Regents Tour Playas Training Center

by Kathleen Hedges

PLAYAS, N.M. March 20, 2008 — The New Mexico Tech Board of Regents was treated to a tour of Playas Training and Research Center (PTRC) and a hostage rescue demonstration by a SWAT team trained at the facility, before their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 18. PTRC is a division of the university’s Energetic Materials Research and Testing (EMRTC) Center, whose one of its purpose is to provide real-life training facilities for security and safety teams.

Regents were informed that the facility could expand its business if its aircraft landing strip were improved. The Regents were impressed by the demonstration and added the landing strip improvements to the goals they directed Pres. López to work towards in the coming year.

The Board opened its formal meeting by electing new officers for the coming year. Jerry Armijo is the new board president and Ann Daily is the new secretary-treasurer.

Pres. López announced that:

• Projected enrollment for next year is up slightly, as compared to this time last year.
• New Mexico Tech is on a team, headed by the University of Arizona, that has been designated a Border Crossing Center of Excellence by the Department of Homeland Security.
• New Mexico Tech has been invited to join a proposed Explosives Center of Excellence.
• The state legislature recently appropriated $1 million which will be available for matching funds of private gifts.
• A $250,000 appropriation in support of the Geophysical Research Center was vetoed.
• New Mexico Tech is planning to proceed with a 7% tuition increase, with no increase in mandatory fees for the coming academic year. Tech’s tuition will still be lower than comparable state universities, and students will see some increases in financial aid to offset higher tuition costs.
• Faculty and staff at New Mexico Tech will see an average of 3% increase in salaries this year.

Dr. Van Romero, vice president of Research and Economic Development, reported that projects to get New Mexico Tech more coverage on KNME-TV in Albuquerque were successful. A “Science Café” program was held on Feb. 23 at Magdalena Ridge Observatory, and turn-out was good despite bad weather. “Science Café” was so successful at conveying Tech’s research to the public that a second one is planned, for 49ers Celebration and Alumni Homecoming (Oct. 24-25), focusing on EMRTC and explosives.

Another joint program planned with KNME for next fall is a “Science Crawl” in which mid-school students will have the opportunity to explore Tech’s campus and learn about opportunities in Earth science.

In addition, Dr. López announced:

• Plans are underway to rename the National Radio Astronomy Observatory Operations Center on the New Mexico Tech campus after Pete V. Domenici, retiring senator from New Mexico.
• As the result of an upcoming trip to China by Dr. López and Dr. Robert Lee, director of the Petroleum Recovery Research Center (PRRC), China has donated $50,000 toward student scholarships at New Mexico Tech.
• The state of New Mexico is continuing to work on a project to provide a supercomputer to New Mexico Tech, and Dr. López is working to make sure that it does not become an unfunded liability.
• Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America, a consortium to which New Mexico Tech belongs, has funded two proposals from PRRC for approximately $1 million.

Regents received a report on New Mexico Tech’s current financial condition, which is excellent. The Board was informed about a series of purchases with restricted funds. Restricted funds purchases do not require Board approval.

The Board was presented with a proposed policy on additional faculty compensation. The policy, with concurrences of the Vice Presidents of Academic Affairs and Research, respectively, will allow faculty to include extra compensation for faculty working on sponsored research. The extra compensation, according to this policy, will restrict extra compensation to no more than 20% of a researcher’s salary. The policy was tabled while questions were addressed as to how it may affect researchers at the Bureau of Geology and PRRC.

The Board approved four new academic appointments:

• Mr. Song Fu and Dr. Jun Zheng, assistant professors of computer science
  Dr. Seok Bin Lim and Dr. Karim Salehpoor, assistant professors of mechanical engineering

The Board granted tenure to the following faculty members:

• Dr. Peter Hofner, who retains his title of associate professor of physics
• Dr. Michelle Creech-Eakman, promoted to associate professor of physics
• Dr. John Starrett, promoted to associate professor of mathematics
• Dr. Scott Shors, promoted to associate professor of biology
• Dr. Enrique Vivoni, promoted to associate professor of hydrology
• Dr. Susan Bilek, promoted to associate professor of geophysics
• Dr. Wim Steeland, promoted to associate professor of chemistry

In addition, the Board approved granting an honorary Ph.D. in business management to Steve S. Torres, who served on the Board of Regents from 1966 to 1996. The degree will be presented at Commencement on May 17, 2008.

Meeting as the Employee Benefit Trust, the Board determined that New Mexico Tech’s employee health insurance plan is financially sound.

After meeting in a executive session to consider legal and personnel matters, the Board announced that they commended Dr. López for his excellent performance, and were giving him a pay raise of a little more than 3%, as well as extending his contract through 2013.

-NMT-