Following a national search, the New Mexico State University Board of Regents has announced five finalists for the university’s next president.
In a regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, the board revealed the names of the finalists, who were selected from a nationwide pool of candidates with the assistance of search firm WittKieffer and an internal presidential search committee led by Regents Chair Ammu Devasthali.
The finalists are:
Valerio Ferme, Ph.D., Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at the University of Cincinnati
Brian Haynes, Ph.D., Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of California, Riverside
Monica Lounsbery, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Health and Human Services at California State University, Long Beach
Neil MacKinnon, Ph.D., Professor in the School of Public Health and Immediate Past Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at Augusta University
Arsenio Romero, Ph.D., Secretary of Public Education for the State of New Mexico
Devasthali stated that the next phase of the presidential search will include campus visits from each candidate beginning in early September. These visits will provide opportunities for members of the NMSU community and the public to hear directly from the candidates about their vision for NMSU. The schedule for those visits and forums will be announced soon and will be available online at nmsu.edu/president-search. This site will also offer more information about each finalist, links to webcasts of each public forum, and feedback forms to provide comments to the board.
“We cannot complete this process without the help of all our Aggie community. I hope you will join us for the candidate forums, and I hope you will choose to attend in person if possible,” Devasthali said. “This is an incredibly important decision, and we need your feedback to help us find the best leader for NMSU.”
Devasthali also expressed gratitude towards her fellow members of the search committee. The committee comprised a diverse group of NMSU and community stakeholders who participated in listening sessions around the state in 2023 to develop a leadership profile identifying priorities for skills and experience needed in NMSU's next leader.
“The committee worked diligently and represented our great university extremely well through the entire process,” she said. “I’m so proud of our fellow Aggies for all their hard work and commitment. Their efforts to carefully review the candidate pool and advise the board through this process were truly appreciated.”
For additional information about the presidential search process, including updates about next steps, visit nmsu.edu/president-search.
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