Smartboard April 3, 2023

Margaret O'Hara, The Santa Fe New Mexican
·3 min read

Apr. 2—LANL Foundation announces four-year undergraduate scholarship recipients

More than 100 students across Northern New Mexico will get a financial boost from the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation while pursuing bachelor's degrees this fall.

The foundation recently announced its award of 122 scholarships — ranging from $1,000 for a single year to $20,000 over four years — worth, in total, more than $800,000.

Open to students pursuing a degree in any field of study, scholarship recipients are selected based on a demonstrated commitment to academic achievement, leadership and service.

This year's $20,000 Gold Scholarships from the LANL Foundation are Yunseo Kim of Los Alamos High School, Dominic Sandoval of Española Valley High School and Victoria Shaner of V. Sue Cleveland High School in Rio Rancho.

"Every year I am amazed by the young people of our region who apply for these scholarships. ... It is inspiring to hear about the life they envision for themselves and the change they hope to create in the world," said Mike Ammerman, scholarship program director at the LANL Foundation. "We are so thankful that we can help make those dreams a reality for so many Northern New Mexico students and families."

Saint Michael's High School names new finance director

Richard Halford, a Santa Fe native, has been hired as Saint Michael's High School's director of finance, school officials announced in a news release Wednesday.

Halford brings more than 30 years of experience in government finance and more than 20 years of experience in school finance to the role, including roles with Española Public Schools, Santa Fe Public Schools and the New Mexico Public Education Department.

"I got to see that St. Michael's is a great school when my daughter [class of 2018] attended and I'm so honored to be here now. This school is truly a Santa Fe institution," Halford said.

Opera Storytellers summer camp opens registration

Registration is open now for Opera Storytellers summer camps in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, a collaborative camp from the University of New Mexico's Music Prep School and the Santa Fe Opera. During the program, students improvise, sing, dance, compose and more as they develop an original 10-minute opera.

The weeklong camp, which will take place at the Santa Fe Opera June 5-9 and at the University of New Mexico Center for the Arts June 26-30, is open to children entering third through sixth grade in the 2023-24 school year.

Registration opened April 1. Visit Opera Storytellers at santafeopera.org/community/opera-storytellers-summer-camp/ to register.

Eastern New Mexico University conference to feature National Science Foundation speaker

The 49th annual Eastern New Mexico Student Research and Creativity Conference will feature Rosalyn Hobson Hargraves from the National Science Foundation as keynote speaker. Her keynote address titled "Achieving Access, Equity, Innovation, a Journey to Excellence in Undergraduate STEM Education" will take place at the conference's banquet at 6:30 p.m. on April 6.

Hargraves is currently division director for the National Science Foundation's Division of Undergraduate Education. She has published more than 60 peer-reviewed publications, been granted two patents, given more than 60 lectures domestically and internationally and served on expert panels across the United States.

"We are pleased to have a speaker of such stature at the [conference]," said Chelsea Starr, Student Research and Creativity Conference co-chair. "Having Dr. Hargraves as our keynote speaker, gives our students an opportunity to hear from someone who is a national expert in the STEM fields."