33 years strong: NM AMP prepares future STEM leaders

Since its inception 33 years ago, the New Mexico Alliance for Minority Participation has operated with the goal of increasing the number of students who earn science, technology, engineering and mathematics degrees. Twenty-five conferences later, the program remains strong.

NM AMP hosted its annual Student Research Conference in late October, bringing together more than 160 students and faculty from across the state and across the border to celebrate student research and promote STEM careers.

Seven universities from New Mexico are part of the alliance, which is housed at New Mexico State University. However, three community colleges and the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez in Mexico, also attend the conference. Along with the university attendees, over 50 students from New Mexico high schools who participate in the NM MESA and TRIO Upward Bound programs also attended this year.

Paola Bandini is the newly appointed director of NM AMP and a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at NMSU. Bandini said conferences like these help encourage younger students who may not have thought about a STEM career before.

“The conference provides students the opportunity to network with other students and to meet and learn from successful role models,” Bandini said. “Students present their research in a professional setting and received positive feedback from faculty and graduate students who attended the poster session.

“Students also gain confidence in their research and presentation skills as a result of participating in and interacting with peers and other scholars. Younger students, such as high school and community college students, get inspired by their peers who are working on STEM research projects.”

During the research poster presentation session, faculty and graduate students served as judges to select winners for both the community college and university levels.

NMSU student Francis Silva, Willow Cunningham of the University of New Mexico and Riley Morris from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology were recognized for their poster presentations in the university category. In the community college category, Kayden Robey, Lane Porter and Celeste More, all from Doña Ana Community College, were recognized for their research posters.

The conference also featured New Mexico State Rep. Nathan P. Small, who delivered a keynote address during the luncheon session about education and opportunities in the state, and encouraged students to consider STEM education and career paths.

U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez also spoke during the luncheon session about the importance of higher education in improving the lives of New Mexicans.

“We are grateful to Rep. Small and U.S. Rep. Vasquez for their strong support of higher education and student success across New Mexico,” said David Jáuregui, interim dean of the College of Engineering. “The state’s commitment helps ensure that students, from high schools to community colleges and universities, have meaningful opportunities to engage in hands-on research and experiential learning. The continued strength of NM AMP shows the significant impact these investments have on our students and our great state.”

NM AMP has been continuously funded by the National Science Foundation for the past 33 years.

The seven universities making up the alliance are NMSU, Eastern New Mexico University, New Mexico Highlands University, NM Tech, Northern New Mexico College, Western New Mexico University and UNM.

Students are supported through a wide range of NM AMP initiatives, including Undergraduate Research Scholars, STEM Pre-Research Exploration Program, the Summer Community College Opportunity for Research Experience, the New Mexico AMP Transfer Stipend, an annual student research conference and community college professional development workshops held alongside the conference.

To get involved with NM AMP and its programs, visit https://nmamp.nmsu.edu/.

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CUTLINE: NMAMP_01: Mariana Navarrete Ovalle, a physics major at New Mexico State University, presents her research project the 2025 NM AMP Research Conference, which took place in October at the NMSU main campus. (NMSU photo by Hanna Muñoz Villalobos)

DESCRIPTION: A girl points at a research poster with text and graphics while two people watch her.

CUTLINE: NMAMP_02: New Mexico State Rep. Nathan P. Small was the keynote speaker for the 2025 NM AMP Research Conference that took place in October at the New Mexico State University main campus. (NMSU photo by Stella Aude)

DESCRIPTION: A man on a stage speaks to an audience of high school and college students sitting at tables.

CUTLINE: NMAMP_03: The 2025 NM AMP Research Conference, which took place in October at the New Mexico State University main campus, featured a poster session where students could network and present their work. (NMSU photo by Hanna Muñoz Villalobos)

DESCRIPTION: In a large room, students present research posters to other students, faculty and staff.