NMSU Postdoc Association
The New Mexico State University Postdoc Association (PDA) originated in 2022 by Postdocs for Postdocs. The PDA hosts professional development and social opportunities for Postdoctoral Researchers and their supervisors. Browse this site to meet our Postdocs, learn about our events, and to check out additional resources. Contact Ruth Torres (rutorres@nmsu.edu), Postdoc Representative, for questions about our website.
Celebrating Success: 2nd Annual NMSU Postdoctoral Symposium & Early Career Workshop
The NMSU Postdoctoral Association proudly hosted two exciting professional development events this September — the 2nd Annual NMSU Postdoctoral Symposium and the Early Career Workshop — bringing together postdoctoral scholars, faculty, administrators, and campus partners to highlight research excellence and provide career-building support.
2nd Annual NMSU Postdoctoral Symposium
Held on September 19, 2025, in the Business Complex, the symposium centered on themes directly relevant to postdoctoral scholars and early career researchers. Talks and discussions focused on navigating the professional journey in academia and beyond, with featured sessions including:
"Self-management during the Postdoc"
"Balancing Research, Teaching, and Service: Finding Your Path in Academia"
"Getting the Edge | A Ph.D. is Not Enough"
These sessions provided valuable insights into career planning, professional growth, and the realities of transitioning from postdoctoral training into diverse career paths.
We extend our sincere thanks to our Deans of Research, the Vice President for Research office, faculty judges, and campus partners for their ongoing support.
Early Career Workshop
On September 18, 2025, the Postdoctoral Association hosted the Early Career Workshop in Gerald Thomas Hall. Participants worked hands-on to develop skills in designing competitive research proposals and managing scientific projects.
The workshop was led by Dr. William K. Michener, former director of NM EPSCoR and a previous NSF program officer, who brought a wealth of experience and practical guidance to the sessions.
Participants highlighted how the workshop offered actionable strategies and insider perspectives on the proposal development and review process, giving them clearer direction and tools to strengthen their research careers.
Thank You
These events would not have been possible without the dedication of our organizing committee, volunteers, and campus supporters. Together, we are building a stronger, more connected postdoc community at NMSU.
NPA SMART SKILLS
Becoming a Good Mentor and Mentee
August 26, 2025
Sponsored by the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA), SmartSkills is a free, virtual course for postdocs who are members of the NPA. See "More Resources" on the bottom of our website on how to join for free. Monthly classes are taught by experts and focus on building skills critical to career and personal success. For more information and to register, click here.
Research & Innovation Webinar
–Modeling Traumatic Brain Injury with Living Materials
–Self-Powered Health Monitoring Wearables for Physical Digital Twin
The Research & Innovation Webinar Series is held on the first Wednesday of the month. This series brings together research organizations from across New Mexico to share and explore groundbreaking research happening within the state. Participating institutions include UNM Main Campus and Health Sciences, New Mexico State University, New Mexico Tech, Sandia National Laboratories, and Los Alamos National Laboratories. Join the mailing list to receive information about upcoming sessions! This webinar is not organized by the NMSU PDA.
MEET THE NMSU POSTDOC ASSOCIATION
Faculty Fellow
Current Postdocs
NMSU postdocs can get featured by completing this form.
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Ruth Torres Castillo PDA Representative Department: Innovative Media Research and Extension Supervisor:Barbara Chamberlin |
Silvia Salinas Lopez PDA Representative Department: Public Health Sciences Supervisor:Rebeca Palacios |
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Reza Eslami Department: New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute Supervisor: Alexander G. Fernald |
Department: Borderlands & Ethnic Studies Supervisor: Dulcinea Lara |
Md Shariful Islam Department: Chemistry and Biochemistry Supervisor: Dr. Erik Yukl |
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Arvind Kumar Department: Mathematical Sciences Supervisor: Dr. Louiza Fouli and Dr. Michael DiPasquale |
Chatura Kuruppu Department: Physics Supervisor: Prof. Stephen Pate-Morales |
Abu Saleh Md Tayeen Department: Computer Science Supervisor: Dr. Satyajayant Misra |
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Hui Yang Department:Plant & Environmental Sciences Supervisor: Manoj Shukla |
Mohammed Omer Department: Extension Plant Sciences Supervisor:Dr. John Idowu |
Charles Miller Department: Astronomy Supervisor: Jason Jackiewicz |
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Yang Hu Department:Mathematical Sciences Supervisor: Prasit Bhattacharya |
Pramod Acharya Department: Agricultural Experimentation Station (Clovis) Supervisor: Rajan Ghimire |
Himali Delanka-Pedige Department: Civil engineering Supervisor:Dr. Pei Xu |
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Jingyu Dai Department:Plant and Environmental Sciences Supervisor: Niall Hanan |
Guru Yadahalli Department:Plant and Environment Science Supervisor:Dr Sangu Angadi |
Department: Jornada Experimental Range Supervisor:Brandon Bestelmeyer |
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Samita FNU Department: Plant and Environmental Sciences Supervisor: Dr. Christopher S. Cramer |
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Cynthia Wise
Luci Lu
Former Postdocs
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Maryanne Long PDA Representative Department: SOAR Evaluation and Policy Center Supervisor: Dr. Rachel Boren |
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More Resources
- Read our past newsletters: March 2024 and September 2024
- Join the National Postdoctoral Association - free affiliate membership for NMSU postdocs, faculty, and staff! Locate the "join button," sign up for an affiliate membership, and select NMSU as your institution. Once they review your application, you’ll get a welcome email. The National Postdoc Association (PDA) offers professional development opportunities for postdocs across all disciplines.
- NMSU Teaching Academy
- Follow us on X
Past Events
Academic Job Search Learning Series
The PDA sponsored a learning series of to assist you in preparing for an academic job search.
Beyond the Lab: Univeristy Structure Every Postdoc Should Know
The University of Texas - El Paso (UTEP) and the University of Texas - Arlington (UTA) Postdoc Associations hosted a webinar. Panelists included Dr. James Grover, Dean of the Graduate School at UTA and Dr. Cory Brown, Director of the Office of Sponsored Projects, Research & Innovation (UTEP). The panel focused on how university research resources are structured and how to access them. We encourage postdocs to watch this recording, and it especially valuable for those interested in a future academic career or support for current research. Watch the recording in the following link: https://youtu.be/elYL1j8tpac?si=Vka-C9gEw9Ki7dEP
The NMSU Teaching Academy and Postdoc Association co-sponsored the Entering Mentoring workshop. The two-part seminar facilitated by Dr. Niall Hanan from the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences left participants with techniques for effective communication, setting expectations, and others. Thank you, Dr. Hanan!
Below: (L-R) Dr. Luis Cifuentes (NMSU), Dr. Stephen Crites (UTEP), Dr. Om Perumal (UNM), and Dr. Sergei Tretiak (LANL) served as panelists and addressed questions regarding Empowering Postdocs.
Thank you to the postdocs who participated in the 3 Minute Lightning Talks during the February 2024 Research and Creativity Week. Review the full program here and congratulations to the winners:
- First Place Winner William Bahureksa, Presentation Title: From A to PFAS: Forever Chemicals Around Us
- Second Place Winner Kimberly Cervantes, Presentation Title: Nuts About Microbes: Investigating the Pecan Microbiome
- Third Place Winner Jessica Martin, Presentation Title: Studies of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) in its Endemic, Transition, and Outbreak Regions in Mexico
