Good morning, Albuquerque.

Albuquerque-area food banks are under strain as nearly 25,000 New Mexicans lose SNAP benefits and TEFAP cuts reduce supplies by 40 to 60% — experts say the state’s GRO funding has helped add more service sites.

Amanda Machon highlighted local events this weekend including a 50th-anniversary celebration with cultural activities at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., a Pirate Viking Summer Fest at Wildlife West Nature Park Saturday and Sunday, and an art fundraiser at Kindred Spirits Animal Sanctuary.

UNM will host its first Undergraduate Student Success Roundtable (11:30 a.m.–3 p.m.) on Sept.

11 at the Centennial Science and Engineering Library Research Exchange. Faculty and staff must register by Sept. 3 to join sessions on campus-wide student support programs.

The James and Gail Ellis School of Business Leadership hosted its first Employer Engagement Retreat at the Jackson Student Center in Albuquerque as over 30 business professionals discussed workforce trends and curriculum alignment — with Dean Alina Chircu detailing school priorities and future employer partnerships.

APS ended the school year with 52.8% of graduates earning college credits or credentials, surpassing its goal despite a gap for students with disabilities (only 22% meeting the benchmark) and district leaders planning additional support.

UNM University Libraries invites proposals for a fall Open Educational Resources grant program aimed at improving course outcomes; sessions are held Wed, Aug.

26 at 1 p.m., Thurs, Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. and Wed, Sept. 23 at 11 a.m. Submit proposals by Oct. 1 for work starting spring 2027.

Timothy Dolch, a new UNM physics professor, joined the NANOGrav Collaboration to study gravitational waves—he will use data from local radio telescopes, including the Very Large Array and the Long Wavelength Array, with $100,000 in NSF funding starting this fall.

The Southwest Environmental Finance Center at UNM received a $7 million cooperative agreement from the EPA under the RealWaterTA initiative on August 20 to support small water systems.

The center plans to work with local utilities to improve water quality (using the funding for technical assistance).

New Mexico Department of Health officials warned that heavy rain and high temperatures forecasted through October could extend mosquito season and increase West Nile virus risk — residents, especially those on immune-affecting medications, should use EPA-approved repellents, wear long sleeves, remove standing water, and secure windows and doors.