Waded Cruzado

Since January of 2010, Dr. Waded Cruzado has served as the 12th President of Montana State University, and during that time she has significantly reshaped the face and future of the state's first land-grant institution.

An articulate and inspirational speaker on the role of the public university, President Cruzado has become well-known for her understanding of the Morrill Act, which created the land-grant university system 150 years ago. She is a passionate champion of the land-grant's tripartite mission of education, research and public outreach, as well as the important role higher education plays in the development of individuals and the prosperity of the nation.

In 2015, President Cruzado received the “Hero” Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness - Montana Chapter, for her initiative and commitment to the establishment of the MSU Center for Mental Health Research and Recovery, with an emphasis on suicidality. In that same year, President Cruzado was appointed to the inaugural Hispanic Advisory Board for TIAA-CREF.

Prior to coming to MSU, President Cruzado served as executive vice president and provost at New Mexico State University, a post she held since Sept. 1, 2007, and served as NMSU's interim president from 2008-2009. She also served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at NMSU (2003-2007) and as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Puerto Rico’s land-grant university, the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez.

A native of Puerto Rico, President Cruzado has a son, Dr. Gerald Mazo, and a daughter, Brenda Nicole Mazo. She is also the proud grandmother of Aurora and Celeste.