>> Laura: SERGIO TORRES, WELCOME TO NEW MEXICO In FOCUS.

THANKS FOR JOINING ME TODAY.

>> Sergio: THANKS FOR INVITING ME.

>> Laura: SO YOU WERE AMONG 84 U.S. TEACHERS WHO THE SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE RECENTLY RECOGNIZED AND GRANTED STIPENDS TO TO GUIDE STUDENTS IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GRANT AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

>> Sergio: YES.

SO THE SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE THE EARLY 1900s, AND THEY HAVE SPONSORED OVER 80 ADVOCATES ACROSS THE NATION.

ONE OF THE GOALS IS TO REALLY PROMOTE SCIENCE RESEARCH.

SO AS AN ADVOCATE, WE HAVE GOALS OUTLINED FOR THIS PURPOSE TO RECRUIT AT LEAST THREE STUDENTS FOR THE YEAR, BUT ALSO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF ENTERING THEM IN SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING COMPETITIONS.

AND ONCE THAT IS SUBMITTED, THEN WE FULFILL SOME OF THAT.

BUT ASIDE FROM THAT, WE HAVE A LOT OF PERKS.

WE GET SCIENCE NEWS AND SCIENCE EXPLORERS.

A LOT OF SUPPORT THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

AND SUPPORT, LIKE I HAVE A MEETING SOON WITH OUR LEAD ADVOCATE TO DISCUSS HOW THINGS ARE GOING.

SO I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY ENHANCE AND PROMOTE RESEARCH AND STEM FIELDS.

>> Laura: NICE.

SO YOU'VE SAID THAT NEW MEXICO'S NATURAL WORLD BECKONS NATURAL CURIOSITY WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PLACES AND ISSUES THAT YOUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS EXPLORE OR WILL EXPLORE THIS YEAR?

>> Sergio: SO ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT'S RELATED MORE COLLOQUIALLY HERE -- I'M RIGHT NEXT TO ELEPHANT BUTTE LAKE, AND ALSO MY ALMA MATER, NEW MEXICO TECH, IS ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY.

SO WE COLLABORATED WITH VARIOUS SUPPORT SYSTEMS.

NEW MEXICO TECH AND OUR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CLASS LAST SEMESTER DID SOME WATER QUALITY TESTING.

SO WE LOOKED AT SOME CHEMICALS AND THE SALTWATER CONTENT.

IT SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE ELEVATED.

SO ONE OF THOSE IS TO LOOK AT WATER QUALITY AND HOW WE CAN MAYBE PROPOSE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN GET BETTER QUALITY WATER, AS WELL AS IN THE LAKE, WE CAN THINK OF THIS BACTERIA, WHICH IS A BLUE-GREEN ALGEA THAT PRODUCES HARMFUL ALGEA BLOOMS, AND DURING STRESS, OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE PROLIFERATING OR GROWING, THEY PRODUCE THESE REALLY POTENT NEUROTOXINS AND LIVER TOXINS, AND THAT KIND OF RELATES TO SOME OF THE COLLABORATION I HAD UP NORTH IN ABIQUIU LAKE.

AT THAT RESERVOIR, THERE WAS SUCH A PROBLEM THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET RESULTS OF THE BACTERIA AND SOME OF THE TOXINS DUE TO BACKLOGGING.

SO ONE OF THE PROJECTS IS TO LOOK AT WATER QUALITY FOR BOTH BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC FACTORS.

SO THAT'S A REAL WORLD TYPE OF PROPOSED SOLUTION WE'RE THINKING ABOUT, AS WELL AS GEOTHERMAL ENERGY PRODUCTION.

SO AT NEW MEXICO TECH BACK IN 2013, THEY HAD MAPPED OUT SOME OF THE AQUIFERS, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE HOT SPRINGS AND THERMAL CALCULATIONS TO SEE WHAT THEY LOOKED LIKE, WHICH WHICH ONES WERE ACTIVE AND SO FORTH.

SO ONE OF OUR EXCITING PROJECTS, AND PROBABLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO EVOLVE OUR PRESENTATION TO AT THE NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR'S STEM CHALLENGE, WHICH DEALS WITH WHAT YOU JUST ASKED, IS TO SEE HOW WE CAN MAYBE LOOK AT TEMPERATURES FROM THE HOT SPRINGS AND IF IT'S NOT HOT ENOUGH TO TRANSFORM TO ELECTRIC ENERGY.

SO THOSE, WATER QUALITY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY, ARE VERY IN DEMAND, AND HOPEFULLY OUR STUDENTS CAN GATHER DATA AND COME UP WITH SOME SOLUTIONS.

>> Laura: YEAH.

NEW MEXICO FACES SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES AND WATER CHALLENGES.

I'M CURIOUS, WHAT ARE YOUR STUDENTS MOST CURIOUS ABOUT OR CONCERNED ABOUT?

>> Sergio: SO ONE THING, WE ACTUALLY JUST CAME BACK FROM SANTA FE SEPTEMBER 2ND.

WE WERE AT THE CENTER FOR NEW MEXICO ARCHAEOLOGY, AND THAT WAS A VERY INTRIGUING AND EYE-OPENING, THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX EXPERIENCE.

SO OUR STUDENTS REALLY CAME UP WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE FACED WITH CHALLENGES, WHETHER IT'S ENVIRONMENTAL, WARS, POPULATION, FOOD, THEN HOW ARE WE GOING TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND KIND OF RELATE TO THE HISTORY OF HOW HUMANS HAVE ADAPTED AND EVOLVED TO STILL BE PART OF THE HUMAN RACE AND UTILIZE, ESPECIALLY IN NEW MEXICO, SOME OF THE INDIGENOUS CULTURES THAT HAVE SURVIVED THROUGH ICE AGES.

THEY PRESENTED A GOOD COLLOQUIUM ON GREENLAND AND HOW THERE'S STILL FLUCTUATION OF COOLING AND WARMING OF EARTH.

SOME OF IT IS NATURAL, BUT THE LAST PIECE OF DATA REALLY SHOWS THAT IT SEEMS TO NOT BE COOLING DOWN, AND THAT'S OBVIOUSLY CAUSING CLIMATE CHANGE AND A LOT OF THE STORMS, GLOBAL WARMING.

SO THEY'RE INTERESTED IN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, KIND OF THINKING AND PREPARING ABOUT HOW THEY CAN BUILD OUR COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN HUMANS AS WELL AS OTHER ECOSYSTEMS, SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY IN THE NEXT GENERATIONS.

>> Laura: WELL, SERGIO, CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, AND THANKS FOR JOINING ME TODAY.

>> Sergio: THANK YOU.

HAVE A GOOD AFTERNOON.