Annually, the UNM Communication and Marketing (UCAM) Department compiles a list of its Top-10 General News stories during the course of the year. Below is the list of UNM's Top-10 General News stories for 2012.

Robert Frank was named UNM's 21st President on Jan. 4, 2012.
Robert G. Frank Appointed President of The University of New Mexico
The UNM Board of Regents selected Robert G. Frank as the 21st president of UNM. Frank's selection follows a six-month search by a committee that included Regents, faculty, students, staff and alumni. Frank, 59, will succeed David J. Schmidly, who announced in April 2011 that he would step down after five years as president. Frank will take office in June 2012.

UNM'S Project ECHO Awarded $8.5 Million
The UNM Health Sciences Center's Project ECHO, Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes, has been awarded nearly $8.5 million over three years from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Care Innovation awards. Project ECHO is a transformative model of medical education and health care delivery that brings high-quality care to very sick patients wherever they live. It was created by social innovator Sanjeev Arora, a physician at the UNM Health Sciences Center.

Dean Kevin Washburn Confirmed to Lead Indian Affairs
The U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Dean Kevin Washburn to serve as assistant secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department of Interior, the highest position in the federal government that focuses primarily on Indian Affairs. Washburn said he looks forward to helping the nation's tribes continue to pursue self-governance.

Unidos Project Receives Lumina Foundation Grant
The Unidos Project in Albuquerque received $600,000 from Lumina Foundation for a "no wrong gate" approach that allows students to flow freely through the educational system, with appropriate support and direction to remain on course, and with minimal barriers to success. This grant effort encourages community leaders across key policy, education, business and nonprofit sectors to build, implement and sustain "place-based partnerships" that capitalize on local talent. Lumina is investing more than $11.5 million in Latino Student Success (LSS) efforts across the country.

Highly-Cited Scientists from UNM
The Institute for Science Information maintains a list of the world's most highly-cited scientists, based on high volume of citations of their work in scientific publications. UNM has only three faculty on the list with two Distinguished Professors including James H. Brown in the Department of Biology and William Miller, professor emeritus from the Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions, while Research Professor Scott Tonigan, also from CASAA, was recently added to the list. The trio is among the top half of one percent of the world's scientists.

UNM Performance of Clausen's ‘Requiem' at Lincoln Review Gets Media, Composer Accolades
Music Professor Bradley Ellingboe, UNM soloists and choral members got rave reviews on their performance of Rene Clausen's "Requiem," one of two requiems performed on Sunday, March 18, at Lincoln Center in New York City. Jeffrey Williams wrote in the New York Concert Review that Clausen's requiem "is not dark and foreboding, but serene and hopeful." He added that Clausen wrote "a work of great power, with moments of conflict." Clausen's "Requiem," was commissioned to celebrate the 100th anniversary of choral singing at UNM.

UNM Selected by NIH as One of 11 Centers of Excellence in Pain Education
UNM was recently named by the NIH Pain Consortium as one of 11 Centers of Excellence in Pain Education (CoEPE). CoEPEs will act as hubs for the development, evaluation and distribution of pain management curriculum resources for medical, dental, nursing and pharmacy schools to enhance and improve how health care professionals are taught about pain and its treatment. UNM College of Nursing's Robin Meize-Grochowski, professor and Ph.D. program director, is the principal investigator and project director who will oversee the evolving curricula.

UNM SRMC Opens Doors to Patients
The new UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center (SRMC) opened its doors for patient care Monday, July 16. The $189 million, 72-bed hospital will not only bring greater access to health care to the people of Sandoval County, but will provide a major boost to the local and state economy. Within a month of opening, the SRMC will employ 361 people at an average wage of more than $75,000 per year for a first year payroll of more than $40 million.

Margaret and Turner Branch Donate $1.5 Million to Lobo Athletics to Name Field at University Stadium
UNM Athletics and the Lobo Club announced recently the donation of $1.5 million by Margaret and Turner Branch to Lobo Athletics for the naming rights to the football field at University Stadium. Pending UNM Board of Regents' approval, the field will be called "Branch Field." The Branches have made numerous significant contributions in support of UNM Athletics for more than 30 years.

UNM Constructing a Stronger Regional Economic Development Strategy
President Robert G. Frank has received a final report from the UNM Economic Development Summit and is beginning to consider ways in which the university can most effectively participate in developing the regional and state economy. One of the most startling findings is the assessment of the number of new jobs that must be created in the next few years to minimize the effect of losing jobs in the government and private sectors that began with the 2007 recession. The report makes a number of recommendations.

** The selections above are in no particular order.