By KRWG News
Las Cruces – Wendy K. Wilkins, provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of North Texas, has accepted an appointment as provost and executive vice president at New Mexico State University.
NMSU President Barbara Couture noted Wilkins' extensive experience as an acclaimed scholar and her strong track record of working with faculty.
"Dr. Wilkins brings a depth and breadth of experience that is right for our university," Couture said. "She will help me and help our university community build a new era of excellence for NMSU."
Wilkins has been the provost and vice president of academic affairs at the University of North Texas since 2007. She was the dean of the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University for six years.
"I am thrilled to accept the position of provost at New Mexico State University," Wilkins said. "NMSU feels, in so many ways, to be the right university for me. I am deeply committed to the mission of public research universities, and I look forward to returning to a land-grant institution."
Wilkins is especially excited to come to NMSU because of its close connection to its community colleges.
"One of the biggest challenges facing public higher education in the U.S. today is the need to provide access and graduation success to the growing number of students who begin their college careers at community colleges," Wilkins said. "To succeed at this without losing sight of the tremendous need to grow research capacity at NMSU, and for the state of New Mexico, is, for me, the best possible opportunity."
From 1994-1998, Wilkins was associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at Arizona State University and served as the English Department chair at ASU from 1992-1994.
Wilkins is a professor of linguistics and cognitive science and began her university teaching career in Mexico. She received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in linguistics from UCLA.