New Mexico State University is a step closer to selecting its next president who will serve as head of the university system.

In a virtual meeting held on Feb. 2, the Board of Regents selected five finalists for the position who all come from prior academic and university leadership backgrounds. The board commissioned a campus search committee along with a search firm to identify potential candidates in July 2023. None of the candidates are local or were picked from New Mexico.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the search committee for their efforts over the past few months. To bring us this slate of candidates for consideration,” Chair of the Regents Amu Devasthali said during the meeting.

“I would like to thank the search committee chair, Mr. Ben Woods, for his efforts to lead this large and diverse committee through one of the most important processes that our institution undertakes. The committee has shown through Aggie spirit by so selflessly committing themselves to serving the board through a careful review of the candidate pool and advising the board through this process,” Devasthali continued.

The board unanimously voted to approve the five candidates for consideration. Campus visits and public forums are expected in the coming weeks.

Here’s who made the list, a recap of why the university is searching for a new leader and when we could expect to see a final selection.

Who are the finalists for NMSU president? 

Regents approved five candidates from Texas, New Hampshire, Illinois, Maine and Utah. They are listed, in particular order, as follows:

• Michael Galyean, Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor in the Department of Veterinary Sciences and former Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Texas Tech University
• Wayne Jones, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of New Hampshire
• Austin Lane, Chancellor of Southern Illinois University
• John Volin, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of the University of Maine
• Richard Williams, Former Presidentof Utah Tech University

More: New Mexico State University could have a new president by early 2024

Why is NMSU looking for a new president?  

In the 2022-2023 academic year, the university’s leadership structure changed when Dan Arvizu, former system chancellor, and John Floros, former Las Cruces campus president, left amid their own professional and personal scandals.   

Faculty senate and the student government passed resolutions of no confidence which prompted widespread calls for leadership change and accountability. Some of the claims stated in those resolutions were aimed at Floros and former Provost Carol Parker. The claims alleged both leaders had misappropriated funds, had dismissed faculty concerns over the merger of colleges and had condoned questionable hiring and promotion practices. 

More: NMSU Regents search for new president

An internal audit found those claims to be unsubstantiated. However, Parker, in an on-going lawsuit against the university, is suing for damages to her reputation where she states in the complaint that Floros andArvizu instructed her to carry out duties that led to the no confidence votes and public outcry as a result.  

Floros resigned in January 2022 going on sabbatical which left Arvizu as the sole university leader, but not for long.

Arvizu would also step down a year later during his own public leadership challenges. That year students from NMSU and the University of New Mexico were involved in a shooting incident in Albuquerque, a basketball hazing incident and continuous opposition from graduate student workers resulting in the creation of a union. Arvizu’s spouse was arrested in May 2022 for battery against him.  

In a July 2023 meeting, Regents parted way with previous president/chancellor structure and commissioned its own search committee to hire one system-wide president. In the meantime, an interim president, Jay Gogue, who was previously NMSU’s president from 2000-2003, heads the university.  

Regents also delegated some leadership duties to a new chancellor position responsible for leading NMSU’s community colleges. Doña Ana Community College President Monica Torres was chosen for that role.  

When will NMSU’s next president be chosen?  

A finalist will be chosen in the coming weeks after future public forums and campus visits are completed. A full timeline is provided on the president search website.

“We look forward to getting to know each of the candidates and learning how they fit our vision for the next leader of the NMSU system. I hope that you will join us for those candidate forums, whether in person or online, and share your thoughts as we make this incredibly important decision,” Devasthali said.

Ernesto Cisneros is a reporting fellow with the UNM/NM Local News Fund program. He covers education for the Sun-News and can be reached at ECisneros@lcsun-news.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter at @_ernestcisneros.