NEWS

November 16, 2018

NM EPSCoR Researchers Pen Open Letter to the Next Governor New Mexico

Researchers Pen Open Letter

Post-Las Conchas burn scar, seven years after the fire in the Jemez Mountains.

Laura Paskus

By Natalie Rogers

Four research scientists, all of whom have been part of New Mexico EPSCoR projects in the past, penned an open letter to the next governor of New Mexico. Laura Crossey, Dan Cadol, Sam Fernald, and Cliff Dahm wrote about the importance of higher education research for the NM Political Report. The letter was published before the 2018 Midterm Elections on November 2nd. Cliff Dahm and Laura Crossey, both of the University of New Mexico, were faculty co-leads on our RII-3 grant, Climate Change Impacts on New Mexico's Mountain Sources of Water, and Laura was also a co-lead on our Energize New Mexico grant with Dan, at New Mexico Tech, and Sam, at New Mexico State University.

From wildfire dangers to water scarcity to the new NM EPSCoR SMART Grid Center, the authors addressed research topics that they are familiar with and that hold special significance to the future stability and sustainability of New Mexico's environment and people. In addition, they stated the following: 

No monopoly of good ideas exists at any one institution, and joining together of people, facilities, projects and programs adds to the capacity of the State of New Mexico to use science-based and informed decisions on complex and difficult topics. Projects that have linked our institutions have allowed us to make good progress on some critical issues that the new Governor and their staff must address in the coming years. Faculty working with students are an engine of innovation for cutting edge solutions. 

Read the full letter in the Opinions section at nmpoliticalreport.com.