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UNM rated best law school for Hispanics

Tasawar Shah | February 11

The University of New Mexico’s School of Law has been ranked the nation’s best school for Hispanics in the preLaw magazine. “(The) University of New Mexico ranks first, thanks to (the) mix of Hispanic students and faculty, plus strong student services,” according to the magazine. The magazine’s study was based on three variables — student enrollment, faculty and student services — to identify the best schools for Asians, Hispanics and African-Americans.

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UNM professor discusses Afro-Mexican identity

Donald Amble | February 11

A professor at the University of New Mexico addressed confusion surrounding African identity in Mexico during her talk Thursday. Doris Careaga Coleman, Ph.D., a professor in the Chicana and Chicano Studies Department, gave a lecture on African identity as a part of the “Afro-Latino Talks” series hosted by Chicana and Chicano Studies, Africana Studies, African-American Student Services and El Centro de la Raza that occur throughout the Spring 2018 semester. “Discussing this topic is very interesting to us, because it gave us a way to help make the invisible visible,” said Student Program Specialist Yesenia Ruiz, who helped organize the talk.

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Largest construction project currently underway at UNM set to complete in 2019

James Goodman | February 10

The Physics and Astronomy Department plans to have a new home by Fall 2019. The construction is hard to miss. The new building will be the former site of a city water reservoir adjacent to the Center for the Arts, the Art building, Castetter Hall and Marron Hall. The reservoir has been unused by the Albuquerque Water Utility Authority for years. Projected to cost upward of $65.7 million, the Physics, Astronomy and Interdisciplinary Science Center, or PAIS, is the largest construction project currently underway at the University of New Mexico, according to a project status report from the Planning, Design & Construction Department.

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Sandia Labs and Anderson team up to create degree program

Amy Byres | February 10

A new symbiotic degree program is underway, connecting the University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management and Sandia National Laboratories. This program aims to give UNM graduates job opportunities at Sandia National Laboratories and the education to succeed. The two parties signed a memorandum of understanding for project management education and professional development on Jan. 31, according to a press release. This agreement creates a Master of Science degree in project controls, project management and program management, as well as new internship possibilities at the laboratories.

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What repercussions New Mexicans can expect of current drought

Megan Holmen | February 10

For anyone who has lived in New Mexico their entire life, or even just a few years, hearing the word, drought, is no surprise. The current statewide drought is severely impacting the water levels in the Rio Grande and the aquifer levels. According to John Fleck, professor of practice in Water Policy and Governance and Director of the University of New Mexico Water Resources Program, there are two types of drought — short-term and long-term. There are differences between the way the two types impact communities, the Rio Grande and the aquifer.

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Protests begin after ABQ Journal publishes controversial cartoon

Kyle Land and Madison Spratto | February 8

Demonstrators took to the streets Thursday evening to protest a controversial cartoon published by the Albuquerque Journal that depicts a white couple being robbed at gunpoint by members of MS-13 with the caption, “Now, honey...I believe they prefer to be called ‘Dreamers’...or future Democrats...” in reference to DACA recipients The cartoon was created by Sean Delonas of the syndicated Cagle Cartoons website. “They say it’s an opinion — we say it’s hate speech,” said Bex Hampton, an organizer with the Act Now to Stop War & End Racism Coalition.

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UNM researchers find women less susceptible to MRSA

Mikhaela Smith | February 7

A study by University of New Mexico Health Science Center researchers was recently featured in the Journal of Immunology for their work which examines the sex bias of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, or MRSA. The findings indicate females are less susceptible to MRSA than males. MRSA is a type of Staphylococcus, or staph, bacteria that is resistant to several antibiotics. About 1 in 3 people carry Staphylococcus in their nose without any illness, and 2 in 100 people carry MRSA. MRSA is most often known for its ability to cause skin infections; however, it can also cause pneumonia and lead to sepsis if left untreated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Brief: UNM joins mock trial competition

Anthony Jackson | February 7

Six students from the University of New Mexico School of Law will be competing against 10 universities in a three-day national mock trial competition starting Thursday. This year, UNM is hosting the National Trial Competition at the Second Judicial District Courthouse. UNM last hosted the competition in 2000 and 2008. The competition, which began in 1975, is meant to strengthen students’ skills in public speaking, argument response and persuasion.

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Renovated engineering center opens with high-tech, energy efficient, environmentally conscious design

Tasawar Shah | February 6

The University of New Mexico’s Main Campus, like many other university campuses in the country, has been home to various innovative research-oriented sophisticated buildings that differ in their style, design and facilities. Main Campus presents a range of architectural styles, from the adobe-styled Mesa Vista Hall to modern, high-tech architectural design of the Collaborative Teaching and Learning Building. The University recently added a high-tech, energy efficient and environmentally conscious engineering building to the list.

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Faculty Senate hosts free speech panel discussion

Elizabeth Sanchez | February 6

The Student Union Building ballrooms flooded with talk of civil rights, exchanging ideas, Milo Yiannopoulos and Chick-fil-A Monday evening, as the University of New Mexico Faculty Senate hosted a panel discussion to dissect free speech and its role at the University. The event intended to “raise more awareness about free speech rights on campus...and also the cross section of free speech and civil discourse and civility,” panelist and Dean of Students Nasha Torrez said during an interview with the Daily Lobo. “So, in more simple terms, your Constitutional rights to say what you want to say and not being a jerk while you do it — hopefully.” Other panelists included: Medical Director for the bachelor’s in Emergency Medical Services program and lecturer Coffee Brown, Associate Professor of American Studies Jennifer Denetdale, Anderson School of Management Associate Professor Nick Flor, Director of Peace and Justice Studies and Africana Studies faculty member Jamal Martin and Psychology Associate Professor Geoffrey Miller.

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African American Student Services offers free testing on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Anthony Jackson | February 5

African American Student Services will be offering free HIV/AIDS testing from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday. Students will be able to receive testing in the Student Union Building after signing up at the AASS office located in Mesa Vista Hall. Christopher Collins, the senior program advisor for the AASS office, said his goal Wednesday — National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day — is to get students to utilize these services by making them available and free.

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Career Issue: Gap years help some students move forward

Austin Tyra | February 5

The prospect of beginning an undergraduate or graduate college career can be daunting, especially for those who are not certain what subjects they would like to study, would like to travel or just need a little time off. In situations like these, some may consider taking a gap year in order to postpone the commitment of college, organize their thoughts and discover their interests. Autumn Collins, the career counseling manager at the University of New Mexico’s Office of Career Services, spoke in favor of gap years for people in this position.

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Career Issue: Career Services can help you find your future

Madison Spratto | February 4

Picking what college to go to can seem like an impossible decision — not to mention trying to choose what to do once you get there, much less what to do after. The University of New Mexico's Office of Career Services offers a variety of resources to help people find the right major and career path for them and establish a plan on how to get there. Autumn Collins, career counseling manager for Career Services, said that the center’s focus is to help clients identify interests, values and skills in order to help them progress on a career path they desire.

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Career Issue: UNM offers résumé-writing workshop

Donald Amble | February 4

Writing a résumé could be crucial to landing that dream job. It may be an employer’s first impression of an employee. The University of New Mexico’s Office of Career Services aims to answer questions surrounding résumés through features like walk-in résumé writing labs. Labs will provide clients with an opportunity for one-on-one meetings with someone who is educated and trained in marketing someone for the job field.

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Career Issue: Five jobs you might not have heard of

Madison Spratto | February 4

Paying for college can be hard — finding a job to help pay for college can be even harder. Working through college does not have to be limited to typical jobs, though. There are a vast amount of jobs offered through the University of New Mexico. Here’s a list of some of the not-so-common jobs available for students. Bike Shop Mechanic: UNM Outdoor and Bike Shop Recreational Services at UNM houses a bike shop that is now looking for a bike mechanic. Noel Ortiz, coordinator for the Outdoor and Bike Shop, said there are two levels to being a mechanic: entry and intermediate.

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UNM group publishes collaborative book

Rebecca Brusseau | February 1

The University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management helped fund a project long in the works by students and faculty in the International Business Students Global group that addresses the concerns surrounding immigration in a creative way. “Outside the Margins: The Blue Book on the Global Refugee Crises” has been published after over two years of effort by a group of over 100 students in IBSG.

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UNM student wins architecture award

Tom Hanlon | February 1

A graduate student from the University of New Mexico’s School of Architecture and Planning won first place in an international design competition. On Jan. 10, Sam Fantaye, a third-year graduate student studying landscape architecture, won the grand prize of $5,000 in the Better Philadelphia Challenge. “I found out I was the winner, and I was very, very excited,” Fantaye said. “The School of Architecture was happy too, because it’s representing the whole school.”

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Students use UNM day to show off their research

Danielle Prokop | January 31

SANTA FE — Deviating from the tradition of gifting lawmakers with salsa, pins or pens, select students from the University of New Mexico instead presented student research at the State Legislature appreciation dinner hosted by the UNM Alumni Association on Monday. Six undergraduate and four graduate students attended the event in Downtown Santa Fe at the La Fonda Hotel.

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Burqueños come together to view eclipse

Megan Holmen | January 31

A once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event occurred Wednesday, with the onslaught of a super blue blood moon eclipse. The last time this occurred was in 1866, according to Jim Greenhouse, an astronomer at the Albuquerque Natural History Museum. Lunar eclipses occur when the moon, earth and sun are all aligned, which can happen several times per year. However, this lunar eclipse is unusual, because it happened on both a blue moon and a super moon, Greenhouse said.

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Medical workers show their creative side

Ariel Lutnesky | January 31

There was a little bit more bustling than usual at the Barbara and Bill Richardson Pavilion Cafe in the University of New Mexico Hospital Wednesday afternoon, as the band, Goddess of Arno, prepared to play for an hour as a part of a concert series put together by the Arts-in-Medicine program. Program Director Dr. Patricia Ann Repar started the series “as a way for people in the University community to have an outlet,” said Melissa Sandoval, program coordinator for Arts-in-Medicine. “She ran into a lot of physicians and professors who (would) say, ‘Oh, I used to play guitar,’ or ‘On the side, I dabbled in this band.’ She really wanted an outlet for them to be able to show the other side of themselves, not necessarily the academic side.”