NMSU regents announce five finalists in chancellor search
New Mexico State University announced five finalists in the search for a new chancellor Monday morning, including two candidates with clear ties to New Mexico.
Here is the pool of candidates in alphabetical order:
New Mexico State engineering alumnus. Eighth director of the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Appointed by two successive U.S. presidents to serve six-year terms on the National Science Board. Degrees in mechanical engineering from New Mexico State and Stanford.
New Mexico’s secretary of higher education. Former UNM nursing associate professor. Worked on U.S. Senate Committee for Health, Education and Labor.
Dean of the college of agriculture at Kansas State University. Former head of food science department at Pennsylvania State University.
Missouri University of Science and Technology’s provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. Previous engineering faculty member at Montana State University.
Former president and vice-chancellor of Lakehead University in Ontario, Canada. Former provost and vice-president academic at the University of Winnipeg.
Chairwoman of university regents Debra Hicks said the pool of candidates includes national and international hopefuls.
In August, the regents chose not to extend the contract of chancellor Garrey Carruthers, who has served as the president of the university since 2013.
“I’m very excited,” Hicks said. “It’s a great day. There’s a sigh of relief and we’re in the home stretch.”
In the next few weeks, the five candidates will visit the university, the regents said.
Hicks said they expect to give their top candidate an offer from between $400,000 and $650,000. Garrey Carruthers makes a salary of more than $370,000, a university spokesman confirmed.
“The sustainability of higher education in New Mexico is focused on the placement of this new chancellor,” Hicks said.
The regents also approved $60,000 to hire a consultant to ease with the transition process.
Hicks said the regents should select a finalist before spring commencement ceremonies.
“It feels really great,” Hicks said.
