David J. Schmidly, Ph.D. Inauguration and Installation Ceremony, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sunday, October 7, 2007

President Koch and Members of the Board of Regents, Members of the Faculty and Staff, students, alumni and honored guests: Thank you all for coming here today, to share my joy, and Janets, and that of our family on this very special day. Like so many, over many generations -- like many of you — Janet and I chose New Mexico. It\u27s a place we know well, one that I studied, whose biodiversity has fascinated me and helped propel my academic and scientific pursuits. It\u27s where our son and his family live, where our newest grandchild will soon be born and raised. It\u27s a special place, one that\u27s very important to me and to Janet.\u2

UNM President Speaks Candidly About Budget Outlook

We were hoping to release information about UNMs 2010 budget today, but since the legislative session doesn\u27t conclude until tomorrow and we\u27ve just received final appropriation allocations, it will be Monday or Tuesday before our budget recommendations will be finalized. In the meantime, I want to address some of the most common questions I have received from many of you — students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni and supporters alike: What\u27s the outlook for the University of New Mexico in the coming months? Let me share with you exactly what I know and what I don\u27t know. As we all know far too well, we are in the longest, deepest recession since World War II. This is a financial environment unseen in our lifetimes, and like every other state, New Mexico\u27s finances have been seriously affected.\u2