All posts by CIE-NM

ACES-NM 2025 Spring Seminar


Date: May 10, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:20 PM

Location: Room 2720, UNM Domenici Center for HSE
1001 Stanford Dr NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106

Agenda

  1. 10:00 – 10:15 Sign-in & Registration
  2. 10:15 – 10:20 Introduction
  3. 10:20 – 11:00 Presentation 1
  4. 11:10 – 11:50 Presentation 2
  5. 11:50 – 12:20 Panel discussion
  6. 12:20 – 13:20 Lunch

Speaker 1: Dr. Matthew J. Campen

Title: “Plastics are in our brains: What’s next?”

Biography:
Dr. Matthew Campen is a Regents’ Professor in the UNM College of Pharmacy and a nationally recognized expert in environmental toxicology. He directs the New Mexico Center for Metals in Biology and Medicine and holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Campen’s lab has made pioneering discoveries on the accumulation of micro- and nanoplastics in human tissues—most notably, the brain. His recent work, published in Nature Medicine, shows that microplastic levels in the human brain are linked to age and possibly neurodegenerative diseases. These findings have captured international media attention, with coverage in CBS News, CNN, and The Guardian. Dr. Campen’s work is at the forefront of understanding how invisible pollutants may influence human health at the molecular level.


Speaker 2: Dr. Xiang Xue

Title: “Unveiling the Hidden Threat: How Microplastics Drive Colorectal Cancer”

Biography:
Dr. Xiang Xue is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. With about 20 years of experience in Toxicology and Gastroenterology, his research focuses on how environmental toxicants, including metals and microplastics, influence gastrointestinal diseases such as colitis and colorectal cancer. Dr. Xue’s work, published in prestigious journals like Nature Metabolism and Advanced Science, has garnered over 4,800 citations. He is a dedicated mentor, having guided over 30 students and postdoctoral fellows. His research is supported by grants from the NIH and UNM, exploring topics like microplastics’ role in cancer progression and novel therapeutic approaches. Dr. Xue also serves as a reviewer for major funding agencies like the NIH, DOD and NSF. His work has earned several honors, including the UNM Health Science Center Excellence in Research Award in 2021.

ACES-NM Annual Meeting 2024

The ACES-NM 2024 Annual Meeting was held on December 7, 2024. Attendees had the opportunity to engage in a seminar presented by Dr. John (Xiaozhong) Yu, review the ACES-NM 2024 Annual Report highlighting key events such as the Future City Competition, receive the Treasurer’s Report for the year, participate in the election of new board members, and celebrate the achievements of the Young Asian American Student Award recipients..

Annual Meeting Agenda

Meeting Agenda presented by ACES-NM President Chi Yang

Seminar

ACES-NM 2024 Annual Report

Presentation on the CIE NC Spring Meeting
Update on the 2024-2025 Future City Competition
2025 AAEOY Update by Dr. Changjian Feng

Treasurer’s Report

Future City-NM Account Summary by ACES-NM Treasurer Qiyun Lin

Young Asian American Student Awards

The awardees of the 2024 were Kyureon Kim, Yu Liu, Hiro Jau and Kate Shao. To learn more about their achievements and to see more, see this post.

(left to right) 2024 Student Awardees Yu Liu, Hiro Jau, Kate Shao (Kyureon Kim not pictured)

Asian American Student Award Winners 2024

The Young Asian American Student Award is given to outstanding Asian American high school students living within our local chapter area who demonstrate excellent academic achievements, leadership in community service, global awareness and professional development.

Kyureon Kim, La Cueva High School

Hiro Jau, La Cueva High School

    Yu Liu, La Cueva High School

      Kate Shao, La Cueva High School

        Winners

        (left to right) 2024 Student Awardees Yu Liu, Hiro Jau, Kate Shao

        Call for the 2023 Asian American Student Award

        The Asian-American population is one of the fastest-growing demographics in New Mexico, accounting for around 5% of the population. The Young Asian American Student Award Program is organized by the Chinese Institute of Engineers (CIE/USA) – New Mexico Chapter, also known as the Association of Chinese American Engineers and Scientists of New Mexico (ACES-NM). The program aims to recognize outstanding Asian American high school students residing in our local chapter area. These individuals demonstrate excellent academic achievements, leadership in community service, global awareness, and professional development. The program challenges and encourages applicants to reach the highest career development and lifetime achievement standards.

        CIE/USA-NM is now soliciting nominations for the annual Young Asian American Student Award. Up to five awardees will be selected, and each recipient will be recognized and presented with a $250 award at the Annual CIE/USA-NM meeting in December 2023.

        Eligibility: The application is open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents with Asian heritage currently enrolled in 10th to 12th grade in New Mexico high schools, excluding those who previously received this award.

        Evaluation: The evaluation committee consists of current CIE/USA-NM Board members and local Asian American community leaders, excluding those with children who are applicants.

        Submission Guidelines: The online application will be available from September 20, 2023, until November 1, 2023. Please submit your application on the CIE/USA-NM Website (www.cie-nm.org). Awardees will be notified by November 20, 2023.

        Additionally, the following documents are required to complete the application and must be uploaded through the application website:

        1. Official high school transcript

        2. Personal Statement

        3. Resume

        4. A letter of support from either a teacher or a community leader familiar with the student’s achievements and activities

        Documents 1 – 3 must be combined into one file and submitted online at https://www.cie-nm.org/studentAward/ApplicationFiles/ApplicationForm.html. Upon successful application submission, the referee will receive an email with instructions on uploading the letter of support.

        For questions regarding the program and the application, please email kanghn@unm.edu.

        Huining Kang, PhD

        President, Student Award Committee Chair, CIE-USA NM Chapter (ACES-NM)