Meet Dr. Sukala! Assistant Professor in Political Science and Honors professor. He is a political theorist exploring the crossroads of religion, politics, and global thought. He studies how different political traditions coexist—or clash—especially as Buddhist ideas meet Western perspectives in our globalized world. From elections administration in Pennsylvania to cutting-edge research in Buddhist and American political thought, he brings real-world experience and big ideas to our Honors classes!

"Learning isn’t a process that happens in a straight-line or in one direction, with a teacher telling you what they know and a student doing their best to listen and remember it. You aren’t always just transferring knowledge, sometimes you’re all trying to discover it together and this is particularly true for a course like Worlds of Buddhism." - Dr. Cory Sukala

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The Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) supports undergraduate students who are interested in careers in biomedical research by providing strong research training, mentorship, and hands-on experience. The program prepares students for advanced, research-focused degrees such as the Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. by building skills in scientific reasoning, research design, data analysis, and ethical research practices. U-RISE also emphasizes critical thinking, teamwork, and effective communication, helping students confidently transition from their bachelor’s degree into the next stage of biomedical research and training.

"I became involved in U-RISE as a Co-Director with Dr. Unguez, a Biology Professor. We thought our respective fields (Biology-hers) and Counseling Psychology (mine) would provide an excellent model to demonstrate how working relationships between bench scientists and social scientists can come together to enhance the training of NMSU students." - Dr. Marin

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