This past Wednesday I kicked off my statewide listening tour and had the privilege of visiting our Los Alamos campus. We received an incredibly warm welcome from CEO Cynthia Rooney, the faculty, staff, students and the entire Los Alamos community. I toured the campus and saw all the many exciting programs going on, including those in the welding and machine lab, physics lab and the EMT/CNA program.

My visit also included meeting with leadership from the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) where we discussed current alliances and the exciting possibility of additional opportunities. I was also able to tour the New Mexico Consortium, a fantastic research facility created by UNM, NMSU and NM Tech that promotes collaboration and research in partnership with LANL.

The day wrapped up with a terrific reception for the community where I learned how important our branch campus is to them and the pride they take in it. They shared what they like about it and also some challenges we will work to improve upon. Overall, the day was productive, and I learned a great deal about one of the many communities our institution serves.  I look forward to my upcoming visits, where I will continue to tour our beautiful state and learn from its wonderful residents.