endorsed. Kerwin said he decided to make things interesting.

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Prof. investigates uranium pollution

Marielle Dent | August 10

With the development of atomic power at the end of World War II came a demand for uranium, a radioactive ore of which large deposits can be found in the Navajo Nation, which spans parts of Arizona, Utah and northwestern New Mexico. Between 1944 and 1986 about 4 million tons of uranium ore was extracted from these lands, and many Navajo people worked in the mines and lived near them, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Today, more than 500 abandoned mines are left behind, and many homes and sources of drinking water contain elevated levels of radioactivity.

A New Mexico sunset graces the sky near the Heights area on a November 15, 2014. New Mexico is known for its breathtaking sunsets.

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Being a Lobo: Top reasons to stay in the Land of Enchantment

David Lynch | July 20

Seemingly the only thing on UNM seniors’ minds during their final year is getting the heck out of state once they walk across the stage and get their hands on their degrees. And why not? There’s a huge world out there to explore...albeit a Hatch green chile-less one. But really, aside from New Mexico’s staple food, there’s many reasons why staying in Albuquerque following graduation, at least for a little while, is an excellent idea. Here are the top five.

Signs are set up at the entrance of Camp Resurrection during its relocation at Lomas Boulevard and I-25. Homelessness is among the most dire issues affecting Albuquerque and the UNM area, and there is ongoing debate on how to address it.

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Being a Lobo: Top five issues to concern students

Matthew Reisen | July 20

Like many universities, UNM is full of students from all different walks of life, each with a perspective and opinion of their own. Lobos are not afraid to speak their minds when it comes to issues within the community. Here, we’ve compiled some of the most highly debated topics that have come up this past year in relation to college life and the Land of Enchantment.

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Being a Lobo: The best and the worst career options

Jyllian Roach and Sayyed Shah | July 20

By Sayyed Shah Waiting to declare a major? Thinking the one you picked may not be for you? Career Cast, a website that ranks jobs nationally and helps graduates find jobs, recently released its list of the best and worst jobs of 2015.

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Being a Lobo: Top five classes you'll be tempted to pass up

Marielle Dent | July 20

Some classes you have to take to satisfy your major’s requirements, but that doesn’t mean they have to be boring. With UNM’s robust course catalog, students are given a wide array of subjects to take. They may sound like “BS” classes on the surface, but they actually offer interesting subject matter. Here are five examples:

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Student drowns in Animas River

Sayyed Shah | July 13

Cody Shane Pierce, a junior criminology major, lived and died like a leader. Pierce, 19, drowned in the Animas River near Durango, Colorado, on June 25, said Laura Jean Pierce, Cody’s mother. “One evening after dinner, a few of them were walking back to their cabins and decided they wanted to jump in the river to cool off. In Cody’s protective manner, he said he would go first, and unfortunately was overtaken by the undercurrent of the water,” she said.

Lizette Gutierrez discusses her teaching projects and language concepts with adjunct faculty staff member Donna Garcia and Gutierrezs fellow classmates during the ESL summer program on Thursday morning. The ESL summer program, held at La Mesa Elementary School, aims at helping families and individuals reach a high proficiency of English language education.

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Crash course in ESL teaching sees high attendance

Matthew Reisen | July 13

The UNM/APS English as a Secondary Language summer program had a record 70 students attend its six-week program this year. Holbrook Mahn, associate professor in Literacy, Language, and Sociocultural Studies at UNM, said the 17-year-old institute condenses three of the five ESL courses into a six-week program for current and future teachers who want to receive English as a Secondary Language endorsement. “It’s a high-stress six weeks because you’re cramming in nine hours of student credit,” Mahn said. “We try to maintain the rigor of it because we know that we’re preparing teachers to go into the classroom. We want to make sure they get the best education to help English language learners.”

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Daily Lobo to take web-first approach

J.R. Oppenheim | July 6

In its most significant shift since going to a daily publication in the 1970s, the New Mexico Daily Lobo will transition to a digital-first approach beginning this fall semester. The Daily Lobo, UNM’s student-run news organization, will focus primarily on its website and social media accounts to report news on campus and the surrounding area, relying less on its printed product. Rather than a daily newspaper, the Lobo will publish a newspaper twice a week: Mondays and Thursdays.

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Regent's divestment vote fuels controversy

David Lynch | July 6

Although UNM regents voted not to divest from fossil fuel companies during its June 12 meeting, pressure from pro-environment organizations and individuals continues. Several of those parties don’t think the Board’s vote serves the best interests of those whom the University serves: its students. This has left some, including Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino (D-Abq.), wondering whether University officials have the right priorities in mind. “I am afraid we did not light the fire that we had hoped,” Ortiz y Pino said. “They didn’t even discuss the issue behind the suggestion to divest: the reality of climate change.”