And Now, From the Acme Network . . .

(courtesy of Kathy)

SOCORRO – “Lights, cameras, and action!” The casting call may soon be given for the New Mexico Tech campus to become a real-life movie set for a planned cable television series about the day-to-day operations of a research university.

Van Romero, New Mexico Tech vice president for research and economic development, briefed the New Mexico Tech Board of Regents at its monthly meeting yesterday on recent inquiries made to his office by The History Channel about the possibility of featuring the research university in Socorro in an upcoming 14-part program series.

“Our office recently has been inundated with requests from The History Channel, The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, and other television and film production companies, asking to use our campus and research facilities,” Romero said. “This could result in some interesting media coverage for New Mexico Tech.”

In addition, representatives from Warner Bros. Studios also have contacted New Mexico Tech administrators to explore the likelihood of using the expertise and facilities at the university’s Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC) for a new game show/ reality series based on the company’s classic Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoons.

In the planned television program, tentatively titled “Man vs. Coyote,” two teams of participants would be pitted against each other to replicate some of the mishaps and disasters to which the Coyote was typically subjected in the long-running cartoon series.

“Both of these major television productions, along with any associated media coverage, could possibly provide New Mexico Tech with new opportunities to allow the university to stand out in the public’s mind,” said Daniel H. López, president of New Mexico Tech.

“In addition to promoting the university, there’s also the distinct possibility that these production companies would be hiring some of our students, staff, and faculty as extras or technical assistants, should they decide to come on campus,” López added.