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C&J professor earns top honor

Matthew Reisen | April 15

Tema Milstein, an associate professor of communication, was awarded the Presidential Teaching Fellowship Award earlier this month. It is the highest honor for faculty on campus. The Presidential Teaching Fellowship Award “promotes excellence in teaching by establishing a core group of faculty who are given the highest recognition for their effective teaching,” according to UNM’s Center for Teaching Excellence website.

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Research group probes zinc finder proteins

Marielle Dent | April 15

While zinc is a vital part of the human immune system, some researchers at UNM are delving a little deeper to understand just how it works. Zinc finger proteins play a major role in the day to day life and are an important part of the human proteome, the entire set of proteins that can be present in the human body. They also repair DNA that has been damaged by carcinogens such as UV radiation or arsenic.

Vice President of UNM Sigma Chi Joe Trujillo talks to Jeff Dan Herrera, middle, and Liz OReilly, left, about their fundraising event that took place at the Texas Roadhouse Tuesday evening. Sigma Chi will hold different events throughout the week.

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Greeks organize cancer fundraiser

David Lynch | April 15

UNM’s chapter of Sigma Chi is hosting Derby Days, the fraternity’s largest philanthropic event, for the first time since the fall of 2012 this week in an effort to raise money for cancer research while providing friendly competition between sororities. According to the Derby Days Facebook page, there are events held by Sigma Chi every day for the rest of the week.

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UNMPD: Campus guests' vans burglarized at Soccer Complex

Lauren Marvin | April 14

A group of 64 out-of-town visitors left the UNM Soccer Complex with their six passenger vans burglarized, according to UNM Police Department report. The report stated every piece of luggage in the six vehicles was stolen.

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UNM student voters approve pronoun initiative

David Lynch | April 14

At last week’s Associated Students of UNM elections, voters passed a constitutional amendment that will make all pronouns in the ASUNM Constitution gender-neutral. All pronouns in the constitution will now consist of they/them/they’re as the primary form of identification.

UNM Provost Chaouki Abdallah talks about next years budget at the Board of Regents meeting Friday at the SUB ballroom. The regents approved a 3.37 percent increase in tuition and fees.

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UNM regents approve tuition increase, graduation incentive

Lena Guidi | April 13

The Board of Regents approved a 3.37 percent increase in tuition and fees, as well as a tuition plan that incentivizes four-year graduation, during the annual budget summit on Thursday. Both will take effect in the fall semester. The decisions were made in light of a $3.6 million tuition and fee revenue shortfall in the 2015 fiscal year. President Robert Frank attributed a large part of that budget deficit to a 1.5 percent decrease in overall enrollment during this academic year, which he said is part of a larger national trend. The budget plan for 2016 included a projected flat enrollment rate.

A team at the concrete canoe and steel bridge competition practice assembling their bridge Friday afternoon at Johnson Field. NMSU, took first place of the competition.

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Canoe contest tests student's skills at UNM

Sayyed Shah | April 13

Civil engineering students tested their mettle at the concrete canoe building competition during the 44th annual American Society of Civil Engineers Rocky Mountain Regional Conference. Eleven of the 14 schools participating in the conference, hosted by UNM, presented canoes, which were displayed on Johnson Field on Friday and then raced on Saturday at Cochiti Lake. NMSU, South Dakota School of Mining and Technology and Utah State won the first, second and third spots, respectively. Members of the NMSU team were awarded with a $9,000 scholarship.

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Students honored by major awards

Sayyed Shah | April 10

Three students have received renowned scholarships and fellowships for their academic performances. Gregory Ottino, a sophomore physics and mathematics double major, has been awarded the Goldwater Scholarship, the leading national scholarship for undergraduate science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) students, according to a UNM press release. The scholarship program was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Sen. Barry Goldwater.

ASUNM Sen. Jorge Guerrero expresses his opinion about a resolution to remove Social Security numbers from UNM's entrance application on Wednesday at the SUB Meeting rooms. The resolution passed the Senate.

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Senate passes Social Security number resolution

David Lynch | April 10

The Associated Students of UNM unanimously passed Resolution 9S at Wednesday’s meeting, lending support to undocumented students, while urging the University to make Social Security numbers optional on UNM applications. Sen. Jorge Guerrero reintroduced the resolution, which seeks to make submitting a Social Security number no longer a requirement for prospective students, after it failed at the Senate’s last meeting due to inadequate information.

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Burque-born bandmates can't be classified

Moriah Carty | April 10

Former Albuquerque residents will pay UNM a special visit on Saturday to perform at Fiestas 2015!. Repel the Robot, a band comprised of Jarrett Shaffer and UNM music alum Sean Trauth will bring its unique sound to Johnson Field after recently playing at the South by Southwest music fest in Austin, Texas.

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Crime briefs for April 9, 2015

Lauren Marvin | April 9

On April 1, a male student reported a larceny at Johnson Field. According to the report, the student left his backpack on the west side of the field during a physical education class. The student said he realized his backpack was missing when he returned to it to get his water bottle. Officers arrived on scene and advised the student to cancel his credit cards, which were in the backpack. There were no reported witnesses to the theft and the case is closed pending further leads.

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Project provides support to election processes

Marielle Dent | April 9

On Election Day, thousands of people go to their respective voting sites, cast their ballots and leave without knowing the work and study that goes into the election process as a whole. UNM’s Center for the Study of Voting, Elections and Democracy operates a project that plays a major role in the improvement of that process throughout New Mexico. The project has been ongoing for years with every county clerk’s office in the state, but particularly with Bernalillo County.

Jenna Hagengruber celebrates with members of her slate, Drive for ASUNM on Wednesday at SUB atrium. Hagengruber won the ASUNM presidential election against Go ASUNM slate candidate Mack Follingstad.

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Hagengruber wins ASUNM presidency

David Lynch | April 9

Drive for ASUNM nearly swept the spring Associated Students of UNM elections, with nine of its 10 senatorial candidates emerging victorious, as well as presidential candidate Jenna Hagengruber and vice presidential candidate Alex Cervantes. Out of 1,528 undergraduate students who made it to the polls, 950 voted for Hagengruber, who currently serves as vice president of the undergraduate student governing body. While she was nervous for not only herself, but for her team in the moments leading up to the announcement, Hagengruber said the overwhelming victory of her slate was the best feeling.

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State lawmaker says dispute over Lottery Scholarship is pure politics

Jonathan Baca | April 8

New Mexico Sen. Michael Sanchez is a Democrat representing the 29th District. He has served the Legislature since 1992 and is currently the Senate Majority Leader. Sanchez introduced the original legislation that created the Lottery Scholarship in 1995, and he has been working to keep the scholarship accessible and able to pay 100 percent of tuition ever since. With the Lottery Scholarship facing a major shortfall, it is possible that next year UNM students who receive it may only get 80 percent of their tuition paid for. The Daily Lobo talked to Sanchez about the work he’s done to protect the scholarship, and possible solutions for fixing it.

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Student Court suspends ASUNM senator

Marielle Dent | April 8

The Associated Students of UNM Student Court on March 27 suspended one of their senators for voting on an appropriation based on personal bias. The court sided with a College Democrats representative who claimed Sen. Rebecca Hampton denied the student organization funds because of personal bias.

Nobel Peace Prize nominee John Dear speaks to a crowd gathered in the SUB Atrium Tuesday morning, discussing topics of world peace and his experiences combatting violence. Dear is a Catholic priest, author, lecturer and peace activist who leads an annual peace vigil at Los Alamos National Labs against the use of nuclear weapons.

News

Nobel Prize nominee urges peace

Lena Guidi | April 8

Nobel Peace Prize nominee Father John Dear encouraged nonviolent strategies for grassroots peace and justice movements during a speech at UNM’s Student Union Building on Tuesday. The lecture was followed by a panel discussion with community leaders regarding ways to mobilize people to work for interrelated social, political, and environmental causes.

Sol de la Noche band performance at the SUB Ballroom on Feb 25. Sol de la Noche will be one of the bands to performance at the Fiestas at the Johnson Field this Saturday.

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Student groups present annual concert fiesta

Matthew Reisen | April 7

Associated Students of UNM-Student Special Events is holding its annual Fiestas outdoor concert at Johnson Field this Saturday, keeping up with decades-old tradition. Festivities begin around 1p.m. and run until 9p.m. The event is open to the public but UNM students are “especially encouraged” to attend, said Krista Marrs, executive director at SSE.

UNM Clinical Law Program director April Land, center, helps law students Daniel Dietz, left and Lynne Canning, who work in general law in the Law Practice Clinic. UNMs School of Law has a high ranking in clinical training.

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Law program ranks in top 10

Sayyed Shah | April 7

The Clinical Training Program of UNM’s School of Law has been ranked 10 in the country in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2016 Best Law Schools List. According to the report, the UNM School of Law has a high law school ranking in clinical training as it offers programs for law students such as the Business and Tax Clinic, the Community Lawyering Clinics and the Southwest Indian Law Clinic.

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Campus briefs for April 7

April 7

On March 30, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez signed HB 170, the Higher Education Endowment Act, one of UNM’s priority pieces of legislation, according to a UNM press release. The bill will allow an infusion of $5.5 million to the Higher Education Endowment once Martinez signs the state budget. Universities and colleges can compete within their sectors for funding from the endowment to attract endowed chairs, professorships and research positions in fields like science and engineering, as long as the school provides some private funds, according to the press release.

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Two UNM regents named

Jonathan Baca | April 6

Gov. Susana Martinez has made appointments to fill the two vacant seats on the University’s Board of Regents, one of them being veteran Regent Jamie Koch. The second appointment is former federal prosecutor Marron Lee, whose family has strong ties to UNM and the Board of Regents.