Women in STEM inspire students, cultivate innovation

With a student body that is almost 60% female, NMSU offers students interested in STEM fields opportunities to connect, work, study and learn from many highly recognized women professors and researchers.

Nearly half of recent graduates from the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering are women, and in fall 2024, NMSU ranked 16th for best chemical engineering undergraduate programs on Washington Monthly’s list of America’s Best and Worst Colleges for Women in STEM. NMSU was the second-ranked public institution on the list.

“Our department is like a family,” says Professor Jessica Houston ’00, who has been a faculty member at NMSU for 15 years. “We have a mantra, ‘La Familia CHME.’ This is important to students of all genders and ethnicities. Students need to know we very much care about their success. We believe in supporting women, being impacting mentors, identifying opportunities for their professional development and staying connected with our alumni.”

Professors Martha Mitchell, who recently retired, Catie Brewer and Hongmei Luo also are influential CHME instructors and researchers.

“The students of New Mexico are able to see their future selves in our faculty,” Department Head Joseph Holles says. “A large number of diverse faculty in a small faculty department like ours provides the critical mass for our students to feel at home and be successful.”

In the Department of Civil Engineering, Assistant Professor Qianyun (Gloria) Zhang was selected as the first recipient of the Aggie Construction Innovator of the Year Award, which is presented by the Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship at NMSU’s Arrowhead Center. She was honored at a ceremony in February 2025.

The award is given to a faculty member who demonstrates outstanding leadership, creativity and impact in the field of construction. 

As the founder of Z-Lab, Zhang leads innovative work in structural health monitoring, cutting-edge materials research and data-driven construction solutions.

“I am deeply honored to be recognized as the inaugural recipient of the Aggie Construction Innovator of the Year Award,” Zhang says. “The Mike Hunt Construction Sprints program has fostered an environment where ideas flourish and students learn to become tomorrow’s leaders in construction technology. I’m grateful for this support and look forward to continuing our work at Z-Lab, where we strive to push the boundaries of what’s possible in civil engineering and beyond.”