By KRWG News
Las Cruces – At a regular meeting Monday, Aug. 22, the New Mexico State University Board of Regents approved a legislative request for Research and Public Service Projects for fiscal year 2013. The request will be part of the university's 2012 legislative priorities and includes a 5 percent expansion for the Agricultural Experiment Station, the Cooperative Extension Service and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture.
In other business, the Regents heard reports from Dennis Prescott, vice president of university advancement and NMSU Foundation president, and New Mexico Department of Agriculture Director/Secretary Jeff Witte.
Prescott reported highlights of the growth during the 2011 fiscal year, including that the number of alumni paying dues to the Alumni Association grew 14 percent and the number of alumni donating to the institution grew by 21 percent.
Witte reviewed his activities across the state since he was selected secretary/director this spring. He also mentioned that his organization would begin a review of the agency's regulations and laws during the next few years to make sure they are relevant to today's challenges.
Additionally, the Regents recognized the women's softball team and men's golf team for their 2011 Western Athletic Conference Championships as well as softball player Kandis Jones, the 2010 2011 WAC Stan Bates Award Winner. Named in honor of former WAC Commissioner Stan Bates, the annual award is given to the WAC's top male and female scholar-athletes and recognizes the recipients' athletic, academic and community accomplishments. The awards include a $2,000 postgraduate scholarship.
The board also presented the Above & Beyond Award to Susan De Mar, a customer service assistant in the geography department.
The Above & Beyond Award recognizes full-time employees who go the extra distance in service to any and all aspects of the NMSU system. Individuals are recognized for performance that goes "above and beyond" their regular responsibilities and for demonstrating a positive attitude that inspires others.
In submitting De Mar for the award, Chris Brown, geography department head, said, "Due to the nature of the position she fills, Susan is literally the face of the department having maximum contact with students, staff, alumni and faculty, both within and outside the department. Although her human resources designation is customer service assistant, the work Susan does for us is so much more. She approaches each job with utmost commitment, working continually to learn and master new tools and techniques. Susan's commitment and dedication to the department and NMSU are truly exceptional in every sense of the word."