As a high school student, Maria Adeliz Ordoñez was a member of a VEX Robotics championship team, but she couldn’t find a college-level team at New Mexico State University. So in fall 2022, she put the pieces together to fill the gap.
“I was in the STEM pathway in high school, and joined the robotics club in 2015. Since then, I fell in love with the engineering design process and the creativity incorporated in robotics,” Ordoñez said.
NM State Robotics held its first meeting in January 2023 and competed in several VEX U Robotics events during the spring 2023 semester. The club is open to undergraduate and graduate students of all majors.
“There is a role for everyone to participate in, and you can start learning from the first day you walk in,” said Ordoñez, who was the club president during the 2023-2024 academic year.
“Robotics can inspire students to pursue careers in STEM fields,” said Mahdi Haghshenas-Jaryani, mechanical and aerospace engineering assistant professor and club adviser. “Robots are increasingly becoming part of our daily lives, and there is a significant need to prepare and train future engineers and researchers in this field.”
Robotics not only helps students develop problem solving, critical thinking and teamwork skills, but they also gain experience in engineering and computer science, Haghshenas-Jaryani added.
In addition to working on projects for VEX competitions, NM State Robotics members also participate in community service and outreach events such as NMSU Engineering Week, the Big Event and a trunk or treat at Vista Middle School in Las Cruces.
"There is a sense of community that is created when you work so closely with a group of friends,” Ordoñez said.
As part of NM State Robotics, members learn skills such as organizational leadership and teamwork, administrative responsibilities and project management.
“In the current job market, there is a high demand for engineers and researchers in robotics, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence,” Haghshenas-Jaryani said. “The skills learned in VEX Robotics can be applied to many different careers, and they can help students develop a passion for innovation and creativity.”
Ordoñez said she hopes the abilities members exercise as part of NM State Robotics continue after graduation and into their professional lives.
“Students will realize that their teamwork and communication skills will be well practiced once they join the workforce,” Ordoñez said. “In addition, students will be able to effectively apply their learned skills from class into the project management and technical problem solving that the robotics organization entails. And lastly, they will have created fun memories and true friendships along the way.”
NM State Robotics hopes to one day host a national VEX U competition alongside the UTEP VEX U team.
“Organizations like VEX Robotics are very important in giving future engineers inspiration and experience,” said College of Engineering Dean Lakshmi N. Reddi, who became interim provost in March 2024. “At the high-school level, they generate interest in technology and show students that this may be a path forward for them. At the college level, they enhance their educational experience and give them skills that will benefit them in their professional lives.”
As a new student organization, Haghshenas-Jaryani admitted having sustainable financial support for purchasing equipment, building robots and traveling to participate in national and world championships has been a challenge.
“The head of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Dr. Jay Frankel, has kindly supported the team over the past year,” he said. “We hope to get more financial help from other resources so that our team can continue their activities and participate in the VEX Robotics competition.”
To learn more about NM State Robotics including how to join the team, visit nmsu.link/robotics or @nmsu_robotics on Instagram.
A version of this story was published in the spring 2024 issue of Panorama. For more stories, visit https://panorama.nmsu.edu.
