VOLUME 2023, ISSUE 12 08/07/2023 |
Greetings Aggies and friends of the College of ACES, We are getting ready to start classes this month. As you can see, activities in the college continue very strongly. We are getting ready for the opening of the new Ag facilities funded by the GO bond in the next couple of months and have our ribbon cutting ceremony on the week of homecoming, November 3, 2023. We will be sending out an open invitation to everyone that would like to attend, participate, and collaborate on the establishment of excellent programs in the College of ACES. This past week we concluded our second tour with Provost Dr. Alan Shoho. More will be coming in the next issue. We had the opportunity to visit and participate in both the Clovis and Tucumcari Field Days. Provost Shoho is extremely delighted by learning and knowing more about the ACES College, its people, and its programs. We also extend a warm welcome to Dr. Ricardo Ramirez, who began as department head of Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Weed Science (EPPWS) on August 1. We welcome him back to NMSU and celebrate his work on field and forage crops in agroecology and pollinators. We encourage you all to congratulate Dr. Ramirez and assist and collaborate with him in moving the department forward toward the accomplishments of the goals of LEADS 2025 in benefit of ACES, NMSU and New Mexico. Thank you, everyone, for your support and collaboration. Please enjoy the content of this newsletter documenting the tremendous successes of our faculty, staff and students. |
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Dean's Retreat Leadership Activity “Ties that Bind” |
Rolando A. Flores Galarza Dean & Chief Administrative Officer |
C. HERB WARD FAMILY ENDOWED CHAIR |
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The department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology (FWCE) is pleased to announce that Dr. Wiebke Boeing has been named the C. Herb Ward Family Endowed Chair in Environmental and Water Science. The Chair was established by Dr. Herb and Barbara Ward in recognition of education he received from NMSU. Dr. Ward received his undergraduate degree from NMSU in 1955 and has been affiliated with Rice University since 1966. During his career, Ward's research has focused on microbial processes and engineering for surface and ground water quality. The C. Herb Ward Family Endowed Chair in Environmental and Water Science is supported by an endowment to the NMSU College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES). The Chair allows the recipient to focus on interdisciplinary approaches to solving problems associated with water resources. |
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Dr. Wiebke Boeing is an aquatic ecologist and has been a faculty member in NMSU’s Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology since 2004 and Full Professor in the department since 2015. Dr. Boeing’s interests lie in the effects of climate change and anthropogenic activities on aquatic systems and the aquatic community. Over the course of her career, she has studied diverse species that range from frogs and fish to snails and algae. She has studied the potential of algae for biofuel production and the global extent of microplastics and antibiotic contamination of reservoirs. Dr. Boeing also has a strong education and outreach component to her work, overseeing robust programs to increase student involvement in science and training the next generation of water resource scientists. |
NMSU PART OF $20 MILLION AWARD |
NMSU Part of $20 Million Award to Prepare Hispanic Students for Agricultural Science Careers |
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The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) NextGen Program has awarded four partnering Hispanic-Serving Institutions a $20 million award titled “LEADING Hispanics to Federal Agency Employment (LEADING: Leading and Enhancing Agricultural Development in the Next Generation).” This award (among others) was announced by the USDA in a press release on June 21, 2023. Dr. Clint Löest, professor of animal science at NMSU, is a co-director for the grant. His team of project directors include Natasha Mast of Texas A&M University—Kingsville, who serves as the grant’s director, Esbal Jimenez of the University of Puerto Rico—Mayagüez, Merritt Drewery of Texas State University and Shannon Norris-Parish of NMSU. “The goal of the LEADING Hispanics program is to develop and sustain the next generation of agricultural leaders by building awareness of the processes and pathways leading to training opportunities and employment in the federal sector,” states Dr. Löest. “This program will develop a vast support system through Student Scholarship Projects, Experiential Learning Projects, and Outreach and Engagement Projects that will prepare students for agricultural science careers.” |
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Clint Löest & Shannon Norris-Parish |
Congratulations to Drs. Rajan Ghimire and Barbara Chamberlin for each submitting a proposal exceeding a million dollars in the month of June |
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| Dr. Rajan Ghimire, associate professor of plant and environmental sciences at Clovis Agricultural Science Center, submitted a collaborative USDA AFRI SAS proposal with the University of Delaware as the lead. The goal of this proposal, requesting $2.3 million for efforts to be undertaken at NMSU, is to improve soil health and sustainability through improved fertility management practices. More specifically, Dr. Ghimire and his team plan to evaluate soil health, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse gas mitigation potential of diverse crops and cropping systems with novel fertility management practices, including biochar and nano-fertilizer applications. They also plan to calibrate and use Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning models to quantify ecosystem services. Other NMSU investigators on this proposal are Drs. Sangu Angadi, John Idowu, and Don Edgar. For more information about this proposal, please contact Dr. Ghimire at rghimire@nmsu.edu. |
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Dr. Barbara Chamberlin, head of the Department of Innovative Media Research and Extension, also submitted a collaborative proposal to the same grant program, with the University of Arkansas as the lead. Requesting $1.03 million for NMSU for “BalancED IA: Educating and Developing Indoor Agriculture,” Dr. Chamberlin will lead the Extension and Education team developing learning tools to help producers in indoor agricultural environments grow food safely. To that end, the NMSU team will develop a website to serve as an outreach hub for the project and create and distribute digital education and outreach media tools with particular emphasis in reaching neurodiverse learners. Drs. Pamela Martinez and Matheus Cezarotto from Innovative Media Research and Extension will also take part. Dr. Martinez will oversee production, and serve as instructional designer. Dr. Cezarotto will serve as lead content expert on design of media for diverse audiences. For more information, please contact Dr. Chamberlin at bchamber@nmsu.edu. |
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New Mexico is one of the largest producers of pecans, and its contribution accounts for an estimated 30% of all total pecan production in the United States. With the majority of pecan tree growth taking place in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, the process is dependent on irrigation due to the lack of continual precipitation needed to promote healthy development and output. Investigating the impacts of irrigation and crop water use to improve efficiency and productivity was the subject of a recent study by Water Science and Management graduate Ana Cristina Garcia-Vasquez, Dr. Esmaiil Mokari, Dr. Zohrab Samani, and Dr. Alexander Fernald. This research, titled “Using UAV-thermal imaging to calculate crop water use and irrigation efficiency in a flood-irrigated pecan orchard,” served to provide more accurate approximations of real-time pecan water use from UAV-thermal imaging with variations in canopy cover. Read more about the details and findings of this research in the Agricultural Water Management journal. |
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Figure 1: A typical UAV image in the visible (1) and thermal (2) ranges. |
The 100th New Mexico State 4-H Conference was held July 10–14 on the NMSU Campus for senior age (13- to 18-year-old) 4-H members. Three hundred eleven participants attended the weeklong event. During the conference, youth participated in workshops touching on everything from media careers to mental health, competed in state contests qualifying for nationals, and elected a new State 4-H Officer team while participating in business sessions. The conference centennial was celebrated by reunions of retired New Mexico Cooperative Extension faculty and State 4-H Leadership Team alumni. Participants recreated the human 4-H clover originally photographed in 1961. Throughout the conference, special guests including the NMSU Board of Regents, NMSU President Gogue, and Provost Shoho, who joined in on the festivities. Three volunteers were inducted into the 4-H Hall of Fame, and two recipients were given the Friend of 4-H and Honorary 4-H Member awards as a thank-you for their dedication to the New Mexico 4-H program. |
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New Mexico State 4-H Conference 2023 photo credit: Kwabena Bayity |
THE FIX, an Aggie Chile Roast On August 19th, the official aroma of New Mexico comes to the capital city! The Sam Steel Society, the College of ACES and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture have joined forces to host THE FIX, an Aggie chile roast. Happening in Alexandria, VA at the Harris-Teeter Neighborhood Food & Pharmacy located at 4641 Duke Street, chile lovers can preorder green chile and pick it up on August 19th, freshly roasted that day. Ordering is now open! All purchasing will take place online in advance of the event. There will be no day-of chile sales, so don’t miss your opportunity to order! TO ORDER CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK: New Mexico State University Chile Roast Registration, Sat, Aug 19, 2023 at 8:00 AM | Eventbrite Be sure to follow NMSU ACES and the Sam Steel Society on social media for the most up-to-date information. Don’t forget to share this information with anyone you know in the Washington, DC metro area. |
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Field day season is upon us, and five Agricultural Science Centers will host field days in August |
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The Agricultural Experiment Station is preparing for field days in Los Lunas, Alcalde, and Farmington. Field days are events that allow the NMSU Agricultural Experiment Station’s science centers to highlight their research and share their latest discoveries with the public. This will be the first year returning from the COVID-19 pandemic that all twelve of the Agricultural Science Centers will be offering annual field days. Science Centers provide in-depth expertise and conduct research in response to agricultural challenges specific to New Mexico’s various geographical climates. Field days provide an opportunity to share and demonstrate this research to local producers and community members. Upcoming August Field Days For full details regarding Agricultural Experiment Station Field Days, visit (https://aes.nmsu.edu/field-days.html). Field days are free and open to the public, and will showcase the ongoing research projects being conducted at each center. |
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Please join us in welcoming the following individual to the NMSU Agricultural Experiment Station. |
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| The AES welcomes Saeid Zehtab Salmasi to the Sustainable Agriculture Science Center at Alcalde as the new Research Director. "Before arriving in Alcalde, I have been working as a Professor of Agronomy at the University of Tabriz, which is located in the northwest of Iran. My research activity is mainly focused on the ecology of field crops production and sustainability of farming systems. I am specifically interested in integrating medicinal plants, especially essential oil-bearing plants, into farming systems to enhance diversity of food and forage cropping systems, and reducing chemical drugs usage in animal industries. This could lead to establishing really organic production of animal products in the US." You can contact Dr. Salmasi at saeidzs@nmsu.edu. |
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FAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES (FCS) |
Statewide EFCS Programming Teams Improve Outreach and Impact Wider outreach in New Mexico and strong program impacts are two outcomes being leveraged by statewide program teams of Extension Family and Consumer Sciences (EFCS) agents. In 2020 with the pandemic shutdown, EFCS agents from around the state began collaborating and presenting statewide webinar series. The initial trilogy of stress and resilience virtual webinars, delivered at the beginning, middle, and end of the pandemic, reached clientele from around the entire state. A total of 779 individuals registered for the webinars, with 92% expressing increased confidence in managing stress and building resilience through skills learned. Additionally, the trilogy went on to earn the team state, regional, and national awards, including an ACES award. Leveraging what was learned, EFCS now plans and implements four statewide webinars annually, strategically collaborating with other agents and specialists. In 2022, Living Well with Inflation was a success. Prior to the series, 33% of participants reported they knew specific strategies and tools to deal with the impacts of inflation on their lives. At the end of the series, 95% reported knowing specific strategies and tools. This series won several state awards. Ahead this year are Gluten Free Baking and Education (register at https://nmsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcqdu6qpjIpG9DZldy2im9ZQZx9hn5hnZcH) and a six week series on the Mediterranean Diet, Med Instead of Meds (register at https://nmsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pceitqjooHNQ_7eFG5ZDVsv4m9KT) In addition to reaching more clientele with FCS programming, the agents have valued working together collaboratively with specialists. For more information, contact Dianne Christensen at diannec@nmsu.edu. |
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National Extension Association of Family & Consumer Sciences 2022 1st place National Winner for the stress and resilience trilogy. Team Members: Dianne Christensen, Suzanne DeVos-Cole, Beatriz G. Favela, Karim Martinez, Lourdes Olivas, and Karen Plawecki |
The study of soil health and water management is essential in providing resilient crop production in arid and semi-arid regions. These studies help to implement and maintain a sustainable agricultural system. By sharing their findings with farmers and stakeholders, researchers play a critical role in assisting with informed decision-making regarding crop production and water usage. Rajan Ghimire, an associate professor for the Plant and Environmental Sciences Department at the Agricultural Science Center for New Mexico State University in Clovis, New Mexico, specializes in soil and crop management practices to enhance efficiency, profits, and soil environmental quality. He is working on three soil water measuring projects, which involve cover crop impacts on soil water dynamics, water productivity of crop and forage production systems, and links between soil health, soil water, and ecosystem services provided by arid and semi-arid cropping systems. His research in soil–plant–environment interactions allows him to assist farmers in designing farming systems to make them more adaptable. He also actively interacts with policymakers to better inform state and national policy to support producers in water-limited environments. Please visit NM WRRI’s website to read the full article or contact Dr. Rajan Ghimire at rghimire@nmsu.edu for more information. |
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IDEAS FOR COOKING AND NUTRITION (ICAN) |
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| Ideas for Cooking and Nutrition (ICAN) is a unique program within NMSU’s Cooperative Extension Service (CES). Using CES offices throughout the state, ICAN provides nutrition education and programming to SNAP-eligible audiences in 23 New Mexico counties. ICAN’s mission is to inspire New Mexico’s families to make healthy food and lifestyle choices, and to make those choices possible by creating health-friendly communities. ICAN delivers Direct Ed programming to youth and adults statewide on a variety of topics including healthy eating, food resource management, physical activity, and food gardening. Additional approaches supplement ICAN’s Direct Ed programming to create a comprehensive, multilevel project. Statewide, ICAN uses social media platforms to notify eligible individuals of project offerings, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. |
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ICAN is built on a paraprofessional service delivery model. ICAN Educators are the foundation of the program’s success. A recent example of outstanding community collaboration is from Curry County, where the Curry County Health Council and Curry County Commissioners recognized our ICAN Educator, Zandy Bunch, as the 2023 Curry County Health Hero. “ICAN is proof that strengthening and combining diverse skills, talents, and gifts is the most effective way to create health-friendly communities”, said Donna Sauter, MSN, RD, ICAN Program Director. As a federally funded program, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) evaluates ICAN at least every three years. In March of 2023, ICAN received highest marks and praise for their program during a Federal Management Evaluation. For more information about ICAN, or to sign up for classes, visit our website: https://ican.nmsu.edu/. |
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Learning Games Lab Summer Think Tanks Technology can be a valuable partner in helping youth develop skills for engaging with peers, while also helping them critically and mindfully use media, tell their own stories, and master tools used for communication and work. In spring and summer 2023, the Learning Games Lab hosted five in-person sessions for youth: June 26–30, June 19–23, June 12–June 16, March 16–17 and March 13–14. Youth (31 middle schoolers in total) played, evaluated, and analyzed games on various gaming platforms, including computer, iPad, and VR, provided feedback on characters of Theme Park Café, a cooking game currently in development, and learned about the transformational game design process. By collaborating with digital tools, producing content with tech, and delivering game proposals and prototypes, youth enhanced their digital fluency and media literacy skills. Surveyed on their experience, 65% of youth (15) ranked the Learning Games Lab experience as "extremely good." Youth came away interested in learning "...more about coding and designing games" and "how to make a [VR] game". Parents (24) saw improvement in "creative process and group work", and "...think[ing] about how to make the world better". Overall, adults reported that skills taught to their child were "extremely" useful. For more information, contact Dr. Barbara Chamberlin at bchamber@nmsu.edu. |
NEW MEXICO FFA ASSOCIATION |
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NMFFA State Officer Team This year, another outstanding group of individuals has been selected to serve New Mexico FFA on the State Officer Team. The 2023-24 State Officer Team was selected at the Annual New Mexico FFA State Convention held in early June. The new team is as follows: - State President – Jordan Hamill, Artesia FFA
State Secretary – Mirhonda Good, Alamogordo FFA District 2 President/State Vice President – Kristian Fernandez, Des Moines FFA District 3 President/State Vice President – Karleigh Erramouspe, Corona FFA District 4 President/State Vice President – Cole Kircher, Dora FFA District 5 President/ State Vice President – Bryce Bain, Artesia FFA District 6 President/ State Vice President – Taylor Ramirez, Mayfield FFA
The officers will spend the year serving and leading New Mexico FFA. They will visit chapters across the state, putting on leadership workshops and talking to members. The officers are currently at State Officer Summit in Washington D.C. They are collaborating with other leadership teams from across the country and meeting with elected officials and representatives from our state, spreading the mission of FFA. This team will be making many appearances throughout the year to speak to teachers, students, sponsors, and everyone involved in the agriculture industry. Keep an eye out for them in the year ahead! |
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Picture by Dr. Lacey Roberts-Hill |
For more information about NMFFA and pictures from Leadership Camp visit the website and follow along on our social media pages! Website: http://www.nmffa.org Facebook: New Mexico FFA Instagram: @newmexicoffa |
SCHOOL OF HOTEL, RESTAURANT & TOURISM MANAGEMENT (HRTM) |
HRTM Director, Dr. Jean Hertzman, Installed as ICHRIE Secretary Dr. Jean Hertzman, the Director of the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management (HRTM) was elected to a two-year term as Secretary for the International Council of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Educators. ICHRIE is a global and multi-cultural community of hospitality and tourism professionals dedicated to the pursuit, discovery, advancement, and sharing of knowledge and experiences, relevant to the hospitality and tourism industry and its future leaders. Hertzman was installed on July 21 at the organization’s international summer conference, Linking Innovation-Education-Collaboration, held in Phoenix. She previously served two terms as president of West Federation CHRIE and on multiple ICHRIE and West Federation committees. She is a founding member of the organization’s Beverage Education Special Interest Group. At the conference, Dr. Hertzman also led a roundtable on Research Using the Self-Perceived Employability Model and presented a tribute in honor of the passing of Dr. Patrick Moreo, former HRTM director and iconic leader of ICHRIE and many hospitality programs. HRTM faculty Dr. Betsy Stringam and Dr. Keith Mandabach also attended the conference and presented on Teaching Students to Use ChatGPT and Other AI Tools, Food Delivery Robots, and Hospitality Internship Learning Assessments. |
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Click on the following link to give to the College of ACES. Give Now | New Mexico State University Foundation (nmsu.edu) You can also contact Planning Officer, Erika De La O. Medina at erikadlo@nmsu.edu for more information on how to give to the College of ACES. |
The College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences (ACES) annual report provides an overview of accomplishments during 2022, including impacts, productivity
and goals for each unit, area and program. These accomplishments reflect our work in
teaching, research and extension. To view our College of ACES 2022 Annual Report click on the following link: Annual Reports | New Mexico State University - BE BOLD. Shape the Future. (nmsu.edu) |
Our department of Innovative Media Research & Extension produced a great video demonstrating our college. You can access the video by clicking on the following link: ACES About Home (nmsu.edu) |
COLLEGE OF ACES MAGAZINE – SPRING 2023 ISSUE |
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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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