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February 2007

1. NMSU environmental program receives endowment
2. NMSU increases comprehensive campaign goal
3. Spaceport director Lonnie Sumpter laid to rest
4. Environmental Design Contest to focus on water and renewable energy
5. El Paso Electric names NMSU engineering alumnus new vice president
6. NMSU honors educators
7. El Paso Water Utilities Public Service Board general manager featured at Bromilow lecture
8. Recent grants

1. NMSU environmental program receives endowment

WERC: A Consortium for Environmental Education and Technology Development is the beneficiary of a $4 million endowment from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The endowment, which was announced today at New Mexico State University by U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, will provide ongoing support to the program.

The $4 million will be invested by the NMSU Foundation and income generated from it will be used by WERC. Read More

After successfully reaching its $150 million “Doing What Counts” comprehensive campaign goal years ahead of schedule, New Mexico State University’s Foundation has increased the goal to $225 million to be reached by 2010, making it the most ambitious comprehensive campaign goal undertaken by a New Mexico university to date.

“Many of our original projects have yet to be fully supported and although many have supported the campaign, we want everyone to have the opportunity to contribute,” said Rebecca Dukes, vice president for university advancement and executive director of the NMSU Foundation. Read More

3. Spaceport director Lonnie Sumpter laid to rest

Irvin L. "Lonnie" Sumpter, 58, of Las Cruces entered eternal life Tuesday, February 13, 2007 with family and fir ends at his bedside

At the time of his death, Mr. Sumpter had been the executive director of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority since October 2005. Working toward the creation of a spaceport in New Mexico had been his dream for many years. Sumpter, who earned his bachelor's degree from Oklahoma State University in 1971, came to New Mexico in 1973 as an engineering staff member at White Sands Missile Range. He eventually held the position of senior project engineer ont he Patriot Missile Test Program. He moved to the private sector as a vice president of Coleman Research Corporation and later co-founded General Kinematics Corporation. In the early 1980s, he helped organize the Southwest Space Task Force, now the New Mexico Space Alliance. Before becoming executive director of the state Spaceport Authority, Sumpter served on the New Mexico Military Base Planning Commission and was instrumental in the development of a presentation that prevented the closure of Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, and relocation of the Army Research Laboratory at WSMR.

Mr. Sumpter was buried at the family cemetery in Oglesby, Oklahoma. Friends may wish to make a gift to the Lonnie Sumpter Memorial Scholarship in Aerospace Engineering, PO Box 30001/MSC 3449, Las Cruces, NM 88003.

Under the recently formed Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE) and the College of Engineering, New Mexico State University is advancing applied engineering solutions to critical environmental challenges through its Environmental Design Contest, an annual international competition set for April 1-5 this year.

The Design Contest, sponsored by private and public entities such as Intel, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Food and Drug Administration and the American Water Works Association and Research Foundation, has deployed seven student-developed technologies at industrial and DOE sites over the 17-year course of the contest. Read More

6. NMSU honors educators

New Mexico State University celebrated the recipients of three endowed chairs, four professorships and 11 excellence in teaching awards during Spring Convocation, Jan. 16.

The chairs and professorships include three from the College of Engineering, two from the College of Health and Human Services, and one each from the College of Agriculture and Home Economics and the College of Business.

Rola Idriss is the holder of the Ed Foreman Professorship. Ed Foreman is a successful NMSU alumnus in the fields of business and politics. The professorship will help support teaching, research and service activities of the civil engineering faculty member selected.

Idriss was the first woman to earn her Ph.D. from the NMSU civil engineering department, and the first woman to join the faculty in that department. Her award-winning research on “smart bridges” has brought national and international recognition to the College of Engineering.

Zohrab Samani is the recipient of the Harold “Chub” Foreman Professorship. Alumnus Harold “Chub” Foreman’s career began in heavy construction and led to real estate brokerage and management. The professorship will help support teaching, research and service activities of the civil engineering faculty member selected.

Samani developed a renewable energy program to produce bio-energy from agricultural waste. He also developed several low-cost water-flow measuring devices which are currently used by irrigation districts locally and in eight countries.

The Dwight L. and Aubrey Chapman Endowed Professorship was established through an estate gift from the Chapmans to support key technical areas in mechanical engineering.

The professorship holder is Eric Butcher. Most of his research has been in the area of theoretical and computational dynamics and vibrations.

Also honored during convocation were the Donald C. Roush Excellence in Teaching Award winners. Named for a former NMSU executive vice president in recognition of his 35 years of teaching improvement in New Mexico, the annual Roush awards recognize NMSU faculty for teaching excellence.

Among Roush award winners is Russell P. Jedlicka, electrical and computer engineering.

7. El Paso Water Utilities Public Service Board general manager featured at Bromilow lecture

The Bromilow Lecture, an annual event held by the College of Engineering at New Mexico State University, featured speaker Edmund G. Archuleta, the general manager of the El Paso Water Utilities Public Service Board.

Under Archuleta’s leadership, the El Paso Water Utilities Public Service Board has developed and implemented innovative technologies that have brought the utility to the forefront in water conservation. He is responsible for all aspects of water, wastewater and reclaimed water service to the greater El Paso metropolitan area.

Archuleta is a registered Professional Engineer in Texas, New Mexico and Iowa. He earned bachelor of science and master of science degrees in civil engineering from New Mexico State University and a master of management from the University of New Mexico. He has served in various capacities on numerous boards and professional organizations including the Texas Water Conservation Association, The American Water Works Association Research Foundation, the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies and the American Academy of Environmental Engineers. Most recently, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council.

The Bromilow Lecture is held in recognition of Dr. Frank Bromilow’s leadership and enhancement of the quality of faculty during his tenure as dean of the College of Engineering, a position he held from 1961 until his death in 1974.

Bromilow Faculty and Staff Awards are also presented at the lecture.

This year's faculty award was given in recognition of excellence in research to Dr. David G. Voelz, electrical engineering, who has been involved in optical imaging, remote sensing and communications research for more than 20 years.

 

 

This year's staff award was presented to Ms. Gloria Jacquez, program facilitator for the Engineering Research Center. Jacquez was hired by NMSU in 1994 and worked in the chemical engineering department and for the WERC program prior to her current position.

The following grants have been awarded to the College of Engineering:

• SWTDI receives photovoltaic program support
• NMSU and Texas A&M University to initiate National Pipeline Safety and Operations Center
• RASEM² receives funding to provide assistive technology workshops
• CEMRC to perform analysis of gasses from nuclear waste drums
• CEMRC receives funding increase for performing Whole Body Counts
• NMDOT awards additional funding for student internships
• Fuel cell project receives Phase II Grant

Note: Items submitted for possible inclusion in Aggie Ing. should be sent to lfresque@nmsu.edu by 5:00 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month.