MSU president to make first visit to MSU-N

The new president of Montana State University will be in Havre today, starting a tour of the community and Havre's branch of the Montana University System. The tour includes a forum with members of the Havre and Montana State University-Northern communities Wednesday afternoon, part of what President Waded Cruzado has characterized as her chance to learn about the state, the communities and the campuses of Montana State University. Cruzado took office last month. She was selected by a search committee to take the place of President Geoff Gamble, who announced his retirement last year. Gamble took office as president in December 2000. Cruzado was selected from a pool of three finalists to take Gamble's place. She left her job as executive vice president and provost at New Mexico State University to become Montana State University's 12th president. Cruzado is scheduled to fly in to Havre today and will meet with community leaders and people with ties to Northern at a dinner tonight. She will begin visiting the Northern campus, including meeting with representatives of the faculty, administrative staff and students of the university over the next two days. An open forum with students is scheduled for Tuesday, and tours of other facilities such as the Montana State University Hill County Extension Agency and the Northern Agricultural Research Center at Fort Assinniboine south of Havre also are planned. Cruzado also is scheduled to meet with representatives of the board of the Montana State University-Northern Foundation and with local elected officials. The forum with community members is set for 4 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Hensler Auditorium in the Applied Technology Center on the Northern campus.