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NMSU Alumni AssociationNew Mexico State UniversityP.O. Box 3590Las Cruces, New Mexico tion.orgFollow us on social media:@NMSUAlumFriends
FALL 2020Outstanding GraduatesVirtual CeremonyDecember 16, 2020
WELCOMELeslie Cervantes ’86Associate Vice President, Alumni and Donor RelationsREMARKSDr. Dan ArvizuNMSU ChancellorDr. John FlorosNMSU PresidentOUTSTANDING GRADUATE AWARDSCollege of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental SciencesAlyssa AdamsCollege of Arts and SciencesChad JohnsonCollege of BusinessAngel SalcidoCollege of EducationAmberly CottonCollege of EngineeringLucas RiveraCollege of Health and Social ServicesMarcos WaltersGraduate School – Masters CandidateAmalia ZeitlinGraduate School - Doctoral CandidateConnie Maxwell
THE GRADUATE SCHOOLDOCTORAL CANDIDATEConnie MaxwellConnie is a Ph.D. candidate for the WaterScience and Management Departmentin the College of Agricultural,Consumer and Environmental Sciences.Previously, she completed a Master’sdegree in Community and RegionalPlanning with an emphasis in NaturalResources at UNM and a Bachelor’sof Arts in English and Architecturefrom Columbia University. Workingto restore our watershed health andsupporting the communities that relyupon them, Connie is an ecologicalplanner at local and regional levels,and serves as co-chair of the WatershedRestoration Committee of the SouthCentral NM Stormwater ManagementCoalition. Her most recent work as a graduate research assistant with New MexicoWater Resources Research Institute (NM WRRI) is a collaboration with a broadcross-section of stakeholders in the South Central NM Stormwater ManagementCoalition to design and conduct watershed restoration within the Hatch/Rinconand Mesilla valleys (Dona Ana Soil and Water Conservation District, NMSUExtension, Elephant Butte Irrigation District, and Dona Ana Flood Commission).Building on this collaboration, she spearheaded the recently formed NMWRRIWater and Community Collaboration Lab (WCC-Lab), which fosters links betweenthe best science, communities, stakeholders and students to inform decisionmaking and education on water and the environment. Connie also served as aninstructor at a New Mexico Agriculture Ambassadorship class, which she entitled“Agricultural communities are key to managing our landscapes for water andresource sustainability.” The Alamosa Land Institute (ALI) was co-founded byConnie during her masters studies in 2010 to engage in ecological planning andrestoration with farmers and ranchers, and has been collaboratively introducing andtesting innovative land management practices, which focus upon restoring arroyos,riparian and agricultural valleys to slow and keep stormwater in watersheds, reducesediment transport, and recharge aquifers. Connie was successful in obtaining fourgrant proposals, which will extend her collaborative research as a postdoctoralresearcher at the NM WRRI after the completion of her Ph.D.
THE GRADUATE SCHOOLMASTERS CANDIDATEAmalia ZeitlinAmalia is earning a Master of Music degreeand has managed to maintain a 4.0 GPAthroughout her time at NMSU. She earneda Bachelor of Music in violin performancewith Latin honors from Boston Universityin 2017. Along with her undeniable musicaltalent, Amalia is also a dedicated teacher ofmusic and violin. She worked as a graduateassistant for Dr. James Shearer, having taughtMUS 101 for four semesters to non-musicmajors, with consistently outstandingteacher evaluations. Actively working formany years as a professional musician,Amalia has performed with a number ofarea symphony orchestras, including ElPaso, Las Cruces, and Roswell. In addition, she is an active chamber musician, includingbeing a founding member of Camerata del Sol, an impressive chamber music groupin our part of the Southwest. Beyond NMSU and the regional area, she has also takenpart in major international music festivals in Vienna, Aspen, and Aruba, among others.Along with being a founding member of Camerata del Sol, she currently serves as theorganization’s Executive Director, with duties that include grant-writing, fundraising,managing organizational budgets, contracting and scheduling personnel, and planningand executing public performances and educational outreach. This is a major task forany musician, but to do this while still an active graduate student at NMSU displays bothgreat skill at time management and a serious dedication to providing art and educationin our community. The prominent educational outreach component of Camerata del Solshowcases her service capacity. Beyond that group, Amalia regularly donates her timeand energy to a number of other educational outreach projects, including the TocandoMusic Project, run by the El Paso Symphony. Previously, she did regular educationalservice with the Boston Youth Symphony, while serving as a volunteer for ASTEP(Artists Striving to End Poverty), where she taught at an arts camp in Bangalore, India.For many years, Amalia has also served as a private violin teacher to a wide range ofstudents, both here in Las Cruces and during her time at Boston University. At such ayoung age, she already displays a clear and profound dedication to music education andcommunity outreach and service. As an outstanding performer with a growing regionaland national reputation, Amalia plans to continue advancing her career as a profoundlytalented musician, performer and teacher following graduation.
BEHIND THE AWARDEvery semester, the New Mexico State University Alumni Association honors agraduate from each academic college, as well as a master’s graduate and a doctoralgraduate from the Graduate School. Honorees have been nominated by facultymembers, with finalists chosen by the Dean’s Selection Committee, and arerecognized for their exceptional academic achievements, active participation inactivities that illustrate leadership skills and extracurricular commitment to theuniversity and the community through volunteerism.This notable award is a time-honored tradition of excellence at New Mexico StateUniversity and a prestigious distinction for its recipients.The NMSU Alumni Association is pleased to recognize these students whoexemplify the core values and qualities of a New Mexico State Universitygraduate.
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL, CONSUMER ANDENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCESAlyssa AdamsAlyssa is graduating with a Bachelorof Science in Hotel, Restaurant andTourism Management and a doubleminor in Professional Selling andMarketing. Among the top 15% of theCollege of ACES students, she sustaineda position on the dean’s list and a GPA of3.94 throughout her time at NMSU. Sheis the recipient of impressive scholarshipsincluding several awarded by localand national lodging foundations.She recently received the Dean’sAward of Leadership Excellence forUndergraduates in the College of ACESand will be graduating with honors. Along with her studies, Alyssa completedinternships at the Marriott Buckhead Hotel and Conference Center in Atlanta,The Westin Denver Downtown and the Residence Inn by Marriott Dallas LasColinas. It is unique for a student to take advantage of internship opportunities indifferent locations each summer, signifying her dedication to learning the industryand preparing for a successful career in hospitality. Alyssa has served as Presidentof the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH), Community ServiceChair, NMSU Hotel Sustainability Project Leader, Freshman Leadership Chair andCollege of ACES Ambassador and Mentor. Her inspirational leadership earnednational awards through NSMH, including President of the Year and Chapter ofthe Year. This is the first time since the inception of the organization in 2007 thatthey have received these awards. The chapter has also increased in membershipand done more community service and events since she served in these positionsthan in the years prior to her tenure. In addition to her impressive list ofextracurriculars, Alyssa has an exemplary community service record and takesdelight in serving where she is needed. She has offered her time and talent for theCommunity Foundation of Southern New Mexico, ACTion Programs for Animals,NSMH Dollar Days, Alma’s Kitchen, Casa De Peregrinos Food Bank, ART Show fora Cause, Buddy Day (World Down Syndrome Day) and Las Cruces Public Schools.Alyssa is a prime example of an Aggie, has great love and pride for NMSUand will represent her alma mater well throughout her career. After graduation,she plans to work at the St. Regis Resort in Aspen for the winter season and thencontinue to advance her career in the hospitality industry.
COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICESMarcos WaltersA first generation college graduate,Marcos is earning a Bachelor of Sciencein Nursing with a GPA of 3.90. Hisacademic achievements were instrumental in earning him the NightingaleScholarship 2019-2020, a studentscholarship sponsored by the NewMexico Center for Nursing Excellence.He is a member of the local andnational student nurses association andthe Sigma Theta Tau Nursing HonorSociety. Marcos was top-ranked in aPathophysiology course among 60students that serves as a foundation forproviding nursing care. His academic achievements in this class and his willingness and ability to work with his peers prompted an invitation for him to serve ina role as one of the student tutors for the course as he continued to progress inthe program. Excelling in the clinical setting, Marcos approaches each clinicalexperience with the same dedication: always seeking to help the patient whileserving their families and the community. He has been instrumental in helpingfellow students gain more confidence in the clinical environment, and he tutoredfor a critical care centered course. Marcos was also a residential assistant forChamisa Village from Fall 2019 to Spring 2020. Marcos has been activelyinvolved in the Student Nurses’ Association, where he served as President andCommunity Service Chair. Under his leadership, he initiated and directed a BoneMarrow drive on the NMSU campus to meet the shortage of bone marrowdonors for Hispanic patients. As a result of this effort, the School of Nursing(SON) chapter received a grant for their work. While president of SNA, they alsodonated scholarships to 5 different students and canned goods to the School ofNursing graduate assistants in need during the beginning of the COVID-19pandemic. Another community service event spearheaded by Marcos was the“Stop the Bleed” course which was put in place following the horrific shooting atthe El Paso Walmart in August 2019. This past summer, Marcos participated in a6-week student nursing externship at a nationally recognized cardiac ICU in St.Louis, MO, where he will begin his career following graduation. The desire tobecome a nurse is rooted in a philosophy of service, and his advanced ability toapply nursing knowledge combined with his kindness, empathy and professionalism will serve him well in the medical field.
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERINGLucas RiveraLucas is graduating with a Bachelor ofEngineering in Civil Engineering andminors in Spanish and Mathematics.With a GPA of 3.79, Lucas has receivedmultiple honors and academic andprofessional scholarships. He is aresearch assistant and served asUndergraduate Lead with the Centerfor Bio-mediated and Bio-inspiredGeotechnics and has co-authored apeer-reviewed conference paper inthat role. He is also an UndergraduateResearch Scholar with the NM Alliancefor Minority Participation (NMAMP),and recently served on a very successfulpanel on international undergraduateopportunities at the NMAMP Annual Research Conference. Lucas has served asan officer in the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Civil Engineering honorsociety Chi Epsilon, and Aggies Without Limits (AWL). In his role with AWL, hewas Assistant Project Manager for the design and construction of a rural watersystem in Guatemala and Project Manager for AWL’s 2021 effort to renovate aschool and bridge and design and build a water system in Nicaragua. The multiplecampus leadership roles Lucas has held include Engineering Council representative,College of Engineering Student Ambassador, and General Secretary of NMSU’sChi Epsilon chapter. The extensive service activities Lucas has participated indemonstrate his strong sense of responsibility to society and commitment to theEngineer’s ethical requirement to “hold paramount the safety, health, and welfareof the public.” Lucas has volunteered in Indonesia, Bolivia, New Zealand, PuertoRico, Costa Rica, Peru, Texas, and New Mexico in his time at NMSU. He also hadthe opportunity to study Spanish abroad for one semester in Cusco, Peru. Locally,he has volunteered through AWL to help Homes for Homeless Veterans, La CasaShelter for Battered Individuals and refugee housing and relief. In addition tothese volunteer activities, Lucas worked two summers as a professional fire fighter,having worked in multiple states with the US Department of the Interior and theState of New Mexico in some of the worst western US wildfire seasons in history,including the deadly Carr fire in Northern California. Lucas demonstrates a uniquecombination of academic excellence, effective leadership, and a profound senseof commitment to the service of humankind that will take him far in his career.His immediate plans are to spend a month in Tanzania after graduation and thencontinue for his master’s degree at NMSU in Civil Engineering.
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCESChad JohnsonWith a GPA of 3.96, Chad is receivinga Bachelor of Arts in Government witha minor in International Relations.He will complete his studies with anhonors certificate, having been onthe dean’s list for most of his time atNMSU. Graduating from the universityin just seven semesters, Chad hasbeen a prime student and role modelin the Government Department andthe College of Arts & Sciences. Chadhas worked with several politicalorganizations at NMSU, serving asthe Vice President of the CollegeRepublicans for one semester whilealso volunteering on Steve Pearce’sgubernatorial campaign in 2018. He hasalso worked with a Youth in Governmentgroup, primarily at a model legislature held in Santa Fe in 2018 and 2020. Mostrecently, Chad spearheaded a student petition to the University President’soffice, seeking a change to pass/fail grading in the Spring 2020 semester. Notonly an effective leader and active contributor to campus life, Chad has alsovolunteered his time in the Las Cruces community. In the Fall 2019 semester,his Educational Leadership class allowed him to volunteer for Las CrucesPublic Schools, where they ran an after school program called Girls Who Code,which encouraged elementary school girls to get involved in the STEM fields.Chad continued to help run the program into the following semester as well.After graduation, Chad plans to move to Albuquerque to pursue a career inpublic service with the city or in education lobbying. A native New Mexican, heis open to moving out of state as he encounters future opportunities in the field.No matter where that may take him, Chad’s most important aspiration is toseek ways to positively and directly impact the community in which he resides.
COLLEGE OF BUSINESSAngel SalcidoAngel is earning a Bachelor of BusinessAdministration in both Economicsand International Business as well as aBachelor of Arts in Foreign Languageswith a concentration in Spanish. Whilecompleting a minimum of 15 credit hoursper semester and maintaining a 3.91 GPA,Angel worked an average of 30 hours perweek as an NMSU Development Assistantand Horace Mann Insurance SupportAgent. Along with the Hadley HonorsScholarship, Angel received the StudyAbroad scholarship which allowed her theopportunity to study the socioeconomicdevelopment of Latin American countriesin Costa Rica and Argentina. As anASNMSU Senator for two years, Angelappropriated over 50,000 of student fees to the student body through legislation.In her capacity as an ASNMSU Senator, she also served as a student-faculty liaisonand assumed leadership roles in standing committees. She had the privilege ofadvocating to faculty and university leadership on behalf of the student body toensure the voice of students were considered in decisions regarding budget grandand overall student life. Angel has collaborated in debates among thousands ofstudents in New York and European conferences and led proposals intended toresolve various global issues while serving as a member of the NMSU Model UnitedNations team. Focusing on diversity and inclusion both on and off campus, Angelalso served as Parliamentarian and Political Action Committee Chair of the BlackStudent Association (BSA), where she helped facilitate campus discussions, andorganize community engagements and demonstrations. A proud recipient of thePresident’s Volunteer Service Award, bestowed by former President Barack Obama,Angel was nationally recognized for her commitment to the community andachievement of over 100 hours of service completed within a year. She mentoredlocal youth in the LCPD Leadership Academy for six years where she demonstratedthe values of leadership, respect, and integrity through team building exercises andworkshops. In the ASNMSU and BSA, Angel organized and participated in serviceprojects including community clean-up efforts, beautifying campus facilities, andfood drives. Angel is an exceptional student, leader, and community contributor.Her next step is to continue her education by moving onto graduate studies inInternational Economics and Development.
COLLEGE OF EDUCATIONAmberly CottonAmberly comes from a multigenerational family of NMSU Aggies,and is graduating with a Bachelorof Science in Kinesiology, ExerciseScience. Her 4.0 GPA is incrediblyimpressive as she filled her schedulewith advanced science courses andextracurriculars throughout her timeat NMSU. Amberly has receivednumerous scholarships from thecommunity, the arts, and the sciencesincluding Honors Excel; Elks LodgeScholastic; NMSU Dancesport; theEducation College; the Departmentof Chemistry and Biochemistry; andvarious endowments. Amberly worked as a Facilitator in both General ChemistryI and II with the Supplemental Instruction Program, which further highlights heracademic ability. From 2019-2020 Amberly served as the Vice President of theKinesiology Club at NMSU, where she led group study sessions, organized andcarried out fundraisers, and coordinated stress relief events for all Kinesiologystudents. She is also a member of Phi Lambda Beta, a Portuguese National HonorSociety which aims to stimulate interest in the Portuguese language and culturewhile strengthening ties to the university. Off campus, Amberly has served in apresidency role with a local church congregation which required her to look afterthe physical and spiritual well-being of all the women in the church. In this role,she organized visits, planned activities, taught lessons and worked with individualsstruggling in a variety of ways. She was also a service coordinator for the Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. An inspirational volunteer, Amberly has offeredher time in service to several organizations and foundations including Keep StateGreat; Toys for Tots drive and 5K run; El Caldito Soup Kitchen; Community ofHope - 5 Shelters for Camp Hope; and the Munson Senior Center. In addition toher involvement on the NMSU campus and in the local community, Amberly servesas a temple worker in Albuquerque and has served as a missionary for the Churchof Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints in Brazil. Amberly will apply next year for theaccelerated Bachelor program in Nursing at Tech University at El Paso, whereshe hopes to attend with the ultimate goal of becoming a nurse practitioner. Herpassion and capability in kinesiology, chemistry and biology indicate that she willexcel in her career in the medical field.
in Nursing with a GPA of 3.90. His academic achievements were instru-mental in earning him the Nightingale Scholarship 2019-2020, a student scholarship sponsored by the New Mexico Center for Nursing Excellence. He is a member of the local and national student nurses association and the Sigma Theta Tau
