New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) is a comprehensive public state university with an Hispanic Serving Institution designation, founded in 1913. Its vision extends beyond academics, aiming to transform lives and uplift communities for generations to come. The Department of Media Arts and Technology is a standalone academic department with its own building on the main campus, the McCaffrey Historic Trolley Building. Built in 1905 from locally quarried limestone as the town’s power plant, it was renovated in 2015 to house the Media Arts department. It also serves the community as a destination for gallery shows, a showcase for emerging design and media, and of course, as an educational facility for the Media Arts program in visual communications, video and audio production, multimedia arts and cultural technology.

To create a healthier environment, both inside and outside of the department, FCI Catalyst funding will support the replacement of lighting in two heavily-used rooms with energy efficient Lutron lighting systems.This work will be implemented by Dennis Lucero of Electric Horseman, a local lighting company. In the 3D modeling and animation lab, this improved lighting environment will use tunable and low-flicker LED lights. During multihour classes and nighttime open labs, this will make a big difference in students’ ability to complete their time-intensive assignments. The Lutron lighting system will also be implemented for the print lab, a large workspace where students practice printing, cutting, and mounting.