Dear colleagues,

Our vice president for Research, Creativity, and Economic Development, Dr. Luis Cifuentes, has announced his planned retirement from New Mexico State University at the end of August 2025. Please join me in wishing Dr. Cifuentes all the best in his well-deserved retirement and in celebrating the impact he has made on NMSU and the broader research community.

During his tenure at NMSU, he has led transformative initiatives, including a $50 million increase in research and development funding that has strengthened research infrastructure and expanded key programs such as the New Mexico Space Grant, Water Resources Research Institute, Produced Water Consortium, and the Arrowhead Center. Dr. Cifuentes’s efforts have modernized our electronic research administration, supported growth in the arts and humanities, launched the STEM+ Education Research Institute, and set NMSU on a strong path toward Carnegie R1 designation.

In the coming weeks, I will engage key campus constituencies and work with the president to begin the search for the next leader of RCED. With our research funding on the upward trajectory and our faculty actively engaged in interdisciplinary groups to go after large ventures, this is a pivotal moment to attract a leader who can elevate our efforts to the next level of excellence and further engage our research community. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any input on the search process or the position profile.

At last week’s Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities meeting, it was reassuring to connect with some of our peers and exchange insights on the current challenges we face. I found particular inspiration in the universities recognized with this year’s Innovation and Economic Prosperity Awards. At NMSU, we are dedicated to collaborating with our public and private sector partners to drive economic growth, competitiveness, and expanded opportunities. The numerous activities on campus currently being articulated by Dr. Jon Boren under Goal 3 of our LEADS 2025 strategic plan position us to be at the forefront of land-grant institutions committed to regional and statewide economic development. By integrating all of our efforts, we can create a cohesive strategy that will undoubtedly position us for national recognition in the near future.

We are NMSU.

Lakshmi N. Reddi
Interim Provost
New Mexico State University