This Month's Latest Tech News in Las Cruces, NM - Wednesday April 30th 2025 Edition

April 2025 marks a pivotal moment in Las Cruces's tech evolution, with major initiatives positioning the city at the heart of New Mexico's innovation ecosystem.

New Mexico State University's Hunt Center has launched groundbreaking GenAI Sprints for Startups program, empowering early-stage companies to leverage generative AI for product development and fundraising.

At the regional level, the inaugural New Mexico Artificial Intelligence Consortium Industry Collaboration Day gathered leading institutions to advance AI research, education, and workforce development statewide.

These efforts dovetail with NMSU's partnership with the City of Las Cruces, where students are merging engineering and artistry to create public sculptures - an initiative summarized by Professor Motoko Furuhashi:

This class is a powerful example of how students can apply their technical skills to serve the community and gain real-world experience in public art.

For more, see how NMSU students are turning metal casting into legacy projects.

With collaboration, advanced learning, and hands-on practice, Las Cruces is setting the pace for New Mexico's tech future.

The New Mexico State University (NMSU) AI Institute took a prominent role in this year's ambitious 1888 Minutes of Giving fundraising campaign, a 31-hour effort honoring the university's founding and driving innovation across campus.

The Institute for Applied Practice in AI and Machine Learning, a hub for applied AI research and inclusive education, stood out among over 50 supported funds, with gifts to the Institute matched dollar-for-dollar up to $500,000 by the President's office - an opportunity designed to accelerate scholarships, recruit world-class talent, and create state-of-the-art research facilities.

As Enrico Pontelli, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, noted,

“The mission of the AI Institute is to bring together AI researchers, educators and practitioners at NMSU and lead the region and the state in the application of AI models and technologies to practical solutions that address real-world challenges relevant to New Mexico.”

The campaign not only surpassed its $188,888 target, raising $295,744 from 318 donors, but also empowered programs ranging from STEM education outreach to scholarships that ensure equitable student access (see detailed breakdown in the table below).

For a full list of funds and their impact, visit the Founders Day 1888 Minutes of Giving campaign portal at New Mexico State University.

To learn more about the AI Institute's vision and recent fundraising momentum, read the official announcement on the NMSU Newsroom website.

Find insights into the campaign's broader goals, events, and participating programs at the NMSU Foundation official page.

Fund	Donors	Amount Donated ($)
Institute for AI & Machine Learning	6	1,775
Student Organizations	40	39,900
College of ACES	17	13,499
Athletics	86	59,521
College of Business	17	10,934
Others (incl. Greatest Need, Scholarships)	various	various

U.S. export controls introduced this April have delivered a staggering $5.5 billion blow to Nvidia, as the chip giant was forced to write down inventory and cancel anticipated sales of its H20 AI processors to China and other restricted markets.

These sweeping export restrictions, triggered by national security concerns, also hit AMD with an $800 million charge linked to its MI308 GPUs, as both firms scramble to secure required licenses with no guarantee of approval.

According to BBN Times' financial analysis of the semiconductor sector, the news led to a sharp market sell-off, with Nvidia and AMD shares dropping nearly 7%, and more than $148 billion in Nvidia's market value erased overnight.

While Nvidia's H20 chip was specifically engineered to comply with earlier federal guidelines, the latest "indefinite" controls cut off a critical Chinese revenue stream - roughly 13% of Nvidia's total sales - while handing a competitive advantage to China's domestic suppliers such as Huawei.

The controls are part of an evolving regulatory environment; as detailed by Miller & Chevalier's compliance alert on new BIS restrictions, these policies are rapidly implemented, with the Bureau of Industry and Security utilizing direct "is informed" letters to ensure swift enforcement and deter circumvention via third countries.

Reflecting on the broader industry impact, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang remarked,

“The engines of the world's AI infrastructure are being built in the United States for the first time.”

As negotiations and supply chain reforms unfold, the ongoing U.S.-China chip rivalry and tightened trade policies have redrawn the competitive landscape for American and global tech leaders; deeper insights into the strategic fallout and industry response can be found in this industry analysis of Nvidia's export controls and China's pivot to domestic AI chips.

Mesilla Valley Transportation, headquartered in Las Cruces, is taking a prominent role in the nationwide push for sustainable long-haul trucking by joining the North American Council for Freight Efficiency's (NACFE) 2025 "Run on Less – Messy Middle" demonstration.

This high-profile, three-week event beginning September 8, 2025, will feature 13 fleets showcasing four powertrain solutions - diesel, natural gas, battery electric, and hydrogen fuel cell - under real-world conditions.

Mesilla Valley will operate its International LT sleeper tractor with a Cummins X15 2027 NOx engine, providing critical data on diesel efficiency via telematics supplied by Geotab, alongside participants using cutting-edge electric and hydrogen models.

As described by NACFE's Executive Director Mike Roeth,

“The Messy Middle is a time when fleets can choose from a variety of powertrain solutions and other efficiency-enhancing technologies. In our fifth Run, we are featuring tractors powered by diesel, natural gas, batteries, and hydrogen fuel cells. These four powertrain solutions represent currently available options for fleets today.”

The table below summarizes the range of technologies evaluated in the challenge:

Fleet	Location	Truck	Powertrain
Mesilla Valley Transportation	Las Cruces, NM	International LT sleeper	Diesel (Cummins X15)
Saia	Stockton, CA	Tesla Semi	Battery Electric
Penske Logistics	Katy, TX	Hyundai XCIENT	Hydrogen Fuel Cell

Industry stakeholders, such as Taki Darakos, VP at Pitt Ohio, note, “By capturing data from these 13 vehicles, we aim to help the industry understand the role these various powertrains play in long-haul trucking,” highlighting the educational and transformative potential of this demonstration.

The Run on Less initiative will make data and stories available online, offering a unique look at the transition toward cleaner freight movement. For more details, visit the official NACFE Messy Middle announcement, explore participating fleets and technology profiles on Run on Less News, or review industry analysis in FleetOwner's coverage of the event.

The NMSU AI Institute is fueling Las Cruces' tech ambitions with its prominent role in the recent 1888 Minutes of Giving campaign, where every donation to the Institute was matched dollar-for-dollar up to $500,000 through a generous pledge from NMSU President Valerio Ferme's office.

This matching gift initiative, held April 22–23, 2025, contributed to a campaign total of $295,744 - 156% of its initial goal - underscoring strong community and institutional support for advancing artificial intelligence research and education.

As Dean Enrico Pontelli noted,

“The mission of the AI Institute is to bring together AI researchers, educators and practitioners at NMSU and lead the region and the state in the application of AI models and technologies to practical solutions that address real-world challenges relevant to New Mexico.”

Matching contributions will directly bolster student scholarships, world-class facility upgrades, and the attraction of innovative educators, positioning NMSU as a national leader in applied AI that bridges academia and real-world application.

For campaign details and outcomes, see the NMSU AI Institute fundraising campaign article, explore the GiveCampus campaign results, and read about broader efforts in the NMSU Foundation's giving opportunity summary.

Matching Gift Opportunity	State Funding for AI	Campaign Total
Up to $500,000	$2 million	$295,744 (156% of goal)

Nvidia is spearheading a transformative shift in American semiconductor manufacturing, investing up to $500 billion over the next four years to build advanced AI chip and supercomputer production facilities in Texas and Arizona.

For the first time, Nvidia's Blackwell chips are being produced domestically at TSMC's Arizona plant, with supercomputer assembly underway in new state-of-the-art factories operated by Foxconn in Houston and Wistron in Dallas, and additional chip packaging and testing via partnerships with Amkor and SPIL in Arizona.

As mass production ramps up over the next 12–15 months, these initiatives are expected to create hundreds of thousands of jobs and fortify the U.S. supply chain in response to global economic and trade volatility.

Nvidia's move comes amid rising U.S. tariffs on chip-related imports, as well as government efforts to onshore tech manufacturing, though export restrictions and supply chain pressures remain persistent challenges for the sector.

CEO Jensen Huang emphasized,

“The engines of the world's AI infrastructure are being built in the United States for the first time. Adding American manufacturing helps us better meet the incredible and growing demand for AI chips and supercomputers, strengthens our supply chain and boosts our resiliency.”

Industry-wide, these investments signal a broader trend, with other tech giants like Microsoft and OpenAI also scaling U.S.-centric data center projects valued in the hundreds of billions.

For a concise breakdown, see the table below:

Location	Key Partners	Focus	Timeline	Investment
Phoenix, AZ	TSMC, Amkor, SPIL	Blackwell chip production, packaging & testing	Underway	Included in $500B total
Houston, TX	Foxconn	Supercomputer manufacturing	12–15 months to mass production	Included in $500B total
Dallas, TX	Wistron	Supercomputer manufacturing	12–15 months to mass production	Included in $500B total

Explore additional insights on Nvidia's strategic U.S. expansion at Nvidia Brings Next-Gen AI Chip Production to Texas and Arizona, understand the economic impact and industry context from Nvidia's U.S. AI chip manufacturing announcement, and delve into the broader policy landscape at the Semiconductor Industry Association's update on export controls.

Mesilla Valley Transportation of Las Cruces, NM is gearing up for national attention this September as it joins 12 other fleets in the North American Council for Freight Efficiency's fifth "Run on Less – Messy Middle" demonstration, focused on real-world comparisons of diesel, biodiesel, natural gas, battery electric, and hydrogen fuel cell trucks.

The event, which begins September 8, 2025, marks a pivotal moment for long-haul trucking as Geotab telematics devices will stream live performance and efficiency data from each participating vehicle - including Mesilla Valley's International LT with a 2027 Cummins X15 NOx diesel engine - showcasing current technology solutions for decarbonizing heavy-duty transport.

As TruckingInfo's detailed report on the Run on Less – Messy Middle demonstration explains, the diversity of powertrains allows fleets to assess the performance, cost, and operational impact of the new technologies that define today's “messy middle” of fleet transition.

Mike Roeth, NACFE's Executive Director, emphasized,

“The Messy Middle is a time when fleets can choose from a variety of powertrain solutions and other efficiency enhancing technologies. In our fifth Run, we are featuring tractors powered by diesel, natural gas, batteries, and hydrogen fuel cells. These four powertrain solutions represent currently available options for fleets today.”

Key data, including miles per gallon, fuel type, and equipment specs, will be made public and updated throughout the run.

The table below outlines participating fleets and powertrains:

Fleet	Location	Truck Model	Powertrain
Mesilla Valley Transportation	Las Cruces, NM	International LT	Diesel (Cummins X15 2027 NOx)
Frito-Lay	Topeka, KS	Volvo VNL	Biodiesel (B99 Optimus Tech)
Penske Logistics	Katy, TX	Hyundai XCIENT	Hydrogen Fuel Cell

For more on the multi-powertrain showcase and how live telematics data will shape fleet choices in 2025, visit Fleet Maintenance's coverage of NACFE's Run on Less 2025 Fleets and explore event details at the official Run on Less website.

This April, Las Cruces celebrates a significant milestone as local graduate Daniel L. Gonzales is recognized with a national honor for excellence in radiologic technology.

The American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) awarded the 2025 BeRAD Professionalism Award to standout health systems and professionals who exemplify a culture of integrity and community impact in medical imaging and radiation therapy.

According to Brandon A. Smith, ASRT Chair,

“The BeRAD program drives the mission and enhances the vision of ASRT… These systems have unequivocally shown a level of professionalism and collaboration honoring the standard we aim to represent.”

The award highlights achievements such as fostering team-based, patient-centered care, supporting ongoing credentialing and education, and spearheading outreach initiatives.

Honorees will be celebrated at the 2025 ASRT Annual Meeting in Reno, reflecting both national recognition and the growing prominence of Las Cruces in health-tech leadership.

For additional details on this year's winners, visit the ASRT's official award announcement.

Explore more about the evolving health technology ecosystem driving statewide innovation at the 2025 Business & Economic Summit, and discover how medtech policy changes are impacting New Mexico through the AdvaMed Medical Innovation Agenda.

As AI's presence grows across sectors from education to healthcare, the ethical implications spotlight the essential role of human judgment in ensuring safety and fairness.

Conversations at conferences like the University of Denver's “AI and the Public Good” and the American Bar Association's national forum show consensus: while AI can accelerate data analysis, improve pattern recognition, and streamline decision-making, it introduces risks of bias, loss of transparency, and the potential for “deskilling” human experts.

Ethics experts emphasize that AI lacks empathy and cannot fully grasp complex social dynamics, making ongoing human oversight indispensable.

This debate gains urgency as state legislatures have introduced over 550 AI-related bills in 2025 aiming to address algorithmic bias, consumer protections, and transparency, as detailed in the National Conference of State Legislatures' summary of AI legislation.

A leading voice describes the current crossroads:

“Although artificial intelligence tools offer promising advancements in diagnosis and treatment, their legal implications are evolving and uncertain.”

(Persad, JD, PhD).

These unresolved questions challenge both regulators and technology leaders as we work to balance AI's benefits with the need to preserve human dignity, freedom, and accountability - a topic further explored in Brian Patrick Green's essay on AI and human freedom.

As Las Cruces and institutions nationwide join the AI ethics debate, the challenge ahead is to ensure that these powerful technologies enhance, rather than erode, the human factor at the heart of safe and ethical innovation.

This April, Las Cruces' New Mexico State University (NMSU) is emerging as a leader in AI education, fostering equity, statewide access, and collaboration across institutions.

The New Mexico AI Consortium recognized its first class of AI Scholars, including a standout NMSU Ph.D. student, Ly Ly Trieu, who is channeling her “incredible potential of AI” to pursue educational and research opportunities.

“The mission of the AI Institute is to bring together AI researchers, educators and practitioners at NMSU and lead the region and the state in the application of AI models and technologies to practical solutions that address real-world challenges relevant to New Mexico,”

shared Enrico Pontelli, dean and senior adviser for AI at NMSU, emphasizing the university's commitment - backed by a $2 million state investment and matched fundraising up to $500,000 - to expand scholarships, build cutting-edge labs, and attract top talent through the AI Institute for Applied Practice in AI and Machine Learning.

Collaboration remains central, as demonstrated by NMSU's joint $2.5 million NSF project with MIT and Boston College to create K-12 AI education resources, aiming to inform and diversify the future workforce (NMSU–MIT–Boston College NSF AI Education Study).

Amplifying the impact, NMSU's partnership with the Computing Research Association's LEVEL UP AI initiative leverages nearly $1 million in NSF funding to ensure all New Mexicans, regardless of background, have access to high-quality AI education (LEVEL UP AI launch news).

The broad investment in scholarships, research, and outreach is making NMSU a driving force for inclusive AI innovation statewide.

Significant shifts in U.S. semiconductor policy during April 2025 are reverberating through New Mexico's thriving tech sector, with direct implications for local innovation, research, and manufacturing.

The Trump administration's new export controls - guided by Project 2025 - now propose tighter rules on technology transfer, enforce stricter restrictions on exports to China, and eliminate key licensing exceptions, fundamentally altering compliance obligations for universities and high-tech businesses in the state.

As explained by Sheppard Mullin attorneys, these measures target loophole closures and broaden enforcement, especially for AI and semiconductor technologies.

Concurrently, recently updated U.S. regulations now control not only advanced computing items but - for the first time - AI model weights, requiring detailed tracking of processing power quotas for exports, and imposing extensive licensing on foundries, data centers, and collaborative research, all of which impact New Mexico's universities and start-ups.

The complexity of these changes is underscored by the global supply chain's dependence on allies' legal authority to enforce similar rules, a challenge outlined by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

For context, the table below summarizes the differences in export controls among key trading partners:

Country/Region	List-Based Controls	End-User Controls	End-Use Controls	Services Controls	Notes
United States	Extensive, e.g., FDPR & Entity List	Robust	Broad, incl. semiconductor	Extends to advanced node support	Most expansive
European Union	Multilateral, some unilateral	Rely on sanctions	WMD/military focus	WMD only	No FDPR equivalent
Japan	Multilateral + SME unilateral	WMD/military only	WMD only	WMD only	No “presumption of denial”
China	Strong unilateral, extraterritorial	Entity List equivalent	Broad catch-all	Broad	Strengthening controls

As the U.S. accelerates enforcement and investment in domestic semiconductor manufacturing, sector leaders in Las Cruces must rapidly adapt to new compliance landscapes to remain globally competitive and ensure sustainable growth.

For further details on the newest export controls affecting AI chips and model weights, consult Sidley's January 2025 update on US export controls.

April 2025 positions Las Cruces at the forefront of the Southwest's tech boom, with transformative investments and innovation initiatives making headlines. The announcement of a massive $5 billion high-tech campus by BorderPlex Digital Assets in nearby Santa Teresa - expected to generate 1,000 jobs - demonstrates the region's rapid growth as a digital infrastructure and advanced manufacturing hub.

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham hailed this as a “groundbreaking partnership” for trade and technology, while local economic leaders called it a “game-changer” for attracting industry.

Concurrently, House Bill 2's fresh allocation of state funds is strengthening educational and workforce pipelines in Las Cruces, including expansion of advanced placement programs, rural healthcare, and environmental education - with advocates aiming for a 50% graduation rate within 150% of standard time and a 70% third-semester retention rate.

The bill's focus on equitable resource distribution highlights critical efforts to close opportunity gaps.

Regional innovation is thriving, supported by NMSU's Arrowhead Center and accelerator programs for technology startups, such as the GenAI Go-to-Market Sprint.

These programs blend instruction, practical AI strategies, and mentoring from experienced founders and investors, with the goal of propelling New Mexico tech startups toward investment readiness.

“Our sprint model encourages partnerships among entrepreneurs and stakeholders, facilitating a seamless entry into the entrepreneurship ecosystem,” noted Arrowhead Center's deputy director in a statement.

Together, these developments signal Las Cruces' emergence as a competitive, inclusive, and sustainable tech and innovation center - making it a pivotal destination for aspiring technologists, entrepreneurs, and talent-seekers across the Southwest.