New Mexico State University’s College of Health, Education and Social Transformation (HEST) has begun construction on an expansion of O’Donnell Hall, a project intended to enhance health and education services across the state. The initiative, which broke ground in fall 2024, is supported by $18.8 million in funding from voter-approved general obligation bonds and legislative appropriations, including $15.5 million from the 2022 GO Bond and support from House Bill 153. Planning for the project began in 2017.
The expansion will add more than 15,000 square feet to O’Donnell Hall, which was originally built in 1968. The new space will house the Department of Kinesiology and the Department of Communication Disorders. The building will also feature multidisciplinary labs, a high-tech anatomy classroom equipped with anatomage tables, and additional research areas designed to promote hands-on learning and collaboration between departments.
Renovations to the ground floor will expand two community-facing centers: the Papen-Aprendamos Autism Diagnostic Center and the Edgar R. Garrett Speech and Hearing Center. These updates are expected to increase opportunities for students and faculty to participate in clinical training while providing services to individuals and families throughout Las Cruces and southern New Mexico.
The Speech and Hearing Center has been serving the community for over six decades by offering speech-language pathology services. It is staffed by graduate students as well as certified professionals who assist people of all ages.
The Autism Diagnostic Center, open since 2019, remains the only facility in southern New Mexico that provides medical autism evaluations. It offers evidence-based parent training and support groups—resources considered essential for families dealing with autism diagnoses. The center’s team focuses on autism, differential diagnosis, and comorbid conditions throughout various stages of life.
Rick Marlatt, dean of the College of HEST, stated: “The College of HEST is fortunate to have world-class faculty, staff, students, and community members who are committed to a vision of advancing New Mexico’s allied health workforce and addressing disparities in healthcare access across the region. And now, thanks to the generosity of voters and their determination for a brighter future for our state, as well as the dedication of our legislative partners, HEST is blessed with world-class facilitates to make this vision a reality.”
Marlatt added: “We are thrilled to co-author this latest chapter in O’Donnell Hall’s rich history of community engagement, and we are privileged with these new facilities to provide cutting-edge, comprehensive, public-facing services for New Mexico families. Our newly renovated spaces illustrate HEST’s statewide impact, as community members from all corners and rural areas will benefit from advanced clinical care, dynamic experiential learning, innovative extension research, and economic development partnerships pursuing a robust healthcare infrastructure.”
Completion of the expansion is anticipated by April 2026. Additional information can be found at https://pinnacle.nmsu.edu/.
