Other NM universities announcements

New Mexico State University and the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium recently hosted a weeklong conference for an international committee formed to preserve and protect aerospace artifacts – its first held in the United States.

New Mexico Cultural Affairs Secretary Debra Garcia y Griego was on hand to welcome to the committee to New Mexico at NMSU's Lee Sugarman Building, home to the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium.

Don W. Cleveland was the valedictorian of the New Mexico State University class of 1972. As a researcher, he has earned scores of prestigious awards, including the $3 million Breakthrough Prize in 2018. This fall, as an NMSU distinguished alumnus and donor, Cleveland established the Don W. Cleveland Award for Outstanding Scholarship, Teaching or Service in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The annual recognition program selects one outstanding tenured/tenure-track faculty member whose work over the past two years has demonstrated exceptional impact and recognition within the institution and at the national or international levels.

Since 1973, the New Mexico FFA office has called the New Mexico State University campus home. 

"It's more than just a shared space – it's a shared mission," said Russell Walter, executive secretary for the New Mexico FFA Association. "Both FFA and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences are dedicated to developing leadership, promoting innovation in agriculture and preparing students to make a real difference in their communities." 

In New Mexico, FFA reaches more than 5,300 students across 93 chapters. FFA hosts many events on the NMSU campus and in Las Cruces such as the state FFA convention, state officer trainings, career development events and leadership conferences. 

Since joining 4-H in 2015, Savannah Tuss has tried her hand at many different activities, including photography, baking, raising animals and competing in shooting sports, all with much success. 4-H has also helped the Albuquerque teen become more comfortable at public speaking and taking on leadership roles.

"It's just become part of who I am," said Tuss, now an New Mexico State University Global Campus student. "4-H introduced me to new people and new things that I never would have come across if I hadn't joined."

As the largest youth development organization in America, 4-H empowers nearly 6 million kids and teens through hands-on projects that teach life skills. In New Mexico, more than 40,000 youth from all 33 counties engage in 4-H activities offered through NMSU's Cooperative Extension Service.

Stories of Black life in New Mexico and the United States-Mexico borderlands took center stage at Branson Library this month as New Mexico State University students unveiled a new archival exhibit shaped by months of research, oral histories and hands-on work in the university's Archives and Special Collections. Community members filled the space to view the students' panels, many of which highlighted histories rarely spotlighted in the region. 

The exhibit was developed by 12 students in NMSU's African American History: 1865 to the Present course, taught by history professor Laura Hooton. Support for the project was provided by the African American Historical Research Endowment Fund, held within the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico. 

With clear blue skies and an early morning departure, the open road awaited. A pair of vans bound for Eddy County left New Mexico State University's Gerald Thomas Hall to begin an ultimate 13-day, 33-county summer 2025 road trip.

From Campus to Community: NMSU Cooperative Extension Service Impact Tour was the brainchild of President Valerio Ferme. The tour provided Ferme and his administrative leadership team from across the Las Cruces campus, including academic deans, regents and staff, an opportunity to learn about each county in the state.

In rural corners of New Mexico, a small but powerful movement is connecting tradition with education.

The Tribal Extension Program, a part of the Cooperative Extension Service in New Mexico State University's College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, works with Native communities to improve agriculture, youth development and family well-being, while respecting and preserving cultural traditions.

The program has been serving the Navajo Nation, Jicarilla Apache Nation and various Pueblo communities for the past 17 years. Tribal Extension agents reside and work in these areas, providing hands-on education tailored to the specific needs of each community. 

Scientists pursuing a career in research or medicine often find themselves following educational and other opportunities across the country. For many students from the Southwest region of the United States, this means leaving home. A National Cancer Institute (NCI) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is building a support network for cancer researchers in the Southwest, helping early-career cancer researchers stay in the communities they most want to serve.

"We have a lot of students who want to stay here and continue contributing to this area," said Graciela Unguez, New Mexico State University biology professor and co-principal investigator on the grant. "The challenge was, how do we connect and network people within this area? That was the big push, focusing on professional development and opportunities to grow the network of young scientists."