Congratulations Students! 2021-2022 Graduate Fellowships Announced

The R.H. Mallory Center for Community Geography is pleased to announce the awardees for the Graduate Fellowship for Community Engagement for 2021-2022! We were impressed with the applications and delighted to learn about UNM’s students’ efforts at addressing New Mexico’s environmental challenges and their involvement and commitment to work with community partners to develop positive and relevant results. Below are the funded projects:

Lia Griesser’s project “Valley of the Mills” will work with Visiones Collaborativas/The Mora Empowerment Project, to consider the viability of traditional land management practices along the upper Rio Mora, New Mexico, to equitably restore the soil through an agro-ecological framework that can regenerate bio-cultural and financial viability. 

Stefany Olivas’ project “Soil microbial health at urban agroecology community farm in ABQ, NM” will work with Project Feed the Hood (PFTH) to gather data on effectiveness of their soil health practices over time to help improve the community farm use of soil tillage systems as they plant over 150 edible perennial trees, shrubs, and herbs to establish a food forest.

Joseph Scala’s project “Developing a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) model for prioritization of urban community forestry initiatives for the State of New Mexico” will work with the New Mexico State Forestry Division and The Nature Conservancy to develop a GIS model for urban community forestry to increase tree canopy in populated areas to provide cooling shade, clean and protect water, increase people’s access to nature’s health benefits, and support local economies.