SOCORRO, N.M. – Six individuals and one student club were honored with the Student Appreciation Awards at a special banquet at the Bodega Burger Co. on Thursday, April 25.

The honorees – while all academically gifted – are being recognized for contributing to the campus community through volunteerism. The 2016 honorees are Sooraj Bhatia, Christine Burrill, Evelyn Byrd, Malia Kao, Danielle Ocho, and Alan Tirado. The organizational award goes to the student chapter of the NMT Search and Rescue Club.

Sooraj Bhatia

Sooraj Bhatia is a bachelor’s student in the Physics Department and Biology Department. Dr. Youngbok Ryu of the Department of Business and Technology Management nominted Bhatia.

Ryu said, “Sooraj came to NMT with strong potentialities, and he has demonstrated superior performances not only in academic work, but also in service to the Tech and Socorro communities.”

He has participated in student government, Engineers Without Borders, the Studio G business incubator, the Wolves Den competition at the Inventors Workshop, and student clubs.

He has served as the president of Council for Climate and Techies Stand UP.

Christine Burrill

Burrill was nominated by Bureau of Geology scientists Dr. Matt Heizler and Bonnie Frey, Director of the Property Office Steven Hicks, and GSA President Kyle Stark. She is a doctoral student in the Earth and Environmental Science Department.

Heizler said, “Christine’s academic achievements are laudable, but more to the point of the student appreciation award she has dedicated herself to many other pursuits in the Tech and Socorro community.”

Burrill is an active leader in the local chapter of the American Association of University Women. She has helped coordinate special events, including career workshops, guest speakers, and outreach efforts at local schools.

She is also an active member of the NMT Search and Rescue Club, which often calls for rescue missions in the wilderness at all hours of the day. For the past year, she has served as the events officer for the Graduate Student Association.

GSA President Stark said, “It has been an honor working with her and I hope that I can speak for all graduate students who have benefited from her leadership in recommending Christine for this award.”

Hicks, who is the champion of the campus-wide recycling effort, nominated Burrill for her dedication to the recycling cause and her involvement in the program. In addition to serving on the Recycling Committee, Burrill brought speakers to campus who focused on recycling for the Spring 2019 GSA Symposium.

Evelyn Byrd

Gym Director Melissa Begay nominated Evelyn Byrd for this award for her wide range of involvement in student activities and clubs on campus. In addition to her extracurricular activities, Byrd was recently named a Macey Scholar for the 2019-2020 academic year.

Begay praised Byrd for her participation and leadership in a number of clubs: Engineers Without Borders, Socorro Search and Rescue, Biomedical Engineering Society, Tea Club, Caving Club, QuASAR, and Tri Beta. She is currently the president of the EWB campus chapter.

Byrd organized the EWB chapter’s first international mission last August, with six students visiting a rural community in Guatemala to assess the village’s water needs. Club members will return this coming summer to complete the water project.

She has participated in several rescue missions with the NMT SAR Club. Recently, she was among the club members who braved blizzard conditions near Carrizozo to rescue a lost hiker. Byrd has put in more than 100 hours of volunteer time with the SAR Club, and more than 400 volunteer hours total.

Byrd has also done research work in chemistry and biology, first in Dr. Sally Pias’ lab and then in Dr. Tom Kieft’s lab. She has worked as a tutor in the Office of Student Learning, a T.A. in the general chemistry lab, and a staff writer for Paydirt.

Malia Kao

Malia Kao was nominated for this award by Gabi Benalil of the NMT music program. Kao has been involved in music outreach and music performance since coming to NMT.

Kao plays viola and violin in the NMT Chamber Music and Chamber Orchestra. That includes performing at local schools. She has received the Kay and Elise Brower Scholarship four straight times. Benalil said Kao is the best, most dedicated Techie to have come through her music program.

As a student of physics and math, Kao has completed an internship at Los Alamos National Lab.

Danielle Ochoa

Danielle Ochoa was nominated for this award by Dr. Tan Nguyen of the Petroleum Engineering Department. He recommended Ochoa for the award based on her involvement in the campus chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

As president of the SPE chapter, Ochoa successfully organized a fundraising campaign to bring in $10,000, allowing the chapter to take more than 20 students to the national conference.

She also mounted a volunteer effort to assist the Socorro Historical Society in cleaning and maintenance of the Hammel Museum. Under her leadership, the chapter participated in the Sarracino Middle School’s STEM Days and Math and Science Night. Club members demonstrated how core samples are collected.

Nguyen said that, “The kids were really engaged and had a ton of great questions.”

Alan Tirado

Alan Tirado was nominated for this award by Dr. Michaelann Tartis and Dr. Sanchari Chowdhury of the Chemical Engineering Department.

Tirado has made a lasting impression as a T.A., a volunteer, lab supervisor, and mentor for the Chemical Car competition. Tirado has also been recognized for his academic record – he was recently named a Macey Scholar for the 2019-2020 academic year.

Chowdury wrote that she is “very pleased with his intellect, regularity, and his commitment to learning. He is always quite enthusiastic about his studies and a solid, conscientious student. Most importantly, he is one of the few students who not only maintain a good academic record; but also has a very impressive record of volunteering in in the community and on campus.”

Like all freshmen, Tirado was involved with the Chem-E car competition. Since then, he has taken it upon himself to mentor new students. He is an active member of the AIChE and Tau Beta Pi. He has volunteered to represent NMT at the New Mexico Tech Day at the legislature, Super STEM Saturday in Albuquerque, and at a recruiting event at Explora!

NMT Search and Rescue Club

The NMT Search and Rescue Club was nominated by Dr. Wesley Cook of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. The club is unique in New Mexico and in the nation. Not just a campus club, the group is considered an official Search and Rescue organization by the N.M. Department of Public Safety.

The club is visible on campus during the ‘M’ Mountain Run, and other campus events. What most people do not know is that the club members are on call  around the clock for search missions.

Cook wrote: “The club has demonstrated an exemplary service to the community over the past year and as such receives my highest recommendation and nomination for the Student Appreciation Club Award.”

Just in the past year, the club has been called out on 16 missions, and participated in seven rescues. Those efforts tallied more than 500 hours of volunteer time. Team members have gone as far as Jemez to the north and the Gila Wilderness to the south. They have worked in sub-freezing blizzard conditions and temperatures exceeding 103F.

In presenting the award, Dr. Cook said the SAR club members are among the most dedicated and hard-working students he’s ever met.

– NMT –