Other NM universities announcements

Everyone, of course, has their favorite flavor of ice cream. But what about the newly christened leader of New Mexico's 137-year-old land-grant institution?

Look no further than the caramelized pecan- and biscotti concoction developed for New Mexico State University President Valerio Ferme by researchers from NMSU's Center of Excellence in Sustainable Foods and Agricultural Systems, or CESFAS.

The creamy vanilla ice cream pays homage to Ferme's Italian heritage and new ties to New Mexico, a top pecan-producing state. It's called The Ferme Paradox and made its public debut earlier this month to enthusiastic praise from Ferme after weeks of research and development by a team headed by Sergio Martinez-Monteagudo.

The Mesilla Valley Film Society will screen "A Long Road to Tao" March 28 through April 3 at the historic Fountain Theatre in Mesilla. The opening night gala begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 28. Tickets are available for $18 at the film society website.

New Mexico State University Creative Media Institute professor Sherwin Lau was the director of photography on the film. He teaches undergraduate courses in film production. Since 2006, Lau has worked on independent films, documentaries, commercials and music videos and has collaborated with filmmakers around the world.

"A Long Road to Tao" was partially shot in Las Cruces and Mesilla and employed students from NMSU's Creative Media Institute. Film students also assisted casting director Jennifer Schwalenberg.

New Mexico State University is once again classified as an R1 institution due to its high research activity.

The news was announced Thursday morning by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. NMSU was given the R1 classification due to its "very high spending and doctorate production." The university had been previously ranked as an R1 institution nearly 20 years ago.

"From NMSU's founding as New Mexico's first land-grant institution, it's been our responsibility to pursue research that would advance knowledge for the well-being and benefit of New Mexico and its citizens," said NMSU President Valerio Ferme. "This R1 achievement is the direct result of years of intentional, strategic work that prioritized our research and creative enterprise, and allowed us to fulfill the institutional vision of becoming a leader in transforming and empowering our state."

Portales, NM – February 13, 2025 – Offering an unmatched student experience and an education of value, Eastern New Mexico University has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the nation's best colleges for 2025. ENMU ranks number 69 of 500 colleges in the U.S. for overall experience while attending the university.

As part of its student experience ranking, the publication scores colleges based on surveys that measure student satisfaction with campus facilities, sense of community, health and well-being, safety, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and opportunities to interact with students from different backgrounds.

New Mexico State University Global Campus is launching its new AI Applications in Public Relations microlearning course this month, developed in collaboration with industry leader RealmIQ.

NMSU Global Campus and RealmIQ have teamed up to create the course, which is designed to show public relations professionals, business leaders and communication specialists exactly how to integrate artificial intelligence without losing the human touch. The new online course will examine AI's role in media monitoring, content creation, crisis management, audience engagement, personalization and data analytics, and combines theoretical insights with practical applications, while emphasizing ethical considerations. Students will see AI in action, learning how to work smarter, faster and more strategically.

The Las Cruces International Film Festival chose Academy Award-winning actress Helen Hunt to receive its "Outstanding Achievement in Entertainment" award at this year's festival. The 10th annual LCIFF, April 9-13, is supported by New Mexico State University and Visit Las Cruces.

Hunt will receive the award at the LCIFF VIP Party after a special screening of "As Good As It Gets" at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 10, followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience at the Allen Theatres Cineport 10, 700 S. Telshor Blvd. Tickets for the celebrity screening of the film are $35. VIP tickets to attend the awards ceremony are $200 and are available now at www.lascrucesfilmfest.com.

Portales, NM – February 10, 2025 – Eastern New Mexico University announced today that they will host the third annual Rio Grande Physiological Society Meeting March 28-29 on the ENMU campus in Portales, New Mexico.

"This is an exciting and unique opportunity to host a regional conference at ENMU. As the current president of the Rio Grande Physiological Society, it is my privilege to invite world-renowned medical scientists and their student trainees to our campus to present their most recent research findings," said Dr. Matthew Barlow, Professor and Chair of Biology. "The Rio Grande Physiological Society is a chapter affiliation of The American Physiological Society with invited research members from institutions including UNM, NMSU, Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, the University of Texas at El Paso, Texas Tech University, the University of Texas at Arlington, and Fort Lewis College. We want to invite the regional students and teachers, including high school and college, also to be welcome to observe these presentations."

"George Andrews" was the second feature-length film made by a professor at New Mexico State University. The late Orville Wanzer was a pioneering yet under-recognized filmmaker whose influence helped shape the evolution of "the modern western" and independent avant-garde filmmaking in the United States.

The rediscovered and restored film will be screened for one night only at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24 at the Fountain Theatre in Old Mesilla. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and the event will likely sell out. Tickets are $17 online, $18 at the door for general admission and $10 at the door for students. Julia Smith will introduce the film and highlight the painstaking restoration process to revive "George Andrews." She will remain after the screening to have a conversation with the audience.