Other NM universities announcements

New Mexico State University is now home to a new high-performance computing system that significantly expands the university's capacity for state-of-the-art research computing, including locally controlled artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data.

This summer, the NMSU Research Cores Program commissioned Colibrí, an advanced computing system that provides opportunities for AI and machine learning, advanced modeling, data-intensive research and scientific computing. It will support technology development tied directly to challenges faced by New Mexico, with examples that include wildfire detection and response coordination, a full digital twins of local agricultural systems, high-fidelity modeling of water treatment systems designed for New Mexico waters, and edge decision-support technologies for remote hybrid solar, wind and fuel-cell power systems.

The "strong force" is the most powerful of the four basic forces in nature. It holds together everything we see in the universe, and yet researchers are still trying to understand it.

New Mexico State University physics professor Raza Sufian received a $450,000 CAREER award from the National Science Foundation to pursue his research over the next five years to better understand the gluonic structure of protons and neutrons, the building blocks of the atomic nuclei that make up every star, every planet and every living thing.

"My research is about understanding the glue that binds everything in the visible universe," Sufian said. "It also asks how massless gluons generate the structure, stability, mass and spin of the proton and neutron that make the matter-dominated visible universe."

A New Mexico State University engineering professor is leading a multi-university research team to help advance the rehabilitation of people with neurological motor disorders.

Wei Tang, NMSU Paul W. and Valerie Klipsch Distinguished Professor in the Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and his research team recently received a four-year, $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation's Smart and Connected Health program, which involves researchers from NMSU, the University of Texas at El Paso and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The team will focus on people with traumatic brain injury and autism spectrum disorder, both of which can affect movement, balance and coordination. Tang is the project's lead principal investigator.

NMSU partnership sparks national push to revive much-needed geology field camps

Industry professionals today are concerned that universities are scaling back geology field-camp experiences, long considered a core rite of passage for the geology undergraduate degree. A variety of pressures are to blame: Shrinking student enrollment, a shortage of field-trained faculty, surging costs of travel and insurance, tighter institutional budgets and a shift toward modern digital tools.

New Mexico State University is finding success bucking that trend.

This fall, the New Mexico State University Aggie Career Studio will once again transform campus into a hub of professional networking as it will host the 2026 Career Expo and Engineering, Science and Technology Fair Sept. 15-16.

Taking place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both days at Corbett Center Student Union, the event is designed to connect Aggies with employers actively recruiting for a wide range of career opportunities. Organizations from across the United States will be on-site, offering positions that include internships, co-ops and full-time employment.

Rather than focusing on a single field, the expo emphasizes exploration. Students from every college are encouraged to attend, learn about different industries and build relationships with recruiters. The second day will feature an added emphasis on science, engineering and technology employers, giving students interested in STEM-related careers additional opportunities to engage.

Located on the third floor of Foreman Hall in Engineering Complex III at New Mexico State University, the Eloy Torrez Family Learning Communities in Engineering is the College of Engineering's center for fostering student success. It offers tutoring, study rooms and aplace for engineering students to build a sense of belonging.

"Our goal is to build community among our students," said Jimi Ickes, program operations director of undergraduate studies. "We know that students who study together develop a cohort group. They go to class. They study. They go to exam reviews. They're more likely to succeed. They're more likely to finish their degree. We're here to help cultivate that process and be the hub for this student community."

New Mexico State University's Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology marks a milestone this fall as the first cohort in its new Ph.D. program begins classes. 

Six students began the program earlier this month, and two additional students are expected to start in January. All will be trained to become experts and leaders in conserving the Southwest's fragile ecosystems. It is the first doctoral program of its kind in New Mexico that addresses regional ecological challenges and workforce needs by combining rigorous coursework, applied research opportunities and hands-on learning experiences.

The New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service will host a jujube workshop from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8 at the Leyendecker Plant Science Research Center, 7200 Plant Science Circle, in Las Cruces. The event will include a presentation about jujube basics and its fruiting habits with a fruit tasting session to follow. 

Jujube fruits are very nutritious, rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, fiber and cyclic adenosine monophosphate. The jujube is a fruit species that is suitable for New Mexico because it produces a reliable crop annually and is not affected by late frosts. According to Shengrui Yao, Extension fruit specialist, jujube fruit is expected to mature two weeks earlier than normal in 2026.