It’s time for me to say farewell to the New Mexico EPSCoR community and embark on new adventures. It has been a pleasure to work with you all and get to know many of you over the last five years. I hope you’ll provide a warm reception to Dr. Selena Connealy, who is the newly appointed Interim Associate Director for NM EPSCoR. Many of you already know Selena, and know not only her deep expertise in STEM education and managing team science and outreach projects, but also know how delightful she is to work with. 

Our second NM SMART Grid Center 2020 extern, Mara Yarbrough, just completed her 10-week externship with the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) researching practical policies state governments can implement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. She shared her thoughts with us on the experience in this brief reflection. Enjoy!

We are heartbroken to share the news that Luke Spangenburg, a valued member of the NM EPSCoR research and education team, passed away earlier this month. 

The National Science Foundation has awarded researchers at the University of New Mexico (UNM), New Mexico Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NM EPSCoR), and partner institutions a total of $739,619 in research grants to address the under-representation of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines and workforce.

“Sustainability” is complex and the term has many different definitions, particularly when it applies to a large National Science Foundation (NSF) project like the NM SMART Grid Center. One common definition relates to environmental sustainability and the perceived need to avoid depletion of the natural resources upon which we depend.

For ten weeks, University of New Mexico recent Law School graduate, Morgan Johnson, worked for the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) researching energy efficiency initiatives intended to support low-to-moderate income New Mexicans.  At the end of her externship, she provided this 'report-out' describing her NM EPSCoR Externship experience. Enjoy!

When UNM ADVANCE announced their Women in STEM awards on June 17th, the NM EPSCoR team was elated to learn that three of the eight women have NM EPSCoR ties.

In 2005, Heather Canavan was hired as an Assistant Professor by the University of New Mexico’s (UNM) Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering with support from NM EPSCoR through RII2 NM NEW – an award focused on developing nanoscience and hydrology capacity within the state. For Heather, EPSCoR functioned much like a wood brace does for a newly planted tree sapling.

Who has been a part of NM EPSCoR the longest? The answer may surprise you.

In 2012, I was working as Education Coordinator for the Valles Caldera Trust, a small experimental federal agency charged with managing the 89,000-acre Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP) in the Jemez Mountains. New in my position, I had taken it upon myself to overhaul VCNP education efforts and establish a tiered education program offering place-based STEM field trips to local k-12 students.