New Mexico State University is inviting the public to celebrate the completion and opening of its Southwest Center for Rangeland Sustainability with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house Sept. 8 in Corona.

The festivities start at 10 a.m. and a complimentary lunch will be served at noon.

NMSU President Barbara Couture will speak at the open house. State legislators and executives have also been invited to attend.

"This will be a celebration of the success of the State of New Mexico and NMSU in bringing research and education together for the citizens of New Mexico," said Shad Cox, superintendent of the Corona Range and Livestock Research Center.

The $1.5 million state-funded facility consists of indoor and outdoor multiuse meeting/exhibit areas; library/meeting room for outreach activities and student use; offices for the Corona research center, visiting faculty, staff and students; and a kitchen/meal preparation facility.

The long-term vision for the center is to attract prominent researchers, improve student success and lead the way in rangeland research in the United States.

Cox said the facility offers a structured and convenient environment dedicated to education and outreach in a forum that allows more flexibility in scheduling with the opportunity to address issues in a more timely manner.

"This center was built with the idea it would be a centralized outreach facility for the university and the State of New Mexico," he said. "This sustainability center is an efficient and cheaper way to bring people from all four corners of the state together, and outside of the state, to facilitate meaningful training."

Since January, the center has been used to host free monthly roundtable discussions on current ranching and production topics.

For more information on the Southwest Center for Rangeland Sustainability or for directions to the facility, contact Cox at 575-849-1015 or email shadcox@nmsu.edu, or visit www.corona.nmsu.edu.