SILVER CITY, NM—Founded as New Mexico Normal School, the focus of Western New Mexico University has always been teaching. But the emphasis on teaching does not mean that faculty do not engage in research. In fact, faculty have active research agendas in a rich and diverse array of topics.

One example is the work of Associate Professor of Psychology Jennifer Johnston, who is currently on sabbatical in the U.K. completing her book The 80/20 Ratio: Your Brain’s rEvolutionary Liquid Abacus. In her book, Johnson explores an innovative, widely applicable theory about the origins of human cognition. In addition, Johnson has recently co-edited a volume titled Research Handbook on the Social Psychology of the Media.

Like Johnston, Assistant Professor of Computer Science Kamal Nyaupane has also collaborated with scholars outside the university in his research. He has collaborated with senior scientists from Sandia National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory on a project using machine learning to model environmental predictors of soil organic carbon storage, and he has worked with researchers from the University of Texas at El Paso and the University of Exeter on advancing methods using drone and satellite data to monitor heterogeneous dryland ecology. Both projects have led to academic publications.

In the arts, research often takes a different form, said Assistant Professor of Sculpture Erin Weary. Through hands-on experimentation, she noted, “artists deepen their understanding of the world, translating personal narratives, societal issues, and philosophical inquiries into visual form.” Her time spent in artist residencies, including one in Colombia and one in Arizona, have allowed her to produce a substantial body of work focused on human interaction with the environment and impermanence. Weary’s research has had a direct impact on her teaching. “By designing assignments inspired by my residences,” she said, “I encourage students to critically consider the role of narrative in visual art, the ethics of material use, and the potential for artistic practice to engage with social and environmental issues.”

Associate Professor of Sociology Andreea Nica also finds her research to impact her classroom. Nica’s research focuses on emotional well-being among individuals who “exit” institutions such as religion and family. She has published several academic articles on the topic and is currently drafting a book titled Freeligious: Emotional Exits from Family & Religion. According to Nica, her research on institutional exits has helped her teach courses such as Sociology of Families, Sociology of Religion, and Social Psychology.

In the College of Education, faculty research has ranged from studies of autism among American Indian and Alaska Native children to the examination of gaps in young children’s cognitive development in the border community.

Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education Candi Running Bear uses Indigenous research methodologies to examine the unmet medical needs of Indigenous communities and advocate for culturally responsive solutions. Her research on autism on the Navajo Nation led to a parent training program, Diné Parents Taking Action, among other publications. Running Bear, who lives and works on the Navajo Nation said that living in and in proximity to various tribal lands in the southwest permits her research to be meaningful regarding family and child development.

Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education Wenjie Wang’s research includes connecting and transforming early childhood education and development theory and practice, studying young children’s cognitive development in the border community, examining early childhood teacher education preparation focusing on non-traditional students, and studying the program quality, assessment and accreditation of early childhood teacher education programs. Her scholarship has led to the publication of nine academic papers, one state report and one article in the local newspaper since she joined WNMU. In 2024, Wang was awarded the Early Childhood Champion Award by the National Coalition for Campus Children’s Centers.

All of these faculty were recently recognized for their research by being nominated for the Faculty Excellence in Research award. The winner of the award was Wang.

Assistant Professor of Sociology Dara Naphan-Kingery, who, with Associate Professor of Reading Education Catherine Gregorius, co-chaired the committee that vetted the award nominees, said that faculty at WNMU are engaged in rigorous and important research.

“Our faculty are writing groundbreaking books, applying cutting-edge methods to solve pressing scientific problems, researching and advocating for children in the state of New Mexico with implications for caregivers, educators, and policymakers, and participating in exciting, cross-cultural artist residencies,” said Naphan-Kingery. “Our faculty are co-Principal Investigators on national grants and have cultivated relationships and published with other researchers across the state, nationally, and internationally.”

Gregorius noted how extensively WNMU engage students in research. “What is especially inspiring is how nominees have conducted research and published with WNMU students, taking them to present their work at conferences, as well as organizing internship opportunities through their research connections,” she said.

The scholarship that faculty engage in, added Gregorius, “informs the courses they teach and enhances what they are able to impart to their students by showing the real-world implications of what [students] are learning, inspiring them to ask and answer their own questions.”