Other NM universities announcements

NM FAST at New Mexico State University's Arrowhead Center is accepting applications for the SBIR/STTR Commercialization Bridge Pilot, a new program designed to support New Mexico companies transitioning from federal Phase II research and development into Phase III commercialization, procurement, and revenue generation. The high-touch, small-cohort program is delivered in partnership with the Santa Fe Business Incubator. Applications are due Monday, May 25. 

The pilot extends New Mexico's SBIR/STTR support pipeline beyond early-stage proposal development into the operational realities of federal procurement, customer acquisition, and capital strategy. Six to 10 companies will be selected to participate in the cohort, which runs from June 10 through July 8. Weekly sessions will cover Phase III reality and positioning, funding gap and capital strategy, federal procurement pathways, and execution planning. Selected companies will receive a minimum of 20 hours of one-on-one advising and finish the program with a Phase III Readiness Snapshot and a Federal Procurement Strategy Plan. 

Eight New Mexico State University journalism students are joining a growing mission to ensure the future vitality of local newspapers in New Mexico.

Escalation of local newspaper closures and aggressive corporate consolidation over the last 10 years has left more than 50 million Americans living in counties with either zero local news sources or only a single, resource-strapped outlet.

New Mexico Local News Fund (NMLNF) is among dozens of funds, regional coalitions and national networks working to ensure the future of local journalism, considered crucial infrastructure to support democracy. One of many ways NMLNF is meeting the challenge is by pairing new journalists with experienced mentors and encouraging partnerships with newspapers across the state.

The Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship at New Mexico State University's Arrowhead Center is inviting NMSU students to apply to Talent Lab, a six-month fellowship that prepares aspiring entrepreneurs to build venture-ready careers in New Mexico's advanced energy economy. The Hunt Center will sponsor selected NMSU students to participate in the program. 

Talent Lab is a program from Dangerous Ventures designed to find, nurture, and accelerate entrepreneurial talent across New Mexico, with a focus on candidates from Native and underserved communities. The fellowship combines Design Thinking methodology with the rigor of a top MBA curriculum, hands-on startup experience, executive coaching, and a Silicon Valley capstone immersion. Selected participants are known as Entrepreneurs-in-Training. 

A statewide network aimed at strengthening and expanding education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics has officially launched out of its home base at New Mexico State University.

The New Mexico STEM Innovation Network was created with state legislative funding, in partnership with the New Mexico Public Education Department, to help align STEM education across the K-12 system with NMPED priorities. Its main mission is to connect systems and establish an infrastructure to support pre-K through college STEM pathways and better prepare students for STEM careers.

NM FAST at New Mexico State University's Arrowhead Center is accepting registrations for a virtual workshop designed to help early-stage New Mexico founders navigate startup funding pathways, intellectual property strategy, and licensing considerations as they pursue Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer awards. The workshop, "SBIR: Startup Funding, Licensing & IP," will be held on Wednesday, June 17, from 9 to 11 a.m. MDT via Zoom. 

Led by Daniel Jones, a startup operator and advisor with more than 20 years of experience working with technology companies in healthcare, ag-tech, fintech, and Internet of Things, the session will cover capital raising strategies, different funding sources, and how founders can build an intellectual property strategy that strengthens their competitive position. Participants will also learn key licensing concepts and how to navigate technology commercialization opportunities, including work with academic and corporate spinouts. 

More than 2,100 students will graduate from New Mexico State University this weekend.  

NMSU will recognize spring 2026 graduates at three commencement ceremonies at the Pan American Center on the Las Cruces campus. University leaders will award a total of 2,148 degrees across its colleges. 

Commencement weekend kicks off Friday, May 15, with a graduate ceremony for students earning master's and doctoral degrees, beginning at 6 p.m.  

It continues Saturday, May 16, with two undergraduate ceremonies. The first starts at 9 a.m. for students earning bachelor's degrees from the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, the College of Business, and the College of Health, Education and Social Transformation. The second begins at 2 p.m. for students earning bachelor's degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering. 

In 2022, 19 cattle and 19 elk were found dead from suspected plant poisoning at a New Mexico ranch. Three years later, 10 additional cattle and an unknown number of elk died from the same issue – toxic plants – at the same ranch, which spans about 24,000 acres, making traditional ground assessments impractical.

Since then, Casey Spackman, a range management specialist for New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service, has made it his mission to find an effective solution in identifying toxic plants across extensive landscapes. He has zeroed in on unmanned aerial systems, also commonly known as drones.

After months of reconstruction, New Mexico State University's Alumni Pond will reopen to the public on or before June 1, restoring a central campus gathering space while work continues to rebuild its ecosystem. 

Visitors will see a newly reconstructed pond and surrounding landscape still recovering from extensive construction. As aquatic vegetation becomes established, water levels are expected to fluctuate and conditions will continue to evolve through 2027. 

"There's been a lot of progress made in bringing Alumni Pond back online," said Jose Loera, executive director of Facilities and Services. "Creating a new ecosystem for a 'put-and-take' fishery involves a lot of people, hard work and good timing."