Colin Cahoon
Colin Cahoon, ’83 ChE
Alum Colin P. Cahoon has realized many successes, but continues to give back to one of the places where it all began — NMSU’s Chemical Engineering Department, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1983. The Colin and Susan Cahoon Chemical Engineering Endowment was established in 2005 to support the department.
Alongside monetary support, Cahoon has delivered several Verge Fund Entrepreneurship Lectures, encouraging students to look beyond traditional engineering fields upon graduation.
Cahoon helped David Rockstraw, Chemical and Materials Engineering Department Head, develop a pre‑law academic track for engineering students and helped launch the program through financial support.
Cahoon utilizes a unique blend of expertise: law, chemical engineering, and military service. As a founding partner of Dallas‑based Carstens & Cahoon, LLP, he practices as a patent lawyer in the chemical arts with a focus on international patent portfolio management, intellectual property licensing, due diligence, opinions, and expert witness testimony. He is also an inventor with four U.S. patents.
A graduate of NMSU’s Army ROTC program, Cahoon served as a helicopter pilot and was a captain in the U.S. Army, receiving the Meritorious Service Medal. He later graduated cum laude from Southern Methodist University School of Law in 1991 and was recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer® from 2012–2015.