New Mexico State University bestowed several prestigious awards for creative scholarly activity and community outreach as it kicked off the spring 2025 semester with a new president at the helm.

NMSU's spring convocation brought together more than 200 Aggies who gathered Tuesday, Jan. 14, in Atkinson Recital Hall on the Las Cruces campus to cheer on the group of award winners. It was the first convocation presided over by NMSU President Valerio Ferme.

Ferme opened his remarks by calling on Aggies across the NMSU system to build a culture of gratitude and acknowledge individuals who contribute to NMSU's success, regardless of the size of their impact. He also spoke of NMSU's founding as the state's first-land institution and his admiration of faculty and staff who work daily to carry out the university's mission to advance knowledge on behalf of New Mexico citizens.

"From the beginning then, our duties were to pursue research that would advance knowledge and well-being, whether as pure research or as applied research that benefited the state, its citizens and their educational attainment," he said. "While one can debate what falls under the broad swath of charges, one thing is clear: We – actually you – have been taking that responsibility seriously."

Ferme added that NMSU will earn R1 status as a top-tier research university next month. He concluded by sharing his vision for achieving greater success.

"I strive for integrity, curiosity and a growth mindset," he said. "I am team-based, and together, I believe we can work toward goals that, while allowing for individuality, move forward the greater good of the community and transform the lives of the people we serve."

He added, "I am an idealist, but I have a pragmatic streak that my American mother instilled in me. I want to work with you and in your service to aim high. But, together, we need to be accountable to our underlying mission."

In separate remarks, interim Provost Lakshmi Reddi spoke about the strides NMSU is making in data custody and access, international services, enrollment management, student retention and recruitment activities. Reddi also thanked faculty and staff for their unwavering dedication to students and their success.

"Your work behind the scenes has taught me how thankful our students are on this campus for your services," he said. "They particularly appreciate outside-the-classroom mentoring that this campus is uniquely providing."

Later during the ceremony, NMSU recognized 19 award recipients, including 10 from the University Research Council and nine from the Provost's Award Committee. The recipients and awards included:

Cory Windorff, assistant professor of inorganic chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, received the Early Career Award for STEM. Windorff leads a research group that studies f-elements on the periodic table. These elements are essential in medicine and energy as well as in smartphones and flatscreen TVs.

Jamal Mamkhezri, associate professor of economics in the College of Business, received the Early Career Award for Social Sciences and Humanities. Mamkhezri is an applied microeconomist specializing in resource and environmental economics. He holds the Chevron Endowed Professorship. His research focuses on energy modeling and developing models for the supply and demand of electricity.

Di Shi, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering, received the Mid-Career Award for STEM. In his research, Shi applies artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve the efficiency, reliability and resilience of power grids. He tackles challenges like power outages and optimizing renewable energy. He has authored more than 180 publications, received 11 Best Paper Awards and holds 28 patents.

Motoko Furuhashi, associate professor of metalsmithing and jewelry in the College of Arts and Sciences, received the Mid-Career Award for Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts. Furuhashi's artwork has been exhibited nationally and internationally at institutions like the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, the Oakland Museum of California, Alliages in France, and Joya Barcelona in Spain. Her work has also been showcased in publications like "Humor in Craft," "500 Plastic Jewelry Designs" and "New Rings: 500+ Designs from Around the World."

Gary Eiceman, professor of chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, received the Distinguished Career Award for STEM. Eiceman joined NMSU in 1980. Over his career, he has worked to develop technologies for high-speed, low-cost, reliable chemical measurements based on principles suitable for small, highly sensitive analyzers. His research has contributed to developing technology that monitors toxic hydrazines aboard the U.S. Space Shuttle and detects aflatoxins in pistachios, among other areas.

Judith Flores Carmona, professor of multicultural education in the College of Health, Education and Social Transformation, received the Distinguished Career Award for Social Sciences and Humanities. Flores Carmona, a first-generation college student and scholar, joined NMSU in 2012. Her research and scholarship include critical pedagogy, critical race feminism, critical multicultural education, and testimonio methodology and pedagogy. She is currently the lead editor of "Chicana/Latina Studies: the Journal of Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social."

Rachel Boren, director of the Southwest Outreach Academic Research Evaluation and Policy Center in the College of HEST, received the Research Recognition Award. Boren's team at SOAR evaluates grants, internal research and external organizations in education, health care and social sciences. Boren performs many key tasks to ensure that projects have a strong evaluation component.

Three researchers from the College of HEST – Monique Matute-Chavarria, Sarah Wiegand and Anita Hernández – received the Team Research Award. The team investigated early intervention curriculum and undergraduate participants' learning of these concepts; culturally sustaining practices; and ways for honoring the cultural wealth of infants, toddlers, young children with disabilities and their families. The team has received more than $2.6 million in federal and state grant funding.

The Provost's Award Committee selected the winners of the final two awards.

Ideas for Cooking and Nutrition, a program facilitated by NMSU's Cooperative Extension Service for more than 50 years, received the Community Engagement, Extension and Outreach Award. Since 2021, the award recognizes faculty who best exemplify community engagement, extension and outreach.

Through a team of nutrition educators across New Mexico, ICAN helps families make healthy food and lifestyle choices by creating health-friendly communities. NMSU professional staff train ICAN nutrition educators to deliver free, experiential, interactive and evidence-based lessons in English and Spanish. Each year, ICAN engages with more than 53,000 New Mexico residents at 277 community sites.

Jessica Houston, professor of engineering in the College of Engineering, received the Westhafer Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activity. The award, named after mathematical sciences professor Robert L. Westhafer, is NMSU's highest recognition for research.

Houston's research pushes the boundaries of flow cytometry, which analyzes individual cells in a fluid by passing them through a laser beam to measure their size, shape and molecular properties. Her work captures how molecules behave over time, revealing insights into interactions, cell signaling and molecular motion. Her research aims to revolutionize single-cell analysis and unlock a deeper understanding of cellular functions and disease mechanisms.

The full article can be seen at https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/nmsu-honors-faculty-for-creative-scholarly-activity--community-outreach-at-spring-2025-convocation/s/3c9f3783-afb0-4fda-b559-1b3c5fa5a6f6