University Communication and Marketing (UCAM) annually compiles a Year-in-Review highlighting both its general and research news and feature stories across campus during the course of the calendar year.
In this 2024 Research Year-in-Review, scientists at The University of New Mexico conducted various research from the sea to space, including a submerged bridge in the sea that indicates humans were in Mallorca at least 1,000 years sooner than thought, sent tomatoes into space, studied high-altitude ecosystems highlighting the impacts of climate change, a new look at the dangers of uranium mining in the Grand Canyon and discovered a new "giant" hummingbird species. Additionally, a Nobel Prize winner discussed stunning images with early results from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) based on the telescope’s ability to observe infrared light.
Below is a select list based on the top 2024 news stories featuring a number of research highlights. Click on the headline to read the full story for each listing.
Tracking the impacts of climate change on food webs in high-latitude ecosystems
New research from the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, The University of New Mexico’s Center for Stable Isotopes (CSI), the UNM Museum of Southwestern Biology, and the University of Texas at Austin adds to the growing body of literature documenting the impacts of climate change on food webs by studying the influence it has had in high-latitude ecosystems.
UNM researchers team up with University of Wisconsin–Madison to send tomatoes into space
New Mexico researchers and collaborating institutions are known to send some unique and unusual plants and vegetables into space – take for instance the green chile launch of 2019 – and next week, UNM Biology Professor David Hanson and his team are sending up tomatoes.
Nobel Prize winner John Mather entertains UNM audience with science and stunning images
It was Christmas morning in 2021 when, on behalf of 8 billion current humans, 10,000 future observers, 20,000 engineers and technicians, 100 scientists worldwide, and three space agencies, the greatest telescope ever made took off from Europe’s Spaceport on an Ariane 5 rocket in the French Guiana, South America.
Forever chemicals reach extraordinary levels in wildlife at Holloman Air Force Base
A team of researchers from The University of New Mexico’s Museum of Southwestern Biology (MSB) reported unexpectedly high levels of chemical contamination in wild birds and mammals at Holloman Air Force Base, near Alamogordo, N.M. in new research published in Environmental Research.
A new look at Grand Canyon springs and possible threats from uranium mining
A new research paper published recently in Annual Reviews of Earth and Planetary Sciences, coordinated by scientists from The University of New Mexico and collaborating institutions, addresses the complex nature and societal importance of Grand Canyon’s springs and groundwater.
CASAA professor's research on sports betting and binge drinking published in prestigious journal
UNM’s Center on Alcohol, Substance Use and Addictions (CASAA) is recognizing a new piece of research being published in the prestigious journal JAMA Network Open. This spotlight centers on a critical issue– sports betting/wagering and binge drinking–led by Professor Joshua Grubbs. The 15% acceptance and publication rate by JAMA not only shows how elite this publication is but also how important the ties between sports gambling and alcohol misuse are to highlight.
How miniature backpacks led to the discovery of the world’s largest hummingbird species
Researchers from UNM’s Museum of Southwestern Biology (MSB) have uncovered the giant hummingbird’s extreme long-distance migration for the first time. Their eight-year study, Extreme elevational migration spurred cryptic speciation in giant hummingbirds published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, led them to another important discovery: The world’s largest hummingbird is a new species.
New Mexico Population Projections: An aging population and minimal growth
The number of older New Mexicans will continue to increase in the coming decades while total population change will remain flat. Stability will be due in large part to international migration, which will offset declining births and increasing deaths according to updated population projections by demographers from The University of New Mexico Geospatial & Population Studies (UNM-GPS), which functions as the State Demographers Office.
UNM professor creates technology to track loud vehicles
Nick Ferenchak isn’t just an assistant professor in the Gerald May Department of Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering at The University of New Mexico, he’s also the president of Not-A-Loud, a local company creating noise cameras. When a loud vehicle drives by, and a certain decibel threshold is passed, Ferenchak says it triggers the noise camera, captures the license plate on the vehicle, and then can, if the city desires, send a citation in the mail.
How 5 UNM inventions could change the world
In this article, five UNM inventions are highlighted that could help change the world. UNM Rainforest Innovations (UNMRI), the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed and owned entirely by The University of New Mexico Board of Regents, is dedicated to protecting and commercializing technology developed by The University. The five inventions highlighted in this story are a brief sample of UNM’s diverse and extensive collection of research patents.
Updated report shows many college students in New Mexico struggle with hunger, finding a place to live
Led by principal investigator Sarita Cargas, an associate professor at the UNM Honors College, a team of faculty and students conducted the study in the spring of 2023 assessing food and housing insecurity at almost every college or university in the state. Nearly 15,000 people across New Mexico took part, with 27 participating institutions, including 17 two-year institutions, seven four-year institutions, and three tribal institutions. The latest Student Basic Needs Report focuses on the data and conclusions about students and the findings are unsettling, Cargas said.
New study indicates humans were in Mallorca over 1,000 years earlier than thought
A new study led by interdisciplinary team researchers at the University of South Florida and The University of New Mexico suggests humans were in Mallorca, Spain, an island in the western Mediterranean, at least 5,600 years ago. The research, which includes scientists from The University of New Mexico Distinguished Professor Yemane Asmerom and Research Scientist Victor Polyak, revised the timeframe for human arrival by calculating when an ancient, submerged bridge in Genovesa Cave, Mallorca, could have been constructed.
UNM professor reveals critical discovery in traumatic brain injury research
With about 214,110 traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and over 69,000 TBI-related deaths in 2021 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), understanding the physical and mental consequences of TBI is critical for study. That’s what UNM Department of Psychology Assistant Professor Jeremy Hogeveen is analyzing in a new Stage 2 Registered Report published in Brain Communications.
UNM researchers prove presence of living bacteria in healthy vertebrate brains and their potential role in brain function
Researchers at the University of New Mexico have identified the presence of bacteria in healthy brains from fish. Understanding this connection between bacteria and animal brains could have future implications for studying Alzheimer’s disease. UNM Professor Irene Salinas has studied mucosal immune systems in vertebrate animals for a long time. The study, “A brain microbiome in salmonids at homeostasis,” released recently in Science Advances, describes in detail the living bacterial community in the brain of healthy salmonids.
Geologists rewrite textbooks with new insights from Cambrian Rocks of Grand Canyon
Since soon after our planet formed, Earth’s 4.6 billion-year-long history was dominated by single-celled life. Something dramatic happened about 500 million years ago called the Cambrian “explosion,” during which an incredible diversity of life forms became preserved in the rock record. These fossils included major groups of diverse animals that evolved into animal groups still living today (including humans). A recent paper by UNM researchers, including coauthors UNM Distinguished Professors Karl Karlstrom and Laurie Crossey and an expanded collaborative team, is featured as the lead science article in GSA Today’s November 2024 issue titled The Cambrian of the Grand Canyon: Refinement of a Classic Stratigraphic Model.
Water on the Moon: UNM researchers explore, sample, and interpret lunar volatiles in polar cold traps
Research shows that the South Pole of the Moon experiences even more extreme temperature fluctuations and freezing conditions. Now, new research out of The University of New Mexico showcases exploring, sampling, and interpreting of lunar volatiles in polar cold temperatures on the Moon. The team of scientists looked at the surface of the Moon and analyzed permanently shadowed regions that have temperatures of 25 to 50 degrees Kelvin or -400°F. Within these shadowed regions, there are cold traps that capture and preserve volatiles, such as water, carbon dioxide, and other elements.
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