Other NM universities announcements

Following a successful tax season prep last year, New Mexico State University is once again offering its free tax filing assistance program to underserved individuals in the NMSU and Las Cruces communities.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) is an IRS-backed program that recruits volunteers, trains NMSU accounting students in tax law and tax software, and prepares them to assist taxpayers with filing their tax returns.

Services are available from 9 a.m. to noon every Friday during the remainder of the tax season in Business Complex, Room 108, through April 11. Services will be closed March 14 during spring break. The program is led by the Coalition for Family Economic Progress, which is headed by GECU Community Development, whose team applies for and runs the federal grant and organizes all the VITA tax preparation sites.

A New Mexico State University faculty member and a Ph.D. student will be honored with prestigious awards at the 2025 Society for Public Health Education Conference in April.

Sarah Ruiz, an assistant professor of family and consumer sciences in the College of Agricultural, Environmental and Consumer Sciences, will receive the M. Elaine Auld Horizon Award. The award recognizes early-career health educators who have distinguished themselves through leadership, creativity, involvement in the profession and health education practice.

"Receiving the M. Elaine Auld Horizon Award is an incredible honor," said Ruiz, who joined NMSU last fall. "It reaffirms my commitment to advancing public health through culturally relevant, evidence-based nutrition interventions. SOPHE has played such an important role in shaping the field of health education, and over time, I feel that I have found a happy home within this organization."

New Mexico State University's College of Business, in collaboration with the Nusenda Fintech Lab, welcomed more than 110 students to its latest Executive Speaker Series event featuring Justin Crowe, founder and CEO of Parting Stone.

The event provided students a unique opportunity to engage with an entrepreneur who has successfully merged art, business and innovation to create a groundbreaking company that is reshaping the memorial industry.

Crowe's journey into entrepreneurship began with his passion for art and design. As a creative thinker, he sought ways to apply his artistic skills beyond traditional mediums, leading him to explore how innovation could transform everyday industries. His curiosity and artistic background ultimately led to Parting Stone, a company that offers families an alternative to traditional cremated remains by turning ashes into smooth, solidified stones. Crowe explained how his idea stemmed from a desire to create something meaningful and personal, revolutionizing the way people memorialize loved ones.

Portales, NM – March 4, 2025– Eastern New Mexico University announced today the events planned to celebrate Women's History Month on the ENMU campus.

"Women's History Month encourages us to honor and reflect on women's amazing strength and perseverance throughout history," said Charis Boone, student coordinator of the Native American Affairs Office. "This year's theme, "Everyday Stronger Than Yesterday," captures the spirit of the challenges we've overcome, the progress we're making, and the resilience that inspires us ahead."

Portales, NM – March 4, 2025 – Eastern New Mexico University will bestow honorary doctorate degrees upon three distinguished business leaders during commencement on Saturday, May 10, 2025. The candidate's entrepreneurial and community impact in their respective fields is an extraordinary example of what it means to be a Greyhound. The Candidates are:

Steve Loy – Business leader, sports Agent, Coach, and champion of ENMU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Portales, NM – March 4, 2025– Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has reappointed Lance Pyle and appointed Emily Wilbanks to the Eastern New Mexico University Board of Regents.

Lance Pyle –Lance Pyle is starting his second term as an ENMU regent, initially being appointed to a 6-year term in March of 2019. He currently serves as Curry County Manager, a position he has held since December 2007. After graduating from Melrose High School, Mr. Pyle earned an associate degree in Business Administration with honors from Clovis Community College in December 2001.

The Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship at New Mexico State University successfully hosted the prestigious Hult Prize competition Feb. 27, bringing together civil engineering students to present innovative construction technologies aimed at addressing global challenges.

Leveraged through the Mike Hunt Construction Sprints program, the competition highlighted student-led ventures that integrate sustainability, technology and entrepreneurship to drive meaningful change in the built environment.

The Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship at New Mexico State University's Arrowhead Center celebrated the achievements of Qianyun (Gloria) Zhang, an assistant professor in NMSU's civil engineering department, as she was officially presented with the inaugural Aggie Construction Innovator of the Year Award Feb. 27.

The award, a cornerstone of the Mike Hunt Construction Sprints program, recognizes faculty who demonstrate exceptional leadership, creativity and impact in the construction industry. Zhang's groundbreaking research in structural health monitoring, advanced materials and data-driven construction solutions earned her the distinguished honor.