Freeport McMoran

Freeport Helps Students Meet Tomorrow's Challenges with STEM Competition Support

March 26, 2025

The future isn't always shaped in boardrooms and laboratories – it’s being built in classrooms across New Mexico. 

With a challenge from state leadership, the determination of students and support from Freeport, young innovators are tackling real-world problems through science and technology.

Freeport employees Jose Carrasco and Parnian Azhdari recently served as judges in the New Mexico Governor’s STEM Challenge, a competition designed to connect high school students with local industry and government partners.  The company also provided financial support for the event, which highlights student-driven projects aimed at solving pressing challenges.

Launched in 2019, the NMGSC encourages students to develop and showcase science-based solutions to growing real-world issues. This marks the fourth year that Carrasco, Senior Mine Engineer-Tyrone, and Azhdari, Chief Civil Engineer-Tailings Technology have participated as judges.

“The NMGSC is a great opportunity for new generations of scientists to show off and improve their skills,” Carrasco said. “We've seen great improvements in the methods and presentation from all of the schools, which shows that there's real potential we need to focus on fostering in order to improve tomorrow's workforce.”

When the competition starts, teams of up to 10 students submit proposals, which judges from Freeport and other sponsoring companies provide feedback on before a final showcase weeks later. There, teams are ranked and winners determined, with each selected team being awarded $5,000 to split among its members.

In the past, New Mexico Operations also has provided a site tour to Freeport’s sponsored team, an offer that was also extended this year.

The theme for 2025 was transportation, a broad topic that could encompass the movement of people, goods or information. While some students had prototypes by the time of the showcase, Azhdari said the time and budget constraints mean that is not the expectation. The NMGSC isn’t about changing the world today, but inspiring the minds that are going to change it tomorrow, Azhdari said.

Of course, that does not mean the projects displayed did not show promise—especially for the mining industry.

Azhdari noted the projects embraced this year’s theme in a way that could have major implications for Freeport, exploring everything from algae-based fuel to the transmission of groundwater data via radio waves. The latter, a project from a team at United World College-USA, ultimately was selected for Freeport’s sponsorship.

“What I love about this challenge is that it has really helped these students defy expectations,” Azhdari said. “If we continue to provide and support these opportunities, then New Mexico and Freeport are ensuring that these curious, innovative minds will know they have what it takes to make a difference one day.

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