SENATE MEMORIAL 26

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2017

INTRODUCED BY

Peter Wirth

A MEMORIAL

DECLARING JANUARY 30, 2017 "UNM DAY" IN THE SENATE IN RECOGNITION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO'S DEDICATION TO EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND PUBLIC SERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF NEW MEXICO.

     WHEREAS, the university of New Mexico was founded in 1889; and

     WHEREAS, the university of New Mexico is the state's flagship research institution, serving thirty-five thousand students and employing twenty-seven thousand New Mexicans, including employees of the university of New Mexico hospital; and

     WHEREAS, university of New Mexico students attain forty-six percent of the state's baccalaureate degrees and eighty percent of New Mexico's doctoral and first professional degrees; and

     WHEREAS, the university of New Mexico annually awards fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) in scholarships; and

     WHEREAS, there are more than one hundred sixty-nine thousand active alumni, with lobos in every state and nearly one hundred countries; and

     WHEREAS, the university of New Mexico ranked one hundred ninety-sixth out of the world's top one thousand universities in the 2016 center for world university rankings; and

     WHEREAS, Hispanic Business Magazine recently ranked the university of New Mexico in the top ten in the country for best business school, best engineering school, best law school and best medical school; and

     WHEREAS, the university of New Mexico health sciences center is the state's largest integrated health care treatment, research and education organization, with top ten national rankings for rural medicine, family medicine, nursing and midwifery; and

     WHEREAS, the university of New Mexico provides a research-driven education, where faculty members engage in the investigation and scholarship that create new knowledge; and

     WHEREAS, since 2008, the university of New Mexico has received over two billion five hundred million dollars ($2,500,000,000) in contracts and research rewards; and

     WHEREAS, in fiscal year 2016, the university of New Mexico filed for seventy-seven patents, was awarded sixty-nine patents, had fifty-four option or license agreements and spun off twelve start-up companies; and

     WHEREAS, in the past twenty years, the university of New Mexico has filed for one thousand two hundred eighty-eight patents, has been issued five hundred twenty-three patents and has spun off one hundred three start-up companies; and

     WHEREAS, the university of New Mexico's education, public service and research develop and nurture the new knowledge and ideas that will bring sustained wealth to New Mexico's economy;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that January 30, 2017 be declared "UNM Day" in the senate and that the university of New Mexico be commended for its service and dedication to the residents of New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the president of the university of New Mexico.

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