SW New Mexico News

The New Mexico State University Foundation has announced the 2024 recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Awards, including the James F. Cole Memorial Award for Service and the Young Alumni Service Award — the highest honors conferred upon former students.

Presented by the NMSU Alumni Association for more than 60 years, these awards celebrate Aggies who have achieved distinction in their professions and made significant contributions to both NMSU and their communities. The 2024 honorees represent fields ranging from biomedicine to civil law, sports broadcasting, technology, military service, and nursing.

Each awardee will be honored at the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner on Friday, Nov. 8. They will also ride the NMSU Alumni Association trolley in the Homecoming parade and be recognized at halftime at the NMSU Homecoming football game on Saturday, Nov. 9, against Western Kentucky University.

“It is truly inspiring to see the remarkable achievements of our graduates after they leave New Mexico State University,” said Sylvia Y. Acosta, CEO of the NMSU Foundation. “This year’s class of Distinguished Alumni has once again exceeded our expectations with their outstanding accomplishments. These Aggies are making a transformative impact in communities around the world. Despite their diverse careers and varied fields of expertise, they all share one common bond: they began a journey to fulfill their dreams at New Mexico State.”

The Alumni Association has presented more than 350 Distinguished Alumni awards since 1956, adding the James F. Cole Memorial Award for Service in 1966 and the Young Alumni Service Award in 2019. Recipients are selected by the NMSU Alumni Association awards committee for demonstrating outstanding university involvement and civic, humanitarian, and professional service.

This year’s James F. Cole Memorial Award for Service recipient is Gabe Anaya ’59. Anaya is an educator, soldier, philanthropist, and community volunteer who earned a bachelor’s degree in education from NMSU. He spent 30 years as a mathematics teacher in New Mexico schools while serving in the U.S. Army Reserve, retiring as a colonel in 1990. Anaya has also been active on campus with Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and established The Gabe Anaya Honorary Endowed Scholarship.

Anaya has volunteered for 23 years at El Caldito soup kitchen in Las Cruces and served as board president for four years. He was vice president of J. Paul Taylor Foundation when it transferred ownership of J. Paul Taylor family home to become Taylor-Mesilla Historic Site.

The Young Alumni Service Award honors graduates aged 40 or younger who have made significant professional and philanthropic strides. This year’s recipient is Garrett Leitermann ’16,’17, an archaeologist with Bureau of Land Management in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

All Distinguished Alumni awardees have demonstrated significant achievement and service that brings honor to the university:

- Antonia Roybal-Mack ’03 (College of Agricultural Consumer & Environmental Sciences): Founding partner of Roybal-Mack & Cordova PC; focuses on disaster mitigation.

- Tony Lovitt ’76 (College of Arts & Sciences – Journalism & Mass Communications): Pioneered volleyball play-by-play broadcasting; authored children’s books.

- Don W Cleveland ’72 (College of Arts & Sciences – Physics): Chair at Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research; led ALS/Huntington's disease research.

- Mary J Bell ’92 (College of Business): Dean at Dakota State University; first woman U.S Army Aviation Branch.

- Shanta Thoutam ’04,’16 (College of Engineering): Innovation advocate; executive committee member Indian Association Southern NM.

- Rebecca Gallegos ’06 (College Health Education & Social Transformation): Clinical manager Munson Medical Center; founded nonprofit supporting orphanages.

To learn more about each awardee's full biographies will soon be available at https://www.nmsualumni.org/awards-recognitions.

CUTLINE: The New Mexico State University Alumni Association has announced the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Awards Six new recipients along with James F Cole Memorial Award for Service Young Alumnus Service Award recipients will be honored at Gala Nov 8(NMSU Foundation photo)