Montoya Named New Student Regent

SOCORRO, N.M., March 12, 2001 -- Albuquerque native Anthony Lewis Montoya, Jr., a senior majoring in electrical engineering at New Mexico Tech, recently was appointed by Governor Johnson and confirmed by the state legislature as the newest member of the New Mexico Tech Board of Regents, the university's five-member governing board.

Before assuming his undergraduate studies as a transfer student at New Mexico Tech, Montoya, a graduate of West Mesa High School, was a top student at the Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute, where he graduated with honors with two certificates in electronic process control and electronic semiconductor manufacturing and also with honors with three associate of applied science degrees in electronic process control, electronic semiconductor manufacturing, and pre-engineering.

Montoya is the son of Anthony L. Montoya, Sr. and Loretta P. Montoya of Albuquerque.

"I harbor a deep interest in student representation which is instilled with pride in my attending New Mexico Tech," Montoya says. "As a student regent, I wish to maintain the integrity of the school, as well as ensure that the reputation it carries will last for many more generations.

"In addition, keeping New Mexico Tech recognized as one of the top research and engineering universities is my primary focus," he adds.

Besides being recently named student regent at New Mexico Tech, Montoya also has several other academic honors to his credit, including being selected last year as one of the top 100 Hispanic college students in the U.S.A. by Super Onda magazine.

He also was named last year to the All-New Mexico Academic Team by Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of two-year colleges. Montoya, a member of Phi Theta Kappa since 1994, also more recently was inducted into Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society.

While attending Albuquerque TVI on an Intel Opportunity Scholarship, Montoya was selected the recipient of the community college's 1998 Outstanding Achievement in Technology Award.

Montoya, who is a FCC-certified Technician Class Amateur Radio Operator, also is an active member of the New Mexico Tech Amateur Radio Club, and lists additional current memberships in
the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Tech Physics Club, Tech Golf Club, and New Mexico MESA.

In addition to his studies at New Mexico Tech, Montoya is employed at the research university as a tutor for calculus and electronics courses. He is also an active volunteer for America Reads Challenge and the Youth Literacy Program, as well as a mentor for Youth Development, Inc. in Albuquerque and at Tech.

"New Mexico Tech is, in my opinion, one big family," Montoya relates. "You aren't just a number here since all the staff and faculty know who you are. Tech is a very unique environment in
which to receive such a quality education."