In his early years as a professor at Northern New Mexico College, Anthony Sena regularly carpooled with some students after his late classes. That was one of the most memorable teaching experiences he’s ever had, he said.
“I had to take my students home after a night class at 8:30 in the evening in Tesuque, because they didn’t have a ride,” Sena said. “I did that for a whole semester for some of my students. They were great students. That was in 1982, 1983.”
More than 20 years later, Sena’s work as a teacher led to him earning the status of professor emeritus, one of the most respected titles an educator can get at a higher education institution.
Northern’s Board of Regents unanimously approved making his new title official at an April 23 Board meeting.
Sena said although he didn’t aim to become a professor emeritus, he is thrilled with the honor.
“I’m very appreciative of the fact that I’ve been granted recognition,” he said. “It just means that I can continue my service to the college. And it’s a recognition by my peers, which is the highest recognition anybody can have.”
Sena started teaching at Northern in 1981. He was with the biology department, but he was versatile in the classroom.
“I was teaching every course possible – math, technology, computer science,” he said. “It’s changed completely around.”
In 2005, Sena was appointed as the college’s provost. He served in the position for nine years, until his resignation in 2014.
He said he resigned to return to his first love.
“I love what I’m doing and teaching is my first love,” Sena said. “That’s what I was trained for and that’s what I want to do.”
Sena is currently a member of the McCurdy Charter School Governance Board.
For an instructor to be a Northern professor emeritus candidate, he or she has to have served five years at the college and should also demonstrate “essential contributions in teaching, scholarship and institutional advancement to the college,” Provost Pedro Martinez said.
Martinez announced the award to Sena at the Board meeting.
Sena’s new title is well deserved, Martinez said.
“He has always reminded me that he has been here for 409 consecutive months, which I think is quite an accomplishment,” Martinez said. “Very often, prime ministers and bishops will have this title because it’s a title that recognizes their service.”
Northern Biology Department Chair Ulises Ricoy agreed that Sena merited the status. Ricoy said he once regarded the veteran professor as a mentor.
“I came to Northern in 2010 and Dr. Sena had a lot to do with recruiting me here,” Ricoy said. “We are both biologists and there was a lot of overlap in terms of our interest in mentoring students. I had been mentored by Dr. Sena.”
Student Regent Melinda DeHerrera, who has taken Sena’s classes throughout the course of her undergraduate studies at Northern, said he piqued her interest in the scientific fields.
“He was the science teacher back then,” DeHerrera said. “I wasn’t a big fan of science, but he made it interesting. So, this is awesome.”
Despite his new emeritus status, Sena plans to temporarily depart from the institution soon. He said he plans to take a one-year sabbatical from teaching, starting in the upcoming fall semester.
Sena said he wants to rejoin his family in Baltimore until next year. He does have plans to return to Northern in 2016, he said.
But for Sena, once a teacher, always a teacher. He said he doubts he’ll completely get Northern out of his system during his one-year break, but that’s not really a problem.
“I will continue to help in as many ways as I can,” Sena said. “I know (Ricoy) already wants me to write lab manuals for him.”