Other NM universities announcements

The New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service will host a jujube workshop from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8 at the Leyendecker Plant Science Research Center, 7200 Plant Science Circle, in Las Cruces. The event will include a presentation about jujube basics and its fruiting habits with a fruit tasting session to follow. 

Jujube fruits are very nutritious, rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, fiber and cyclic adenosine monophosphate. The jujube is a fruit species that is suitable for New Mexico because it produces a reliable crop annually and is not affected by late frosts. According to Shengrui Yao, Extension fruit specialist, jujube fruit is expected to mature two weeks earlier than normal in 2026. 

It's easy to assume that history solely belongs to national archives and inside textbooks. Yet, every historical timeline was once an ordinary place with everyday experiences. Jerry Wallace, an NMSU assistant professor of history and director of the Public History Program, said history is in our own backyards. 

"All history is local," Wallace said. "We like to think that when we study history, and we write history, we're always writing about these national, regional history narratives. But from the ground up, history is always about local stories." 

Recognized for his ongoing commitment to preserving local history, Wallace received this year's Heritage Preservation Individual Achievement Award from the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division, celebrating his impactful work at NMSU and within the Las Cruces community. 

For Stella Johnson, earning her high school equivalency wasn't simply about completing something left unfinished. It was about opening doors she once believed had closed. 

"I wanted to finish what I started," Johnson said. "The support from the staff and instructors had a huge impact on my confidence. Earning my credentials means I have more job opportunities, and I can go to college and learn more about computers, which is the future." 

Johnson's experience reflects a broader transformation taking place at New Mexico State University's Grants Campus, where Adult Education has become more than a pathway to a credential. The program emphasizes relationships, individualized support and helping students discover what comes next – whether that's college, a career or a new beginning. 

Las Cruces and New Mexico State University police teamed together Wednesday for a traffic safety operation that recorded 155 citations during a three-hour period.

Wednesday, Aug. 19, was the first day of classes for the 2026 fall semester at New Mexico State University. Officers from both police departments conducted the traffic enforcement operation along University Avenue.

"This is another great example of collaboration between departments in safeguarding our campus community," said Justin Dunivan, Chief of the New Mexico State University Police Department. "Our primary goal is maintaining a safe campus, and that includes working with our public safety partners in ensuring all aspects of traffic and pedestrian safety."

New Mexico State University Global Campus is proud to announce a new partnership with Hatch Valley Public Schools, creating expanded opportunities for educators and district employees to advance their education, develop new skills, and achieve their professional goals without leaving their community. 

Through the partnership, employees of Hatch Valley Public Schools will receive exclusive access to educational benefits, including tuition savings on NMSU Global Campus's fully accredited online undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as discounted microcredential opportunities designed to support today's evolving workforce. 

Serving a rural district of approximately 1,100 students across five schools in Doña Ana County, Hatch Valley Public Schools is committed to providing high-quality educational experiences that prepare students for lifelong success. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to investing in the people who make that mission possible while strengthening educational opportunities throughout rural New Mexico. 

A New Mexico State University film professor is continuing his one-man crusade to draw the film and television industry to southern New Mexico, one project at a time. His most recent effort is a film titled "Solitary," which follows five inmates navigating the harsh realities of solitary confinement. 

Before Ross Marks, NMSU Creative Media Institute (CMI) professor and award-winning filmmaker, accepted the job as producer of the film, he set three non-negotiable conditions: the production must be entirely shot in Las Cruces (primarily at the Old Doña Ana County Courthouse), it must partner with a local nonprofit ministry supporting formerly incarcerated individuals and it must employ NMSU students and alumni. David Midell, director of "Solitary" and an alumnus of the Las Cruces International Film Festival, agreed.   

To help the state combat the threat of the New World screwworm, the Southwest Border Food Protection and Emergency Preparedness Center will host the New Mexico New World screwworm training workshop from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 25 on New Mexico State University's campus. 

The free workshop is open to all veterinarians and technicians, Cooperative Extension Service agents and livestock producers and will be held in Wooton Hall, 3145 Knox St. The workshop will include classroom sessions, demonstrations and collaborations with Extension, New Mexico Department of Agriculture and New Mexico Livestock Board experts. Topics will include New World screwworm biology; surveillance and detection; sample collection procedures; wound treatment and management; and tools and resources for producers. 

The Association for Logic Programming and KR, Inc. are highly prestigious, non-profit scientific foundations dedicated to fostering research in artificial intelligence, driving worldwide research for decades.

Three New Mexico State University researchers received awards for their contributions to the field of Artificial Intelligence at two co-located premier conferences in the field – the 2026 International Conference on Logic Programming (ICLP) and the 2026 International Conference on Principles of Knowledge Representation and Reasoning (KR).

ICLP is the longest running conference series focused on symbolic AI and logic-based methods for programming and reasoning, while KR is recognized as the top-tier flagship conference for symbolic knowledge representation and reasoning; together these venues explore foundational research needed for the creation of autonomous systems, robotics, automated planning and natural language processing.