Michael V. Martin NMSU President

Being the new guy on the block has its advantages. Since I accepted the opportunity to become president of New Mexico State University, I have been in discovery mode, learning as much as I can as fast as I can. And having great fun.

One of the things I discovered immediately is this: New Mexico State University is a much better university than a lot of people fully appreciate. I can say this from the vantage point of someone who has spent the past 12 years at two very large and very good land-grant universities, Minnesota and Florida. New Mexico State is a jewel; maybe it’s just human nature to sometimes overlook the jewels in our own backyard.

On the other hand, I must say I have been very favorably impressed by the enthusiasm of our legislative leaders for New Mexico State and the role it plays and can play in the state. The level of interest is heartening and I think it reflects the remarkable work that Interim President Bill Flores, former President Jay Gogue and others have done for the university and the state.

It is for these and other reasons, I consider myself extremely fortunate to have the privilege of serving as president of your university. We will of course continually strive to make New Mexico State even better, but I can say with confidence something that a lot of new university presidents cannot: Things don’t need fixing, so we can devote our energies to improving.

The university does need the continued and engaged support of lots of people to grow, adapt and innovate. Since the land-grant movement began in the mid-1800s, the tradition of land-grant universities like New Mexico State University has been to be non-traditional. That is as important as ever today, when we look for new and creative ways to meet the challenges and realities of the 21st century.

Because of our academic and research strengths, our diversity, our location and the dedication of our people, New Mexico State University is uniquely positioned to become a leader among land-grants. Alumni and friends of the university play important roles in this quest – as advocates with policy makers at the state, local and federal levels; as informal recruiters; as mentors of students, formally and informally; as donors and people with connections to other donors.

I started this message talking about how much I have learned in a short time. The reality is I have much, much more to learn to understand the institution and its traditions, its role in the state and what people expect of it now and in the future. I need to learn these things from a lot of different sources, including alumni and friends of the university. Together we can shape the future we want for New Mexico State University.

To those of you we have already met, thanks so much for the warm welcome you have given Jan and me. Everyone we have dealt with at the university has been first-rate and the community response has been wonderful. We look forward to meeting as many more of you as we possibly can.