What do you get when you combine 19 education institutions, nearly 50 posters, and 150 attendees? The 2019 New Mexico Research Symposium hosted in collaboration with the New Mexico Academy of Science (NMAS)!

The theme of the conference was Science and Partnerships Across Disciplinary Boundaries, and many of the presentations were focused on partnerships, transdisciplinary research, big data and STEM initiatives. NM EPSCoR was proud to have multiple students present at the conference and contribute to the larger NSF EPSCoR conversation about these topics.

UNM Electrical and Computer Engineering Associate Professor Meeko Oishi has had a busy year. In March she was chosen to participate in the highly-selective Defense Study Science Group sponsored by DARPA. Her collaborative work on light therapy and circadian rhythms is rocking the world of health sciences.

Modeling and simulation tools are essential for researchers as they seek ways to integrate variable renewable sources of energy, like wind, into the electricity grid. Recently, NM SMART Grid Center graduate student, P. Christopher Scott, spent time as an extern at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to learn about power system simulation. The INL Power Systems team, including Dr. Mayank Panwar, mentored Scott as he built computer models in Simulink, ran them on an Opal-RT real-time digital simulator, and modeled and simulated a power system in the IEEE 14-bus system.

We are pleased to announce the 2019 NM EPSCoR Mentor Award winners—Dr. David Mitchell and Dr. Satyajayant (Jay) Misra. Both were nominated by mentees and demonstrated characteristics of excellent mentors, including strong professional and interpersonal relationships; working to advance their mentees’ academic, research, and professional goals; and creating inclusive environments for diverse students.