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February 21, 2012 - Nick Carter
Nick Carter, our Information Technology Director, knows more about the inner details of the Bingaman office than most—after all, he designed some of them. He spends a great deal of his time during work and after-hours troubleshooting technical issues and walking staffers through IT problems, as well as leading technical projects of all sizes and complexities.
Nick was instrumental in building Sen. Bingaman's new website, and several of his photographs grace its pages. Nick also developed the concept and supervised the creation of the new Bingaman app, so anyone with an Android device or iPhone can access Sen. Bingaman's website and get up-to-the-minute information anytime.
As part of the team developing these technical tools, Nick spent months going over tiny details, like what exact shade of blue is easiest on the eyes. But Nick's role extends beyond what viewers see online and into the technical aspects behind the pages, so that, for instance, when constituents search for information on Sen. Bingaman's website they actually find it.
When he talks about working for Sen. Bingaman, Nick says, "I'm glad to be part of our efforts to make sure New Mexicans have access to information about Jeff's work in the Senate—as a New Mexican myself, I can relate to how Washington can feel very far away. Because we spend so much time online today, the world is smaller—and I'm glad to bring Jeff's work home to New Mexicans." Whether Nick is helping a staffer access a presentation on a mobile device from his or her car for a presentation at a community center, or if he's in the server closet elbow-deep in the innards of a server fixing things, he's helping New Mexicans better understand what Sen. Bingaman is doing for them.
Nick loves the technical parts of the job, and this passion translates well to his home life. Outside of work, Nick, a graduate of New Mexico Tech in Socorro, can be found building things—bikes, cars, computers, and pastries, or as he says, "anything that takes a wrench, some code, or more sugar."
February 10, 2012 - Miriam Diemer
Few people are fortunate enough to work for Sen. Bingaman both in New Mexico and in Washington, and even fewer get to study his entire career in doing so—but someone who has that privilege is Miriam Diemer.
Miriam with Oliver, who accompanied her from New Mexico to Washington, D.C.
Miriam worked on Sen. Bingaman's campaign in 2006 and later joined the Albuquerque office as a Caseworker, helping New Mexicans solve problems and advocating on their behalf to federal agencies. But when Miriam moved to Washington to become a full-time graduate student at American University recently, she coordinated her school and work schedules so she would be able to remain on staff through the remainder of Sen. Bingaman's career. Miriam now works as a Special Projects Coordinator and is archiving the Bingaman office for posterity.
When she transitioned to Special Projects Coordinator in Washington, Miriam was greeted with 1,500 boxes of material from Sen. Bingaman's 30-year Senate career. "The boxes often came with little more than an identification number. I had no idea what I'd find inside most of them," Miriam said. "It's such a joy to handle 30 years of Sen. Bingaman's work, to see firsthand these great pieces of public service."
One such piece Miriam recently came across was Sen. Bingaman's handwritten notes on a major health care plan put forth in 1993. Sen. Bingaman had outlined his pros and cons of the legislation as it was considered by a committee on which he sat. The package ultimately failed, but Sen. Bingaman didn't stop thinking about health care reform, and went on to become a key player in 2010's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. "It's remarkable to see the connection between his thoughts then and now, and on legislation that will help so many people. I think it's going to be really valuable to see the evolution of the policy from Sen. Bingaman's perspective," Miriam said.
Because of Miriam's work to organize, digitize, and preserve Sen. Bingaman's work, New Mexicans will have access to his impact on the legislative process. "I really want to make sure that all of his notes, all his memos to staff, everything is preserved so it can be usable, relevant, and will help New Mexicans see, years and decades from now, what Sen. Bingaman did for them over the course of his career. I miss the people and the tangible successes I witnessed as a caseworker in New Mexico, but I'm glad to be a part of this project."
Miriam was born the year Sen. Bingaman took office, and as a Las Cruces native, he has been representing her and her family for her entire life. Having been everything from a campaign volunteer and then staffer, to state staffer, and now Washington staffer—and always, a constituent—Miriam is both proud and bittersweet about helping Sen. Bingaman wind down his career in the Senate. "I think Sen. Bingaman has done so much, so often behind the scenes, for New Mexico, and I want to be here when we lock the office doors and walk away, but I'm glad to have this role in preserving his legacy."
February 9, 2012
Jeff has spent many years trying to strengthen science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs in public schools, but much of that work is done here in Washington. So it's always a great pleasure for him to get to see the successes of STEM education, firsthand.
Earlier this week, Noor Muhyi—Las Cruces High School senior, recipient of numerous science and technology awards, participant of multiple regional, state, and international science fairs—visited Jeff's Washington office to demonstrate the project and research that sent her to Tuesday's White House Science Fair.
Noor conceptualized, built, and tested two multimodal devices to learn their effect on learning math concepts.
Noor Muhyi, explaining her research to Jeff
She tested the devices on a number of students in special and general education classes, recorded and analyzed the data from those tests, and finally interpreted its implications on learning and classroom engagement.
Noor Muhyi, demonstrating her project
Her results support the conclusion that bodily movement may be helpful in learning mathematical concepts, and the devices she created may be especially helpful to special education students.
Jeff asking a question about Noor's research
Meeting with New Mexicans is a highlight to any day, but meeting young New Mexicans who are leading the charge to innovate and create solutions to big problems is a special treat. Jeff was very happy to meet Noor and her mother, listen to Noor explain her science research, and question her on the project. He wished her luck, though she probably won't need it—this New Mexican's accomplishments have only just begun.