UNM anthropologist selected as new director of the Latin American and Iberian Institute UNM professor of anthropology Dr. Frances Hayashida has been appointed as the new director of the Latin American and Iberian Institute(LAII). Hayashida accepted the offer effective July 2020. As director, she will oversee the research, educational, and outreach efforts of the […] Read More
Anthropology professor co-authors chapter in book Dogs: Archaeology Beyond Domestication Dr. Emily Jones, an associate professor in UNM’s Anthropology Department, co-authored a chapter in Dogs: Archaeology Beyond Domestication book along with graduate student Victoria Monagle. The chapter, “Dog Life and Death in an Ancestral Pueblo Landscape,” focuses on the role dogs played in human […] Read More
Earth and Planetary Sciences professor paper featured on May’s cover of Geology Magazine Dr. Laura Crossey, a professor in UNM’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, was recently featured alongside her research team in May’s Geology Magazine for their work in Grand Canyon. A photograph taken by Crossey during the research made the cover […] Read More
New economics faculty member to research environmental regulations and policies Dr. Yuting Yang has joined UNM’s Department of Economics to research and teach environmental regulations and public policies related to climate change. Yang, who recently completed her PhD from The Toulouse School of Economics in France, has made the move to UNM to serve […] Read More
UNM linguist awarded 2020 Arts and Sciences Teaching Excellence Award UNM Associate Professor of Linguistics and Hispanic Linguistics, Dr. Naomi Shin has been awarded the prestigious 2020 Arts and Sciences Teaching Excellence Award. “This award is a tremendous honor to me. I care so deeply about teaching and supporting students, so to know […] Read More
UNM associate professor researches impact of COVID-19 on food security of UNM students Dr. Marygold Walsh-Dilley, an associate professor in the Honors College at UNM, is currently leading a study to determine the patterns of food insecurity among students at UNM with her co-PI Dr. Sarita Cargas (Honors College) and research team members Dr. […] Read More
Computer programmer joins UNM’s computer science department in fall 2020 Dr. Amanda Bienz will join UNM as a new computer science professor in fall 2020. Her current research focuses on developing software for supercomputers to optimize their computing speed. “We are on the brink of exascale computing and have the hardware capability to solve […] Read More
UNM professor awarded NSF funding to study human lung response to COVID-19 Dr. Melanie Moses, a professor of computer science and biology, has been awarded National Science Foundation funding to understand how human lungs respond to viral pathogens like COVID-19. With the help of Research Assistant Vanessa Surjadidjaja, Moses hopes to answer how […] Read More
Maxwell Museum curator creates virtual COVID-19 exhibit In response to the global pandemic, UNM’s Maxwell Museum curator Dr. Devorah Romanek has created Covid 19: Concepts of Sickness and Wellness, a virtual exhibition dedicated to expanding visitor’s perspectives on the virus through a historical context. The exhibit, which can be found here, has had 2,000 […] Read More
UNM professor spearheads COVID-19 relief and education efforts for community Dr. Heather Canavan, a professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, is addressing the concerning trend of people attempting to make hand sanitizer out of denatured alcohol, which is a highly toxic substance. Canavan was first made aware of this issue through a colleague who […] Read More
Political Science professor publishes series of papers on women rights Dr. Mala Htun, a professor at UNM Political Science Department, is a political scientist focused on comparative politics, women’s rights, and the politics of race and ethnicity. Dr. Htun is part of the Advance family and serves as a co-Pi and Deputy Director for the […] Read More
UNM biology and math professor on NM Covid-19 pandemic response Dr. Helen Wearing, a UNM professor in the biology and math departments, was interviewed by the New York Times about her opinion on New Mexico’s work against the Covid-19 pandemic. Wearing’s interests focus on “theoretical biology and disease ecology; using mathematical and statistical approaches to […] Read More
Anthropology professor publishes a paper on high-altitude health Dr. Siobhán M. Mattison, an assistant professor in the UNM Department of Anthropology, has published a paper on how high-altitude adaptations mitigate risk of chronic disease. The paper was published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology April 1, 2020 under the title “High-altitude adaptations mitigate […] Read More
Law professor looks at protections if AI software for correctional system is hacked University of New Mexico Law Professor Sonia Gipson Rankin combines her computer science and law training to research the protections in place if software used in the legal system is potentially hacked. Her work has recently been featured on a local news […] Read More
Engineering Professor selected for Fulbright award in Spain Dr. Jose Cerrato, Associate Professor in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, has been selected for a Fulbright award to Spain to study the detection of arsenic. The Fulbright Program is devoted to increasing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the […] Read More
Engineering Professor awarded NAHB Outstanding Educator of the Year Dr. Susan Bogus Halter, professor of civil, construction, and environmental engineering, was named the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) Outstanding Educator of the Year at the International Builders Show (IBS) conference in January 2020. “After working in industry for 10 years, I made the decision […] Read More
UNM Earth and Planetary Science professor named AAAS fellow The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) named University of New Mexico Earth and Planetary Science Professor Dr. Laura Crossey as one of their 2019 fellows. “It is truly a highlight,” Crossey said. “I have had other recognitions from my discipline, such as being […] Read More
Earth and planetary science professor earned grant to research the last mass extinction Dr. Corinne Myers, assistant professor in the department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, received a $284,662 grant from the National Science Foundation to research the ecological, evolutionary, and paleoenvironmental changes that occurred during the last mass extinction, about 66 million years ago. […] Read More
New UNM assistant professor studies how contemporary Yucatec Maya speakers are using their language to study linguistics UNM Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology, Dr. Catherine R. Rhodes, is studying the relationships between language and processes of social identification, working specifically with Yucatec Maya speakers in Mexico. “In Mexico, the Yucatec Maya […] Read More
Associate professor of UNM architecture and planning studies how to build functional and long-lasting buildings Kristina Yu, an associate professor of architecture and planning at UNM works with different materials and practices, such as admixtures in concrete and photovoltaic integrated layering, to find construction methods that allow people to assemble longer-lasting buildings. “Currently, I […] Read More
Associated professor at UNM researches better ways to track satellites with the Air Force Research Lab Dr. Jaime Stearns, associated professor of chemistry and chemical biology at UNM, works for the Air Force Research Lab to find better ways to track satellites as space gets more crowded. “There is so much opportunity for nations and […] Read More
UNM historical geographer set to publish book on water management Associate professor and chair of the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies Dr. Maria Lane is set to publish a new book on New Mexico water management. “I’m interested in how people, communities, governments have produced environmental knowledge and made decisions about environmental management […] Read More
UNM professor’s research focuses on how people are responding to rapid environmental changes Dr. Renia Ehrenfeucht, professor of community and regional planning at UNM, is investigating how climate change affects people and communities. Her current project is funded by The Water Institute of the Gulf. It is focused on assisting implementing Louisiana’s coastal master […] Read More
UNM associate professor of anthropology studies changes in the fossil record to investigate the evolution of apes and humans Dr. Sherry Nelson, associate professor of anthropology, is currently researching the interaction of climatic, vegetation, and faunal changes in the fossil record. These changes give indications to the ecological requirements for changes in body size, brain […] Read More
UNM chemical and biological engineering faculty member promoted to professor Dr. Heather Canavan was recently promoted to professor of chemical and biological engineering at UNM. Canavan attributes her promotion to her group’s hard work over the years that culminated in 2018. She received the Women in STEM Award, she won the UNM Outstanding Teacher of […] Read More
