October 31, 2025
Happy Halloween and Happy Matanza! It’s shaping up to be a busy end to the week—on Thursday and Friday, the Board of Regents held a retreat in Rodgers Hall to take a deep dive into the important issues facing Highlands, Las Vegas, and our students. I’ve worked at many universities, and I can say with confidence that our current Regents are an engaged and passionate group. It’s a privilege to work alongside them to help make NMHU even stronger.
As you read this, our team is already hard at work preparing the Matanza meal. We sold out this year, with 1,050 tickets distributed to community members, students, faculty, and staff. Many thanks to our generous sponsors—including the City of Las Vegas Lodgers’ Tax and the NMHU Foundation—for their invaluable support. And we hope you’re hungry: we have more than 600 pounds of chicharrones, a steer, and six pigs to prepare and serve. My sincere thanks to everyone volunteering right now to make it happen. If you missed out on a ticket this year, don’t worry—2027 will be here before you know it!
I’ve made several organizational changes to help Highlands leverage new opportunities. Human Resources, Compliance, and Title IX now report to our new General Counsel, Doajo Hicks. Additionally, University Relations and Marketing/Communications now report to University Advancement under Dr. Grindstaff.
Recent Highlights:
NMHU joined seven other institutions of higher education in showcasing our university at the inaugural Knowledge Concourse at the Albuquerque Sunport. Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller attended the event to unveil each of the display cases, allowing visitors to see the full range of educational opportunities available across New Mexico. Special thanks to Nicole Boulom and Dave Lepre for representing Highlands at the event, and to Ted Gonzales, Alexis Duran, Clint Weckerly, and Shawna Wenseng for helping bring the display together. Here’s a photo of the display alongside Mayor Keller:
Representatives from NMHU recently participated in New Mexico Advising Day—“From Connection to Completion: Advancing Holistic Advising in the Land of Enchantment”—held at UNM and sponsored by Complete College America (CCA). Presentations were provided by Achieving the Dream, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and NACADA–The Global Community for Academic Advising. This event was part of NMHU’s participation in CCA’s Accelerator Project.
We held a Youth Day on the NMHU campus on Saturday, October 18. Students from local high schools—including Robertson, West Las Vegas, Wagon Mound, Mora, Pecos, Springer, and Roy—visited our campus to learn more about Highlands’ academic and athletic programs and to cheer on our football team in its victory over Colorado Mesa University. The event was very well received by participating students, and we look forward to hosting more opportunities that inspire them to pursue their education at NMHU. Many thanks to Lorraine Martinez, Cin Ulibarri, Scott Noble, Amalinda Arguello, and the rest of the committee who helped organize the event.
Upcoming Events:
We’ll be hosting the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) for a focused accreditation visit on Monday, November 3, and Tuesday, November 4. The team of two peer reviewers will meet with staff, faculty, and administrators on issues related to the assessment of student learning, human resources, and finances. See our webpage for more information http://www.nmhu.edu/accreditation-information/.
Men’s Basketball tips off its season in Billings, Montana, as part of the D2CCA Tipoff Classic, with games against Montana State University Billings, Angelo State University, and the University of Central Missouri on Friday, November 7; Saturday, November 8; and Sunday, November 9. I’ll be up in the cold to cheer the team on!
Our final home football game will also take place that weekend—on Saturday, November 8—against Fort Lewis College, which will also be Faculty Appreciation Day.
Women’s Basketball plays an exhibition game against NMSU in Las Cruces on Tuesday, November 11, at 5:00 p.m., before kicking off the regular season by hosting the South Central Regional Challenge on Friday, November 14, and Saturday, November 15, at Wilson Complex. I was happy to host the team and Coach Lindsey Fearing at the President’s Residence:
Congratulations:
Dr. Jennifer Lindline, Chair of the Natural Resources Management Department, led a field trip to Philmont Scout Ranch with colleague Marine Foucher (Visiting Professor of Environmental Geology and GIS), student Isaiah Archuleta (Environmental Geology B.S. senior), and PSR volunteer Jerry Kendall. The goal of the trip—a 5.5-mile hike with more than 2,000 feet of elevation gain—was to collect a sample from the pinnacle of the Tooth of Time for geologic dating, a multi-month laboratory effort.
The Tooth of Time is a well-known promontory of the Cimarron Range and a historic landmark on the Santa Fe Trail, marking the final seven-day stretch to Santa Fe. The group hiked, climbed, and scrambled their way to the top to collect the sample, rewarded with stunning 360-degree views of the Great Plains, the Raton-Clayton and Mora-Ocate volcanic fields, the Cimarron watershed, and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
This is the first of what they hope will be additional projects at Philmont Scout Ranch to enhance educational programs and support natural resource management planning and development. (As you can see, Dr. Lindline roots for the incorrect NFL team.)
NMHU Forestry faculty members Dr. Michael Remke and Dr. Julie Tsatsaros took graduate students Richmond Mbami and Grant Osei-Mensah, along with undergraduate student Tomas Gonzales, to the Society for Ecological Restoration World Conference in Denver, Colorado, earlier this October. The conference provided an incredible opportunity for our team—especially our international students—to connect with restoration scientists and practitioners from around the world.
Faculty and students presented to packed rooms on the research they are conducting at NMHU, covering topics such as using biochar and early-succession moss species to enhance reforestation, as well as developing and applying low-tech materials to build stream restoration channels. These presentations placed both an international and regional spotlight on the excellent scholarly work being carried out at NMHU.
The Forestry and English learning community, taught by Dr. Michael Remke and Dr. Brandon Schneider, took a day-long field trip to the NMSU John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center and Collins Lake Ranch to explore the narratives and stories that connect humans to forested ecosystems, as well as the challenges and opportunities associated with fire in these environments. Students learned about fire ecology and post-fire reforestation, engaged with numerous forestry professionals, and gained valuable perspectives from guest professors Dr. Owen Burney, Dr. Andrei Toca, and Tammy Parsons, along with NMHU’s own Dr. Blanca Céspedes, Dr. Julie Tsatsaros, and Dr. Eric Romero.
Shereen Lobdell, from the Department of Art and Music, participated in Iron Try, an event held at local entrepreneur Isaac Sandoval’s private studio, located next to his restaurant and bar, The Skillet. The event was organized by Sandoval and NMHU Professor Emeritus David Lobdell in collaboration with the Western Cast Iron Art Alliance (WCIAA).
The NMHU Sculpture Program participated in the iron pour by assisting with preparations and bringing molds from their classroom to be filled with molten metal. Shereen Lobdell was among the participants, along with the entire WCIAA board (ten educators and professionals), eight sculpture students from Hays, Kansas, and several other volunteers. The project was sponsored, facilitated, and funded by Sandoval, with direct assistance from Professor Emeritus David Lobdell, who helped finance the project and built much of the necessary equipment himself in his home studio.
Iron Try has been described by the WCIAA board as a dry run for potentially bringing their biannual conference to Las Vegas, New Mexico. The board has enthusiastically confirmed that Isaac Sandoval’s studio will accommodate the conference well, along with surrounding space and a nearby vacant lot. WCIAA board member David Lobdell will serve as the organization’s liaison, while Shereen Lobdell will act as NMHU’s liaison, organizing an art exhibition of cast-iron sculpture in Burris Hall to coincide with the conference. The potential conference is scheduled for October 2026.
Felicia Martinez, Dr. Sara Rodriguez, and Carmelita Sanchez from CARES were selected to present at the National Association of Student Affairs Administrators (NASPA) Regional Conference at Washington University in St. Louis. Their presentation, “Practice with Purpose: The Power of Presence and Support in Student Wellbeing,” highlighted the outstanding work NMHU is doing to support student mental health.
In addition, Carmelita was recognized for completing the NASPA Region IV-West Serve Academy, a program designed to engage professionals in volunteer service with NASPA.
Respectfully,
Dr. Neil Woolf
President
New Mexico Highlands University