VOLUME 22, ISSUE 12 10/19/2022 |
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Greetings, Aggies! How are we enjoying the rain? The weather turning cooler is reminding us that the fall semester is going by. We are in the last months of the year. Staff in the college have been busy with preparations for upcoming activities, including Homecoming, coming up this week. This includes selection of the 2022 ACES Distinguished Alumni, Dr. Michael Galyean, who retired from the provost position at Texas Tech and continued on as faculty. We are delighted to have him among the ranks of our distinguished alumni, and we are looking forward to spending time with him. Last week, we enjoyed the visit of the Director of the Inter-American Institute for Corporation on Agriculture (IICA), Dr. Manuel Otero. We had the opportunity to sign an agreement for further collaboration between the IICA, which is located in all the countries of the Americas, and NMSU. Our institution will participate in expanding technological capabilities in digital agriculture, carbon management, and bio economy in concert with the IICA. As part of the agreement, we will participate in the development of a summit on sustainable agriculture in arid and semiarid areas, taking place in September 2023. Thank you to all faculty and staff who have been so incredibly outstanding to help move the needle significantly in funds attracted to the university. The ACES College has a considerable lead over the other colleges of NMSU. Keep an eye out for the new ACES Magazine, which can also be obtained from a link at the bottom of this newsletter. It is an outstanding work that includes a reporting and photography section prepared by our students in agricultural communications. Great work! Thank you for your support and communications, and have a great fall! |
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Rolando A. Flores Galarza Dean & Chief Administrative Officer |
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Dean & Chief Administrative Officer, Rolando A. Flores Galarza and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences cordially invite you to our 2022 Homecoming celebration! Click on the link for more details: ACES Homecoming (nmsu.edu) |
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Renewal of Herb Ward Award for 2022 with Research Success Over Past Three Years The C. Herb Ward Family Endowed Interdisciplinary Chair in Environmental and Water Science was established by Dr. Herb and Barbara Ward in recognition of education he received from New Mexico State University. This chair award was designed to support faculty who are engaged in environmental science with an emphasis on water technology and science, and the award started in 2019. This chair focuses on an interdisciplinary approach since this is not a chair for a particular field but for a particular problem in which solutions must be worked on within a team approach. The ACES Dean Rolando Flores recently renewed this award for Dr. Kenneth "KC" Carroll (Plant & Environmental Science Dept.) based on research success over the past three years. Dr. Ward’s research focused on advancing our understanding contaminant transport in soils and groundwater and developing in situ methods for remediation of groundwater contamination, which are also the areas of research Dr. Carroll has been working on. Several of the advances and papers (from Dr. Carroll’s group) characterized the transport and environmental fate of per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which is a group of recalcitrant emerging contaminants impacting soil and water globally. Some of the papers focused on water quality and toxicity issues with wastewater produced within oil & gas operations in the Permian Basin. Another area of research involved developing direct measurements and indirect methods (temperature sensors and electrical resistivity geophysics) to characterize the exchange between surface water and groundwater. |
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AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION |
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Leyendecker Plant Science Center producing domestic natural rubber in the United States Natural rubber is used for many products such as surgical gloves, medical devices, and toys, but the greatest use is for vehicle and aircraft tires. Most of the natural rubber that we use in the United States is imported from the tropics where rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) can grow very well. In 2020, the United States, imported $1.4 billion worth of natural rubber. However, a natural rubber plant called Guayule (Parthenium argentatum) that is native to the arid Southwest can help reduce the reliance on imports of natural rubber, and farmers in the region can benefit from this huge natural rubber market by growing guayule. Guayule is a shrub that is native to the desert Southwest. It is very drought resilient and requires little input for growth and rubber yields. It is also a perennial plant that is harvested every two years, as it grows back after each harvest. A project called Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions, funded by the USDA-NIFA, now in its fifth year, has been looking at agronomic optimization of guayule and expansion of its growing zone to cover more areas in the arid and semiarid Southwest. Research sites for agronomic optimization include the Leyendecker Plant Science Center in Las Cruces, where two trials are currently being performed on guayule. The first trial, in collaboration with Bridgestone Americas Inc., is a breeding experiment to develop cold-tolerant varieties of guayule. Although guayule is adapted to the desert Southwest, it is susceptible to colder temperatures of more northern latitudes and higher elevations, as this can affect the biomass and the rubber yield. Breeding cultivars that can produce very well in colder zones of the Southwest will allow more farmers to produce guayule, thus providing an alternative crop option for growers in the region. The second trial is focused on fertility management in guayule. Nitrogen and phosphorus effects on guayule growth and yield are being evaluated. This trial will assist farmers to know how much fertilizer input to apply when growing guayule. |
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COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICES |
Extension faculty increase competitive funding Extension faculty have increased their competitive funding for this year by more than 19 percent. “Our extension faculty have done a phenomenal job of seeking and receiving increased grants and contracts from multiple sources to benefit our constitutes,” said Jon Boren, Associate Dean and Cooperative Extension Service Director. These outreach efforts are a benefit to New Mexicans and amplify our Extension and Outreach as part of LEADS 2025. Extension efforts related to agriculture and natural resources, positive youth development, community development and the health and wellness of New Mexico families have been priorities. Extension work will continue to evolve, and specialists and agents will seek additional resources to remain responsive and advance our diverse programs and research in areas we have identified as critical to our state’s future. For more information, contact Program Operations Director Julie Hughes at juhughes@nmsu.edu |
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FUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA (FFA) |
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Attending a fair for many New Mexicans is an annual pastime, The sights, sounds and smells create a feeling of nostalgia for many. This September marked the return of many of our favorite activities, including the New Mexico FFA Red Barn. It is a favorite, which may be due to the baby animals and FFA members. For more than 40 years, The FFA Red Barn has been a staple at the New Mexico State Fair. Each year, guests are greeted by New Mexico FFA members who show off everyone’s favorite animals. Members of the community can touch the animals, ask questions, and even vote on their favorite animal. For many fairgoers, the Red Barn is their first stop upon coming to the fair. Visitors love coming back year after year and often share their memories of FFA or a memorable story of a past visit to the red barn. |
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Socorro FFA member shares a Nigerian dwarf goat with students during their school field trip. This goat was only four weeks old. Students were able to pet and interact with the animals. |
| State Officer Jordan Hammill (Artesia) shares the importance of dairy cattle and how to properly milk “Gertie." |
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This newly hatched chick is ready to greet fairgoers with his friends. |
| Members of the Belen FFA chapter worked with members of the State FFA Officer Team to share the importance of agriculture with the community during the 2022 New Mexico State Fair. |
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INNOVATIVE MEDIA, RESEARCH AND EXTENSION |
New Educational Video Resource for Farmers and Ranchers Monitoring water wells regularly is important, especially in arid and semi-arid regions like New Mexico. Testing the age of well water can provide important information to make informed decisions about groundwater and underlying aquifers. A new educational video, “Determining the Age of Well Water,” guides farmers, ranchers, and homeowners through the process. The video was created by the Department of Innovative Media, Research and Extension as part of “Participatory approaches to Agroecosystem Resilience In times of Drought (ARID),” a USDA-NIFA funded project led by Dr. Caiti Steele, Coordinator and Deputy Director of the Southwest Climate Hub. Dr. Rossana Sallenave, Extension Aquatic Ecology Specialist in the Department of Extension Animal Science and Natural Resources, and outside experts served as content advisors.
The video is available at YouTube, where it has already received 2,978 views, and on the ARID website. More information about monitoring well water can be found in NMSU ACES Extension Guide M-11.
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Remote Seminar Builds Connection with China University of Geosciences, Beijing Recently, Dr. Kenneth "KC" Carroll gave a seminar presentation through Zoom to students and researchers from China University of Geosciences, Beijing (CUGB) titled “Development and Application of Multidisciplinary Hydrogeology Research.” Dr. Carroll, along with a group from ACES, visited Beijing in 2016 and 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic limited travel since then. Even though travel and student exchange with China is restricted, ACES continues to build collaborations and connect with students through online meetings. Dr. Carroll met Prof. Xue Qiang (薛强) at the 2018 American Geophysical Union conference and has built a collaboration (Tang et al., 2022). In 2019, Dr. Carroll connected with Prof. Huaming Guo (郭华明), who is a Chief Editor for the Journal of Hydrology and Journal of Hydrology X , and since then Dr. Carroll has been Associate Editor supporting Prof. Guo. Please contact Kenneth C. Carroll at kccarr@nmsu.edu for more information. Jie Tang. Yun Wang. Qiang Xue. Fei Liu. Kenneth C. Carroll. Et all. (2022). A mechanistic study of ciprofloxacin adsorption by goethite in the presence of silver and titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Journal of Environmental Sciences, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2021.08.052). |
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NMSU has launched a national search for the university’s next provost and chief academic officer.The provost will report to the chancellor while overseeing the university's mission according to NMSU LEADS 2025 strategic plan. The campus community may nominate candidates.
More information, including a search profile can be found here. Rolando A. Flores Galarza, dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, will serve as chair. Interim Provost Dorothy Campbell will serve as a senior adviser for the committee.
NMSU is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained faculty and staff. Women, minorities, people with disabilities, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. |
SCHOOL OF HOTEL, RESTAURANT AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT |
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The School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management Welcomes Assistant Professor, Dr. Christina Dimitriou The School of HRTM would like to introduce our newest faculty member, Assistant Professor Dr. Christina K. Dimitriou. She is teaching Introduction to Tourism, Senior Capstone Experience, and Sustainability in the Hospitality industry. Dr. Dimitriou holds a Ph.D. in Hospitality Administration from Texas Tech University, a MS in Tourism Policy and Management from University of Birmingham, England and a BS in Tourism Business Administration from Technological Educational Institute, Larissa, Greece. She has taught tourism and hospitality courses in the US and Europe for over 20 years. Dr. Dimitriou is a strong supporter and promoter of hospitality ethics education through her research and teaching. She specializes in ethical leadership focusing on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Her accomplishments include numerous research publications in hospitality and tourism journals, invited book chapters, and national and international conference presentations. She serves as Assistant Editor of Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Issues (JOHTI) and Editorial Board Member of Journal of Tourism Futures. https://hrtm.nmsu.edu/faculty/christina-dimitriou.html |
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SUSTAINABLE SOUTHWEST BEEF CAP NEWSLETTER |
To view the Sustainable Southwest Beef CAP Newsletter click on the link below: Newsletters | Southwest Beef |
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SAVE THE DATE – OPEN HOUSE 2023 For planning purposes and in order for the public to know when to expect the event, the ACES Open House will be held annually on the first Saturday in April. Open House 2023 is scheduled for April 1, from 9 a.m. until noon. This free, fun and family-friendly event allows the college to showcase the great work we are doing related to teaching, research, extension and outreach. We hope to see you there! For more information contact Professor Priscilla Bloomquist at pbloomqu@nmsu.edu |
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The College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences is an engine for economic and community development in New Mexico, improving the lives of New Mexicans through academic, research, and Extension programs. |
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