NMSU president search narrows as MacKinnon withdraws

This story has been updated with a comment from Neil MacKinnon.

And then there were four:  The slate of finalists for the presidency of New Mexico State University shrank by one Friday, after Neil MacKinnon withdrew.

The university informed the Las Cruces Bulletin that MacKinnon, a public health professor and provost of Augusta University in Georgia, had been selected as president of another, as yet unnamed, university.

"it was with mixed emotions I withdrew as it was clear to me that NMSU was a very special place," MacKinnon told the Bulletin. He said the announcement of his appointment, including which institution had hired him, would be coming "later this month." 

The remaining candidates are Arsenio Romero, the former New Mexico public education secretary and former NMSU regent, along with Brian Haynes of University of California, Riverside; Monica Lounsbery of California State University, Long Beach; and Valerio Ferme of the University of Cincinnati.

The candidates are each scheduled for a day of forums with faculty and staff, students and the community next week. The meetings are accessible via video conference as well as in person.

The schedule for the candidate meetings are as follows:

Monday, Sept. 9
Arsenio Romero, Ph.D., former secretary of public education, state of New Mexico

• Faculty and staff forum: 10 to 10:50 a.m., Corbett Center Student Union auditorium and Zoom
• Student forum: 1:30 to 2:15 p.m., Corbett Center Student Union auditoriumand Zoom
• Community forum: 5:30 to 7 p.m., Las Cruces Convention Center and Zoom

Tuesday, Sept. 10
Brian Haynes, Ph.D., vice chancellor for student affairs, University of California, Riverside   

• Faculty and staff forum: 10 to 10:50 a.m., Corbett Center Student Union auditorium and Zoom
• Student forum: 1:30 to 2:15 p.m., Corbett Center Student Union auditoriumand Zoom
• Community forum: 5:30 to 7 p.m., Las Cruces Convention Center and Zoom

Thursday, Sept. 12
Monica Lounsbery, Ph.D., dean, College of Health and Human Services, California State University, Long Beach   

• Faculty and staff forum: 10 to 10:50 a.m., Corbett Center Student Union, ballroom west and Zoom
• Student Forum: 1:30 to 2:15 p.m., Corbett Center Student Union, ballroom west and Zoom
• Community forum: 5:30 to 7 p.m., Las Cruces Convention Center and Zoom

Friday, Sept. 13
Valerio Ferme, Ph.D., executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, University of Cincinnati   

• Faculty and staff forum: 10 to 10:50 a.m., Corbett Center Student Union auditorium and Zoom
• Student forum: 1:30 to 2:15 p.m., Corbett Center Student Union, Doña Ana Roomand Zoom
• Community forum: 5:30 to 7 p.m., Las Cruces Convention Center and Zoom