Former Republican Gov. Garrey Carruthers has been named New Mexico State University's new president.
The NMSU Board of Regents voted Monday 3-2 in favor of Carruthers to lead the state's second-largest four-year university.
Carruthers has been dean of NMSU's College of Business since 2003. He was governor from 1987 to 1990.
Other finalists were former Texas Tech University president Guy Bailey, former University of Nevada, Las Vegas president David Ashley, former Texas A&M University president Elsa Murano and University of Colorado Denver Dean Daniel Howard.
Barbara Couture resigned as NMSU president last fall without explanation after fewer than three years in the job. Former University of Missouri system president Manuel Pacheco has been serving as interim president.
NMSU's main campus has an enrollment of more than 17,000 students.