Other NM universities announcements

New Mexico State University's Department of Civil Engineering has officially changed its name to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, a move that reflects the department's longstanding academic strengths, evolving research priorities and commitment to addressing today's most pressing environmental challenges.

The name change was approved through the university's academic governance process, and aligns the department's identity with the degree programs it currently offers and the expertise it has developed over several decades.

With more than 40,000 New Mexico youth participating in 4-H activities throughout the state, New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service 4-H agents support programming for communities across all 33 counties. Several NMSU 4-H agents and 4-H youth development department staff were honored at the 2025 National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia, in October. 

"Having NMSU Cooperative Extension Service agents recognized at the national level highlights the high-quality, innovative programming that New Mexico professionals are delivering at the county, regional and statewide levels," Hildago County Extension Program Director and 4-H Agent Savannah Daniels said. "These honors reflect the dedication of Extension professionals meeting community needs and providing impactful education across the state." 

The New Mexico State University Aggie Career Studio will host the 21st annual Career Connections Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3 and Wednesday, Feb. 4. This two-day event will be held at Corbett Center Student Union, third floor ballrooms. 

Career Connections, which is open to NMSU students and alumni along with area community members, is the second-largest career fair of the academic year and offers attendees a valuable opportunity to connect with employers who are actively recruiting for internships, co-ops and full-time positions. Employers from across the United States will attend as they kick off their spring recruitment season and seek to connect with recent and upcoming graduates.

New Mexico State University's Aggie Uptown development continues to expand with the addition of White Sands Federal Credit Union, which will celebrate the groundbreaking of its newest branch at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, at the future site located at 3110 University Ave. 

The new WSFCU branch marks another milestone in the continued growth of Aggie Uptown, a vibrant, mixed-use commercial center designed to enhance the NMSU college experience. Aggie Uptown integrates public spaces with academic, professional and residential uses and is positioned to become a hub of activity as well as a significant long-term revenue stream for the university. 

A child and grandchild of immigrant labor workers from Mexico, Àngel Peña, a 2012 New Mexico State University graduate, did not grow up seeing the outdoors as sacred space. By the time his parents' workday was done, the last thing they wanted was to be outside again.

But when his grandfather started a landscaping business, he taught Peña that this was his way of taking care of the community: keeping outdoor living areas clean and safe. 

Since 2019, Peña's way of taking care of his community has been as executive director for the Las Cruces-based Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project, which advocates for historically and deliberately excluded communities to have equitable access to the outdoors and be part of land-management decision making. 

Film and television star Michael Rooker will receive this year's Las Cruces International Film Festival "Outstanding Achievement in Entertainment" award during the 11th annual festival April 8-12. 

LCIFF, supported by New Mexico State University and Visit Las Cruces, has grown to become the largest film festival in the country run by a university.

Michael Rooker's fame began with his intense role in "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, which established him as a character actor nearly 40 years ago. Rooker gained widespread international fame as the beloved, blue-skinned space pirate Yondu Udonta in Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" and its sequels as well as his popular role as Merle Dixon in "The Walking Dead." Since 2019 he is recognized by fans as the face of "NASCAR on NBC" marketing campaigns, a reflection of his role in "Days of Thunder."

The College of Engineering at New Mexico State University, in partnership with the New Mexico Ready Mix Concrete and Aggregates Association, will host concrete training for the construction industry, Jan. 9-10. The 62nd Annual Samuel P. Maggard Quality Concrete School is designed for concrete professionals, contractors, professional engineers, and students.

Named for the late, long-time professor of civil engineering, Sam "Doc" Maggard, who established the annual training, Quality Concrete School teaches the latest technologies for concrete applications. The 2026 program addresses a range of competencies from basic properties of concrete, sampling, and testing to special topics such as natural gas trucks, residential concrete, and the Titan's Stadium construction project.

New Mexico State University's College of Business will welcome its first Executive-in-Residence in spring 2026, bringing marketing veteran and former Aggie student-athlete John Cordova in for Spring semester to share his wealth of experience with NMSU students. 

Cordova – former Group Director of Sports Management at The Coca-Cola Company – will teach MKTG 354: Sports Marketing, an in-person course that will give students a behind-the-scenes look at how marketing strategy powers fan engagement, sponsorships and global brand partnerships across major sports properties, including the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup. He will also co-teach a section of BUSA 1110: Introduction to Business for first-year business students.