Finalist for MSU president job on NM short list

One of the frontrunners to succeed Clif Smart as president of Missouri State is also on the short list to lead another university.

Richard "Biff " Williams, former president of Utah Tech University, was named a finalist Friday for president of New Mexico State University, one of the state's flagship campuses. Its enrollment, across the system, is comparable to Missouri State.

Williams is one of three finalists — along with John Jasinski and Roger Thompson — to serve as Missouri State's 12th president. He is slated to visit the Springfield and West Plains campuses in mid-February.

He is one of five finalists for New Mexico State University's top job. That institution's Board of Regents announced the names in a special meeting Friday. The others include:

h Michael Galyean, distinguished professor in the Department of Veterinary Sciences and former provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Texas Tech University;

h Wayne Jones, provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of New Hampshire;

h Austin Lane, chancellor of Southern Illinois University;

h John Volin, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost of the University of Maine.

Williams served as president of Utah Tech University — previously Dixie State University — from 2014 through early 2024.

He added more than 100 academic programs during his tenure, including the first graduate degrees. He also grew student enrollment by 50% and expanded the footprint of the university.

Williams steered the university through a name change and the move to Division I athletics, where its identity was rebranded as the Trailblazers in 2016.

Under his leadership, the university nearly doubled its scholarship funds and increased the salaries of teachers and staff. He oversaw major construction projects including the new Science,

Engineering & Technology building, a new grandstand, a Human Performance Center and the first new on-campus student housing in 50 years.

Previously, he served as provost and vice president for academic affairs and was the founding dean of the College of Nursing, Health and Human Services at Indiana State University.

He also was associate dean of the College of Education at the University of Northern Iowa, where he was a faculty member, executive associate director of the School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services, and Athletic Training department chair.

He has a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from New Mexico State University, master's degree in athletic training from Indiana State University and a bachelor's degree in lifestyle management from Weber State University.

In a news release, board chair Ammu Devasthali said campus visits from each candidate will begin in late February. “We look forward to getting to know each of the candidates and learning how they fit our vision for the next leader of the NMSU system."

The NMSU search involved contracting with a national firm. The search conducted by Missouri State, which was also national in scope, was led by a 20member committee made up of students, faculty, staff, alumni, university administrators, community and board members.

In all, 48 candidates completed applications for the university's top job. The applicants were not publicly named.

Following an extensive review, 11 candidates were invited to interview in person Jan. 3-5 at a Kansas City airport hotel. The university said the pool was diverse "in terms of race, sex, age, geographic region, institutional size, and professional background."

Smart plans to step down this summer. Missouri State hopes to name his successor by March.