** 2024 Commencement Updates **

** 2024 Commencement Updates **

Dr. Sam Minner Selected as Next NMHU President

Las Vegas, NM – The New Mexico Highlands Board of Regents selected Sam Minner June 29 as the university’s next president.

Minner, who was the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Radford University in Virginia, will start at Highlands July 1.

“We feel Dr. Minner understands and appreciates the role and mission of Highlands University,” said Regent Frank Marchi. “He has servant-leadership qualities, and he is in a strong position to move the university forward.”

At Radford, Minner was the chief academic officer for the institution, which has 9,850 graduate and undergraduate students and 69 undergraduate degree programs, 21 master’s degree programs and three doctoral programs.

“Dr. Minner increased total enrollment at Radford by 10 percent and minority enrollment by 82 percent,” said Highlands Regents Chairman Leveo Sanchez. “The board’s agreement was unanimous.”

Before his work at Radford, Minner was the founding dean of the School of Health Sciences and Education at Truman State University, and the chair of the Department of Instructional Leadership at Northern Arizona University.

Minner replaces Highlands’ outgoing president, James Fries, who took the helm in January 2007 and served as Highlands interim president from 2001-2002.

The HU Board of Regents selected Minner out of a pool of 52 applicants and six finalists.