Many New Mexico State University students may be having a difficult time affording college, especially due to the state of the economy, but applying early for financial aid can help students get back on track, said Janie Merchant, associate director of financial aid.

Free Application for Financial Aid

FASFA plays a large role in the success of many financial aid programs. In order to receive financial aid, a form needs to be filled out after Jan. 1, or a renewal form needs to be filled out if a FASFA form must be submitted, according to the New Mexico State University financial aid Web site fa.nmsu.edu.

For more information about the FASFA, visit www.fasfa.ed.gov, or the financial aid office located inside the Educational Services building.

Merchant said it is important to fill out the FASFA because other scholarships may depend on FAFSA eligibility.

Grants

Grants are separated into two different categories: need-based and non-need-based, according to fa.nmsu.edu. Need-based grants are usually federal grants given to students based on a financial need Merchant said. Private grants are given to students based not only on the need for money but also based on various qualities of a student such as race, gender and degree aspirations. For more information on finding and applying for federal grants, visit www.Grants.gov.

Loans

Most student loans require no payment until the student completes his or her degree program or drop below half-time status said Merchant.. Loans used most often by NMSU students and parents, according to the NMSU financial aid Web site at fa.nmsu.edu, include Access Group, Chase, Citibank, Nelnet, NM student loans and Wells Fargo. Merchant said loans on the website are available to in some form based on eligibility determined by the FAFSA. For links to these lenders and information about loans, visit fa.nmsu.edu/loans.

Scholarships

Like grants, are resources that don’t have to be paid back said Merchant. Some general university scholarships for current students include:

• New Mexico Legislative Lottery Scholarship
• New Mexico Scholars
• Legislative Endowment Scholarship
• President’s Associates Excellence Scholarship
• High Achiever Leadership Scholarship
• Honors Excel Scholarship
• Regents Success Scholarship
• NMSU National Merit Scholarship
• NMSU National Merit Semi-Finalist Scholarship
• NMSU National Hispanic Scholars
• Transfer Achievement Scholarship
• Out-of-State Competitive Scholarship

Online search engines for scholarships outside the NMSU include fastweb.com and scholarships.com.

For more information about these scholarships or to apply, visit fa.nmsu.edu/sch02.html.

DeSean Payne is a staff writer and can be contacted at trunews@nmsu.edu.

LAS CRUCES – For Julissa Bustamante, dropping out of high school is not an option.

The 14-year-old has seen first-hand how important an education is. Her mom and older brother didn’t finish high school, and her sister started her family early.

“My brother, now he doesn’t really do anything,” Bustamante said. “He has a part-time job, but nothing really going on.”

Julissa, an eighth-grader at Zia Middle School, has big plans. She wants to be an orthopedic surgeon, and she knows that’s going to require a lot of college time, so she’s looking for a way to get a head start.

That’s what brought Julissa and her mom, Margaret Bustamante, to an informational meeting last week about the school district’s new Early College High School, set to take on its first class of 125 freshmen in July.

The school will be an extension of the district’s existing dual-credit program, in which juniors and seniors can attend classes at Doña Ana Community College and earn credit toward both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree, said recently appointed ECHS Principal Jennifer Amis….

Plans for a building for the school are still being developed. It will be located on the New Mexico State University campus, south of Aggie Memorial Stadium in the Arrowhead Research Park.

For at least its first year, the school will make use of classrooms at DACC. The freshman curriculum, which is prescribed specifically by the state Public Education Department, will be taught by high school teachers, but using the community college curriculum and exams.

Read the article.

Excerpts from page 26

…About five years ago, visionaries from new Mexico State University and the insurance industry in New Mexico initiated discussion on developing a Risk Management and Insurance (RMI) studies program at NMSU. Most RMI programs at the time were in the Southeast and Northeast areas of the United States, with none located in the Mountain States region. After some major funding from early supporters, including a $1 million endowment provided by the Mountain States Insurance Group, New Mexico State University began offering a minor in risk management and insurance in 2006.

In addition to an endowed chair, the initial funding established the Insurance and Financial Services Center at NMSU. Al Berryman is the director of the center, and has 30 years experience in the insurance industry…. The IFSC facilitates interaction between students and the industry primarily through scholarships and internship programs….

Read the article.

Students conducted a market analysis and developed a plan for Virginia Maria Romero’s business, Arte de Romero.

by Donyelle Kesler NMSU NewsCenter

Las Cruces artist Virginia Maria Romero’s Arte de Romero tiles, magnets and mugs can now be found in the New Mexico State University Bookstore inside the Corbett Center Student Union. (NMSU photo by Darren Phillips)

Internationally recognized Las Cruces artist Virginia Maria Romero’s Arte de Romero tiles can now be found in the New Mexico State University Bookstore inside the Corbett Center Student Union.

Arte de Romero tiles, which are sold in various locations in Las Cruces and around the country, were first seen on campus at the Arrowhead Center in 2007 when a project with a student team from NMSU’s BA 502 class conducted a market analysis and developed a plan for Romero’s business, Arte de Romero.

“The project gave me new ideas and also reinforced my ideas that I already had,” Romero said, “It gave me added confidence to move forward in new directions with the business.”

Since then, Arte de Romero tiles have found their way through private collectors to Italy, Ireland, Amsterdam and the Vatican.

Romero and her Arte de Romero business partner, Dan Sosin, personalized a tile for the Arrowhead Center and the NMSU College of Business with an NMSU logo, and the words Arrowhead Center and College of Business incorporated into the design. The tiles are used as gifts for Arrowhead and College of Business visitors from around the globe.

Romero was also commissioned to design a tile for NMSU’s Domenici Public Policy Conference, which were given to speakers and dignitaries who attended the conference. Now, her tiles can also be found in the campus bookstore.

Since July, the NMSU Bookstore has carried a variety of Romero’s work. Images of her original paintings are printed onto magnets, mugs and tiles ranging in size. These, as well as murals made with multiple tiles can all be purchased at the bookstore.

“This is our second year as a Barnes and Noble Bookstore and we look for things that will make us a unique bookstore and carry art that reflects this part of the country,” University Bookstore Marketing Manager Nicole Sylvester said.

Arte de Romero tiles can be customized for the university’s different colleges and departments on campus. She has also customized work for other area businesses. She and her partner, who does the computer formatting for their business, have created tiles for the City of Las Cruces as well as the Las Cruces Convention and Visitor’s Center.

“As a result of the project with the Arrowhead Center, there has been good networking opportunities for me and my company,” Romero said.

Council curbs fines for phone use while driving

With the new cell phone ban about to start Friday, Feb. 5, the Las Cruces City Council lowered the potential fine for the first two times drivers are cited for using cell phones.

Two months ago, the council approved a new ordinance that prohibits cell phone use while driving within city limits – be it making a cell phone call, talking on a cell phone or creating, sending or reading text messages and emails. Handsfree devices for cell calls are allowed under the new restriction.

The new law was an enhancement of an existing ordinance for distracted driving, which carries a maximum fine of $500 and 90 days in jail.

Because that punishment was perceived as being harsh, councillors on Tuesday, Feb. 2, revisited the new ordinance to set up a system that set fines for the first two times a driver is cited for violating the new law.

After much discussion, councillors decided on a fixed fine of $25 for the first offense and $50 for the second offense. On the third and subsequent offenses, drivers could face a fine of $500 or 90 days in jail – or both. At that level, municipal judges would have the discretion to decide the penalty based on the seriousness of the offense.

Councillor Nathan Small and others wanted to make the new driving ban something akin to getting a speeding ticket so that drivers didn’t have to make an appearance at Municipal Court for every citation.

Because drivers could face jail time by the third offense and the scaled approach to fines, city legal officials told councillors that the appearance at municipal court was unavoidable.

“For most municipal violations, you have to go before a judge,” said City Attorney Fermin Rubio. “It’s just part of living in the city.”

Read the article.

The second annual National Security Technology Conference will be held March 2 to 4 at Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces.

Panel members and industry experts will discuss business opportunities in the region’s billion dollar national security sector.

David Crandall of the National Nuclear Security Administration will give the keynote address, titled “Role of Technology in National Security.”

Also speaking will be Tom Cellucci of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Pete Domenici, former U.S. senator from New Mexico.

Early bird registration, which ends Feb. 19, is $200.

New Mexico State University faculty, staff and students receive a discounted rate of $100.

For more information, contact Chris Kientz at 646-2596 or by email at NSTI-Admin@nmsu.edu.

• Date: Tuesday, March 2 to Thursday, March 4
• Time: TBA
• Location: Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces705 S. Telshor Blvd.
• Contact:646-2596

Read the article.

NOTE: Arrowhead Center National Security Technology Incubator information, conference homepage, more…..

High-tech business banks on increasing predictability for wind energy scouting

James Stalker, president and co-founder of Regional Earth System Predictability Research (RESPR) Inc., is committed to growing his high-tech company in Las Cruces.

“I started the company to create financial stability for myself, but I also did it to create local jobs in Las Cruces,” Stalker said. “I wanted to be part of the economic development scene in southern New Mexico, that was a big priority for me.”

RESPR, now in its seventh year, works with technology that streamlines wind energy scouting and energy assessment to minimize the time and money it takes to identify potential sites for wind energy development.

Stalker, a former scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratories (LANL), said he relocated to Las Cruces in 2006 to take advantage of the area’s business growth opportunities, such as collaborative research development with New Mexico State University and access to alternative energy development sites in the southern part of the state. His company was previously based in Santa Fe.

“NMSU was supportive of my technology,” Stalker said. “So I became a tenant at the Arrowhead Center and eventually moved to a location with the Physical Science Laboratory in Anderson Hall.

They provided me a server room that hosts my computers and gave me some office space. NMSU is a very important part of what we do.”

In addition to sharing space with the university, Stalker also shares the university’s intellectual talent, he said.

Several graduate students help maintain, research and develop the facility’s computational resources that are used to create wind assessments and forecasts.

“We speed up the project development cycle on (a wind project),” Stalker said. “Without the technology we have, it would take a year or more to measure an area’s wind potential and two to three years to find financing and construction.

We cut down that time. We give a lot more information in a lot less time with less expense. That’s the key aspect.”

Read the article.

from Sun-News report, Las Cruces Sun-News, Feb. 5, 2010. Retrieved online: Feb. 5, 2010.

Beginning today, you’d better not be caught talking or texting on your cell phone in Las Cruces or you might end up shelling out a fine of $25 and be hit with a petty misdemeanor on your driving record.

The new ordinance requires that police witness a violation. If you get snagged, you’ll have to appear in Municipal Court, which, to add salt to the wound, doesn’t allow cell phones!

A conviction will be reported to the New Mexico Department of Motor Vehicles, which means your insurance company can see it, too, city officials now say.

It’s not cheap: a second offense will cost $50, and as much as $500 and as long as 90 days in jail for a third violation, or more.

So, what do you say? Let’s all shut up and drive.

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from Sun-News report, Las Cruces Sun-News, Feb. 3, 2010. Retrieved online: Feb. 5, 2010.

LCSN: 411 on the cell-phone ordinance

For a copy of background information, provided to the Las Cruces City Council, regarding proposed fines and penalties for violating the city’s cell phone ordinance, click here.

A ban on hand-held cell phone use while driving goes into effect in Las Cruces, beginning Friday. Despite efforts to get the word out, some residents may have lingering questions. Here’s our five most frequently asked questions:

Question: Will there be a grace period before enforcing the ordinance or will citations be issued immediately?

Answer: The ordinance was approved by the Las Cruces City Council on Dec. 5. At that time the council agreed to a two-month period to educate residents about the ordinance and serve as the grace period. Enforcement begins Friday.

Question: Are motorists who drive U.S. 70, Interstate 10 or I-25 within the city limits subject to the ordinance?

Answer: Since U.S. 70, I-10 and I-25 cross within the city limits, drivers who police see using their cell phones or other mobile communications device could be cited.

Question: What is a hands-free device?

Answer: A hands-free device is anything that doesn’t require using hands to operate a cell phone. Any hands-free device is OK, including in-ear devices or equipment that can utilize a vehicle’s radio and speaker system. Hands-free devices do not necessarily have to be specific to the brand of cell phone owned by the motorist.

Question: Will there be signs posted throughout the city to remind motorists of cell phone prohibitions?

Answer: Yes. Signs in as many as 15 locations began going up Tuesday. They will include a red-colored cell phone with a circle and a slash through it, and the ordinance number will be posted on each sign. Also two billboards will be erected, one on southbound Interstate 25 near Mesilla Valley Hospital, and the other on westbound Interstate 10, between the University Avenue and Avenida de Mesilla exits.

Question: Is violation of the cell phone ordinance a traffic infraction or a misdemeanor? And will a citation count against my vehicle insurance rate?

Answer: Violation of the cell phone ordinance is a petty misdemeanor and will not count against your insurance.

Cancer survivor scholarships available to New Mexico students

The American Cancer Society is giving students who have won the fight against cancer an opportunity to restart their journey on a road to success.

For up to $2,500 a year, the Cancer Survivor College Scholarship Program is available to cancer survivors who were diagnosed before the age of 21 and age 25 and younger.

John Weisgerber, Regional Communications Manager of the American Cancer Society, said the scholarships can help ease the burden of a young cancer survivor’s past hardships to pursue higher education dreams.

“With tuition rising, this scholarship can help both financially and emotionally as well,” Weisgerber said. “There are not many opportunities like this, so former cancer patients should definitely apply.”

Weisberger recalled one applicant who graduated from Sandia High School in Albuquerque and now attends college in California. Weisberger said he believes this scholarship program played a major part in the student being able to attend college outside of New Mexico.

The American Cancer Society offers other programs for patients, such as Cancer Resource Centers, which provide information to family members and friends about support tactics and proper healthcare check-ups.

Weisberger said a major issue in New Mexico is it is difficult to obtain proper healthcare insurance, making it a challenge to access suitable cancer screenings.

“Detecting cancer in its earlier stages make a huge difference,” Weisberger said, “so getting checked often is recommended.”

Applicants for this scholarship program have until Feb. 26 to apply, so Weisberger also recommended acting quickly.

“We had 14 applicants last year, and this year we hope to see more,” Weisberger said.

Application packets and further information can be obtained by calling 866-500-3272 or 1-800-ACS-2345.

Shannon Ostrowsky is a staff writer and can be reached at trunews@nmsu.edu.

Snow in Las Cruces. Photo by Patti Benzie, Secretary, Accounting and Information Systems Department, Feb. 3, 2010. Click the photo to see Dec. 2009 snow pictures.

Thorny issues and the Organ Mountains, Jan. 24, 2010. Photo by Ed Scribner, Department Head, Accounting and Information Systems. Click the photo to see more snow pictures from Dec. 2009.

The Traders Plaza in Snow, Dec. 4, 2009.(Photo by Ryan Adams)

Thank you everyone for sending your photos!

Click on the first two pictures to see more photos from Dec. 2009.

The Traders Statue photo will take you to The Traders Statue page where you can read about its history, symbolism and construction.

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Check out what the Las Cruces Sun-News says about the 2009-2010 winter season….

from Steve Ramirez, Las Cruces Sun-News, Feb 4, 2010. Retrieved online: Feb. 4, 2010.

Las Crucens getting used to winter weather

LAS CRUCES – Perla Morales, a retired school cafeteria worker, wrapped herself in a scarf Wednesday to cover her mouth from the winter chill.

Morales’ full-length coat was completely buttoned and she wore a wool cap that matched the color of her coat.

“This is too much,” sighed Morales, as she dropped her head to protect her from the afternoon wind that had picked up. “Every week this winter it’s seemed like one storm after another. Rain or snow with the wind; it takes a lot out of me. Sometimes I don’t even want to go out.”

Since the start of December, Las Crucens have had to brace for inclement weather on a weekly basis. In most years city residents would be lucky to see snowfall once during the winter. This year they’ve seen it three times in the past two months and as recently as a week ago.

Many residents agree this has been a winter of heavy coats or jackets, and gloves, mittens, scarves and wool caps to keep warm.

“I thought the purpose of pockets on a jacket were to put your hands in,” scoffed Doug Martin, a retired mechanic who got used to working in heat of summer and cold of winter for more than 35 years. “Now, I can’t keep anything in them because my gloves take up all the room. I guess I could go without the gloves but I’ve gotten used to wearing them since I retired five years ago. Now, I feel the cold without them, so I think I’ll just keep them.”

The winter weather – hard by Las Cruces’ standards – is compounded by the realization that the past three winters have been rather mild.

“To find a winter like this you’d probably have to go back to 1997,” said Dave Novlan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, in Santa Teresa. “This is a pretty typical weather pattern for an El Niño phenomenon.”

Read the article.

Student fee review board to discuss which increases will most benefit students

Students use campus technology every day, and Information & Communication Technologies personnel said a fee increase for the fall 2010 semester will help improve that technology.

Shaun Cooper, associate vice president of ICT, said if the technology fee increase is approved, it will increase by $5, from $67 to $72. The increase will benefit students, because it covers the cost of student resources such as wireless access, Internet access in dormitories and campus apartments and classroom technology, Cooper said.

Cooper said NMSU students are still paying $40 less than the average technology fee at other universities.

“[The technology fee increase is] the price of a hamburger per semester,” Cooper said, “and it [can] improve wireless and [other campus technology].”

Cooper said ICT works with Associated Students of NMSU, and ASNMSU members generally support a technology increase, because it is used to benefit students.

Travis Dulany, president of ASNMSU, said ICT is a good example for other campus organizations, because ICT personnel show the student body where student fees are being spent.

“They are very transparent and open with the way they use student fees,” Dulany said. “They are sometimes even able to save money, and students are generally more willing to hear ideas and work with [ICT].”

Cooper said ICT listens to a lot of in-put from the students and the student fee advisory committee about which aspect of campus technology needs the most work or improvement.

“If it goes through, we do have a plan,” Cooper said.

Dulany said the NMSU Student Fee Review Board will begin discussing student fee increases in February. Although he is unaware which other organizations will likely receive an increase in fees, Dulany said the board will hear from all of the departments to determine how each will spend the money if granted it.

Kristina Medley is the news editor and can be contacted at trunews@nmsu.edu.

Learn about career assessments and services at NMSU

Freshmen are not the only students who need help deciding what they want to do with the rest of their lives, and at the Career Exploration Center at New Mexico State University, students at all levels can find career advice.

Unlike the Career Services Center, which helps students attain their desired careers, the Career Exploration Center helps students with a little less focus decide which career field to choose.

“We help students who may come in undeclared that aren’t really sure what career direction they want to go in or what they want to major in,” said Eileen Winfree, NMSU career counselor.

When students come in, trying to decide on a major, they usually start with a program called “Choices,” Winfree said, and after answering a series of questions, a list of suggested occupations is generated based on the student’s answers.

If the student is still confused after taking the computer assessment, he or she is invited to make an individual appointment for career counseling, in which the student’s options will be discussed in more detail, Winfree said.

“We do individual career counseling to find out what is challenging for [a student],” Winfree said. “We look at a student’s career interests, values, personality, and see how that fits together with a certain career.”

If a student already knows what they would like to major in, he or she may not be sure what exactly to do with that major, Winfree said. That is why the Career Exploration Center also provides in-depth descriptions of what a career entails, in order to help the student set more specific goals, Winfree said.

“This office isn’t strictly for undecided students, but also for people wanting to change their major or students who have a major such as history or anthropology, where they can do a wide variety of things within that major,” Winfree said.

Most students agree that deciding on a major is not an easy task.

“I think most people change their majors, or consider changing it,” said Greg Fowler, a junior mechanical engineering major.

Winfree said the office accepts both walk-ins and appointments, and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“We certainly would like to see more students,” Winfree said.

For more information about the Career Exploration Center, call 646-2241, or visit www.nmsu.edu/~counsel/career.

Alexia Severson is a staff writer and can be reached at trunews@nmsu.edu.

Career Connections job fair, Jan. 28, 2010. (NMSU photo)

More than 50 prospective employers distributed guidance and information to career-seeking students the Career Connections job fair got off on the right foot at New Mexico State University, Tuesday and Wednesday.

“[Employers] are looking for student interns, they are looking for co-op students, they are looking for full-time employees,” said Director of Career Services Steve Salway, “and for the most part, we are one of the schools that they targeted for the local area, a lot of them are coming from out-of-state, coming to New Mexico State, so we are very fortunate to have that happen.”

Salway said the turnout of applicants is varied. Salway said 72 additional employers were expected to show up on Wednesday, and some present on Tuesday would return.

Several employers who attended the fair said they are looking to employ college graduates.

“We are going to be employing over 1,350 employees for our state-of-the-art technical support center and also on our sales support department,” said Art Lowenberg, recruiter from Hewlett Packard in Rio Rancho.

“[My impression of the fair was] very good, although smaller than it has been in the past,” said Ray Foote, an accounting major, “but there was a lot of variety in the firms, not as many as I was hoping for accounting internships, [or] for accounting jobs in the future, but a good variety for everyone.”

For more information, visit Career Services in Garcia Annex Room 224, or call 646-1631.

Rene Santillan is a staff writer and can be contacted at trunews@nmsu.edu.

LAS CRUCES – The average Joe will now have access to a huge, super-fast computer, part of which is based at New Mexico State University.

State officials announced Monday the university is one of eight “gateway” sites that will give access to the state’s supercomputer, being billed as the first-ever such device that’s accessible to the public. Most supercomputers belong to private laboratories and companies.

State officials said it’s got potential applications in the film industry, energy industry, research and student education.

The computer, most of which is housed in Rio Rancho, N.M., performs 172 trillion calculations per second.

The device is able to answer complex questions and carry out intricate modeling much faster than most computers, said Shaun Cooper, NMSU chief information officer.

“Instead of waiting 1,000 days to get it, you get it in a couple of days,” he said.

Businesses will have to pay to use the computing power, Cooper said, but there won’t be a cost to members of the public who want access.

Cooper said the device also allows a much finer resolution of data. For instance, he said, researchers trying to model a chemical reaction might be able to zoom in to the individual particle level to see the results.

The gateway, located in an NMSU computer lab, consists of two 65-inch TVs with three-dimensional capabilities, three video cameras, microphones and 3-D goggles.

Read the article.

Still photo of Saturn, taken from a 3-D video clip to be shown during the “Connect New Mexico” event at New Mexico State University Monday, Jan. 25, at 1 p.m. Gov. Bill Richardson will host the event, held simultaneously at eight “gateway” sites around the state networked to the supercomputer, from Santa Fe. It will include a demonstration of the state’s supercomputer—the fastest public access supercomputer in the world. (Photo courtesy of New Mexico Computing Applications Center)

As one of the state’s “gateways” to New Mexico’s supercomputer, the fastest publicly available supercomputer in the world, New Mexico State University will participate in “Connect New Mexico,” a statewide event Monday, Jan. 25, in which Gov. Bill Richardson will unveil the interconnected system from Santa Fe.

Monday’s demonstration will be simultaneously launched at eight “gateway” sites around the state, with connectivity available soon at another 24 sites, bringing the state unprecedented chances for high-tech economic development from Hobbs to Farmington, and everywhere in between.

The event at NMSU will be at 1 p.m. in Jacobs Hall, Room 128-C. It will be repeated at 2 p.m. without Gov. Richardson’s participation, for those unable to attend earlier. Only the 1 p.m. event is open to news media.

“This is truly historic in terms of our high-tech future,” said Gov. Richardson, who will unveil the supercomputer gateway system as part of the demonstration event. “We’re bringing the highest level of supercomputing to every corner of the state, and that will give our people remarkable opportunities to compete in the economies of the future.”

The event will demonstrate the supercomputer’s teleconferencing and full 3-D stereo visualization systems. It will include cabinet members, legislators, business leaders, presidents of colleges and universities and others, attending in Santa Fe and at the gateway sites.

During the networked event, the supercomputing center will demonstrate the education, economic and workforce development opportunities the supercomputer offers the state.

The governor will preside over the launch of the “Connect New Mexico” event, where all eight new sites (and three more coming online soon) around the state will be connected into the supercomputer using its new teleconferencing capability. The supercomputer sites are located at colleges and universities in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Farmington, Las Cruces, Portales, Socorro and Silver City. These sites will be open to the universities and local businesses that need high-performance computing for design and modeling purposes.

“The supercomputer is a phenomenal high-tech tool,” said NMSU President Barbara Couture. “Being able to provide supercomputing capabilities through a network of universities and businesses enhances research, education and economic development capabilities across the state.”

The supercomputer can be used for research, educational activities, training and business modeling in the areas of energy, environment, digital film, aerospace and biotechnology, among others.

The founding institutions for the New Mexico Computing Applications Center, which runs the supercomputer, are the University of New Mexico, NMSU and New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.

The supercomputer will also provide educational opportunities for institutions of higher learning and K-12 schools. It will enable students to take a walk through the human body, or the universe, or it can help medical technicians learn to save lives after accidents in real time.

“The supercomputer will provide remarkable new educational opportunities in high-performance computing throughout the state at the gateway sites,” said Jami Grindatto, director of corporate affairs at Intel for the Southwestern United States “This network of sites gives supercomputer access to all New Mexicans and will help create the high-tech workforce of the future.”

The supercomputer, which is housed at Intel in Rio Rancho, can perform 172 trillion calculations per second. Ultimately, there will be 33 sites around the state —available to business, industry and institutions of higher learning on a daily basis—connected by a secure network into the main computer.

“Our state will soon be wired with the most important high-tech tool needed to compete in our economy—the supercomputer—and it will be available to the entire state,” said Gov. Richardson. “This is just the beginning of tremendous opportunity.”

Doña Ana Community College has transition workshops designed specifically for students wishing to transition to NMSU:

Monday, Jan. 25, 12:15 p.m. – DACC Main Campus (DAMA 75)
Wednesday, Feb. 10, 9:45 a.m. – DACC Gadsden Center (Commons Area)
Thursday, Feb. 18, 2:30 p.m. – DACC East Mesa Campus (DAAR 114)
Monday, March 8, 9:45 a.m. – DACC Sunland Park Campus (Commons Area)
Thursday, April 15, 12:30 p.m. – DACC Main Campus (DAMA 79)

The Jan. 25 and April 15 workshops will be immediately followed by guided tours of the NMSU campus.

For more information or to RSVP e-mail Frank Smith at frsmith@nmsu.edu or call 528-7022.

Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s ethical.

That’s one of the messages the dean of the College of Business at New Mexico State University wants to relay to students as part of a new program to strengthen ethics education within the department.

Garrey Carruthers, former New Mexico governor and now dean of the business college at NMSU, is spearheading a Daniels Fund initiative to design and implement a new ethics education program at the university.

“We are directing this to our young people, so they can begin to develop a culture of ethical consciousness that they will carry with them through life,” he said.

As part of NMSU’s participation in the program, the Daniels Fund will give the university a $1.25 million grant, paid over five years, for the active engagement of students in the field.

“The big difference right now,” Carruthers said, “is that we’re required by our accrediting agency to teach ethics one of two ways as part our general course curriculum. What this (program) will probably lead to, is the development of actual courses in ethics offered by the College of Business.”

Drawing from the life of cable television pioneer and former New Mexico resident Bill Daniels, the Daniels Fund ethics program aims to create a more ethic-conscious business community in the Southwest, and eventually, all 50 states. Daniels was widely recognized in his time for his ethics and integrity in business.

“In his business career, he was always extremely ethical,” Carruthers said. “Hehad a series of principles that he lived by. When he passed away, he left north of $1 billion in a foundation.”

Read the article.

NMSU student who donned gear graduating after three years as mascot; two needed to fill cowboy boots

LAS CRUCES — Think you have what it takes to be the face of New Mexico State athletics? You’ll need to know when to pump up or quiet down the crowd, how to handle a (fake) pistol and how to bust a move in your Wranglers.

If so, you could be the next Pistol Pete.

D.J. Downs, the slender, wiry man behind the moustache for many Aggie sporting events over the past three years, is scheduled to graduate with his bachelor’s degree in journalism this May, and the cheer squad is looking for the right person, or persons, to fill his size 12 cowboy boots.

Well, the size of your feet isn’t as important as a the size of your personality, according to NMSU Cheer head coach Jessica Franklin, who supervises the Aggies’ mascot.

“We need that person willing to go the extra mile to entertain the crowd,” said Franklin, who will oversee Pistol Pete tryouts. “You need to bring that charisma, that energy, that dedication to every game.” All while dressed up in a full cowboy regalia — Wranglers, boots, chaps, belt buckle, vest, two replica six-shooters and holsters, a cowboy hat, and of course, the moustache.

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LAS CRUCES — Steve Salway always wanted to work with college students.

“I was looking at a career as chief student personnel officer, like a dean of students,” he said.

But when he set foot on the New Mexico State University campus in 1974, it set forth his destiny in another career, albeit one that still allows him to help students. Salway is the director of placement and career services at NMSU, a job he has held since 1977. In fact, he’s been in the same building — the Garcia Annex — the entire time.

“I was director of the veterans education program for three years and got an elevation and went from the first floor of this building to the second floor,” Salway said with a laugh.

He said he has had various opportunities to leave through the years, and thought seriously about a few, but always decided to stay.

“I looked at New Mexico State and the multicultural environment (in the area),” he said. “And as a new father, I found this was a good place to raise a family.

“This was probably the best job in terms of bridging the university environment and the world of work,” Salway said. “This has brought me into contact with all the segments of the business industry, government, education and it still let me do what I enjoy doing: working with students.”

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LAS CRUCES — Looking for work? If you don’t mind moving to the Northwest, there are jobs aplenty to be had with the USDA Forest Service in Oregon and Washington.

Would you rather work in retail? How about the insurance industry? Or maybe banking or aerospace or with the government?

Representatives of more than 90 employers from across the country will be on campus at New Mexico State University Tuesday and Wednesday for Career Connections 2010, a two-day job fair.

The event is open to the public.

A wide variety of employers will have booths, including Apple, Halliburton, Intel, Kohl’s Department Stores, Target Stores, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Bureau of Land Management and many others. Companies on hand will be looking to fill job openings as well as internship and co-op positions.

“Plan on possibly getting an interview on the spot,” said Mark Gomez with the Forest Service. “Our booth will be set up for Region 6 of the forest service, which is Oregon and Washington. We have openings for everything from technicians to firefighters to engineers.”

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