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NMSU Biomedical Research Building to Undergo Expansion – Here’s Why it is Needed

Gregg Morgan
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NMSU Biomedical Research Building to Undergo Expansion – Here’s Why it is Needed

Students and researchers at New Mexico State University have something big to look forward to. NMSU is undertaking a major expansion of its Biomedical Research Building. The project aims to significantly enhance the university’s research capabilities in areas crucial to public health. 

The National Institutes of Health and State of New Mexico are supporting the project through combined funding. According to NMSU, the investment will drive biomedical innovation and education in the region. 

To recall, in October, the New Mexico Board of Finance and Administration approved $16.3 million in capital expenditures to double the building’s size. Voters and the NIH initially funded the project through a 2020 general obligation bond and a grant. 

NMSU has developed the Biomedical Research Building in multiple phases. Phase I involved constructing the building’s shell. Phase II completed the interior buildout. The facility is now fully operational and supports ongoing research activities.

Phase III is currently underway. It will expand the building to accommodate growing research needs.

“This expansion marks an important step forward in strengthening NMSU’s biomedical research infrastructure,” said Berta Zubiate, university architect at NMSU. “By building on the success of the first two phases, we are creating a space that will support more advanced, collaborative and impactful research.”

Why the Expansion Is Needed

Workers started the expansion in November 2025 and plan to complete it by March 2027. The project will add specialized research environments, including a vivarium, aviary, and insectary. These facilities are essential for studying infectious diseases, cancer, and aging.

“These types of research environments are critical for advancing scientific discovery,” Zubiate said. “They allow researchers to better understand disease progression and develop new treatments that can improve lives, particularly in communities like those along the U.S.-Mexico border.”

The facility will serve a wide range of researchers and students. This includes those in the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, as well as the Departments of Chemistry and Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences. 

The shared space is expected to foster interdisciplinary collaboration across multiple scientific fields. University leaders say the expansion aims to modernize and centralize research operations.

“Currently, many of these research activities are dispersed across campus,” Zubiate said. “This project brings them together into a purpose-built facility that meets evolving scientific and regulatory standards.”

The expansion aligns with NMSU’s land-grant mission by supporting research that addresses health disparities in border and minority communities. It will also create enhanced training opportunities for students pursuing careers in STEM and biomedical fields.

“This is about more than just adding space,” Zubiate added. “It’s about creating opportunities – for discovery, for collaboration and for the next generation of scientists.”

AI is Saving the Electric Grid from the AI Boom: Inside Sandia Labs’ Game-Changing Voltage Tech

Juan Oliveros
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AI is Saving the Electric Grid from the AI Boom: Inside Sandia Labs’ Game-Changing Voltage Tech

Sandia National Laboratories has long honed technologies for nuclear deterrence and national security. Now, a quieter revolution is underway: teaching the electric grid to think for itself.

Artificial intelligence is driving an explosion in data centers, and renewable energy soars across the grid. With this, voltage — the steady pressure that keeps power flowing cleanly — has increasingly become a fragile resource. Conventional mechanical fixes, like capacitor banks that switch on and off, have struggled to keep pace with rapid, unpredictable swings in demand and supply. Enter Sandia’s AI-driven controls, coordinating batteries, solar inverters, and other distributed resources for stability in real time.

Recent laboratory demonstrations have detailed this new initiative. The work addresses a national challenge that is very visible in New Mexico and other states like Texas: how to power the AI boom without sacrificing reliability for everything else. Data centers, voracious and sometimes spiky in their electricity needs, are reshaping grid planning. At the same time, utilities are increasingly integrating variable solar and wind, while aging infrastructure faces threats from severe weather conditions and potential cyberattacks.

From Simulation to the Field

Sandia’s effort, at its core, is a distributed energy resource management system (DERMS), enhanced with artificial intelligence. Instead of relying solely on expensive new hardware, the system uses advanced functions embedded in modern inverters. These devices connect solar panels, batteries, and other resources to the grid.

Engineer Rachid Darbali-Zamora, the project’s key figure, explained the underlying philosophy of the work. “The way we generate electricity and the loads being placed on the grid are evolving, but the backbone of the grid that connects these is staying the same,” he explained. “We need more control to ensure everything can be integrated… in a more reliable manner. A key goal is keeping voltage within operating limits as conditions change from second to second.”

The team started in simulation, and they moved to Sandia’s Distributed Energy Technologies Laboratory. There, they leveraged power hardware-in-the-loop testing that connects real commercial inverters and batteries to a real-time digital simulator of grid conditions. This allowed the team to stress-test the AI against communication delays, equipment limits, and sudden disruptions without risking the live grid itself.

Field demonstrations followed at two sites in Lubbock, Texas, where Sandia’s Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWiFT) facility and the Texas Tech University GLEAMM microgrid, and a data center. Side-by-side tests — controller on one day, off the next — demonstrated quantifiable gains. Voltage deviations have strengthened, bringing performance closer to utility goals and enhancing power quality for sensitive loads.

Miguel Jimenez-Aparicio, a researcher and team member, observed that the field data aligned with lab results: “These demonstrations prove that AI can meaningfully improve how microgrids and distributed resources operate.”

National Security Meets Everyday Reliability

The implications go beyond commercial utilities. It could even be leveraged during a national emergency, such as war. Senior manager Charlie Hanley emphasized the defense angle: “In scenarios of national conflict or war, adversaries will target energy infrastructure… The Sandia-developed DERMS system helps to defeat such adversarial attacks through the application of agile and secure technologies.”

This aligns with Sandia’s expansive portfolio. Separate projects have developed brain-inspired neural networks capable of distinguishing between physical grid faults, say, like storm damage and cyberattacks, running on economical hardware already in the field. Its dual-use capabilities are critical because grids become more digitized and highly interconnected.

New Mexico itself provides a testbed. The state is home to large data center proposals, ambitious renewable targets, and national laboratories whose missions largely rely on reliable power. Wider U.S. energy trends raise the stakes, with data centers poised to claim a far larger share of electricity in the years ahead, while peak demand risks outstripping supply in some regions.

Path to Adoption of AI-Controlled Electric Grid

Sandia’s strength is its pragmatic approach. It used existing inverter hardware, enabling utilities to avoid massive capital outlays for traditional upgrades. The AI coordinates devices intelligently while respecting the electric grid’s physical limits, necessary for real-world deployment.

“The technology could strengthen power resilience and help protect critical defense and national security infrastructure during disruptions and attacks,” Sandia National Labs, in its social media post, wrote.

The project has advanced through the Department of Energy’s Energy I-Corps program, working with utilities and microgrid operators to hone the technology’s operational needs. It is now in Phase III, focusing on commercialization and further deployments. This fits into Sandia’s broader AI-for-grid efforts that include work on resilience metrics, renewable integration, and predictive analytics. The laboratory also participates in consortia such as the Open Power AI Consortium, seeking to scale these tools across the industry.

Challenges

Experts caution that AI is no cure-all. Grid modernization requires regulatory changes, investment in sensors and communications, and a scrutiny of the cybersecurity of the AI systems themselves. Aggregated loads across data center clusters, according to a study on Spatial Load Correlation in AI Data-Center-Dominated Power Systems, could pose fresh risks to grid stability, such as simultaneous voltage and frequency swings.

Questions remain about adaptability across diverse utility territories, integration with traditional systems, and equitable access — ensuring that rural or low-income regions benefit alongside tech hubs. Still, Sandia’s progress signals change. As Darbali-Zamora put it, AI helps “make sense of all the moving pieces on a modern distribution grid and do it in real time.”

Electricity demand is surging, and the demand for the grid to do more is even greater; intelligent controls may prove necessary. It started in a New Mexico lab, and the AI-controlled electric grid could help keep the lights on and the servers humming across the country.

Rain Failed to Stop This 708-Acre NM Wildfire—And Dangerous Winds Are Next

Ruben Reyes
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Rain Failed to Stop This 708-Acre NM Wildfire—And Dangerous Winds Are Next

Rain has done little to slow the McCauley Springs Fire, which held at 708 acres with zero containment as of Friday, as crews faced weather-related challenges on the ground.

While moisture can aid firefighting, officials said dry, windy conditions expected Saturday will quickly erase any benefit. Lightning also remains a threat, with the potential to spark new blazes.

Tiffany Davila from the Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 3 also explained thunderstorms can bring outflow winds. “Outflow winds can be very dangerous. They could shift the fire direction, expand or increase the fire activity and behavior. So they’re really monitoring the weather closely,” Davila said.

Despite all these, the fire is burning in a rugged terrain, so as firefighters try to directly target the fire, it’s tough to navigate.

Highway 4 remains closed near mile markers 27 and 40. Meanwhile, evacuations remain in place with “Go” status for Sierra de los Pinos and Jemez Falls Campground. Officials said an evacuation center for residents is open at Jemez Mountain Baptist Church in La Cueva, while Los Alamos County remains under “Ready” status.

Meanwhile, the Santa Fe National Forest also closed off the McCauley Springs Fire area in the forest. Although crews want to emphasize that the rest of the forest is open.

Smoke remains visible from Albuquerque, U.S. 550, Jemez Springs, and nearby communities, and it may affect parts of Highway 4.

Lightning Sparks Fresh Wildfires in NM Mountains Despite Tightened Restrictions

Ruben Reyes
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Lightning Sparks Fresh Wildfires in NM Mountains Despite Tightened Restrictions

Multiple small fresh wildfires broke out in the Zuni Mountains following scattered thunderstorms on June 26, a day after the Santa Fe National Forest recently enforced Stage II fire restrictions. But lightning-induced fires continue to challenge local crews.

Firefighters successfully contained the Foster Fire in the Zuni Mountains using direct extinguishment. Officials reported low fire behavior, with the blaze burning a quarter of an acre. Crews also contained the nearby Rose Fire, which was held to one-tenth of an acre, using direct extinguishment.

The U.S. Forest Service, Cibola National Forest Crew-32, and aviation support responded to both scenes to achieve full containment.

Fresh Wildfires Start Near Tres Piedras, Beehive

Firefighters are actively battling fresh wildfires.

A new wildfire broke out near Tres Piedras. Officials estimate the fire is between 3 and 4 acres. The fire exhibited moderate behavior, with 2-to 4-foot flame lengths and isolated burning.

The fire was spotted during a routine detection flight ordered to survey the forest following lightning activity on June 16.

Officials are still investigating the cause of the fire. The said there are currently no evacuation orders or immediate threats to structures.

Firefighting crew remains on the scene of the Beehive Fire, which has burned some 80 acres with zero containment. With less intense fire behavior, crews plan a burnout between Forest Road 80 and Willow Tank to clear fuels and protect nearby private property.

Officials expect to assign between 65 and 75 personnel to the incident tomorrow. A Type 1 Black Hawk helicopter will support the deployment.

The Beehive Fire was first reported around 1 p.m. on June 25, north of U.S. Highway 64 in the Tusas Valley, about 15 miles west of Tres Piedras. Some areas of the forest received widespread, prolonged rain, but the immediate fire area received only minimal precipitation.

Despite widespread, prolonged rain in some areas of the forest, the fire area received minimal amounts.

Update As Of June 26 on Beehive Fire

Firefighters still remain on scene of the fire, which has grown to an estimated 80 acres with 0% containment.

With less intense fire behavior, tonight’s activities include a burnout operation between Forest Service Road 80 and the Willow Tank to reduce fuels between the fire and private land.

Update As Of June 27 on Beehive Fire

Firefighters are on the scene this morning, working toward containing the fire, which remains at 80 acres with zero percent containment.

They have been taking advantage of moderate morning temperatures and creeping fire behavior to burn fuels on the north flank along Forest Service Road 80 and on the east flank, continuing last night’s work along a private property boundary. Meanwhile, a Type 3 helicopter has been ordered to assist.

By 12:45 p.m., a recent aerial survey showed that the fire is 400 acres. This includes the acreage treated during last night’s and this morning’s strategic burnout operations and unburned areas within planned control lines.

Update as of June 27 on Beehive Fire

The Beehive Fire rapidly grew this afternoon, pushed by winds and strong gusts under a Red Flag Warning. It is estimated 1,864 acres with zero percent containment and even reaching the Lamy Peak area.

Crews are now working in coordination with water-dropping helicopters to pick up spot fires and establish anchor points for building control lines. Six dozers have already been ordered, two of which are scheduled to arrive tonight, and we will begin constructing control lines tomorrow.

There is no evacuation at the moment, however heavy smoke has been impacting Highway 285 between Tres Piedras and Colorado border. Authorities urged the drivers to take caution and slow down.

Due to the complexity of the case, Carson National Forest Fire managers have ordered the Northern New Mexico Type 3 Incident Management Team to manage the fire.

The transition of authorities will take place over the next two days.

Update as of June 28 on Beehive Fire

Around 200 crews are on the scene since morning, continuing to work to build control line off Forest Service roads and from natural barriers.

With no infrared flight last night, the fire’s estimated size remains at 1,684 with zero percent containment. The National Weather Service forecasts another Red Flag Warning between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. followed by a Fire Weather Watch on Monday.

Meanwhile, the fire has grown to an estimated 2,236 acres with zero percent containment. Most of the growth was on the fire’s flanks while its head did not significantly progress, remaining in the Lamy Peak area.

Helicopters and air tankers worked on the fire when winds allowed while dozers and ground crews focused on building control lines. A night shift will patrol the area this evening, focusing on structures on nearby private properties.

Even the affected area is big, there is no Red Flag Warnings or other active watches, warning, or advisories forecasted for that area at this time.

Update As Of June 29 on Beehive Fire

An overnight infrared flight gave Beehive Fire managers more accurate look at the fire current size, which is 3,121 acres. There was no significant growth overnight.

The Northern New Mexico Type 3 Incident Management Team took command of the fire management today at 6 a.m. Meanwhile, crews are back on scene, using direct extinguishment strategy, stopping the flames at the fire’s edge, as much as possible, focusing on protecting private land within the forest.

The containment remains at zero percent. While there is no Red Flag Warning today, winds forecast are to be 20-25 mph. with gusts up to 35 mph.

Meanwhile, fire managers are asking drivers to take caution and slow down when in the area, as heavy smokes are occurring along highways 64 and 285. While, hikers on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail may want to consider skipping the section between Hopewell Lake and the Rio Grande National Forest.

The Land of Fire? Understanding Why New Mexico Burns Easily

Juan Oliveros
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The Land of Fire? Understanding Why New Mexico Burns Easily

Fire has been part of the rhythm of the land in the high desert, which is partly why New Mexico burns easily. That rhythm, however, has accelerated into something more relentless in recent years. This spring and early summer, dozens of wildfires have already scorched tens of thousands of acres, many sparked by dry lightning that delivered bolts but little rain.

New Mexico burns more readily and more frequently. It is not simply a single bad season. It is the convergence of a naturally fire-prone land, a drying climate, accumulated fuels, and human presence in what seems to be a flammable world.

Statistics tell the story, according to an in-depth guide by the Western Fire Chiefs Association. While the number of acres burned by fire changes from year to year — 2022 was catastrophic, with major fires burning hundreds of thousands of acres amid extreme drought — the underlying conditions have shifted. Fire season, once peaking in late spring and early summer, now stretches longer. Once a periodic visitor, it has become a year-round threat in many parts of New Mexico.

New Mexico’s vulnerability is its climate. Much of the state is arid or semi-arid, with rainfall varying wildly year to year. Increasing average temperatures intensify evaporation from soil, streams, and vegetation, deepening drought even when rain arrives. Low snowpack in the mountains — a persistent issue — means less water runoff into spring and summer, leaving dry forests and grasslands by May.

“Hot, dry, and windy conditions create the perfect environment for a wildland fire,” according to the Wildland and Fire Action Guide. Strong winds, which are becoming common across the high plains and mountain passes, can turn a small spark into a blazing fire in just minutes.

Then add dry lightning — thunderstorms that thunder across the eastern plains or the mountains without rain — and the landscape becomes a matchstick waiting for a spark. In the early months of 2026, lightning is linked to a significant share of ignitions, burning tens of thousands of acres before containment.

NM Burns Easily in a Landscape Shaped by Suppression and Change

Fire is not new in much of the state. Indigenous peoples and early settlers long viewed periodic burns as part of the ecology, clearing underbrush, and renewing grasslands. But hundreds of years of aggressive fire suppression, with overgrazing and logging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, altered that cycle. Forests grew thicker, and dead wood and understory accumulated. When fire finally returns, it burns hotter and more uncontrollably.

Scientists expect New Mexico’s forests to continue shifting in the coming years. Some areas will transition from conifer stands toward shrublands as periodic high-intensity fires take their toll. Invasive grasses in desert and grassland ecosystems can further drive more frequent burns.

Climate change is amplifying these trends, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Higher temperatures exacerbate vapor pressure deficits — leading to more pulling of moisture from plants and soil. Droughts will become more severe and persistent. Climate researchers suggest that larger burned areas will increase in the Southwest in the future.

The 2022 season is a grim preview. Multiple massive fires, including the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon complex, which is one of the largest in state history, burned through forests and communities. That blaze burned more than 340,000 acres, began with escaped prescribed burns but was driven by drought, low humidity, and wind.

Human Factor

Despite the lightning, humans remain the main ignition source. About 90 percent of wildfires can be traced back to people. Human factors such as campfires not fully extinguished, cigarettes tossed from car windows, sparks from off-road vehicles or equipment, debris burning, or fireworks, largely ignited fires.

New Mexico’s burgeoning population has a wildland-urban interface, where homes press against forests and grasslands. One unexpected spark on a hot, windy day can threaten entire communities, as residents in places like the Jemez Mountains or near Santa Fe know all too well.

Prescribed burns, designed to reduce fuels and restore healthy fire regimes, sometimes escape control — as they did in 2022. Fire managers walk on a tightrope: burn to prevent disaster, but contend with changing weather.

What Comes Next

New Mexico’s challenge is emblematic of wider Western trends. But its arid nature and elevation gradients give it a distinct profile. Unlike California’s chaparral-driven megafires or the Northern Rockies’ vast timber fires, New Mexico is facing everything from desert grasslands to high-elevation forests, each of which has its own fire-climate dynamics.

But adaptations are underway. Officials encouraged homeowners to develop defensible space, using fire-resistant landscaping and clearing vegetation near structures. Fire authorities emphasize prevention messaging such as “One less spark. One less wildfire.” Better forecasting, improved coordination across agencies, and public vigilance are great help. But as conditions warm and dry, the baseline risk rises.

The question for residents is no longer whether fire will come. They are looking more at how to coexist with it. New Mexico remains a place of stark beauty — red rock canyons, expansive skies, and generational forests. But that beauty has now become a vulnerability. Understanding why New Mexico burns easily is the first step toward learning to live with its flames.

Stage II Fire Ban Hits Santa Fe National Forest as Jemez Wildfire Explodes

Juan Oliveros
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Stage II Fire Ban Hits Santa Fe National Forest as Jemez Wildfire Explodes

The Santa Fe National Forest enforced a Stage II fire ban on Friday as firefighters struggled to suppress a growing wildfire in the Jemez Mountains, prompting evacuations and a temporary area closure.

The restrictions, effective at 8 a.m. Friday and lasting through July 11 unless lifted earlier. The order prohibits building, maintaining, or using any fire, campfire, charcoal, coal, or wood stove fires throughout the entire forest. It also bans smoking except in enclosed vehicles or buildings, recreation sites, or cleared areas at least 3 feet in diameter. Additional restrictions apply to off-road vehicle use and certain equipment during peak hours.

In its social media announcement, the U.S. Forest Service-Santa Fe National Forest said the restrictions aim “to protect public health and safety during ongoing firefighting operations.” The decision comes as the McCauley Springs Fire, which began on Wednesday near Battleship Rock in the Jemez Ranger District, continued to burn. A temporary closure order for the fire area also took effect on Friday morning.

Forest officials said the move aims to protect public safety amid hot, dry conditions that have increased wildfire risk. Violations are punishable as Class B misdemeanors.

The McCauley Springs Fire is under full suppression. It has grown quickly since its detection early Wednesday, and remains at zero containment as of Thursday.

Officials reported the size of the blaze to be roughly 300 to 700 acres in varying updates. They deployed hotshot crews, engines, dozers, and aircraft. They also ordered evacuations for areas including Sierra de los Pinos and Jemez Falls Campground. Highway 4 has seen closures in the area between mile markers 27 and 40. But the forest itself is not under a full closure.

The fire ban has also prohibited the use of herbicides in the Hermit’s Peak Calf Canyon burn scar, various post-fire road and trail closures, and the closure of specific campgrounds and sites.

An interactive closure map is available on the forest’s website. Officials urged the public to check recent updates before visiting.

New Educators Gear Up for Upcoming School Year through New Teacher Academy 

Gregg Morgan
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New Educators Gear Up for Upcoming School Year through New Teacher Academy 

New educators at Albuquerque Public Schools are making the most of their summer break by preparing for another school year. Through the New Teacher Academy Program, dozens of teachers are honing and improving their skills. 

The Mentor/Peer Assistance and Review team hosts the academy, which is now in its 11th year. The program provides Level 1 teachers with hands-on professional learning to build confidence and strengthen instructional practices. It also prepares them for a successful year in the classroom.

The academy runs for three weeks each June. Teachers can participate one week at a time. Each week covers a different area of teaching:

  • Week 1: Establishing a learning environment and classroom management
  • Week 2: Teaching for learning and instructional strategies
  • Week 3: Reaching all students through engagement strategies

The program supports educators from Pre-K through 12th grade across all content areas, including general education and special education. About 60 teachers participate each week. During the program, they receive compensation while learning, collaborating, and planning for the upcoming school year.

According to APS PAR Coordinator Stephanie Garcia, the academy has two primary goals. It aims to help teachers prepare for the school year and support teacher retention across the district.

“We’re here to help them have a more successful year coming up,” Garcia said. “We focus on what the basics of being an effective teacher are, and then help them take that information and actually utilize it. And by doing so, they become more successful, so we’re also working toward teacher retention.”

Teachers Share Their Experiences

Many participants said the academy provides practical tools they can immediately apply in their classrooms.

Naanibah Eddie said the workshops and planning time have helped her think differently about student engagement. She is a middle school special education math teacher entering her second year in the classroom.

“It’s a lot of help being able to go to the workshops and then having the planning time,” Eddie said. “I’ve gotten a lot of ideas about how to make math more student-based. I went to a lot of workshops about student engagement, so I really want to focus on that next year.”

Eddie said she looks forward to applying the new strategies she learned through the academy.

Erick Martinez is entering his second year of teaching third grade. He said the academy has provided valuable guidance on managing student behavior and designing effective lessons.

“It’s an excellent resource. The workshops are well thought out, and they give lots of valuable advice,” Martinez said. “They help us ensure that we’re designing our lesson plans to the Goals and Guardrails standards, while ensuring that they’re manageable for students. They offer a lot of support in that.”

Martinez said he especially valued the workshops on proactive classroom management and intensive behavior support strategies.

Survey Results Show Positive Impact

Garcia said the PAR team surveys participants throughout the program to ensure they gain the most from their experience. 

“We do surveys weekly to get feedback and adjust. We also do surveys at the end of the three weeks, and then we do a survey in March that gives us feedback on how it has impacted their instruction,” she said.

She said the feedback is encouraging, and continues to show the program is making a difference.

“The data shows that 100 percent of the teachers who attended last year said it positively impacted their decision to stay at APS. And then between 95 to 100 percent of them said it improved various areas such as student learning and engagement, to the teacher’s confidence, to their preparation, to their routines and procedures, to their classroom management,” Garcia added.

APS continues working to retain high-quality educators through programs like the New Teacher Academy. The initiative provides teachers with the knowledge, support, and resources they need to thrive, ultimately benefiting students across the district.

Could $750 a Month and Free Therapy Change a Young Person’s Future? Albuquerque is Betting the Early Support Program Can.

Juan Oliveros
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Could $750 a Month and Free Therapy Change a Young Person’s Future? Albuquerque is Betting the Early Support Program Can.

Albuquerque is expanding an early support program that aims to help at-risk young people by providing direct financial assistance and mental health services before their challenges lead to homelessness, incarceration, or other crises.

City officials on Thursday announced the second phase of the city’s guaranteed basic income pilot program and a new effort to provide cognitive behavioral therapy to residents ages 16 to 24 who are facing behavioral health challenges. The two programs intend to address financial instability and mental health needs early, reflecting a wider approach that emphasizes prevention over intervention after problems escalate.

Twenty young people will receive $750 a month under the guaranteed basic income pilot. The payments are unrestricted. Program participants can use the money for housing, transportation, food, education, or other essential needs. The program also features financial coaching, job training, mentoring, educational support, and counseling.

Mayor Tim Keller said the initiative seeks to address the root causes of instability before young people become homeless, imprisoned, or dependent on emergency services. “If we can help people at this stage, it means they’re not going to be right out on the street costing us more, they’re not going to be in our emergency room costing us more, they’re not going to be in our jail costing us more,” Keller said during a news conference at the city’s Trauma Recovery Center. “So this is the right intervention at the right time.”

The early support program’s guaranteed basic income pilot is part of an experiment in which local governments are using direct cash assistance to reduce financial hardship and improve long-term outcomes for vulnerable residents. Albuquerque also invests $600,000 in a contract with the nonprofit Youth Development Inc. to provide cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a widely used therapy that addresses negative thinking and behavior.

City officials said the city continues to experience high rates of addiction and mental health challenges, especially among young people whose exposure to trauma can increase the risk of violence, homelessness, and substance abuse.

Robert Chavez, chief executive of Youth Development Inc., said the therapy program will address those issues before they escalate into more serious behavioral or criminal problems. The counseling program, according to Chavez, will provide a package of interventions to help young people better understand their thoughts and emotions influencing their decisions.

Officials did not say how many young people will receive therapy. But the contract covers about 12,000 hours of counseling services over the next year. Individual sessions are expected to last about one hour.

Together, the early support program reflects Albuquerque’s effort to combine economic support with behavioral health care to help vulnerable youth and reduce reliance on emergency and criminal justice systems.

Avoid Falling Victim to Fake Party Invitation Scams. Consider What Cybersecurity Experts Say.

Victoria Padilla
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Cybersecurity experts are warning the public to be cautious of fake party invitations circulating through text messages, email and social media, as cybercriminals increasingly use the tactic to steal personal and financial information.

The fraudulent messages often appear to be invitations to birthdays, weddings, graduations or other celebrations. Scammers design the invitations to look legitimate. They typically include a link directing recipients to fake websites that mimic trusted event or ticketing platforms.

Security experts say the objective is to persuade recipients to click the link and disclose sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords or banking details. In some instances, clicking the link may also install malicious software on a device.

Scammers frequently create a sense of urgency or curiosity, luring people to respond without verifying the sender’s identity. They may also tailor messages around holidays, popular events or seasonal celebrations to make the invitations appear more real.

The Federal Trade Commission Consumer Service recommends the following precautions:

  • Use security software. Protect your computer with trusted security programs and set them to update automatically to defend against new threats.
  • Update your phone. Turn on automatic updates for your mobile software. These updates often include critical protections against security risks.
  • Enable multi-factor authentication. Add an extra layer of protection to your accounts by requiring more than a password. Options include: 1. Something you know, such as a passcode, PIN, or security question; 2. Something you have, like a one-time code sent by text, email, or an authenticator app, or a physical security key; and 3. Something you are, such as a fingerprint, retina, or facial scan. Multi-factor authentication makes it harder for scammers to break in, even if they steal your username and password.
  • Back up your data. Save copies of your files to an external hard drive or a cloud service. Don’t forget to back up your phone data, too.

Officials also advise users to be suspicious of messages requesting passwords, payment information, or other sensitive data. Legitimate organizations generally do not request such information via unsolicited messages. They say taking a few moments to verify an invitation before clicking a link can help reduce the risk of identity theft, account compromise, and financial fraud.

Officials encourage the public to remain vigilant as online scams continue to evolve and report suspicious messages to authorities. They emphasize that taking a few moments to verify the sender and inspect web links can help prevent fraud and protect personal information from cybercriminals. Remembering the risks posed by a fake party invitation-style scam is essential for online safety.

‘Academies of Albuquerque’ Seek to Transform APS High School Experience

Gregg Morgan
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‘Academies of Albuquerque’ Seek to Transform APS High School Experience

High school learning extends beyond the classroom, and students need opportunities to explore potential career paths early. To support this goal, Albuquerque Public Schools is moving from the planning phase to implementing the “Academies of Albuquerque.” Through this initiative, APS continues its efforts to transform the high school experience.

The district completed a productive year of collaborative design and is now scaling the program. It aims to provide students with clearer pathways, stronger community connections, and real-world skills.

The initiative focuses on integrating academic and technical skills. It represents a significant shift in how the district supports students from their freshman year through graduation. 

APS launched Freshman Academies at three high schools during last school year. This fall, the district will expand the program to nine schools. APS aims to implement the program by the 2027-2028 school year.

“You have to get started before you can build it out and cascade it throughout the grade levels,” Dr. Randy Mahlerwein, deputy superintendent for leadership and learning. He made the statement at a recent gathering of design teams and community partners at Cibola High School. 

“With this work, we’re going to be able to springboard into the next steps, where I think we can reasonably say we could be close to scale by the end of 2027-2028,” he said. 

Creating Pathways to Student Success

Thirteen design teams comprising educators, administrators, students and community partners developed the redesign. The teams designed critical components, including Freshman Academies, Career and Technical Education programs, and student capstone projects. The initiative aims to move students beyond simply taking courses. It engages them in relevant, hands-on learning that aligns with a newly defined “profile of a graduate.”

APS and the United Way of North Central New Mexico have formed a partnership to support the transformation. Rodney Prunty, president and CEO of the United Way, said this cross-sector collaboration is essential for long-term success. 

“When you win, our kids win, and when our kids win, our community wins,” Prunty told APS educators. “It is a different way of doing business, but it is transformative in the way that we get the results that we actually seek to achieve.”

The initiative’s framework emphasizes consistency. The Freshman Academies serve as its foundation. They help students transition from middle school to high school, foster a sense of belonging, and connect them with support systems early on. They also strive to provide students opportunities to explore potential career paths. As students progress, the academies connect them to career pathways, internships, and dual-credit opportunities that support post-secondary success.

APS is now turning these design concepts into tangible implementation strategies. The district is aligning instructional shifts with the needs of diverse student populations. APS is also creating robust data systems to track student progress and partnership engagement, and strengthening professional development for teachers.

Teachers Externships

Several APS high school educators are participating in “externships” this summer. Through the program, they spend a day with an industry partner learning about different careers. These job-shadowing opportunities give educators firsthand insight into the daily work of community partners. Teachers can use the experience to gain new perspectives and develop ideas for interdisciplinary lessons.

“I’m just trying to learn as much about trades as possible so I can talk to (students),” said Agusta Rodriguez Asi. She is a counselor at Cibola High School, who recently spent a day with HB Construction employees. 

“I just want to know a little bit more about career technical education and how to guide students who aren’t college-bound,” she said.

Rebecca Latham, with HB Construction, lauded the program.

“I applaud APS for taking the initiative to do something so bold and exciting,” she said. “This is just such a wonderful program to really start getting our kids thinking about their career.”

As APS advances the initiative, it continues to keep students at the center of its efforts. The district is embedding these academies within its comprehensive high schools. Through the initiative, APS aims to equip every student with direction, a strong support network, and future-ready skills.

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