Jonathan Natvig

On-campus nuclear reactor powers education

Recently, rumors have circulated regarding the presence of a nuclear reactor on the UNM campus, causing a mixture of interest and concern. As it turns out, a small instructional and research reactor has resided on campus for 50 years, but the potential danger surrounding it seems to be minimal. UNM has been home to the AGN-201M nuclear training reactor since 1966, offering students a unique learning experience in nuclear engineering. Last month, the UNM Nuclear Engineering Department celebrated a half-century of having the reactor on campus.

New report assesses UNM's gender pay gaps

Much has been said at varying levels about the pay gap between different genders and ethnicities in certain industries, but when factoring in rank and field of study, women and minority faculty are almost paid equally to men at UNM. However, according to a report analyzing base pay of faculty from the Office of the Provost, , men are more likely to be promoted to full professorships, while salaries for women and minorities become less “competitive over time.” In 2007, the UNM Economics Department conducted an analysis of faculty compensation for the Office of the Provost and found that — on average, without looking at rank and field of study — women faculty earned 87 percent compared to the salaries of white, non-Hispanic men.

Report: HSC improving in terms of faculty diversity

In 2011, UNM Health Sciences Center and Main Campus officials began a program to facilitate a more diverse faculty community at HSC, and it has been paying dividends in the years since its implementation. The program is called the Advancing Institutional Mentoring Excellence Pilot Project (AIME), and according to a 2016 status report, the initial objective was to foster a more diverse workforce, mentor junior faculty members in “understanding of relational structures” and create educational tools for faculty to set and realize goals.

Relationships between students and teachers helpful...to a point

UNM policy draws a hard line on inter-office romance — leaving the topic of student-faculty friendship a bit more ambiguous. Some feel that engaging with students outside the classroom can have possible educational benefits, but these benefits are situational and some relationships have to be monitored by UNM. Pamina Deutsch, director of the UNM Policy Office, said there is no policy regarding faculty having lunch, dinner or a beer with students, but some departments have developed their own regulations.

Anaya Lecture speaker discusses societal roles using popular game

For last week’s 7th Annual Anaya Lecture for Literature of the Southwest, writer Rigoberto Gonzalez discussed masculinity in Chicano literature. The event was sponsored by the UNM English Department, and was followed by a reception and book signing for the Albuquerque community. Anita Obermeier, chair of the English Department, said the series was born out of a generous donation from Rodolfo and Patricia Anaya, as a way to raise money for the Rudy Scholarship Fund for prospective English students interested in Chicano literature.

Group demands reparations for impacts of nuclear testing

New Mexican protesters assembled at Trinity Site on Saturday to demand reparations for health issues caused by U.S nuclear testing. The Trinity Site, located in the Tularosa Basin, is home to the first detonation of a nuclear weapon in history.

UNM provides outdoor spaces for off-campus faces

The duck pond, the quad, the rose gardens, Johnson Field — UNM Main Campus contains some of the most scenic and useful outdoor spaces in the city. From yoga to APD recruitment to weddings and much more, these locations host a wide variety of functions for students and the Albuquerque community alike. Students, faculty, staff and off-campus organizations in particualr use these venues for the sharing of ideas and a diverse array of events.

2016 Anaya Lecture to feature celebrated Chicano author

The UNM English Department is celebrating the seventh annual Rudolfo and Patricia Anaya Lecture on the Literature of the Southwest. This year’s talk will be given by celebrated Chicano author Rigoberto Gonzalez on Thursday, Sept. 29, at 6:30 PM in George Pearl Hall 101. Gonzalez will be discussing masculinity in Chicano literature.

UNM graduate accuses security guard of harassment, racial profiling

A UNM graduate has accused Brick Light District security guards of racial profiling and battery. An APD report confirms that Xavier Vera was in a “physical altercation” with a security guard on July 6 in the Brick Light District on his way to Satellite Coffee, on the corner of Central and Harvard Avenues.

UNM records highest number of Hispanic and American Indian faculty members in the country

According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, of more than 1,500 public and private universities examined, UNM ranked first with the most Hispanic and American Indian faculty members. The study included schools like the University of California, Los Angeles, New York University, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Across the country, university faculty are overwhelmingly white and male, according to the study.

Tina Cordova, middle, talks to UNM students about being a Tularosa "downwinder" on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016 at the Trinity Site. Eileen Shaughnessy, left, took her sustainability class, Nuclear New Mexico, to visit the historical site.