Jay Gogue, Interim President of the NMSU System | New Mexico State University
Jay Gogue, Interim President of the NMSU System | New Mexico State University
Since 1925, New Mexico State University's Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business has addressed various issues in the agricultural industry. The department, located within NMSU's College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, will mark its 100th anniversary with a Century Club Social on Friday, Nov. 8. This event is scheduled from 4 to 11 p.m. at The Game Restaurant in Las Cruces and welcomes alumni, students, faculty members, industry partners, and the community. Donations for joining the Century Club can be made online.
Carlos Carpio Ochoa, who recently became the department head, reflected on its growth: “From our humble beginnings in 1925 with just one faculty member and one undergraduate major, we have grown into a department with 17 faculty members, multiple undergraduate and graduate programs, impactful extension and outreach initiatives, world-renowned scientists and award-winning teachers.”
Rolando Flores, Dean of the College of ACES, emphasized the importance of this milestone: “This benchmark signals the continuous efforts of faculty, students and staff over all these years; however, the future for the department is brighter with its seasoned and new faculty and outstanding leadership that will complement the challenges ahead.”
Carpio highlighted the department's focus on student preparation: “We want to continue preparing our students to be professionals who contribute to the challenges of feeding the world’s population and preserving the environment... Our commitment to educating future agribusiness and community leaders and advancing agricultural knowledge and practice will continue to drive us forward.”
The Department was founded after the Purnell Act in 1925. Reginald Howard became its first graduate eight years later. In subsequent decades, it expanded its academic offerings significantly. In 2007, it helped establish a multidisciplinary Ph.D. program in Water Science and Management.
Further details about NMSU's Department of Agricultural Economics can be found at aeab.nmsu.edu.
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