Dear HEST community,
Welcome to the fall 2025 issue of Pinnacle!
I am tremendously privileged to have been selected to serve as dean of the College of HEST. I am grateful to the incredible leadership team, department heads, school directors, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members who truly make HEST transformational. HEST is a singular college which champions a bold vision for innovative solutions in health, social sciences, and education for New Mexico and the borderlands region.
HEST currently serves more than 2,700 undergraduate students and more than 1,200 graduate students, and is led by nearly 200 faculty members and more than 150 staff members. We are home to nine dynamic academic units, numerous impactful research and outreach centers, countless sponsored projects and research and extension partnerships serving the state and region, and essential clinical operations committed to improving the lives of southern New Mexico families.
In this issue, you will read about some of the amazing work we are doing to continue our excellence in research, teaching and community engagement. We are highlighting the transformative impact our building expansion and renovation projects will have for our students and New Mexico. Discussing the positive impact our outreach and clinics have had on our children and families, the innovative new research our faculty are conducting and the story of legacy giving by one of our alumni.
I could not be prouder of who we are, the contributions we make toward NMSU's land-grant mission, or our robust engagement with communities and students across the state and region. Our students become experts in their fields through hands-on experiential learning and the cutting-edge scholarship of our faculty. Our students graduate and get great jobs right away. Our students become strong leaders who are difference makers. HEST is a place to get involved, to embrace an identity of strength and servingness, and to advance the aspirations of New Mexico communities and families.
I hope to see you soon, and I invite you to join us in carrying out our slogan: Learn. Engage. Transform. As always, go Aggies!
In partnership,
Rick Marlatt