The University of New Mexico (UNM) has announced that the R.H. Mallory Center for Community Geography is currently accepting applications for faculty affiliation. According to a press release by UNM, faculty members and postdoctoral fellows at UNM who are interested in community-engaged teaching, research, or mapping are encouraged to apply.
UNM stated, "Any UNM faculty member or postdoctoral fellow is eligible to apply for affiliation, regardless of discipline or institutional location, if their interests align broadly with the center’s mission."
Applicants for faculty affiliation at UNM are expected to align with the center's mission by contributing in several ways, including facilitating local partnerships and projects related to human-environment relationships in Albuquerque, evaluating community-engaged research proposals, organizing collaborative events, promoting the integration of local environmental knowledge in academic research, and participating in annual engagement discussions.
Faculty and postdoctoral fellow affiliates will gain visibility on the center's website, access to event updates, the opportunity to apply for grants that cover facilities and administrative expenses, as well as administrative support for projects aligned with the center's mission.
Maria Lane, director of the Center for Community Geography, emphasized the benefits of becoming a faculty affiliate, stating, "Our faculty affiliates get a chance to engage with other colleagues who care about community engagement. They also help the center stay connected to projects and partners from all different parts of campus. It’s a dynamic group, and we hope it continues to grow."
The Center for Community Geography was established in 2020 as part of UNM's Department of Geography & Environmental Studies (GES). Its mission involves direct collaboration with community organizations and partners, covering a wide range of activities from community mapping and cultural preservation to environmental planning and management. Funded by a donation from Robert H. Mallory, an alumnus of GES, the center aims to make geography more accessible to students and community members, enabling them to collectively address human-environment issues.
Interested faculty members and postdoctoral fellows at UNM are encouraged to examine the affiliation requirements and submit their applications to the R.H. Mallory Center for Community Geography.