ABQ Times

The New Mexico AI Consortium (NMAIC) has announced its inaugural class of AI Scholars. These graduate students, selected from universities across New Mexico, will collaborate with faculty at The University of New Mexico, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and New Mexico State University on various AI research topics. Each AI Scholar will receive a $25,000 award, provided by the New Mexico Consortium.

“These awards to scholars from the three research universities in the NMAIC are emblematic of how AI is already transforming computer science, the natural sciences and engineering. This groundbreaking work will catalyze further collaborations between New Mexico faculty, graduate students and the National Labs that will benefit us all,” said Melanie Moses, a founding member of NMAIC, professor of Computer Science and Special Advisor to the Vice President for Research for Artificial Intelligence at UNM.

Among the scholars is Temair Shorty, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at UNM. Shorty employs AI methods to study biochemical systems and works in Associate Professor Yi He’s lab, utilizing tools like DeepMind's AlphaFold. "I am very grateful to be named an AI Scholar and I'm excited to see AI-driven work cultivated here in New Mexico,” Shorty shared. She aims to create STEM opportunities for rural and Indigenous youth.

Sungjun Seo, another scholar, is a Ph.D. student at New Mexico Tech's Department of Mechanical Engineering. Seo's interest in AI was sparked after watching a notable Go match featuring Sedol Lee and Deepmind’s AlphaGo. “I realized how rapidly the future changes. and I felt that I needed to adapt to it. It was then that I decided to pursue a Ph.D. and study more about robotics, control and AI,” he said. Seo hopes to expand his knowledge and collaborate with experts and scientists in the region.

Ly Ly Trieu, a Ph.D. student in New Mexico State University’s Department of Computer Science, developed her interest in AI during her childhood. “I was always curious about everything around me, often driving my parents crazy by taking apart toy cars and electric fans, just to see how they worked and try to reassemble them,” Trieu recalled. She plans to use the award for educational expenses and looks forward to meeting scientists at LANL.

The NMAIC, formed last year, aims to unite New Mexico’s resources to boost AI research and economic opportunities. The consortium includes Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, UNM, NMSU, New Mexico Tech, Central New Mexico Community College, and the New Mexico Consortium.