Karim Martinez (NMSU photo by Darren Phillips) Karim Martinez, formerly the county program director and Family and Consumer Sciences agent for the Doña Ana County Cooperative Extension Service, has assumed a new role at New Mexico State University, but she is certainly no stranger to the university.

Effective July 16, Martinez is the new Extension Family Life and Child Development specialist in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences' Extension Family and Consumer Sciences department. Martinez has been with NMSU since 2002, except for a year spent working with Families and Youth, Inc. She earned two bachelor's degrees and a master's degree from the university, and earned a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Administration in May. While working toward her doctorate, Martinez took courses that emphasized issues of diversity, equity and social justice, which Martinez said she will be able to apply to her work as a specialist.

"Being born and raised in Las Cruces, I've always felt that New Mexico is where I need to be, and I love living in such a diverse state," Martinez said. "I have a passion for serving communities and Extension provides me that opportunity."

As an Extension Family Life and Child Development specialist, Martinez joins a team of Extension specialists who provide support to county Extension agents throughout the state. Extension specialists also provide community education as well as professional development to county Extension agents.

Martinez's new role is to develop and select programs catered to people across the life span, which may include child development, strengthening couple relationships and topics related to aging such as coping with loss and grief.

"As specialists, we focus on one area, and I'm looking forward to developing programs in this area," said Martinez, who holds a master's degree in Family and Consumer Sciences and completed coursework focusing on human development and marriage and family therapy.

"With 14 years of experience in the Cooperative Extension Service, Dr. Martinez has a wide breadth of knowledge and experience, and has served in a variety of leadership roles and statewide initiatives," said Priscilla Bloomquist, interim head of the Family and Consumer Sciences department and Extension Family and Consumer Sciences in the College of ACES. "She is an excellent addition to the team.