Contact:	Dr. Viola Florez, 277-7267
April 18, 2002 OPEN FORUMS SET FOR FOUR FINALISTS FOR UNM-TAOS DIRECTOR Open forums begin next week for four finalists identified for the position of executive director of the University of New Mexico Taos branch campus, said Dr. Viola Florez, dean of the UNM College of Education and chair of the search committee. The individual selected will succeed Wynn Goering, who has served as interim executive director since December 2000. The position will direct the overall operations of the Taos Branch, including academic curriculum development and instruction, facilities, human resources, administration and financial management. "The committee has done an excellent job of identifying four very highly qualified candidates," Florez said. Each of the four finalists will participate in an open community forum scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on the respective day of their visit. Finalists and dates of their open community forums are as follows: --April 26 is the open forum date for Dr. Rita Martinez-Purson, who has served as dean of Continuing Education at Santa Fe Community College since 1984. Martinez-Purson received her Doctor of Education in Administration and Supervision in 1994 and a Masters of Public Administration in 1983, both from UNM. The forum will be held at the Taos City Council Chambers. --April 30 is the date for Dr. Carlos Ramirez, who has served as executive director for the UNM-Los Alamos branch campus since 1989. Ramirez received his Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science from the University of California in Santa Barbara in 1979, and his Master of Arts in Political Science from UNM in 1969. The forum will be held at the Taos City Council Chambers. --May 2 is the date for Dr. Wynn Goering, who has served as interim executive director of the UNM Taos campus since December 2000. Goering received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Chicago in 1984 and an M.B.A. from UNM in 1998. The forum will be held at the Taos Holiday Inn, room 606. --May 9 is the date for Dr. Alicia Fedelina Chavez, who has served as dean of students at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, since July 2000, where she is also a faculty member in the department of educational administration. Chavez received her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Higher Education Administration-Policy Studies from the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1998. She received her Master of Science in Student Personnel/Higher Education Administration from Iowa State University in 1989. The forum will be held at the Taos City Council Chambers. # # #

The University of New Mexico
Public Affairs Department
Hodgin Hall, 2nd floor
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0011
Telephone: (505) 277-5813
Fax: (505) 277-1981