Conrad James facts for kids

Conrad D. James, born in 1974, is a politician and scientist. He is from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Early Life and Education

Conrad James was born in Columbus, Ohio. He went to Walnut Ridge High School there. In 1996, he earned a special degree from the University of Notre Dame. This degree was in electrical engineering. He graduated with "summa cum laude" honors, which means "with highest distinction."

He continued his studies at Cornell University. He earned a master's degree in 1999. In 2002, he received his Ph.D. (doctorate degree). His advanced degrees were in applied and engineering physics. His Ph.D. research focused on creating tiny tools. These tools, called microelectrode arrays, helped watch the electrical signals of brain cells grown in a lab.

Career Highlights

Working at Sandia National Laboratories

Since 2002, Conrad James has worked as a researcher. He works at the Sandia National Laboratories. This is a special lab where scientists develop new technologies. James creates biosensors, which are devices that detect biological things.

His work includes studying how immune cells react to germs. He also looks at how engineered groups of brain cells work. His research has been published in many science journals. He also holds several patents for his inventions.

Serving in the New Mexico Legislature

In 2010, Conrad James ran for office. He wanted to represent District 24 in the New Mexico House of Representatives. He ran without anyone opposing him. In the legislature, he worked on important committees. These included the appropriations committee, which handles money, and the elections committee.

He received an award for working well with both political parties. This was called the "Spirit of Bipartisanship Award." He also got a "Soaring Eagle Award" in 2012. This award was for his leadership in helping counties.

In 2012, he lost his election to Elizabeth Thomson. She was from the Democratic Party. He lost by a small number of votes. However, in 2014, James ran again and defeated Thomson. In November 2015, James decided not to run for re-election. He supported Christina Hall to take his place.

Joining the University of New Mexico Board of Regents

In 2013, Conrad James was chosen to join the board of regents. This board helps lead the University of New Mexico. He was appointed for a five-year term. James said he wanted to help more students from diverse backgrounds succeed. He also wanted to see if science and technology graduates found good jobs.

He also aimed to create partnerships. These partnerships would be between the university and other groups. This would help improve the university's science and technology programs. On the board, he was the vice-chair of the finance committee. He also served on the board for the university's Health Sciences Center. This center includes the University of New Mexico School of Medicine.

Political Views and Beliefs

Views on Crime and Safety

While in the legislature, James worked on a bill. This bill aimed to protect victims of serious crimes. It would prevent individuals convicted of certain serious crimes from having parental rights over children conceived as a result of those crimes.

Views on Education

Conrad James supports charter schools. These are public schools that have more freedom in how they operate. He believes that school lessons should focus on basic subjects. These include reading, writing, and math. He also supports vocational subjects, which teach job skills.

Views on Public Employees

James believes that pay raises for government workers should match inflation. Inflation is when prices for things go up. He also supports increasing the retirement age for future government workers. He thinks this should be similar to other states.

He also does not support increasing pension benefits for government employees. Pensions are like retirement savings. James voted for a law that would stop government workers convicted of serious crimes from working as lobbyists. Lobbyists try to influence laws. This law also allowed for taking away pensions from workers convicted of public corruption. It also made the punishment for bribery stronger.

Views on Tax Policy

James believes that taxes should be "low, simple, broad, and predictable." He thinks that government spending should not grow faster than inflation and population. While in the legislature, he supported a bill to lower taxes for companies. However, this bill did not pass. He also does not support increasing the personal income tax rate.

Personal Life

Conrad James is married to Natasha James. They have one son and two daughters.