Richard “Biff” Williams, one of three finalists to become Missouri State University's next president, was named one of five candidates for the president's job at New Mexico State in Las Cruces.
The New Mexico State University Board of Regents announced its finalists at a special meeting on Friday, Feb. 2.
They include Williams, 52, who last month stepped down as president of Utah Tech University to pursue career advancement. He had been there 10 years.
Williams received his doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction at New Mexico State University in 1998.
The other two finalists for the job at Missouri State are John Jasinski and Roger Thompson.
Jasinski, 61, has served as provost for Missouri State since 2022, and was president of Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville for 13 years prior.
Thompson, 57, is vice president for student services and enrollment management for the University of Oregon. He has been at the University of Oregon for 14 years.
All three are expected to visit the Springfield and West Plains campuses later this month. They will meet with the public.
In fact, Williams is the first of the three slated to come to Springfield. He is expected to be in West Plains on Feb. 14 and then in Springfield on Feb. 15.
All 5 finalists in New Mexico are men
According to the press release from New Mexico State, the search process there will include campus visits from each of the five candidates beginning in late February.
All five finalists for the New Mexico State University job are men; one of them is Black.
In addition to Williams, the other four finalists are:
• Michael Galyean, Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor in the department of veterinary sciences and former provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Texas Tech University
• Wayne Jones, provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of New Hampshire
• Austin Lane, chancellor of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale
• John Volin, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost of the University of Maine
For additional information about the presidential search process at Missouri State, including updates, visit https://www.missouristate.edu/President/Search/
For additional information about the presidential search process at New Mexico State University, including updates, visit nmsu.edu/president-search.
