NEWS

What does it look like when a state recognizes the quiet but steady work of its research community? On January 29, the New Mexico House of Representatives offered an answer to that question by formally acknowledging NM EPSCoR for its contributions to the state’s research ecosystem.

Representative Debra Sariñana, District 21 in Bernalillo County, introduced NM EPSCoR to the full House with clarity and pride, explaining how the program strengthens New Mexico by weaving together higher education, government, business, and scientific research. She spoke about the strong federal - state partnership this program has cultivated over the last 25 years, it’s focus on strengthening science and technology capacity, and the very practical ways New Mexico benefits from being an EPSCoR state. During her remarks, she highlighted NM EPSCoR’s current project RIO-NM, a collaborative effort among UNM, NMSU, NMT, NTU, and CNM to build cyberinfrastructure capacity, strengthen research pathways, and foster connections between New Mexico’s research institutions. It is a project built on the belief that a stronger ecosystem begins with broad and inclusive access to opportunity.

Representative Sariñana also took a moment to acknowledge two NSF E‑RISE awards currently active in the state. Her reference to forest and river monitoring, was a shout-out to the FOR-NM project led by Marcy Litvak of UNM with collaborators at NMSU, Asombro Institute for Science Education, and WNMU. This team is working to build a statewide network that connects researchers, land managers, and communities to build transdisciplinary research around New Mexico’s forested watersheds. She went on to call out contributions to distributed additive manufacturing, referring to the DREAM Center out of NMSU, led by Jay Misra and colleagues at UNM, NTU, and NMT whose work focuses on developing the cyberinfrastructure needed to support distributed intelligent additive manufacturing in New Mexico.

In a brief aside that brought a touch of humor to the proceedings, Speaker of the House Javier Martínez thanked Representative Sariñana for explaining what EPSCoR does. His honesty drew laughter across the chamber while underscoring exactly why this recognition matters. Our programs are large, complex, and often behind the scenes, yet their impact is unmistakable.

Director Gunny Balakrishnan and Associate Director Selena Connealy received an official copy of the recognition, complete with the New Mexico state seal. The document outlines NM EPSCoR’s statewide contributions, from investments in research equipment to the thousands of students and researchers supported through its programs.

For those of us who work in this space, the moment was less about ceremony and more about connection. It served as a reminder that research does not move forward because of isolated achievements but because of networks of people, institutions, and communities working together over time. NM EPSCoR is proud to be part of that network, and we are grateful for the recognition of the role we play in supporting New Mexico’s scientific and educational landscape.