Janice Badongen-Patal-E & Rina Viramontes
08/21/2024 –
NM MESA has selected recipients of the 2024 Dr. Arthur H. and Joan Guenther Advisor Achievement Award. Rina Viramontes and Janice Badongen-Patal-E are this year’s outstanding MESA advisors. Each of these two fine educators will receive $100 from MESA, which will be presented to them by MESA’s Guenther Award Committee and representatives from the Guenther Family.
Rina Viramontes has been a middle school math teacher for 16 years, and has been an enthusiastic MESA advisor for 15 of those years, with 13 years as a robotics coach. She is supported by her husband Chris and two year old daughter Aria, who often join Rina and her Chapparal Middle School students at MESA events. She recently started a new position as a STEM Outreach Specialist at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces and will share her knowledge of STEM after school programs with many other teachers. Rina says, “I know that with support teachers and students can have success. I really loved and enjoyed the time I got to spend with the students after school in the MESA program. I will never forget and will cherish all the memories I made throughout the years including doing MESA USA for the past 7 years and representing New Mexico at Nationals.” In addition to a numerous 2nd and 3rd place wins at the MESA USA National Engineering Design Competition, her teams at Chapparal Middle School are four-time national champions.
Janice Badongen-Patal-E joined the team as a MESA advisor six years ago when she began teaching at Espanola Valley High School. She is also the Advisor for the EVHS Evolvement Club, promoting a tobacco free New Mexico, and Future Educators Club. Outside the classroom, she enjoys nature trips and spending time with family and friends. Joined by her MESA co-advisor. Ms. Lyne Salero, she has collaborated with Moving Arts Espanola to develop Mars Odyssey, an innovative gamified STEM Curriculum, and she has been working with Dr. Steve Cox of Northern New Mexico College to mass produce Steady Hands Gloves that reduce Parkinson’s Disease Tremors. Janice says, “I am eager to collaborate with more organizations to create paid internships, providing students with opportunities to apply and expand their STEM skills.”
About the Dr. Arthur and Joan Guenther Advisor Achievement Award
Dr. Arthur H. Guenther loved science…He loved education…He co-founded New Mexico MESA in 1982. As a research professor of electrical and computer engineering, professor of physics and astronomy at UNM, and Chief Scientist at the Air Force Research Laboratory, he was an advisor and mentor to hundreds of graduate students, and advisor to the Governor of New Mexico. He wanted to influence the lives of high school students in New Mexico who were interested in a bright future in STEM careers, so he worked with university representatives and state and federal government officials to bring the MESA program to New Mexico. He subsequently spent many years working as a MESA Board Member and Board Member Emeritus. His wife, Joan Guenther supported MESA in countless ways over the many years she was involved and played an important role in the success of the organization and its staff.
NM MESA and the Guenther family have established the Dr. Arthur H. and Joan Guenther Advisor Achievement Award with the expressed goal of honoring the legacy of Dr. Guenther and his wife, while simultaneously recognizing the wonderful and important work done by MESA advisors who perpetuate Dr. Guenther’s vision each year. The Guenther offspring continue to support NM MESA, including their oldest daughter TK O’Geary serving on the NM MESA Board of Directors and youngest daughter Wendy Gallegos supporting NM MESA events.
Past recipients include: Kate Sanchez, Misty Torres (2023) Celena Miranda, Monica Rodriguez Hudson (2022) Leah Olivas, Lynn Schuler (2021) Mariejune Abergos, Alysyn Merrill (2019), Luisa Castillo, Aleli Colon (2018), Deb Haggerton, Rina Viramontes (2017), Alysyn Merrill, Serri Grube (2016).
