Category: Community

Happy Summer! Diversity has been the word here at NM EPSCoR’s office during the month of May. I am excited to share that our Diversity Team is in the midst of creating our very own Diversity Strategic Plan. Five diversity advocates from across the state joined the Diversity Team to focus and strategize NM EPSCoR’s diversity work. I will share this document with you when it is finalized on our Diversity page by the end of this month.

And they’re off! Eleven bright-eyed undergraduates from seven New Mexico Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) reported to New Mexico Tech (NMT) on Sunday, June 2 to begin their participation in STEMAP. STEMAP, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Advancement Program, gives undergraduates from non-research universities the opportunity to work in the labs of NM EPSCoR researchers. The nine-week commitment involves a week of training at NMT and eight weeks of research followed by a final conference at which the students present their research experience.

The first All Hands Meeting of the New Mexico EPSCoR Energize New Mexico project was a great success! Over 100 project participants and guests attended to listen to talks on diversity, collaboration, data management, and all 7 components of the Energize New Mexico project.

I am the Diversity Outreach Specialist for NM EPSCoR. One of my tasks as Diversity Outreach Specialist is to recruit for our summer student research program, STEM Advancement Program (STEMAP), and faculty-student team modeling opportunity, Undergraduate Visualization Modeling Network (UVMN). Read my latest news after the jump.

Greetings and Happy New Year! First off I’d like to introduce myself. I am Chelsea Chee, the NM EPSCoR Diversity Outreach Specialist. I have spent many years working on and with tribal communities (mainly on the Navajo Nation and with young people) around climate change, global warming, and sustainability. So, I was attracted to NM EPSCoR’s work on renewable energy and goal of enhancing diversity. I am excited to be in this position and look forward to what else this opportunity will bring.

New Mexico EPSCoR is proud to offer two programs in 2014 to encourage undergraduate students, especially those from underrepresented groups, to pursue education and careers in STEM fields. Both programs are now open for applications.

You might have noticed that the science IQ in Albuquerque seemed a little bit higher in mid-October and that’s because more than 1,700 science museum professionals from 42 countries were in town for the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) Annual Conference. Local museum hosts Explora, National Museum of Nuclear History and Science, and New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science showcased New Mexico’s natural and cultural heritage in addition to our scientific and technological accomplishments.

Phyllis Baca, New Mexico EPSCoR partner and component lead on both Workforce Development and Diversity, was recently honored with the Seventh Annual IMPACT! Award by the New Mexico Network for Women in Science and Engineering (NMNWSE) and the New Mexico Commissions on the Status of Women. The IMPACT!

New Mexico EPSCoR is announcing two brand new rounds of funding for Infrastructure Seed Awards and Diversity Innovation Work Groups (IWGs). As part of our 5-year Energize New Mexico grant, NM EPSCoR seeks to improve our understanding of how New Mexico can realize its energy development potential in a sustainable manner. Along with the six science components and cyberinfrastructure, NM EPSCoR is also committed to broadening participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), diversifying STEM fields, and communicating research to the public.

As many already know, it takes a lot of planning to achieve the NSF EPSCoR goal of improving the R&D competitiveness of researchers and institutions within EPSCoR jurisdictions, and NM EPSCoR is no exception. Team leaders, State Committee members, and NM EPSCoR staff and participants are gathering today and tomorrow at the UNM Science and Technology park for a 2-day Strategic Planning Retreat, facilitated by New Mexico First.