University Communication and Marketing (UCAM) annually compiles a Year-in-Review highlighting its general news and feature stories during the course of the calendar year. Below is a select list of 2019 general news and feature stories highlighting student, faculty, staff and alumni accomplishments, community and statewide engagement, student-led philanthropy and an astronaut chat that was out of this world! 

UNM alumna named nation's 23rd poet laureate
Critically-acclaimed poet and former UNM student and faculty member Joy Harjo is the new United States Poet Laureate – the first Native American to hold the position. Harjo, a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, is the 23rd Poet Laureate. She graduated from The University of New Mexico in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing.

Class teaches the traditional art of making violins
The University of New Mexico prides itself on its cutting-edge technology and researchers making innovative strides in science and healthcare. But in a quiet corner of Masley Hall, students eschew laptops and use mostly hand tools to craft violins, musical instruments originating in Renaissance Italy.  

UNM partners with City of Albuquerque to combat homelessness
2017 report from the National Alliance to End Homelessness notes that more than 500,000 people in the United States are experiencing homelessness. Of those, about 2,500 live in New Mexico. It’s a statistic The University of New Mexico is looking to change.

LoboTHON sets record; raises more than $103,000 for UNM Children's Hospital
LoboTHON, UNM’s largest student-run philanthropy organization, broke yet another record by raising $103,408.42 for UNM’s Children Hospital.

‘R.A.W.Tuba’ provides platform for passion involving motivational speaking
There’s a reason, many of them in fact, New Mexico is called The Land of Enchantment – from sun-drenched vistas to clear blue skies, from brilliant desert landscapes to picturesque mountains, from culture and cuisine to diversity of its population and a simple quality of life are just a few of the reasons that draw people to live in New Mexico. For Dr. Richard White, associate professor of music at The University of New Mexico, the journey from Indianapolis to Albuquerque took an unconventional path considering where it started decades ago as a homeless young boy doing everything he could to survive living on the streets of Baltimore.

Meow Wolf internships prove valuable to students in both art and science
What can an electrical engineering undergraduate student and a master’s student in fine arts learn from a thriving multimedia art and entertainment complex that features a haunted house and immersive and unique exhibits? Turns out, plenty. And of course, that place is Santa Fe’s Meow Wolf, which has been immensely popular since opening a few years ago and offers a perfect way to demonstrate the many ways in which art and science are interdependent.

UNM President Garnett Stokes raises awareness with U.S. Army Golden Knights
University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes raised awareness for the University’s Army ROTC program in a unique way – a tandem skydive with the Golden Knights – the U.S. Army’s elite parachute demonstration team.

Anderson alums brewing new life into Nob Hill
Two brothers – and graduates of The University of New Mexico's Anderson School of Management – are hoping their business plans will re-energize a portion of Nob Hill and entice university students to shop, stroll and study in the neighborhood. Jacob and Isaac Fox, class of ’13 and ’16 respectively, are the co-owners of Little Bear Coffee Co., and just opened a second location near the old Monte Vista Fire Station.

Native American artist teaches traditional methods of making Pueblo pottery
Every culture has pottery, says assistant professor Clarence Cruz, who teaches Pueblo pottery classes at The University of New Mexico. Regardless of anyone’s ancestry, every culture uses clay for utilitarian and aesthetic purposes, from Mexican saltillo floor tiles to fine Asian pottery, to the classic blue and white Delft ware of Europe to the highly coveted pottery of the Native American pueblos of New Mexico and the Southwest.

Four UNM scientists selected for the 2019 Women in STEM awards
Four scientists at The University of New Mexico have been selected as the recipients for the 2019 Women in STEM awards. The recipients this year include Dr. Darcy Barron, Dr. Sakineh Chabi, Dr. Elizabeth Korver-Glenn and Dr. Hannah Mattson.      

Crossey named prestigious AAAS Fellow
Dr. Laura Crossey, a professor in The University of New Mexico's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Election as an AAAS Fellow is a prestigious honor bestowed upon members by their peers. This year, Crossey is one of 443 members who will be among those honored at the AAAS Fellows Forum during the 2020 AAAS Annual Meeting in Seattle, Wash. on Feb 15. 

Lobo undergrad receives prestigious Goldwater Scholarship
Established as a way to recognize the nation’s most talented students, the Goldwater Scholarship is one of the top academic honors a college student can hope to receive. Recognized for his impressive academic and research credentials, Lobo undergrad Eric Putney can now count himself as one of the elite scholarship recipients. 

Dr. Paul Roth announces his retirement
In his office, Dr. Paul B. Roth, chancellor of UNM’s Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine, has memories throughout the years displayed on shelves, spread across coffee tables and hung on walls. It’s a lifetime of memories that will soon go in a box and be transferred to his home. Roth has decided that after 26 years as the dean of the School of Medicine and 14 years as the chancellor, it’s time for him to step down.

NASA chats live with 500 students at UNM
What’s it like to sleep in space? Have you ever tried a New Mexico chile? Is microgravity as fun as it looks? Those are just a few of the questions students had the opportunity to ask NASA Astronaut Christina Koch aboard the International Space Station, as they chatted with her live from The University of New Mexico. Hundreds of students from across the state crowded inside the UNM Student Union Building to take part in the NASA In-Flight Education Downlink. Each year, NASA selects 5-6 educational institutions to host a live chat with astronauts.