Other NM universities announcements

Established business owners, as well as aspiring entrepreneurs, are invited to take advantage of programs resources offered by a new center located at New Mexico State University's Arrowhead Center.

The New Mexico Minority Business Development Agency center, located inside Genesis Center Building C, 3655 Research Road, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1 p.m. Jan. 31, as well as the 2025 Winter BizResource Fiesta: Las Cruces from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 1 at Doña Ana Community College's East Mesa campus, 2800 Sonoma Ranch Blvd.

New Mexico State University's Asian Pacific Islander Program invites students, faculty and staff to join a Lunar New Year celebration, featuring a special lunch, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, in the Corbett Center Student Union ballrooms.

Lunar New Year is a deeply significant celebration observed by many cultures across Asia. Each year is associated with one of the 12 zodiac animals and one of the five elements. This year marks the Year of the Snake – specifically the Wood Snake.

New Mexico State University's Borderlands and Ethnic Studies Department invites NMSU, Las Cruces, southern New Mexico, El Paso and Ciudad Juárez communities to commemorate and celebrate the National Day of Racial Healing Tuesday, Jan. 21, on the Las Cruces campus.

The event begins at 4:30 p.m. in the O'Donnell Hall lobby and will include healing activities, music, food and the unveiling of the department's third mural of the Borderlands Mural Project, "Homecoming." Attendees should RSVP before the event. The BEST Department and the Learning Action Buffet of Las Cruces will co-host the event, sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and supported by the College of Health, Education and Social Transformation.

New Mexico State University's Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity has appointed two interim directors to oversee two diversity programs.

Dae Romero will serve as the interim director of LGBT+ Programs, while Chadrhyn A. A. Pedraza will serve as the interim director of the Asian Pacific Islander Program.

"We are excited to welcome our newest team members, as they bring a wealth of knowledge and diverse perspectives that will strengthen our collective efforts to achieve great things," said Mariana Ortega, assistant vice president of diversity initiatives for NMSU's Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity. "We look forward to accomplishing much together while fostering inclusion for our NMSU community."

Portales, NM – January 16, 2025 – Eastern New Mexico University welcomes Dr. Bradley Peterson (School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University), Dr. Tobey Curtis (NOAA Marine Fisheries Service), and Mr. Greg Metzel from the South Fork Natural History Museum Shark Research and Education program to the University campus on January 21-24.

Dr. Peterson, Dr. Curtis, and Mr. Metzger will share their ground-breaking research on shark biology, tagging, and conservation efforts. The work of this research team has helped shape the understanding of sharks and their ecosystems.

Woodrats are one of the only animals that can tolerate large quantities of creosote, a shrub with leaves coated in a chemical cocktail of poisonous resin. The critter's constitution has astounded biologists and represents a decades-long debate—over evolutionary time, how do animals adapt to a deadly diet? Do detoxification enzymes become more specialized or more abundant?

The study, led by University of Utah biologists, is the first to pinpoint the specific genes and enzymes that allow woodrats to eat the near-lethal food without obvious harm. The scientists compared the detoxification pathways of two woodrat species that encountered creosote independently in their evolutionary histories to those who had never encountered creosote.

A New Mexico State University researcher will lead a workshop on one of the most common plant pathogens during the 2025 New Mexico Chile Conference in February.

Soum Sanogo, a professor of fungal plant pathology in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, will present the "Spring Institute on Phytophthora Research and Extension" from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3, at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces.

The event is part of an effort to disseminate information from a multi-state research project dedicated to curbing Phytophthora blight caused by a soilborne pathogen known as Phytophthora capsici. This pathogen causes fruit rot, root rot, rapid wilting and plant death in vegetables and fruits like melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, snap beans and lima beans.

The Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship at New Mexico State University's Arrowhead Center has named Qianyun (Gloria) Zhang, an assistant professor in the NMSU civil engineering department, as the first recipient of the Aggie Construction Innovator of the Year Award.

The recognition honors a faculty member who demonstrates outstanding leadership, creativity and impact in the field of construction. The inaugural award is presented by the Mike Hunt Construction Sprints program, a cornerstone initiative of the Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship that aims to accelerate business growth through innovative construction technologies.

Named in honor of Mike Hunt, vice chairman of the board of directors for Hunt Companies, the program equips NMSU civil engineering students with a robust platform to develop entrepreneurial skills and pioneer transformative ideas in the construction industry.