Contact: Michael Padilla, 277-1816

Nov. 19, 2002 UNM SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING RANKED AMONG BEST BY HISPANIC ENGINEER MAGAZINE The University of New Mexico School of Engineering (SOE) is ranked 7th on Hispanic Engineer & Information Technology magazine’s top 21 schools for Hispanics in the November/December issue. UNM students are also featured on the cover. The magazine used Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME) minority graduation rates for institutions of higher education. Of the 21 universities in the continental U.S. that graduated the most Latino engineers in the class of 1996-97, six are designated as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), defined as colleges or universities with at least 25 percent Hispanic enrollment. About two-thirds of all Hispanic students attend HSIs. Thirty-three percent of UNM’s full-time students are Hispanic. In the magazine, SOE Dean Joe Cecchi says UNM has a very strong commitment to engineering education and has programs designed to provide a training excellence. He said that UNM’s program is extremely research intensive which enhances the quality of education, giving students hands-on experience. Cecchi said the school’s courses are always current, because they are built around a faculty engaged in cutting-edge research. “We are very pleased to have our strong commitment to undergraduate engineering education recognized by inclusion in Hispanic Engineer,” Cecchi said. ###

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