Other NM universities announcements

The Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity's LGBT+ Programs at New Mexico State University is kicking off Pride Month this year by being recognized for making NMSU one of the most inclusive universities in the country and most inclusive university in the area.

LGBT+ Programs is rated 4.5/5 on the Campus Pride Index, the leading national nonprofit organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create a safer college environment for LGBTQ students.

The New Mexico Broadcasters Association last week announced the winners of its 2024 Excellence in Broadcasting Awards. New Mexico State University's KRWG public broadcasting station earned eight awards, including Station of the Year in radio for KRWG-FM.

"I'm so grateful for the dedication our team shows every day," said Adrian Velarde, general manager of KRWG public media. "This recognition is a wonderful reminder of their incredible talent and commitment."

In 2018, New Mexico State University was among the first to receive a research award under the National Science Foundation's Hispanic Serving Institutions Program. The five-year, $2.6 million grant funded a first-if-its-kind HSI STEM Resource Hub at NMSU, in collaboration with Doña Ana Community College and California State University-Northridge."

Student success requires a strong support system and faculty are first line supporters who hold great responsibility for student well-being and degree completion," said Elba Serrano, NMSU Regents professor of biology, the principal investigator for the NMSU arm of the project, which over the last five years has created a network to share best practices among 450 Hispanic-serving institutions to build capacity for STEM education.

Following a national search, New Mexico State University announced Friday that the Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity has selected Mariana Ortega as its first assistant vice president for diversity initiatives. She will begin her new role on July 15.

"Mariana brings with her extensive experience working in higher education, particularly with diversity programs and various campus and community partners," said Teresa Maria "Linda" Scholz, NMSU's vice president for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity. "She has a strong understanding of public institutions and will bring innovative approaches to EID work at NMSU."

The New Mexico IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research (NM-INBRE), housed at New Mexico State University, began in 2001 when an NMSU professor believed New Mexico was missing out on important opportunities for lack of a vehicle for collaboration between universities in the state when it came to biomedical research.

The Department of Borderlands and Ethnic Studies at New Mexico State University has received $170,000 in congressional funding to continue a research program dedicated to creating more culturally inclusive social studies curricula for K-12 students.

The funding will allow researchers in the department, also known as BEST, to continue to collaborate with educators in southern New Mexico to develop new lessons that meet revised social studies standards. The new standards – adopted by the New Mexico Public Education Department in 2022 – include a focus on ethnic, cultural and identity studies.

Two New Mexico State University researchers in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences were part of an interdisciplinary team of scientists, led by Colorado State University, who contributed to the National Climate Change Roadmap, a collaborative and detailed document designed to serve as a framework for future investments in climate-science research.

Owen Burney, NMSU associate professor and research director of the John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center in Mora, N.M., and Santiago Utsumi, NMSU associate professor of range science in the NMSU Department of Animal and Range Sciences, participated in the roadmap's development.

A student organization at New Mexico State University dedicated to promoting the study, application and advancement of information systems has earned two national awards.

NMSU received the top award from the Association for Information Systems Student Chapters for the 2022-2023 academic year. NMSU beat more than 40 other universities in the United States to win the New Student Chapter of the Year award. NMSU also won the Outstanding Community Service Award.