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NMSU signs agreement with Sandia National Laboratories, creates educational, research opportunities

Date: 04/11/2019
Writer: Tiffany Acosta, 575-646-3929, tfrank@nmsu.edu
 
With the signing of a memorandum of understanding, New Mexico State University and Sandia National Laboratories have established a partnership to develop learning opportunities and coordinate education and research for the next decade. 
 
 

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NMSU and Sandia National Laboratories signed a 10-year memorandum of understanding April 10 in Albuquerque. From left, Jaime Moya, director of environment, safety and health, Sandia National Laboratories; Susan Seestrom, associate labs director and chief research officer, Sandia National Laboratories; Dan Arvizu, NMSU chancellor; and Dan Sanchez, technology partnerships program manager, National Nuclear Security Administration Sandia Field Office; attend the signing ceremony. (Courtesy photo by Lonnie Anderson)

 
NMSU Chancellor Dan Arvizu and Sandia National Laboratories Associate Labs Director and Chief Research Officer Susan Seestrom signed the agreement April 10 in Albuquerque. 
 
“I am happy for our two organizations to embark on a new era of cooperation and strategic partnerships,” Arvizu said. “This is an opportunity for us to work together to demonstrate that the whole is bigger than the sum of the parts. It is a very important concept for both academia and the research ability of our country’s national labs in general.”
 
Seestrom added Sandia’s collaboration with NMSU allows for more research to be conducted, which helps the government. 
 
“It illustrates our commitment to partnership. I think this is going to continue to foster the kind of research that we are doing at Sandia Labs to ensure global peace and to help make New Mexico a stronger state,” she said. 
 
This partnership is expected to allow for the sharing of specialized and unique research facilities and equipment. Inter-institutional collaborative arrangements of faculty, staff and students will include Sandia staff teaching and directing graduate students, while NMSU will offer professional development and job-related continuing education. 
 
Additionally, this partnership will allow NMSU and Sandia to pursue opportunities of mutual interest in the areas of national security and the nation’s critical infrastructures such as water research, cybersecurity and sustainability