LAS CRUCES – The final presidential search candidate to visit New Mexico State University is a self-described “land-grant guy” who touted his 42 years of experience in land-grant institutions – from his time as a student through his most recent position as chancellor at North Carolina State University.

But Jim Oblinger also spent some time Monday explaining why he is no longer chancellor at that school, having stepped down in June in the wake of a scandal involving the hiring of former North Carolina first lady Mary Easley.

“I decided that I would do the honorable thing,” Oblinger said in a news conference Monday at NMSU. “That I would step down as chancellor at NCSU so that we could move on.

“I did three groundbreakings in a week – great press coverage, but not a single question about the groundbreaking, but all about Mary Easley.”

Easley was hired without a search, Oblinger said, because her network of connections made her uniquely qualified to develop a seminar series that brought speakers including Bill Clinton and Charlie Rose to the campus. After her three-year contract was up, she was signed to a new contract with a significant salary increase – from $90,000 to $170,000 per year – along with additional responsibilities, including the creation of a public safety institute to develop textiles and technology to protect first responders.

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.

In Front of the Classroom: Training Native PhDs as Business Professors

Joe Gladstone, PhD student, Department of Management

Joe Gladstone, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Management, was featured in an article in Winds of Change, the premier American Indian-published and nationally distributed full-color magazine focusing on career and educational advancement for Native people (http://www.wocmag.org).

Winds of Change, Autumn 2009, Volume 24, Number 4.

Interviewers talked to Gladstone and three Native American management professors about business research and education for American Indians.

Graduates of The PhD Project discuss how gaining a doctorate in business contributes to economic improvement within Native communities and creates role models for future business leaders.

Read the article: Winds of Change: Fall 2009.

Winds of Change is the premier American Indian-published and nationally distributed full-color magazine with a focus on career and educational advancement for Native people. Articles highlight cross-cultural issues of interest to both Native and non-Native people. Since 1986, the magazine has served as a channel for information and ideas relevant to the needs and interests of both students and professionals. In recent issues, Winds of Change has explored such current topics as bridging traditional science with technology, business and entrepreneurship, long-distance learning, mentoring, public health, and a broad range of careers.

The artwork on the covers and throughout each issue of Winds of Change has left distinctive, memorable images in the minds of readers for many years. Prominent Native artists featured in the magazine include: Al Qöyawayma, Hopi; Ben Harjo, Seminole/Shawnee; Burgess Roye, Ponca; Ed Defender, Standing Rock Sioux; Sam English, Turtle Mountain Chippewa; and Virginia Stroud, United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.

Lisa Rossbacher

The second woman presidential candidate for New Mexico State University visited campus Friday and shared her experience in outer space research, diversity and her thoughts on how to recruit talented students, faculty and staff.

Lisa Rossbacher, who has served as president of Southern Polytechnic State University in Georgia for the past 12 years, said she was very impressed with NMSU and enjoyed her time visiting Las Cruces and the campus.

“We have a long-standing appreciation for New Mexico,” Rossbacher said, adding that her husband orders a box of Big Jim green chile from New Mexico every year and that she and her husband have spent a few holidays in New Mexico.

Rossbacher has worked with the Alliance for Minority Participation, encouraging underrepresented students to pursue careers in the science, technology, engineering and math fields. Rossbacher said Southern Polytech ranks number one in the percentage of African American students who earn degrees in the STEM fields, and diversity is important to her.

“We’re tremendously impressed with everything going on at New Mexico State University, [including] diversity and the way it’s embraced and [taken to] the heart of the university,” Rossbacher said.

Rossbacher said communication is a key part of attracting the best staff, faculty and students to NMSU, and she said she has been building up a list of qualified individuals who would add to the diversity and quality of the institution.

“Presidents always have to be recruiting. I take that to heart,” Rossbacher said. “I’m always recruiting and building a strong pool of applicants.”

Rossbacher said she is attracted to NMSU, for many reasons, including the land grant and space grant missions as well as the climate of Las Cruces.

“I see [the space grant mission] as a great parallel to the land grant mission,” Rossbacher said.

Rossbacher completed a space program at Johnson Space Center, and out of the 5,000 applicants, was one of 120 to be invited to the center for training and an interview.

“That experience gave me a lot of material to [share] with students,” Rossbacher said.

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

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.

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.

Read the article.

]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/23/wsj-new-research-on-spanking-might-need-a-time-out/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/13/shape-6-surprising-reasons-youre-not-losing-weight/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/13/shape-6-surprising-reasons-youre-not-losing-weight/#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:40:39 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=23011 from No byline, Shape, Undated. Retrieved online: Oct. 13, 2009

Despite pulling out all the stops, trading junk food for wholesome snacks, making your own meals, and becoming a kickboxing-class regular, you’re still struggling to shed those last 5 to 10 pounds. Don’t assume that means you can’t reach your goal no matter what you do. Experts say that in many cases, the smartest-sounding diet strategies can actually work against you. Fortunately, by adjusting your approach to some of these “healthy” behaviors, you can get the scale moving in the right direction.

It might just be the world’s most oft-repeated diet advice: Eat slowly and you’ll consume less. But while this works when you’re alone, lingering in a group situation seems to have the opposite effect. A review from the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society found that people take in 40 to 70 percent more calories when dining with family and friends.

“People tend to eat more when they’re in pleasant surroundings, such as at a restaurant or dinner party,” says Collin Payne, assistant professor of marketing at New Mexico State University. “Socializing serves as a distraction, making it hard to monitor what’s on your plate.”

Read the article.

]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/13/shape-6-surprising-reasons-youre-not-losing-weight/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/09/lc-bulletin-arrowhead-center-technology-incubator-looking-for-clients/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/09/lc-bulletin-arrowhead-center-technology-incubator-looking-for-clients/#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=22879 from No Byline, Las Cruces Bulletin, Oct. 2009. Retrieved online: Oct. 9, 2009.

New Mexico’s newest accredited business hub wants to help

“Growing a small business is tough. Why not get some help? New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Technology Incubator specializes in helping small, technology based businesses get off the ground and it is looking for clients.

“We have demonstrable success in securing funding to assist startups and setting up partnerships between them and larger, more established companies,” said Chris Kientz, Arrowhead Center’s director of technology innovation.

The New Mexico Economic Development Department certified the Arrowhead Technology Incubator as the state’s sixth official business incubator earlier this month. It is the only certified incubator in southern New Mexico.

“The certification is part of a very detailed examination of our program and facilities,” said Dawn Hommer, incubation specialist for Arrowhead Center. “The certification helps us work together with other incubators around the state, lending one another advice and expertise. It also allows us to apply for state funding to grow our program.”

Read the article.

]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/09/lc-bulletin-arrowhead-center-technology-incubator-looking-for-clients/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/06/research-resources-leaders-around-the-world/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/06/research-resources-leaders-around-the-world/#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:00:22 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=22637 by Justin Bannister NMSU Research and Resources, Spring 2009. Retrieved online: Oct. 6, 2009.

(Photo by Darren Phillips)

NMSU researcher studies workplace

Would an American with excellent leadership skills in the workplace still be a good leader in Asia? Would a European business leader fare well in Australia? Looking at leadership skills and how they translate into various cultures is part of the research that has made Peter Dorfman, a professor at New Mexico State University’s College of Business, an internationally known researcher.

“I’ve always been fascinated by people and how they work in organizations, how they get along, how they interact, what happens when conflicts arise,” Dorfman said. “I’m especially interested in seeing how those interactions are different in this country as compared to other countries.”

Dorfman

Dorfman came to NMSU’s Department of Management in 1978 for what he thought would be a three- to four-year stay. Thirty years later, he’s still at NMSU, teaching human resource management and general organizational behavior.

“One of the reasons I like living in New Mexico is the cross cultures we have. I enjoy seeing that mix of cultures in my classes, too,” he said. But to successfully learn about leadership skills around the world, one must visit other countries, and Dorfman has traveled extensively during his time as a researcher and teacher. He spent time in Berlin just this past summer and has even taught classes in Hong Kong.

Read the article.

]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/10/06/research-resources-leaders-around-the-world/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/2009/09/30/nmsu%e2%80%99s-newly-accredited-arrowhead-center-technology-incubator-looking-for-clients/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/30/nmsu%e2%80%99s-newly-accredited-arrowhead-center-technology-incubator-looking-for-clients/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:00:41 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=22460 by Justin Bannister NMSU NewsCenter

Growing a small business is tough. Why not get some help? New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Technology Incubator specializes in helping small, technology-based businesses get off the ground and it is looking for clients.

“We have demonstrable success in securing funding to assist startups and setting up partnerships between them and larger, more established companies,” said Chris Kientz, Arrowhead Center’s director of technology innovation.

The New Mexico Economic Development Department certified the Arrowhead Technology Incubator as the state’s sixth official business incubator earlier this month. It is the only certified incubator in Southern New Mexico.

“The certification is part of a very detailed examination of our program and facilities,” said Dawn Hommer, incubation specialist for Arrowhead Center. “The certification helps us work together with other incubators around the state, lending one another advice and expertise. It also allows us to apply for state funding to grow our program.”

She said the incubator is actively seeking technology entrepreneurs at any stage of the development process and is interested in working with anyone in the region, including Southern New Mexico and El Paso.

Particularly, the incubator is looking for companies specializing in energy and natural resources, aerospace and commercial space, biosciences, digital media and national security.

Kientz said a study by the National Business Incubation Association shows more than 80 percent of businesses fail in the first five years. The same study, however, said using a small business incubator turns those numbers completely turned around, with 87 percent of businesses still in operation after five years.

Hommer said businesses benefit because the incubator is part of New Mexico State University, and provides access to faculty researchers as well as students.

Unique for the Arrowhead Technology Incubator is that it also works with other groups inside NMSU’s Arrowhead Center that help all stages of business.

“If you are in the early start up stage, Arrowhead’s entrepreneurship group can help,” Kientz said. “Then, once you are off the ground, you can literally walk to the next building and we can help you here at the incubator.”

He said when businesses outgrow the incubator, they are more than welcome to look at space in NMSU’s 257-acre Arrowhead Business and Research Park, designed for more established companies.

To find out more information about NMSU’s Arrowhead Center and the Arrowhead Technology Incubator, visit http://arrowheadcenter.nmsu.edu or call (575) 646-1434.

]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/30/nmsu%e2%80%99s-newly-accredited-arrowhead-center-technology-incubator-looking-for-clients/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/22/grad-fair-will-present-opportunities-for-all-students/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/22/grad-fair-will-present-opportunities-for-all-students/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 07:00:48 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=22007 by Bryant Million NMSU NewsCenter

New Mexico State University Career Services will hold the 2009 Graduate and Professional School Fair to give all students, regardless of their major or year in school, the chance to meet with admissions representatives from various graduate and professional school programs.

The fair will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, on the first and second floor of Corbett Center Student Union.

The variety of participating schools, including law schools, dental schools, medical schools, general schools and more, will be from all over the country, such as Creighton University, Ohio State University, Texas Tech University and the University of Michigan. More than 55 schools are registered for the fair.

Students are encouraged to prepare for the Graduate and Professional School Fair by knowing what kind of school they are interested in and bringing any documentation, such as research, portfolios, manuscripts, etc., to show what they have to offer to a university. Students should also prepare questions they wish to ask the school, such as requirements for the school and what graduate assistant positions are available.

Students of all years, even freshmen, are invited to attend the event, as it’s never too early to begin preparing, said Lizeth Vazquez, a career advisor at NMSU Career Services.

Career Services offers help for students in writing their personal statement of interest, a requirement from graduate schools in the application process. There is also a library resource center at the Career Services offices where students can use resources to prepare and research schools. The office is located at Garcia Annex in Room 224.

For more information, contact NMSU Career Services at (575) 646-1631 or gradfair@nmsu.edu, or visit the Web site http://careerservices.nmsu.edu.

]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/22/grad-fair-will-present-opportunities-for-all-students/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/04/national-magazine-rankings-place-nmsu-among-best-colleges/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/04/national-magazine-rankings-place-nmsu-among-best-colleges/#comments Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:00:41 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=21149 by Justin Bannister NMSU NewsCenter

New Mexico State University is listed in the top half of universities ranked in a recent analysis by Washington Monthly magazine. This follows NMSU ranking among the top third of universities in a similar list released last month by Forbes.com.

Washington Monthly’s College Guide rated NMSU 109 out of 258 universities it studied. The magazine based the rankings on what it defines as a “contribution to the public good.” Scores focused on recruiting and graduating low-income students, producing cutting-edge research and encouraging students to give something back to their country.

“NMSU has a commitment to the people of New Mexico,” said Waded Cruzado, NMSU’s executive vice president and provost. “As a land-grant university, it is our mission to make a quality education accessible to people throughout the state, as well as to conduct research and provide outreach to benefit those who need it. This ranking highlights the superior job done by our faculty, students and staff.”

Last month, Forbes.com released its annual list of America’s Best Colleges for 2009. In it, NMSU ranked 193 out of 600, placing in the top third of universities across the country. The Forbes rankings heavily weighted student satisfaction with their course instruction, employment success after graduation, the likelihood of graduating on time and tuition costs.

In recent years, NMSU has actively addressed student retention by providing a wide range of academic and other services to those who may need extra help keeping up in class or dealing with personal issues that arise.

To find out more about the Washington Monthly rankings, including the study’s methodology, and to see how other schools fared, visit http://bit.ly/rrlrA. Similar information for the Forbes.com rankings can be found at http://bit.ly/zWJs1.

]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/04/national-magazine-rankings-place-nmsu-among-best-colleges/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/04/nmsu-a-few-steps-above-unm-and-utep/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/04/nmsu-a-few-steps-above-unm-and-utep/#comments Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:00:34 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=21485 by Nikki Shook NMSU Round Up

	Forbes Magazine: America’s Best Colleges	Washington Monthly: College Guide Rankings
New Mexico State University	193	109
University of New Mexico	239	138
University of Texas, El Paso	333	Did not rank

Washington Monthly, a progressive political and cultural magazine, released a list of top colleges Friday, ranking New Mexico State University above the University of New Mexico and the University of Texas, El Paso.

This news comes one month after Forbes released its list of America’s Best Colleges, in which New Mexico State was ranked 193 out of 600. The ranking, once again, beat out the other schools.

Rankings for Washington Monthly, according to the Web site, are based on social mobility, research and service. Forbes uses a different system to rank colleges, part of which stresses the quality of education.

According to the Web site, “It is important to note that if a school appears on this list at all, that indicates it meets a certain level of quality”.

To see the complete list:

www.forbes.com/lists/2009/94/colleges-09_Americas-Best-Colleges_Rank.html

www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/rankings/national_university_rank.php

]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/04/nmsu-a-few-steps-above-unm-and-utep/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/03/krwg-tv-newsmakers-episode-101-energy/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/03/krwg-tv-newsmakers-episode-101-energy/#comments Thu, 03 Sep 2009 07:00:16 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=21158

KRWG TV: Newsmakers

Charles Comer reports from a major energy conference at New Mexico State University featuring US Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu.

Fred Martino interviews Dr. Abbas Ghassemi, Director of NMSU’s Institute for Energy and the Environment.

Charles Comer and Fred Martino feature the people, issues, and events that shape our community.
E-mail your story and interview ideas to feedback@nmsu.edu.

]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/09/03/krwg-tv-newsmakers-episode-101-energy/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/07/22/19923/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/07/22/19923/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 07:00:55 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=19923 by Justin Bannister NMSU News Center

Arrowhead Center CEO Kevin Boberg, General Dynamics President Chris Marzilli and Las Cruces City Councilor Dolores Conner cut the ribbon to officially open the General Dynamics SpacePlex 2 on the NMSU campus. (NMSU Photo by Harrison Brooks)

The newest building at New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Business and Research Park officially opened today with SpacePlex 2, home to an expanded General Dynamics operation at the university. The facility will provide satellite tracking, telemetry and space communications.

“We’re excited,” said Pam Wood, director of the research park. “General Dynamics works with a lot of our professors and students at NMSU. They hire some of our students, too. This is an opportunity to create jobs and collaborate in securing grants and contracts.”

SpacePlex 2 is a 15,000-square-foot building located next to the original SpacePlex facility, constructed in 2001. General Dynamics is a leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. The company was NMSU’s first research park tenant.

“This is a significant step in the rebirth of Arrowhead Business and Research Park,” said Mickey Clute, managing member of Arrowhead Development, the company developing the park.

NMSU is in the middle of the first significant expansion of the research park. The current phase of development consists of 11 acres and will have up to seven buildings and 120,000 square feet of office and laboratory space.

“This park has a lot to offer for companies looking to expand,” said Garrey Carruthers, dean of the NMSU College of Business and vice president for economic development. “Not only is the park conveniently located between Interstates 10 and 25, it also provides a chance for companies to work with our faculty, staff and students – some of the best around.”

The next building to be constructed is in the design stage and is expected to open next summer. It will be 7,500 square feet and broken into smaller, 1,500-square-foot pads for businesses intending to establish themselves before jumping into larger spaces. Clute said the smaller spaces make the building more efficient and attractive to smaller businesses.

In addition to building construction, road work will soon begin on a mile-long extension of Payne Street to Sam Steel Way through the research park. Once complete, the new connection will better link the park to the rest of campus with two lanes for traffic. Clute said the road extension is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Other plans for the research park include working with the Las Cruces Public School District to construct an early college high school where high school students could take college-level courses for credit.

]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/07/22/19923/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/07/17/aggies-go-global-lets-nmsu-students-gain-experience-around-the-world/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/07/17/aggies-go-global-lets-nmsu-students-gain-experience-around-the-world/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2009 07:00:32 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=19646 July 17, 2009 by Justin Bannister NMSU News Center

NMSU student Morgan Nelson stands in front of Big Ben during a trip to London as part of the Aggies Go Global program. (Submitted photo)

Most college students spend their summer vacation trying to get as far away from school as possible. Morgan Nelson, a senior at New Mexico State University, wound up eight time zones away from New Mexico, but his trip was different – he did it with the help of NMSU and the university’s Aggies Go Global program.

“I had never been abroad,” said Nelson, who is majoring in economics as well as agricultural economics and agribusiness.

Nelson is one of the first students to take part in Aggies Go Global, a partnership between NMSU’s International Relations Institute, Study Abroad Programs, Career Services and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. It promotes international opportunities for students as well as positive student experiences while traveling and studying abroad.

“This is an opportunity for students to see how connected we are to other nations,” said Delano Lewis, a senior fellow at NMSU and the director of the International Relations Institute. “It’s imperative to the completeness of one’s education to see how other nations are structured, their religion, their culture and what we share in common.”

Lewis is a former U.S. ambassador to South Africa.

“We live in a small world, and we wanted to enhance the international opportunities for students,” said Gary R. Lowe, global mentoring coordinator for the program. “With cell phones and e-mail, we are so connected. But unfortunately, we are often isolated in this country.”

He said international travel is encouraged at universities across the U.S. as a way for students to gain broader perspectives of cultures and the way people interact.

Nelson spent two weeks traveling to London, Paris and other parts of Europe. Lowe and Richard Phillips, project coordinator for Aggies Go Global, helped him with travel arrangements, and assisted in establishing contacts in agriculture and agricultural policy – a field Nelson wanted to learn more about during his trip.

“Our students are very good academically, but this international experience takes them to the next level,” Phillips said. “Our students weren’t interested in the traditional study abroad classes. They wanted to do research and community outreach.”

During Nelson’s trip, he kept a blog where he wrote about his travels and his various meetings with European and agricultural officials as well as NMSU alums in Europe.

Additional students in the program are currently visiting the countries of Belize and Cambodia while others are planning trips to Mexico, Kenya and Tokyo.

“We are looking for more involvement from across the university, especially in helping to advise students about suitability of programs for their academic objectives,” said Paul Huntsberger, NMSU’s assistant dean for Study Abroad. His office manages student exchanges and similar programs for the NMSU system.

Any students interested in taking part in the program should contact Phillips at rphillip@nmsu.edu, or (575) 646-2353.

]]> http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/07/17/aggies-go-global-lets-nmsu-students-gain-experience-around-the-world/feed/ 0 http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/06/30/nmsu-takes-a-lead-in-growing-america%e2%80%99s-energy-future/ http://business.nmsu.edu/2009/06/30/nmsu-takes-a-lead-in-growing-america%e2%80%99s-energy-future/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:00:12 +0000 Renee Brown http://business.nmsu.edu/?p=18944 June 30, 2009 by Therese Shakra NMSU News Center

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.

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