VOLUME 12 | FALL 2024
FORCE FOR
GROWTH
ACES research and outreach help fuel New Mexico’s economy
LIGHTS ON
Red and blue lights illuminate Gabriel
Garcia and kale plants growing inside a
container farm at NMSU Grants. Read
about the container and other indoor
agriculture projects on Page 22.
Josh Bachman
PAGE 32
Top crop
PAGE 36
Full bloom
Greetings, Aggies and friends!
We’re glad to bring you our fall edition of ACES Magazine.
In this issue, we’re highlighting the college’s economic contributions to New Mexico.
In our cover story, learn about the “ACES Efect” – how our research, instruction and
outreach support economic vitality in our state. Tese activities help to increase agricultural
productivity, build lifetime earnings for graduates and directly impact economic activity.
Agriculture in New Mexico generates signifcant cash sales. In 2022 alone, those sales
reached $3.71 billion. In that same year, the College of ACES secured more than
$24 million in external funding awarded to our faculty and staf through grants and con-
tracts. Tese activities support economic life
around New Mexico, including through our
science centers in Alcalde, Artesia, Clayton,
Clovis, Corona, Las Cruces, Farmington,
Los Lunas, Mora and Tucumcari.
Research conducted by the college
continues to beneft our state’s future. In
this issue, read about a systems-based ap-
proach to plant pathogens, electric mulch,
indoor container farms, new varieties of
alfalfa, ways of using brackish water, and ex-
ploration of high-value crops like safron and
jujube. Based on a recent economic analysis
by Jay Lillywhite, the impact of agricultural
research conducted by the college may be
responsible for as many as 470 direct jobs,
$13 million in direct-labor income and
$28 million in gross domestic product (see
Page 29 for details).
We hope you enjoy the magazine!
Please stay in touch. We love to hear your
feedback.
Go Aggies!
Rolando A. Flores Galarza
Dean and Chief Administrative Ofcer
Front: Ian Ray, left, and Christopher
Pierce walk on an alfalfa research field
at NMSU’s Leyendecker Plant Science
Research Center.
Back: A bee perches on a flowering
blackberry bush at Don Bustos’s Santa
Cruz Farm in northern New Mexico.
NMSU photos by Josh Bachman
ON THE COVERS
Tis issue of ACES Magazine is produced by
the ofce of Marketing and Communications,
New Mexico State University, 575-646-3221.
Correspondences may be sent to Marketing and
Communications, MSC 3K, New Mexico State
University, P.O. Box 30001, Las Cruces, NM 88003-
3590. ACES Magazine is published two times annually.
New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity,
afrmative action employer and educator.
Editor
Carlos Andres López
Graphic Designer
Tarran Jackson
Art Director
Gerald Rel
Contributors
Tifany Acosta, Josh Bachman,
Amanda Bradford, Adriana M. Chávez,
Jay M. Lillywhite, Tatiana Favela, Taeya M. Padilla
Interim President
Mónica Torres
Dean, College of Agricultural, Consumer
and Environmental Sciences
Rolando A. Flores Galarza
Associate Vice President for Marketing
and Communications
Justin Bannister
Executive Director of Marketing,
Web and Brand Development
Melissa Chavira
Director of Communications
and Media Relations
Amanda Bradford
©2024 New Mexico State University
POSTMASTER: Send address change notifcations to
ACES Magazine, MSC AG, New Mexico State University,
P.O. Box 30003, Las Cruces, NM, 88003-8003
FALL 2024
ACES Effect
Patent producer
PAGE 14
Ready, set, play!
PAGE 18
Buzz killer
26
4
PAGE 48
Turning up the heat
PAGE 52
Next-level learning
Jennifer Randall develops game-changing
technology to screen plants for toxins
BY TATIANA FAVELA
ACES UPDATES
Jennifer Randall, a professor in NMSU’s Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science, conducts research on plant genetics, develop-
ment and diseases, microbe interactions, and food safety and security.
PATENT PRODUCER
ith career achievements recognized
on a global scale, Jennifer Randall has
played a signifcant role in revolu-
tionizing the agriculture industry in and
outside New Mexico while mentoring the
next generation of scientists.
Randall is a professor in NMSU’s
Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology
and Weed Science in the College of ACES
and director of the Molecular Biology and
Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Pro-
gram. Her research focuses on plant genetics,
development and diseases, microbe interac-
tions, and food safety and security.
“I have mentored numerous undergrad-
uate, graduate and Ph.D. students,” she said.
“I love working with my students and enjoy
the excitement they bring to working in a lab
and learning to perform research. I have pub-
lished my research in scientifc peer-reviewed
journals and secured nearly $17 million in
grants and contracts for research.”
In one project poised to have a major
impact on the agricultural industry, Randall
and a team of NMSU researchers developed
new agricultural contamination technology
that uses a non-destructive method to screen
plants for contaminants.
Te researchers began working on the
project in 2015. Nearly a decade later, they
received a patent for their technology in
December 2023 and published their work
in 2024. Te team includes Gary Eiceman,
professor of chemical instrumentation;
Gyougil Lee, senior research scientist; and
Alexander Tarassov.
“We have developed technology and
methods for continual non-destructive
automated monitoring of afatoxins to alert
growers of crop contamination prior to regu-
latory testing,” Randall said. “Tis technology
is not meant to replace the well-established
regulatory tests, but rather provide growers
and industry professionals with a method to
screen their products prior to their testing.”
Afatoxins are a family of toxins
produced by certain fungi found in corn,
peanuts, cottonseed, tree nuts and other
crops. Afatoxin contamination can lead to
steep economic losses – tens of millions of
dollars every year in the corn and peanut
industries alone, according to research from
the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“Although destructive testing methods
for afatoxins are well-established, the
methods have several drawbacks, including
the tested sample being destroyed and
the possibility that afatoxin may be missed
when a representative sample is tested and
may be found upon re-testing elsewhere,”
Randall explained.
Earlier this year, Randall was among
10 recipients of the 2024 Conference USA
Faculty Achievement Award. Te award,
established by the league’s presidents and
chancellors, recognizes exceptional contribu-
tions to teaching, research and service.
“Tis award refects research I have con-
ducted over the years,” she said. “My research
has focused on addressing critical issues in
agriculture and food safety and developing
innovative solutions that beneft commu-
nities and the broader agricultural sector.
Te recognition by NMSU underscores the
signifcance and relevance of this research,
along with the mentoring of students so they
will lead the next generation of scientists.”
Since completing her Ph.D. in molecular
biology at NMSU in 2005, Randall said the
College of ACES has been instrumental in her
success and has provided many opportunities
to advance her career as a faculty member.
“Te college’s commitment to foster-
ing a collaborative and innovative academic
environment has signifcantly enhanced my
professional growth and research endeavors,”
she said. “Te college has provided support
in various forms for my research initiatives
and enabled me to conduct cutting-edge
studies in sustainable agriculture and apply
my fndings to real-world problems that will
beneft growers and communities.”
Josh Bachman
Randall works in a lab with NMSU Ph.D. student Paul Gabriel. Randall and a research team have
received a patent for developing new agricultural contamination technology.
Josh Bachman
4 | New Mexico State University | ACES Magazine | Fall 2024
Fall 2024 | ACES Magazine | New Mexico State University | 5
Rebekah Roybal, left, and Daniel Martinez work together in an agricultural graphic design class taught
by Lacey Roberts-Hill. AXED faculty have developed 14 new Agricultural Communications courses.
AXEDʼS NEW ERA
Department boosts student enrollment
with newly revised programs
BY TAEYA M. PADILLA
he growth of NMSU’s Department of
Agricultural and Extension Education
was no small feat for Steven Fraze
and his faculty. Guided by a fve-year goal
of growing the department, Fraze and the
AXED team built the Agricultural Com-
munications program from the ground up
and completely revised the Agricultural and
Extension Education programs.
“One of the things I try to work on
with my faculty is to make sure that they
are student-frst faculty,” said Fraze, who has
served as the AXED department head since
joining NMSU in 2020. “Tey put students
frst in everything and make it a priority
that they don’t have a group of 20 students
in their program – they have 20 individuals
in their program and each one is diferent.”
AXED faculty members collectively
adhere to the philosophy of being a stu-
dent-focused department and care deeply
about their students and their success. Lacey
Roberts-Hill, an assistant professor in the
department, believes the care and passion
from faculty strengthen retention and
success, which does not go unrecognized by
students.
“I feel that I have helped the growth
of the department by doing my best to
develop and teach innovative and engag-
ing courses that not only pique students’
interest but equip them for future careers,”
Roberts-Hill said. “By being there for stu-
dents in all facets possible, I feel as though
I have made a small contribution to the
overall success of AXED.”
In his frst year as department head,
Fraze hired faculty members Don Edgar
and Shannon Norris-Parish, followed by
Roberts-Hill in 2021 and William Norris in
2022. Together, they developed a curriculum
of 14 new courses in Agricultural Commu-
nications. In spring 2024, the frst cohort of
undergraduate students graduated from the
Agricultural Communications program.
In 2021, together with the Depart-
ment of Journalism and Media Students,
AXED established the Agricultural Strategic
Communications graduate program – an in-
creasingly popular program among students.
Te department has since converted all of
its graduate classes to online and has begun
to ofer summer courses, helping AXED
double its graduate enrollment.Te summer
courses have also helped students stay on
track to complete their degrees.
According to Fraze, AXED had more
undergraduates enrolling in the 2024 sum-
mer orientation than before the COVID-19
pandemic, and the number of student-teach-
ers in the Agricultural Education program
have nearly doubled. Te department also has
a proposal to launch a new Ph.D. program,
Human Dimensions of Agriculture, which
brings together education, communication,
business and Extension.
After four decades of working in higher
education, including 32 years as a faculty
member at Texas Tech University, Fraze plans
to retire in January 2025. He said he has ac-
complished everything in his fve-year growth
plan for AXED, and much more.
“Coming over here was coming back
to my roots a little bit,” said Fraze, a native
of Dora, New Mexico. “As an FFA member
in high school, I was always active here in
Las Cruces. So, it was kind of a unique
situation for me to try to rebuild the depart-
ment and get it back up.”
Roberts-Hill added, “Dr. Fraze is a
wonderful mentor and has been an incredi-
ble driver for our department.”
ACES UPDATES
Steven Fraze has served as the head
of NMSU’s Department of Agricultural
and Extension Education since 2020.
As part of a five-year plan, he led a
complete overhaul of the depart-
ment’s programs and grew student
enrollment.
Josh Bachman
Josh Bachman
Fall 2024 | ACES Magazine | New Mexico State University | 7
6 | New Mexico State University | ACES Magazine | Fall 2024
BY TAEYA M. PADILLA
ACES UPDATES
New leader strives to shape the
future of agribusiness in New Mexico
A
globe-trotter who started his higher
education journey in Honduras,
Carlos Carpio Ochoa has built
quite a résumé. Carpio Ochoa was named
head of NMSU’s Department of Agricul-
tural Economics and Agricultural Business
(AEAB) earlier this year.
“During the last couple of years, I have
become increasingly involved as a collabora-
tor and leader of various teams of academics
conducting research projects in the United
States and other parts of the world,” Carpio
Ochoa said.
After more than a decade as a faculty
member at Texas Tech University, Carpio
Ochoa joined NMSU’s College of ACES
and AEAB to help shape the future of agri-
culture and agribusiness in New Mexico.
His vision for the department is to
focus on the needs of New Mexico stake-
holders. He plans to expand AEAB’s global
reach, leverage its expertise in environmen-
tal and natural resources research, increase
quantitative analysis, and boost collabora-
tion with industry and government partners.
Carpio Ochoa believes he can fulfll
these goals by educating future agribusiness
leaders and conducting high-quality applied
economics and business research.
“Providing New Mexicans with timely
and relevant economic and business infor-
mation and training opportunities can help
them succeed in their business ventures,
support the growth of the state’s economy,
and sustainably manage the state’s natural
resources,” he said.
Carpio Ochoa added that he is excited
to collaborate with his faculty and staf to
formulate and implement a new vision for
the department.
Carpio Ochoa earned his bachelor’s
degree in agriculture from Universidad “El
Zamorano” in Honduras in 1999, a master’s
degree in agricultural and applied econom-
ics from Texas Tech in 2002, and a Ph.D.
in economics from North Carolina State
University in 2006.
As the head of NMSU’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business, Carlos
Carpio Ochoa wants to help shape the future of agriculture and agribusiness in New Mexico.
Josh Bachman
BY CARLOS ANDRES LÓPEZ
Longtime agronomist aims to improve
semi-arid lands with limited resources
A
nowar Islam has dedicated his career
to improving lands for producing
food to feed the growing world
population through innovative and sustain-
able research programs.
Islam, a longtime agronomist, joined
NMSU in September 2023 to helm the
Department of Plant and Environmental
Sciences and the Department of Extension
Plant Sciences in the College of ACES. His
academic background includes stints at
universities in Bangladesh, Australia, Japan,
Canada, Oklahoma and Wyoming, where
he served nearly 15 years as a faculty mem-
ber and Extension specialist at the Universi-
ty of Wyoming.
For Islam, becoming an Aggie marks a
ftting evolution in a career that essentially
began when he frst learned about gardening
from his mother. He carried a deep interest
in growing plants throughout his childhood
and earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture
in 1990. Over the following decade, he
completed a master’s degree in soil science
and a Ph.D. in agronomy.
“My mother grew her own fruits and
vegetables – and she inspired me to learn
new ways to improve our lands and grow
food with limited resources,” he said.
Islam’s research interests include germ-
plasm search and evaluation for selection/
cultivar development; best management
practices for proftable and sustainable
forage crop production; and forage-based
cropping systems, among other areas.
Islam sees opportunities and chal-
lenges in New Mexico. His mission is
to bring his academic and Extension
departments to the forefront of creating
efcient systems to grow food under
stressful environments.
“We have plenty of resources in New
Mexico, but we must utilize them with
minimal water,” he said. “Tat’s where we
will use the expertise we have in our depart-
ments. Our plant scientists, horticulturalists,
geneticists, and soil and environmental scien-
tists will lead the way in developing innova-
tive cropping systems for semi-arid lands.”
As head of NMSU’s Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Department of Extension
Plant Sciences, Anowar Islam envisions creating efficient cropping systems.
Josh Bachman
8 | New Mexico State University | ACES Magazine | Fall 2024
Fall 2024 | ACES Magazine | New Mexico State University | 9
ACES UPDATES
New scholarship honors renowned researcher
NMSUʼs Center of Excellence launches new wine analysis lab
F
riends and colleagues from the Col-
lege of ACES have established a new
scholarship to honor the legacy of
Matthew Gompper. Gompper, who died in
March 2024, served as the head of NMSU’s
Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conserva-
tion Ecology from 2019 to 2024.
“Our department fourished under
Matt’s leadership, with the graduate pro-
gram increasing by 25% and the addition
of new faculty members. All of us in the
department were stunned by Matt’s sudden
passing,” said Martha Desmond, interim de-
partment head of FWCE. “He was a strong
advocate for our faculty, staf and students,
had a calm and gracious demeanor, and
truly cared about the successes of everyone
in the department. We miss his presence, his
proud tweets and his guidance.”
Originally from New York, Gompper
earned a Ph.D. in life sciences from the Uni-
W
ine producers in New Mexico can
now turn to NMSU for compre-
hensive wine analyses.
Te Center of Excellence in Sus-
tainable Food and Agricultural Systems
at NMSU has launched a streamlined
wine-quality analysis service in the new
Food Science, Security and Safety Center on
the Las Cruces campus.
“Until now, New Mexico lacked a ded-
icated wine analysis service, and CESFAS
is working to fll the gap,” said Govinda
Sapkota, a postdoctoral researcher in the
versity of Tennessee in 1994 and later com-
pleted post-doctoral research at the Universi-
ty of California, Los Angeles and University
of Nevada, Reno. His research areas included
wildlife disease ecology, mammalian ecology,
conservation and management.
At NMSU, Gompper grew his rep-
utation as a renowned researcher. In 2022
and 2023, Stanford University and Elsevier
included Gompper in their annual list of
the top 2 percent scientists in the world. He
also advocated for underrepresented groups
and helped champion a national consortium
with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that
supports minority students pursuing careers
in wildlife ecology and related felds.
Gompper’s legacy will live on in a
newly created scholarship to beneft FWCE
students. To donate, visit
nmsu.link/gompper-scholarship.
College of ACES who oversees the wine
analysis lab at NMSU. “Our initiative aims
to bring positive transformations across the
state’s wine industry.”
Te wine analysis lab features a state-
of-the-art wine analyzer, and analyses will
cover 11 key winemaking parameters.
“A standout feature of CESFAS’s new
service is its commitment to delivering re-
sults within 48 hours of receiving samples,”
Sapkota said. “Tis rapid turnaround prom-
ises winemakers quick and reliable insights
into decision-making.”
Wine producers should contact Sapkota
at govinda@nmsu.edu to schedule an analysis.
Matthew Gompper, who served as the head of
NMSU’s Department of Fish, Wildlife and Con-
servation Ecology from 2019 to 2024, was consid-
ered one of the top scientists in the world.
Josh Bachman
Josh Bachman
BY ADRIANA M. CHÁVEZ
Jay Lillywhite takes helm of NMSUʼs
Agricultural Experiment Station
F
rom professor to assistant dean and
co-director, Jay Lillywhite has worn
many hats for the College of ACES
over his 20-year career at NMSU. In July
2024, Lillywhite started the next phase of
his career as an associate dean and director of
NMSU’s Agricultural Experiment Station.
In his new role, Lillywhite oversees
the principal research unit of the College of
ACES and its sprawling team of scientists
on the Las Cruces campus and 12 other
agricultural science and research centers
throughout New Mexico.
“I am excited about the opportunity to
more closely work with the faculty, staf and
students in the College of ACES,” Lillywhite
said. “Te college has excellent faculty, staf
and students conducting cutting-edge, mul-
tidisciplinary research addressing real-world
problems. Teir research will continue to
have signifcant and lasting impacts on New
Mexico and beyond.”
Lillywhite brings years of experience
in farming and economics to his new role.
He grew up in northern Utah and spent
many years working on his grandfather’s
farm. He has three degrees in economics,
including a Ph.D. from Purdue University,
a master’s degree from Utah State University
and a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young
University. He joined NMSU in 2003.
Lillywhite was the interim associate
dean for the Agricultural Experiment Sta-
tion from January to June 2024. Previously,
he served as the college’s assistant dean
of economic development, head of the
Department of Agricultural Economics and
Agricultural Business and the Department
of Extension Economics, and co-director
for the Center of Excellence in Sustainable
Food and Agricultural Systems.
“Jay brings a deep understanding of the
College of ACES through his years of leader-
ship experience and knows the importance of
agricultural and value-added research in New
Mexico,” College of ACES Dean Rolando
A. Flores Galarza said. “He is well-prepared
to move the Agricultural Experiment Station
forward, fulflling our mission to serve as an
engine for the economic and community de-
velopment of New Mexico through teaching,
research and Extension.”
Jay Lillywhite, center, director of NMSU’s Agricultural Experiment Station, speaks with visitors during
the 2024 field day at the Agricultural Science Center at Clovis.
Josh Bachman
10 | New Mexico State University | ACES Magazine | Fall 2024
Fall 2024 | ACES Magazine | New Mexico State University | 11
ACES UPDATES
NMSU researcher leads project to
combat common plant pathogen
National program
aims to help minority
students at NMSU
four-year research project under-
way at NMSU aims to signif-
cantly reduce the risk of one of
the most common plant pathogens in the
United States.
Soum Sanogo, a professor of fungal
plant pathology in the College of ACES,
received a $5.9 million grant from the
U.S. Department of Agriculture to lead a
team of a dozen researchers from across the
United States to develop a systems-based
approach to curb Phytophthora capsici
in peppers, cucurbits and other high-
value crops.
Phytophthora capsici causes fruit rot,
root rot, rapid wilting and plant death in
vegetables and fruits like melons, cucum-
bers, pumpkins, squash, peppers, tomatoes,
eggplants, snap beans and lima beans.
T
he Department of Fish, Wildlife
and Conservation Ecology at
NMSU continues its eforts as part
of a national consortium with the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service and a team of
six other minority-serving institutions
across the United States.
Martha Desmond, interim FWCE
department head, and Janis Bush, of the
Department of Integrative Biology at the
University of Texas San Antonio, are leading
the efort in collaboration with Tuskegee
University, Fort Valley State University, Ala-
bama A&M University, Bethune-Cookman
University and Bowie State University.
Representatives from the seven
institutions and USFWS met in Atlanta
this summer to begin developing a shared
vision for the partnership. It will include
internship and career opportunities, student
training, research development for students
and faculty, student exchanges, shared feld
experiences and summer courses. Te group
will continue to meet this fall.
“Tis is a major pathogen in every
state producing vegetables in the U.S.,”
Sanogo said. “Beyond the U.S., you will
fnd this pathogen on every continent.”
Te project’s main objectives include
examining the pathogen’s genetic diversity,
identifying novel methods to detect the
pathogen in soil and irrigation water, and
developing management tools.
Earlier this year, Sanogo completed
a series of seminars at universities in the
Philippines and Vietnam, sharing his
groundbreaking soilborne-disease research.
He also received a $4,000 grant from
the American Phytopathological Society
Foundation to conduct a plant-disease
workshop in the Philippines’ Bataan Pen-
insula in March 2025.
Soum Sanogo, a professor of fungal plant, is leading a national research project to combat Phy-
tophthora capsici in peppers, cucurbits and other high-value crops.
Josh Bachman
Courtesy
or a century, the Department of Agri-
cultural Economics and Agricultural
Business at NMSU has helped shape
agribusiness and community development
across New Mexico.
Originally founded in 1924, the
department is celebrating its 100th anni-
versary. Back then, the department only
ofered a single bachelor’s program in
agricultural economics to students who
had completed their freshman and soph-
omore years. Reginald George Howard
was the frst student to graduate from the
program in 1933.
In 1956, the department launched a
master’s program in agricultural economics.
Enrollment in the program climbed to eight
students by the spring of 1960. Notable
alumni who have earned degrees from the
department include former New Mexico
Gov. Garrey E. Carruthers and Jef Witte,
the current secretary of the New Mexico
Department of Agriculture.
“Te department has signifcantly
infuenced agribusiness and community de-
velopment in New Mexico over the past 100
years. It has produced successful leaders,
entrepreneurs, academics and civil servants,”
said Carlos Carpio Ochoa, who became the
department head earlier this year, assuming
a role frst held by Arthur LeRoy Walker.
Today, the department boasts about
120 undergraduate students and 20 graduate
students. It ofers academic programs in agri-
cultural economics and agricultural business,
and it collaborates with other departments to
ofer programs in economic development and
water science and management. It has two
bachelor’s programs, four graduate programs
and two undergraduate minors.
“Te department’s programs impact
thousands of individuals annually, and its
faculty are nationally and internationally
recognized for their research in natural
resources management and agribusiness
economics,” Carpio Ochoa said.
100 YEARS STRONG
NMSU‛s Department of Agricultural Economics and
Agricultural Business marks century milestone
Wilson Hall housed the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business until the
building burned down in the 1930s. The department turns 100 years old this year.
NMSU Library, Archives and Special Collections. Image No. 02220051.
BY CARLOS ANDRES LÓPEZ
12 | New Mexico State University | ACES Magazine | Fall 2024
Fall 2024 | ACES Magazine | New Mexico State University | 13
READY, SET,
PLAY!
Learning Games Lab celebrates
20 years of teaching through
interactive programs
ACES IMPACTS
BY ADRIANA M. CHÁVEZ
F
or the past 20 years, the Learning
Games Lab at NMSU has been
practicing innovative ways of helping
youth and adults learn new content.
“Innovation is in our department
name,” said Barbara Chamberlin, depart-
ment head of Innovative Media Research
and Extension. “We build on the innovation
of the faculty we work with, whether that’s
in research, teaching or Extension.”
Te department has created in-
teractive games and programs since the
early 1990s, when Jeanne Gleason, now
professor emeritus, developed some of the
frst games and interactives in the national
land-grant system.
In 2004, Chamberlin formalized re-
search on user testing in the Learning Games
Lab and began an outreach program using
youth as design partners. Te department
Postdoctoral scholar Ruth Torres Castillo, far
right, works with Adriene Cervantes and Fatima
Badawy in reviewing games made by the
Learning Games Lab.
Josh Bachman
Fall 2024 | ACES Magazine | New Mexico State University | 15
14 | New Mexico State University | ACES Magazine | Fall 2024
and lab have collaborated with many faculty
members at NMSU and other universities as
well as community organizations. Tis has
generated global interest in the lab’s anima-
tions, videos, games and interactive programs.
In 2023 alone, the lab’s products had
5.7 million views, uses and downloads,
including more than 2 million hits on
22 sites hosted by NMSU servers and
another 2 million-plus interactions on the
Game Up platform of BrainPOP, a leading
educational media distributor.
“It’s all part of discovering new ways
of helping people learn,” Chamberlin said.
“Te lab was designed as a research space
for game development. Ten, it became a
powerful outreach program to help youth
gain digital literacy.”
Te lab engages youth in design
activities while they consult with devel-
opers during game testing. Tese game
consultants ofer ways to improve products
produced by the department, apply critical
skills and learn content.
“Everything we do in the lab with
youth is intentional, from the session design
activities, the games we play with them, to
how we refer to youth who participate in
the session,” said Matheus Cezarotto, a co-
ordinator for the Learning Games Lab. “We
call them ‘game consultants’ because they
provide valuable feedback in educational
products under development.”
Te lab also works with adults on
relevant games and applications, including
content designed for farmers and ranchers
managing their water use, students training
as dieticians and visitors planning trips to
White Sands National Park.
Te lab has partnered with NMSU’s
STEM Outreach Center, the Gadsden
Independent School District and national
organizations like iTrive to test games un-
der development and explore diferent ways
to reach out to youth on issues like mental
health, food waste, environmental impacts
and other areas.
“When we design our games, we work
with our audiences, whether it’s students,
farmers and ranchers, child care workers,
fnancial educators or others out in the
world doing their jobs,” said Amy Smith
Muise, an editor for Innovative Media
Research and Extension. “We also design
based on what transformation they’re
hoping to make, and we use three kinds of
research: our content expert research, our
research about how to make that transfor-
mative change, and user testing.”
Te lab’s work has not gone unnoticed. It
won the 2024 Intellectual Property Award from
NMSU’s Arrowhead Center and the Ofce of
Research, Creativity and Economic Develop-
ment. Te team has trademarked Math Snacks,
one of its most popular games, and secured
copyrights for 14 games, four interactive pro-
grams, four apps and one app suite.
In December 2023, Math Snacks
became available on the online educational
distributor Game Learning, thanks to a
commercial licensing agreement that Ar-
rowhead Center helped facilitate. In 2025,
Harvard Online LabXchange will begin dis-
tributing Math Snacks and other Learning
Games Lab products.
Te lab has also teamed up with the
New Mexico Water Resources Research
Institute, based at NMSU, to release a water
game through a project with the University
of California, Merced, focusing on farming
in an arid system.
Up next, the team is working with the
University of Arkansas to develop a learning
game to assist vendors at farmers’ markets in
understanding how to store and serve food
in the market environment. With the same
collaborator, the lab will produce a series of
interactive animations to help neurodiverse
learners, and those who support them, in
training for roles in production agriculture.
Over the years, the lab has collaborated
with many faculty and programs across the
College of ACES, including on the popular
Science of Agriculture series. In partner-
ship with NMSU’s Extension Family and
Consumer Sciences, the lab released iTIPS,
a series of interactive food safety modules
in Spanish and English that provide worker
training tools for food-processing facilities,
especially for underserved communities and
niche or artisan processors.
“Everything we do has Extension at
the heart,” Chamberlin said. “Extension
is how we apply the research of NMSU to
change the lives of New Mexicans.”
Developers in the Learning Games Lab receive feedback from two youth game consultants. From left, Arturo R. Ruiloba III, Tristan Bowden, Adrián Aguirre,
Regina DeBord and Jeffrey Buras. The Learning Games Lab launched in 2004 as part of the Department of Innovative Media Research and Extension.
Standing from left, Buras, Tomilee Turner, Ruiloba, Evan Evans, Matheus Cezarotto and Aguirre. Seated
from left, Torres Castillo, Anastasia Hames and Barbara Chamberlin.
Josh Bachman
Josh Bachman
16 | New Mexico State University | ACES Magazine | Fall 2024
Fall 2024 | ACES Magazine | New Mexico State University | 17