This is the post-graduation Monday message. After experiencing the highs of graduation, on Monday morning, I returned back down to earth. I had a number of 1:1 and small group meetings. I walked to meet with the Teaching Academy staff in Milton Hall. I subsequently met with the faculty fellows, Christopher Brown and David Ortiz from the Provost’s office. We discussed what each had been working on and how to advance this work moving forward.
After lunch, I met with the Regents Professors. I had heard about the Regents Professors and I wanted to meet with them to see how they have been engaged in the past and how we might engage with them in the future. Afterwards, I accompanied the Chancellor to the Zuhl Library to tour the library facilities with Dean Kevin Comerford and Associate Dean Katherine Terpis. To end Monday, I met with the Office of Strategic Initiatives to get a briefing on their activities with the Chancellor and Chief of Staff.
To begin my Tuesday, I had several 1:1 meetings and then dropped by the Electrical and Computer Engineering retreat. Subsequently, I walked to Goddard Hall to visit with Department of Defense representatives as part of a daylong meeting. In the afternoon, I met with Chancellor Gogue and others. To end Tuesday, I drove to the Fulton Center to attend the Retiring Faculty Reception. The eight retirees honored were: Patricia Baggett from Mathematical Sciences; Anne Ricksacker from Student Success; David Smith from Academic Affairs/Chemistry/Biochemistry; Alice Poole from English; Ken Martin from Finance; Lamaia Martin from Film and Digital Media; Donald Pepion from Anthropology; and Jill McDonald from Public Health Sciences. In the near future, we will be exploring whether there is sufficient interest in organizing a NMSU Retired Faculty/Staff Association.
On Wednesday morning, I visited the College of Arts and Sciences in Breland Hall before having some 1:1 meetings. It was my first time to Breland Hall. Dean Enrico Pontelli along with Associate Deans, Joe Lakey and Jim Murphy gave me a quick tour. In the afternoon, I traveled to Gerald Thomas Hall to meet with the Departments of Plant and Environmental Sciences (PES) and Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Weed Science (EPS). Following this, I attended a Chancellor Executive Team meeting before driving to Mesilla to attend the Faculty Fellows Recognition dinner at Peppers. Seventeen faculty fellows were recognized for their contributions to the Teaching Academy.
To start Thursday, I visited the College of Health, Education, and Social Transformation at O’Donnell Hall before walking to the College of Business in the Business Complex. I had several 1:1 meetings and then I met with New Mexico Space Grant leader, Paolo Oemig in Hadley Hall followed by a meeting with my budget expert, Lourdes Alvarado-Salas and James McAteer to review the Provost’s budget and commitments. Lourdes keeps track of all the Provost office commitments and ensures I do not over commit to things I do not have the resources to support. In short, she keeps me out of trouble! To end the day, I had a few 1:1 meetings.
For aloha Friday, I visited the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in Gerald Thomas Hall and then went to the College of Engineering in Goddard Hall. I had a daylong work session and in between had a zoom mentoring meeting with a junior faculty member from the University of Utah I have been mentoring for the past year. We meet once a month on zoom and I listen to what he is interested in learning about. Being a mentor is a very rewarding experience. I also had another zoom meeting for an interview about being an Asian/Pacific Islander academic leader in higher education. To end my work week, on Saturday morning, I drove to Askew Field to confer academic degrees to nine NMSU baseball players who were unable to participate in graduation last weekend. I enjoyed interacting with our student athlete baseball players and their families.
This week, I received one recipient for being a NMSU Unsung Heroes.
Debbie Pepion (ACES Human Resources Manager) As Yesenia Palma, Chief of Staff and Rolando Flores, Dean of ACES wrote, Debbie has been a part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) since 2006 and has always demonstrated leadership within her department. Debbie truly is a pleasure to have within the college and sure likes to bring out her personality especially around the holidays (she is known for her great taste in Halloween décor). She is a wealth of knowledge in the ACES HR department. She is more than happy to assist any employee who comes into her office or calls the office seeking assistance. Debbie has a can do attitude and when it seems impossible, she looks for ways to make things possible. Debbie exemplifies the type of customer service we want everyone at NMSU to exhibit, where challenges are viewed as opportunities to figuring new ways of getting something done. Congratulations Debbie! You are an unsung hero at NMSU.
NMSU Rodeo just completed as awesome 2022-23 season with a host of team and individual accolades and accomplishments. Both the Women’s and Men’s teams took first place in the Grand Canyon Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, and Brice Baggarley was named regional Coach of the Year! With completion of the regular season, NMSU Rodeo is proud to have 12 student-athletes qualify for the 2023 College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in Casper, Wyoming June 11-17, which demonstrates their hard work and commitment throughout the year. Three Aggies finished the year as regional champions in their events. Zachary Dallas (College of ACES) is the saddle bronc riding champion and is making his first trip to the CNFR. Lyndsey Orris (College of HEST) won her second region title in goat tying and is headed to her second CNFR. Sherrick Sanborn (ACES) had an outstanding year becoming the regional champion steer wrestler, qualifying in the calf roping, and winning Reserve All-Around Cowboy in the Region. Also headed to the CNFR are team ropers Calvin Taylor (DACC) and Clayton Moore (DACC), Chilly Hernandez (DACC) and Juanito Montoya (ACES), and Wade Hatch (College of Engineering). Bo Vocu (College of Business) will be competing in bareback riding. Joining Lyndsey in the goat tying is Avery Ledesma (Business). Annie Alexander (College of A&S) is making her second trip to Casper in the barrels. Lastly, Baylee Johnston (Graduate School) will compete in breakaway and barrels as she was Reserve All-Around Cowgirl in the Region. At the CNFR our student athletes will be competing as a team and individually against the best of the best student-athletes from approximately 50 colleges across the US. Join us in cheering on these outstanding students and Coach Baggarley, and wish them the best in Casper. They will be showing and representing the Aggie crimson with pride! [Note: Much of the CNFR will be televised on ESPN3.]
College of Arts and Sciences Award for Outstanding Teaching Performance - the College of Arts and Sciences has established Outstanding Faculty Achievement Awards. The purpose of these awards is to reward and recognize those who have demonstrated excellence in Teaching and Advising in accordance with the mission of New Mexico State University. The awardees receive a $1,500 award. Candidates are nominated by a department head or by another faculty member and selected by the College Awards Committee. Awardees for 2023:
College of Arts and Sciences Award for Outstanding Achievement in Scholarship, Research, ad Creative Activities – the College recognizes with this award faculty who have excelled in research and creative activities through a sustained level of productivity, national and international awards, and other demonstrations of excellence. The awardees receive $1,500; candidates are nominated by department heads or by other faculty members and selected by the College Awards Committee. Awardee for 2023:
Dr. Hansuk Sohn shared with Dean Lakshmi Reddi that NMSU was just ranked as the most affordable online college for a master's in industrial engineering for 2022 - 2023. This is a great testament to the value addedness of this program. Congratulations for this recognition!
Dr. Yanyan Zhang, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering – Dr. Zhang is developing innovative water treatment processes to reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity from residual bacteria in water, and she also is assessing the performance of treatment technologies in removing the constituents with toxicological behaviors to ensure the safe discharge and reuse of treated wastewater. Congratulations Dr. Zhang on your important work to ensure water sustainability.
Non-Exempt Bonus Award for Exceptional Performance (2 award winners):
Faculty Bonus Award for Exceptional Performance (3 award winners):
Carl Faubion Award for exceptional contributions to the NMSU Library:
Library Team Award:
Nick Frazzini (Marketing Specialist for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture) wrote the following: With our traditional “crimson Friday” for employees, I was inspired by Mr. Shoho’s email to combine the two with “Aloha shirt Friday,” so I worked with a company that makes custom Hawaiian shirts to create two designs (crimson and black). I worked with NMSU marketing to get the official logos and their blessing to create these. Each design needs a preorder of 30 orders each for them to make production. The pre-tax total that includes shipping is $46.99. To keep costs low, the plan is to bulk ship these to campus to the New Mexico Department of Agriculture and I will help distribute to anyone who orders when they arrive. The deadline to order is June 1st. Click this link. Please help spread the word. Happy Crimson and Aloha Friday!
OFFICE OF THE PROVOST
Location: Hadley Hall, Room 109
MSC 3445, PO BOX 30001 Las Cruces, NM 88003
(575) 646-2594
