University of New Mexico professors to speak on moral business practices

The College of Business at New Mexico State University will host a seminar on ethics instruction Friday in Guthrie Hall.

The seminar is geared toward faculty, but the event is open free of charge to the public. Those interested in ethics and ethics instruction are encouraged to attend.

“[Ethics] is a very exciting field,” said Bruce Huhmann, Daniels Fund Ethics Program chair.

Students interested in business ethics in particular will find the seminar interesting, Huhmann said, and there are monetary benefits to ethics as well.

“Ethical firms tend to be more profitable in the long run,” Huhmann said.

Huhmann said seminar speakers O.C. and Linda Ferrell have done research in the field and are interesting speakers.

The speakers will focus on ethics education, as well practices for bringing greater relevance to ethics for students and faculty.

Huhmann said the seminar and ethics study is important because of the present and historical corruption of businesses, similar to the Enron scandal.

“Ethics has always been important in business as well as in society,” College of Business Dean Garrey Carruthers said in a press release.

The seminar is part of the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative. According to danielsfund.org, eight universities partnered with the Business Ethics initiative. NMSU is one of six universities that will receive $1.25 million over the next five years to develop a principle-based ethics program.

According to the Web site, the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative is a private foundation established by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels.

Huhmann said Daniels, who once lived in New Mexico, was known for his ethical practices.

The Daniels Fund Ethics Program at NMSU is in its first semester and although attending the seminar is one of the few ways for students to be involved, Huhmann said there will be a student case competition in the future.

The initiative will include more seminars in the future as well as networking with businesses and working with the Business Advisory Council.

“We are in the developmental stage,” Huhmann said.

O.C. and Linda Ferrell, both business professors at the University of New Mexico and highly respected scholars in business education and ethics, will speak during the Daniels Fund Ethics Seminar hosted by NMSU’s College of Business. (Courtesy photo)

Anyone interested in the topic of ethics, particularly ethics instruction in higher education, is invited to the Daniels Fund Ethics Seminar hosted by New Mexico State University’s College of Business. The event will take place from 9-11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 26, in Guthrie Hall Room 100.

While the interactive seminar on applied ethics will be geared toward NMSU faculty and staff members, the event is open to the public and free to attend. It will focus on teaching strategies and bringing a more applied perspective to ethics education.

The event will feature O.C. and Linda Ferrell, both business professors at the University of New Mexico and highly respected scholars in business education and ethics. They will share their knowledge and experience with broad-based programs in ethics education as well as best practices for bringing greater relevance to ethics in the lives of students, faculty, practitioners and community leaders.

“Ethics has always been important in business as well as in society in general,” said College of Business Dean Garrey Carruthers. “The insight provided during this seminar will be valuable and this event fits perfectly with our goal of developing new and innovative ways to teach ethics.”

The seminar is part of the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative, whose goal is to strengthen principle-based ethics education and to foster a high standard of ethics in young people. Earlier this year, the NMSU College of Business announced it would receive $1.25 million over the next five years from the Daniels Fund to develop a principle-based ethics program.

For more information about the seminar, contact Elise Sautter at esautter@nmsu.edu.

Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s ethical.

That’s one of the messages the dean of the College of Business at New Mexico State University wants to relay to students as part of a new program to strengthen ethics education within the department.

Garrey Carruthers, former New Mexico governor and now dean of the business college at NMSU, is spearheading a Daniels Fund initiative to design and implement a new ethics education program at the university.

“We are directing this to our young people, so they can begin to develop a culture of ethical consciousness that they will carry with them through life,” he said.

As part of NMSU’s participation in the program, the Daniels Fund will give the university a $1.25 million grant, paid over five years, for the active engagement of students in the field.

“The big difference right now,” Carruthers said, “is that we’re required by our accrediting agency to teach ethics one of two ways as part our general course curriculum. What this (program) will probably lead to, is the development of actual courses in ethics offered by the College of Business.”

Drawing from the life of cable television pioneer and former New Mexico resident Bill Daniels, the Daniels Fund ethics program aims to create a more ethic-conscious business community in the Southwest, and eventually, all 50 states. Daniels was widely recognized in his time for his ethics and integrity in business.

“In his business career, he was always extremely ethical,” Carruthers said. “Hehad a series of principles that he lived by. When he passed away, he left north of $1 billion in a foundation.”

Read the article.

The New Mexico State University College of Business has been awarded $1.25 million over the next five years to develop a principle-based ethics program. The grant is part of the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative, whose goal is to strengthen principle-based ethics education and to foster a high standard of ethics in young people.

“Ethics has always been important in business as well as in society in general,” said Garrey Carruthers, dean of NMSU’s College of Business. “Unfortunately, there is a growing concern in the public that not enough is being done to educate people, and in particular young people, about ethics. Events over the past few years, from Enron to Bernie Madoff, have resulted in the business community being indicted by the public as being unethical. That’s why our goal is to develop new and innovative ways to teach ethics and to extend ethics training beyond the NMSU campus.”

The grant makes NMSU part of the Daniels Ethics Consortium, where seven other universities across New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming have been given similar awards. Other participating universities are Colorado State University, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, University of New Mexico, University of Northern Colorado, University of Utah, University of Denver and University of Wyoming. Each is charged with coming up with a unique, individual approach to the program, which will be shared with others in the consortium of colleges. With demonstrated success, the grants for the initiative would be renewable.

The grant specifies the initiative will be anchored in the business college and led by the business dean. This semester, principle-based ethics will be included in business courses taught by Carruthers and by Steve Elias. The College of Business will work with other NMSU colleges and departments to further the program, making it available to a wider range of students.

Later this year, NMSU plans to work with the University of New Mexico on an ethics conference and to extend the ethics program to two-year colleges around the state. Another goal of the NMSU program is to develop a program to provide supplemental ethical training for elected officials.

Carruthers emphasizes that while ethics is currently embedded as part of most NMSU business courses, more can be done.

An NMSU niche will be to look at ethics standards and education in other countries that represent principal trading partners.

“One of the College of Business Advisory Council members pointed out that what we deem unethical in the United States may not be unethical in other countries. Comparative ethics will also be a focus of our program, to train our people how carry ethical behavior into an international business environment,” Carruthers said.

The Daniels Fund is a private foundation established by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels, who at one time lived in New Mexico and was widely recognized for his ethics and integrity in business. For more information, visit http://www.danielsfund.org.

LAS CRUCES — While the news that some large investment banks continue to dole out huge bonuses — something President Obama recently called “obscene” — those who pine for more ethics training for up-and-coming businessmen and women will get their wish here in New Mexico.

Thanks to a $1.25 million grant, New Mexico State University’s College of Business plans to expand its ethics training of students and reach out to the community through training with community colleges.

Today the Daniels Fund, a private foundation established by cable television pioneer and former Hobbs resident Bill Daniels, plans to announce that NMSU and seven other universities will receive $250,000 a year for the next five years, “to help further instill a high standard of ethics in students,” the fund reports.

Garrey Carruthers, dean of the college of business, said it is pivotal to start the training young.

“To go out and talk to a 60-year-old businessman about business ethics might be interesting and entertaining (but pointless),” Carruthers said. “The Daniels fund wants to deal with young people.”

Read the article.

NMSU’s College of Business was awarded grant monies as part of the Daniels Fund Grants Program.

Business school deans from the eight participating universities (including our own Dean Garrey Carruthers) and business and community leaders will be meeting in Denver on January 19 at 10:30 am MST to announce the $7.5 million initiative.

Go to https://danielsfund.webex.com/danielsfund/k2/j.php?ED=132396287&UID=1091402637&RT=MiM2 if you would like to watch and/or participate in the webinar for the meeting.

The webinar will also be broadcast in the Dean’s Council Room (BC 134) and persons are welcomed to attend as seating permits.

We are all looking forward to moving forward with this important work in business ethics education.

New Mexico State University Professor Ed Scribner has been named the new department head for accounting and information systems in the College of Business. (NMSU photo by Darren Phillips)

New Mexico State University Professor Ed Scribner has been named the new department head for accounting and information systems in the NMSU College of Business. He will assume the post this semester.

“Our strength in this department has really been in the quality of our students,” Scribner said. “We have students with a good, strong work ethic who spend an inordinate number of hours working on their projects. Our students studying information systems receive more of a technical background here than they would at other schools. I’d like to maintain that.”

Scribner said many of the department’s accounting graduates are highly recruited and find work in accounting firms of all sizes. One accounting student in the department recently “maxed out,” receiving the highest possible score on the first two parts of the certified public accountant exam.

“Dr. Scribner is a favorite among many of our students,” said Business Dean Garrey Carruthers. “I know he’ll do a wonderful job leading the department.”

Scribner said he would like to increase the department’s outreach efforts, while maintaining strong ties with employers.

Scribner came to the university as a faculty member in 1983. He has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Fort Lewis College, a master’s degree in mathematics from NMSU and a Ph.D. in accounting from Oklahoma State University.

Distinguished Alumni & James F. Cole Memorial Award for Service: Brenda Joy Baca Alvarez and Shari Jones

These NMSU Alumni Association awards are presented annually during Homecoming week. Brenda Alvarez was raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. After graduating from high school, prompted by her parents, she moved to Las Cruces to attend New Mexico State University. In 1981, Brenda earned a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a major in managerial accounting from the College of Business at New Mexico State University. Read more…

NMSU Alumni Association honors Fall 2009 Outstanding Graduates

For their outstanding academic performance, leadership, scholarship and participation in university and community activities, the New Mexico State University Alumni Association will honor the Outstanding Seniors for Fall 2009. An outstanding senior was chosen from each of NMSU’s academic colleges, as well as an international student and one graduate student. Read more…

NMSU’s Arrowhead Center awarded stimulus money to study green jobs in New Mexico

Exactly how many green jobs are in New Mexico? That’s what New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center is going to figure out. The effort is part of an 18-month project for the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions and funded by $1.25 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Read more…

Recruitment Videos Created by Students for Students

Dr. Michelle Jasso’s MKTG 489 class created 30 recruitment videos highlighting courses in the College of Business, as well as other fun-themed videos of the college and student life at NMSU. Check out the creative ways our students used this experiential learning class to direct and produce serious, informative, and some seriously funny videos. They’re on our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/nmsubusinesscollege in the “Learn with us” playlist.

Celina Talamantes Retires December 23, 2009

On December 3, 2009, the College of Business held a retirement ceremony for Celina. Her last work day is December 23rd. Celina describes her life and NMSU experience “In Her Own Words.” Read more…

ConocoPhillips makes charitable contributions to colleges of Business and Engineering

ConocoPhillips recently made a combined donation of $22,500 to the New Mexico State University Colleges of Business and Engineering. “As we look to our recruiting efforts at NMSU, we have consistently hired students from NMSU’s Colleges of Business and Engineering,” said Maria Schick, a ConocoPhillips recruiter and director of commercial development and planning. Read more…

Our Alumni Give Back: Local business sells shirts, embroidery to feed children in Africa

Two New Mexico State University graduates set up a local company with the goal of giving back, and have donated more than 23,000 meals to orphan children since opening. Jose Rodriguez and Aron Jones co-founded ROJO, which derives from a combination of their last names. ROJO is an online company based in Las Cruces and sells apparel and embroidery. Read more…

Jon Willis: Rededicating the Bernice & Hank Willis Study Lounge

For those who were fortunate to hear him in person, and those would have liked to, you can read the text of Jon’s remarks at the Rededication of the Bernice & Hank Willis Study Lounge, on Oct. 23, 2009. Read more…

Ask the Dean

Do you have a question for Dean Carruthers? Email him at cobdean@nmsu.edu.

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NMSU College of Business Today Archive.

Celina Talamantes

On December 3, 2009, the College of Business held a retirement ceremony for Celina. Her last work day is December 23rd.

In Her Own Words

I was born many moons ago–that would be 22,630 moons ago. I included that part because I know the accounting and finance faculty are calculating my age in their heads as we speak! I no longer have my parents but I was brought up by a mother with a very strong will. My father died when I was 9 years old and my mother had the job of raising myself, my sister Teresa and brother Felipe on her own. She instilled in us that an education was very important especially for women.

I attended Doña Ana Elementary School when J. Paul Taylor was principal. He has always been a very special person in my life. He had the hard task of telling me and my siblings that dad had died and said that was the hardest thing he had ever had to do as a principal. I continued on to Alameda Junior High and graduated from Las Cruces High School in 1966.

In June 1966 I begin my career at NMSU in the Registrar’s Office and worked with Jennie Villa as my supervisor. I am thankful to her because she taught me well. At that time we certified graduating seniors prior to commencement since it wasn’t a symbolic commencement like it is now. We used big adding machines that were just plain noisy. But I have to say it was busy, exciting and fun.

Associate Dean Kathy Brook and Dean Garrey Carruthers recognize Celina's contributions to the College of Business.

During my tenure at NMSU I have seen many changes. When I worked at the Registrar’s Office, registration was held at Pan Am Center. Today I am still a part of the self-help Banner registration system. I did a full circle in that sense—I begin and end assisting students with registration.

I worked in the Registrar’s Office when we used computer punch cards to generate the students’ class schedule. The punch cards were also used for grades and a sticky label with grades was run and placed on student’s record. In other words that was the student’s official transcript. I participated in entering student data into SOLAR (Student Online Academic Record) as part of the conversion. It demanded many hours and weekends from staff members.

Terry Cook, NMSU Academic Advising Council, roasts Celina.

During my tenure at NMSU my personal life changed in many ways. I started as a single person in 1966 and married in 1968. I had a break from NMSU from 1969 to 1972 when I moved to southern California and worked in the regional office for the Boy Scouts of America. I returned to NMSU in 1972 and begin right where I left off at the Registrar’s Office. I worked in the College of Education—Dean’s Office and EMD department, Doña Ana CC—Director’s office which is now the Campus President; NMSU President’s Office and the College of Business.

In 1983 my husband and I divorced causing all sorts of havoc in my life. Dr. Lloyd Cooper was instrumental in helping me get through my divorce. All of a sudden I was a single parent with three children to take care of.

Yes, I brought up my children as a single parent but so did the NMSU community—for that I am very grateful. I was blessed to have supportive bosses throughout the years. I had two bosses that had a tremendous impact in my personal life–they were Donald Ferguson and Lloyd Cooper both in the College of Education. Dr. Ferguson helped me with advice regarding my children and Dr. Cooper regarding my personal goals and achievements. I cannot even begin to thank the College of Business for the monetary and moral support during Ron’s illness the two years that I went back and forth to California. For this, the College of Business will always have my heart in its hand.

Dean Garrey Carruthers and Celina.

I trained several deans, department heads and one President. J. Michael Orenduff was President of NMSU from 1995 to 1997. He too had a big impact in my life. He gave me such a good raise that I can now retire comfortably! I always remember President Orenduff telling me: “I can be gone for weeks but if you are gone one day things just don’t seem to go well”–that about sums up the role of every staff member at NMSU. You are the wheels that keep NMSU going.

Celina and her great-nephew Nathaniel Melendrez.

My greatest pride and joy are my children: Ron, Cecilia and Sonya. They are my work of art, my outward achievements and have always been my pillars of support.

I have five grandchildren—Aaron, Joshua, Carolina, Jacob and James. I have three other children that are very important in my life—my great nieces Miranda, Emily and nephew Nathaniel. Many of you in the College of Business know their father—Kevin Melendrez who married my favorite niece Regina.

Many ask what I plan to do after I retire. I think I have my work cut out for me—spoil and spend time with my grandchildren, great nieces and nephew! Other things I plan to do are continue to work on my hobbies: scrapbooking, sewing quilts and painting. My other big project is to help with the capital campaign for the expansion of St. Albert Newman.

The official retirement cake, made by Yolanda Sanchez.

I officially walk into the sunset on December 23 after close to 40 years of service at NMSU (or 14,600 moons ago). To each of you my humble thanks to every person that I worked with, interacted with or traveled with.Because of you my job was easier, enjoyable and a lot of fun.

Thank you to my family, friends and co-workers for attending this important occasion in my life!!!

Susan and John Long.

As part of John and Susan’s commitment to New Mexico State University’s comprehensive campaign, they have made a gift to the Dean’s Excellence Fund in the College of Business.

For their unrestricted gift, the Deans Suite in the College of Business was named for John and Susan Long on October 23, 2009, during the Homecoming celebrations.

John and Susan Long, and Dean Garrey Carruthers, Deans Office Dedication, Oct. 23, 2009.

John and his wife Susan are both alumni of NMSU’s College of Business. The Longs graduated in December 1976 and married soon after that. John’s first job was with Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. (now KPMG) in El Paso for 3 1/2 years.

He has been at JDW Insurance, a large independent insurance agency, as CFO and COO since 1986 and now owns part of the agency. John has been active with NMSU, most recently serving as Chair of the NMSU Foundation.

Susan’s career included 25 years in the savings and loan/banking industry and three years in a home health agency. She “self-retired” in 2005 to spend more time with her family, travel and to play golf.

Now she uses her skills in volunteer roles. She is currently a member of the NMSU Business Advisory Council and the President’s Associates. She has assisted the college with judging students’ presentations in the BUSA 365 class.

Liz Ellis and Shari Jones.

At the Deans Suite Dedication, Oct. 23, 2009.

Students at the Deans Suite Dedication, Oct. 23, 2009.

Jon Willis: Remarks at the Dedication of the Bernice & Hank Willis Study Lounge, Oct. 23, 2009

Jon B. Willis at the rededication of the Bernice & Hank Willis Study Lounge, College of Business, New Mexico State University.

Thank you Dean Carruthers, Sylvia, and Cheri for your efforts in organizing this event. And thank you particularly for your inspiration to add Dad’s name to this room, now the Bernice and Hank Willis Student Lounge. Mom and Dad are together in a place they loved, and this is how they would have wanted it.

I confess that I anticipated an event of this sort some time ago and have given considerable thought to words appropriate for this occasion. I hope you will forgive that these thoughts may go a bit beyond simple comments and give them a listen.

I would like to speak with you today, especially to the young people among you, about generations and principles. Because generations are the story of life, including the two lives we celebrate today; and principles are the anchors by which we chose to lead our lives. And it is particularly appropriate to do so in this setting because Mom and Dad held an unyielding faith in the promise of each new generation, and their gift of this room underscores their belief in the importance of these college years in your lives, and in the early formation of your own life principles and the character of your time.

Cloudcroft, NM.

So let me begin with the generation of my maternal grandfather. His name was Arra Burton Fite, and as Dean Carruthers has already mentioned, he committed virtually all of his professional life to this institution. Granddad was born in 1886 near the village of Cloudcroft in the Sacramento Mountains, about 80 miles from here. His mother died when he was seven years old, and as was common practice in those days his father parceled out the children, in this case four boys, to family and friends to raise them. My grandfather was “gifted” to a nearby ranching family.

He could have been a ranch hand as his life’s work but he was determined to do more. So after six years, when he was legally allowed, he struck out on his own at the age of 13, riding his little pony across the Tularosa Desert to the town of Hope, where he supported himself as a cowboy while attending school for the first time.

William Conroy Honors Center, NMSU historical building, built in 1909.

Seven years later he then set out for Las Cruces where he enrolled at the New Mexico Agriculture and Mechanics College, as this University was then known, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture in 1915 at the tender age of 29; …this may give a bit of hope to some of you “late bloomers”. He then went on to earn a Master’s Degree is the same field and served the next thirty years in various academic and administrative roles associated with this institution. My mother, the youngest of his five children, was practically raised on this campus.

On my father’s side of the family the journey to New Mexico was a bit more circuitous. His great grandfather, William Oliver Cowan, was forced to leave his beloved Ireland in the face of the great potato famine of the mid-1800’s. His ship was bound for Boston but a series of storms drove them off course and they were lost at sea for over six months before landing at last in Jamaica. Imagine setting out for Boston and landing in Jamaica… from thence they sailed on to New Orleans.

The family then migrated a bit north to Tennessee, where my father was born in 1925. America entered World War II some 16 years later in December 1941. When Dad was old enough he enlisted in the United States Navy, and was improbably assigned to entirely land-locked New Mexico.

Hank and Bernice Willis.

And that is how my Mother and Father got together. It is a story of land and sea, a story of departures and discoveries, a story of happenstance and fortune. And it is the story of Life and of generations.

Many of us identify generations by the images they have left us. In modern America it was the fear and loss of confidence during the economic collapse of the 1930s that defined the Depression Generation. It was the undaunted courage of those who fought so bravely in the Second World War that defined what the newscaster and writer Tom Browkaw has called The Greatest Generation. And my generation, The Boomers, were defined by the first landing on the Moon, the somber march of the Civil Rights Movement, the tragedy of Viet Nam, and the violent deaths of three of America’s most beloved leaders.

But while these images may lead some to conclude that it is mostly events that define a generation, my parents believed differently. They believed that is was the response to events that truly defined a generation and ultimately established its character. And this response is the special combination of ideals and aspirations, of hopes and dreams, of beliefs and convictions that are now being forged among you here in these crucial college years; in the libraries and study lounges, in the dorm rooms and apartment kitchens, in the coffee houses and neighborhood pubs, and on the sports fields and gathering places around this campus. That is why this place was so special to Mom and Dad.

Jon and Joshua Willis, son and grandson of Bernice and Hank Willis.

Generations do not stand alone. They receive wisdom and guidance from those that preceded it, although each generation will develop new principles that are unique to its time while setting aside former ideas that no longer apply. But there are four principles that I think Mom and Dad believed should apply to all generations. They are timeless in nature. They are what they taught my brother and sister and me, and to their grandchildren as well. Because this occasion is to honor their lives and the principles they lived by, I would like to pass them on to you. I think you will like them:

• First, always strive to maintain an inquisitive mind. Learn to love learning. A robust curiosity and vigorous intellectual pursuit are the wellspring of a compleat life. And toward the end of your life, when perhaps you can do little else, what you have invested in the life of your mind can bring you great contentment.
• Second, nurture your spirit. Mom and Dad were both very devout and committed many thousands of hours to study, thought, prayer, and meditation. They believed deeply in a loving Providence and a greater purpose. Take time regularly each day, every week, every month, and every year to feed and nurture the needs of your soul.
• Number three, fight like hell for that in which you believe and against that which you disdain. Injustice, prejudice, ignorance, selfishness, hatred and bigotry are still too much a part of the human condition. They suffocate the human spirit. Confront them boldly wherever you find them; and never give up in your battle for what you believe to be right.
• And finally, but by no any means the least, always find time for your family and friends…

(Incidentally, I heard a story the other day that the definition of a good friend is someone who will unquestioningly come bail you out of jail in the middle of the night. But a really true friend is the one sitting next to you in that jail cell, smiling, holding his hung-over head saying, “Damn that was a good time!”)

Student Ambassadors at the Willis Student Lounge redication, Oct. 23, 2009.

… But seriously, your family and friends will sustain you through good times and bad, and a full life will have its full measure of both. Loving relationships and devoted friendships are the glue that binds generations, communities, and kindred spirits. Value and nurture these relationships for the treasure they are.

Those of you who are students today have already seen some of the images that will be identified forever with your generation. The collapse of the World Trade Center towers, the inauguration of the first African-American President, visible evidence of global climate change.

Some of these images are inspiring and some are frightening; you are entering an uncertain world. But always remember that it is not the images that will define your generation, but it is your response to the events of your time that will mark your character. And it is incumbent upon you to respond to those events with the same courage, fortitude, confidence, and determination as those who have gone before you.

So whatever tired little pony you ride, or whatever storm-tossed sea you find yourselves upon, when you get to where you are going, which in some cases will be a surprise to you, move on to vigorously address the challenges before you. That is what will define your generation.

Student Ambassadors, Oct. 23, 2009.

And if you can, try to remember the principles the two we honor here today would have wanted you to know: Strive always to maintain an inquisitive mind; protect and nurture your spirit; fight vigorously for what you believe to be right; and always remember your family and friends. This is a gift from their generation to yours; and it is given with all the love and respect, and with all the hope and affirmation of their very great hearts.

Thank you for honoring my parents with your presence here today. In your Life’s journey I wish you God’s blessing and Godspeed. Thank you.

Jon Willis
October 23, 2009

KRWG TV: Newsmakers

A field report on the early college program planned for New Mexico State University and a conversation with Western New Mexico University professor Sharman Apt Russell, author of “Hunger-An Unnatural History” and part of a Grant County program to eliminate hunger.

Charles Comer and Fred Martino feature the people, issues, and events that shape our community.
E-mail your story and interview ideas to feedback@nmsu.edu.
Retrieved online: Oct. 30, 2009.

Del Archuleta, search advisory committee chair, delivered the names of five finalists for the presidency of New Mexico State University to the Board of Regents at a special meeting today.

The finalists are:

• Barbara Couture, D.A., Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Professor of English, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
• Richard Herman, Ph.D., Special Assistant to the President, Professor, recently Chancellor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
• James Oblinger, Ph.D., Professor, recently Chancellor, North Carolina State University.
• Michael Ortiz, Ph.D., President, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
• Lisa Rossbacher, Ph.D., President, Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta, Ga.

“On behalf of our search committee I am proud to present the recommended finalists to our regents, the NMSU community and the State of New Mexico. We offer these candidates for further consideration for the next president of our great institution,” Archuleta said. “I am proud of the hard work put forth by our search committee and search consultants in attracting, interviewing, researching and narrowing a strong pool of candidates to this distinguished list of five finalists. I challenged our committee with the task of presenting the five most qualified candidates who they felt were the best fit for NMSU. I believe the committee has successfully accomplished that goal.”

During the search, the committee and the search firm, Greenwood/Asher and Associates Inc., made more than 420 contacts, reviewed detailed information on about 60 individuals and interviewed 18 candidates.

Archuleta said NMSU should be proud of the outstanding pool of candidates from top-ranked universities who expressed an interest in the university.

“The diversity of the pool of candidates for this position was excellent because of the extensive outreach,” Archuleta said. “Narrowing the pool has been challenging for the search committee because there were so many excellent candidates. These five were chosen for their executive-level experience at large, complex universities and their exceptional accomplishments in higher education.”

Candidates in the overall pool and their career cumulative experiences included: 26 land-grant universities, nine with membership in the Association of American Universities, 36 research universities, 11 president/chancellor positions, 38 provost/vice president positions, and 47 dean experiences. Forty percent of the applicant pool was either women and/or minority.

“We are proud of the diverse mix of the finalists with regard to gender, race, and educational background and leadership experience,” Archuleta said. “We believe such diversity will allow the regents to find the best overall match to lead our university.”

Archuleta said the search committee conducted extensive research and reference checks on the candidates. In each case the committee found that all questions were answered to their satisfaction.

“It is our belief that each finalist has a strong record of positive accomplishments and should advance to the next stage,” he said. “Through the interview process we fully expect that the community will question the candidates and research their backgrounds. We are confident that the discussions will be open and candid. This process will serve to identify the best leader for NMSU.”

Regents Chair Blake Curtis recognized the search advisory committee for its service to the university.

“On behalf of the board, I want to thank our search committee and consultants for their commitment and efforts to recruit candidates with extensive leadership experiences and substantial accomplishments. These university and community leaders are recognized for having the highest level of integrity and I know they have worked tirelessly and collaboratively on behalf of our great university.”

The search advisory committee included Archuleta, CEO of Molzen-Corbin and Associates; Garrey Carruthers, dean, NMSU College of Business, and vice president for economic development; Felicia Casados, president, NMSU Grants; Dolores Connor, Las Cruces city councilor; Travis Dulany, ASNMSU president; Chris Erickson, NMSU Faculty Senate chair; Paul Gutierrez, executive director of the New Mexico Association of Counties; Coach Lou Henson; Bruce Hinrichs, NMSU Cooperative Extension Service eastern district director; Michael Johnson, president Johnson Performance; Delano Lewis, NMSU senior fellow and director of the International Relations Institute; Tim Nesbitt, assistant dean and director, NMSU College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences; and Elba Serrano, biology professor, NMSU College of Arts and Sciences.

The finalists will be on campus throughout the month of November, with a final decision expected Nov. 19. Detailed schedules for the candidate interviews will be available soon.

Additional information on the finalists is available on the presidential search Web site at http://www.nmsu.edu/presidentialsearch/index.html.

NMSU students and faculty participate in second annual What’s Art? Convention

On October 2-3, NMSU students, faculty and the Talking Stick Institute, in collaboration with the Alma d’arte Charter High School/Youth Center, will host the second annual What’s Art? Convention – “Exploring the Creative and Green Economy of New Mexico,” and the What’s Art? Street Festival. Students in our small business consulting classes will get hands-on experience in service-learning projects directed by David Boje, business management professor. Read more…. and watch a video about the first ever 3-day Arts Convention held at NMSU in 2008.

2009 Domenici Public Policy Conference

New Mexico State University’s 2009 Domenici Public Policy Conference took place September 16-17 on the NMSU campus. The conference brought together some of the best minds from across the U.S. This annual event focuses on public policy matters that significantly impact the entire country. Topics at this year’s conference were nuclear energy, homeland security and the U.S./Mexico border, national security and the U.S. economy and the national debt. A video of each presenter will be archived and available for viewing. Information and updates are provided on The Pete V. Domenici Legacy website at http://domenici.nmsu.edu.

Hall of Fame & Traders Awards

On September 25, 2009, NMSU’s College of Business held its 12th annual Hall of Fame. Receiving the Hall of Fame award for 2009 are Shari Jones, Global Compliance Officer and member of the Strategic Risk Management group, ProLogis Corporation; and Kelly Peña, Vice President, Disney Channels Worldwide Brand Research, Disney ABC Cable Networks Group. Our 2009 Trader’s Award Recipients: Don and Sarrah Kidd, Jerry P. With and Jayann and David Sepich. Read more….

Homecoming: Celebrating the Past… Unmasking the Future

October 22-24, 2009. College of Business homecoming events are available on our calendar at http://business.nmsu.edu/news. Select October 23 as the calendar date to view our events, information and contacts. We’ll be hosting the Dean’s Suite Dedication, our college scholarship luncheon, the student lounge dedication and our distinguished alumni reception.

Get the NMSU events, calendar and contact information.

Hyman named as Stan Fulton Chair in Business at NMSU

Michael Hyman, a marketing professor at New Mexico State University, has been named the Stan Fulton Chair in Business at NMSU’s College of Business. Hyman currently teaches marketing research and sports marketing as well as doctoral level courses in marketing theory and applied research methods. The Stan Fulton Chair was created by a $1 million gift from Stan Fulton, owner of Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino. Read more….

Tian named Robert O. Anderson distinguished professor at NMSU

Kelly Tian, a marketing professor at New Mexico State University, has been named the Robert O. Anderson distinguished professor at NMSU’s College of Business. Tian currently teaches courses where students develop marketing strategies for nonprofit organizations and examine the effects of globalization on consumer culture. Read more….

Dorfman named Bank of America distinguished professor at NMSU

Peter Dorfman, a management professor at New Mexico State University, has been named the Bank of America distinguished professor at NMSU’s College of Business. Dorfman has been with NMSU for more than 30 years and currently teaches human resource management and general organizational behavior. Read more….

Ask the Dean

Do you have a question for Dean Carruthers? Email him at cobdean@nmsu.edu.

College of Business enrollment is up 3.6% for the Fall 2009 semester over Fall 2008.

• NMSU’s fall 2009 enrollment jumps 8.3 percent from 2008
• National magazine rankings place NMSU among best colleges

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Domenici: Cooperation key in health-care reform debate

LAS CRUCES – Former U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said Wednesday successful health-care reform will hinge on a key factor: cooperation.

“If you start it out with a bipartisan approach – where you put a committee together and you didn’t present a Democrat bill to be worked on by Republicans – you let the joint bipartisan staff start writing it, and joint bipartisan members to start working on it, I believe it would be a completely different bill than what we’re talking about,” said Domenici, speaking to a small group of reporters at New Mexico State University.
Read the article.

College of Business Note

• Visit NMSU’s “The Pete V. Domenici Legacy” website at http://domenici.nmsu.edu/.

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, former U.S. Sen. Hank Brown and former Mexican Ambassador Benito Andión will speak at the 2009 Domenici Public Policy Conference, Sept. 16 and 17, at New Mexico State University’s Corbett Center. They will join U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman James Cartwright and a number of other prominent speakers for the two-day event.

The yearly conference, hosted by NMSU’s Domenici Institute, brings together some of the best minds in the country to focus on significant national issues.

Udall will speak during the conference’s opening session, along with former U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici and NMSU Interim President Manuel Pacheco.

Napolitano will address homeland security and the U.S./Mexico border during the first evening of the conference, with Andión providing Mexico’s perspective the following morning. Andión is currently the Mexican Foreign Ministry’s coordinator of international cooperation and security, and has served Mexico in diplomatic posts around the world since 1976.

Landrieu and Brown will each address the conference Thursday morning.

Landrieu is the first woman from Louisiana elected to a full term in the U.S. Senate. She co-authored the 2006 Domenici-Landrieu Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, a bill that expanded oil and gas production in the Gulf Coast and shares the revenues with Louisiana to restore and protect the eroding wetlands along its coast.

Brown is currently a professor of political science and the president emeritus of the University of Colorado. Brown served Colorado in the U.S. Senate and five consecutive terms in the U.S. House, representing Colorado’s 4th Congressional District.

Cartwright will follow Landrieu and Brown, delivering a luncheon address on national security.

David Walker, former director of the U.S. Government Accountability Office, and the subject of the critically acclaimed documentary “I.O.U.S.A.,” will speak about the U.S. economy and the national debt.

Other conference speakers include Alex Flint, senior vice president at the Nuclear Energy Institute, Donald B. Marron, president of Marron Economics, and Ellen Ruff, Duke Energy’s president of the Office of Nuclear Development.

Former U.S. Congresswoman Heather Wilson and Garrey Carruthers, NMSU’s vice president for economic development and director of the Domenici Institute, will speak during “An Evening with Pete,” a friendly conversation with the former senator about his career and his insights on issues of today.

Anyone wishing to attend the conference must register. Conference registration costs $25 and is available online at http://domenici.nmsu.edu. Student registration is free. For more information, call the Domenici Institute at (575) 646-2066.

Sen. Chris Dodd and former Sen. Pete Domenici discuss the U.S. financial crisis during the 2008 Domenici Public Policy Conference at New Mexico State University. (NMSU Photo)

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman Gen. James Cartwright and former Sen. Pete Domenici himself are just a few of the speakers lined up for the 2009 Domenici Public Policy Conference, Sept. 16-17, at New Mexico State University’s Corbett Center.

This is the second year of the conference, hosted by NMSU’s Domenici Institute. Named for New Mexico’s longest-serving senator, the institute brings together some of the best minds in the country to focus on significant national issues. This year’s topics will include the U.S. economy and national debt, homeland security and the U.S./Mexico border, national security, and nuclear energy.

“For this conference, we are specifically targeting issues with a real impact on people across the country,” said Garrey Carruthers, NMSU vice president for economic development and director of the Domenici Institute.

Napolitano will headline the session on homeland security and the U.S./Mexico border the first evening. The following day, Mexico’s perspective on the issue will be covered.

Cartwright will speak during the session on national security along with former U.S. Congresswoman Heather Wilson. Wilson is also a former member of the National Security Council.

David Walker, former director of the U.S. Government Accountability Office will speak about the U.S. economy and the national debt. Alex Flint, senior vice president at the Nuclear Energy Institute, will speak about nuclear energy.

“We encourage everyone to participate in this event, said Ann Morgan, project manager for the Domenici Institute. “The public often doesn’t have a chance to see and hear from this many people who create and influence policy in our country.”

As in last year’s conference, students from universities around the state, including NMSU, New Mexico Tech, the University of New Mexico, Eastern New Mexico University, Western New Mexico University, Northern New Mexico College and New Mexico Highlands University will have a chance to interact with the conference speakers and ask about their views at the conclusion of each session.

Conference registration costs $25 and is available online at http://domenici.nmsu.edu. Student registration is free. For more information, call the Domenici Institute at 646-2066.

Arrowhead Center CEO Kevin Boberg, General Dynamics President Chris Marzilli and Las Cruces City Councilor Dolores Conner cut the ribbon to officially open the General Dynamics SpacePlex 2 on the NMSU campus. (NMSU Photo by Harrison Brooks)

The newest building at New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Business and Research Park officially opened today with SpacePlex 2, home to an expanded General Dynamics operation at the university. The facility will provide satellite tracking, telemetry and space communications.

“We’re excited,” said Pam Wood, director of the research park. “General Dynamics works with a lot of our professors and students at NMSU. They hire some of our students, too. This is an opportunity to create jobs and collaborate in securing grants and contracts.”

SpacePlex 2 is a 15,000-square-foot building located next to the original SpacePlex facility, constructed in 2001. General Dynamics is a leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. The company was NMSU’s first research park tenant.

“This is a significant step in the rebirth of Arrowhead Business and Research Park,” said Mickey Clute, managing member of Arrowhead Development, the company developing the park.

NMSU is in the middle of the first significant expansion of the research park. The current phase of development consists of 11 acres and will have up to seven buildings and 120,000 square feet of office and laboratory space.

“This park has a lot to offer for companies looking to expand,” said Garrey Carruthers, dean of the NMSU College of Business and vice president for economic development. “Not only is the park conveniently located between Interstates 10 and 25, it also provides a chance for companies to work with our faculty, staff and students – some of the best around.”

The next building to be constructed is in the design stage and is expected to open next summer. It will be 7,500 square feet and broken into smaller, 1,500-square-foot pads for businesses intending to establish themselves before jumping into larger spaces. Clute said the smaller spaces make the building more efficient and attractive to smaller businesses.

In addition to building construction, road work will soon begin on a mile-long extension of Payne Street to Sam Steel Way through the research park. Once complete, the new connection will better link the park to the rest of campus with two lanes for traffic. Clute said the road extension is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Other plans for the research park include working with the Las Cruces Public School District to construct an early college high school where high school students could take college-level courses for credit.