Other NM universities announcements

Mushrooms are sprouting across Las Cruces and New Mexico State University, thanks in large part to recent rains and warm temperatures. While the flourishing fungi may look like harmless mushrooms you might buy at a grocery story, but they're anything but, says one NMSU researcher, who is warning humans and animals alike not to pick or eat them.

The mushrooms are members of a fungal group called Chlorophyllum molybdites, also known as false parasol, said Soum Sanogo, a professor in NMSU's Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. False parasol commonly grows in southern New Mexico and other regions in the United States, including the Southwest, during the fall as the season transitions from summer to winter.

Entering a university as a first-generation student is like an explorer stepping onto an entirely unknown continent without a map or a guide. It's difficult to know where to go or what to do.

For nearly a quarter of a century, New Mexico State University has empowered hundreds of students from migrant farm worker families through the federal College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), which acts as the basecamp, the supply line and the expert guide all rolled into one. The program is available to U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents.

As a child, Adrian Aguirre gravitated toward art. A natural-born creator, Aguirre fostered that talent as a student at New Mexico State University and now has spent a decade sharing his expertise as a program manager for NMSU's Innovative Media Research and Extension. 

As studio manager, Aguirre art directs and oversees the production of all games, interactive and animations created by the NMSU Innovative Media multimedia team. In addition to his work as a digital media artist, he also makes traditional works of art in oil and charcoal. For his extraordinary achievements as a visual artist, Aguirre is a 2026 Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts recipient.

When spacecraft re-enters Earth's atmosphere we need materials that can withstand the extreme temperatures achieved above 8,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Ablative materials are a solution to this problem in which the material burns away in a controlled manner, protecting the spacecraft and the payload.

New Mexico State University's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering recently hosted the 16th International Ablation Workshop for the second consecutive time. The workshop is a three-day forum that aims to connect researchers, government representatives and industry professionals to discuss advancements in ablation technologies and give researchers a chance to present their own findings.

Students from the New Mexico State University Dance Program are ready to showcase their talents while touting the best NMSU has to offer this week at the National Dance Education Organization National Conference in Albuquerque.

NMSU dance faculty and students will present the university at the conference through peer presentations, original choreographic works, community leadership and prospective student recruitment, said Ryan P. McMullen, NMSU Dance Program coordinator and college assistant professor. Students and faculty will also participate in general conference events and specialized preconference intensives focusing on regional arts education and leadership.

New Mexico State University students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to explore advanced education opportunities during the 2026 NMSU Graduate and Professional School Fair.

The fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Corbett Center Student Union first-floor lobby and Aggie Lounge.

Representatives from graduate and professional schools across the country will be available to speak with attendees about master's, doctoral and professional degree programs. Participants can learn about admission requirements, application timelines, financial assistance, funding opportunities and other important considerations when preparing for graduate or professional school.

Sharing expertise with New Mexicans has always been at the heart of the New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service's mission. And thanks to innovative technology, artificial intelligence is helping an Extension team to supply another way for the knowledge to be accessible. 

Thanks to a grant from NMSU's Institute for Applied Practice in AI and Machine Learning, "Empowering Extension and 4-H Through AI: Curriculum Innovation and Conversational Tools for the Future," an Extension team not only updated 4-H curriculum for three topics but also allowed the team to develop data for future chatbots.

The National Science Foundation awarded nearly half a million dollars to New Mexico State University assistant professor Alejandro Gallegos to build cost-effective molecular modeling tools that are more accessible to researchers.

Fields of study like cancer research, water treatment processes and drug delivery technologies, among others, will be able to use Classical Density Functional Theory to study molecular-scale behavior more efficiently.

Classical DFT is a statistical-mechanical theory researchers can use to predict the equilibrium structure and thermodynamic behavior of fluids and soft materials at the molecular scale.