On the recordApril 7, 2025
I rise today to honor an esteemed, great Montana leader: Dr. Waded Cruzado. Dr. Cruzado has served as the beloved president of Montana State University, my alma mater, since 2010. In fact, three of our four children graduated from Montana State during her tenure as president. For over 15 years, she has been a tireless leader, pushing MSU to new heights both academically and in athletics. Her passion for the success of her students has transformed not only the MSU campus but our great State of Montana as well. The impact of Dr. Cruzado's leadership is felt and seen by students, faculty, and community members all across Montana. Frankly, the results speak for themselves. MSU is now one of the top public universities in the entire country. As a fellow Bobcat myself from 1984, I couldn't be more proud. In fact, under her leadership, we saw recordbreaking accomplishments at Montana State University. Student enrollment increased by 26 percent to over 17,000 students, making MSU the largest university in Montana. Importantly, the student retention rate grew to 75 percent. That is the highest it has been in 30 years. Graduation rates increased to the highest they have been in more than 20 years. When you look at the annual research expenditures, Montana State's has increased by 162 percent, making MSU the leading research institution in our great State.…
