Dear colleagues,

Dr. Valerio Ferme, current provost at the University of Cincinnati, was announced as the next president of NMSU. This was exciting news, and we look forward to welcoming him to our community.

At last week’s regents meeting, four new graduate programs were approved:

• Applied and Agricultural Biology – Doctor of Philosophy
• Borderlands and Ethnic Studies – Master of Arts
• Engineering Management – Master of Engineering (Online)
• Systems Engineering – Master of Engineering (Online)

I want to congratulate the department heads – Dr. Ricardo Ramirez (Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Weed Science), Dr. Dulcinea Lara (Borderlands and Ethnic Studies), and Dr. Hansuk Sohn (Industrial Engineering) and the faculty and staff who had contributed to the development of these programs.

We are also pleased to welcome our new chief information officer, Mr. James (Jim) Stanfill, who assumed his role on Sept 19. Jim brings over 25 years of experience as a seasoned chief technology officer and CIO. He has successfully led IT operations, spearheaded large-scale innovation projects, and managed data warehousing initiatives. In addition, Jim has negotiated multimillion-dollar agreements and driven transformative technology initiatives, making him a key asset to our leadership team.

Last week, NMSU leadership met with the Las Cruces city manager and staff to explore opportunities for enhanced collaboration. From public safety and infrastructure sharing to creating a welcoming environment for our diverse student body, the City of Las Cruces is a vital partner to NMSU. Both sides have expressed strong interest in developing Las Cruces as a "smart city," drawing on the expertise of our faculty and staff. This is the type of community engagement we strive for at NMSU. We are NMSU.

Lakshmi N. Reddi
Interim Provost
New Mexico State University