Faculty

Although intensely involved with various research and study interests, faculty members at NMSU still devote the majority of their time and energy to their students. Students attest to this in evaluations of their teachers, remarking time and again about the personal attention they receive at NMSU and how this makes a difference in their education.

A faculty member who brings this kind of interest to her classroom is Rachel Stevens, associate professor of art at NMSU. A sculptor, Stevens is a dynamic example of a teacher who encourages and guides her student’s talents and interests, instructing them in traditional knowledge of her field and bringing to them a wider world of learning derived directly from her research and independent studies.

“I strive to cultivate a feeling of openness and wonder in my classes and in my students,” Stevens says, “To do so, I think it is important to respond to each student individually. I encourage them to bring a personal vision into their work while striving to keep their heads ablaze with ideas and possibilities. I also encourage inspiration through serendipity - a search through the library for new ideas or a stroll around a junk yard in search of new materials.”

Winner of a Pollock/Krasner grant earlier in her career at NMSU and more recently of a Fulbright Scholar Grant that allowed her to research Newari sculpture in Nepal, Stevens has exhibited her sculpture widely throughout the U.S. and in Mexico, including the recent exhibit of her collaborative work with Nepalese artists sponsored by the U.S. Embassy.