Welcome From The President

Allow me to credit several key groups of people who have made this success possible and will no doubt continue to do the same in the future. These people have been contributors to every part of the success and accomplishments you have read about in the past and that will be highlighted in this first digital edition of the Fiat Lux newsletter.

Jessica Manning

The first group I will highlight is the ASU Events Staff led by Jessica Manning, Director of Business Services. These heroes work before, during, and after each event making sure everything is in place and then returned to a normal state at the end. There were over 3,000 events, ranging from the West Texas Legislative Summit to the ASU Christmas Tree Lighting, which brought over 142,000 people onto our campus. The staff continually lives out our Core Values of Commitment and Community by ensuring that every event is a positive and memorable one for everyone who attends.

James Adams

The next group of unsung heroes is the ASU Police Department, led by James Adams, Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police. Many of us notice the police when the lights are flashing, but very few realize they are also “in attendance” and on duty during every one of the events that take place on campus. They are on duty 24/7 making sure our students, staff, and visitors are protected. What typically goes unnoticed are the number of times our police officers are in the background during the events on campus, making sure the environment remains safe for everyone. I read the police blotter every day and am continually impressed with the professionalism and dedication of our police force, whether they are doing a welfare check on an individual or performing a traffic stop.

Cody Guins

The last group I want to give a shout-out to is the ASU Grounds and Facilities and Operations crew, led by Cody Guins, Executive Director of Facilities Services. Cody and his crew meticulously maintain ASU’s picturesque, 268-acre campus located in the heart of San Angelo. The grounds are expertly maintained by this dedicated group of men and women who take pride in their craft. There is not a week that goes by that I do not receive several compliments on the aesthetic beauty of our campus landscape. That is also the case for our facilities – new and old – and we have some old facilities on the campus. The ASU Facilities and Operations Crew can be found repairing and renovating buildings on campus, as well as designing and building new facilities.

Speaking of new facilities, we will do several ribbon-cuttings this year that include the renovated Vandeventer Plaza, where the ASU Police Department is now located. Additionally, the ASU Rambelles Soccer Club House, the Housley Bell Tower, the renovated ASU Elta Joyce Murphey Auditorium, the new ASU Barn at the Management, Instruction, and Research (MIR) Center that will be part of the Shelley New Show Cattle Program, the ASU Rodeo Complex, and the ASU Short-game Golf Course that will be adjacent to the intramural fields will also hold ribbon-cuttings. All these facilities were made possible, apart from the Vandeventer Plaza, through generous donations by loyal supporters of Angelo State.

We made great strides and reached many goals in 2023, and I believe this wave of momentum will be repeated and exceeded in 2024. You will read about many of our accomplishments in this edition of Fiat Lux. What you might not “see” when you are reading the articles is the common thread running throughout the newsletter, and that is the grit and focus of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and incredible donor base to make Angelo State University – THE ASU – an innovative university by the end of this decade. We are just six short years away from that landmark.

Go as a Ram.

Ronnie D. Hawkins Jr., Lt Gen (ret), USAF
President, Angelo State University