New Mexico State University Regents Professor Jim Peach was selected to fill the Chevron Endowed Professorship in the College of Business.
Peach, a professor in the Department of Economics, Applied Statistics and International Business, will serve as the inaugural Chevron Endowed Professor for three years beginning fall 2017, and plans to further his energy research in a way that could have an international impact.
“There are not many things like this professorship available. The opportunity will allow me to further my energy research, hire a graduate student and attend valuable conferences,” said Peach, who has been a professor at NMSU since 1980.
Along with his energy research, an NMSU student will benefit from Peach’s mentorship as part of a Domenici Institute program focused on student scholarship. In addition to sharing professional experiences and offering career guidance, Peach will advise a Domenici Student Scholar during an independent study course. With his guidance, the student will produce a policy proposal, oral presentation and research paper related to an energy topic.
The Chevron Endowed Professorship was established in the College of Business in 2012 with a $250,000 gift from Chevron USA Inc. to honor retired U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, New Mexico’s longest-serving Senator.
Following Domenici’s retirement from the U.S. Senate in 2008, the Domenici Institute was established at NMSU with the goal of continuing Domenici’s legacy of service. The institute provides community engagement activities that serve to enhance the understanding of regional and national public policy issues. As part of that effort, the institute hosts a public policy conference and several policy forums each year. The institute also supports policy research and has sponsored several faculty-driven projects and has created opportunities to highlight student-initiated research through a semester-long academic program.
“Chevron’s support of the College of Business, the Domenici Institute and our professors is significant and allows our college to remain at the forefront of research and impact,” said James J. Hoffman, dean of the College of Business. “This endowment allows NMSU to attract and reward exceptional faculty members, like Jim Peach, which in turn allows us to produce graduates who are able to enter the workforce with a solid background of knowledge.”
In addition to the Chevron Professorship, the NMSU College of Business has four other endowed professorships, including the Robert O. Anderson Distinguished Professorship, the Bank of America Professorship, the John P. Loveland Professorship in Quality Management and the Wells Fargo Professorship, along with six endowed chairs.
Peach is a leading economics and public policy expert. In addition to his work with the Domenici Institute and statewide energy research efforts, Peach was the principal investigator of the Arrowhead Center PROSPER project, a research and public policy initiative funded by the National Energy Technology Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy. His research has been published in a variety of journals and books and includes economics; regional economic modeling and economic policy; U.S.-Mexico border research on demographic changes and income distribution and policies.
“There is so much that can be done within the field of energy research and through the Domenici Institute,” Peach said. “I am honored to be selected as the Chevron Endowed Professor so I can be part of that impactful work, and guide our students as they become a part of it.”
Information from NMSU