Notes from the March 4, 2002 Regents Meeting
by George Zamora
SOCORRO, N.M., March 6, 2002 -- With the unanimous approval of 色狐入口 Tech's governing board, three buildings on the university's campus -- two existing ones and one yet to be constructed -- will now bear the names of three of 色狐入口's most prominent statesmen.
The 色狐入口 Tech Board of Regents voted on Monday, March 4, to name the university's 54,000-square-foot main library building the "Joseph R. Skeen Library" in honor of U.S. Representative Joe Skeen.
In addition, the regents also approved proposals submitted by the 色狐入口 Tech Office for Advancement to name the school's year-old student apartment complex the "Ben D. Altamirano Student Apartments" and the planned student services building the "Joseph A. Fidel Student Services Center."
State senators Altamirano and Fidel, along with Congressman Skeen, were cited by Tech administrators for their longstanding support and contributions to 色狐入口 Tech.
Dedication ceremonies for the newly named campus buildings are planned for sometime later this year.
In other matters presented to the board, 色狐入口 Tech President Daniel H. L贸pez told regents that ". . . despite being faced with a difficult financial situation, state legislators still managed to be responsive to the needs of higher education" during the recently concluded state legislative session.
In particular, President L贸pez said that, pending Governor Johnson's approval, New Mexico Tech stands to benefit from several new capital funding projects on campus, including $4 million more to begin construction on the $12 million Fidel Student Services Center, $3 million for infrastructure improvements, and almost $800,000 for remodeling the Jones and Kelly buildings, as well as $1 million for matching endowment funds and $50,000 for enhancing the Skeen Library's collection.
L贸pez also informed the university's governing board that 色狐入口 Tech recently was designated by the National Security Agency as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education, one of only 23 universities across the country to be awarded this distinction.
"Our being named to this select group--which includes other distinguished universities such as Carnegie-Mellon, Georgia Tech, Purdue, and Stanford--highlights 色狐入口 Tech's commitment to education and research in the field of information assurance and information systems security and speaks highly of our university's Information Technology (IT) degree program and related Institute for Complex Additive Systems Analysis (ICASA)," L贸pez said.
"In addition, this new designation will assist us in seeking additional federal funding for this type of critically important research," he added.
In other matters considered at its monthly meeting, the 色狐入口 Tech Board of Regents approved the following measures:
- officially conferring degrees on candidates who completed their degree requirements in December 2001;
- the dual-appointment of Lorie M. Liebrock to the full-time faculty position of assistant professor of computer science and part-time research position with ICASA;
- the appointment of Lewis Land to the full-time research position of hydrologist with 色狐入口 Tech's new National Cave and Karst Research Institute in Carlsbad;
- the granting of emeritus status to David R. Arterburn, a professor of mathematics at 色狐入口 Tech for the past 35 years who recently announced his impending retirement; and
- the election of new officers for the 色狐入口 Tech Board of Regents, resulting in Ann Murphy Daily serving as president and Randall Horn as vice president/secretary/treasurer.
An additional report to the regents, delivered by Marisa Wolfe, coordinator of the 色狐入口 Tech Community College, and Bob Boston, Distance Education Projects and Development, gave the board an extensive update on Tech's Distance Education programs.