Dr. Brent Pickett, far left, joins his wife, Tina, and his brother, Brian for refreshments at SALA prior to his April 13 lecture. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
The UNM-Los Alamos (UNM-LA) My Favorite Lecture Series April 13 event, which featured Brent Pickett, PhD, Dean of Instruction drew a large crowd at SALA Event Center. Pickett’s lecture, ‘The Continuing Relevance of the Federalist Papers: The Science (and Art) of Politics’ was sponsored by Morris and Cheryl Pongratz.
UNM-LA Director of Development Karen Williams said at the event that UNM-LA needs to lead the way in intellectual discourse in the community and that the lecture series is a budget-friendly way to do that. She said when the favorite lecture idea was proposed to faculty, the thought was that they would pull out an old lecture that they just loved.
“I put the word out and they came up with new topics and have for the past several months,” Williams said. The topics have ranged from ancient Rome to the search for exoplanets.
“It’s been exciting to see new people come every time because the subject really clicks with them. I don’t know where we’re going with this but it’s been effective,” she said.
Williams discussed a new campaign for a faculty support fund. She said one of the biggest challenges for UNM-LA is hiring,
“It’s that wat for many employers here, with the cost of housing and the cost of living. We think by starting a fund like this, we would be able to incentivize new hires a little bit more. Other colleges do this too. And to offer our longtime faculty the opportunity to go to conferences, to update their classes and their curriculum – that’s where my focus will be for the next few months,” Williams said.
She said she has no idea if this is going to resonate with the community.
“If you’re thinking about giving, this could be a good way to invest in UNM-LA this year. We want to step up and be the partner we’re supposed to be. We’re all in this together,” Williams said. (Watch for more information on the new fund.)
Student Grace Johnson speaks prior to Dr. Pickett’s lecture about the reason attending UNM-LA works so well for her. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Student Adam Jaramillo speaks about his how well his UNM-LA experience is working for him. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
From left, Los Alamos County Council Vice Chair Theresa Cull, David Izraelevitz, representing the Los Alamos Community Foundation, and David Hampton, a member of the UNM-LA Advisory Board at the April 13 ‘My Favorite Lecture’ event at SALA. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
SALA owner Allan Saenz, left, chats with Rick Reiss at the UNM-LA ‘My Favorite Lecture’ event. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
UNM-LA Director of Development Karen Williams, center, chats with Prof. Peninah Wolpo (Classics) and Prof. Joan Lucas (Computer Science). Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com