Other NM universities announcements

Rebekah Pool, a 2017 and 2023 New Mexico State University graduate, always had confidence in her scone recipe. It has never steered her wrong, always baking into tender, buttery perfection. But even she was surprised when the trusted recipe propelled her to victory in a high-stakes pastry competition.

Pool's scones were the centerpiece of a dessert she created for the 2025 ACF Food Sport Competition, hosted by the American Culinary Federation in Las Vegas, Nevada. Inspired by strawberry shortcake, she made a version of her scones spiced with hot honey, pairing them with chile oil-poached pineapple, macerated berries, bergamot-infused whipped cream and a dollop of caviar — all developed around three secret ingredients.

When she was announced as the winner of the pastry/dessert category, she was stunned.

New Mexico State University researchers continue to learn more about exploring saffron as a high-value specialty crop that can be grown throughout the state. The public can learn more about the possibilities of growing saffron, along with information on crops in semiarid environments, weed management and other farming practices at this year's field day in Los Lunas.

The field day will take place from 7:30 a.m. to noon Aug. 13 at the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Los Lunas, 1036 Miller Road. The field day is free and open to the public. Lunch will be served at noon.

Among the field day's presentation topics are the analysis of flavor quality in chile; wine and table grapes; mitigating tomato stress with sun, shade and silicon; jujube cultivars; specialty crop pest control; perennial forage grass effects on soil health in New Mexico; native grasses; and water management.

Registration is open for a second session of SBIR 101, a free two-hour foundations webinar hosted by NM FAST and sponsored by the New Mexico Economic Development Department that introduces first-time applicants to the federal Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs.

The session will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Q Station, 3225 Central Ave. NE, Albuquerque, with a virtual option available via Zoom for participants joining from anywhere in the state.

The second session covers the same two-hour walkthrough as the first: what the SBIR program is, which federal agencies fund it, what reviewers look for in successful proposals, and the realistic timeline from idea to submission. The session is designed for any New Mexico-based founder, researcher, or small business that missed the first session or wants a refresher before attending a more advanced NM FAST workshop.

Over the summer, a New Mexico State University art professor and student embarked on an insightful, artistic residency in Europe to work with a robot and carve ancient marble in the Apuan Alps. 

Carissa Samaniego, assistant professor in the Department of Art and her student mentee Lei Maslian, a recent NMSU Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate, returned from a month-long residency with the Digital Stone Project (DSP) at Garfagnana Innovazione in Gramolazzo, Italy. Supported by the university's Discovery Scholars Program and the College of Arts & Sciences, the duo witnessed walls of Tuscan stone and experienced the remarkable reality of carving the same materials that artistic masters shaped five centuries ago. 

One-on-one connections can make all the difference in a successful higher education journey, and a pair of peer mentoring programs at New Mexico State University have been nationally recognized. 

The TRIO Student Support Services Classic peer mentoring program has been awarded recertification for the College Reading and Learning Association International Peer Educator Training Program through December 2030. The program has been certified at level three, the highest level possible, since fall 2016. 

"Having someone to go to is important. Adulting can be intimidating for much of our student population, so having a peer going through things like you helps build a sense of community," said Liz Taylor, TRIO SSS mentor coordinator. "Our peer staff teaches students how to ask questions and use the resources available to them through TRIO SSS and beyond while also sharing their students' experiences to help improve NMSU systems and our program's processes to make them more approachable for a new generation." 

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — KRWG Public Media is excited to announce that KRWG-TV is now available free over the air on Channel 22 for viewers throughout the El Paso area, bringing trusted PBS programming, local news, and educational content to even more homes across the Borderland.

Residents with an over-the-air antenna can begin watching KRWG-TV by simply rescanning their television channels. No cable or satellite subscription is required.

"We've always viewed the Borderland as one community," said Adrian Velarde, General Manager of KRWG Public Media. "For decades, many El Paso viewers have watched KRWG through cable or satellite providers. Now, we're making our service available to everyone free over the air, expanding access to the trusted news, educational resources, and PBS favorites our audiences value."

Sgt. Jumaris Maduro, a religious affairs noncommissioned officer, will start classes at New Mexico State University in August under the U.S. Army's Green to Gold Program, an initiative that allows active-duty enlisted soldiers to earn a bachelor's or master's degree and commission as an Army officer. She will end her active-duty enlistment just before she begins at NMSU.

"Sgt. Maduro earned a Green to Gold scholarship due to her proven record of performance, professionalism, and most of all character," said Lt. Col. Joshua Campbell, NMSU assistant professor of military science. "The knowledge she has gained over six years of active service, and her experience as a non-commissioned officer will undoubtably help the cadets of the Bataan Battalion to better prepare for their future careers as U.S. Army officers."

New Mexico State University physics professor Raza Sufian will lead a team of researchers to run a groundbreaking physics simulation on a quantum computer using artificial intelligence. 

The team is among those selected for the $800 million Department of Energy program called Genesis Mission, a large-scale initiative of the U.S. government that aims to build the world's most powerful integrated science discovery platform by connecting supercomputers, quantum systems and artificial intelligence. 

The ultimate target is to double America's scientific productivity within a decade. The DOE made the announcement this week at the Genesis Mission Summit in Washington, D.C. The NMSU project is among those funded in Phase I of the program.