Other NM universities announcements

The 2026 Southwest Hay and Forage Conference, hosted by New Mexico State University's College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and the New Mexico Hay Association, will feature two special guest speakers who will discuss successful farm transitions and water issues in the west.

The conference will take place Jan. 21-23 at the Ruidoso Convention Center, 111 Sierra Blanca Drive, in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Among the topics to be presented at the conference include "Corn Leafhopper: An Emerging Pest in Corn," "Drones for Spraying: Custom Application and Producer Perspective," and "Small Grain Forage Quality." There will also be industry and regulation updates provided by researchers and experts. Also this year, a special highlight will be the showcasing of the new Hesston double small square baler recently on the market.

New Mexico State University's Department of Accounting and Information Systems in the College of Business has partnered with Los Alamos National Laboratory to offer a new experiential work opportunity for students.

LANL has created a new software developer position for upper-class NMSU students majoring or minoring in information systems. This position will enable students to hone their skills in software development in a professional environment and gain real-world experience at one of the nation's leading labs.

A new national study co-authored by New Mexico State University researcher Jin Ho Yun finds that students who rely on artificial intelligence systems such as ChatGPT or Gemini may develop more superficial and passive learning habits compared to those who conduct traditional online research. 

The study, published in PNAS Nexus, was led by Shiri Melumad of the University of Pennsylvania and Yun, an assistant professor of marketing in the NMSU College of Business. Their work examined how large language model (LLM) summaries shape learning outcomes and cognitive engagement. 

Since its inception 33 years ago, the New Mexico Alliance for Minority Participation has operated with the goal of increasing the number of students who earn science, technology, engineering and mathematics degrees. Twenty-five conferences later, the program remains strong.

NM AMP hosted its annual Student Research Conference in late October, bringing together more than 160 students and faculty from across the state and across the border to celebrate student research and promote STEM careers.

Seven universities from New Mexico are part of the alliance, which is housed at New Mexico State University. However, three community colleges and the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez in Mexico, also attend the conference. Along with the university attendees, over 50 students from New Mexico high schools who participate in the NM MESA and TRIO Upward Bound programs also attended this year.

New Mexico State University welcomed a group of students from three universities for a three-day visit earlier this month aimed at showcasing the Las Cruces campus and preparing future agricultural leaders. 

The visit was part of a federally funded program called "Leading and Enhancing Agricultural Development in the Next Generation," or LEADING. 

The initiative, developed by a team of professors from NMSU, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez and Texas State University, aims to help grow the food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences workforce and create a pathway to federal employment.  

New Mexico State University has a long, rich history of advancing agriculture in New Mexico. It is now planting seeds for its newest legacy as the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science unveils its first Ph.D. in applied and agricultural biology.

The new program is a milestone that not only celebrates NMSU as a leading institution for research and education but reaffirms its commitment to addressing agricultural challenges in the Southwest. Its first cohort started in fall 2025.

The Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship at New Mexico State University's Arrowhead Center recently celebrated the completion of its GenAI for Fundraising Excellence Sprint, a six-week accelerator designed to help New Mexico and Borderplex founders strengthen their investor readiness using generative AI.

The six-week program, held from October 9 to November 20, equipped 11 participating startups with practical tools to streamline investor research, build data-supported fundraising materials, personalize outreach, analyze term sheets, and prepare confidently for investor conversations. Sessions incorporated interactive workshops, hands-on exercises, and real-time feedback from one of Arrowhead Center's Entrepreneurs-in-Residence to ensure founders received individualized guidance throughout the experience.

Earlier this month, a special delegation from New Mexico State University's College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences traveled to Chihuahua, Mexico, to discuss value-added agriculture and agro-industries in dairy, viticulture, pecans and green chile.

Rolando A. Flores Galarza, dean and chief administrative officer of the College of ACES, led the delegation on behalf of NMSU.

The delegation met with the secretary of rural development (desarrollo rural) of the state of Chihuahua, Mauro Parada Muñoz, and the adviser of the Desarrollo Económico Regional del Estado de Chihuahua, Jorge Cruz Camberos, and presented workshops at the Centro Estatal de Manejo de Fuego in Chihuahua City.