UNM-Valencia Professor Recognized for Community Contributions
Dr. Richard Melzer, professor of history at UNM-Valencia Campus and author of several books, received a Star Award from the City of Belen for his service to the community. Melzer was one of six community members honored in a recent ceremony held at the Heart of Belen Pavilion.
Melzer has been very active in the Valencia County Historical Society for many years and has penned numerous “La Historia del Rio Abajo” columns in the Valencia County News-Bulletin. He has received several outstanding teacher awards at the Valencia Campus.
His latest book is titled, "Buried Treasures: Famous and Unusual Gravesites in New Mexico History." Other titles include "Breakdown: How the Secret of the Atomic Bomb was Stolen" and "Ernie Pyle in the American Southwest."