Agriculture Spurs Growth in Enrollment
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By Janet Roehl
s ENMU approaches enrollment nearing 6,000 students, dual enrollment has contributed to this significant growth.
Eastern’s dual enrollment program has to offer their students,” says Ms. Kim Lutnesky, coordinator of dual enrollment and continuing education.
Dual enrollment is where high school students enroll in college courses, thereby earning both high school and college credits. Between 2008 and 2012, the number of students participating in dual enrollment tripled to more than 1,000 students in the fall.
This semester alone, Dr. Chumbley contacted all 104 ag teachers in New Mexico and he now offers courses in over 40 percent of the high schools, reaching 700-800 students a semester.
Statewide, the largest number of courses taken for dual credit is in agriculture. Dr. “Boot” Chumbley directs the agriculture education program at ENMU. “Dual enrollment has grown each semester thanks to Dr. Chumbely’s efforts to get to know each New Mexico ag teacher personally and to share with them what
with degrees in agricultures. The project focuses on dual enrollment opportunities. Fifty ag teachers across the state will be offered workshops to facilitate positive interactions with state education agencies and students.
“We have a presence all across the state, not just the Eastern side,” Dr. Chumbley says. “Since 2011 this program has grown 380 percent. This is due to our positive interactions with administrators, counselors, teachers and students across the state.”
“Dr. Chumbley’s efforts have not only grown the ag enrollment program, but have also helped us to grow some of our non-ag programs as well. For example, his efforts in Farmington opened the door for us to be able to offer some of our culinary arts courses on their campus as well,” Lutnesky notes. Family and consumer sciences is another area for possible expansion in dual enrollment.
Recently, Dr. Chumbley was awarded a federal grant to increase the quality and number of students who enter and graduate
Dual enrollment in ag courses supports New Mexico high schools, the agriculture community in the state and ENMU.
Q&A with Ebola Expert
By Robert Graham
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says the 2014 Ebola outbreak ranks as the largest Ebola outbreak historically and the first to occur in West Africa. Doctors at Texas Health Presbyterian hospital in Dallas, TX reported the first Ebola diagnosis outside of Africa in late September. ENMU alumnus and immunologist Steven Bradfute, Ph.D. (BA 98) works at the University of New Mexico’s Center for Global Health and weighs in on the Ebola Outbreak. R: Steven, thanks for taking time to catch us up to speed on the Ebola Outbreak. Could you talk a little about how you fit into the Ebola equation?
Photo by John Arnold
S: I’m an immunologist, and I study how the body’s immune system reacts to infection or vaccination. Specifically, I am an expert on vaccine development for hemorrhagic fever viruses and how such viruses bypass the immune system to cause disease. Ebola qualifies as a hemorrhagic fever virus. Marburg and Machupo are other ones. R: What was your reaction when you heard of the Ebola outbreak? S: “Oh no, this is not good.” What makes Ebola worrisome is the disease’s mortality rate. What exacerbates this is that the infections are occurring in population centers whereas past outbreaks have been confined to remote areas. It is easier to contain Ebola in remoter areas and harder in densely populated areas.
Steven Bradfute
R: What is your long-term perspective on the Ebola outbreak? S: It’s going to take a long time and a lot of work to contain this outbreak. There has to be a global, concerted effort to contain the spread of the virus. R: How did you decide upon ENMU for your undergraduate work? S: I grew up in Portales and went to Faith Triumphant Christian School, which I loved. I always liked living in Portales. I didn’t feel ready to leave. I really enjoyed my time at ENMU, and I only ended up leaving after graduating because I wanted to obtain a Ph.D. in immunology.
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Green & Silver | November 2014
Electron micrograph of the Ebola virus
