Education & Outreach
New Mexico EPSCoR is proud to partner with smaller colleges around the state in order to provide research opportunities to students at non-research schools. Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari, NM is a new participant in the WC-WAVE Undergraduate Visualization and Modeling Network (UVMN) program.
STEMAP ended last week in celebration of 11 undergraduate students’ summer research with 50+ people at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge. Students spent eight weeks working with NM EPSCOR researchers at UNM, NMT, and NMSU to gain valuable, in-the-field research experience their current colleges do not provide. It all culminated in a morning full of presentations to fellow researchers, faculty, NM EPSCoR staff, friends, and family.
Fifteen students and five faculty researchers from New Mexico Tech, New Mexico Highlands University, and Eastern New Mexico University congregated at the New Mexico Tech Environmental Engineering Laboratory, June 9 – 11 to learn the basics of membrane fabrication and characterization. The first in a series of technical workshops, this three-day intensive workshop was designed to establish and nurture a vibrant research infrastructure in New Mexico for osmotic power development.
Happy Summer! Diversity has been the word here at NM EPSCoR’s office during the month of May. I am excited to share that our Diversity Team is in the midst of creating our very own Diversity Strategic Plan. Five diversity advocates from across the state joined the Diversity Team to focus and strategize NM EPSCoR’s diversity work. I will share this document with you when it is finalized on our Diversity page by the end of this month.
And they’re off! Eleven bright-eyed undergraduates from seven New Mexico Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) reported to New Mexico Tech (NMT) on Sunday, June 2 to begin their participation in STEMAP. STEMAP, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Advancement Program, gives undergraduates from non-research universities the opportunity to work in the labs of NM EPSCoR researchers. The nine-week commitment involves a week of training at NMT and eight weeks of research followed by a final conference at which the students present their research experience.
Last week was a busy one for the Western Consortium for Watershed Analysis, Visualization, and Exploration (WC-WAVE)! Along with the Tri-State Western Consortium Meeting at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History, two different groups of WC-WAVE participants gathered in separate classrooms at the University of New Mexico for specialized training.
The first All Hands Meeting of the New Mexico EPSCoR Energize New Mexico project was a great success! Over 100 project participants and guests attended to listen to talks on diversity, collaboration, data management, and all 7 components of the Energize New Mexico project.
Have you ever wondered about what percentage of your life you spend in school? For those of us finishing up the last few weeks of the spring semester-- as a student, teacher or parent-- it probably feels like a huge number. But according to Dr. John Falk, the Sea Grant professor of Free-Choice Learning at Oregon State University, for the average American the answer is less than 5% of your waking hours are spent in school.
I am the Diversity Outreach Specialist for NM EPSCoR. One of my tasks as Diversity Outreach Specialist is to recruit for our summer student research program, STEM Advancement Program (STEMAP), and faculty-student team modeling opportunity, Undergraduate Visualization Modeling Network (UVMN). Read my latest news after the jump.
National Geographic is featuring the first topic in a three-part series on consumable resources, The Great Energy Challenge, to engage the public about energy awareness and resources. The Great Energy Challenge convenes and engages influential citizens and key energy stakeholders in solutions-based thinking and dialogue about our shared energy future. Learn more after the jump!