ABQ Times

The Western United States faces significant challenges, including wildfires and dwindling water supplies. Researchers from multiple Western universities have joined forces to address these issues and promote a sustainable future.

The Intermountain West Transformation Network (TN), backed by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is a sustainable regional systems program led by The University of New Mexico along with seven other Western universities. The program studies problems such as food scarcity, energy issues, water scarcity, wildfires, and rapid urban population growth.

The participating universities are The University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Utah State University, Colorado State University, The University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, and Washington State University.

“The problems facing the western U.S. are complex and interconnected. It’s not going to be one biologist who successfully addresses the wildfire challenge currently happening in the Western U.S. It’s going to take social and hard scientists, economists, and community members and organizations all working together to study these issues and address them,” said Max Landman, TN's program coordinator. “That’s very much the design of our program — students and faculty from many different fields working with community partners on real-world problems.”

Research at these institutions varies. The University of Arizona, for instance, is working with Navajo Nation community members to install solar-powered off-grid systems that provide fresh water and power. The University of New Mexico (UNM) hosts various projects, including Shared Futures, an ArtScience collaborative that pairs artists and scientists to develop works envisioning a hopeful future. These works will debut on April 18 at the Explora Science Center & Children’s Museum. In addition, UNM researchers collaborate with the City of Santa Fe Water Division and the Santa Fe Watershed Association to collect water samples, which could guide watershed resilience and recovery efforts.

“I love working for the TN because it allows me to do impactful work that will help local communities and further our knowledge of watershed science, all while being part of a diverse group of researchers and ways of thinking,” said William Mejía, a TN-funded Ph.D. student in Biology.

The Intermountain West Transformation Network began in 2021 and is now in the fourth year of its five-year grant. The research network has produced over 30 publications, and Landman indicates more outputs as research intensifies.

Housed within UNM’s College of Arts and Sciences under the Interdisciplinary Science Cooperative, the TN is planning its next annual meeting in New Mexico this May. A new video created in collaboration with The University of New Mexico’s Communication & Marketing team highlights the team's work in the Intermountain West.

"We’re excited to bring everyone together in one place and have a week to collaborate and think about what the next couple of years look like," Landman stated. “This video will help us communicate our work with community partners, university colleagues, and others who are interested in learning more about the work we do.”