UNM researchers generate new work with Women in STEM Awards
Funding from the UNM Women in STEM Awards has helped researchers across campus with a variety of novel projects, including the development of software to 3-D print with adobe material, documenting the links between microplastics and respiratory distress, and identifying justice implications in artificial intelligence.
Faculty chosen for the award over nine years also have worked to improve the colonoscopy prep process, better understand the mass-loss process of certain stars and explore atmospheric water harvesting, among other things.
“We are beyond grateful to the anonymous donor, to those who applied, and to the work done by the awardees,” she said.
“Among other things, the awards funded projects that looked at artificial photosynthesis, brain stimulation and substance abuse, and a study of theranostic agents that detect and treat amyloid diseases, which are the cause of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s,” she said.
The awards were hosted by ADVANCE at UNM, the Office of Academic Affairs and the Office of the Vice President for Research. Funding for the awards was from an anonymous gift made to UNM to support research by, and professorships for, women faculty in science, technology, engineering, and math. Income from the gift is used to help women assistant and associate STEM professors at UNM to establish new lines of research and to develop research collaborations. As of 2025, the awards have been paused.
The awardees from STEM fields across campus took on other important projects, including expanding the number of CT scans available for researchers seeking positive identifications of murdered and missing Indigenous women; exploring the connection between geophysical properties of the Rio Grande region and its settlement patterns and contemporary issues, and child acquisition of minority languages.
Started in 2016 when ADVANCE at UNM began as well, the buzz around the awards each year was just as important as the actual awards, some recipients have said. Publicity by the ADVANCE Communication Team about the winners became a sought-after commodity on campus and analytics show stories and videos about the awards consistently were among the most popular content ADVANCE published. Access the Women in STEM Award winner profile stories.
Women in STEM winner videos
Posters of the Women and STEM Award winners over the years.
