SOCORRO, N.M. – The Graduate Student Association's annual symposium featured a range of speakers Thursday, April 4, in the third floor ballrooms of Fidel. This year’s  special guests focused on the theme of “Sustainability and Renewable Energy.”

President Kyle Stark (pictured at right) said the GSA selects a new topic each year that is of general interest to the campus and local communities. He said the annual symposium is the main outreach event that the GSA undertakes to bring together a wide range of constituents. The early sessions Thursday attracted more than 40 people, including students, faculty, staff, and local residents.

Stephen Hicks, Property Director and the Head of Recycling at New Mexico Tech, opened the symposium with an overview of the fledgling recycling effort on campus. He said the program has collected more than 44,000 pounds of materials in just seven months. He said the program hopes to expand to Styrofoam and single-use plastic cups in the future.

Jason Hebert, associate director of Facilities Management at New Mexico Tech, presented an overview of energy conservation efforts on campus. NMT is focusing efforts in all areas of energy – water, lighting, other electricity, and natural gas. He presented plans for solar photovoltaic carports that will be installed at Macey Center, Facilities Management, and EMRTC in Phase 1. Phase 2 will cover much of the remainder of campus.

Other presenters included Brittney Bordner, marketing coordinator for UNM Food. She talked about efforts to reduce waste in the campus dining experience, sustainability and renewable energy in New Mexico and beyond.

Anne Jakle, the associate director of ESPCoR, talked about a federally-funded research project on the SMART Grid Center, which includes NMT professors and students.

Sarah Pierpont, Executive Director of the New Mexico Recycling Coalition, talked about "Recycling in NM and Transition from a Linear to a Circular Economy." Dustin Maxwell, of Waste Management in Rio Rancho, spoke about private efforts to reduce waste. Jennifer Dann, Urban and Community Forestry Program Manager, also gave a presentation.

Dr. Ken Minschwaner, professor of physics at NMT, talked about "Conventional photovoltaic technology and the viability of using solar energy to reduce fossil fuel emissions."

The keynote speakers are Robi Robichaud, senior engineer with the WINDExchange program at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Denver, and Gina Herrera, U.S. Director of Brand Partnerships for TerraCycle.

– NMT –