The 21st president of The University of New Mexico won't have to be taught how to navigate the school's signature "woof, woof, woof" cheer. After all, Robert G. Frank holds three degrees from UNM and hails from Las Cruces, although he's the only member of his family to be a Lobo rather than an Aggie.

His knowledge of the university and the state helped give Frank a leg up on the other presidential finalists, but just as essential is Frank's understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the university.

Key among those are improving a dismal freshmen retention rate (74 percent, the lowest in 10 years), moving to make faculty salaries nationally competitive and retaining the best and the brightest high school students, all while managing for excellence in lean times. He starts with another advantage — no one has to sell Frank on the value of a UNM education. It is as a Lobo that he made his way in academia, rising to top spots at the University of Florida and Kent State University, most recently as provost there. At Kent State, Frank helped improve freshmen retention by some 5 percent; he also helped increase the number of international students, from 450 to 1,800 — a savvy way to bring in more tuition dollars in this dismal economic climate.

In Frank, UNM has found someone who can hit the ground running with his New Mexico roots and outside-the-state experience. Wisely, Frank came in asking for a lower salary than his predecessor, David Schmidly, and will be satisfied to live in university housing rather than receiving extra dollars for a home away from campus. The tens of thousands of dollars saved in the president's pay will be directed to academics, a necessary re-ordering of priorities.

Perhaps that gesture, and Frank's determination to spend the first months as president listening — to students, staff, community members and faculty — will assuage those members of the faculty who had opposed Frank's appointment. Regents took those concerns into consideration, but in the end, believed Frank to be the right man for this important job. It is hard to argue with Frank's combination of experience, intelligence and belief in his alma mater. While we were skeptical that a president disliked by the faculty should be the choice, it is clear that opposition to Frank was hardly widespread and that he will work hard to improve the administrative-academic relationship. He is fortunate, too, that many of the larger problems UNM had faced — an embarrassing football coach among them — have been dealt with, leaving the new president a fresh slate.

Consider the challenges that still remain. UNM is the go-to university for many students unprepared for college work, while too many of the state's top scholars leave to go out-of-state. Frank has to figure out how to admit better-prepared students without ruffling feathers because some might be turned away, while wooing more top minds to stay home. The state's higher-education budget is flat, with the new funding formula being proposed by Gov. Susana Martinez one that could leave UNM financially strapped. Then there's the perception that administration is top-heavy and spends too much; Frank plans to study UNM's structure even before taking office on June 1 and make changes if necessary once on the job. On top of that, there is the complexity that comes with running the UNM Health Sciences Center — one reason Frank got the job had to do with his experience in health. He's a clinical psychologist and has served as dean of the College of Public Health and Health Professions at the University of Florida.

Now, those disparate experiences — from his early days in Las Cruces to college at UNM to work at Missouri, Florida and Kent State universities — will come together as Frank takes over the reins at The University of New Mexico. It's a big job, but for Frank, becoming the president of his alma mater is a dream come true. We wish him well as he returns home to lead the university he loves to greater excellence and achievement.