Testimonials

Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections (CSWR)

Tomas Jaehn, Director of UNM’s Special Collections/CSWR

CRS’s funding of CRS/CSWR fellowships is important as they are a vital part of CSWR’s mission and purpose. The resulting work of these fellowships allows UNM students, researchers, and the public quicker access to collections that would otherwise remain less discoverable for a longer period of time.

Equally important to CSWR’s benefits, the fellows at CSWR learn invaluable skills that are easily transferable and benefit them in their respective degree programs. Circumstantial though it may be, evidence suggests that students improve their skills and research approaches as a direct result of these CRS-funded experiences and engagement with history, humanities, and social sciences at the Center for Southwest Research. Needless to say, to have a CRS/CSWR Fellowship on one’s resume is helpful for many entry-level UNM graduates who apply for their first jobs.

Valerio Di Fonzo, Ph.D. candidate in UNM’s Department of Anthropology

-CRS/CSWR fellowship from 2017 to 2020

Through the CRS/CSWR fellowship, I became familiar with archival material and the various methods to process these materials: from sorting different types of documents to creating an online finding aid. In addition, an extremely essential aspect for any graduate student is to be able to do research and present findings to a specific audience, and thanks to this fellowship I was able to present two research papers on my assigned collections at the Historical Society of New Mexico for two consecutive years. Another important value of the CRS/CSWR fellowship is that it provides funding to graduate students without which their research would be impossible to realize. Last but no less significant, the fellowship enriched my curriculum and allowed me to apply and obtain additional funding for my research.

Abdelbaset Haridy, ABD, Language, Literature & Sociocultural Studies

-CRS/CSWR fellowship from spring 2013 until summer 2015

As a CRS/CSWR fellowship recipient, I worked with the CSWR team to design and develop an internet-based database for the work of Tony Hillerman. My main duties were to research the work of Tony Hillerman, scan some of his books, convert rare publications into digital flipping books, create a glossary of terms/locations/events used in his novels, write the code for the website pages, create some graphic designs for the portal, develop text analytic tools, develop lesson plans for school kids on Tony Hillerman’s work, etc. During my fellowship, I learned more about website frameworks, such as WordPress and Drupal, as well as text analytics, and became more interested in online teaching/learning. This fellowship was a driving factor in choosing “designing online language tests” as my area of interest for my PhD dissertation.

Erin Fussell, Master of Fine Arts

-CRS/CSWR fellowship from 2015-2017

I learned so many things about working in the archival field from digitization of photographs and slides to preservation of perspective drawings to working on archival exhibitions. These invaluable skills enhanced the Master of Fine Arts graduate program that I was completing while at UNM and propelled me to pursue a career in the field of special collections. Currently, I am one semester away from a second graduate degree, a Master of Library and Information Science, and I work at the Getty Research Institute in digital preservation in Los Angeles. This is a direct result of the excellent experience that I gained through the fellowship support from the CRS at the CSWR. I would love to see this experience continue to inspire students at UNM to engage with history and special collections through the program.

New Mexico Historical Review (NMHR)

During FY19, Professor Durwood Ball, Director and Editor of the New Mexico Historical Review, noted,“This academic year, three editorial fellows came to higher education from underserved communities in the Greater Southwest. CRS funding has made possible the education, training, and success of these young people, who go on to make significant contributions to our community, state, region, and nation, and, in some cases, to overseas communities.”

The following is a list of four UNM History graduates who were funded by the CRS as editorial fellows in the New Mexico Historical Review (NMHR).

“All are remarkable professionals in their fields. The CRS funding made possible their work and training at the NMHR resulting in a skillset acquired at the Review that has greatly enhanced their careers. Without CRS funding, that training would not have transpired."

 ~ Durwood Ball, Director and Editor of the New Mexico Historical Review

Margaret Depond (Ph.D., U.S. History, UNM, 2019): Dr. Depond worked for the New Mexico Historical Review during her entire doctoral program at UNM. She rose from editorial assistant to managing editor during that time. Two months following her graduation in spring 2019, Dr. Depond was interviewed and hired as Exhibition Copy Editor in the Exhibit Services of the Museum of New Mexico. She oversees the copyediting and production of all exhibit-related printed media for the state museums and historical sites in the Santa Fe area. Her long experience on the NMHR gave her the basic editorial skillset and experience that captured the attention of the Museum of New Mexico administration and secured her the job.

Maurice Crandall (Ph.D., History of the American West, UNM, 2015): Dr. Crandall is assistant professor of Native American Studies at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. He worked as an editorial assistant at the New Mexico Historical Review for two-and-a-half years and ran its book review desk most of that time. Published by the University of North Carolina Press in 2019, his first book, These People Have Always Been a Republic: Indigenous Electorates in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands, 1598–1912 (a revision of his doctoral dissertation), received two distinguished book awards—the Caughey Western History Prize and the David J. Weber Prize—from the Western History Association in 2020. Dr. Crandall is a member of the Yavapai-Apache Nation in Arizona. The editorial skills that Dr. Crandall acquired during his employment by the NMHR directly informed and enhanced the scholarly and editorial values, first, of his dissertation and, second, of his book, making both significant works of southwestern and borderlands history.

Donna Schank-Peterson (Ph.D., American West, UNM, 2015): Dr. Schank worked for the New Mexico Historical Review during her entire master’s and doctoral career in the UNM History Department. Upon completing her dissertation in spring 2015, she was immediately interviewed for and hired as the Book Review Editor for the American Historical Review. Her long experience as an editorial assistant and managing editor at the NMHR gave her nearly every experience and skill that the AHR staff wanted in its book review editor. The AHR is edited in the Department of History at Indiana University, Bloomington. The AHR is the leading historical journal for all professional historians employed in the United States.

Sarah Payne (Ph.D., History of American West and History of Gender, UNM, 2010): Dr. Payne worked for the New Mexico Historical Review during her entire master’s and doctoral career in the UNM History Department, rising to managing editor during her last two to three years in the doctoral program. When she went on the academic job market in 2011, she received five on-campus interviews and four job offers. She took the offer from Colorado State University, where she currently is associate professor specializing in public history. Her long experience as an editorial assistant and managing editor at the NMHR directly enhanced her marketability as a public historian both in the private and public sector.   

Recipients of Library Book Donations

The Shiprock Branch Library would like to thank you, Dr. Tobias Duran, for your recent book donations to our library. And another thank you for your understanding of financial difficulties pertaining to collections. We have a vast diversity of culture and interest in our region, which is hard to accommodate considering our budget. We just want to express our gratitude for your generosity.
-Shiprock Branch Library, Farmington, NM

The Santo Domingo Pueblo Library appreciates your generosity of the fifty-two (52) books donated. Thank you also to University of New Mexico Press for their helpfulness. This newly added asset truly enhances our modest library collection. Thank you for contributing the love of words and stories to our tribal patrons.
-Cynthia M. Crespin, Santo Domingo Tribe

This letter is to acknowledge the receipt of (52) fifty two books published by the University of New Mexico Press. Our library is fairly new and is still trying to build up its collection, especially on Southwest. This will definitely enrich our collection.
-Elena Arellano, Librarian, P'oe Tsawa Community Library

The Laguna Public Library would like to thank you for the books we received as a donation from the University of New Mexico Press and by the Center for Regional Studies at the University of New Mexico. We truly appreciate your gracious donation!
-Janice Kowemy, Laguna Public Library

Thank you so much for the donation of books (University of NM Press). I apologize for not getting this letter to you sooner. Own library is no different from other small rural libraries with regards to the limitation of funds with which to purchase.
-Cordelia Hooee, Zuni Public Library

On behalf of Jemez Springs Library, I want to thank you for your resent gift of books. For a small, rural Library with a very limited collection development budget it was an impressive list of titles. Our patrons are always looking for titles with a regional focus and I am excited to be able to offer them so many new books at once. Thank you for your support.
-Eva Jacobson, Library Director, Jemez Springs Library

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff, I would like to extend our thanks for the two boxes of books recently received. As I am sure you are aware, small libraries such as ours have limited budgets. This donation will be appreciated by our patrons and greatly add to our collection.

-Pat Garrett, Director, Capitan Public Library

As you know, the funding for small rural libraries is difficult and I want you to know how much we appreciate the recent shipment of southwest titles. Many of the books cover our immediate area, and all of them are southwest interest. These are the most requested books we have!

-Kathy Harris, Reserve Public Library

Our yearly gift of Southwestern books from the University of New Mexico Center for Regional Studies have allowed our Southwestern collection to grow. Thank you to Tobias Duran and his staff for continuing this always anticipated gift of books.

-Diane Olmstead, Baldwin Cabin Public Library, Datil, NM