Other NM universities announcements

New Mexico State University's Alumni Pond has reopened to the campus community following the completion of key restoration work, allowing students, employees, alumni and visitors to once again enjoy one of the university's most recognizable landmarks. 

The project recently reached several significant milestones, including the installation of a new clay liner, refilling the pond and the removal of construction fencing. The reopening marks the completion of the primary phase of restoration and the beginning of the pond's natural ecological recovery. 

Project leaders said the reopening comes after additional improvements were made beyond the project's original timeline to help ensure the long-term success of the restoration. While a few finishing touches remain, the pond is now ready to welcome visitors back. 

New Mexico State University is home to a growing number of authors. One author, Laura Hooton, NMSU assistant professor of history and director of Graduate Studies, recently added to the list on June 30 with her book "Little Liberia: A Dream of Black Freedom in the US-Mexico Borderlands." 

"Little Liberia's approach to fighting racism in the United States is both highly unique and also strikingly in line with other movements at the time," Hooton said. "Their engagement with U.S.-Mexico politics, fighting White supremacy, and combining economic growth with social change makes the story intriguing and representative of United States and Mexican history at the time." 

New Mexico State University will host its annual Student Employment Fair Tuesday, Aug. 25, and offer students valuable opportunities to connect with on-campus departments and local employers seeking part-time and student workers for the upcoming academic year.

The event will take place at Corbett Center Student Union Aggie Lounge from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is open to all currently enrolled NMSU students. Attendees are encouraged to bring copies of their resumes and dress in business casual attire.

The Student Employment Fair is designed to help students secure flexible job opportunities that complement their academic schedules while gaining professional experience. Participating employers will include university offices, community organizations and local businesses representing a variety of industries.

Long before New Mexico State University students were traveling to national risk management conferences and networking with industry leaders, retired College of Business professor J. Tim Query was building the partnerships that made those opportunities possible. His dedication to student success and risk management recently earned him induction into the Rocky Mountain Risk and Insurance Management Society Chapter Hall of Fame, Class of 2025. 

Query, who joined NMSU in 2006, played a pivotal role in establishing and growing the university's Risk Management and Insurance Studies program while building lasting partnerships with organizations that continue to benefit Aggie students. 

NM FAST and Larta Institute have graduated the inaugural NM FAST Commercialization Cohort, a five-part commercialization program designed to help New Mexico startups and deep-tech companies strengthen their commercialization strategies and prepare for federal Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer funding opportunities. 

Eighteen companies from across New Mexico completed the no-cost program, which combined expert-led workshops with individualized commercialization advising from Larta Institute Principal Advisors. The cohort ran from May through July and supported founders developing technologies in advanced computing, bioscience, advanced energy, aerospace and other innovation-driven sectors. 

Last year, motorists across the United States illegally passed stopped school buses more than 39 million times, endangering the lives of scores of children who depend on buses, according to a national organization that represents state pupil transportation services. 

Stop-arm running is such a prevalent yet understudied issue that the Child Safety Network – a national resource center that partners with states to prevent child injuries – has enlisted a New Mexico State University professor to lead a project to improve school bus safety by studying the visual attention failures that lead to illegal passes. 

Michael Hout, a professor of psychology and kinesiology at NMSU with nearly 20 years of experience in cognitive psychology and visual attention, will investigate how the brain interprets complex visual environments and why individuals often overlook crucial information – insights directly relevant to distracted or careless driving. 

Community members are invited to learn more about research involving conservation and regenerative farming practices at this year's field day, hosted by New Mexico State University's Agricultural Science Center in Clovis.

The field day will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Aug. 6 at the center, located at 2346 State Road 288 in Clovis, New Mexico. The event is free and open to the public. Lunch will be provided.

The field day will focus on several research projects, including artificial intelligence for soil and nutrient cycling in semi-arid agriculture; a peanut variety update for eastern New Mexico and west Texas; yield response of biochar and compost application in sorghum; economic and environmental benefits of biochar in sustainable agriculture; water management practices in agriculture; circular buffer strips effect on cotton production; and microalgae-based remediation and nutrient management of dairy tail end water.

Traditions are a meaningful aspect of the college experience at New Mexico State University and before classes for the 2026-2027 academic year start, NMSU will host several events to welcome first-year students. 

Aggie Beginnings will take place Sunday, Aug. 16, beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the Pan American Center. Aggie Beginnings will bring together freshman convocation, the first-year photo and the first-year walk as one experience welcoming NMSU's newest students to the Aggie community.

Aggie Beginnings will commence with a student-led freshman convocation welcoming first-year students to campus. Upperclassmen and student groups will lead the program and will be joined by faculty, staff and administrators in celebrating the beginning of the academic journey for the incoming class. NMSU President Valerio Ferme and Associated Students of NMSU President Carina Frisch will welcome students and their family members to NMSU.