Office of the President

Monday Morning Memo

August, 11, 2008

Let me begin by expressing my great appreciation to all those who responded to the first Monday Morning Memo (or, as some of you abbreviated: MMM or M3). I received comments from faculty, staff and students from every campus. I was very glad to confirm how much we care about our institution. Some of you provided very good recommendations about how we can improve our campus life, commit to a greener NMSU, and build a stronger sense of pride. Let me share one I received from NMSU senior Clarissa Ulibarri:

"I would like to say that my experience within this school has been really positive. The academics alone give me a strong impression of this school and lasting memories I know I will hold forever. . . . As a student, I feel that as long as we stick together as true AGGIES, then we can get through any bumpy roads along the way."

To the dozens of other people who e-mailed, I would like to say: Thank you for caring to take the time to reply and sharing your thoughts about how we can move our wonderful university forward.

One person who cares a great deal for the state of New Mexico and is preparing to retire after more than three decades of public service is U.S. Senator Pete V. Domenici. Senator Domenici has been a longtime friend and supporter of NMSU since his election in 1972. He is serving his sixth six-year term as the state's longest-serving senator. Senator Domenici is currently the ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, having served as its chairman following a long tenure in charge of the Senate Budget Committee. He continues to serve on the Budget Committee, as well as the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Senate Indian Affairs Committee.

One recent example of how Senator Domenici has worked with NMSU is his support of the one-of-a-kind Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Test Center, announced earlier this year. The cooperative agreement between NMSU and the Federal Aviation Administration will help establish the university as the primary test center for unmanned aircraft systems. The Flight Test Center, operated by NMSU's Physical Science Laboratory, enables research, development and testing of unmanned systems, by both government and private entities, and it includes a designated air space in southern New Mexico to safely carry out this work.

Our friendship with Senator Domenici will add to the excitement of the beginning of this fall semester. Not only will we welcome students and faculty back to campus, we will also welcome hundreds of guests to the inaugural Domenici Public Policy Conference August 20-22, an event that I believe will have a transformational effect on our institution.

Former New Mexico Governor and current NMSU Vice President for Economic Development and Dean of the College of Business, Garrey Carruthers, is a leading force behind the development of the Domenici Legacy project. Dr. Carruthers reminds us that this event will celebrate Senator Domenici's historic tenure in the U.S. Senate and his impact on New Mexico and the country during his 36 years in office. We are happy that Senator Jeff Bingaman, Senator Chris Dodd, former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III and country singer Randy Travis are just a few of the high-profile speakers and performers who will take part in the festivities. (While the conference sessions are sold out, there is still space for students, faculty, staff and the public to attend the welcoming ceremony at 10 a.m. on Thursday, August 21 at the Pan American Center as well as Senator Dodd's address that evening at 7 p.m. at the Corbett Center Ballrooms.) Tickets are still available for the free Randy Travis concert on Friday, August 22. This event promises to be a lot of fun.

I look forward to seeing you at many of the activities planned for the Domenici Public Policy Conference. Here's a link to the conference agenda:

I hope you are getting ready for the start of a new semester; I am ready to welcome you back to your university!

Go Aggies!

Waded Cruzado

Interim President

P.S. - As will be the case with all Monday Morning Memos, I welcome your feedback. Please e-mail your thoughts to president@nmsu.edu.