Thursday, June 22

Presenter: Dr. Donna Riley, Dean, UNM School of Engineering

Description: Dr. Riley explores connections between peace and place and how these connections are related under the broad umbrella of Peace Engineering. She explains how engineers must draw on the expertise of other disciplines including social and community-based psychology, anthropology, sociology, medicine, law, finance and business communities to create successful, sustainable peace solutions to the complex problems we face presently, and in the future. 

Dr. Riley is the 22nd—and first female—dean of the UNM School of Engineering, which was founded in 1906. She also holds the rank of professor in the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at UNM. She joined UNM from Purdue University, where she was the Kamyar Haghighi Head and Professor in the School of Engineering Education since 2017. She previously was professor and interim head in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, and from 2013-2015 served as program director for engineering education at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Riley spent 13 years as a founding faculty member of the Picker Engineering Program at Smith College, the first engineering program at a U.S. women’s college.

She is a fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and recently was elected as vice president of scholarship for ASEE, a two-year term beginning at the 2023 ASEE Conference and Expo in Baltimore in June. Riley’s research focuses on the field of engineering education, especially the integration of ethics, communication, social analysis, lifelong learning and how those skillsets help in the formation of engineering professionals. She is the author of two books, Engineering and Social Justice and Engineering Thermodynamics and 21st Century Energy Problems. She is the recipient of the 2016 Alfred N. Goldsmith Award from the IEEE Professional Communications Society, the 2012 Sterling Olmsted Award from ASEE, and the 2010 Educator of the Year award from Out to Innovate. 

Presenter: Dr. Joanna Katzman, Professor, Neurosurgery, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Nursing and Population Health

Director, Public Health Initiatives, Project ECHO, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center

Description: Climate Change is the most significant global threat to humanity that our planet has ever faced. Extreme heat, air quality and mental health are just some of the health-related effects of climate change. Since health professionals are considered the most trusted messengers for climate information, it is critical that they are prepared to communicate information with their patients. The Climate Change and Human Health ECHO program provides weekly virtual learning programs to clinicians globally providing knowledge and effective communication skills with their patients and community.

Joanna Katzman, MD, MSPH graduated in 1990 from Yale University School of Medicine. She received her Masters of Science in Public Health (1987) from UCLA School of Public Health. After completing her neurology residency and Neuro-rehabilitation fellowship at UCLA, Dr. Katzman began her career at the University of New Mexico in 1997. In 2011, she opened the UNM Pain Center and dedicates her clinical work to patients suffering with chronic pain. In 2008, Dr. Katzman created ECHO Pain, which has been replicated by the Department of Defense, the Veterans Affairs, the Indian Health Service and over 100 medical centers and in many countries.

Currently, she is working with the CDC to train Public Health Service clinicians re: a National Opioid Rapid Response. Dr. Katzman is a member of the New Mexico Governor’s Council for Pain and Opioid Misuse. She is also a special governmental employee for the FDA on the Analgesics and Anesthetics Committee. Dr. Katzman has provided expert testimony to the FDA related to take-home naloxone and mandated pain & addiction education for clinicians. Dr. Katzman has served on two Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committees related to the Gulf War and Health.

Presenter: Dr. Gonzalo Márquez, Professor, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Museum and Prosecretary Technological Outreach, National University of La Plata, Argentina

Description: The UNLP Vaccine Production Project arises as a regional requirement. This project is based on the long experience of UNLP in immunization research. During the pandemic, a group of researchers specializing in immunology, biotechnology, biology, and microbiology, among others, was invited to work in the development of own platform for production of vaccines. A center of innovation research in zoonotic diseases was built (supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency), which has a BSL2 and a BSL3 areas. With the aim to obtain experience in the vaccine business, a VA-Mangoc-BC vaccine production plant is being set based in a transfer of technology from the Finlay Vaccine Institute (Cuba).

Dr. Gonzalo Márquez graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Biology (Ecology orientation) from the National University of La Plata (UNLP), Argentina. He completed his doctoral degree in Natural Sciences at the same university, studying the spores of Cyatheaceae (tree ferns), to later become a researcher of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council – Argentina. He has been a teacher of Plant Morphology Matter for more than 15 years and is currently President of the “MINERVA-UNLP” Entrepreneurship Incubator. Since 2011 he has held many positions in university management and published more than 40 scientific papers as well as several books.

Presenter: Dr. Larisa Carrera, Faculty of Medicine at Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), Argentina

Description: Dr. Carrera explores the multidimensionality of the concept of health. This includes intersectoral and multisectoral approaches to health policy. She considers the regional and global impact for human and environmental well-being preservation.

Dr. Carrera is a medical specialist in Dermatology and Legal Medicine and holds her Master’s in University Education and Doctorate in Medicine. She is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Adjunct Professor of the UNL Medicine course, Associate Professor of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology at the FCM-UNL, and is also responsible for the Teacher Training program at UNL. She participated in numerous research projects as a member and as a director.

She directed and participated in PPUA Network projects between medical schools in our country and universities in countries in the region and Australia. She also has scientific publications in international and national journals. She was vice president and president of the Argentine Forum of Public Faculties and Schools of Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Carrera participated in collaborative projects with PAHO on Interprofessional Education and the Social Mission of Universities.

Presenter: Norm Gaume, Professional Engineer (ret.)

Description: New Mexico enters 2023 in a water crisis. But with unprecedented peril comes unprecedented opportunity. To address that challenge, and those opportunities, a diverse task force of stakeholders from across New Mexico came together from June to November 2022, studying the problems and coming to broad, shared conclusions: our challenges are dire, but there are things we can do if we act now. As President of Middle Rio Grande Water Advocates, Norm describes how the organization's efforts to advocate for a balanced, equitable, and resilient water future for New Mexico serves as a living case study for principles of peace engineering. What can and should be done to transition to resilience of water supplies and water users within the Middle Rio Grande and providing water for future generations?

Norm Gaume is President of Middle Rio Grande Water Advocates and a well-known advocate for New Mexico water governance reform. As a member of the New Mexico Water Policy and Infrastructure Task Force, he drafted a Regional Water Resilience Planning bill that was passed unanimously by the 2023 NM Legislature. Prior to his ongoing role as New Mexico’s Water Ambassador, he was a consulting engineer for the state’s water resources and water utilities, director of the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, and director of the Water Resources Division of the City of Albuquerque. He was a recipient of the Water Pollution Control Federation’s William D. Hatfield award “for outstanding performance in works operations, management and advancement of knowledge in the field of water pollution control.” Norm earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Electrical and Civil Engineering from New Mexico State University.  

Presenter: Prof. Miguel Rodríguez, Profesor/Director de Internacionalización, Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), Argentina

Description: In 2015 the United Nations approved the Agenda for Sustainable Development with a horizon of 17 objectives and 169 goals that guide the efforts of the entire international community until the year 2030. It is a global, indivisible and comprehensive agenda that surpasses the Agenda of the Millennium. Dr. Rodríguez describes the development of a Toda Costa, or sustainable development plan, for the community of San Javier in Argentina as the focus of a case study based on the principles of peace engineering. He discusses how the inhabitants of San Javier have started this path, and how case study work has advanced progress toward making San Javier a tourist-productive corridor while maintaining territorial balance and environmental sustainability.

Miguel Sergio Rodriguez is a professor and researcher at the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism of the Universidad Nacional del Litoral. He is the former Director of International Cooperation and is currently the Director for Internationalization of the UNL in Santa Fe, Argentina. He served as Academic Coordinator for the International Student Mobility Program of the Office of International Affairs (PROINMES) at the UNL (2008-2012), Coordinator for the First International Winter School at UNL (Association of Universities Grupo Montevideo - Coimbra Group of European Universities) (2013), Director of the International Winter School of UNL (since 2016), and Coordinator for the Centro Interdisciplinario de Estudios Urbanos at FADU-UNL (since 2015).

Professor Rodriguez has been the main researcher for several projects for national and international organizations: Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCYT), Argentina; Agencia Española para la Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID), Spain; and Núcleo de Estudio e Investigaciones en Educación Superior del MERCOSUR (NEIES). He has been a guest professor at several universities in Brazil, Paraguay, USA, Croatia, Indonesia, Spain, and Bolivia.

Presenters:Dr. Ramiro Jordan, UNM School of Engineering; Dr. Sue Wilder, UNM Global Education Office; and Agostina Curcio, Esq., UNLP Director of International Relations

Description:A summary of highlights from the week and a nod of gratitude to all Symposium speakers and organizers from the program facilitator and sponsors.

Dr. Ramiro Jordan is a scientist, innovator, educator, and entrepreneur. He is a member of the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department at The University of New Mexico, and he is currently the Associate Dean of Engineering for International Programs. His research activities include sustainability, Smart Grid, cognitive radio, multidimensional signal processing, and software development. As Chairman of the Board of the Ibero American Science & Technology Education Consortium (ISTEC) and founding member of the Peace Engineering Consortium, Dr. Jordan brings extensive experience in education, industry and entrepreneurship.

Sue Wilder, Ph.D. manages the design and delivery of short-term international certificate programs for the Global Education Office at The University of New Mexico. Prior to pursuing her doctoral degree in Organization, Information & Learning Sciences at UNM, Sue traveled to more than 60 countries and lead workshops for multicultural audiences as a training and development professional in corporate education and the tourism industry. She is honored to be a contributing member of the international community of practitioners working to develop a motivated base of adult learners through innovative research, design, and development. Sue also holds degrees in communication from Eastern Illinois University and Marquette University.

Agostina Curcio, Esq. has been managing the international projects and agreements department at the UNLP - IRO since 2015 and provided special advisory and support to professors and researchers involved in the “100,000 Strong in the Americas” project "Peace Engineering." She contributed to the development of strategic partnerships with HEI in the US through her participation in "Argentina Higher Educator Exchange Program" organized by the US Embassy. Agostina also led workshops about intercultural competences within Erasmus+ PROFIC and works as lecturer at School of Law UNLP.