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The University of New Mexico

NEWS RELEASE



Media Contact: Laurie Mellas, 277-5915

March 14, 2007

UNM Peer Mentoring Group Sponsors Roundtable: 'Why do we need Faculty of Color?'

The third in a series of four roundtables focusing on issues concerning graduate and professional students of color at the University of New Mexico is Tuesday, March 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Student Union building, Santa Ana Room.

A panel will discuss the topic "Why do we need Faculty of Color?" Participants include Gregory Cajete, Language, Literacy and Sociocultural Studies professor and director of Native American Studies, Ray Hernandez, Department of Art and Art History assistant professor, Ime Kerlee, Department of Women’s Studies post-doc fellow, and Margaret Montoya, School of Law professor.

Conceived by the Peer Mentoring for Graduates of Color Program Steering Committee, the spring 2007 roundtables bring together faculty, staff and students to discuss first generation graduate students of color, race on campus, the need for faculty of color and graduate students of color.

PMGC is a student-run organization founded in 2002 to build community among historically underrepresented groups in graduate school. PMGC aims to increase the retention of students of color through providing academic, social, cultural and emotional support, and to ultimately build a more diverse population within UNM graduate and professional programs.

Other special programming includes: academic and professional development workshops, undergraduate outreach initiatives, dissertation, thesis and comps workshops, monthly social hours, monthly brown bag lunches, end-of-the-year social event, and the sponsoring and promotion of cultural events.

For more information on PMGC, visit www.unm.edu/~gradpeer or contact Christopher Ramirez, PMGC project assistant, 277-7397, gradpeer@unm.edu.


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.

www.unm.edu