UNM's 2025 Year-in-Review highlights significant research news

In this 2025 Research Year-in-Review, compiled by University Communication and Marketing (UCAM), scientists at The University of New Mexico addressed some of the most pressing issues facing New Mexico and the nation-from analyzing a massive landslide in the Grand Canyon and documenting record-level PFAS contamination, to examining the relationship between sanctuary city policies and crime rates and evaluating whether higher alcohol taxes could reduce drunk-driving fatalities statewide.

The year also brought significant momentum for UNM's growing quantum research portfolio, as a multi-institution project led by UNM-working alongside national laboratories and universities across the country-secured a $4 million grant to advance research with long-term economic, workforce, and national security implications.

Below is a select list of news stories highlighting UNM's 2025 research contributions and their impact on policy, public safety, and the future of New Mexico.

UNM study finds link between Grand Canyon landslide and Meteor Crater impact
Geology is full of detective stories about Earth's history, and a new paper in Geology by University of New Mexico Distinguished Professors Emeritus Karl Karlstrom and Laurie Crossey, along with their co-authors, links two iconic geologic landmarks of the American Southwest: the Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater. The article, titled Grand Canyon landslide-dam and paleolake triggered by the Meteor Crater impact at 56 ka, highlights the striking coincidence in the geologic ages of a meteor impact and a landslide dam that blocked the Colorado River, forming a paleolake in the Grand Canyon about 56,000 years ago.

New research examines Holloman Lake PFAS contamination
A team of researchers from The University of New Mexico's Museum of Southwestern Biology (MSB) has shared new research on the contamination at Holloman Lake in southern New Mexico. The team began studying PFAS contamination of wildlife at Holloman Lake in 2021. The article, "Ecosystem-wide PFAS characterization and environmental behavior at a heavily contaminated desert oasis in the southwestern U.S.," published in the journal Environmental Research, confirms previous findings and analyzes all the factors contributing to the unprecedented levels of contamination at Holloman Lake.

UNM engineers build the future of 3D printing with bendable concrete
Armed with a 3D concrete printer, careful measuring tools, and just the right ingredients, a team at The University of New Mexico has worked hard to design the construction building blocks of the future. Now, their bendable concrete material design is officially patented. Researchers in the Gerald May Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering are working to develop the materials necessary to 3D print concrete structures.

UNM research shows no correlation between sanctuary cities and crime
Do sanctuary cities lead to more crime? While some believe cities that hold the sanctuary title have a higher crime rate because of it, research from The University of New Mexico shows otherwise. The findings from a 2017 study, published by UNM Political Science Professor Loren Collingwood, reveal no correlation between a sanctuary city and crime.

Seeing trees through fractals: new research explores how we perceive nature's patterns
Fractals play an important role in our community, but they also help explain how humans perceive objects, such as trees. New research from The University of New Mexico highlights how branch diameter scaling contributes to our perception of trees. The study, titled "Scaling in Branch Thickness and the Fractal Aesthetics of Trees", was recently published in the PNAS Nexus Journal. UNM Biology Professor Mitchell Newberry is the senior author.

AI tensor network-based computational framework cracks a 100-year-old physics challenge
Researchers from The University of New Mexico and Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a novel computational framework that addresses a longstanding challenge in statistical physics. The Tensors for High-dimensional Object Representation (THOR) AI framework employs tensor network algorithms to efficiently compress and evaluate the extremely large configurational integrals and partial differential equations central to determining the thermodynamic and mechanical properties of materials.

UNM research shows a higher alcohol tax could lead to fewer drunk driving fatalities
It's no secret drunk driving is a problem in New Mexico. According to Alcohol.org in 2023, New Mexico ranks within the top 5 states in the country with the most drunken driving fatalities. So how do we fix it? While it wouldn't end drunk driving, University of New Mexico Economics Professor Brady Horn says a higher alcohol tax is a step in the right direction.

Study: A look inside New Mexico's prison population
Did you know 90% of New Mexico's prison population is male? Or that most people incarcerated are between the ages of 20-49 years old? Did you know more than 75% of people on new admissions are convicted of a violent crime? That's according to The New Mexico Sentencing Commission's (NMSC) report, Profile of New Mexico Prison Population FY 2024.

NSF awards UNM-led team $4M to design photonic quantum computer
A quantum research project led by The University of New Mexico in collaboration with national labs and universities around the country was awarded a $4 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the National Quantum Virtual Laboratory (NQVL) program to continue research into the design and future development of a photonic quantum computer.

Study shows protected bike lanes increase bicycle commuting
Would commuters be more likely to ride a bike if they had the option to ride in a protected lane? New research led by a University of New Mexico School of Engineering faculty member says yes. Protected bike lanes are associated with nearly double the number of bike ridership than standard bike lanes, according to a new paper published in Nature Cities.

Wanna bet? New research showcases correlation between sports gambling & drinking
March Madness, the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Super Bowl-these iconic events have one thing in common beyond the thrill of the game: Americans can now bet on virtually every aspect of the action. In 2018, the Murphy v. NCAA decision rocked the sports world, as Congress's ruling opened the door for states to legalize sports betting-forever changing the landscape of gambling in America. Since 2018, 38 states have legalized sports betting in some form or another and it appears that the remaining holdout states will follow suit.

Serendipitous discovery could lead to more efficient catalysts
Reporting in the journal, Nature, an international team of researchers, including University of New Mexico Distinguished Regents Professor Emeritus Abhaya Datye, found that the hot car exhaust containing nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide caused a previously unknown reaction that, used proactively, can significantly improve catalytic activity. Catalysts are substances that increase the rate of chemical reactions.

Engineering a new treatment for ovarian cancer
There's a long way to go when it comes to sex and gender equity in medicine, but engineers at The University of New Mexico hope to close the gap with a new research project exploring alternative treatments for ovarian cancer. Olivia Lanier, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, received an American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant sub-award through the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center to look at how nanoparticle-packed gel could help treat cancer more effectively.

UNM research suggests Halloween fireballs could signal increased risk of cosmic impact or airburst in 2032 and 2036
Every year, the Taurid meteor shower lights up the night sky from late October through early November. Sometimes called the "Halloween fireballs," they are named for the constellation Taurus-the bull-from which the meteors appear to radiate, the shower is best viewed from dark-sky locations. In New Mexico, where wide-open spaces and low light pollution offer some of the clearest skies in the country, stargazers have a front-row seat to the spectacle.

Overwhelmed at work? New research reveals the power of asking for help
A new study out of The University of New Mexico's Anderson School of Management showcases how receiving help at work will mitigate exhaustion levels. The research titled, "Receiving help at work mitigates the negative consequences of performance pressure: implications for depletion and citizenship behavior" was recently published in the Journal of Social Psychology. UNM Associate Professor Andrea Hetrick is lead author, and UNM Professor Ryan Jacobson is co-author.