Dear colleagues,

From a pizza party in Business to an ice cream social in Arts & Sciences and donuts and coffee in Engineering, our colleges spent the past week and a half welcoming students to a new academic year. Our students are full of excitement and enthusiasm.

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Council of University Presidents meeting in Santa Fe, where the focus was heavily on increasing investment in higher education. I was especially pleased to see the strong interest in supporting student retention initiatives and wrap-around services for students.

It was also an honor to welcome our new faculty cohort at a dinner event. I had the pleasure of sharing a table with Drs. Arturo Bejar (Accounting and Information Systems) and Kristopher Rankin III (Agricultural and Extension Education), and enjoyed answering their questions about my career path. It was a wonderful opportunity to reminisce about my early days as a faculty member!

In a meeting I was fortunate to attend with Mr. Joe Christian, President/CEO of Nusenda Credit Union, I heard yet another example of how well NMSU embodies our student-centric culture. Mr. Christian, an NMSU graduate from the early '80s, shared how our placement office went above and beyond to connect him with his employer, even enlisting the help of his mother and tracking him down within an hour. He said NMSU made all the difference in his life, becoming a part of his family. Taking care of our students is truly our strength. We are NMSU.

Lakshmi N. Reddi
Interim Provost
New Mexico State University