New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

land-grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kn ...

based primarily in

Las Cruces, New Mexico Las Cruces (; "the crosses") is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New Mexico and the seat of Doña Ana County. As of the 2020 census the population was 111,385. Las Cruces is the largest city in both Doña Ana County and southern Ne ...

. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest public institution of

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after compl ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

and one of the state's two

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the ...

universities, along with the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

. NMSU has extension and research centers across the state, including campuses in

Alamogordo Alamogordo () is the seat of Otero County, New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by Holloman Air Force Base. The population was ...

, Carlsbad, Doña Ana County, and

Grants Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom *Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama * Grant, Inyo County, ...

. Initially established as Las Cruces College, NM State was designated a

land-grant college A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. Signed by Abraha ...

in 1898 and subsequently renamed New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts; it received its present name in 1960. NMSU had approximately 21,700 students enrolled as of Fall 2021 and a faculty-to-student ratio of roughly 1 to 16. NMSU offers 28 doctoral degree programs, 58 master's degree programs, and 96 baccalaureate majors. New Mexico State's athletic teams compete at the

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athleti ...

level in the

Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Texas. Due to most of t ...

except for football. NMSU is

classified Classified may refer to: General *Classified information, material that a government body deems to be sensitive *Classified advertising or "classifieds" Music *Classified (rapper) (born 1977), Canadian rapper * The Classified, a 1980s American ro ...

among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". The school is particularly noted for its graduate programs in education, engineering, business, and nursing. NMSU is the chief space grant college for New Mexico, leading one of 52 national consortia dedicated to

space research Space research is scientific study carried out in outer space, and by studying outer space. From the use of space technology to the observable universe, space research is a wide research field. Earth science, materials science, biology, medici ...

History

Hiram Hadley, an

Earlham College Earlham College is a private liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana. The college was established in 1847 by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and has a strong focus on Quaker values such as integrity, a commitment to peace and social ...

-educated teacher from

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

, founded Las Cruces College. Upon its opening on September 17, 1888, it included an elementary school, a university preparatory school, and a business school; Simon F. Kropp wrote in ''

Arizona and the West The ''Journal of the Southwest'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal published quarterly by the Southwest Center, at the University of Arizona, with a focus on the American Southwest and adjacent northwestern Mexico. The journal publ ...

'' that this institution "was not a college in the contemporary meaning of the word". One decade later, the Territorial Assembly of New Mexico provided for the establishment of an agricultural college and agricultural experiment station with Bill No. 28, the Rodey Act of 1889. It stated: "Said institution is hereby located at or near the town of Las Cruces in the County of Doña Ana, upon a tract of land of not less than one hundred (100) acres, This land could be contiguous to the main Las Cruces irrigating ditch, south of said town." Designated as the land-grant college for New Mexico under the

Morrill Act The Morrill Land-Grant Acts are United States statutes that allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges in U.S. states using the proceeds from sales of federally-owned land, often obtained from indigenous tribes through treaty, cession, or s ...

, it was named the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. Las Cruces College merged with the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts and opened on January 21, 1890. It began with 35 students and six faculty members. The college was supposed to graduate its first student in 1893, but the only senior, named Sam Steel, was murdered before he was able to receive his diploma. Classes met in the two-room adobe building of Las Cruces College until new buildings were erected on the campus three miles (5 km) south of Las Cruces. In February 1891, McFie Hall, popularly known as Old Main, opened its doors. McFie Hall burned down in 1910, but its remains can be seen in the center of Pride Field on the University Horseshoe. In 1960, in move to better represent its operations, New Mexico A&M was renamed New Mexico State University by a state constitutional amendment. New Mexico State University now has a campus and enrolls more than 21,000 students from the United States and 71 foreign countries. Full-time faculty members number 694, with a staff of 3,113.

Organization and administration

Regulated by the New Mexico Constitution, the NMSU Board of Regents constitutes a corporate body ("Regents of New Mexico State University”) that implements legislation over the control and management of NMSU. The board is made of up 5 persons appointed by the governor of New Mexico with the consent of the senate. Four members are qualified electors of the state of New Mexico, and one is a member of the student body. Non-student members serve six years and student members serve two years. The NMSU faculty senate consists of 60 elected faculty and has legal authority over all academic policies across the NMSU system.

Campus

The main campus of New Mexico State University occupies a core of in the city of

. It is located adjacent to

Interstate 25 Interstate 25 (I-25) is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway, serving as the main route through New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. I-25 stretches from I-10 at Las Cruces, New Mexi ...

, surrounded by desert landscape and greenhouses. The main campus is also bordered by

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally p ...

, which is the main east–west interstate highway across the southern part of the United States. To the east of Interstate 25, the campus facilities consist of the President's residence, NMSU Golf Course, the "A" Mountain west slope, and the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. South of University Avenue are Pan American Plaza, 48 acres of horse farm, and the Fabian Garcia Science center, which houses the

Chile Pepper Institute The Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico, is an international research-based and non-profit organization specializing in research, education and archiving information related to ''Capsicum'' or chile pep ...

's research, teaching and demonstration garden, algal biofuels research equipment, grape vineyards and gazebos, and fields and greenhouses for plant research projects. About six miles south of campus, on 203 acres of land, is the Leyendecker Plant Science Research Center. The Las Cruces campus is home to a nesting population of

Swainson's hawk Swainson's hawk (''Buteo swainsoni'') is a large bird species in the Accipitriformes order. This species was named after William Swainson, a British naturalist. It is colloquially known as the grasshopper hawk or locust hawk, as it is very fond ...

s, a raptor species currently protected by federal law. In defense of their nest, the hawks are often mistaken for attacking pedestrians. Pedestrians are advised to be careful when walking on Stewart Street, as signs have been posted all across. Umbrellas are also being provided to students for their convenience, as well as protection from the aggressive nesting hawks. The first master plan of the university was to create a "Horseshoe", a U-shaped drive, in an open large lawn. At the center was Old Main, the original campus building, originally known as McFie Hall, which was destroyed by fire in 1910 (the remains are now a college landmark). The cornerstone and remains of Mcfie Hall stand near the flagpole in the middle of the Horseshoe. Today, the Horseshoe is the center of campus and is the location of the main administration building, Hadley Hall, which sits at the top of the Horseshoe, and other classroom buildings. NMSU is a land-grant institution with a presence in all 33 counties of New Mexico, a satellite learning center in Albuquerque, 13 research and science centers, distance education opportunities, and five campuses in

, Carlsbad,

, Doña Ana County, and Las Cruces.

Medical school

The Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine at New Mexico State University (BCOM), a private medical school, is located on NMSU's main campus. Medical students can utilize the facilities and amenities of NMSU's campus, including on-campus student housing. BCOM began instruction in August 2016 and will graduate its first class in May 2020. BCOM and NMSU created a pipeline program whereby NMSU students who meet certain qualifications during their undergraduate studies are guaranteed a seat at the medical school following graduating from NMSU. In addition, BCOM has established a scholarship fund at NMSU. BCOM is the first osteopathic medical school in New Mexico and just one of two medical schools in the state, the other being in Albuquerque at the University of New Mexico.

Housing

NMSU Housing is available to students who choose to live on campus. There are several residential areas to choose from, including residential halls, apartments, graduate housing, family communities, living learning communities, and theme communities. Housing includes: *Chamisa Village Apartments Stage I *Chamisa Village Apartments Stage II *Cervantes Village Apartment Complex *Juniper Hall *Garcia Hall *Pinon Hall *Rhodes Garrett Hamiel *Tom Fort and Sutherland Village *Vista Del Monte Apartments

Libraries

NMSU has two major libraries on the main campus, Branson Hall Library and Zuhl Library. Both libraries have a total collection of more than 1 million volumes.

Branson Hall Library

Branson Hall Library was built in 1951 and houses texts and resources related to engineering, business, agriculture, science, special collections, maps, government publications, and archives. A sculpture made of bronze named "Joy of Learning", created by Grant Kinzer, former Department Head of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science, can be found on the north side of Branson Hall.

Zuhl Library

Zuhl Library was built in 1992 at a cost of $3 million. The library houses texts and resources related to the arts, humanities, and sciences. North of Zuhl Library is a 20-foot-wide steel and granite sculpture, named "A Quest for Knowledge", which was created by Federico Armijo, an Albuquerque native.

Museums and collections

NMSU is home to several museums, collections, and galleries. The NMSU Arthropod Museum, which houses more than 150,000 research and 5,000 teaching specimens, is housed in Skeen Hall. Specimens are used globally for taxonomic research and within the state for community outreach. The University Museum (established in 1959) serves the community as a repository and exhibitor of local and regional culture and history. The Klipsch Museum is a tribute to Paul and Valerie Klipsch, who provided materials representing more than 80 years of audio engineering. It is located in NMSU's Foreman Engineering Complex. The Zuhl Collection combines the functions of an art gallery and natural history museum and showcases thousands of specimens of petrified wood, fossils, and minerals.

Police department

The university has a dedicated police department employing 35 people, including 22 full-time commissioned police officers. The number of employed personnel expands greatly during special events such as concerts or sporting events, with as many as 50 security guards and dozens of additional officers from other departments. In addition to the Las Cruces campus, the department also has authority for all university-owned campuses, lands, and facilities around the state. The department also offers personal defense courses for females on campus, including training in rape prevention, escape and the proper use of pepper sprays. Campus officers receive training on gender identity/expression issues, which has helped the university achieve an overall score of 4 out of 5 for LGBT friendliness.New Mexico State University
Campusprideindex.org. Retrieved 02-10-2014.

Academics

The university offers a wide variety of programs through the Graduate School and the colleges: Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering, Extended Learning and Health and Social Services. NMSU offers 28 doctoral programs across multiple disciplines including agriculture, education, engineering, and the sciences. A specialist in education degree is offered in four study areas. An education doctorate degree is offered in three study areas. There are 58 master's degree programs and 96 baccalaureate degree programs. DACC East Mesa campus

At its four branch community colleges,

, Carlsbad, Doña Ana Community College and

, New Mexico State University offers academic, vocational/technical, and continuing education programs. In accord with its land-grant mission, New Mexico State University provides informal, off-campus educational programs through the Cooperative Extension Service. Through a statewide network of nine research facilities, the Agricultural Experiment Station conducts basic and applied research supporting agriculture, natural resources management, environmental quality, and improved quality of life. NMSU ZuhlLibrary

NMSU is divided into several colleges and a graduate school. These include: *College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences *College of Arts and Sciences *College of Business *College of Education *College of Engineering *Graduate School *College of Health and Social Services *Honors College

Rankings

As of 2022, NMSU is tied for 263 among National Universities, and tied for 132 among public universities, in the U.S. by '' U.S. News & World Report'' ' ''USN&WR'' ranked several programs among the top 200 in the nation, including the College of Engineering's graduate program at 149, the Nursing School for master's degrees (139; tied) and Doctoral degrees (109), and the College of Education's graduate program (125; tied). ''Forbes'' listed NMSU as one of "America's Top Colleges in 2021", based on indicators such as alumni salary, debt, return on investment, and graduation rate. In 2015, ''Business Insider'' ranked NMSU 42 among the "50 most underrated colleges in America", based on a comparison ''USN&WR''’s rankings of Best Colleges with PayScale’s 2015-16 College Salary Report, which ranked more than 1,000 institutions based on mid-career salaries of graduates. The same year, New Mexico State was listed among the top 12 percent of schools that help improve students’ economic status, according CollegeNET’s "Social Mobility Index", based on factors such as tuition, economic background, graduation rate, early career salary, and endowment. In 2022, NMSU was among the top 35 percent of schools in the SMI rankings. NMSU is recognized as a top institution for minority students. In 2016, it was among the top 10 universities in awarding bachelor’s degrees awarded to Hispanics—including for communications technologies/technicians and support services (seventh); agriculture, agriculture operations and related sciences (eighth); hospitality administration/management (ninth); engineering technologies and engineering-related fields (10); and education (10)—and in awarding bachelor’s degrees to Native Americans, including for marketing (fourth); engineering (fourth); agriculture, agriculture operations and related sciences (fourth); physical sciences (fifth); engineering technologies and engineering-related fields (fifth); and computer and information sciences and support services (ninth). The school also ranked ninth for conferring bachelor’s degrees to minorities overall for agriculture, agriculture operations and related sciences. A 2017 report by the

National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National ...

’s National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics ranked NMSU first for federal funding for science and engineering activities for minority-serving institutions. In 2021, the school was recognized on the Top 100 Colleges and Universities for Hispanics by ''Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine''.

Institutes and research programs

Research programs

Foster Hall New Mexico State University Las Cruces

The university is home to New Mexico's

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedin ...

Space Grant Program. In 2010, the NMSU Physical Sciences Laboratory secured a study contract with

Reaction Engines Limited Reaction Engines Limited is a British aerospace manufacturer based in Oxfordshire, England. History and personnel In , Reaction Engines was founded by Alan Bond (lead engineer on the British Interplanetary Society's Project Daedalus) and Ric ...

, a British aerospace company that is developing technology for an airbreathing single stage to orbit, precooled air turboramjet based spaceplane. The NMSU Department of Astronomy operates the Sunspot Solar Observatory and

Apache Point Observatory The Apache Point Observatory (APO; obs. code: 705) is an astronomical observatory located in the Sacramento Mountains in Sunspot, New Mexico, United States, approximately south of Cloudcroft. The observatory is operated by New Mexico State Un ...

, in Sunspot, New Mexico, including the site of the

Sloan Digital Sky Survey The Sloan Digital Sky Survey or SDSS is a major multi-spectral imaging and spectroscopic redshift survey using a dedicated 2.5-m wide-angle optical telescope at Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico, United States. The project began in 2000 ...

. NMSU is a research active university, with $150 million per year in externally funded research programs. Its estimated annual economic impact in New Mexico is $1 billion. Anchoring the southern end of New Mexico's Rio Grande Research Corridor, NMSU is the only university to reach the platinum, or highest, level of service to NASA's Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program. SATOP makes the expertise of corporate and university researchers available to small businesses.

Academic centers and research institutes

Agricultural Experiment Station An agricultural experiment station (AES) or agricultural research station (ARS) is a scientific research center that investigates difficulties and potential improvements to food production and agribusiness. Experiment station scientists work with ...

– conducts basic and applied research supporting agriculture, natural resources management, environmental quality, and improved quality of life. * Arrowhead Center – provides business assistance, technology incubation, intellectual property commercialization, economic policy analysis to local businesses as well as students, staff and faculty at the university. * Institute for Energy and Environment (IEE) – a multidisciplinary, energy sector and water resource institute. IEE's goal is to provide global leadership, expertise, and technology for public policy, technical and human resource development to meet growing energy and water needs. The International Environmental Design Contest is co-hosted by the IEE. * Manufacturing Technology and Engineering Center (M-TEC) – supports economic development in New Mexico by providing manufacturing education, technical assistance, and other extension services to industries in New Mexico.

Student life

Student organizations

NMSU student organizations include a Greek system and several religious organizations. The Associated Students of New Mexico State University (ASNMSU) is the student government and is considered a departmental organization. It consists of an elected student body president, vice president, 30 senators, and an appointed student supreme court. Senators are elected to two semester terms, with two elections each school year, in each, 15 senators are elected. There are 12 different departments within ASNMSU, who manage various events such as the homecoming parade, free student concerts, a free cab program for students, and many others. Each department is overseen by a director, who is appointed by the president and confirmed by the senate. ASNMSU manages a budget of over $1 million.

Greek life

Fraternities and sororities Fraternities and sororities are social organizations at colleges and universities in North America. Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an undergraduate student, but continues thereafter for life. Some accept grad ...

at New Mexico State University include: * Golden Key International Honour Society *

The National Society of Collegiate Scholars The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) is a national non-profit academic honor society for college students in the United States. NSCS has active chapters at over 300 colleges and universities in the United States, including the Distr ...

Sigma Alpha Pi Sigma (; uppercase Σ, lowercase σ, lowercase in word-final position ς; grc-gre, σίγμα) is the eighteenth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 200. In general mathematics, uppercase Σ is used a ...

The National Society of Leadership and Success * Gamma Beta Phi * Phi Sigma Pi

Media

Founded in 1907, '' The Round Up'' is the oldest student-run news publication at New Mexico State University. In fall 2017, it reduced its printing frequency and now provides current online news coverage as well as special print editions. KRWG-TV is a full-service television station in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and is operated and owned by New Mexico State University. It is a member station of PBS (Public Broadcasting Service). ''

Puerto del Sol ''Puerto del Sol'' is a non-profit literary magazine run by faculty and graduate students from the MFA program in Creative Writing KRWG-TV three days per week during the nine-month academic year. The broadcast is produced by New Mexico State University journalism students. In 2011, News22 added Noticias22 en Español, a Spanish language broadcast that airs Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Las Cruces, Silver City, New Mexico, Silver City and El Paso, Texas. Kokopelli is an online news publication produced by New Mexico State University journalism students. Kokopelli provides breaking news, features and weekly sports coverage during the nine-month academic year. Kokopelli is a member of the

Associated Collegiate Press The Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) is the largest and oldest national membership organization for college student media in the United States. The ACP is a division of the National Scholastic Press Association. It awards the newspaper, mag ...

. NMSU also owns and operates two radio stations:

KRUX Krux is a Swedish doom metal band formed by Leif Edling after Candlemass fell apart for the second time preceding their reunion tour. Members * Leif Edling – bass (since 2002) * Mats Levén – vocals (since 2002) * Peter Stjärnvind ...

(91.5 FM) and

KRWG-FM KRWG (90.7 FM) is a National Public Radio-affiliated station in Las Cruces, New Mexico. In addition to National Public Radio programming, KRWG also broadcasts segments of classical, jazz and Latin jazz Latin jazz is a genre of jazz with Lati ...

is an entirely student–run, non-commercial

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tr ...

station located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, that was founded in 1989. KRUX is financed through student fees administered by the Associated Students of New Mexico State University, the student government of NMSU. KRUX is a member of the Collegiate Music Journal Network.

(90.7 FM) is a public, non-commercial, full-service FM radio station. It serves the area within southwestern New Mexico and Far West Texas. It is an affiliated station of

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...

and features NPR programming.

Traditions

Aggies

The nickname was derived from its roots and beginnings as an agricultural school and the state's only designated land-grant university.

Victory Bell

New Mexico State University Goddard Hall

In the 1940s, the Victory Bell, a gift of the Class of 1939, was housed in an open-sided structure on the Horseshoe and rung to announce Aggie victories. In 1972, the bell was rededicated as the NMSU Engineer's Bell and mounted on a platform near Goddard Hall. On game days, various school organizations took turns in toting the ringing bell around Las Cruces before kick-off. The Bell was then taken to Aggie Memorial Stadium where it rang after Aggie touchdowns. More recently, the bell has been permanently mounted at field level just behind the south goal post of the stadium.

"A" Tradition

In 1920, students of then New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts scouted for an appropriate place to display their school letter. Tortugas Mountain, located three miles (5 km) east of campus, seemed a natural spot. Brave males gathered enough stones to form a big "A" easily visible from campus and the surrounding area. On the following day, April 1, students trudged up the mountain side with their five-gallon cans of whitewash and splashed it on the stones, turning them into a gleaming white "A". For many years, giving the "A" its annual fresh coat of whitewash was an all-school effort. The seniors mixed lime and water at the foot of the mountain and the freshmen and sophomores toted the mixture up to the juniors who splashed it on the "A." With the growth of the university through the years, the tradition was taken over by the Greek Council.

The Pride of New Mexico Marching Band

The

marching band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Most marching bands wear a uniform, o ...

of New Mexico State University is known as the Pride of New Mexico. It is composed of approximately 200 musicians, dancers, and auxiliary. They provide entertainment at football games, parades, and other NMSU events. Timothy Lautzenheiser was director of the band, naming it the Pride of New Mexico, from 1976 to 1979. The Pride Marching Band was the first collegiate marching band to be invited to the

London New Year's Day Parade The London New Year's Day Parade (LNYDP) is an annual parade through the streets of the West End of London on 1 January. The parade first took place in 1987, as the Lord Mayor of Westminster's Big Parade. The parade was renamed in 1994, and for ...

in 1987 and has performed at dozens of NFL halftimes, including most recently a Denver Broncos-San Francisco 49ers game in 2014 and a San Diego Chargers-Jacksonville Jaguars game in 2016.

The Wonder Dog

At kickoff of every NMSU home football game, Aggie fans await the "Wonder Dog" to retrieve the kicking tee from the football field. This tradition started in the mid 1990s. The first "Wonder Dog" was Smoki, a border collie-Australian shepherd mix born in Capitan, New Mexico, and trained by Joel Sims, an NMSU alumni. Smoki "The Wonder Dog" entertained the Aggie crowd for six years and retired in 2002. She also debut in a Hollywood film which co-starred

Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...

and

Dennis Quaid Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor known for a wide variety of dramatic and comedic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the late 1970s, some of his notable credits include '' Breaking Away'' (1979), '' The ...

, entitled "Wyatt Earp", as a town dog. Smoki "The Wonder Dog" died at the age of 15 in 2005. Since then, the tradition ended until 2012, when a tryout for the next "Wonder Dog" took place. A panel of celebrity judges chose a four-year old

border collie The Border Collie is a Scottish breed of herding dog of medium size. Widely considered to be the most intelligent dog breed, they are descended from landrace sheepdogs once found all over the British Isles, but became standardised in the Ang ...

, Striking as the next "Wonder Dog". Striking first appeared on August 30, 2012, at the NMSU-Sacramento State home game.

Crimson Fridays

Every Friday, some students, faculties, staff, and alumni of NMSU wear crimson colors to show support for the university and the school's sports programs.

NMSU ring

The official ring of New Mexico State University is given to students with junior and senior standing, and alumni of NMSU, to celebrate and commemorate their achievements and NMSU traditions. The official Ring Ceremony is sponsored by the Alumni Association, which is held every spring and fall Semester at the Aggie Memorial Tower. The official ring is manufactured by Balfour, which comes with white gold and yellow gold, with an optional stone; diamond or cubic zirconia at the centerpiece of the ring; and is presented with Hatch Chile Ristra. The top of the ring highlights the NMSU three triangles school seal, encircled with the school name. The three triangles represent NMSU's role as a land-grant university – teaching, research, and service. It also represents the connection of Spanish, American Indian, and Anglo cultures in New Mexico, and the triangulation of NMSU campus with

linking

in the first principle interchange of the

Pan American Highway The Pan-American Highway (french: (Auto)route panaméricaine/transaméricaine; pt, Rodovia/Auto-estrada Pan-americana; es, Autopista/Carretera/Ruta Panamericana) is a network of roads stretching across the Americas and measuring about in to ...

in North America. The one side of the ring shows the Aggie Memorial Tower, in honor of Aggies who died for the country, and the other side of the ring displays the majestic Organ Mountains. Students wear the ring facing the school name. Upon granting of degrees, graduates should turn the ring around facing outward, which symbolizes that they are ready to face the world.

Noche de Luminarias

A tradition that signals the beginning of the holiday season is the "Noche de Luminarias" or "Night of Lights". A university tradition that started as the President's Holiday Reception in 1984, which starts the holiday season with a night of entertainment and festivities. It is considered one of the largest

luminaria A ''luminaria'', a small bonfire are lit during Las Posadas, a nine-day holiday running December 16–24. Farolito is a small paper lantern (commonly a candle set in some sand inside a paper bag), particularly in the broader Southwestern Un ...

displays in the state of New Mexico. Each candle set is lit inside a paper bag. With more than 6,000 luminarias, it begins at the Educational Services Building, extends towards the International Mall and then encircles the Corbett Center Student Union. The display is set up by the

Las Cruces High School Las Cruces High School is a public high school in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States. LCHS opened in 1954 and is the oldest public high school in Las Cruces. As of the 2016–17 school year, it serves 1,661 students from grades 9–12. It is a p ...

band and serenades visitors as they walk through the lighted path by the Las Cruces High School Brass Choir.

Athletics

NMSU's teams are called the

Aggie Aggie may refer to: People * J. C. Agajanian (1913–1984), American motor sports personality * Aggie Beynon, Canadian metalsmith * Aggie Grey (1897–1988), Samoan hotelier born Agnes Genevieve Swann * Agnes Aggie Herring (1876–1939), Americ ...

s, a nickname derived from the university's agricultural beginnings. New Mexico State is a member of the

(WAC), except in football where NMSU competes as an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...

. The Western Athletic Conference was the fifth conference NMSU has been affiliated with in its football history. New Mexico State spent the past six seasons as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. Before that, NMSU was a member of the

Big West Conference The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The conference was originally formed on July 1, 1969, as the Pacifi ...

(called the Pacific Coast Athletic Association until 1988),

Sun Belt Conference The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football conference, the Sun Belt began sponsoring football in 2001. Its football teams particip ...

Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the third-oldest collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the midwest. History The MVC was established ...

and the

Border Conference The Border Conference, officially known as the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association, was an NCAA-affiliated college athletic conference founded in 1931 that disbanded following the 1961–62 season. Centered in the southwestern United Stat ...

. Another athletic program at New Mexico State was the women's Equestrian Team. The Equestrian Team was first established in 2004. The Equestrian team was cut following the 2016–2017 season due to budget cuts. NMSU AggieMemorialStadium

Rivalries

NMSU maintains strong athletic rivalries with the

. The UNM-NMSU rivalry is called the

Rio Grande Rivalry The Rio Grande Rivalry is the name given to the New Mexico–New Mexico State football rivalry and known as the Battle of I-25. It is an intercollegiate rivalry between The University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University. The rivalry be ...

(aka Battle of I-25), a competitive series based on points awarded to the winners of head-to-head competitions between the two universities in every sport. A rotating trophy is granted to the winning university for a period of one year, until the award presentation the following year. Different traditions take place at each school the night before game day. The university also has a strong rivalry with the

University of Texas at El Paso The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a public research university in El Paso, Texas. It is a member of the University of Texas System. UTEP is the second-largest university in the United States to have a majority Mexican American stud ...

known as

The Battle of I-10 The Battle of I-10 is the name given to the New Mexico State–UTEP football rivalry. It is a college rivalry game between New Mexico State University (NMSU) and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). It is called the Battle of I-10 because t ...

. UTEP and NMSU are located just over 40 miles apart.

Notable people

Alumni

There are approximately 120,000 living NMSU alumni. The NMSU Alumni Association is one of the university's oldest organizations, dating from May 24, 1898. Notable alumnae include Kevin Johnson, President and CEO of Starbucks Corporation;

Paul Wilbur Klipsch Paul Wilbur Klipsch (March 9, 1904 – May 5, 2002) was an American engineer and high fidelity audio pioneer, known for developing a high-efficiency folded horn loudspeaker. Unsatisfied with the sound quality of phonographs and early speaker sys ...

, founder of

Klipsch Audio Technologies Klipsch Audio Technologies (also referred to as Klipsch Speakers or Klipsch Group, Inc.) is an American loudspeaker company based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in Hope, Arkansas, in 1946 as 'Klipsch and Associates' by Paul W. Klipsch, the c ...

; Jerome Shaw, EVP/COO of Volt Information Sciences, Inc; Christine Aguilera, president of

SkyMall SkyMall is a specialty publishing firm headquartered in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, best known for once publishing a self-titled in-flight publication, ''SkyMall'', that at one point had an annual circulation of approximately 20 million copies ...

; Jorge Gardea-Torresdey, a

nanoparticle A nanoparticle or ultrafine particle is usually defined as a particle of matter that is between 1 and 100 nanometres (nm) in diameter. The term is sometimes used for larger particles, up to 500 nm, or fibers and tubes that are less than 10 ...

researcher and professor at the

;

Alvy Ray Smith Alvy Ray Smith III (born September 8, 1943) is an American computer scientist who co-founded Lucasfilm's Computer Division and Pixar, participating in the 1980s and 1990s expansion of computer animation into feature film. Education In 1965, ...

, co-founder of

Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californ ...

; and Kathy Lueders, the first woman to head

's human spaceflight program as the Associate Administrator of the Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorate.

Faculty

Notable faculty include: * Paul Bosland, an internationally recognized authority on chile who leads the university's chile breeding research program and directs the Chile Pepper Institute at NMSU *

Clyde Tombaugh Clyde William Tombaugh (February 4, 1906 January 17, 1997) was an American astronomer. He discovered Pluto in 1930, the first object to be discovered in what would later be identified as the Kuiper belt. At the time of discovery, Pluto was cons ...

, an astronomer best known for his discovery of

Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the S ...

Antonya Nelson Antonya Nelson (born January 6, 1961) is an American author and teacher of creative writing who writes primarily short stories. Life and education Antonya Nelson was born January 6, 1961, in Wichita, Kansas. She received a BA degree from the ...

, named by

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

as one of the 20 best young fiction writers in America, who has published three novels and more than 50 stories * Lisa Grayshield, healer, enrolled member of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, and advocate of Indigenous Ways of Knowing (IWOK)

Notes

References

External links

*
New Mexico State Athletics website
* {{Authority control 1888 establishments in New Mexico Territory Buildings and structures in Doña Ana County, New Mexico Education in Cibola County, New Mexico Education in Doña Ana County, New Mexico Education in Eddy County, New Mexico Education in Otero County, New Mexico Educational institutions established in 1888 Land-grant universities and colleges Public universities and colleges in New Mexico Buildings and structures in Las Cruces, New Mexico New Mexico State