NMSU’s Board of Regents unanimously voted to appoint Dr. Mónica Torres as the university’s next interim president. Dr. Torres, who currently serves as chancellor of NMSU system community colleges, will assume her new position on May 1.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am to enter into this position,” Dr. Torres said. “We have work to do, and I look forward to working with the faculty and staff across the system and with the Board of Regents to get that done.”
The Board of Regents approved the interim employment agreement for an initial term of six months, or until a permanent president is in place. Chair of the board Ammu Devasthali said the goal is to have a permanent president in place for the beginning of the 2025 spring semester.
“We plan to move quickly considering a lot of the groundwork has already been completed,” Devasthali said. “We plan to begin the search in April, and have campus visits by candidates in August.”
During the meeting, the board also announced a new presidential search committee consisting of 11 members from NMSU and the surrounding community. The committee will be chaired by Devasthali.
The board completed its meeting by wishing the current interim president, Dr. Jay Gouge, a happy retirement. Dr. Gouge, who was chosen to lead the university after the departure of Chancellor Dan Arvizu, is slated to depart on May 10.
