A consortium of New Mexico universities, led by University of New Mexico President Louis Caldera, today announced their intent to join the University of California (UC) in forming an Institute for Advanced Studies to be affiliated with Los Alamos National Laboratory. The institute would be established contingent on the University of California Board of Regents deciding to compete, and the university winning the contract for continued management of the national laboratory.
UC entered into a teaming agreement with a consortium of New Mexico institutions with UNM leading the New Mexico consortium. Joining UNM in that consortium are New Mexico State University and New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. The agreement signals their intent, as a consortium and as individual institutions, to exclusively support the UC-led team as it prepares to compete for the LANL contract pending a final decision by the UC Regents.
The institute will provide the basis for cooperative research in the scientific, technological and educational aspects of the LANL operation.
“The University of New Mexico is pleased to lead the consortium of New Mexico universities that will partner with the University of California to promote excellence in science, technology and education at LANL,” said Caldera. “There is no question that this collaboration will be highly beneficial for New Mexico and will serve the nation well.”
Caldera Strengthens UNM-UC Ties
Since coming to UNM in August 2003, Caldera, a former Secretary of the Army and former California legislator, has worked to elevate UNM’s relationship with the University of California. This latest agreement is the fourth agreement between UNM, UC and LANL.
In October 2003, UNM and UC signed one agreement on intellectual property and a second MOU for collaboration on research and education. In October 2004, a third Memorandum of Agreement was signed establishing a special collaboration in research and education between the UC System and UNM. Discussions regarding a UNM role in the re-bid process have been ongoing since the competition was announced.
UNM Role in Idaho National Laboratory
Last November UNM became one of the national university collaborators in the Battelle Energy Alliance that took over the management of the Idaho National Laboratory. That educational consortium is led by MIT and also includes North Carolina State, Ohio State, Oregon State and three Idaho universities. UNM is the leader on space nuclear power and will play a major national role in training the next generation of nuclear engineers.
Role of New Mexico Universities at LANL
The Institute for Advanced Studies, created under the agreement announced today, will be a research and education center providing opportunities for LANL and the New Mexico Consortium to collaborate in research, development and educational activities. It will also provide opportunities for the consortium to provide input to LANL regarding the scope and content of basic and fundamental research.
Examples of areas of research include astronomy, biology, computational science, environmental science, energetic materials, materials science, optics, quantum computing, water and isotopes, but any appropriate field of study will be considered.
The agreement provides qualified students, faculty and staff the opportunity to participate in and contribute to important scientific research and for LANL staff to participate in education activities provided by consortium institutions. This will lead to the overall enhancement of the quality and character of research performed at LANL and at the New Mexico universities.
“Los Alamos National Laboratory is vitally important to New Mexico and to the nation,” said Terry Yates, UNM Vice President for Research and Economic Development. “Although we do not intend to be involved in the day-to-day management of LANL, UNM and our consortium partners can and should contribute substantially to the research and technology component of the laboratory’s mission.”
The agreement between UC and the New Mexico consortium will be made available to interested parties following a final decision by the Department of Energy regarding the future management of Los Alamos National Laboratory. A decision regarding UC’s participation in the competition to manage LANL is expected after the Department of Energy releases the final request for proposals, expected at some time during the spring of 2005.
About UNM
The University of New Mexico is the largest institution of higher education in the state. Founded in 1889, UNM has an enrollment of more than 26,000 students on its main campus in Albuquerque and about 7,000 attending branch campuses around the state. With an undergraduate Hispanic enrollment of 34.5 percent, UNM is designated as a Hispanic-serving institution and is one of only three in the country to be both a Hispanic-serving and a Carnegie Research/Doctoral Extensive institution. The University currently has an active portfolio of contracts and grants of more than $1.3 billion.
The University offers more than 200-degree programs and excels in areas ranging from optics and nanotechnology, to photography and printmaking, to Southwest studies and Latin American studies. UNM has also achieved national recognition in areas like primary care medicine, family medicine, rural medicine, clinical law, art and art history. New Mexico’s only School of Medicine, School of Law, College of Pharmacy and School of Architecture and Planning can all be found at UNM.
About Louis Caldera
On August 1, 2003, Louis Caldera officially assumed his post as the 18th President of The University of New Mexico. He was the unanimous selection of the UNM Board of Regents at the conclusion of a nationwide search.
Before coming to New Mexico, Caldera was Vice Chancellor for University Advancement for The California State University system, the largest four-year university system in the country. Caldera’s multi-faceted career also includes three terms in the California State Assembly representing Los Angeles and two appointed posts in the Clinton administration: Secretary of the Army from 1998 to 2001 and Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service from 1997 – 1998.
Caldera holds a bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Military Academy, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. Recent honors include the Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Award, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Chairman’s Award, and career achievement recognition from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.
Contact: Karen Wentworth (505) 277-5627