Three deans appointed

Three new deans have been appointed at NMSU, announced Executive Vice President John C. Owens.

Jerry G. Schickedanz was named dean and chief administrative officer of the NMSU College of Agriculture and Home Economics, Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service in March. He had served in an interim capacity since 1997.

Robert D. Moulton, associate vice president for research and dean of graduate studies at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, was named dean of the College of Education. He will join NMSU Aug. 1.

Elizabeth McKenney Titus, a library administrator at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill., was named dean of the NMSU Library. Her appointment also is effective Aug. 1.

All three appointments followed national searches and interviews with several finalists for each position.

Women golfers, coach gain acclaim

NMSU women's golf fans have considerable bragging rights this year.

The Roadrunners golf team captured their fourth consecutive Big West Conference title, and Coach Joann Cox was named the 2000 National Golf Coaches Association Division I Women's Coach of the Year.

For the third straight season Cox was named Big West Conference Coach of the Year.

NMSU fired a 13-over-par, 301 to claim the Big West title in April at Serrano Country Club in El Dorado Hills, Calif. The team tallied a three-round score of 36-over-par, 900. The Roadrunners finished 40 strokes ahead of second-place Idaho.

Freshman Alena Sharp became the fourth consecutive Roadrunner to capture individual medalist honors at the Big West Championships, joining A.J. Eathorne in 1997 and 1998 and Sasha Medina in 1999.

The tournament marked the final Big West Conference women's golf championship for NMSU, which is headed to the Sun Belt Conference.

In May the team finished in 13th place at the NCAA West Regional in Tempe, Ariz., and in 11th place at the NCAA Championships in Sunriver, Ore.

Mathematician receives highest faculty award
 

Nguyen

NMSU mathematical sciences professor Hung T. Nguyen received the university's highest faculty honor, the Westhafer Award, in May. He received the award for excellence in research. Nguyen came to NMSU as an applied mathematician in 1981. Since then he has taught and conducted research in mathematical statistics, random sets, fuzzy logic and soft computing. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in 1967 and 1968 from the University of Paris. He earned his doctorate in 1975 from the University of Lille, France.

The Westhafer Award is named for Robert L. Westhafer, an NMSU mathematics professor who died in 1957. The award, which includes a $3,000 cash prize, has been presented each year since 1958. It alternately awards excellence in teaching and in research and creative activity.
 
 

Capstone event NMSU President William B. Conroy, left, congratulates Edward Lujan, '54, '56, on his honorary doctorate at spring commencement. Lujan was recognized for civic leadership and commitment to economic development in New Mexico. Born in Santa Fe, Lujan earned a bachelor's degree in agriculture and a master's degree in agricultural education at NMSU. He is chairman of the board of Manuel Lujan Agencies, a family insurance and real estate business with offices in Albuquerque, Belen and Taos. He has promoted economic development as chairman of the New Mexico Economic Development Commission and as a member of the Governor's Business Advisory Council. Photo by Michael Kiernan

 Student-athletes make academic teams

Men's basketball players Aaron Brodt and Eric Channing and women's swimming and diving team member Vanessa Schaufler made the GTE Academic All-District VI teams this year.

The players were selected by the College Sports Information Directors Association from a district that includes universities in New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Mississippi. To be eligible players must be a starter or top reserve and have a minimum 3.2 grade point average.

The three also were among a group of 10 NMSU student-athletes selected as Academic All-Big West Conference honorees in winter sports. Also honored were men's basketball players Brad Bestor, Ryan McDermott and Mikko Noopila, women's basketball players Erin Hackey and Melanie Maynes, and womenÕs swimming and diving team members Candice Aguilar and Lauren Berlin.

"New Mexico State student-athletes continue to excell off the field as well as on," Athletics Academic Coordinator Kathy Parker said. "These student-athletes are outstanding role models, and we salute them."

O'Donnell Hall reopens

College of Education faculty, staff and students at NMSU literally know the meaning of trial by fire.

A Dec. 12, 1999 blaze caused an estimated $4 million to $4.5 million worth of damage to O'Donnell Hall, the College of Education building.

The educational management and development department office, where the fire started, was the hardest hit. Department head Maria Luisa Gonzalez, '84, "lost the evidence of her professional career," said Michael Morehead, interim education dean.

Repairs began quickly and by spring break some departments moved back into the building. The rest moved back following Commencement.

Faculty, staff and students pulled together to continue academic programs. At a public ceremony in May the college gave campus offices, local companies and individuals 31 certificates of appreciation and 22 plaques.

The education college "never missed a class or academic or professional responsibility because of this catastrophic event," Morehead said.

Business college inducts alumni into Hall of Fame
 

From left, Everett Crawford, Julie Dill and Ralph Torres are inducted into the NMSU Business Hall of Fame 2000.

NMSU's business college inducted business leaders and alumni W. Everett Crawford, '70, of Las Cruces, Julie A. Dill, '81, of Houston and Ralph G. Torres, '67, of Denver into its Hall of Fame April 14. Crawford is the executive vice president of First National Bank and president and managing officer of its Mesilla Branch. Dill is the senior vice president of planning and finance and chief financial officer for Duke Energy International in Houston. Torres is a lawyer in Denver with expertise in employment and labor discrimination and administrative law. The NMSU Business Hall of Fame was established in 1997 to honor outstanding alumni of the college who have distinguished themselves in their careers. Significant career accomplishments as well as service to business, education and government all are important factors in the selection process.