Latest news with #NewMexicoHighlandsUniversity
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NM Highlands University sues FEMA, alleging unnecessary hurdle in way of 2022 wildfire compensation
The student center at New Mexico Highlands University pictured in December 2022. The university is suing the Federal Emergency Management Agency over what it says are unnecessary hurdles to wildfire compensation. (Photo by Patrick Lohmann / Source NM) A public university in Las Vegas, New Mexico is suing the Federal Emergency Management Agency, alleging the agency is illegally forcing it to jump through bureaucratic hoops before it can seek compensation for a wildfire in 2022 caused by the United States Forest Service. New Mexico Highlands University, which has about 2,800 students, is seeking compensation from a $5.45 billion fund Congress created to fully compensate victims of the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire, the biggest fire in New Mexico history, which started due to two botched prescribed burns on federal land in early 2022. The wildfire burned more than 530 square miles and destroyed several hundred homes. It also upended life at the university, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday. The lawsuit does not provide a dollar figure, but it lists a variety of losses, including structural damage to university property from flooding and erosion; forced closures; increased insurance premiums; as well as emergency staffing costs for student support and operational expenses. Hermits Peak Fire victims say claims office head offered reassurances about Trump's threatened cuts But rather than applying for compensation made available through the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act, the university's lawsuit says it is being required to first exhaust another means of covering some of those costs known as the FEMA Public Assistance program. That program is reserved for public entities like local governments and school districts seeking reimbursement for emergency and infrastructure costs they suffered during a disaster. It is also notoriously slow, requiring a seven-step approval process. 'The Public Assistance program is a lengthy discretionary reimbursement program, not a compensation program, that is difficult to navigate, can take years to complete, and will not cover all of Plaintiff's damages,' writes Brian Colón, a former state auditor and lawyer with Singleton Schreiber, which is suing on NMHU's behalf. The City of New Orleans is still awaiting some Public Assistance funds from Hurricane Katrina funds in 2005, according to the lawsuit. Here in New Mexico, six bridges damaged in a 2008 flood in Ruidoso were still awaiting repairs by the time post-fire flooding occurred there last year, delays local officials attribute, in part, to Public Assistance challenges. Flash floods poised to continue in disaster areas through monsoon season And the state of New Mexico has awarded $170 million in zero-interest loans in recent years to local governments affected by various recent disasters, a measure meant to counteract delays associated with the FEMA program. Since President Donald Trump took office in January, approval for Public Assistance has also become less certain. This week, FEMA declined to cover 100% of the Public Assistance costs incurred from Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and denied the state of Washington's request for disaster assistance, including Public Assistance, following a bomb cyclone there last year. Colón, in a brief interview Thursday, said he was unaware of any additional delays or denials for public entities affected by the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire since Trump took office. FEMA officials did not immediately respond to a comment about that or the lawsuit generally on Thursday. The university is not the first public entity in and around the burn scar to sue FEMA for requiring the extra step. Other plaintiffs include the Mora-San Miguel Electrical Co-operative, Las Vegas City Schools, and the Mora Independent School District. Those cases are all still pending. As of April 15, the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire Claims Office has paid out $2.25 billion in compensation to individuals, businesses, nonprofits and local governments, which amounts to about 41% of the $5.45 billion Congress awarded. That figure includes $137 million to local governments, most of which was a single payment of $98 million to the City of Las Vegas to replace its water treatment facilities. The amount paid out via FEMA Public Assistance money is less clear. According to a FEMA website, the agency has obligated a little more than $170 million to local public entities that incurred costs related to the wildfire disaster in New Mexico in 2022. That money goes to public entities in the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire burn scar but also other wildfires that erupted in the state in spring 2022, and it's not clear how much has been actually paid, not just obligated, so far.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Students innovate in food, medicine and more at Las Vegas science fair
LAS VEGAS, N.M. — For those who don't store their avocados in the fridge, here's some bad news. Science says you're wrong. More specifically, 12-year-old James Junghans has found — using the scientific method — that you're wrong. James' project is one of many that filled the hall of New Mexico Highlands University's Student Union building Saturday for the Northeastern New Mexico Regional Science and Engineering Fair. This was the college's 67th year as host. Another student, Evie Odiamar, 13, tested the ideal fermentation times in glucose content for a batch of kimchi. She noted results might be different for adding fish sauce, which she said her family prefers. The projects weren't all food-related, though. The fair takes entries in 17 categories. Both avocados and kimchi fell under the biochemistry umbrella. The two projects awarded Best in Show among the ninth to 12th graders advance to the International Science and Engineering in Columbus, Ohio, held by the nonprofit Society for Science. Students are judged on a variety of criteria from methodology and design to execution, but they all have one thing in common — they must use the scientific method for a real-world application. Lilly Viteva's real-world application was to use science to examine ways to reduce plastic waste. 'Plastics make up most of the waste in our environments, in our oceans, even in our backyards. So what I wanted to do was find a quicker, more effective way, because recycling takes a lot more than just putting it into the blue bin. It takes time, energy, money — which most people aren't willing to spend,' said the 15-year-old Los Alamos High School student. Her method? To heat plastic until just below the melting point to classify it, thereby making otherwise flimsy plastic into a solid chunk that could be used in structures like homes. Daniel Rodriguez, a special awards judge at the show, was keenly interested in the project, noting other judges sent him over to check it out. 'It's very cool,' said Rodriguez, who works at Los Alamos National Laboratory and is presenting the special award on behalf of the American Chemical Society's Central New Mexico chapter. He said he looks for presentations that communicate the research — but conversation with the student is equally important. 'Never judge a project just by what you see,' he said. 'It's always the balance between that and the student.' Los Alamos High student Alyssa Sun, 16, aimed to use artificial intelligence to make medical diagnoses. She downloaded 6,000 of the 112,000 X-ray images of pneumonia-afflicted lungs available on the National Institutes of Health public database. Then she wrote 200 lines of code to create an AI model able to look at new X-ray images, compare them with the models and estimate the likelihood that a given lung X-ray contained pneumonia. She was pretty successful — her model boasts around a 95% accuracy rate, beating trained radiologists, she said, who report around 90% to 95% diagnosis accuracy for comparable tests. She got the idea from a friend who contracted pneumonia. When the friend saw Sun's project, she asked, 'Where was this when I had it?' Sun said. Joshua Bala, a student at Mandela International Magnet School in Santa Fe, got his idea for a medicine reminder app from someone in his life who takes medicine, 'and especially some people who have to take their medicine exactly on time, and they can't even be like 10 minutes late or 10 minutes early.' 'So I was wondering, there must be some other way that's more effective than just using memory,' he continued. He devised a study that found cellphone reminders greatly improved rates of on-timeness compared to plain memory or a sticky note on the fridge. The youthful inventiveness was an inspiration to Jenn Aldred, director of the fair and of its organizing body, the Achieving in Research Math and Science Center at Highlands. 'If you're feeling sad and hopeless in everything that's happening in the world, all you have to do is come down here and talk to these kids who have these amazing ideas for how to make the world a better place,' she said. Aldred, who holds a doctorate in geology, is in her third year organizing the fair. Since her first year, she's been pushing to increase participation by students from underresourced areas, noting northeastern New Mexico encompasses some of the wealthiest and poorest counties in the state. 'We need more support for these students,' Aldred said. The college received several grants to provide additional mentorship for students and for International Science and Engineering Fair training for teachers to help correct those disparities. Aldred said this has helped, citing the first- and second-time appearances of a few schools at Saturday's show. ' We know science is not equitable,' she said. 'We know that most sciences are not diverse. We know that most sciences are not inclusive, and I know that those are dirty words these days. But I believe wholeheartedly that we aren't going to solve any problems if we do not have DEI and our sciences. You'll see kids from all walks of life, different backgrounds ... ranges of mentorship and education, and it's truly inspiring.'
Associated Press
19-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
New Mexico governor appoints brother to university board amid frustration with oversight, cronyism
LAS VEGAS, N.M. (AP) — The governor of New Mexico has appointed her brother to the board of regents at New Mexico Highlands University, as concerns about wasteful spending and cronyism roil the state's regional university system. Greg Lujan — the 64-year-old brother of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham — has been appointed as the student regent to the five-member board at Las Vegas, New Mexico-based Highlands University, pending state Senate confirmation, the governor's office confirmed Tuesday. Jodi McGinnis Porter, a spokesperson for the governor, said Lujan was chosen from among several student applicants. Lujan, a mortgage loan officer, returned to college last year to pursue a degree in business and applied sciences, studying under a state scholarship and making the dean's list with high grades, McGinnis Porter said. Republican state Sen. James Townsend of Artesia in the confirmation process. 'I just think she's put her brother in a really unfortunate circumstance,' Townsend told the Journal. The appointment takes place as state prosecutors try to undo a lucrative severance package for Joseph Shepard, former president at Silver City-based Western New Mexico University. It included a nearly $2 million payout approved in the wake of a scathing report that detailed wasteful spending and lax financial oversight at the school. The scandal at Western has prompted legislative proposals this year that would bolster oversight of regents who vet and approve university budgets — from tuition rates to contracts with top administrators. State lawmakers started raising questions in 2023 about spending on international trips and on high-end furniture by Shepard. They also question the use of a university purchasing card by his wife, Valerie Plame. At the time, Shepard said regents vetted his spending requests and that he was familiar with policies governing the use of public money. The state auditor's office found more than $363,000 in wasteful spending and improper use of public funds. State Attorney General Raúl Torrez has outlined several allegations that included breaches of fiduciary duty and violations of the state's open meetings law and state constitution. He also raised questions about who at the university rushed to issue a check to Shepard, noting that some regents already had resigned amid pressure from the governor. William García, the departing chairman of the board at Highlands University, said that the student position on a university board carries full voting authority. The university has roughly 3,000 students, including many aspiring teachers and social workers. 'They're called 'student regent,' but their vote is of equal value and eagerly sought,' García said.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Amid recent higher education scrutiny, governor appoints brother as NMHU regent
Feb. 18—SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is defending her decision to appoint her brother as a student regent at New Mexico Highlands University. The appointment of Greg Lujan comes amid recent scrutiny of New Mexico regents' handling of university president contract issues, including a $1.9 million payout to former Western New Mexico University President Joseph Shepard. That "golden parachute" prompted Attorney General Raúl Torrez to file litigation seeking to claw back the settlement money. Lujan Grisham officially nominated her brother as a student regent at NMHU in an executive message to the Senate dated Feb. 3. His term as regent would start Jan. 1 and go through Dec. 31, 2026. The governor in a statement said she encouraged her brother to apply to be student regent, which he did through the university's application process. She then selected him from among a list of applications forwarded by top administrators at the Las Vegas-based university. "I asked him to serve because I know he'll do an outstanding job for New Mexico Highlands University," Lujan Grisham said. "He's exactly the kind of person we want in these roles," the governor added. "He's an incredibly hard worker and he embodies a deep commitment to education, having gone back to school as an adult to pursue his dream of a college degree." Like all other regent appointments, the nomination of Greg Lujan is subject to Senate confirmation. The Senate Rules Committee has not yet scheduled a hearing on Lujan's nomination during the 60-day session that reaches its halfway point this week. If he is not confirmed, he cannot assume the role of student regent. The panel's chairwoman, Sen. Katy Duhigg, D-Albuquerque, declined to comment Monday on the appointment of the governor's brother. But Sen. James Townsend, R-Artesia, the committee's ranking Republican, said Lujan Grisham recently called him and asked him to support her brother's appointment. "I told her that it would be awfully hard for a guy in southeast New Mexico to step out on that plank for an appointment that would be met with such skepticism," Townsend recalled. He also said he subsequently had a cordial meeting with Greg Lujan but warned him he could face a tough road to Senate confirmation. "I just think she's put her brother in a really unfortunate circumstance," Townsend told the Journal. Regents already in focus at Roundhouse New Mexico's process for student regent appointments works slightly differently than the process for selecting traditional regents. The governor must select an appointee from a student member list provided by a higher education institution's president, which also considers recommendations of the student body president. Sen. Jeff Steinborn, D-Las Cruces, told the Journal he's curious about how that process went with the governor's brother. He said the state should create nominating commissions to pick and vet the best candidates, an idea he has unsuccessfully pushed in past legislative sessions. "Sometimes that could be a supporter, it could be a family member," Steinborn said. "But there's a process that's transparent, and we know we're getting the best of the best that are being advanced. I still think it's crucial we do that." Other proposals dealing with university regents have also been proposed during this year's legislative session, including a proposed constitutional amendment that would make it easier for regents to be removed in cases of malfeasance or breach of duty. University says proper process followed NMHU spokesperson David Lepre said Monday the university included Greg Lujan in a packet of student applications provided to the Governor's Office. "NMHU has full confidence in both of Gov. Lujan Grisham's regent nominees, Greg Lujan and Gary Tripp, and appreciates her consideration of regent appointments," he told the Journal. He also said the governor's previous NMHU student regent nominees have served the institution with distinction. Greg Lujan, who did not return a phone call seeking comment Monday, has largely stayed out of the political spotlight since Michelle Lujan Grisham was elected governor in 2018. He did speak at his sister's reelection ceremony after she won reelection in 2022. The two siblings grew up in Santa Fe and also had a sister, Kimberly, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor when she was 2 years old and died at age 21. The governor has talked publicly about her family's struggles with her sister's health issues.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As Legislature debates improving university boards, NM Gov names brother as NMHU student regent
The student center at New Mexico Highlands University pictured in December 2022. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has selected Gregory Lujan, her brother, to be student regent there, subject to Senate confirmation. (Photo by Patrick Lohmann / Source NM) While the Legislature debates several bills aimed at reforming New Mexico university governance, including the selection process for the boards overseeing them, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has continued putting forward her picks to go before the state Senate for confirmation hearings. One of them, Gregory Lawrence Lujan, is her brother. If confirmed by the Senate, he'll become the student regent at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, N.M. In a statement to Source New Mexico, the governor said she encouraged her brother to apply. 'I asked him to serve because I know he'll do an outstanding job for New Mexico Highlands University. He's exactly the kind of person we want in these roles,' she said through a spokesperson. Lawrence, in a brief interview with Source on Friday, declined to comment at length, but confirmed he was up for the two-year stint as student regent. Northern New Mexico College Dolores Lila Gurule Ron J. Lovato University of New Mexico Victor R. Reyes, Jr. (Reappointment) Christina R. Campos Patricia G. Williams New Mexico Highlands University Gary Tripp Gregory Lawrence Lujan (the governor's brother) Eastern New Mexico University Lance A. Pyle (Reappointment) Eastern New Mexico University New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Yolanda King (Reappointment) New Mexico Military Institute Thomas E. Jennings Kallie D. Kuehl New Mexico School for the Deaf Rosemary J. Gallegos New Mexico State University Ricardo F. Gonzales Student regents have the same voting powers as other board members, but they must first apply to the university president, who makes a recommendation to the governor's office. Other aspiring regents apply directly to the governor's office. The gig is unpaid, though they do get per diem for travel. Highlands President Neil Wolff did not respond to a request for comment about why he chose Lujan. Current Highlands regents told Source New Mexico they didn't know Lujan, whom they described as being in his 60s, was a student until the governor named him. Board Chairman Bill Garcia told Source he's since learned Lujan has been a student for a couple of years, and regent Frank Sanchez said he sees no reason why Lujan wouldn't be a great regent. 'He's a student, apparently a good student, so I think he's just as qualified,' Sanchez said. 'If he has those qualifications, I don't see why he'd be eliminated from the process.' The governor said her brother is on the Dean's List, gets straight As and 'brings real-world experiences to the position.' She also said he embodies the purpose of the Opportunity Scholarship Fund, which provides free tuition to undergraduates statewide and is 'helping college students of all ages achieve their educational goals.' The governor's brother is among 14 regent picks the governor has announced in a news release or sent to the Senate for consideration since early January. Sens. Jeff Steinborn (D-Las Cruces) and Harold Pope (D-Albuquerque) have sponsored a joint resolution that proposes a constitutional amendment requiring the governor to select regent picks from a list provided by a nominating committee at each university. Student regents would not be affected by the amendment, Steinborn said, because they have their own process outlined in the state constitution. He said he's withholding any judgment about the governor' brother until hecomes up for confirmation. 'The constitution creates a special process for the student regent,' he said. 'That's the important thing to look at: Was the process followed?' Lawmakers and the New Mexico Attorney General have taken aim at university governance following a spending scandal at Western New Mexico University. There, the regents approved of a $1.9 million payout to outgoing university president Joseph Shepard, who is accused of wasteful spending. Several regents resigned in the aftermath. Attorney General Raul Torrez's office did not respond to a request for comment about Lujan's appointment. Other bills aim to increase transparency and accountability in university spending, require regents to have fiduciary responsibility and require regents to undergo financial training. If Lujan is confirmed by the Senate, he'll serve as student regent until Dec. 31, 2026. It's not clear when his confirmation hearing is set. The governor called on the Senate to confirm him. 'I know Greg will make Highlands University proud through his service,' she said in the statement. 'I look forward to the New Mexico Senate's confirmation of Greg and our other outstanding regent nominees during the 60-day legislative session.'
