Community News

Dina Perlasca's exhibit, "Desert Home/Casa del Desierto," runs through September 24, at the Francis McCray Gallery of Contemporary Art at WNMUSILVER CITY, NM — Exploring the harsh beauty of the Southwest and the complexities of generational inheritance, multidisciplinary artist Dina Perlasca brings her striking new exhibition, "Desert Home/ Casa del Desierto," to Western New Mexico University. The collection showcases ceramics, textiles, clay paintings and domestic materials to examine how regional landscapes mirror personal history, resilience and survival.

Drawing on her upbringing in the Paso del Norte Region, where Ciudad Juárez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas meet along the U.S.-Mexico border, Perlasca uses the desert ecosystem as a psychological landscape. Just as native desert plants and animals of the Paso del Norte Region develop spikes and other strategies for survival in harsh conditions, Perlasca reflects on the protective mechanisms women must build when navigating traditional Hispanic cultural expectations.

Kassidy is a graduate of Silver High School and is currently a sophomore at New Mexico State University studying Animal Science. She plans on continuing her education after this to get a degree in veterinary medicine. 

Kassidy states "Just like humans, animals also get sick, break bones, give birth, and experience other medical issues.  That is why is essential to have someone with the knowledge and skills to treat animals".  She continues, "Not only do veterinarians help animals, but they help people.  They help people understand their animal's diagnoses, medications, and treatment plans." "That is my dream, not only to help animals but also to serve my community with care, respect and kindness."

The Copper Cowbelles are proud to support students like Kassidy who are choosing to learn skills that will help their community, and we applaud her accomplishment and efforts to achieve her dreams.

CowBelles is a non-profit organization whose purpose is providing educational information about the beef industry and preserving the heritage of the West.  We offer scholarships for the pursuit of degrees in agriculture and education in trades to encourage the continuation of our western heritage in all areas of agriculture and rural life. We wish Kassidy all the best in her continuing journey to becoming a veterinarian and look forward to hearing of her accomplishments.

MANCHESTER, NH (09/16/2026)-- Jared Rivera of Silver City (88061) has been named to Southern New Hampshire University's (SNHU) Summer 2026 President's List. The summer terms run from May to August.

Full-time undergraduate students who have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3.700 and above for the reporting term are named to the President's List. Full-time status is achieved by earning 12 credits over each 16-week term or paired 8-week terms grouped in fall, winter/spring, and summer.

The school was randomly selected as a $5K Fridays sweepstakes winner through T-Mobile's Friday Night 5G Lights, a national competition celebrating small-town football and community pride. Silver joins St. Michaels, Tucumcari and Grants High schools selected so far, bringing the statewide total to $20,000, with all participating schools still eligible for the grand prize.

Silver High School Athletic Director Demetrio Sanchez applied in hopes funding would help modernize aging athletic facilities and support a football program that has long served as a source of pride and unity for Grant County and southern New Mexico. If selected, funding would help upgrade key infrastructure such as locker rooms and a modern field house, strengthening the student-athlete experience while investing in Silver City's youth, traditions, and future.

WNMU alum DeMarcus Contreras was recently promoted to Data Architect Manager at WNM Communications, where he oversees regional data strategy, system integrations and multi-departmental data managementSILVER CITY, NM — Western New Mexico University alum DeMarcus Contreras has steadily established himself as a strong force in enterprise data architecture, applying a unique synthesis of behavioral psychology, technical mastery and strategic-minded perspective to change how organizations leverage technical information. Recently promoted to Data Architect Manager at Western New Mexico Communications, Contreras now oversees complete data strategy, system integrations and multi-departmental management structures across the region.

Contreras, a Silver City native who graduated from WNMU with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, represents the power of a versatile interdisciplinary education. His academic track at WNMU was anchored by strong support from faculty members including Associate Professor of Psychology, Jennifer Johnston, PhD, Professor of Psychology Po-Sen Chu, PhD, and Professor of Psychology Wen-chi Chen, PhD. Although Contreras initially intended to pursue a career in clinical counseling, he discovered that his foundation in psychological science provided a priceless asset when navigating high-level corporate systems and cross-functional teams.

"Whenever you're working on the architecture of data for an entire company, you need to work with a lot of people," Contreras noted. "Learning to work with all these different personality types, understanding what communication styles best work for them, and conveying a message in a way that corresponds to their frame of mind has been very helpful."

The WNMU Board of Regents met on September 10, in a hybrid sessionSILVER CITY, NM — The Western New Mexico University Board of Regents met in a hybrid session at the J. Cloyd Miller Library on Thursday, September 10, 2026. Chair Steven Neville presided over the meeting, joined by Regents John V. Wertheim, Keana Huerta, J. Dean Reed and Gregory Trujillo, as well as the executive leadership team. 

The Regents tackled critical infrastructure needs, reviewed staff compensation findings, and heard encouraging enrollment updates during the regular session.

In his first official report to the Board of Regents, President Jose E. Coll reported that the university will have a WNMU Day during the upcoming legislative session in early 2027. Coll also reported strong momentum in undergraduate recruitment, highlighting a 20% year-over-year increase in first-time undergraduate enrollment. Coll and university leadership underscored that ongoing student retention and campus housing capacity remain top priorities for WNMU. 

WNMU Associate Professor and Department Chair of Early Childhood and Special Education, Wenjie Wang, PhDSILVER CITY, NM — How young children build connections between concrete objects and abstract concepts is central to the innovative early childhood education research led by Associate Professor and Department Chair of Early Childhood and Special Education, Wenjie Wang, PhD, conducted in collaboration with Adjunct Associate Professor Annabelle Black Delfin, PhD, a former research director for the Center of Excellence in Early Childhood Education at WNMU. The research explores how young children develop spatial reasoning and mathematical thinking through map-making activities and visual symbols. 

The multiyear project, titled the "Treasure Map Experience," was published in a prestigious international peer-reviewed journal. The study investigated how 3- to 5-year-old children use shapes, colors and spatial layouts to represent familiar environments such as classrooms, playgrounds and bedrooms.

A primary finding of the research is that young children consistently prioritize shape over color when creating symbolic representations. When asked to construct maps, children frequently selected geometric shapes to represent physical landmarks—such as using a triangle to depict a mountain or combining circles and lines to represent a table. These symbolic anchors function as crucial bridges in cognitive development, facilitating the transition from concrete physical objects to abstract numerical and spatial reasoning.

Parents Hong Gen Piao (dad) and Xian Yu Li (mom), traveled from China to Silver City with WNMU first-year student athlete Zhixian ("David") PiaoSILVER CITY, NM — Fresh off a 12-hour transpacific flight and a two-day acclimation stop in Arizona, freshman student-athlete Zhixian ("David") Piao officially arrived at Western New Mexico University to join the Mustang men's golf program. Accompanying him on this career-defining journey were his father, Hong Gen Piao, and his mother, Xian Yu Li, who traveled alongside him from China's expansive Shandong Province. 

Piao's relationship with golf began at age 12, driven initially by his father, who recognized his son's athletic potential early on. While learning golf initially required discipline and persistence, Piao developed a deep passion for the game within his first two years of play as his technical skills expanded. Now 18, Piao steps onto the WNMU campus determined to strengthen his game while pursuing a degree in business management.