By Todd G. Dickson

State Higher Education Secretary Jose Garcia and Public Education Secretary-designate Hanna Skandera say they intend to make the public schools and higher education work together to provide a better trained work force.

Speaking before the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance (MVEDA) Tuesday, Jan. 3, Garcia and Skandera said they also will make the educational system more accountable. Their appearance in Las Cruces was followed up by Gov. Susana Martinez meeting with a large group of regents, governing board members and post-secondary institution presidents in Socorro to discuss the state’s new higher education funding formula.

The new formula will reward New Mexico’s higher learning institutions based on outcome measures that reflect student achievement and preparedness for New Mexico’s work force, as opposed to basing the allocation of funding on measurements like the size (square footage) of each institution. Also, the current formula funds colleges and universities based on courses and degree programs started. The new formula would be based on courses and degree programs completed.

Garcia said this is about more than making better use of the state’s support of higher education. The idea is to put the money into where there are gaps, especially in skill sets needed in high-tech professions.

At the MVEDA luncheon, Garcia noted that Intel decided to expand its Arizona operations, but not its plant in Rio Rancho. Yet, New Mexico spends more per graduate than Arizona, he said. Garcia said he took it as signal that New Mexico is not producing the kind of work force that is needed for the United States to be competitive globally.

“The central goal of New Mexico’s higher education institutions should be to graduate the students New Mexico’s economy will depend on for decades,” Martinez said. “In an increasingly competitive global economy, this formula will help us deliver the graduates we need for the jobs of tomorrow, and it serves to intently focus our attention on the achievement of our students.”

Under the formula, institutions would receive funding for graduating students in “STEHM” (Science, Technology, Engineering, Health Care and Mathematics) fields. A recent study disclosed that New Mexico’s economy will require nearly 50,000 employees with STEHM degrees by 2018 and nearly 95 percent of those jobs will require post-secondary education. “For the first time in the history of New Mexico, the younger generation is less educated than the generations before,” Garcia said. “This new formula is our opportunity to make sure today’s students are tomorrow’s successful employees.”

Meanwhile, Skandera said the schools will be changing, too, with a focus on making graduates better prepared for the work force or higher education once they complete school. Skandera said the schools will be more realistically assessed than the guaranteed failure rates offered by No Child Left Behind standards, which she said has only resulted in schools putting resources into helping borderline students rather than helping struggling students.

“Education is about setting up our kids for success,” Skandera said. “Let’s honor the successes we see and work on the areas we need to.”

At the MVEDA luncheon, a local success story was also highlighted. The Arrowhead Park Early College High School (APECHS) on the New Mexico State University campus will get a boost from a $345,090 W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant for the public-private workforce development advocate. The school, created by a school-business partnership called the Bridge of Southern New Mexico gives students the chance to learn in a higher education environment and earn college credits.

APECHS can tout that none of its students have dropped out, said Tracey Bryan, president and CEO of The Bridge. She said the cooperative efforts between the public schools, higher education and the business community is what spurred Kellogg to give the significant grant.

Distribution of the grant money includes $45,000 to NMSU’s Enlace Program that helps minority students succeed in higher education, $45,000 to NMSU and the University of New Mexico education research centers, $37,090 to the Arrowhead Center where the school is housed and $10,000 to the Service Learning Program at the NMSU College of Education. But the bulk of the Kellogg grant will be used to increase the student capacity at APECHS and to begin work on setting up four more early college high schools in Doña Ana County, according to the grant announcement.

Bryan said the Kellogg grant is a significant award, but The Bridge also has been getting grants from other private foundations and local businesses to help the APECHS effort. Through APECHS and other efforts, Las Cruces Public Schools is seeing good progress on reducing its dropout rate overall, Bryan said, “and the sky’s the limit” for future progress.

Skandera touted APECHS as an example of how to improve schools. “We didn’t point fingers in Las Cruces,” she said. “We sat down and said how do we get there, and we partnered.”

WRITER: Justin Bannister, 575-646-5981, jbannist@nmsu.edu

CONTACT: Sara Pirayesh Sanders, 575-646-7036, npirayes@nmsu.edu

The next great business idea doesn’t have to come from somebody with 25 years of experience. It doesn’t even have to come from someone 25 years old. That’s why New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center has created Studio G – a business incubator specially designed for college students and recent graduates.

“We see this as a place where ideas can grow,” said Sara Pirayesh Sanders, entrepreneurship director for NMSU’s Arrowhead Center. “We’ve really seen an increase in students interested in pursuing entrepreneurial ideas, so we wanted to provide a real-world laboratory where students can receive support and watch their ideas take off.”

Studio G is open to current NMSU students and those who have graduated within the past five years. The application process is ongoing, with innovative ideas more likely to be selected. Applicants should have at least a two-person operation. Once an applicant is selected, they will receive workspace, phone and Internet lines, a conference room and other administrative resources needed to start a business. In return, students must be willing to dedicate 10 hours a week to their operation.

“We’re looking for ideas across all disciplines,” said Marie Borchert, an educational specialist for Arrowhead Center. “From students interested in starting a technology business to an art student interested in opening an art studio – we encourage all students interested to apply.”

The selection process is competitive, with a limited number of spaces available. Students interested in applying or learning more about the program should call 575-646-7036 or e-mail npirayes@ad.nmsu.edu.  Additional information is available at http://www.studiognmsu.com.

The launch of Studio G coincides with National Entrepreneurship Week, Feb. 19-26, 2011. A series of workshops and seminars from Studio G for students interested in entrepreneurship are also planned for later this year.

The Borderplex (Las Cruces, El Paso and Ciudad Juarez) and Spaceport America were described as “two major facilities” in the article. Virgin Galactic’s world headquarters and the revitalization of border cities such as Santa Teresa due to the Foxconn facility were highlighted as well.

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

By Gabriel Vasquez

Entrepreneurs, prepare to meet your blind dates.

The Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University will play matchmaker with technology entrepreneurs and venture capitalists in the state during its “speed dating” event, Networking at the Speed of Technology, Wednesday, Oct. 20, at The Game Sports Bar & Grill.

“Over the the past few years, venture capitalists have been wanting to (invest) in our area – they know there are some good technologies coming out of the university,” said Dawn Hommer, a business incubation specialist for the Arrowhead Center. “This is a fun idea, it’s something different and something that seems really appealing to people.

We’ve gotten a good response so far.”

Arrowhead is actively looking for technology companies and entrepreneurs to participate in the event, which will be organized much like a speed-dating event. Representatives from those companies will have three minutes to pitch their product or idea to each venture capitalist, after which the investors will have two minutes to ask questions. A bell will ring, and the process will start again with different participants.

“The venture capitalists that we have in the state will all be attending the event,” Hommer said. “Flywheel Ventures, Cottonwood, the New Mexico Angels and others.

“Most of these are doing work up north, but recently they have been interested in coming down here.”

Arrowhead is calling for applications from all over the state and the El Paso region as well, Hommer said.

The companies chosen to participate will be “vetted” by a group of technology startup experts at Arrowhead. The companies that are not selected – because their idea or plans are not yet developed enough – will be offered additional assistance from Arrowhead, Hommer said.

“Maybe some of these companies are not ready to pitch to a venture capitalist, but thereare other things we can help them on to get to that point later down the line,” she said. “We want companies to apply even if they’re not quite ready.”

Regardless if the companies get funding from a venture capitalist or angel investor as a result of their speed date, the results will be beneficial to all involved, especially new companies, said Chris Kientz, director of innovation for Arrowhead Center’s TECH-START program, which helps incubate technology companies.

“One thing companies will definitely walk away with is feedback, which is incredibly valuable,” he said. “Whether it’s a good or a bad idea, whether the idea could be restructured in a certain way, these companies will find out during their meeting with these venture capitalists.”

Hommer said the speed-dating concept was developed after Arrowhead Center hosted its first networking event, the Entrepreneurs’ Mixer, in April, which was well received and well attended, she said.

“This is really what got the ball rolling,” she said. “Although there were no venture capitalists at the (April) event, we realized the need to create more networking type of events – after-hours type of networking to allow local people to connect with each other.”

The deadline for companies who want to apply to participate in the entrepreneur’s event is Friday, Sept. 10.

Companies chosen to participate must attend two mandatory workshops from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Sept. 23 and Oct. 14 provided by the Dona Ana Community College Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The workshops are designed to help companies refine their pitches and build a stronger foundation for their business.

Companies can apply by visiting techstart.nmsu.edu or by calling Hommer at 646-5213.

The event will be co-hosted by the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Center and the SBDC.

The “Connect New Mexico” event connected all eight new gateway sites into the Supercomputer using its new teleconferencing capability. The sites are:

• The University of New Mexico
• New Mexico State University
• Eastern New Mexico
• Western New Mexico University
• New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
• Santa Fe Community College
• San Juan College
• The State Capitol

These sites will be utilized by the universities and local businesses that need high performance computing for design and modeling purposes. The Supercomputer can be used for research, educational activities, training, and business modeling in the areas of energy, environment, digital film, aerospace, and biotechnology, among others.

The founding institutions for the New Mexico Computing Applications Center, which runs the Supercomputer, are UNM, NMSU, New Mexico Tech, and Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories.

For more information about the event and future Supercomputer gateways, see the Governor’s newsroom and the NMSU News Center.

Photo by Darren Phillips

Tuesday, January 26, offers a forum for discussions between employers and candidates with majors in Business, Agriculture and Liberal Arts. Wednesday, January 27, focuses on Engineering, Science and Technology majors. The event will take place from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm on both days.

Career Connections offers excellent opportunities for candidates of all academic classifications to network with employers in different career fields. It provides an avenue for students who are unsure about choosing a career to directly interact with employers who will share up-to-date information on their organizations and related opportunities.

In addition to providing general information, employers may be willing to discuss opportunities for internships, cooperative education positions (co-ops), or professional employment. Those seeking candidates in multiple disciplines may wish to attend both days. In any event, candidates will have the advantage of initiating job searches at a convenient location where many employers will be present.

Employers may register on-line.  Parking information and maps available on-line http://careerservices.nmsu.edu/fairs/parking.html.

For more information, contact Roseanne Bensley, Event Coordinator, Career Services, (575) 646-1631 or by e-mail: connect@nmsu.edu.