By KRWG News
Las Cruces – A total of 2,060 students at New Mexico State University's Las Cruces campus have applied for graduation this spring. Of those, an estimated 1,400 will take part in the university's spring 2010 commencement ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, May 8, at the Pan American Center. An additional 738 students are candidates for degrees at NMSU's community colleges.
The morning program will include candidates for degrees from the Colleges of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, Business, Health and Social Services, Extended Learning and graduate students receiving degrees from these colleges. The afternoon program will include candidates for degrees from the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education, Engineering and graduate students receiving degrees from these colleges.
Candidates for degrees should check in east of the Pan Am. Payne Street between Triviz Drive and Stewart Street along the Pan Am will be closed for commencement. Graduate and general parking will be in the lots to the north and east of the Pan Am, with handicapped parking to the north and northeast of the building.
NMSU will honor Del Archuleta, an NMSU engineering graduate and successful businessman, and Peyton Yates, a successful businessman and NMSU supporter, with honorary degrees during the ceremonies.
Archuleta earned his master's degree in civil engineering at NMSU in 1975 and began his professional engineering career, gaining a reputation as a professional water resources engineer through managing numerous projects that directly improved the quality of life in communities throughout New Mexico and through designing several award-winning state and regional treatment facilities.
Archuleta has supported numerous departments across NMSU through giving for the past 24 years. He was appointed to the NMSU Board of Regents in 1997 and served a six-year term, serving as board president twice. He was appointed to the State Board of Education in 2003 and in May 2009, he was selected by the NMSU Board of Regents to chair the NMSU Presidential Search Committee.
Yates was born in Artesia, N.M., and graduated from Artesia High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering in 1965 and his master's degree in 1966 from the University of Texas at Austin. He worked for the Yates companies in various capacities, most recently as president of both Yates Drilling Company and Yates Petroleum Corporation until his retirement from both in 2007. Yates continues to serve on the companies' boards of directors.
Yates is currently an executive in residence in NMSU's College of Business where his duties include mentoring and helping students with business projects, and lending his expertise to NMSU's Domenici Institute and other programs where his knowledge of business and energy is valuable. He has supported numerous departments across the university through giving for the past 24 years.