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Less unsatisfied than before

Chelsea Erven | June 20

A recent survey of UNM faculty and staff showed a slight increase in satisfaction with University administration, but there’s still room for improvement. The number of faculty and staff “dissatisfied” with University governance dropped by almost 6 percent, and UNM President David Schmidly said the change is a step in the right direction. “I am pleased that the survey shows incremental progress has been made, even though there is still a long way to go,” he said in a June 6 email.

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Catron County’s endangered economy chosen over wolves

Chelsea Erven and Victoria Cardenas | June 20

On June 12, the New Mexico State Game Commission severed its ties to The Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Program. Residents of Catron County pushed the decision, Glyn Griffin, District 2 Catron County Commissioner said. “Much of the Game Commission’s decision was based on the hardships endured in this county,” she said in a press release. “Our biggest industry, logging, has been taken away by the spotted owl.

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Former Michigan professor to become new Pharmacy dean

June 20

Earlier this month, UNM’s College of Pharmacy named Dr. Lynda Welage its new dean. Welage will assume the position in mid-October, and said she hopes to push the College of Pharmacy and its students toward national recognition. “I think numbers of opportunities for students are growing every day,” Welage said.

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Wildfires advance into NM

Luke Holmen | June 13

Ash and smoke from wildfires in the east continues to cloud the horizon and turn Albuquerque’s normally blue sky a dull gray. Arizona wildfires spread to western New Mexico June 11, as more than 700 square miles of brush and forest continued to burn largely uncontained in eastern Arizona. Fire officials believe an unattended campfire may have sparked the Wallow fire, the largest burning in the area. The fire has consumed thousands of acres and is expected to cost more than $10 million in fire damage and containment fees. The New Mexico Department of Health issued a warning to residents on Saturday to avoid the outdoors, using swamp coolers and exercising during periods when smoke is visible.

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‘Juárez and El Paso is one community’

Andrew Beale | June 13

Nearly 60 people marched Friday from El Paso, across the bridge, and into one of the most dangerous cities in the world to join a several-hundred-strong protest against violence in Ciudad Juárez. Over 3,000 people were killed in Juárez last year, which means it has one of the highest murder rates of any city across the globe, according to CNN.

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Alumnus nominated for Emmy

Alexandra Swanberg | June 13

UNM alumnus Mark Kachelmeier was nominated for an award in the 2011 Heartland Emmy Competition for his “Catching Predators” series. His weeklong series aired on KRDO News Channel 13 in Colorado Springs and profiled five convicted sex offenders.

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NCAA praises UNM athletes’ brains

Hunter Riley | June 13

Student-athletes typically attract attention for outstanding athletics, but with the release of the NCAA’s 2009-2010 Academic Progress Rate report, all of the attention is on academics.

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LGBTQ advocate wins mtvU award

Chelsea Erven and Alexandra Swanberg | June 6

UNM alumnus David Griffith won mtvU’s new “Top of the Class” award for his work with the LGBTQ student resource center.

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Local orchestra survives setbacks

Luke Holmen | June 6

The New Mexico Philharmonic seeks to continue the tradition of orchestral music in the state, despite the recent financial failure of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. The NMSO filed Chapter Seven bankruptcy in April, but many of its musicians have reorganized to form the New Mexico Philharmonic Orchestra. Philharmonic Musicians Representative Carla Lehmeier-Tatum said the failure of the orchestra hurt the local music culture, putting many UNM musicians in difficult financial positions.

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African refugees adapt to NM

June 6

While most of the bickering over immigration stems from U.S/Mexico border issues, people from all over the world, not just Mexico, immigrate to the Land of Enchantment.

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Professor stressed the positive

Victoria Cardenas | June 6

After 29 years of teaching ethics and social responsibility, UNM Regents Professor Jeanne Logsdon is retiring. Logsdon taught at the Anderson School of Management for 22 years and created several new business classes.

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Traffic concerns nix recycling plant

Kevin Forte | May 30

The Bernalillo County Commission denied an appeal on May 24 for a waste and recycling plant near UNM’s golf course. UNM’s Real Estate office is opposed to the recycling plant because it could have a negative effect on the groundwater near the golf course, Real Estate consultant Amy Coburn said. She said the proposed recycling plant would affect traffic in the area. “The frequency of the vehicles and the traffic loading on that road could negatively impact UNM’s ability to develop that site for the larger community,” she said. Traffic was the main concern for some council members, including Wayne Johnson. Johnson said he was concerned there weren’t enough long-term projections for traffic in the area. “They didn’t prove the traffic issues and under this system, the burden of proof is upon them,” he said. “That’s really what it boils down to.”

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New construction banned

Luke Holmen | May 30

State university presidents agreed to enact a two-year moratorium on new construction by New Mexico universities, Governor Susana Martinez announced May 12.

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Gas prices bode ill for all

Charlie Shipley | May 30

Rising gas prices not only put a strain on students’ wallets, but also affect UNM’s operation. Gary Smith, an associate director of UNM’s Physical Plant Department, said the rising cost of petroleum-based products and services like transportation, plastic trash can liners and fertilizers has tightened the budget.

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Interim Provost Selected

Staff Report | May 23

UNM engineering professor Chaouki Abdallah was appointed University Interim Provost on Monday. University President David Schmidly announced Abdallah’s one-year appointment, which begins July 1. “Professor Abdallah will bring exciting new perspectives and energy to the provost’s position, as well as expertise gained during his long tenure of work at UNM,” Schmidly said.

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Sick? Check zip code and income

José Enríquez | May 8

If you have a college degree and a six-figure income, chances are you’ll live longer than someone who doesn’t.

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Sauer wins fellow teaching award

Kevin Forte | May 8

UNM Professor Christine Sauer was presented with the Presidential Teaching Fellow Award on Wednesday at the SUB. Sauer, who teaches economics at UNM and serves as the director of the International Studies Institute, said that she hopes to make international programs a larger focus for the University.

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Regent: Cut top-heavy admin

Alexandra Swanberg | May 8

UNM President David Schmidly said that faculty members’ concerns about salary and benefits are not unique to UNM, and any university facing budget cuts is in the same situation. “Whenever there are big budget reductions, there are going to be tensions — they go hand in hand,” he said.

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Residents bugged by drunk fans

Hunter Riley | May 8

Living within walking distance of The Pit and other UNM sports fields keeps residents close to the action, but they say it’s a double-edged sword. UNM alumnus Scott Murphy lives about two blocks south of The Pit, and he said he deals with myriad problems from people leaving the arena after events. “There is a strong liquor culture here,” he said.

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Students: Political cartoon is ‘racial propaganda’

Elizabeth Cleary | May 5

African American Student Services gathered outside Mesa Vista Hall on Wednesday to protest what it said was a racist depiction of President Barack Obama in the Opinion section of Tuesday’s Daily Lobo. AASS student employees Christina Foster and Kyran Worrell spoke to a crowd of about 30 people about the illustration, which parodied a scene in “The Lion King.” The original scene showed a monkey, Rafiki, holding baby lion Simba over a cliff.