College highlights in 2021:

• Submitted nearly $35 million in grant proposals for the Fiscal Year 2021.
• Continue to lead university in enrollment number for Fall 2021with 2,053 undergraduates and 1,085 graduates - totaling in 3,138.
• Launched a permanent/new dean search
• Launched HEST Transition Committee
• Met with HEST Advisory Council and shared program priorities

Strategic priorities for the college in 2022:

• Partner with community colleges
• Recruit with high schools
• Improve social media presence
• Collaborate with MARCOMM
• Direct contact with students/families

Spring 2022 College of HEST Opening Program
Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 3 p.m. Both in person and via Zoom.
More details coming. 

Recommendations from New Mexico Higher Education for capital outlay - 

• To plan, design, construct, renovate, furnish, and equip the School of Nursing Skills and Simulation Center in the Health and Social Services building - $2M - attribute to School of Nursing
• To plan, design, construct, renovate, furnish and equip the Health and Social Sciences Building and O'Donnell Hall - $13.5M

Brags from the School of TPAL:

• Addressed New Mexico educator vacancies by tripling enrollment in the Teacher Education Program and increasing the number of classroom teachers through Project THRIVE, a teacher residency grant which is fully funding 15 new special education teachers in the Las Cruces Public Schools and Gadsden Independent Schools.
• Graduated 153 graduate students across master's and doctoral programs in Educational Leadership and Administration, Special Education, and Curriculum and Instruction. 

Brags from the School of Social Work:

• Completed and submitted Self-Study Documents for the reaffirmation of the School’s accreditation.
• Hired three college faculty members to serve as director and coordinators of the school’s field education program. 

Brags from the School of Nursing:

• Dr. Doig presented before the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee 
• Created new brochures/tri-fold to create awareness about nursing profession

Brags from the Department of Communication Studies:

• 34 families served in the ERG. We also have had 10 families who either already received or are currently in the process of receiving diagnostic services in the ADC.
• 76 graduate apps started. Deadline February 1.

Brags from the Department of Sociology:

• Revamped its website (see at https://sociology.nmsu.edu) 
• Conducting two faculty searches
• Dr. LoConto released new book, The Story of Sociological Theory, Contextualizing Social Thinker. More books coming. 

Brags from the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology:

• Welcomed two new faculty to the department – Dr. Bo Hyun Lee and Dr. CJ Park
• Accomplished a lot in the accreditation front – Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology accredited for an additional 10 years, Ed.S. in School Psychology for another 8 years, M.S. in Clinical Psychopharmacology continued its APA Designation, M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling submitted its self-study to be re-accredited, and the Ph.D. in School Psychology submitted its initial self-study to pursue APA accreditation!

Brags from the Department of Public Health Sciences:

• Secured a $685,000 contract with the NM Department of Health to enable faculty members to do research as part of a newly created Academic Health Department.
• Completed a new strategic plan.
• Hired three new tenure track faculty members.
• Hired a new full-time field education coordinator.
• Jagdish Khubchandani was listed as one of two professors in the College of HEST among the top 2 percent of scientists for the 2020 calendar year worldwide according to a database of top scientists created by officials from Stanford University and Elsevier.

Brags from the Department of Kinesiology:

• Dr. Sang-Rok Lee received an internal $550,000 grant from the Partnership for the Advanced Cancer Research along with his research partner from the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, Dr. David Hockenbery. Their project is entitled ‘Exercise Countermeasure Strategies to Counteract Cancer Cachexia and Starve Tumors.'
• Dr. Chris Aiken received $232,000 in HEERF monies for the reformation of entry-level anatomy and physiology labs to enhance student learning. As a result of this funding, four anatomage tables will be available to students in these classes in 2022.
• Kim Oliver was listed as one of two professors in the College of HEST among the top 2 percent of scientists for the 2020 calendar year worldwide according to a database of top scientists created by officials from Stanford University and Elsevier.