Contacts: Cindy Foster, 505-272-0260 Laurie Mellas-Ramirez, 277-5915

October 29, 2002 ROSWELL NATIVE CHOOSES UNM CAREER IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY Walter Duran has an appreciation for the old, for roots and for history. He is fascinated, too, by the new, and learning and exploring. A research scientist in the University of New Mexico Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duran grew up in Roswell when his father transferred there with the military. His parents, Mary and Tony Duran, and sister Diane, live there. He has traced his family roots in northern New Mexico back to the 1700s. "I take a lot of pride in the fact that I'm a native New Mexican," he said. "I think it is important that there are still many people here who have maintained traditions that have been unchanged for hundreds of years. " Biology always fascinated Duran. He worked in the lab at Roswell High School. As a UNM student, he got a job "washing lab beakers" and then, after graduating in 1987 went to work fulltime. Molecular biology has been the focus of his career. The work takes him into laboratories studying a variety of subjects. His most recent assignment involves reverse genetic systems analysis of the hantavirus - a topic with the potential to find ways to help defend against biological terror attacks in the future. After 15 years, Duran says he still gets excited about his field. "What I think I like best is the constant newness of it. You never solve the problem. There is always a new challenge, always a bigger/better/faster way of doing things," he said. "And, you never get bored with the people. I've met and learned from people from all around the world. Duran's home life reflects his love of old and new. A portion of weekends is spent doing woodworking - a craft learned from his father. He and his wife Shelly are active with San Felipe Catholic Church in Old Town, Albuquerque. There they find friends who also honor several hundred-year-old family traditions. Working so that history coexists peacefully with new ideas and developments takes effort, but the results are worth it, he said. "Shelly and I have been active in our neighborhood association," he said. "Sometimes they need a volunteer and I'm tired and don't really want to raise my hand. But then when we are out walking the dog and see the results of what we did, I know it was worth it. " "In many ways your best ally in living here is the landscape of New Mexico itself," he said. "It's so beautiful to live here, it's such a romantic state, it makes it easy to put in the extra effort. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else." ###

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