Michael Hyman, marketing professor at New Mexico State University, will serve as the Stan Fulton Chair in Marketing at NMSU’s College of Business. (NMSU Photo by Darren Phillips)

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.

“I’m honored to be the first person selected as the Stan Fulton Chair,” Hyman said. He 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. Earnings from the endowment are used to support the salary of the faculty member holding the chair, as well as program development and other needs.

The Stan Fulton Chair is structured for a senior faculty member to mentor junior faculty members as well as doctoral students. A recommendation for the chair is made by the college’s faculty council and then sent to the dean for approval.

“Mike Hyman completely immerses himself in the scholarship of discovery,” said Elise “Pookie” Sautter, department head for marketing. “His insightful research and writing skills make him highly sought after as a reviewer, as a co-author and an invaluable asset to our marketing Ph.D. program.”

As part of his responsibilities, Hyman will work with Chris Erickson, an NMSU economics professor, to produce New Mexico Business Outlook, an online publication highlighting various aspects of business in the state. Hyman will focus particularly on ethics and public policy, and provide a preliminary venue for faculty members to publish their work.

Hyman earned his Ph.D. at Purdue University in 1984. He taught at the University of Houston and the University of North Texas before joining the NMSU faculty in 1993. Author of more than 100 published scholarly papers and current member of nine journal editorial review boards, he previously held the Wells Fargo and NationsBank professorships in the College of Business. His research interests include consumers’ response to advertising, marketing ethics, survey research methods and knowledge acquisition in academia.

There are four, $1 million or more chairs in the College of Business. They include the Mountain States Insurance Group Endowed Chair, the Garrey E. and Katherine T. Carruthers Chair in Economic Development, the Robin T. Peterson Endowed Chair in Marketing and the Stan Fulton Chair.

Left to right: Convocation award recipients Martha Mitchell, Elba Serrano, Thomas Burton, David Jauregui, Charles Creusere, Eve Adams, Wanda Whittlesey-Jerome, Ruth Cantrell, Kathy Greenwood, Loretta Diehl, Nina Javaher, Patrick Gavin, Nancy Baker, Jay Lillywhite, Mary Ballyk, and Kenny Stevens. (photo by Darren Phillips)

New Mexico State University began the spring 2009 semester by celebrating the accomplishments of faculty members during the Spring Convocation ceremony. Convocation is held at the beginning of each semester and is meant to inform staff and faculty members about the upcoming semester. It is traditional for NMSU to give out various awards during the ceremony.

Ruth Cantrell, a faculty member in the Department of Theatre Arts, was awarded the Dennis W. Darnall Faculty Achievement Award. The award is presented each year to a faculty member for achievements in teaching and research and for service to the community and the university.

Cantrell is an actress, director, professor and mentor. She has established enrichment programs that help students discover their creative abilities through theatre, literature and history. One of her most successful programs is the Children’s Theatre Workshop, an after-school and summer drama program. Her areas of research and creativity focus on creative dramatics, children’s theatre, playwriting and acting.

Eleven faculty members were recognized for winning the Donald C. Roush Excellence in Teaching Award. Named for a former NMSU executive vice president in recognition of his 35 years of teaching improvement in New Mexico, the annual Roush award recognizes NMSU faculty for teaching excellence.

The 2009 Roush award winners are Jay Lillywhite, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business; Mary Ballyk, Department of Mathematical Sciences; Tim Ketelaar, Department of Psychology; Patrick M. Gavin, Department of Marketing; Eve Adams, Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology; Kenny Stevens, Department of Engineering Technology and Surveying Engineering; Wanda Whittlesey-Jerome, School of Social Work; Loretta H. Diehl, Nursing, NMSU-Alamogordo; Kathy Greenwood, English, NMSU-Carlsbad; Nina Javaher, Business and Information Systems, NMSU’s Doña Ana Community College; and Joan Erben, Humanities, NMSU-Grants.

Charles D. Creusere was awarded the International Foundation for Telemetering Professorship in Telecommunications. Creusere is an associate professor at the Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He received an educational fellowship from the Department of Defense and a Certificate of Merit for the outstanding technical paper “Automatic target recognition directed image compression.”

John P. Loveland, in the Department of Management, was awarded the John P. Loveland Professorship in Quality Management. Loveland has served as a professor of management, department head of management and director of key college programs including the Center for Quality Management and Manufacturing. Throughout his 36 years of service at NMSU, his academic and professional focus was on leadership.

Martha C. Mitchell, in the Department of Chemical Engineering, was awarded the Robert Davis Chemical Engineering Professorship. Mitchell’s research mainly focuses on computer-aided design of fuel/oxidizer operations, separation of light gas mixtures using inorganic molecular sieve membranes, molecular density functional theory, and simulation of leaching of radioactive isotopes.

Thomas D. Burton, in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, was awarded the Robert G. Myers Mechanical Engineering Department Head Professorship. Burton helped develop NMSU’s aerospace engineering program. His research has been in the general area of dynamics and vibrations and has included work in several specialties.

Robin T. Peterson, in the Department of Marketing, has been awarded the Robin T. Peterson Endowed Chair in Marketing. Peterson has been part of NMSU since 1976. While at NMSU, he’s held various distinguished professorships, and has received two Fulbright awards and the 2002 Educator of the Year award presented by the Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

David V. Jauregui, in the Department of Civil Engineering, was awarded the Wells/Hatch Family Civil Engineering Professorship. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in mechanics of materials, structural analysis, steel design and behavior, experimental methods, and bridge engineering. His research focuses on the condition evaluation of bridge structures using analytical techniques and nondestructive testing methods.

Click the link below to see a webcast of the 2009 Spring Convocation.

http://mediasite-server.nmsu.edu/ictmsite/Catalog/Front.aspx?cid=9a870261-3815-4ba2-abd0-e5bab8b19cd2

Left to Right: Professor Robin Peterson and Brad Gordon. (submitted photo)

Robin Peterson, marketing professor at New Mexico State University, will serve as the first holder of the Robin T. Peterson Endowed Chair in Marketing. Brad Gordon, a successful former NMSU student, created the chair in Peterson’s honor with a donation valued at more than half a million dollars.

“The intent all along was to honor Dr. Peterson’s accomplishments,” Gordon said. “Management is compensated on the value of the assets they manage. Instructors are charged with managing the young minds of our world. I can’t imagine managing an asset more valuable. Those who can should give back to education.”

The Peterson chair was created when Gordon donated 10,000 shares of Celgene stock, valued at more than $500,000, to the College of Business. The chair received matching funds from the state, bringing the total endowment to more than $1 million. Earnings from the endowment are used to support the salary of the faculty member holding the chair, as well as program development and other needs.

“This is an honor and certainly reflects the benevolence of one of our alumni,” said Peterson. “Brad is an outstanding individual. Not only is he truly brilliant and successful, he has always had tremendous people skills.”

Gordon earned a degree in marketing from NMSU in 1978. He graduated near the top of his class in business, a major accomplishment for someone who had failed in previous attempts to obtain a degree at other universities.

A career counselor in Los Angeles advised Gordon to attend college in New Mexico where his earlier academic records would not be considered and where he could start anew, giving him a chance at rebuilding a GPA needed to enter graduate school someday.

“From the time I first met him, he was always very inquisitive,” Peterson said of Gordon. “He’d ask questions about marketing not covered in the course or the book. He just wanted to know.”

Gordon often speaks of his experience at NMSU, saying he first went through a serious culture shock coming from the Midwest to the desert in New Mexico. Gordon credits NMSU’s small class sizes and the up-close and personal nature of the university for his success.

“I found myself at New Mexico State. I learned to believe in my abilities and talents, and to put them to use in an impactful way,” Gordon said. “I learned how to succeed.”

After finishing school, Gordon worked in venture capital and then turned to launching several companies in tandem with other entrepreneurs. Since 1981 Gordon has been involved in the startup of eleven companies, mostly in the biotech field.

There are now four, $1 million or more chairs in the College of Business. They include the Mountain States Insurance Group Endowed Chair, The Garrey E. and Katherine T. Carruthers Chair in Economic Development, the Robin T. Peterson Endowed Chair in Marketing and the Stan Fulton Chair in Business.

Kevin Boberg, associate business dean at New Mexico State University and CEO of NMSU’s Arrowhead Center, will continue as the Garrey E. and Katherine T. Carruthers Chair in Economic Development in NMSU’s College of Business.

Boberg has held the economic development chair position since 2005. The position must be renewed every three years.

“Kathy and I are absolutely delighted with this decision,” said NMSU College of Business Dean Garrey Carruthers. “He’s done a wonderful job by taking an active role in Arrowhead Center and working with many economic development projects in our state.”

The economic development chair was created by a $500,000 gift from Carruthers and his wife. The chair received a $1 million match from the state. Earnings from the $1.5 million endowment are used to support the salary of the faculty member holding the chair, as well as program development and other needs.

“I’m humbled and honored by the opportunity,” said Boberg. “Governor and Mrs. Carruthers’ contributions to the state through public and private life, and through philanthropic endeavors are well known. I look forward to continuing the work they began and we have continued – specifically in regard to our most important mission, serving our students and those in the State of New Mexico.”

Arrowhead Center is a nonprofit organization created to commercialize new technologies and stimulate economic growth in New Mexico.

“He does a fantastic job working with groups around the state on economic and business development,” said Kathy Brook, associate dean in business. She said the decision to rename Boberg to the chair position was the consensus of the department heads and associate deans in the college.

Boberg earned his Ph.D. at Pennsylvania State University in 1983. He taught at Penn State and the University of Hawaii before joining the NMSU faculty in 1987.

There are now four, $1 million or more chairs in the College of Business. They include the Mountain States Insurance Group Endowed Chair, The Garrey E. and Katherine T. Carruthers Chair in Economic Development, the Robin T. Peterson Endowed Chair in Marketing and the Stan Fulton Chair in Business.

Barry Smith has been selected as the first holder of the Mountain States Insurance Group Endowed Chair for the Study of Insurance and Financial Services at New Mexico State. (NMSU photo by Darren Phillips)

New Mexico State University faculty member Barry Smith has been selected to hold the Mountain States Insurance Group Endowed Chair for the Study of Insurance and Financial Services.

Garrey Carruthers, dean of the NMSU College of Business Administration and Economics, made the announcement today, March 18, during the 44th annual Independent Insurance Agents of New Mexico Education Seminar at the Hilton in Albuquerque.

“Dr. Barry Smith is recognized nationally as a leader in insurance education and industry practices,” Carruthers said. “He richly deserves to be the first insurance chair holder for he has had a very productive research and teaching career.”

Smith has been a faculty member in the finance department since 1986 and most recently has been department head. He has lectured on various insurance topics in 32 states, and has authored three books and numerous articles on insurance and risk management.

Smith has been the editor of the CPCU Journal, a national journal for insurance professionals, since 1995, and earlier in his career was ranked as one of the top 10 academic researchers in the country in the field of risk management and insurance by the Journal of Risk and Insurance. In 2002 he was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award by the College of Business Administration and Economics.

“What’s really wonderful is that this is the first chair for the college of business and that is what makes it very special as far as I’m concerned,” Smith said. “I feel honored and humbled to be the first one in the college of business.”

Smith received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Drake University and his master’s degree and Ph.D. in risk and insurance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

“I’m delighted by his appointment,” said Edward Lujan, chairman of the board of Manuel Lujan Agencies, a family insurance and real estate business. “I’ve known Barry for many years and he’s a first class insurance professor. I sincerely believe that his appointment will make New Mexico State University a premier institution in the financial management field.”

The endowment for the chair will be funded by a $1 million gift from Mountain States Insurance Group, an insurance industry leader headquartered in Albuquerque. The gift was announced in July 2003.

“We are very excited about Barry’s appointment,” said Jerry With, president of Mountain States. “We wish him continued success, and we are very thankful that he is there.”

With the chair in place, the college will be able to provide an insurance and financial services program, and plans to establish an insurance center, an insurance scholarship endowment and a professorship.

Smith said there is a lot of demand from students and the industry for the program.

“My class is full this spring,” he said. “And with those students who are in my class I hope to get at least eight to 10 of them into internships this summer, which is pretty good for the first year. These kids want jobs and they like the internship idea because it gives them firsthand experience while they are still college students.”

Smith added that companies are “jumping at the chance” to have summer interns.

Next on the horizon will be to fund the Center for Insurance and Financial Services, which could take several years and $1 million. Smith said the college has received commitments from within the industry worth about $400,000.

“Getting the center in place will be important because that will help us with operational expenses such as internships, field trips, national certification exams and setting up a Web site,” he said. “I hope we can be a job clearing center for the entire state.”

In the future, the college hopes to fund a $225,000 professorship to provide additional support for the program, and work with the students and the industry.

In the insurance industry, Smith said, a lot of small agencies have owners who are close to retirement but don’t have a younger person available to take over the business.

“It’s called a perpetuation issue and it’s a real problem out there in small communities were there are only one or two agencies,” Smith said.

“The No. 1 goal here is to get students graduated through the program, get them introduced to the idea that there are opportunities out there and then keep those young people in the state to support the industry,” he said.