Gonzales, Villanueva receive
honorary doctorates

Ciriaco Q. Gonzales, then. Ciriaco Q. Gonzales, now. Danny Villanueva, then. Danny Villanueva, now.

Two graduates returned to campus for the spring commencement to receive honorary doctorates. Ciriaco Q. Gonzales, '54, was honored for his national leadership in initiatives that have dramatically increased the diversity of students entering biomedical research and health professions. Danny Villanueva, '60, was recognized for his accomplishments as an athlete, broadcaster, entrepreneur and humanitarian. Gonzales was director of the Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS) Program at the National Institutes of Health for more than two decades. For the past three years he has served as director of the Division of Disadvantaged Assistance in the U.S. Public Health Service's Bureau of Health Professions. Since 1974, more than 350 students have participated in the MBRS Program at NMSU and graduated with bachelor's degrees in science disciplines. Eighty-one percent of them have advanced to graduate schools and medical schools. A native of Socorro, Gonzales received his bachelor's degree in biology at NMSU. He holds a doctorate in entomology and physiology from the University of California-Berkeley. Villanueva, born in Tucumcari and raised in Calexico, Calif., came to NMSU on a football scholarship. After graduation he played professionally for eight years, first for the Los Angeles Rams and then for the Dallas Cowboys, establishing club and league kicking records and volunteering his time to work with young people. As news director at KMEX-TV in Los Angeles, he led the station to a Peabody Award, one of broadcast journalism's highest honors. He progressed to station manager, general manager, vice president and president. He also was a director and senior vice president of Spanish International Communications Corp., which owned KMEX and other stations, from 1971 until the company was sold in 1986. In 1990, Villanueva launched his current career, as founding partner and chairman of Bastion Capital Corp. in Los Angeles, a venture capital firm. Villanueva established a scholarship endowment at NMSU and returns to his alma mater each year for the Danny Villanueva Benefit Golf Tournament, which funds scholarships for Hispanic students at NMSU. Karl Hill

Maestra leaves legacy of achievement

Marianna Gabbi, who led the Las Cruces Symphony at NMSU since 1975, retired at the end of the 1998-99 season.

Gabbi came to NMSU in 1975 to lead the University Civic Symphony. She brought fine music as well as some of the world's finest musicians as guest artists to the Las Cruces community. She initiated many musical support organizations including the Youth Concert Series, which introduced grade school children to the realm of fine music, the Summer String Workshop, Young Artists Competition and the University Orchestra for music students. She inspired the formation of the Symphony Guild and the Las Cruces Symphony Association.

Gabbi was the first American woman to be invited to conduct in the People's Republic of China and the first woman to be a guest conductor of the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra.

Beginning with the 1999-2000 season, Gabbi will be succeeded by Lonnie Klein as music director and conductor of the symphony and the Chamber Players de Las Cruces. Klein is music director and conductor of the University of Evansville (Indiana) Symphony Orchestra.

NMSU again picked as 'Best Buy'

For the third straight year, NMSU has been named one of "America's 100 Best College Buys" by Institutional Research & Evaluation, Inc., an independent research and consulting organization for higher education.

The Gainesville, Ga., company gathered data on 1,391 four-year institutions before compiling its third annual report of what it describes as "colleges and universities providing the highest quality in education at the lowest cost."

The ratings are based on such factors as the cost of tuition, fees, room and board; the average ACT scores and grade point averages of entering freshmen; and opportunities for qualified students to obtain need-based, academic-based and athletic-based financial aid.

John Owens named executive vice president

NMSU President William Conroy in April announced the selection of John C. Owens as executive vice president, the university's number-two administrative position. As executive vice president, Owens is also NMSU's chief academic officer. The appointment was effective immediately.

The selection was made following a national search and interviews with four finalists for the position.

Owens had been serving as interim executive vice president since 1997. He previously was dean of the NMSU College of Agriculture and Home Economics. He first joined NMSU as a faculty member in 1977.

Paul resigns to join Bush committee

Jim Paul, NMSU's former director of athletics, resigned May 31 to join the presidential exploratory committee of Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

Paul said he was leaving to accept the volunteer post of co-chairman of the Far-West Region of the Bush committee. "This was one of the toughest decisions I have had to make in my life," Paul said. "It was extra tough because of the great relationship I've had over the past two years with our staff and the wonderful supporters of Aggie athletics."

Paul, former owner of the El Paso Diablos baseball team, was named NMSU athletics director in September 1998, after spending a year as interim director.

NMSU President William B. Conroy immediately organized a search committee to find Paul's replacement. Joe Creed, NMSU's faculty athletics representative, is leading the search committee.

Career Milestone

New Mexico State's Lou Henson, '55, '56, second from left, is the 13th NCAA Division I basketball coach to record 700 career wins. Henson reached 700 when the Aggies beat Utah State 55-52 Feb. 25. "Anybody who's had the support that I've had, and had the players that I've had, you should win 700 - probably more than that," the coach said after the game. Henson's 1998-99 Aggies completed the season with a 23-10 record and as champions of the Big West Conference Tournament. The Aggies lost to Kentucky in the 1st round of the NCAA Midwest Regional. Henson's career record now stands at 704-353.

Photo by Michael Kiernan