NMSU outlines nuclear workforce pipeline; CMERC emphasizes independent radiological monitoring

New Mexico State University told the Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Committee on Tuesday that it is expanding academic programs and laboratory capacity to train workers for nuclear and environmental remediation work in the state.

Interim College of Engineering Dean David Howdy said NMSU has secured approval for a bachelor of science in artificial intelligence, expanded online and graduate enrollment, and increased research expenditures above $20 million, which he said helps the university support nuclear‑related monitoring and workforce programs. "These shared priorities reflect our commitment to protecting communities, advancing science, and really preparing the next generation of professionals," Howdy said.

Why it matters: The university framed the new programs as part of a broader strategy to supply personnel and technical capacity for radioactive waste monitoring, separations chemistry and pit‑production support across New Mexico's labs and federal partners.

NMSU highlighted several projects: the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring & Research Center (CMERC), a multidisciplinary Chemical Engineering pipeline and a Plutonium Workforce Development Initiative (PWDI) that links 10 state universities. "CMERC was created in 1991 to develop and implement an independent health and environmental monitoring program in the vicinity of WIPP," Howdy said, noting the center’s role after the 2014 WIPP release.

CMERC director (as introduced) and CMERC staff described the center’s monitoring methods and public services. CMERC staff told the committee their analyses include long counting times to detect low radioactivity — "for the alpha‑emitting isotopes, which is the plutonium and the two major elements of concern, [we] count those samples for five days," a CMERC presenter said — and noted a public spectra‑counting room where residents can request scans. The presenters said CMERC posts annual and quarterly reports online and preserves historical baseline datasets (pre‑operational, pre‑release and post‑release periods) for trend analysis.

CMERC funding and independence: Presenters said the majority of CMERC funding comes from a DOE financial assistance grant but stressed independence in analysis and reporting. "The financial assistance grant is the main component," a CMERC representative said, and added that the center operates within NMSU while hosting tenants such as Los Alamos National Laboratory and WIPP laboratory contractors who also pay tenancy fees.

Workforce and training investments: Howdy described the New ChemE pipeline — cross‑disciplinary training covering f‑element chemistry, separations and materials process development — plus a graduate certificate and proposed nuclear chemical engineering minor to be available across majors, including remote delivery through NMSU Global. He also described PWDI, stating the initiative has brought roughly $31,000,000 in statewide support for instrumentation and training and links community colleges and four‑year institutions to internships and lab placements.

Questions and public‑access services: Committee members asked CMERC about how shipments to WIPP translate into tonnage and about long‑term trends in environmental monitoring. CMERC staff said shipment tonnage requires calculation from historical records but confirmed WIPP received its first shipments in 1999 and that shipment tallies were provided in public reports. They also reiterated that CMERC makes monitoring results available and that community members within a 100‑mile radius may make appointments for scans.

What comes next: Presenters invited committee members to tour CMERC and described an upcoming CMERC‑hosted trip to Carlsbad with NMSU leadership and federal and community partners slated for 2025‑11‑04. NMSU staff said the university will continue coordinating with state agencies to align workforce training and remediation needs.

Attribution: Quotes and attributions in this article come from the presenters introduced during the NMSU session: David Howdy (interim dean, College of Engineering), the CMERC director and CMERC staff as identified in the committee transcript.

Ending: The committee moved from the NMSU presentations into questions and then recessed for lunch; NMSU and CMERC materials and annual reports are publicly available on CMERC and NMSU sites for deeper review.