New Mexico State University (NMSU) has named Thomas Bunton as its new associate vice president and chief information officer.
Bunton joins the NMSU system after serving as the associate vice chancellor and at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where he was responsible for the strategic vision and leadership of information technology initiatives for the university. In a press release, NMSU said Bunton was selected following a nationwide search, and will begin his new role in mid-April.
“I’m extremely excited about the role NMSU plays in New Mexico and its broad mission of education, research, and extension,” Bunton said. “The campus is positioned perfectly to make a tremendous positive impact on the state and region.”
Prior to his time at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Bunton also held technology leadership positions at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee and Purdue University.
Bunton said he sees information technology and data becoming more integrated with universities’ missions.
“Community access and level of seamless experience will be the strategic differentiator between higher education organizations,” Bunton said. “As technologists and educators, we need to make certain any barriers to technology, commonly referred to as the digital divide, doesn’t provide significant obstacles to access or success.”
Bunton earned a doctorate in organizational communication from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. He earned a master of science degree in computer and information technology, as well as his bachelor’s degree with a double major in pre-law and psychology, from Purdue University.
“Thomas Bunton is the kind of dynamic leader who can take our information technology enterprise in the NMSU system to a new level,” said NMSU Vice Chancellor Ruth Johnston. “We’re fortunate to be able to recruit such a talented individual to this critical position and we look forward to welcoming him to our campus and the Las Cruces community.
