When you have a diverse group of departments housed at a satellite location such as NMSU’s Albuquerque Center, it is good to take time to say, “What is our mission and vision, and how are we going to accomplish it?”

The Albuquerque Center is building its mission and vision statements, and strategic plan, to bring quality programs to students in the Albuquerque Metroplex and Northern New Mexico areas, through either on-site programs or innovative online technology.

NMSU Albuquerque Center Operations Director Veronica Chavez-Neuman, right, and Gayla Bacon, student counselor, joined the Albuquerque staff in January.

Housed at the new office and classroom facility at 4501 Indian School Road are various representatives of NMSU’s main campus, including the College of Extended Learning, student services, several College of Health and Social Services schools and departments including social work and public health, and criminal justice from the College of Arts and Sciences.

“We have 125 on-site students in the master of social work and master of criminal justice programs, and an additional 130 online distance education students who see our site as their contact point to the university,” said Veronica Chavez-Neuman, recently appointed operations director. “We want the Albuquerque Center to be a location where innovative technology is used to reach non-traditional students.”

Stakeholders in the center’s future gathered on Feb. 5 to begin the process of developing the center’s mission and vision statements. Participants ranged from student recruitment personnel and faculty either working from the center or teaching at the center, to NMSU main campus personnel such as Stephen Arnold, interim assistant dean of academics, Shelly Bucher, interim department head in the School of Social Work, and James Maupin, criminal justice department head.

“With our new, larger space and full-time operations director, Albuquerque Center represents an area of great potential for NMSU,” said Carmen Gonzales, vice president of student success and dean of the College of Extended Learning. “We have the facilities and personnel to develop new programs and to reach new audiences.”

Future planning sessions will focus on developing goals and outcomes in a strategic plan.

This strategic planning coincides with the arrival of Chavez-Neuman from the New Mexico Higher Education Department (HED) to the newly established director of operations position. She has extensive experience in higher education through her work at the New Mexico HED, Luna Community College and Santa Fe Community College. Her experience covers student services, technology infrastructure support and policy and staff development.

“I see my role here as more than a director. Part of this position is to get the word out that NMSU is extending its excellent programs into central and northern New Mexico,” Chavez-Neuman said. “Growing up in Albuquerque, I always thought NMSU was so far away and it was never accessible to those of us in this part of the state. This is no longer true with the online courses and the graduate programs offered here at the center.”

Since the Albuquerque Center is under the umbrella of the Division of Student Success, Gonzales also wants to provide services at the center to help students. In January access to student counseling services was expanded to the center with the hiring of Gayla Bacon, a licensed professional counselor.

Bacon will provide face-to-face counseling to on-site and online students in Albuquerque and surrounding areas, as well as ensure that appropriate accommodations are made for students, faculty and staff with disabilities. Prior to coming to NMSU, Bacon was director of admissions at the Life Healing Center in Santa Fe.

The need for a counselor at the center became apparent after students began requesting counseling services that could not necessarily be facilitated over the phone or by e-mail. Having a counselor available for face-to-face sessions is important, because while phone sessions can be a viable alternative, they lack the non-verbal communications from client and counselor, which is an important part of the process according to Karen Schaefer, director of NMSU’s counseling services.

The Clinical Testing Laboratories at New Mexico State University will soon begin genetic screenings for colorblindness. The testing is the result of a partnership with Genevolve Vision Diagnostics Inc., an Albuquerque-based company that has created the first-ever genetic test for color vision deficiency. The company is also working to eventually cure colorblindness through gene therapy.

CTL and Genevolve will discuss their partnership and the process for testing and potentially curing colorblindness during a seminar scheduled from 4-6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, at the NMSU Golf Course Clubhouse. Professors, eye doctors and others interested in the procedure are encouraged to attend.

“Our goal is to establish a new world standard for color vision testing and to increase public safety while providing a diagnosis that doctors may discuss with their patients,” said Matt Lemelin, founder and CEO of Genevolve. “With this process, we can now diagnose the type of colorblindness and the extent of deficiency with amazing accuracy and precision.”

Lemelin said colorblindness affects one in seven males and one in 200 females, which translates to approximately 13 million people in the U.S. and 200 million people in the world. It can also seriously impact public safety. According to Lemelin, more than 100 occupations have standards for colorblindness, including pilots, firefighters, police and the military.

Lemelin said drawbacks to the 10 or so current colorblind tests include having to wait until a child is 5 years old before testing. Waiting that long could potentially affect a child’s development, especially if they have special needs. Lemelin said it is also easy for adults to memorize the answers or find other ways to fool colorblind tests, which can have potentially dangerous results.

“The National Travel Safety Bureau has linked a number of accidents to the loss of color vision. The Federal Aviation Administration states it is likely that, in some circumstances, color vision deficiencies may result in unsafe conditions,” he said.

The genetic test for colorblindness was created by Jay Neitz, a researcher from the University of Washington. Through his research in gene replacement therapy, Neitz has also cured red-green colorblindness in nine adult primates.

Genevolve will contract with CTL to process the DNA samples for the colorblindness test. CTL may also be involved in future work for the company once the clinical trials for the gene therapy cure have progressed.

“If this does half of what we expect, this partnership would create 20 to 40 additional, good-paying jobs at the laboratory,” said Stefan Long, CTL’s general manager.

CTL is part of a group of DNA and forensic testing businesses spun off from NMSU in 2005. In addition to CTL, the group also consists of The Forensics Testing Laboratory, The Genetics Testing Laboratories and Fire and Crime Scene Advanced Continuing Education. Each operation is housed at NMSU’s Arrowhead Genesis Center.

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.

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.”

Kelley Coffeen, owner of the Mesilla Valley Kitchen restaurant in Las Cruces, is one of three new members of the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management Board of Advisors.

A passion for food and entrepreneurship. Wanting to give back to the university. Seeing the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management grow. All of these are reasons three new members have joined the HRTM Board of Advisors.Kelley Coffeen of Las Cruces and Antonia Roybal-Mack and Steve Paternoster, both of Albuquerque, joined the board during fall semester 2009. They will join the 22 other members of the advisory board to help provide insight and mentorship to students in the HRTM program.

“It’s these leaders who provide our students with insight on current industry trends. They also provide internships, serve as mentors and help the school raise money for scholarships,” said Janet Green, director of the school of HRTM.

NMSU alumna Antonia Roybal-Mack is one of three new members of the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management Board of Advisors.

The board is a broad representation of the hospitality and tourism industry, including restaurant management, hotel management and tourism industry representation from both the public and private sector. Members are from New Mexico as well as Arizona, Colorado and Nevada.

Coffeen received her master’s degree in the family and consumer sciences department at NMSU. Besides owning a Las Cruces restaurant, Coffeen has worked in advertising and real estate and has written several cookbooks.

“I would like to help the HRTM program grow, along with offering internships at Mesilla Valley Kitchen for students in the program. I believe that under Janet Green’s leadership the HRTM department will become one of the top programs in the country,” Coffeen said.

Steve Paternoster, owner of Scalo Northern Italian Grill in Albuquerque, is one of three new members of the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management Board of Advisors.

Roybal-Mack has maintained an interest in the NMSU HRTM program since receiving her degree there in 2003. She then attended law school at the University of New Mexico and has been practicing law in Albuquerque with the firm of Melendres, Melendres and Harrigan P.C., in the areas of hospitality law, employment law and general litigation.

“I think it’s important for alumni to return to the university and give something back. The HRTM department has done tremendous things since I left and it is exciting to be part of an organization that is only going to get better,” she said.

Roybal-Mack added that she cherishes the time she spent at NMSU and would like to be able to see other students enjoy their time there.

Paternoster is the owner of Scalo Northern Italian Grill in Albuquerque. He has participated in many aspects of the food industry, including owning, developing and managing restaurants and food product companies.

“I sought to become a member of the NMSU HRTM school to contribute my expertise to emerging talent from the school in the arena in which I make a living,” Paternoster said. “It is an honor, and I am terribly flattered to be a part of the advisory board.”

Group wants to bridge gap between profit and sustainability

Been thinking about ways to make your business green? Elisa Cundiff and the folks at the newly formed Green Chamber of Commerce may be able to help.

Cundiff and a group of nine other businesspersons have been working for two months to create the newest business advocacy organization in Las Cruces, one whose focus is on the triple bottom line: profit, people and planet, she said.

“There are a growing number of emerging businesspeople who feel either a responsibility or an economic interest in making more ‘green-friendly’ decisions,” said Cundiff, a New York University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in political science. “These are people who are open to innovative ideas, and who realize that community and environmental projects won’t break their business.”

Cundiff said thus far, more than 200 local businesses have displayed interest in joining the new chamber, which for now, is free.

“We’ve had a huge response so far from a divergent group of businesses,” she said. “We’ve got real estate agents on board, builders, restaurants – everything from tattoo parlors to herb shops. At this point there is no cost to join, but eventually we will be selling advertising to our membership and probably include some dues and fees.”

Cundiff, who works as a salesperson for her brother’s company, Energy Concepts, and online money management company Just Thrive, said the idea for the Green Chamber of Commerce came about after special interest groups in Las Cruces began to divide the business community.

“We know there are many business owners who feel confused and alienated by the green movement, and we intend to be an inclusive organization, to help smooth over artificial divisive lines between sustainability and profitability,”she said.

One of the green chamber’s main focus will be on shopping local, and creating advertising and marketing campaigns to drive people to local stores and products, which will also meet the chamber’s goal of being green by reducing CO2 emissions that would be emitted by vehicles traveling to larger metro areas to shop such as El Paso and Albuquerque.

“There are a lot of small things like this that align our goal with local businesses,” she said. “We also want to draw attention to local businesses who are sustainably minded.”

The green chamber, which for now, is made up of a small group of businesspersons with no hierarchy of governance, is working with the New Mexico State University student group OASIS, or Organic Agriculture Students Inspiring Sustainability, to create a roadmap that includes “sustainable-friendly” businesses along with green features such as bike and walking paths and green areas of interest around Las Cruces.

Read the article.

Far left: Nancy Oretskin, Professor, Department of Finance, participates in the March of Dimes HIgh Heels for High Hopes fundraiser, Nov. 19, 2009.

High Heels for High Hopes benefits March of Dimes

Seventeen high-heeled models take to the catwalk Thursday, Nov. 19, for the second annual High Heels for High Hopes gala, a runway-style fashion show and silent auction to benefit the southern New Mexico chapter of March of Dimes, a nonprofit dedicated to improving babies’ health by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

The Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces, 705 S. Telshor Blvd., is the setting for the high-stylin’ event, which will take over most of the first floor of the hotel including the lobby and adjacent ballrooms. Local musician Daniel Park will provide entertainment during dinner and the silent auction.

Silent auction items include a trip donated by Adventure Travel plus jewelry, massage certificates, original hand-painted pieces and food and theater packages “Ticket holders can enjoy a full Italian buffet beginning at 6:30 p.m., then at 7 p.m., VIP ticket holders will be invited to the main ballroom for a pre-show surprise, in-seat champagne service and special gift bags,” said Becky Horner, executive director of the March of Dimes.

Only 40 of the 120 VIP seats were still available at press time.

Doors for the fashion show open for general seating at 7:30 p.m. and DJ “H-Bomb” will spin some tunes while guests find their seats.

Master of ceremonies, Comcast’s Steve Chavira and special guest Ivanna Bump will keep the evening moving.

Business models

The highlight of the show is the 17 models, some of them mothers of babies born prematurely.

Video footage of the models before and during their photo shoot opens the show. Horner said the women have been working with their salons to choreograph and rehearse their stroll down the 60-foot runway. The elite group of Doña Ana County women, nominated for their service and leadership within the community, joined with local salons to raise $70,000 dollars to support research, education and community service opportunities through March of Dimes.

Each woman is committed to raising $3,500 or more – contributing to the $70,000 campaign goal.

Read the article.

LAS CRUCES – While the nation deals with double-digit unemployment, Doña Ana County received some good economic news on Wednesday.

The Milken Institute announced that the Las Cruces metropolitan statistical area (MSA) – which includes the entire county – has made its way into its Top 10 list of 2009’s Best-Performing Small Cities. The rankings – Las Cruces came in at No. 9 – are based mainly on job creation and sustainability, which means the independent think tank believes the Las Cruces area is moving in a positive direction.

Midland, Texas, was ranked No. 1, while three other Texas cities also made the Top 10.

It’s the first time Las Cruces has made it into the Top 10 since 2004 when it ranked second.

The Milken Institute cited the impending construction of Spaceport America and the “low cost of doing business” as two benefits for the region.

“New Mexico State University, White Sands Missile Range and NASA White Sands Test Facility continue to be the economic engines of the region,” the report states. “With the growing aerospace engineering program at NMSU attracting aerospace firms … Las Cruces is becoming a major player and top location for aerospace and space related technology R&D firms.” …

“Las Cruces makes the best-of list for a lot of things,” said James Peach, who teaches economics and international business at NMSU. “So this doesn’t surprise me. It’s a nice-sized city without a lot of traffic problems; it’s attractive both to people looking for a place to live and for clean industries.”

Read the article.

LAS CRUCES — The recession may be over, but people still must deal with the aftershocks, most notably rising unemployment. That reality was reflected last week in the news that the Consumer Confidence Index was had fallen in October.

The business world is worried about whether consumers will open up their wallets and pocket books. Those concerns and other issues will be up for discussion this week as statewide leadership in the restaurant, lodging and tourism industries visit the Mesilla Valley for a series of meetings and other functions.

The New Mexico Restaurant Association will hold its Fall Retreat in Las Cruces and Mesilla on Wednesday and Thursday; the New Mexico Lodging Association will hold its quarterly board of directors/general membership meeting at Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces on Thursday; the board of advisors for New Mexico State University’s school of hotel, restaurant and tourism management will meet on Friday.

Business climate

In the Las Cruces area, some restaurant owners report that they think the last part of the year will be better than in 2008.

“This last week has been pretty good,” said Vince Vaccaro, owner of three Lorenzo’s Italian restaurants in Las Cruces.

He said there was a drop in business several weeks ago, but that has corrected itself.

…Since the NMRA and HRTM leadership will all be in town this week, the lodging association has invited those organizations to participate in a meal the group has planned at NMSU.

In fact, the dinner will be prepared by students in the HRTM program.

“What a great opportunity for our students to have exposure to hospitality leadership in our state,” said Janet Green, director of the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management.

Read the article.

Tom Gale, seated, celebrates his Branding Iron Award Oct. 21 with, from left, daughter-in-law Gail Gale, Alexandra Nason Hall and New Mexico State University Emeritus President Gerald Thomas at the NMSU Foundation’s Partners in Excellence Dinner. The Branding Iron award is the highest honor the NMSU Foundation gives to an individual. (Courtesy Photo)

The New Mexico State University Foundation celebrated its annual Partners in Excellence Dinner as part of Homecoming 2009 Oct. 21 by honoring many distinguished partners and announcing that the Doing What Counts campaign has reached $214 million to date.

The comprehensive campaign is the most ambitious fundraising endeavor undertaken by the university and has already exceeded expectations. The original goal of $150 million by December 2008 was met early in the effort causing the NMSU Foundation Board of Directors to revise the goal to $225 by December 2010.

“As we honored those who contribute to NMSU everyday at our Partners in Excellence Dinner, we wanted to celebrate the campaign’s success. The generous gifts we have received are the reason we continue to grow and transform NMSU,” said Nick Franklin, vice president of university advancement and executive director of the NMSU Foundation.

Awards presented at the dinner included the Branding Iron Awards, the Spirit of Service Awards, and the Circle of Excellence Awards.

The Branding Iron award is the highest honor the NMSU Foundation gives to an individual. It recognizes significant and unique contributions to the university. Receiving the award this year were Tom Gale, Ed Lujan and Waded Cruzado.

Gale came to NMSU in 1971 to be dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. His impact on the university, community and state was immediate and continued long after his official retirement from NMSU in 1991. Even after retirement, he worked to establish the Center for Latin American Studies, worked with the College of Education to improve the level of teacher education in New Mexico, served on the state Commission on Higher Education, created the Academy for Learning in Retirement, served on the NMSU Foundation Board of Directors and several other university and community boards. He and his wife, Mary, have supported many campus programs and established the Thomas M. Gale endowed fund for excellence in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Lujan earned two degrees from the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. After a brief teaching career, he joined the family insurance business in the late 1960s. From 1968 forward, he served as the chief executive officer for the Manuel Lujan Agencies in Albuquerque. Now retired, he continues to serve as the company’s chairman of the board. He is a very loyal Aggie and has served on many boards and supported many programs at the university. He received an honorary doctorate from NMSU in May 2000.

Cruzado was appointed executive vice president and provost at NMSU Sept. 1, 2007. From August 2008-May 2009, she served NMSU as interim president. Prior to her service as provost, she led NMSU’s College of Arts and Sciences as dean for four years. During her interim presidency at NMSU, achievements included gains in the university’s Comprehensive Campaign despite a troubled economy and success at the 2009 session of the New Mexico Legislature that included $5.5 million in additional funding for the Center for the Arts. She will leave NMSU in January 2010 to become the president of Montana State University.

NMSU benefits each year from the intangible contributions that come from alumni and friends. The Spirit of Service award is designed to recognize those contributions. This year’s recipients were Walter Hines, Bruce Ritter and Danny Villanueva.

Hines, who has two degrees in mechanical engineering from NMSU, has been active with the alumni association wherever he has lived, raising money to support student scholarships and just promoting NMSU. He and his wife, Bette, also established a deferred gift annuity to support NMSU athletics well into the future.

Ritter earned his accounting degree from NMSU in 1971. He has been a CPA in Roswell for many years. Ritter is a behind the scenes man who has been a quiet supporter of the business college, the President’s Associates scholarship program and Aggie football.

Villanueva has given back to NMSU in many ways. One of the most impactful has been the Chicano Program’s scholarship breakfast held at the start of Homecoming for the past several years. At this event, guests were able to hear nationally recognized speakers invited by Villanueva. He has continued to match funds raised during these breakfasts each year. The endowment reached its original $500,000 goal this summer.

Circle of Excellence donors also were recognized at the dinner. Those recognized in the Circle of Excellence – Gold category for achieving a cumulative giving history of more than $1 million are Jacobs Technology, Lockheed-Martin/Sandia Laboratories, Wells Fargo Bank, the Wolslager Foundation, the late Mr. and Mrs. W.F. “Dub” Martin, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. There are 25 other donors at this level.

Those recognized in the Circle of Excellence – Silver category for achieving a cumulative giving history of $500,000-$1 million were John Yates Sr. and his wife, Charlotte. There are 29 other donors at this level.

Those recognized in the Circle of Excellence – Bronze category for achieving a cumulative giving history at the university of $250,000-$499,999 were Rama and Ammu Devasthali, Lumina Foundation for Education and Belva Roark. There are 52 other individuals, corporations and foundations at this level.

Eric Layer. (Photo by Darren Phillips)

“I feel at home in two greatly differing cities, and this very feeling confirms my aspirations for leadership….” Read More…

A National Merit Scholar, Eric Layer was featured on page 5 in the College of Business 2007-2008 Annual Report.

The Insurance and Financial Services Center (IFSC) at New Mexico State University’s College of Business has awarded a series of scholarships for students studying risk management and insurance at NMSU.

The IFSC supports students, faculty and industry by promoting research and knowledge as it relates to the field of insurance. The center also facilitates interaction between students and industry, primarily through scholarships and internship programs.

Michael McGonigle was selected as a Spencer Scholar by the Spencer Educational Foundation. The $2,500 award is nationally competitive, with only 33 students chosen among 156 applications. McGonigle also received special recognition as the charter president of Gamma Iota Sigma, a professional fraternity for students interested in international risk management, insurance and actuarial science.

Kathy Murray received the Anita Benedetti Student Involvement Scholarship, which covered registration and travel expenses for attending the Risk and Insurance Management Society’s annual conference in Orlando, Fla., in April.

“Only the top risk management and insurance students in the country receive these awards,” said Tim Query, an associate professor in finance at NMSU.

Anna Krylova was selected for the Mountain States Insurance Group Outstanding Student award. She graduated with a 4.0 grade point average and is now pursuing a career as an actuary in Albuquerque. The Mountain States Insurance Group contributed $1 million toward establishing the Risk Management and Insurance Studies program at NMSU. This is an annual internal award that goes to the top NMSU risk management and insurance student.

This is a partial view of the PineTree Corporate Center at 4501 Indian School Road NE in Albuquerque. New Mexico State University’s Board of Regents on Friday, May 8, approved the 40,447-square-foot lease proposal, which may allow NMSU programs and operations in Albuquerque to move to the new site in July. The lease proposal also must be approved by the New Mexico Higher Education Department, which will be reviewed on June 12.

The New Mexico State University Board of Regents today approved plans and the cost of leasing new offices and classroom space in Albuquerque, which will allow NMSU to expand its footprint in the region, offering programs that are not in competition with the University of New Mexico.

At a time when there was a need for more classroom space for NMSU’s successful academic programs in Albuquerque, the PineTree Corporate Center, a 40,447-square-foot complex, became available. NMSU has academic programs in Albuquerque in social work at the master’s level, criminal justice, and hotel, restaurant and tourism management (HRTM). Also in Albuquerque are some of NMSU’s Cooperative Extension Service programs, the Waste Management Education and Research Consortium (WERC), which runs its pollution prevention and energy efficiency technical assistance program from Albuquerque, and alumni and communications offices.

The property, at 4501 Indian School Rd. NE, is owned by Tomorrow 33 Pinetree Center LP, a Delaware limited partnership, and is brokered by Argus Investment Realty, Inc. The Regents’ acceptance of the 10-year lease proposal also has to be approved by the New Mexico Higher Education Department, which it will review on June 12.

“This is just a perfect location and the perfect type of space for us,” said Ben Woods, senior vice president for planning, physical resources and university relations. Woods said they approached Argus and offered to lease the entire 40,447 square feet.

“By acting quickly we were able to get great space, at a great rate that allows us to do what we believe we owe the citizens of the region, and the courses we offer are not in competition with the University of New Mexico,” Woods said. “It just allows us to meet the natural growth that’s occurred because of our presence there for the past five years.”

The three-story complex offers several classrooms, office space, conference rooms and a cafe, said Frederick Ayers, director of real estate at NMSU. The PineTree Corporate Center is visible from I-40.

“Officially, the lease starts on July 1, and we could start moving some people on July 1,” Ayers said. He said if things go as planned, there is a possibility that classes could be opened in the fall at the new complex.

NMSU is currently leasing space in the Compass Bank Building on Louisiana Boulevard in Albuquerque. Some of these leases are up for renewal at the end of June and others in November, Ayers said.

More than 2,000 students are candidates for degrees and more than 1,400 will participate in New Mexico State University’s spring 2009 commencement ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9, at the Pan American Center. Another 600 students are candidates for degrees at NMSU’s community colleges.

The morning program will include candidates for degrees from the Colleges of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, Business, Engineering and Extended Learning and graduate students receiving degrees from these colleges. The afternoon program will include candidates for degrees from the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education and Health and Social Services and graduate students receiving degrees from these colleges.

Candidates for degrees should check in east of the Pan Am. Payne Street between Triviz Drive and Stewart Street along the Pan Am will be closed for commencement. Graduate and general parking will be in the lots to the north and east of the Pan Am, with handicapped parking to the north and northeast of the building.

NMSU will honor former NMSU golf coach Herb Wimberly, as well as NMSU alumna and longtime TV newscaster Carla Aragon with honorary degrees during the ceremonies.

Wimberly will be honored for his tremendously successful career as both a professional golfer and a champion coach, and for his more than 47 years of dedication to NMSU, mentoring students and helping shape the next generation of leaders.

Aragon will be honored for her dedication to New Mexico as an outstanding community member and as a television journalist, starting first with KRWG-TV at NMSU and later as an anchor and reporter for KOB-TV in Albuquerque.

ALBUQUERQUE – Strong families produce strong children. They avert many adverse outcomes such as substance abuse, teen pregnancy, school failure, aggression and delinquency.

New Mexico State University’s Strengthening Families Initiative offers programs to help parents and families to be the best they can be. Two programs – Nurturing Parenting and Family Wellness are offered in Albuquerque and the surrounding area.

The Nurturing Parenting program holds two-and-a-half hour class sessions weekly for 18 weeks. Parents and their children learn healthier, more nurturing ways to live together and interact with each other. While the parents discuss topics such as discipline and family rules, ages and stages of development, morals and values, self-esteem and feelings, and life skills such as nutrition, finances and communication, the children participate in classes with corresponding age-appropriate curriculum.

Classes are scheduled at the following locations and times:

•Future Foundations Community Center, 551 Washington, Grants, from 9:30 am. to noon, on Tuesdays beginning Jan. 27.
•Adobe Acres Elementary School, 1724 Camino del Valle SW, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays beginning Jan. 20.
•Edgewood Elementary School, 285 Drinkle Rd., Edgewood, from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays beginning Jan. 28.
•Raymond Sanchez Community Center, 9800 Fourth St. NW, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays beginning Jan. 21.
•Hodgin Elementary School, 3801 Morningside Dr. NE, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays beginning Jan. 21.
•West Mesa Community Center, 5500 Glenrio NW, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays beginning Jan. 29.
•Parents Reaching Out Center, 1920 Columbia Dr. SE, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays beginning Jan. 22.

The Family Wellness program is a curriculum-based training to help couples strengthen their relationships and have a more stable and healthy family life. The two-and-a-half hour session meets weekly for 12 weeks. Children 8 years old and older are included with the adults most of the sessions. Childcare will be provided for children younger than 8. A family style meal is provided each week.

Family members are taught how to communicate better, cooperate better and solve problems. Parents learn how to be strong leaders and role models. Couples strengthen their values and commitment to each other. Children learn how to really listen and how to cooperate. Topics discussed include expectations, roles and rules, finding and keeping the right partner, commitment, communication, conflict resolution, parents as leaders and role models, dealing with changes, passing on your values, and issues related to step-families and extended families.

Family Wellness classes will be held at the following locations and times:

•Cesar Chavez Community Center, 7505 Kathryn Ave. NE, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays beginning Jan. 26.
•Edward Gonzales Elementary School, 554 90th Street SW, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays beginning Jan. 13.
•Isleta Pueblo at the Old Head Start Building, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays beginning Jan. 28.

For more information about these two programs or to register, email vreazin@nmsu.edu or call 332-3765.

Chile De-stemmer

New Mexico State University engineers are resolving one of the last issues of mechanized chile harvesting – destemming the chile pod.

During traditional hand-harvesting, as the pod is removed from the plant a twist of the wrist leaves the stem’s uneatable pedicle and calyx on the plant. As the traditional labor force decreases, chile farmers are turning to mechanized harvesting, however the important step of removing the stem is not accomplished by the machinery in the field.

“Automatic harvesting and destemming are critical improvements for the chile industry since workers are very scarce and labor costs are much higher in the U.S. than foreign countries from which more and more chile is coming.

If New Mexico wants to keep its chile industry and retain our status of chile capital of the world, our industry must automate. Chile is the heart and soul of New Mexico and NMSU is key to ensuring that we keep our chile,” said Gene Baca, vice president of Bueno Foods in Albuquerque.

Once chile is harvested automatically, the labor needs will shift to processing plants to remove the stems. This isn’t acceptable since cost will increase for processors,” Baca said. “We would have a difficult time finding workers to do that since, who wants to spend all day taking stems off chile? Plus a mechanized system will be much more cost effective.”

Through the NMSU College of Engineering’s Manufacturing, Technology and Engineering Center (M-TEC) engineers are working with the New Mexico Chile Association, through funding from the New Mexico State Legislature, to develop a machine that will remove the stem. After three prototypes, Ryan Herbon, primary engineer on the project, says they have a process that is 80 percent accurate with green chile and 95 percent with red cayenne peppers.

“We started building this prototype at Christmas. We are gathering data on green chile from tests at Bueno Foods and on red cayenne pepper at the Cervantes Enterprises processing plant in La Mesa. So far this system appears to be simple and a cost efficient way to destem chile,” Herbon said. “We have a two month window to gather data so we can fine tune the machine to be as efficient as possible without damaging the chile pods.”

The NMSU engineers have developed a system that pulls the stems off of the pods. The process begins with the chiles being spread and aligned on a shaking table and troughs that move the pods perpendicular into the destemming rollers where the chile is compressed between rollers that incrementally increase in speed which causes the rollers to pull the stem off of the pod.

“The other system had a lot of promise, but was much more complex and expensive to purchase and operate. This system seems to be highly effective,” Baca said.

After a month long competition of collecting canned foods, it was announced that Greek members from New Mexico State University and the University of New Mexico gathered 21,447 pounds that will be distributed to food banks in Albuquerque and Las Cruces.

Of the total collected, NMSU Greek members gathered 13,979 pounds of canned foods, making them the competition winner.

“It was great to turn our rivalry into more than a football game, but into something that will benefit the community,” said Caitlin Rotan, vice president of service and retention and coordinator of the event with Nick Wiegel with the Inter Fraternity Council.

Rotan said the idea came about after Greek leaders from both universities came together to discuss common issues and ways to benefit the state of New Mexico.

The food gathered by UNM Greek members will be donated to the Road Runner Food Bank in Albuquerque, while the food gathered by NMSU Greek members will be donated to the Community Action Agency in Las Cruces.

Along with the competition with UNM, NMSU fraternity and sorority members also competed against each other to collect the most canned food. Lambda Chi Alpha was the winning fraternity and will have a portion of this semester’s dues offset. Zeta Tau Alpha was the winning sorority and won a $200 cash prize from the Panhellenic Council.

Rotan said they hope this will become an annual event for the two universities and hopes it will be even more successful next year.

“Being able to feed someone is one of the quickest ways to show you care,” Rotan said.

Damn – 11:36, lunchtime. Ova “Babe” Noss just finished telling her grandson Terry Delonas about finding the entrance to Victorio Peak. It’s too early for lunch; can’t stop now.

Terry felt the sword Babe had given him. “You like the feel of that,” Babe asked. “That’s pure history you’re holding, your family history and world history both.” And that is “What Men Call Treasure: The Search for Gold at Victorio Peak” Aug. 2008 — Cinco Puntos Press ($25.95). An intriguing account of a legend retold and repackaged throughout New Mexico is now told by former El Pasoan David Schweidel and New Mexico State University English Professor Robert Boswell.

Terry Delonas was one of Babe’s grandsons who was raised in Clovis, N.M., transfixed by his grandmother’s stories of Milton Ernest “Doc” Noss and his mysterious adventures with the legendary gold of Victorio Peak. It is the gold legend that so many claimants lost fortunes or their lives, including Doc. Many then and many now have been lured into its rumors of CIA agents, clandestine excavations and secret flights out of Albuquerque carrying tons of gold bars to unknown destinations. “The army stole it,” was Babe’s assertion and anger. There was even a story of the late President Lyndon B. Johnson stealing it and taking it to his ranch in Texas and Mexico.

“What Men Call Treasure” takes you back and forth into time and the events surrounding the search for the legendary treasure and into the mind of Terry Delonas as he dreams of unimaginable riches, his battle with bureaucrats, excavators, generals, and the battle with his own sexuality preference and his religion, which has strict, unforgiving punishment if they found out he was gay. His youth is filled with the tales of Victorio Peak, being the favorite grandson of Ova Noss and being the only one to believe the old lady with the crazy stories of gold caches and jewelry hidden in a cavern in the desolate region of the Hembrillo Basin.

Schweidel and Boswell interject themselves into the story having spent much time with Terry and having visited the digging excursion at the peak. They give a skeptic assessment of whether there really was a treasure or whether it was a fabulously concocted story by the likes of Doc Noss, later made more intriguing by Babe Noss who perhaps exaggerated its riches and clouded its reality.

The authors’ interjections appear as though a need to believe in the treasure still exists, seeking a happy ending and writing a fabulous novel of mystery and intrigue that would have culminated in a description of the fabulous cache of gold. But instead, doubt or “maybe we were almost there” type of feeling lingers. For most readers, “What Men Call Treasure” will be an interesting, quick read with a few chapters languishing in unnecessary detail. For the gold seekers, Victorio Peak remains, beckoning all to hear its mermaid-like calls toward a rocky doom.

David Schweidel will be at NMSU on Monday, Sept. 29, to give a lecture titled “Where Gold Goes, Blood Follows” in the College of Arts and Sciences colloquium series. The lecture starts at 4 p.m. in Science Hall 107.

SANTA FE – New Mexico leaders want to hear what state residents think about the development of renewable energies in their communities. A series of town hall meetings will be held across the state to allow the sponsoring agencies and organizations to develop a collaborative approach to dealing with the complexities of the rapidly evolving issue of renewable energy.

The first three meetings in the series will be:

•Monday, July 21, in Portales at the Memorial Building, 200 E. Seventh Street.
•Tuesday, July 22, in Clayton at the Clayton Civic Center, 114 North Front Street.
•Wednesday, July 23, in Santa Fe at the Santa Fe County Fair Building, 3229 Rodeo Road.

The meetings will be from 9 a.m. to noon. Additional meetings are planned in Albuquerque, Grants, Las Cruces and Silver City with dates and locations to be announced.

“There are economic opportunities, approaches to conservation and appropriate technologies that can be shared through collaborative efforts with our many partners,” said Gerald Chacon, New Mexico State University’s associate vice provost for outreach services. “There may also be concerns surrounding renewable energy affecting rural New Mexico, that we are interested in hearing about.”

The sponsors of the town meetings “want to be sure that rural communities are at the table when decisions are being made regarding policy issues, economic development and appropriate technologies for the home, farm, ranch and small communities,” Chacon said.

At the meeting the Rural Stewardship Institutes will be introduced as an eventual mechanism for work in small towns and rural areas. Topics to be discussed are currently identified resources, renewable technology, and the local situation and needs including economic development, rural development, cost offsets for utility scale power and regulatory issues. A needs-analysis questionnaire will be distributed and local resources will be identified.

The information gathered at the town meetings will be used while developing a plan of action that will include future educational activities, research demonstrations and Web sites, which will involve the various communities.

Sponsors of the town hall meetings include New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resource Department, Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico Association of Counties, New Mexico Economic Development, USDA Rural Development, NMSU’s Rural Agricultural Improvement and Public Affairs Project, New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union and Current-c Energy Systems Inc.

“We invite everyone and anyone to the meeting. We don’t have all the answers and we want to see what’s out there and who’s involved before we develop a plan of work,” Chacon said.