The University of New Mexico

NEWS RELEASE

 


Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu

January 13, 2006

UNM Alumni Association to Bestow Major Annual Awards to Outstanding Alumni

The UNM Alumni Association will bestow its four major annual awards to outstanding alumni and faculty at a dinner, Thursday, Feb. 2, at the Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town. Included among the recipients are: Eric Pillmore, who will receive the James F. Zimmerman Award; David Stuart, who will be honored with the Bernard S. Rodey Award; John Salazar, the Erna S. Fergusson Award; and Miguel Gandert, who will be given the Alumni Association Faculty Award.

Eric Pillmore, '75 BBA

Pillmore, senior vice president-corporate governance at Tyco International Corporation, has brought fame and honor to New Mexico and UNM. Pillmore was hired to restore the Tyco's reputation and instill a working program of ethics following the company's scandal involving its former CEO's improprieties.

Before assuming the post at Tyco, Pillmore held executive positions at Multilink Technology Corporation, General Instrument Corporation and General Electric.

David S. Stuart, '70 MA, '72 Ph.d.

The Rodey Award is given to someone who has devoted an unusual amount of time in a leadership capacity and has contributed significantly to the field of education. Stuart, who recently retired from UNM as associate provost, played a pivotal role at the institution in responding to the needs of non-traditional students.

Under his direction, the university began deliberate efforts to provide classes after hours and on weekends. Stuart also was instrumental in a successful program encouraging the return of students who had left the university lacking only a few hours to graduate. A professor of anthropology, Stuart has written major books on the prehistoric Southwest.

John P. Salazar, '65 BA

An attorney at Rodey, Dickason, Sloan, Akin & Robb, Salazar will receive the Erna S. Fergusson Award for exceptional accomplishment or distinguished service to the university. A highly respected expert in real estate law, Salazar is also a respected community leader. He is the immediate past president of the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce board, and has served in leadership positions on numerous boards, including the Albuquerque Economic Forum and the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce.

At UNM, Salazar has served on both the UNM Alumni Association board and the UNM Foundation board. His work has had an impact upon the Mesa del Sol development.

Miguel Gandert, '77 BUS, '83 MA

Gandert, a communications and journalism professor at UNM, will receive the Alumni Association's Faculty Award recognizing outstanding teaching and service to students. A nationally known photographer, Gandert has had one-person exhibits at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, at museums across the country from New York to New Mexico, and at museums in Spain and Bolivia.

He has lectured at the Smithsonian, at New York's International Museum of Photographic Arts and at universities and institutions nationwide. Gandert also worked for 14 years as chief photographer at KOAT-TV News.

 


The University of New Mexico is the state's largest university, serving more than 32,000 students. UNM is home to the state's only schools of law, medicine, pharmacy and architecture and operates New Mexico's only academic health center. UNM is noted for comprehensive undergraduate programs and research that benefits the state and the nation.

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