Contacts: Michele Minnis, (505) 277-3556 Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821

October 25, 2002 UNM WATER RESOURCES PROGRAM/USDA ESTABLISHES RECRUITING PROGRAM FOR UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS The University of New Mexico's Water Resources Program (WRP) has received from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) a three-year grant to recruit students from underrepresented groups. The grant includes financial support, in the form of professional internships, for a limited number of accepted applicants. The WRP offers a multi- and interdisciplinary Master of Water Resources degree, the only professional degree of its kind in the country. The new project, which is funded by the USDA's Higher Education Programs for Hispanic-Serving Institutions, is called "Enhancing Diversity and Experiential Learning in Water Resources." It will allow the WRP to tailor recruiting efforts toward Hispanic, Native American, African-American and other ethnic groups. "Essentially the program will help implement diversity in the career fields of agriculture and water sciences that the USDA is concerned with," said Jose Rivera, special assistant to the vice provost for Research. "UNM is very well situated to develop this type of program because we are one of only a few schools in country with a master's program in water resources and a pool of students to draw from because of our large Hispanic and Native American base. This opportunity comes at a good time because the USDA wants to expand and develop this particular field in water resources. It makes a very good match for UNM to participate with the USDA in this program." In addition to the recruitment and internship components, the grant includes partial funding, in the third year, for the WRP summer capstone field course, which involves work on rural water projects in Honduras. A variety of recruiting methods will be utilized including contact with participating college career counselors in water-related fields, recruitment packets and a portable display which will be used at career fairs and similar events to attract and interview prospective applicants identified by on-site contacts. "WRP students already reflect diverse disciplinary orientations," said Michele Minnis, the program's acting director. "Our applicants and students have undergraduate majors, or even advanced degrees, in various fields-biology, botany, geology, political science, community planning, engineering, economics, public administration, environmental science, or law. Thanks to this grant, the WRP student body will become more ethnically and culturally diverse as well. Our hope is that greater minority student participation in the Water Resources Program will enrich the program itself, the students, and the community of water professionals. "The drought of this summer in New Mexico also highlights the timeliness of the need for training and to assess and evaluate water resources and how to use them in the future," said Rivera. "It's also an exciting way to diversify our graduate student body in the field of water issues and water resources which has affected everyone in New Mexico. Everyone is concerned with ways to utilize and conserve our water. Training water policy managers and or scientists fits into the state of New Mexico's priorities and UNM is well-suited to do it." Recruiting efforts will focus on colleges in the southwestern states including Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. Targeted colleges in Arizona include: Northern Arizona (Flagstaff); University of Arizona (Tucson) and Arizona State (Tempe). Colleges in Colorado include: Adams State College (Alamosa, Colo.); Fort Lewis College (Durango, Colo.) and the University of Southern Colorado (Pueblo). Colleges in New Mexico include: New Mexico Highlands (Las Vegas, N.M.); Eastern New Mexico University (Portales, N.M.); New Mexico State (Las Cruces), New Mexico Tech (Socorro); Western New Mexico (Silver City) and the UNM branch campuses in Gallup and Valencia county. Recruiting will also take place at the University of Texas-El Paso. Minnis will work with WRP Director Michael Campana on the recruitment project. # # #

The University of New Mexico
Public Affairs Department
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