Sustainable Space Research Grand Challenge team wins New Mexico Excellence in STEM Award

The Sustainable Space Research Grand Challenge (SSR_GC) team has been awarded the 2025 New Mexico Excellence in STEM Award (STEMYS) in Higher Education by the New Mexico Tech Engagement Office of the Air Force Research Laboratory.

The STEMYS celebrate individuals and organizations across New Mexico making a meaningful impact in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. The Sustainable Space Research (SSR) team was recognized for its exceptional work at the University of New Mexico in support of collaborative space research.

“This award is deeply meaningful because it acknowledges the ecosystem we’re building—one that spans disciplines, institutions, and generations at UNM and to the external community. It represents a growing intersection between science, engineering, design, and education here in New Mexico,” said Kristina Yu, team co-convener and professor in the School of Architecture and Planning.

The Sustainable Space Research Grand Challenge team receiving its 2025 New Mexico Excellence in STEM Award.

The team’s community engagement and education efforts have included the first UNM Space Day, which featured a variety of scholars presenting space science, exploration and technology-related research. The Lunar Arts Awards celebrated the moon’s influence on human creativity, bringing STEM and visual art together in a multidisciplinary exhibition at the UNM ARTSLab. The SSR-GC Space Exploration Pilot Project funds faculty-student teams at UNM to develop new science-engineering concepts for future funding.

The SSR team hosts two weekly lecture series during the academic year. The Planetary Sample Science Series focuses on the study of materials from the Moon and other planetary bodies and is geared towards STEM majors and professionals in academia, government and industry. The Explore the Final Frontier Space Seminar Series invites students and faculty of all disciplines and the general public to learn more about space technology. The speakers, experts from academia, industry, and the national labs, describe cutting-edge projects and invite UNM students to join in the research through internships and other advancement opportunities. Further, the SSR team has reached out to New Mexico through participation in numerous outreach activities at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Space Fiesta, Atomic 66, Cosmic Frontiers and the UNM Meteorite Museum.

Steven Simon, co-convener and senior research scientist at the Institute of Meteoritics (IOM), is enthusiastic about the work and connections the SSR Grand Challenge has made. “It has greatly increased the interdisciplinary nature of our thinking and our efforts, bringing together local planetary sample scientists, engineers, architects, artists, biologists, lawyers, and more. The wide range of expertise and experience of our team members makes us unique.”

Team members, industry partners, visioning committee members and participants in space related activities contribute to the ongoing success of the SSR Grand Challenge, creating a team that unites relevant and diverse space expertise, promotes space research, and engages students from a variety of disciplines to develop a future workforce and entrepreneurial foundation for a growing space economy.

The team builds on the momentum Grand Challenges programmatic support provides. “This type of experimental program has the potential for making the UNM campus stronger through linking members across departments, schools, satellite campuses, national labs, and commercial space. This linkage is an important facet in developing a New Mexico Space Economy that may be beneficial to all New Mexicans,” said Charles “Chip” Shearer, SSR co-convener, sr. research scientist in the IOM, research professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, and team leader of the NASA CASA Moon initiative.

“It reflects our collective commitment to leveraging space exploration not just as a research frontier but as a catalyst for STEM education, workforce development, and community engagement across New Mexico,” adds Maryam Hojati, co-convener and assistant professor in the Gerald May Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering.

The team is launching its next season of activities and outreach in service of lunar research. SSR will be cohosting the 2025 NASA Exploration Science Forum July 22-24 at the UNM Student Union Building. The forum serves as a platform for scientists, researchers, and exploration professionals to discuss the latest findings and future directions in solar system exploration. The next iterations of the Planetary Sample Science and Explore the Final Frontier lecture series are scheduled to begin in late summer. The team’s tireless efforts support students, UNM, and the expanding New Mexico space industry.

The University of New Mexico Grand Challenges program was launched in late 2018 by UNM President Garnett Stokes. Grand Challenges are problems of global, national, and regional significance that require researchers to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries to develop and implement effective solutions. Grand Challenges address problems that, when solved, have a significant positive impact on people and society. The University of New Mexico is the state’s leading research institution, making it an ideal location for complex, interdisciplinary research work.

For more information, visit UNM Grand Challenges.