In the Villanueva Victory Club, overlooking the New Mexico State University (NMSU) football field, a victory in academics, rather than sports, inspired celebration recently.
Office of Environmental Management
April 9, 2024
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From left: Ricky Luna, University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Ph.D. student; Vivian Holloway, Savannah River National Laboratory Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (MSIPP) program manager; Skye Fortier, UTEP chemistry associate professor; Catherine Brewer, New Mexico State University (NMSU) chemical and materials engineering associate professor and project lead; Genia McKinley, EM MSIPP federal program manager; Sergio Martinez-Monteagudo, NMSU chemical and materials engineering associate professor; Regina Marquez, associate engineer at Savannah River Nuclear Solutions; Paul Andersen, NMSU chemical and materials engineering associate professor; and Frank Ramos, NMSU geological sciences professor.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — In the Villanueva Victory Club, overlooking the New Mexico State University (NMSU) football field, a victory in academics, rather than sports, inspired celebration recently.
The reception commemorated the award of $24.7 million in grants by the EM Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (MSIPP). The EM MSIPP grants to seven minority serving institutions (MSI) across the country promote workforce development by providing funding for MSIs to develop new courses, purchase tools and equipment, and fund faculty, staff, and student development.
Of the seven awards, NMSU, in partnership with the University of Texas, El Paso, received more than $4.8 million for the NuChemE Pipeline program. Jay Gogue, NMSU interim president, described the core principles of the program as enhancing the “workforce’s capacity and diversity in managing radioactive tank waste. Through capacity building, interdisciplinary training and practical experiences, the project aims to bolster the skills necessary for this task.”
Greg Sosson, EM associate principal deputy assistant secretary for field operations, left, and Jay Gogue, New Mexico State University interim president.
Greg Sosson, EM associate principal deputy assistant secretary for field operations, and EM staff members traveled to NMSU for the event.
“The people of EM have come together for the past 35 years, unified in our determination to address [DOE’s] environmental legacy, cleaning up sites and helping local tribes and communities prepare for the next chapter,” Sosson said in his remarks.
While EM’s mission is rooted in the legacy of the past, the cleanup program is focused on the future, Sosson noted.
“That is why our partnerships with schools like New Mexico State University are so important,” he said.
EM and supporting Savannah River National Laboratory participants toured many of the university’s laboratories and previewed research proposed under NMSU’s grant application. During the tour, students highlighted their proposed research projects and discussed science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) career opportunities in New Mexico related to environmental cleanup. They expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to pursue their passion for STEM while still being able to contribute to the communities they call home.
The EM MSIPP partnerships with MSIs, like NMSU, forge pathways for minority students to pursue potential careers with EM.
“The people of EM are its greatest asset, and the EM MSIPP grants are a remarkable investment in the workforce of the future,” Sosson added.
-Contributors: Emily Himmelfarb, Lauren Zack
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