Santa Teresa, NM- A new professor is visiting Western New Mexico University. Five-year-old Dr. Juan-Pablo Murillo, who graduated from Western New Mexico University last Spring, is returning to his alma-mater this Fall to teach Anthropology, with a focus on Emus.
Dr. Murillo graduated from WNMU in 2017 with a degree in Early-Childhood Education. Dr. Murillo quickly switched fields, spending the next eleven months in a fast-track PhD program.
“[Juan-Pablo spent the year] going to school, learning how to read, and going on a vacation to learn more about animals,” Dr. Murillo’s mother, Arlene, explained. There were also numerous trips to the zoo, according to Arlene.
Dr. Murillo will be focusing his courses on Emus. While “Emus” sounds like it could be a field of study along the lines of STEM, an Emu is actually a large, flightless bird that is native to the continent of Australia. In fact, an Emu is the second tallest bird in the world after it’s relative, the Ostrich. Emu’s can also move very quickly, sprinting at 31 mph. They feed mostly on plants and insects and drink limited supplies of water.
Arlene expressed nothing but pride at her son obtaining a PhD. Dr. Murillo himself could not be reached for comment, as he is currently traveling to Australia via Hot Air Balloon, in order to get a closer look at the mythical Emu and study their feeding habits.
Back when he was a student of Western New Mexico University, The Mustang ran a profile on Dr. Murillo. You can read about his accomplishments here.
