Five finalists for president of the New Mexico State University system will visit the Las Cruces campus later this month, the Board of Regents announced Friday in a message to faculty, staff and students. The visits will feature public forums designed to allow members of the campus community and the public to hear from candidates directly about what they would bring to NMSU.
The public forums, held by the board in partnership with NMSU's Faculty Senate and Associated Students of NMSU, will begin Monday, Feb. 26, at NMSU's Las Cruces campus. While morning sessions will focus more on faculty, staff and community issues and afternoon sessions will focus more on student issues, anyone is welcome at either forum and questions are not limited to those topics. Participants can also livestream and participate in the forums remotely via Zoom.
The five finalists are Michael Galyean, Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor in the Department of Veterinary Sciences and former provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Texas Tech University; Wayne Jones, provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of New Hampshire; Austin Lane, chancellor of Southern Illinois University; John Volin, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost of the University of Maine; and Richard Williams, former president of Utah Tech University.
For biographies and résumés of each candidate, visit nmsu.edu/president-search/finalists.html .
Retired NMSU Vice President for External Affairs Ben Woods chaired the NMSU search committee, and said the committee urges members of the campus community and the public to participate in the public forums during the next phase of the selection process.
"On behalf of the 24 members of the search committee, we express our thanks to each and every applicant," Woods said. "Their interest in joining the NMSU family honors each of us. We also recognize and thank the finalists for their commitment to participate in the uniquely public process we utilize to select university presidents in New Mexico."
In her message to campus, Regents Chair Ammu Devasthali said the search process has been incredibly thorough, and expressed the board's thanks to those involved with the search from its outset last year.
"We began with listening sessions held all over the state, where we heard from stakeholders who shared their ideas about where the university system can improve and what their priorities are for NMSU's next leader," Devasthali said. "We also held sessions on our Las Cruces campus, where we spoke with faculty, staff and students about their vision for NMSU's future. You can read a summary of that feedback on our presidential search website.
Based on NMSU's systemwide strategic plan, feedback from stakeholders, and conversations with faculty, staff and students, Devasthali said, the board developed a robust leadership profile that served as a guide for the search firm in gathering its pool of potential candidates and for the search committee in evaluating those candidates to put forward their recommendations.
"Our committee followed their charge as a screening and advisory body in narrowing the field for our consideration, but ultimately the decision rests with the Board of Regents," Devasthali explained. "Following their initial recommendations, we asked the committee to provide some additional candidate names to broaden the semi-finalist pool and ensure that we made the most informed possible decision about which finalists to advance. The board is deeply grateful to the committee for delivering on that additional ask and providing the added context we needed to move forward."
Sabrina Martin, chief executive officer of Advanced Care Hospital of Southern New Mexico and regional vice president of operations for its parent company, Ernest Health, was one of several business and community leaders who were part of the search committee.
"It was an honor to serve with such a passionate and diverse group of people, who really came together to serve the same mission with a collective voice," said Martin, who is an NMSU alumna and serves on numerous local and community boards. "I felt like every stakeholder group and viewpoint was represented on this committee. Those totally different viewpoints led to some really great discussions and helped us identify candidates who would meet all of the university's needs."
NMSU Community College Chancellor Mónica Torres, who also served on the search committee, said she thinks the finalists' experience and expertise will appeal to a broad range of perspectives and interests in the NMSU system.
"The NMSU system has a rich history, highly qualified faculty and staff, committed alumni and supporters, a tremendous network of assets, and some notable challenges," Torres said. "The upcoming campus visits by the presidential candidates will be a real opportunity for us to assess how each candidate's expertise, experience, and professional commitments speak to our strengths and concerns."
Devasthali echoed the search committee's call for participation in the next public portion of the process. "The last week of February affords ample opportunity to hear from each candidate – and if you're unable to attend in person, you can find the forums online, and either tune in live or follow up to watch the session when it's convenient for you," she said. "We'll make every effort to get those posted quickly following each session."
Members of the campus community and the public can share feedback with the board through an online feedback form found on the presidential search website, or by sending an email toÂ
"This is an incredibly important decision for the future of our university system and the people of New Mexico," Devasthali said, "so we want to hear from as many of you as possible as we consider these candidates."
For more information on NMSU's presidential search, visit nmsu.edu/president-search .
