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.

Read the article.

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.

Sen. Landrieu: U.S. not prepared for major disaster

“LAS CRUCES – U.S. Sen. May Landrieu, D-La., who held office at the time of Hurricane Katrina, said Thursday she doesn’t think the country has made enough progress in its ability to respond to natural disasters. She spoke to attendees on the final day of the 2009 Domenici Public Policy Conference at New Mexico State University.”

Read the article.

College of Business Note:

• Visit NMSU’s “The Pete V. Domenici Legacy” website at http://domenici.nmsu.edu/.

Every week, as many as 20 New Mexico State University students are caught illegally downloading and sharing copyrighted material over the internet, and the consequences can be devastating.

When a student illegally downloads music, the NMSU Information and Communication Technologies Department is the first to know about it.

“Students aren’t allowed to break the law, and copyright law says you can’t possess music you didn’t purchase,” ICT Chief Information Officer Shaun Cooper said.

One of the most common ways music is illegally distributed is through peer-to-peer computer programs, such as Kazaa and Limewire, in which users can search for and download copyrighted material, Cooper said.

The illegal action that students perform is not when they download a file, but when the content is made available for others to download, Cooper said.

“When you download something and share it, it makes your computer into a server, which is illegal,” Cooper said.

The process of finding and punishing offending individuals starts with the Recording Industry Association of America. The RIAA hires companies that scan the internet for people illegally exchanging copyrighted songs and media, including those at NMSU, Cooper said.

Every NMSU Internet network user is required to register his or her computer with ICT, which allows illegal downloads to be traced back to the user through the Internet protocol address of the student’s computer.

Once the IP address of the offender is identified, ICT is contacted and asked to surrender the name of the offender on the NMSU system, Cooper said.

After identifying the offender, ICT shuts down internet access to the user’s computer and notifies the user that he or she is in violation of federal law and university policy.

“We can associate [students’] computers with those illegal transactions through their IP address,” Cooper said.

If caught, students face a price a thousand times more expensive than the cost of a few legal song downloads.

Around 14 months ago, ICT was asked for the first time by the RIAA to provide pre-subpoenas to eight NMSU students who violated copyright law.

“In most cases, the RIAA decided to settle with those students for $3,000 per illegally shared file,” Cooper said.

Illegal file sharing is not limited to NMSU. According to the RIAA Web site, file sharing causes $12.5 billion in economic losses every year.

Cooper said illegal downloading is not as big an issue at NMSU as it is at other institutions because the actions taken by the ICT department discourage students from participating.

“Most institutions lack the ability to find students that illegally download, but we can do that at NMSU.” Cooper said. “People don’t understand that we have a way to look at their actions.”

ICT also discourages illegal downloading by limiting the amount of Internet bandwidth devoted to exchanging peer-to-peer data.

“We don’t monitor the content of peer-to-peer activity, we just limit how much of it we can allow,” Cooper said. “It’s a really small pipe.”

Matt Bouma, a freshman in music education, said he downloaded a file-sharing program, but rarely uses it.

“I use iTunes,” Bouma said. “If someone writes a song and records it, they should get credit for it.”

Still, others have a more galvanized position on the subject.

“Basically, people that use Limewire are freeloading,” said Rebeccah Balizan, a senior in information engineering technology. “If one person buys the CD and another gets it for free, it’s not fair to the artist or the CD buyer.”

ICT is planning a more proactive and positive approach to discouraging illegal file-sharing.

This year, the department is trying to create an anti-piracy campaign for students, including a survey that participants can complete for the chance to win prizes, Cooper said.

“We want to take time and connect with students in a positive way so they can practice good ethics,” Cooper said.

Tom Sandford is a news reporter and can be reached at tsandfor@nmsu.edu.

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.

News Editor Kristina Medley sits down with Deputy Chief of Police Stephen Lopez

Kristina Medley: Policies for underage drinking on campus:
What are the consequences for a minor who is found in possession of drugs or alcohol on campus?
Stephen Lopez: People under 21 who are caught with alcohol face two different actions. On the criminal justice side, they will either receive a criminal citation or be physically arrested. The basis for deciding which happens is usually the attitude of the individual and whether or not there have been past incidents. On the university side, the person may be referred for discipline through Housing and Residence Life and/or the Student Judicial system.
People, regardless of age, who provide alcohol to people under 21 could face felony charges in state court, as well as the university discipline process.

KM: How often do campus police make rounds to the dormitories?
SL: Officers do not make set patrols around the residence halls. However, that does not mean that they are not going through them on a regular basis. They do make patrols in and around the residence facilities as they can, based on the volume of calls for service, as well as being in them to take a variety of reports called in by residents. In addition, Housing staff regularly walk through the facilities and report any criminal activity to the police department. However, despite these patrols, the responsibility for personal protection – including locking doors and windows – remains with each resident.

KM: What are the statistics as far as violence or sexual crimes involving alcohol on campus? How often do these types of situations occur, and what are the consequences?
SL: Most incidents of rape reported to police involve the use of alcohol by one or both parties. This mirrors national trends, where studies have shown the involvement of alcohol is as high as 95% in crimes of violence on college campuses. When it comes to potential victims, alcohol use can make it more difficult to spot danger signals, it can increase the incidence of risky behavior, it can make it more difficult to communicate effectively, it can make it more difficult to defend oneself, and it can make it more difficult to recall and relate the details later to police.
In 2008, there were 5 rapes reported on campus, and in 2007, there were 6.

KM: What do certain events, such as last semester’s KRUX Fest, which featured alcohol at the event, have to do to get approved to have alcohol on campus?
SL: Any event where alcohol is to be served legally has to be approved by the university’s alcohol committee. A number of individuals are on this committee, including a representative of the Police Department. Items that might be considered include the nature of the event, the age of attendees (especially under 21 vs. over 21), security requirements, etc.

KM: The University of New Mexico has been in the news recently, because they are phasing out smoking on campus. Designated smoking areas are being removed altogether, and UNM is becoming a Smoke-Free campus. What is your opinion on this, and do you foresee this happening at NMSU in the future? What should students be aware of as far as smoking on campus goes?
SL: NMSU follows state law (the Clean Indoor Air Act), which prohibits smoking in and around buildings (within 50 feet of doors, windows, and air handling units). For smokers, there are two things to remember: 1. be courteous when smoking to avoid exposing others around you, as this generates the majority of complaints; and 2. dispose of cigarette butts in appropriate containers to avoid both littering and accidental fires.

KM: Last semester, there was quite a bit of theft taking place in the parking lots. Do you foresee this problem improving or getting worse this semester? What precautions should students take when leaving their cars in campus parking lots for hours at a time?
SL: Automobile burglary is one of the most frequent crimes on campus. Last year, there were 87 incidents, and in 2007 there were 119. Most often, thieves steal purses, backpacks, iPods, and satellite radio receivers that have been left in plain sight, as well as expensive after-market stereos. In many cases, the vehicles are left unlocked or with a window down. We encourage anyone with valuables in vehicles to keep them out of sight and consider locking them in the trunk.

Kristina Medley is News Editor and can be reached at trunews@nmsu.edu

An impressive list of keynote speakers topped by U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu; Van Jones, Special Advisor for Green Jobs at the White House Council on Environmental Quality; New Mexico’s Lt. Gov. Diane Denish; and an array of experts and scholars representing private industry and academia will be part of New Mexico State University’s and honorary co-chairman Congressman Harry Teague’s energy conference Aug. 31- Sept. 1.

Jones will address registered, conference attendees at a noon luncheon Sept. 1. Secretary Chu’s participation was announced last week and he will speak at the conference’s evening reception Aug. 31. Lt. Gov. Denish will speak at the noon luncheon Aug. 31. All “Re-Energize America: Policy, Practice and Possibility for America’s Future” events will be held at NMSU’s Corbett Center Ballrooms.

A charismatic speaker, Jones is the founder and former president of Green for All, a national organization whose goal is to “build an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty,” according to their Web site. In March 2009, President Obama selected Jones to lead the administration’s “agenda of creating 21st century jobs that improve energy efficiency and utilize renewable resources. Jones will also help to shape and advance the administration’s energy and climate initiatives with a specific interest in improvements and opportunities for vulnerable communities,” according to the announcement by the White House Council on Environmental Quality of Jones’ appointment.

“Van Jones’ work with Green for All and now as Special Advisor for Green Jobs supports the research and academic programs at New Mexico State University. We are pleased that he will be a part of this month’s energy conference,” said Interim President Manuel Pacheco. “The university is devoted to educating the workforce of tomorrow so America can meet the demands for the new technology, discovery and jobs necessary to meet America’s future energy needs.”

“I am very proud that both Special Advisor Jones and Lt. Gov. Denish will be speaking at the conference. As we move to a 21st century energy economy it is critical that we get every perspective on how to best expand employment opportunities for New Mexico’s renewable energy industry while protecting and increasing our oil and gas production opportunities as well,” said New Mexico Congressman Harry Teague.

“I am honored to participate in NMSU’s Energy Conference, and look forward to discussing how we can create jobs while protecting our environment,” said Jones. “It is clear that Congressman Teague understands the important role that clean energy jobs can play in our new economy.”

Jones has been interviewed extensively by print and broadcast media for his views and ideas on green jobs, which formed the basis of his Green for All organization in Oakland, Calif. In an interview with The New Yorker, the magazine tells of Jones speaking to a room of about 30 high school dropouts from New Bedford, Mass., urging them, in a straight-forward, street-talking way, that they should be the ones to build and install the windmills, solar panels and other energy-saving devices of the future. Jones’ message on green jobs is that all levels of society must be brought in to fix the environment and energy woes. And the creation of green jobs at all levels must be the focus.

The two-day conference will give participants opportunities to discuss how they can start or grow their own energy venture and hear industry experts and scholars in renewable technologies, markets and policies, the energy water nexus and challenges, energy and agriculture, algal biofuels and biomass, solar and wind research, storage and land use, micro-grid and smart-grid systems, natural gas, nuclear power, and many other possibilities to sustain America’s energy needs.

All panels, discussions and speaking events will be at the NMSU Corbett Center Ballrooms on the third floor. A list of speakers and a schedule of events can be found at http://energize.nmsu.edu/re-energizing-america-en.html.

For more information on the conference and to register, go to http://energize.nmsu.edu/ or call Brenda Dunn at (575) 646-2575 or Aggie Saltman at (575) 646-9323.

Participants attending the day events can download a temporary parking permit at http://www.campusvisitor.com/.

U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) addresses participants at the first annual Southwestern Biofuels Association Policy Summit in late May in Albuquerque. Bingaman discussed legislative angles, policies, and renewable biofuel industry standards. New Mexico is taking a leadership role in the biofuels industry. (Photo by M. Therese Shakra)

The green economy is quickly growing and New Mexico State University and the College of Engineering’s Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE) continue to fuel New Mexico’s instrumental role in the transformative “green age.” The next industrial revolution will center on production of renewable energy resources. This was one of the themes at the Southwestern Biofuels Association (SWBA) Policy Summit in Albuquerque in late May. The meeting included New Mexico’s entire congressional delegation, about 140 scientists, academics, government officials and private sector executives.

The biofuels collaboration was highlighted by U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu’s announcement of almost $800 million from the Recovery Act to accelerate biofuels research and commercialization. The SWBA was established as part of New Mexico’s leadership role in developing clean, sustainable and environmentally superior transportation fuels for the nation and the world, according to Gov. Bill Richardson. New Mexico and the Southwest are prime areas for development of “third generation” biofuel feedstocks, such as oil-rich camelina, which grows on marginal land, requires little water and does not compete with the food supply.

Several NMSU staff and faculty participated in the non-profit organization’s event including IEE Director Abbas Ghassemi. In the first panel segment moderated by Sarah Cottrell, Energy & Environmental Policy Adviser to Gov. Richardson, Ghassemi presented “Agricultural Challenges Facing Southwestern Crops & Algal (algae-based biofuels) Development.” The Institute’s director emphasized the importance of sustainability, water and effective land use for environmental and economic feasibility. “It doesn’t matter if an energy product is first to market if it’s not sustainable,” he said. “We need to look at each biofuel source as one of many tools toward truly overhauling the system.”

An NMSU assistant professor in economics and international business, Meghan Starbuck presented a preliminary business lifecycle analysis within the algal biofuel industry. Starbuck and Luz-Elena Mimbela, an environmental engineer and project manager for IEE, will be developing an algal fuel techno-economic model assessing the economic impact of a full-scale algal industry in New Mexico. The state’s portion of the current fossil-fuel based petroleum market, $173 billion annually, would be dwarfed by a full-scale biocrude industry, Starbuck said. She also emphasized that a huge barrier to advancing research is that no one wants to share outcomes for fear of giving away competitive advantages in the new green new market.

“A Look at the Cutting Edge of Science,” a session in algal research and development, included NMSU’s Peter Lammers, a professor in the Center for Excellence in Hazardous Materials Management. Lammers and fellow panelists discussed the molecular and cellular biology of various biofuel sources including micro-algae, single-cell, photosynthetic organisms known for their rapid growth and high energy content. The lipids or triglycerides, like those found in vegetable oil, can be used to advance biodiesel, green gasoline and green jet fuel.

Technological innovation is one of many factors making up the complex dynamic of the mandated green sector. Two factors add to the equation: 1) The Energy-Water Nexus, where tradeoffs exist between production and output needs that require water (like transporting energy and source materials) and our decreasing amount and quality of water, becoming known as the new oil, and, 2) Peak oil is also getting progressively closer. A standard definition of “peak oil” is the point when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline. The International Energy Outlook, issued by the DOE and the Energy Information Administration, released in 2009 the most significant prediction thus far with a drastic drop in projected world oil output and a corresponding inverse reliance on non-traditional fuels such as biofuels.

The development of biofuels takes money. Green venture capital of almost $148 million has poured into New Mexico since 2006 while the state is one of three that posted above 50 percent green-job growth between 1998 and 2007 (according to a recent study by PEW Charitable Trusts).

IEE, NMSU and New Mexico-based laboratories and businesses are well positioned in the race to power ground and air vehicles with biofuels. Collaboration is key to successful research and development and the economic impact of commercial biofuel operations is expected to be vast.

The Institute for Energy and the Environment includes WERC, a consortium for environmental education and technology development, Southwest Technology Development Institute, a renewable energy research and development group, and Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center, a nuclear waste-management and monitoring center. For more information, contact Abbas Ghassemi, IEE Director at (800) 523-5996 or (575) 646-2038, or visit http://iee.nmsu.edu.

Michael Hyman, marketing professor at New Mexico State University, will serve as the Stan Fulton Chair in Marketing at NMSU’s College of Business. (NMSU Photo by Darren Phillips)

Michael Hyman, a marketing professor at New Mexico State University, has been named the Stan Fulton Chair in Business at NMSU’s College of Business.

“I’m honored to be the first person selected as the Stan Fulton Chair,” Hyman said. He currently teaches marketing research and sports marketing as well as doctoral level courses in marketing theory and applied research methods.

The Stan Fulton Chair was created by a $1 million gift from Stan Fulton, owner of Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino. Earnings from the endowment are used to support the salary of the faculty member holding the chair, as well as program development and other needs.

The Stan Fulton Chair is structured for a senior faculty member to mentor junior faculty members as well as doctoral students. A recommendation for the chair is made by the college’s faculty council and then sent to the dean for approval.

“Mike Hyman completely immerses himself in the scholarship of discovery,” said Elise “Pookie” Sautter, department head for marketing. “His insightful research and writing skills make him highly sought after as a reviewer, as a co-author and an invaluable asset to our marketing Ph.D. program.”

As part of his responsibilities, Hyman will work with Chris Erickson, an NMSU economics professor, to produce New Mexico Business Outlook, an online publication highlighting various aspects of business in the state. Hyman will focus particularly on ethics and public policy, and provide a preliminary venue for faculty members to publish their work.

Hyman earned his Ph.D. at Purdue University in 1984. He taught at the University of Houston and the University of North Texas before joining the NMSU faculty in 1993. Author of more than 100 published scholarly papers and current member of nine journal editorial review boards, he previously held the Wells Fargo and NationsBank professorships in the College of Business. His research interests include consumers’ response to advertising, marketing ethics, survey research methods and knowledge acquisition in academia.

There are four, $1 million or more chairs in the College of Business. They include the Mountain States Insurance Group Endowed Chair, the Garrey E. and Katherine T. Carruthers Chair in Economic Development, the Robin T. Peterson Endowed Chair in Marketing and the Stan Fulton Chair.

Recently elected University Research Council (URC) chair, Dr. Meghan Starbuck is an outstanding professor at the Department of Economics and International Business with a passion for teaching and research.

Dr. Starbuck will lead this stand-alone council established to foster research at New Mexico State University. Its role is to assist the Vice President for Research, Graduate Studies, and International Programs, and the Executive Vice President regarding research affairs at the university. Its goals are to increase research and creative activities, improve the institutional environment for research, strengthen the interdependence between research areas and creative activities, and to increase public awareness of NMSU research.

Read the NMSU Research News article.

It looks like a toy, but what you’ll actually be seeing in this week’s program is a recently donated quarter million dollar remote controlled helicopter (UAV) that NMSU students will be using as they study aerospace engineering.

Also, we get an update on NMSU’s plans to construct a new policy center named for former New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici. Garrey Carruthers, Dean of NMSU’s Business College and former NM Governor, has been appointed the first Director of the Domenici Institute.

Our Amazing Aggie of the week is Pat Conn, She has more than doubled the number of scholarships available to education students.

Visit NMSU’s YouTube and the College of Business YouTube.

Yates and Domenici, Leadership course on March 20, 2009. (NMSU photo by Robert Yee)

Former Sen. Pete Domenici and Peyton Yates, former president of Yates Petroleum Corporation, spoke to students Friday, March 20, in a leadership course taught by Garrey Carruthers, dean of the College of Business and former New Mexico governor.

NMSU is now home to the Domenici Institute. Its mission is to conduct public policy research, provide outreach with entrepreneurship and business incubation.

This year, Yates was named NMSU’s first executive in residence, a position for those who are successful in the business world to help and mentor NMSU business students.

Domenici and Carruthers, Leadership course on March 20, 2009. (NMSU photo by Robert Yee)

Former Sen. Pete Domenici and Peyton Yates, former president of Yates Petroleum Corporation, spoke to students Friday, March 20, in a leadership course taught by Garrey Carruthers, dean of the College of Business and former New Mexico governor. NMSU is now home to the Domenici Institute. Its mission is to conduct public policy research, provide outreach with entrepreneurship and business incubation.

Yates and Domenici, Leadership course on March 20, 2009. (NMSU photo by Robert Yee)

This year, Yates was named as NMSU’s first executive in residence, a position for those who are successful in the business world to help and mentor NMSU business students.

(NMSU photos by Robert Yee)

Domenici

New Mexico State University students will have a rare opportunity to hear from both a former senator and a successful entrepreneur during a class at the NMSU College of Business.

Yates

Former Sen. Pete Domenici and Peyton Yates, former president of Yates Petroleum Corporation, will speak to students at 1 p.m. Friday, March 20, in a leadership course taught by Garrey Carruthers, dean of the College of Business and former New Mexico governor.

NMSU is now home to the Domenici Institute, named for former Sen. Pete Domenici who retired last year as the longest-serving senator in New Mexico history. The institute’s mission is to conduct public policy research, provide outreach with entrepreneurship and business incubation, assist in maintaining the Domenici Archives at the NMSU Library and sponsor an annual public policy conference.

This year, Yates was named as NMSU’s first executive in residence, a position for those who are successful in the business world to help and mentor NMSU business students.

Contact: Sharon Jones, (575) 646-5850.

New Mexico State University will host the Energy and Economic Development in New Mexico Conference Thursday, March 19, at NMSU’s Corbett Center Senate Chambers. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. For more information or to register, contact energyconference@business.nmsu.edu or visit http://business.nmsu.edu/~energyconference/.

The event’s keynote speaker, former Sen. Pete Domenici, will speak on New Mexico’s energy future. Other speakers will cover topics including energy prices, tax policy, the future of fossil fuels and the economic impact of federal energy expenditures in New Mexico.

The event is part of NMSU’s Arrowhead Center Prosper Project, an effort to study relationships between fossil fuel production, economic development and water in the state. Arrowhead Center’s mission is to promote economic development and student engagement in New Mexico. Last year Arrowhead Center received a three-year, $1.2 million grant for the project from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

“Energy, economic development and water are the three most important issues facing New Mexico,” said Jim Peach, co-director of Arrowhead Center’s policy analysis unit. “That’s why this conference is important to everyone in the state.”

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. New Mexico’s per capita income is 20 percent below the national average. Peach believes New Mexico has an opportunity to create wealth and jobs by using its own energy to promote economic development.

A paddlewheel circulates the water in one of the algae ponds at New Mexico State University's Agricultural Science Center at Artesia, where researchers are growing algae on a large scale. (NMSU photo by Mario A. Montes)

To support the research for the potential of algal-based fuel, an internal award of $50,000 was recently presented to two New Mexico State University faculty members by the Office of the Vice President for Research.

The award was in support of President Waded Cruzado’s call for a “Year of Sustainability” at NMSU. Meghan Starbuck, an assistant professor in economics and international business, and Luz-Elena Mimbela, a project manager for the Institute of Energy and Environment (IEE), will be developing a techno-economic model for the algal biofuel industry.

“If we can solve the issues related to unlocking the potential of algae, we have the potential to spur tremendous economic growth in the state,” Starbuck said.

The research will develop estimates for a commercial scale algal-based fuel industry in New Mexico.

The support for the project stems from the concept that oils naturally produced by algae can be converted into fuel that can run in most modern vehicles. Starbuck said algae are potentially eight times more efficient at converting sunlight into biomass than the most efficient land-based plant.

The researchers and others investigating algal biofuel are trying to answer the question: “Is it possible to produce enough oil from algae, at low enough prices and without harming the environment or disrupting food supply systems, to compete with fossil fuel oils?”

The models produced by Starbuck and Mimbela’s research will be examining the cost of production, potential supply and price of algal-based fuel, as well as the potential impacts of the industry on the state and economic development.

“Secure, abundant, affordable energy is the life blood of an industrialized economy,” Starbuck said. “Without energy, mankind goes back to the Stone Age.”

Starbuck said the models and simulations created by the project can be used by researchers, investors and policy makers to better understand the effects of renewable energy technology on the economy, energy sector and the environment.

However, developing the research into the next generation of fuels faces numerous barriers, Starbuck said.

“It is a challenge we must meet in order to create new jobs, new growth and new industries for the state and country,” Starbuck said. “The race to develop the next source of energy to fuel the economy is in full force; and if we fail to develop this technology, others will – and the economic development and job creation will be theirs.”

Mimbela and Starbuck were awarded the grant for a proposal submitted to the interdisciplinary research grants competition for 2009.

“The proposal could not have come at a better time,” said Vimal Chaitanya, vice president for research and graduate studies at NMSU. “The answer to the question they raised will have a profound impact on the future of algal fuel sustainability.

In addition to working with other NMSU researchers engaged in biofuels research, they will collaborate with Sandia National Laboratories, National Renewable Energy laboratory, Sapphire Energy and the Center of Excellence for Hazardous Materials Management (CEHMM), among others.

Garrey Carruthers, dean of the NMSU College of Business and vice president for economic development, will be the first director of NMSU’s Domenici Institute. (NMSU photo by Darren Phillips)

New Mexico State University has named Garrey Carruthers, dean of the NMSU College of Business and vice president for economic development, as the first director of NMSU’s Domenici Institute.The institute is named for former Sen. Pete Domenici who retired last year as the longest-serving senator in New Mexico history. The institute’s mission is to conduct public policy research, provide outreach with entrepreneurship and business incubation, assist in maintaining the Domenici Archives at the NMSU Library and sponsor an annual public policy conference.

“We have a big job,” said Domenici. “There is still a lot of work to do for the people of New Mexico, especially in the areas of energy and the economy. I know New Mexico State University and the Domenici Institute will play an important role in tackling these issues.”

The institute was made possible by a $10 million federal grant.

“This institute is not just a fitting tribute to one of New Mexico’s most influential figures, but also a much needed tool for helping the state grow through outreach and research,” Carruthers said.

“This is a very important project. It will allow us to bring together some of the best people and information to tackle some of the most pressing issues of today,” said Bob Moulton, NMSU’s interim executive vice president and provost.

Carruthers, who is also a former New Mexico governor, said the institute will focus on issues championed by the senator during his time in office, including economic development, energy, national security, natural resources, behavioral health and nuclear nonproliferation.

Promoting entrepreneurship and local economic development is only a small fraction of the several opportunities that the NMSU Arrowhead Center offers to New Mexicans and students.

The Arrowhead Center helps out a wide variety of businesses around the state by providing them with a schematic to develop or initiate their ideas.

“Our mission is to promote economic development in New Mexico by generating jobs and wealth for New Mexico citizens and bring companies to our local area,” said Sara Sanders, director of entrepreneurship at the Arrowhead Center. “We’ve helped start salsa businesses with homemade recipes and created a business plan for the New Mexico Spaceport.”

However, the Arrowhead Center is quite different because most business research projects are developed and created by NMSU students.

“The experience at Arrowhead that students get is unlike anywhere else on campus,” Sanders said. “It exposes students to all different types of industries, business sectors, local and statewide companies. It provides networking opportunities for students and gives them large exposure to research and business plans.”

Albert Mays, a graduate student in economics, has been working at Arrowhead for almost a month.

“I am a research analysis employee,” Mays said. “We help out various companies with developing business and marketing plans. Also, we help out the state with future economic projections.”

Currently working on a policy analysis of sexual education for the Deming School District, Mays is researching different ways to teach sexual education like contraceptive education and abstinence-only education.

“I am getting statistics and I will eventually present them with an analytical report [to the Deming education department],” Mays said.

Also working on developing a future project for NMSU, Deanna Bonjione is a graduate student in accounting.

“I’m working on implementing a new research laboratory, somewhat like a library, which is going to be used by all the grad assistants that work here,” Bonjione said. “It will be for any of the clients that come [to Arrowhead]. It’s going to have a lot of useful resources for them to help them start up their own business.”

Arrowhead helps by providing graduate students with real world experiences and community businesses with feasible marketing plans.

“We work with small business owners, existing businesses and anyone looking at starting a business in New Mexico,” said Matt Elgersma, business research and outreach coordinator for the Arrowhead Center. “Typically what we offer to our clients in business plans is feasibility studies, marketed analysis and strategic plans.”

Elgersma explained if someone is looking into offering a new product or service and want someone to see if it is a viable opportunity then the Arrowhead Center can offer that opportunity.

“We do about 12 to 15 projects per semester as well as in the summer,” Elgersma said. “People can find project submission forms online and how many students we have [coincides] with how many projects we can accommodate.”

Sanders said she highly encourages NMSU students if they have a business idea or looking to join the team to contact the Arrowhead Center.

Elgersma said the center typically looks for graduate degree-seeking students.

“We are always open to a diverse work group,” Elgersma added. “We would like to try to get the most competitive students possible to fill our positions. This is one of the best graduate assistants on campus, as far as I am concerned.”

He explained the hours are flexible and students can gain good work experience, but are very selective in their decision.

“I would like to have all colleges represented beside the business college,” Elgersma said. “We have high expectations and we produced high quality work. If somebody is really interested in what we do, in either working here or presenting a project, I heavily encourage them to come down and talk to us; we’re here for the community.”

For more information about the Arrowhead Center visit the Academic Research Center or check out www.arrowheadcenter.nmsu.edu.

Researchers from around the world will meet in Corbett Center Student Union today and Friday to discuss similarities between the Rio Grande and the Jordan River in an effort to learn how to better conserve water.

Because the southwestern United States, northern Mexico and the Middle East have similar climates and are each in need of water resources, groups such as the New Mexico Water Research Institute, the NMSU International Relations Insitutute and experts from Mexico and the Middle East will gather to learn from each other’s research.

NMSU associate professor of geography Christopher Brown said there are multiple demands on the Rio Grande that generate friction.

“Rio Grande water is used by Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico. Although most of the water is used for agriculture, the river is 100 percent allocated, meaning people own all rights to the water,” Brown said.

Water quality of the Rio Grande is an issue. Brown said all sewage treatment plants run into the river.

The Jordan River provides water for Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Jordan.

Sixteen experts on water issues will speak at the conference. Problems being discussed will include population along the rivers, water quality and limited supplies.

Speakers include former U.S. Ambassador to Qatar Kenton Keith, who will speak of demographics in the Jordan River region, and Jean Parcher of the U.S. Geological Survey Mid-Continent Geographic Science Center in Austin, Texas who will give an overview of the Rio Grande watershed.

Brown said that although there have been many conferences concerning the Rio Grande, to the best of his knowledge, this is the first to compare the two rivers.

“The beauty of the conference is it provides opportunities to learn about their watershed and for them to learn about our watershed,” Brown said. “It will be very interesting to people who live here to hear people of Israel and Palestine come here and learn from them.”

Brown said the meeting and water research done by groups such as the New Mexico Water Research Institute is vital to helping the state and NMSU as research continues.

Brown, who has conducted research on water resources and border security issues, is the director of Spatial Applications Research Center at NMSU, and is on a science advisory board for the Rio Grande composed of researchers from NMSU and UNM.

“It is exactly the kind of research effort NMSU should support,” Brown said. “It is very important to national and international research at NMSU.”

“This conference will give the university community and people in the region a wonderful opportunity to look at two different basins that share similar challenges, similar physical geographies and somewhat similar political geographies,” Brown said in a press release.

While NMSU seeks international research, state representative Paul Bandy and the state’s Water and Natural Resource Committee have taken a step to help conserve water as well.

A bill proposed by Bandy in Dec. 2008 has been added to the 2009 New Mexico legislature in which the Water and Natural Resources Committee is asking NMSU to report any research done on water consumptive use to the state.

On Jan. 22-23, New Mexico State University’s Water Resources Research Institute and NMSU’s International Relations Institute will host a conference to address the problems and compare the similarities of the Rio Grande watershed and the Middle East’s Jordan River watershed.

New Mexico State University is looking beyond this nation’s borders to find answers to one of the scarcest resources of the arid Southwest – water.New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute, NMSU’s International Relations Institute, with co-sponsors Sandia National Laboratories, NMSU’s Institute for Energy and the Environment, and others will gather experts from around the United States, Mexico and the Middle East to discuss similarities and problems of the Rio Grande and Jordan River basins.

The Rio Grande provides water for Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico. The Jordan River provides water for Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. The Rio Grande water shed is regulated by two different treaties between the U.S. and Mexico. The portion above Fort Quitman, Texas, is regulated by the treaty of 1906. Texas’ lower valley Rio Grande watershed is regulated by the treaty of 1944. The Jordan River is also regulated by treaties – peace treaties between adjacent countries after the 1967 Six Day War between Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt in which water issues were one of the catalysts for hostilities.

Though wars over water are not in the immediate history of Mexico, Texas and New Mexico, sharing of the Rio Grande, at times, has created tense moments between the shareholders. However, the Middle East, southern New Mexico, west Texas and northern Mexico do share one thing – arid lands, and limited water resources by the number of rivers and aquifers that supply these regions.

On Jan. 22-23, 2009, these similarities will be discussed. The “Transboundary Water Crises: Learning from Our Neighbors in the Rio Grande (Bravo) and Jordan River Watersheds” conference will have an impressive list of 16 speakers, all experts on water issues. Some of the problems they will discuss are “the exploding human population along both rivers, water quality issues such as waterborne diseases, salinity problems, and because it is an arid environment, limited supplies,” said Karl Wood, director of the New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute and principal organizer of the conference. “It’s a limited resource with greater demands, and the demands are increasing while the supplies are not.”

“This conference will give the university community and people in the region a wonderful opportunity to look at two different basins that share similar challenges, similar physical geographies, somewhat similar political geographies,” said Christopher P. Brown, associate professor of geography and director of Spatial Applications Research Center at NMSU. Brown is a big fan of comparative studies and has done research in comparing water resource and border security issues in the Middle East and the Rio Grande region.

One of the speakers at the conference will be former U.S. ambassador to Qatar Kenton Keith, who is also senior vice president of the Meridian International Center, a nonprofit institution dedicated exclusively to public diplomacy and global engagement. Keith will speak about the demographics of the Jordan River region.

Another expert in Middle East water studies is Clive Lipchin, professor at Israel’s Arava Institute. As a member of the Arava Institute faculty Lipchin teaches courses in sustainable development, water management, scientific research methodology and culture and environment interactions. Most recently, he has been involved in a regional project on assessing impacts on the declining water level of the Dead Sea.

Closer to home, Jean Parcher from the U.S. Geological Survey Mid-Continent Geographic Science Center in Austin, Texas, will give conference attendees an overview of the Rio Grande watershed. She has done research on transboundary geographic issues with an emphasis on the U.S.-Mexico border region.

Felipe Arrequín Cortés from the Mexico’s National Water Commission will speak on the historical governance of the Rio Grande. Arrequín Cortés has done research and written several papers on Mexico’s water resources.

On Jan. 23, there will be a panel discussion and open forum that will be moderated by Delano Lewis, former U.S. ambassador to South Africa and director of the International Relations Institute. Lewis and Wood will also give the opening remarks for the conference on Jan. 22.

Even though there are no fees for the conference, participants are encouraged to register online at http://wrri.nmsu.edu/conf/rgrj/conf.html.