LAS CRUCES — Already sporting a crimson jacket and a broad smile, Barbara Couture entered the Regents Room on Thursday at New Mexico State University to a standing ovation and shouts of “Welcome to NMSU!”

Couture was appointed as NMSU’s first permanent female president Thursday as a standing-room-only crowd packed a special regents meeting and more than 400 others watched the proceedings online.

“Almost as soon as I set foot on this campus, I knew this was the place for us,” Couture, 61, told regents as her husband, Paul, sat beside her.

Couture, a senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, inked a five-year contract effective Jan. 1, according to Blake Curtis, regents chairman.

Her contract calls for a $385,000 annual salary, use of the president’s residence on Geothermal Drive and other perks like a vehicle and country club membership.

Interim President Manuel Pacheco’s contract is $325,000 per year, and previous president Mike Martin was earning $358,785 at the time of his departure in 2008, according to the university.

Most unique about Couture’s compensation package, Curtis said, is a $500,000 retention bonus, which Couture will only receive upon completion of the five-year contract.

“This reflects — not a request, not an outcry, but people screaming at the tops of their lungs, ‘We want someone to stay here!’” Curtis told the Sun-News. He emphasized that, unlike other retention bonuses in which a portion is awarded at the end of each contract year, Couture will receive the bonus only after completing the entire contract. Curtis said the extra incentive is crucial to meeting the need for continuity of leadership.

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LAS CRUCES — When Clara Yuvienco graduated in December with her master’s degree in public health, she thought she was well-positioned to get a job. Now, nearly a year later, she’s still looking.

“I haven’t been able to find a job in this town, even though I’m bilingual and I have a couple of minors,” Yuvienco said as she browsed the tables at the Borderlands Public Service Career Showcase on Tuesday at New Mexico State University.

The job fair, though geared primarily toward students who might not have much experience, attracted many older residents like Yuvienco as well, who were looking for a career change or simply seeking a job with stability in a time when many industries are not hiring or are laying off workers.

The unemployment rate in Doña Ana County at of the end of September was 7.7 percent, up from 4.7 percent a year ago, and the national unemployment numbers have reached the double-digit phase. But public sector jobs are available with the federal government. And, even if some state and local governments are putting the brakes on hiring, they still need to keep some positions filled, said James Peach, who teaches economics and international business at New Mexico State University.

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Local business sells shirts, embroidery to feed children in Africa

ROJO does discounted screen printing and embroidery jobs for NMSU and community organizations, and donates 10 percent of the profits to Zimbabwe. Each purchase comes with an estimate of how many meals the order will purchase for children in Africa.

Two New Mexico State University graduates set up a local company with the goal of giving back, and have donated more than 23,000 meals to orphan children since opening.

Jose Rodriguez and Aron Jones co-founded ROJO, which derives from a combination of their last names. ROJO is an online company based in Las Cruces and sells apparel and embroidery.

“With every shirt sold [by ROJO,] about 50 meals are sent to Zimbabwe, Africa, to children in orphanages,” Rodriguez said. “We wanted to set up a company with giving back as part if the core mission.”

According to www.rojoapparel.com, ROJO does discounted screen printing and embroidery jobs for NMSU and community organizations, and donates 10 percent of the profits to Zimbabwe, and each purchase comes with an estimate of how many meals the order will purchase for children in Africa. Rodriguez said the service allows campus organizations, such as sororities and fraternities, to save money on custom orders while supporting a charitable cause.

“In a lot of ways, we’re more accessible to help out students, too,” Rodriguez said, adding that he and Jones are on student schedules as well.

Rodriguez graduated from NMSU in December 2008 with degrees in finance and economics and then pursued a career at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Rodriguez said he returned to Las Cruces, because he views it as home, and he always wanted to do something to give back.

“It’s been really fun and exciting to see the positive response we’ve been getting,” Rodriguez said. “We’re thankful for all the support.”

ROJO began operations in September, and donations will be sent to Zimbabwe at the end of every month, Rodriguez said.

“We just sent out [the first donations] for our first full month in operation,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said he and Jones chose to send donations to Zimbabwe because it is one of the most impoverished countries in the world, and they wanted to donate to an area that needed it most.

Jose Rodriguez graduated from NMSU in December 2008 with degrees in finance and economics. Rodriguez said he and Jones chose to send donations to Zimbabwe because it is one of the most impoverished countries in the world, and they wanted to donate to an area that needed it most.

Rodriguez said ROJO hopes to have a food packaging event in Las Cruces later in the year, where anyone can volunteer to help package hundreds of meals for the children of Zimbabwe.

ROJO is partnered with Global Aid Network, which consists of Christian organizations with the goal of helping the needy. Gain members in Zimbabwe hope ROJO will travel to Africa, Rodriguez said.

“We are looking forward to visiting very soon,” Rodriguez said. “[We know it will be] a life-changing experience. We would like that.”

Kristina Medley is new editor and can be reached at trunew@nmsu.edu.

LAS CRUCES — For jobseekers, the situation can feel kind of grim. The unemployment rate in Doña Ana County at of the end of September was 7.7 percent, up from 4.7 percent a year ago, and the national unemployment numbers have reached the double-digit phase.

One area that continues to plug away with hiring, though, is the public sector as jobs are available with the federal government and, even if some state and local governments are putting the breaks on hiring, they still need to keep some positions filled, said James Peach, who teaches economics and international business at New Mexico State University.

“Even though the total employment is not expanding, there is still a lot of hiring going on,” Peach said. “Historically, we’ve had good luck with federal government employment (in our area). And one of the things happening in the federal government is the wave of baby boomers who are retiring.”

On Tuesday, a variety of governmental agencies and departments will be at NMSU to meet with prospective employees. Called the Borderlands Public Career Showcase, the job fair will feature at least 26 federal and state agencies who will accept applications and, in some cases, even conduct interviews on the spot.

The job fair is scheduled to last from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the first floor of Corbett Center Student Union. The second day of the showcase will be held Thursday on the University of Texas-El Paso campus at the UTEP Union.

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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.”

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New Mexico State University’s With Us campaign celebrates how, in classrooms, labs, out in the field, or working in your community, together we make a difference.

TV Commercial: Dr. Pookie Sautter, Department of Marketing, is part of the NMSU With Us Campaign

See the With Us campaign billboards, outdoor signage, print samples, desktop wallpapers, YouTube videos.

LAS CRUCES – Laurie Wright Haluska of Las Cruces acknowledged that worries about the economy and personal finances will play a role in her holiday shopping this year.

“We’re going to be spending the absolute minimum this year,” said Haluska, who said friends and family members understand the situation because they face it as well. “We tell we them we love them and that, ‘We’ll get you (more) next year.’”

When she does shop for holiday presents, Haluska said, she will “absolutely” look for bargains.

Richard and Amanda Deaton of Silver City were in Sears at the Mesilla Valley Mall on Thursday. They said they do most of their holiday shopping early and online.

“I’m usually done by Thanksgiving,” Amanda Deaton said.

Stacey Mendoza was at Sears in search of holiday gift items.

“You have to look for sales,” she said.

Retailers know that there are many more shoppers out there who will take the same approach. That is why consumers can expect to see sales, deals and specials between now and Christmas, whether they are from national chains or locally owned shops.

“I’m sure (stores are) nervous,” said Tony Popp, head of the Department of Economics at New Mexico State University. “Consumer confidence isn’t there and the employment rate isn’t going up yet.”

The National Retail Federation reports “retailers are about to embark on the holiday season of the serious bargain hunter.”

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LAS CRUCES — New Mexico State University faculty from the Institute for Energy and the Environment and the College of Engineering were awarded a $1 million Department of Energy grant to demonstrate a renewable energy-based microgrid in partnership with an electric utility company. Algae-based biofuel will be tested and evaluated to facilitate the microgrid electricity generation and transmission.

There is a critical need to renew our nation’s electrical infrastructure, the physical electricity network known as the grid. U.S. Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu referred to this need through a popular comparison at the recent “Re-Energize America” conference at NMSU.

“If Alexander Graham Bell were somehow transported to the 21st century, he would not begin to recognize the components of modern telephony — cell phones, texting, cell towers, PDAs, etc. — while Thomas Edison, one of the (electric) grid’s key early architects, would be totally familiar with the grid,” he said. Chu also described how the National Academy of Engineering identified the single most important engineering achievement of the 20th century as electrification because of the grid, surpassing the Internet and the interstate highway system.

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LAS CRUCES — Halloween still looms and most folks probably have not even given thought to their Thanksgiving menu just yet, but that does not mean the Christmas season is a distant mirage.

In fact, Las Cruces area stores report that holiday shopping has already started and they hope the cash registers will ring with more frequency than last year, although that remains to be seen.

ShopperTrak, a retail research firm, predicted last week that total holiday sales will rise 1.6 percent compared with a year ago. Last year, holiday sales fell 5.9 percent while foot traffic dropped 15.4 percent, according to ShopperTrak estimates. The research firm tracks customer traffic at more than 45,000 stores.

The National Retail Federation, though, predicts a 1 percent decline in total sales to $437.6 billion for November and December combined.

“The consumer is just tired (of all the bad news),” Bill Martin, co-founder of ShopperTrak, told The Associated Press.

Louise Burchell, who, along with her daughter Kelli, owns The Emerald Isle Boutique clothing store at 1750 Calle De Mercado, agrees with Martin.

“I think that people have been cautious and will continue to be cautious, but people are also a little tired of holding back,” Burchell said. “I really think they may not spend with wild abandon; I think they will want to buy some new things to add to their wardrobe to make them feel better, and they will still get Christmas gifts for around the tree.”

…James Peach, who teaches economics and international business at New Mexico State University, said some stores might keep less merchandise on hand this year to cut overhead expenses, which means they are probably not expecting any sort of record sales.

“Depending on what they anticipate, they’ll adjust their inventory levels,” Peach said. “So even if there is some big surge in demand, if they don’t have it, they can’t sell it.”
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Studies Aim to Settle the Longstanding Debate Over the Disciplinary Practice’s Effects, but Statistical Shortcomings Persist

Three recent, widely reported studies on spanking children claimed to show that the disciplinary practice impairs cognitive development in children. Together, they held out the promise of providing the latest, definitive word on a passionate debate.

Yet the three aren’t likely to resolve anything. Many statisticians say they find in them less a firm conclusion than further proof of the difficulty of measuring spanking’s impact.

Statistical analysis of spanking’s effects on cognition are clouded by many complicating factors. Effects can be attributed to the wrong cause, statisticians say; rather than spanking causing problems in children, it is possible that their existing cognitive problems can make spanking more likely. Moreover, any effects of spanking are difficult to measure and probably small. And unlike, say, a study on prescription drugs that removes a misleading placebo effect, no ethical study can assign some children to be spanked. Instead, parents must be trusted to remember and share their disciplinary practices.

….Daniel Mundfrom, a statistician at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, says that even without accounting for other factors, spanking at age 1 explained less than 1% of the variation in cognitive ability at age 3. In other words, maybe spanking does lower intelligence, but not by much.

…Prof. Straus concedes that the methodology was flawed and that spanking may not account for the differences in average national IQs. He says he presented the data on national IQ in part because it corroborated his other study. “The questionable statistics are so consistent with the statistics in the other paper,” he says, adding that his second study can provide “a field day writing about questionable statistics.”

Some statisticians agree. For one thing, the results are skewed by a relatively small number of countries with high rates of spanking and especially low average IQs, particularly Tanzania and South Africa — where about a third of university students reported being spanked a lot before age 12, and where average IQ rates stood at 72. Excluding these countries, “the line would be much closer to flat, indicating little or no relationship,” says Dr. Mundfrom.

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]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/23/wsj-new-research-on-spanking-might-need-a-time-out/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/21/lcsn-las-cruces-sees-drop-in-housing-numbers/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/21/lcsn-las-cruces-sees-drop-in-housing-numbers/#comments Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:54:12 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=23379 from Brook Stockberger, Las Cruces Sun-News, Oct. 21, 2009. Retrieved online: Oct. 21, 2009.

LAS CRUCES – Those waiting for a rebound in the housing and building industry will have to continue to be patient.

The U.S. Commerce Department reported Tuesday that applications for home building permits, a gauge of future construction, fell in September by the largest amount in five months. And while actual construction of new homes and apartments rose 0.5 percent, that is still weaker than economists had predicted.

In Las Cruces, the news is not as dour, but it still points to a long climb ahead that will not be accomplished quickly.

“I think we’re at the bottom, or close to the bottom, and that we ought to see some pickup over the next year,” said James Peach, who teaches economics and international business at New Mexico State University. “There’s still a lot of inventory.”

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]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/21/lcsn-las-cruces-sees-drop-in-housing-numbers/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/08/krwg-tv-greater-las-cruces-chamber-of-commerce-economic-forum/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/08/krwg-tv-greater-las-cruces-chamber-of-commerce-economic-forum/#comments Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:24:01 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=22816 KRWG TV: Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce Economic Forum, Sept. 17, 2009

KRWG-TV aired this economic forum in conjunction with the Las Cruces Area Chamber of Commerce.

The program features these business professors from New Mexico State University: Jim Peach, Ken Martin, Chris Erickson and Michael Ellis.

]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/08/krwg-tv-greater-las-cruces-chamber-of-commerce-economic-forum/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/06/research-resources-algae-power/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/06/research-resources-algae-power/#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:00:27 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=22627 by Mario A. Montes NMSU Research and Resources, Spring 2009. Retrieved online: Oct. 6, 2009

Simplest plant could bring solution to complex problem

Abundant sunshine and an ample supply of brackish water make eastern New Mexico a good location for growing algae. (Photo by Jesse J. Ramirez)

Alternative energy – a couple of words charged with calls to action, politics, skepticism and even the pop culture disdain of “whatever.” Its composition reads like a comic book tale that unleashes the forces of life – earth, water, wind and fire. And like in every comic book tale there is a hero: In this one it could be algal biomass.

What is it? Simple. It’s the same green slime that accumulates in your dog’s water bowl. And believe it or not, this slime, more commonly known as algae, produces lipids, or oil, that can be refined into biofuels.

New Mexico State University’s Agricultural Science Center at Artesia is the location for two large ponds where algae is being grown. The brackish water in the ponds is gently stirred by paddlewheels powered by electricity. (Photo by Jesse J. Ramirez)

New Mexico State University researchers are combining efforts to see if algal biomass is a viable substitute to the world’s dependence on fossil fuels. Researchers in disciplines including biochemistry, agriculture, chemical engineering, civil engineering and economics are each doing their part to come up with the best equation, substance and process to produce economically feasible biofuels from algae.

…. Along with knowing the chemistry of algae and how to manipulate it, grow it and process it to run a combustion engine, a monetary reality must be established. In other words – is it cost effective? At $25 a gallon, biofuel is not practical, even though it appeared the price of a gallon of gasoline was headed that way last fall. For this analysis you need an economist, and C. Meghan Starbuck is that person.
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]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/06/research-resources-algae-power/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/06/research-resources-arrowhead-center-to-study-energy-jobs-and-water/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/06/research-resources-arrowhead-center-to-study-energy-jobs-and-water/#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:00:15 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=22644 by No byline NMSU Research and Resources, Spring 2009. Retrieved online: Oct. 6, 2009.

Construction is under way at the site of the new Arrowhead Research Park. (Photo by Darren Phillips)

New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center is set to tackle three of the biggest issues in the state – energy, jobs and water. The U.S. Department of Energy awarded a three-year, $1.2 million grant to Arrowhead Center to study connections between fossil fuel production, economic development and water in New Mexico.

“We want to see how fossil fuels benefit the state and what can be done to improve that relationship,” said Meghan Starbuck, an assistant professor of economics at NMSU and the energy economist for the project. “When New Mexico provides more energy, it reduces dependence on foreign fuel and creates jobs in the state.”

Starbuck said New Mexico has the third largest reserves of natural gas in the nation. The state is also a large producer of crude oil, coal bed methane and uranium. She said New Mexico has an opportunity to create wealth and jobs by using its own energy better rather than importing it from other countries.

“New Mexico is rich in natural resources and home of major technological advances over the last century, yet we have a per capita income that’s 20 percent below the national average,” said Jim Peach, co-director of Arrowhead’s policy analysis unit and the energy project’s principal investigator. “The question is, can we do anything about that.”

Students in the newly created Doctor of Economic Development program, a joint effort between the NMSU College of Business and College of Agriculture and Home Economics, will work with Starbuck and Peach on the project. The hope is to create a centralized location for information to be used by energy companies, environmental entities and state agencies when formulating policy.

Original article.

]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/06/research-resources-arrowhead-center-to-study-energy-jobs-and-water/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/02/lc-bulletin-climbing-out-of-a-recession/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/02/lc-bulletin-climbing-out-of-a-recession/#comments Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:00:25 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=22508 from GABRIEL VASQUEZ, Las Cruces Bulletin, Sept. 25, 2009. Retrieved online: Oct. 2, 2009

Confidence returning, but recovery still slow

“Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Tuesday, Sept. 15, that the economy is “very likely” out of the worst recession since the 1930s.

He also warned that unemployment would remain high for some time to come.

Tony Popp, department head and professor of economics at New Mexico State University, said for the most part, he agrees with Bernanke.

“The economy now is not getting any worse, but the question is, how fast until it gets better?” Popp said. “We’re at the bottom, at least, we hope we’re at the bottom. But we didn’t enter into a local recession for about six months after the national economy, so we’re going to lag in getting out.”

How long until the “average Joe” notices the effects of the recession’s end is anyone’s guess, said NMSU business professor Chris Erickson.”

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]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/02/lc-bulletin-climbing-out-of-a-recession/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/30/lcsn-dona-ana-county-poverty-rate-exceeds-national-average/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/30/lcsn-dona-ana-county-poverty-rate-exceeds-national-average/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:00:03 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=22437 from Steve Ramirez, Las Cruces Sun-News, Sept. 30, 2009. Retrieved online: Sept. 30, 2009

“LAS CRUCES – Doña Ana County’s poverty rate remains notably higher than the U.S. average, according to data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

According to the Bureau’s American Community Survey, which gathers information from 3 million households, 17.1 percent of the county’s estimated 201,603 residents – or 34,474 people – are living in poverty. The current U.S. poverty rate is 13.2 percent, the highest it’s been in 11 years.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the standard for a person living at or below the poverty level is $10,830 or less in earnings this year. For a family of four, that number is $22,050.

Associated with the poverty rate, Census Bureau data also shows that 11 percent of county residents are receiving food stamps. That is a slight drop from last year’s estimates when 12 percent of residents were reportedly living off of food stamps.”

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]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/30/lcsn-dona-ana-county-poverty-rate-exceeds-national-average/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/24/nmsu%e2%80%99s-great-conversations-covers-wide-range-from-green-building-to-dangers-in-juarez/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/24/nmsu%e2%80%99s-great-conversations-covers-wide-range-from-green-building-to-dangers-in-juarez/#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:00:56 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=22230 by Justin Bannister NMSU NewsCenter

Looking for a great conversation on green living, the healthcare debate or even the National Parks Service? Look no further than New Mexico State University’s Great Conversations, a fundraising dinner for students in NMSU’s Honors College. This year’s event will take place from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum outdoor patio.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun. It really gives the community a chance to meet our professors and students while enjoying some stimulating and memorable conversations,” said Bill Eamon, dean of the Honors College.

He said the event helps fund scholarships for some of the best and brightest students at NMSU, a group sometimes overlooked when it comes to financial aid.

“This is a particularly interesting and topical program this year. So many of our conversations deal with important issues of today, from women in Muslim cultures to the situation in Juarez,” Eamon said.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to support NMSU while learning new things,” said Bob Pofahl, CEO of Picacho Mountain, a Las Cruces-based development company. “Higher education is one of the great engines for our economy and this event directly serves that area.”

Pofahl will lead a conversation of green building in Las Cruces, an area that he says makes sense both economically and socially. More than 25 different table conversations are planned, including global warming and world energy, building leaders for tomorrow, secrets of the Da Vinci Code, the enigma of Shakespeare and a conversation about the National Parks Service.

“I think everyone has some sort of connection to the national parks, but we may take them for granted,” said Dwight Pithcaithley, former chief historian for the National Parks Service and a table discussion leader for this year’s Great Conversations.

“This event is not only good for NMSU, it’s also good for the community. This is a university-based forum for important topics of our time,” he said.

This year, there will be no minimum seating requirements for tables, meaning everyone who attends the dinner is guaranteed the conversation they choose.

Tickets for the event cost $65 each. A donation of $50 allows an honors student to attend the dinner free of charge. For more information about table conversation topics, or to register for the event, visit http://honors.nmsu.edu/gc.

]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/24/nmsu%e2%80%99s-great-conversations-covers-wide-range-from-green-building-to-dangers-in-juarez/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/24/businessweek-puts-las-cruces-at-no-8-in-list-of-americas-20-strongest-building-markets/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/24/businessweek-puts-las-cruces-at-no-8-in-list-of-americas-20-strongest-building-markets/#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:00:21 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=22136 from Brook Stockberger, Las Cruces Sun-News, Sept. 23, 2009. Retrieved online: Sept. 24, 2009

BusinessWeek puts Las Cruces at No. 8 in list of America’s 20 Strongest Building Markets

“LAS CRUCES – While the nation continues to pick up the pieces left from the recession, bits of good news have trickled in here and there.

As for the building industry, the publication BusinessWeek recently told readers to, “look outside of the nation’s pricey metros and suburbs, and you’ll find pockets where the builders are back.”

Las Cruces is one of those pockets.

According to a ranking developed by BusinessWeek and Hanley Wood Market Intelligence, the Las Cruces statistical area – which includes all of Do-a Ana County – ranked No. 8 in the publication’s list of America’s 20 Strongest Building Markets.

The study used data from the first six months of 2008 compared to the same time period for 2009. In that time, the number of building permits for new, privately owned housing units in the county grew by 11.6 percent.

Christopher Erickson, who teaches economics at New Mexico State University, said the news is not a surprise.”

Read the article.

]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/24/businessweek-puts-las-cruces-at-no-8-in-list-of-americas-20-strongest-building-markets/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/23/lcsn-job-seekers-flock-to-nmsu-fair/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/23/lcsn-job-seekers-flock-to-nmsu-fair/#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:00:54 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=22004 from Christopher Schurtz, Las Cruces Sun-News, Sept 23, 2009. Retrieved online: Sept 23, 2009

Job-seekers flock to NMSU fair

“LAS CRUCES – Fewer prospective employers showed up at New Mexico State University’s Career Expo than in years past, another example of the sputtering economy.

But the upstairs ballroom at Corbett Center still seemed full enough Tuesday, with students walking from booth to booth, scanning possible job opportunities.

Gerardo Fierro, a 22-year-old senior majoring in economics and international business, said the career fair has helped calm some of his anxiety about job prospects when he graduates next spring. He said he came to the event in hopes of landing a job or an internship.”

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]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/23/lcsn-job-seekers-flock-to-nmsu-fair/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/22/lcsn-recession-could-be-over-but-recovery-expected-to-be-slow/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/22/lcsn-recession-could-be-over-but-recovery-expected-to-be-slow/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 07:00:52 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=21896 from Brook Stockberger, Las Cruces Sun-News, Sept. 22, 2009. Retrieved online: Sept. 22, 2009

Recession could be over, but recovery expected to be slow

“LAS CRUCES – Is the recession over? More and more signs point to an answer of “yes,” but that does not mean the economy can be labeled “good” anytime soon.

On Monday, The Conference Board – a private-sector group that regularly releases an index of leading economic indicators – reported that its forecast of economic activity rose in August for the fifth straight month. That news came less than a week after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said that, “From a technical perspective, the recession is very likely over at this point.”

“It is probably over,” James Peach, who teaches economics and international business at New Mexico State University, said of the recession. “The question is, what kind of recovery are we going to have?”

Read the article.

]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/22/lcsn-recession-could-be-over-but-recovery-expected-to-be-slow/feed/ 0