Other NM universities announcements

The National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) is the NSF's most prestigious award. It recognizes the impact of junior faculty's success in research and education integration and will fund their quest for five years.

Last month, New Mexico State University astronomy assistant professor Juie Shetye received a 2026 CAREER Award, demonstrating her inspirational leadership for undergraduates and empowering them to become involved in research and pursue advanced degrees. This highly competitive award will run through 2031. Its title is "Hunting Magnetic Fingerprints on the Sun--A Tale of Flare-Jet Connections."

Shetye's research on space weather has come up with a prediction algorithm that can warn humans when a solar flare might occur.

The New Mexico State University Board of Regents will award longtime NMSU supporter and philanthropist Wanda R. Bowman an honorary Doctor of Letters in recognition of her decades of service to the university and the Las Cruces community. NMSU President Valerio Ferme will present the degree during commencement ceremonies beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, May 15, at the Pan American Center, 1810 E. University Ave. 

Honorary degree recipients are distinguished individuals whose contributions have meaningfully shaped the educational, business, scientific and cultural life of New Mexico and the nation. Since 1927, when the first honorary doctorate was awarded to horticulturist Fabián García, NMSU has conferred 172 honorary doctoral degrees, recognizing individuals both during their lifetimes and posthumously. 

The New Mexico State University College of Engineering invites students, faculty, staff and community members to attend a public lecture and expert panel focused on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances contamination in New Mexico's water systems. 

Titled "PFAS in New Mexico: What's in Our Water – And What Comes Next?", the event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon May 1 in Hernandez Hall, Room 103 on the NMSU Las Cruces campus. 

A full class schedule, work, family and other life obligations can make it difficult for many undergraduate students to gain research experience early in their careers. The Discovery Scholars Program (DSP) at New Mexico State University offers a more flexible option for students to explore their interest in research and expand their professional and academic opportunities.

Through DSP, students select a faculty member to mentor them through a research project of their choosing. Together, students and mentors develop a research plan, set development goals and define project milestones.

"The students are really driving this," said Michèle Shuster, associate dean of research in the College of Arts and Sciences and co-director of DSP. "Some students are brought onto their mentor's project and develop their own component. Others come up with their own ideas. It's a whole range."

Student designers at New Mexico State University are turning recycled materials into runway-ready looks as part of this year's Aggie Fashion Week, highlighting creativity, sustainability and personal expression through original designs. 

The weeklong celebration will culminate in the annual Sustainable Fashion Show at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 23, in Aggie Lounge at Corbett Center Student Union. The free, public event will feature student-designed collections inspired by this year's theme, "Reimagine," with garments created from repurposed and recycled materials.

The New Mexico State University community gathered to celebrate the institution's heritage and honor leaders who shaped the university at its annual Founders Day event April 15 at Traders Plaza on the Las Cruces campus.

This year, NMSU's Employee Council honored the "A" Mountain Staff Award recipient, Lizely Madrigal, University Technology Solutions and Support director, and the newest Aggie Legend, Garrey E. Carruthers, an educator and public servant. Additionally, NMSU support staff members were honored as part of Administrative Professionals Day. 

In collaboration with Santa Fe County, New Mexico State University's Santa Fe County Cooperative Extension Service will host a new educational series focused on fruit tree and berry orchard production. 

The free series, Holistic Fruit Tree and Berry Orchard Establishment and Management, will take place on select dates this summer and continue into the fall at the Santa Fe County Open Space, Trails and Parks Pojoaque Sports Field, County Road 84 in Jacona, New Mexico. 

A new facility on New Mexico State University's Las Cruces campus is changing the way students work with animals. 

NMSU's Student Learning Center opened in November 2025, providing an indoor, hands-on learning environment designed to support students across multiple programs. The facility features a 150-by-250-foot arena and a classroom that can seat up to 40 people. It allows students to work with animals in a structured environment and develop practical skills through uninterrupted instruction that was previously difficult to maintain outdoors.

"We have wanted an indoor arena for a long time, specifically for the equine program because one of the inhibiting factors of teaching with horses is that we have to deal with the elements of the weather," said Hannah Bilovesky, director of therapeutic riding and equine science instructor at NMSU.