Other NM universities announcements

New Mexico State University is fast-tracking its artificial intelligence efforts by expanding development of AI programs in several directions through collaborations with all NMSU colleges and NMSU's system of community colleges.

In spring 2025, strongly supported by $500,000 from NMSU President Valerio Ferme's office and $2 million from the State of New Mexico, the university launched the Institute for Applied Practice in AI and Machine Learning.

New Mexico State University Police have solved a case involving a number of burglaries and vandalism at multiple facilities on campus during the winter break thanks to Crime Stoppers of New Mexico.

Four suspects, all juveniles who live in Las Cruces, have been identified and NMSU Police investigators are collaborating with the New Mexico Juvenile Probation Office to move forward with criminal charges.

Surveillance cameras captured the suspects entering several buildings including the Pan American Center, Fulton Center, Old Field House and Hall of Legends causing an estimated $3,000 in damages. Tips provided through Crime Stoppers identified the suspects.

New Mexico State University has once again earned the Carnegie Community Engagement Designation, an elective designation awarded by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching that highlights an institution's commitment to community engagement.

NMSU was first awarded the designation in 2015, and at the time was one of 47 public institutions receiving it for the first time and one of 361 colleges and universities nationwide to carry the classification. With its 2026 designation, NMSU is among approximately 277 U.S. colleges and universities receiving this acknowledgment of the faculty, staff, students and others who are involved in programs and partnerships that benefit the communities they serve.

New Mexico State University Global Campus has partnered with the City of Las Cruces to expand education and career advancement opportunities for city employees while supporting long-term workforce readiness across municipal operations.

The collaboration is designed to support city employees in building skills aligned with public service, leadership, technology and business operations through flexible, online education. By leveraging NMSU Global Campus programs, the City of Las Cruces is investing in its workforce readiness to better meet the evolving needs of the community it serves.

As a teenager, Ida Angelina Lopez often rode her bay quarter horse, Lady, for miles across the Mesilla Valley, seeking solace and space to grieve. Two weeks before high school graduation, her father, Victor, was just 43 years old when he was killed by his own brother in a family feud. 

"I told Lady everything," Lopez said. "If it wasn't for my horses and our arena, Lopez Arena, I wouldn't have made it."

The tragedy fractured her once tight-knit family. Uncertain about the future, Lopez turned to her mother for guidance. 

A day before New Mexico State University welcomed students back to campus, staff and faculty came together for NMSU's spring 2026 convocation.

Nearly 200 Aggies gathered in Atkinson Recital Hall to kick off the new semester and celebrate a group of staff and faculty who received some of the university's highest awards. Before the awards presentation, President Valerio Ferme greeted all those watching the ceremony, either in person or remotely, via a video message.

With more than two decades at New Mexico State University and recognition as one of New Mexico's Top 50 Women Leaders, Winnie (Yu-Feng) Lee has been appointed interim director of the university's Arrowhead Center and CEO of Arrowhead Inc. 

Lee holds a Ph.D. and a bachelor's degree in economics from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, having been accelerated from the master's program into the doctoral program during her graduate studies. With over two decades at NMSU, she most recently served as department head and professor of economics in the Department of Economics, Applied Statistics, and International Business at the College of Business. She has directed the Doctor of Economic Development program since 2019 and was recognized as one of New Mexico's Top 50 Women Leaders by the Women We Admire Organization in 2024. 

Since taking over the Sam Steel Café in Gerald Thomas Hall, Kelley Coffeen has led a team from New Mexico State University's Department of Family and Consumer Sciences in developing a retail concept tailored to students' tastes and budgets.

After months of working with FCS staff and students from her buying class, Coffeen has landed on what she believes is a bankable model. She gave the space a new name, ACES Coffee and Gifts, introduced a streamlined food and drink menu of affordable options, and added a few extra touches to keep customers coming back.

"We decided as a team that we wanted it to be affordable for the students," said Coffeen, fashion design and merchandising associate professor. "We dropped all the prices, and we tried to keep our markups fairly low where we make a reasonable profit, but we're not overcharging."