Mirage Spring 2025

SPRING 2025

THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO I ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Rhodes Scholar

Abrianna Morales (’23, BS) first alum to become a Rhodes Scholar in 20 years

The

By Mary Beth King

Abrianna Morales named

By Kiyoko Simmons and Steve Carr

Kurt Roth leads name,

By Steve Carr

Sandra Begay: Trailblazing

By Steve Carr

Albuquerque couple truly enjoys their tradition of philanthropy

By Michelle McRuiz

Brian Levant turned skills learned at UNM into

Mary Beth King

Annual awards presented by Alumni Association

What’s going on around campus

Chile roasts anyone?

Alumni

See

Mary Beth

Opera

By Carly Bowling

ON THE COVER

Rhodes Scholar recipient

Abrianna Morales (’23 BS)

Photo: Gabby O’Keefe Photography

Spring 2025, Volume 45, Number 1

The University of New Mexico

Garnett S. Stokes, President

Connie Beimer (’76 BA, ’79 MPA)

Vice President, Alumni Relations, Executive Director Alumni Association

UNM Alumni Association

Executive Committee

President

Dr. Kenneth Armijo (’05 BS, ’08 MS, ’11 PhD)

President-Elect

Aprilyn Chavez-Geissler (’96 BS)

Past President

Jaymie Roybal (’12 BA/BS, ’16 JD)

Treasurer

Joe Ortiz, (’14 BBA)

Appointed Members

Ryan Ferguson (’05 BUS)

Erica Krause-Muñoz (’10 BA)

Amy Miller (’85 BA, ’93 MPA)

Michele Ziegler (’04 BBA)

Mirage Editorial

Vice President

Connie Beimer (’76 BA, ’79 MPA)

Managing Editor Steve Carr (’90 BA)

Graphic Design, Intuitive Design

Address correspondence to MirageEditor@unm.edu or The University of New Mexico Alumni Association, MSC 01-1160, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131-0001. You can also contact us at (505) 277-1889.

Web: UNMAlumni.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/UNMAlumni

Instagram: Instagram.com/UNMAlumni

Flickr: Flickr.com/UNMAlumni

Twitter: @UNMAlumni

Mirage was the title of the University of New Mexico yearbook until its final edition in 1978. The title was then adopted by the alumni magazine, which continues to publish vignettes about UNM graduates and news of the University.

DEAR LOBOS,

At the University of New Mexico, we take pride in being more than an academic institution—we are a cornerstone of service, innovation, and collaboration across our state. Our mission extends far beyond the borders of our campuses; it lives in the neighborhoods we support, the partnerships we cultivate, and the lives we touch.

Commitment to community, generosity of spirit, and an endless capacity for kindness are all hallmarks of the Lobo way of life—and in this issue of Mirage, you’ll read more about some of the many ways UNM is changing lives by engaging with the greater Lobo community and by supporting our own university—and each other.

Giving back at UNM isn’t confined to awards or accolades—it’s something we live every day. Our students, faculty, and staff continue to inspire with their dedication to service. From tutoring in local schools through the UNM Service Corps, to organizing food drives, neighborhood clean-ups, and voter registration efforts, our campus community is constantly finding ways to make a difference.

And speaking of giving back to the community, you’ll also read in this issue all about our 2025 Rhodes Scholar, Abrianna Morales—UNM’s first Rhodes Scholar in more than two decades. As part of her impressive resume, Abrianna is a community advocate and the founder of Sexual Assault Youth Support Network that helps provide assault survivors with resources and support. But that’s only part of her incredible story. You can read more in this issue about what makes Abrianna such an extraordinary Lobo—and you’ll see why we’re so proud of her.

Have a great Spring, Lobos!

Garnett S. Stokes President, The University

of New Mexico

Our UNM Legacy

Double UNM alumna Maribeth has dedicated her life to healthcare and is the Chief Nursing Officer at the UNM Hospital. Chris is a senior systems engineer with Boeing. Through their estate, they are supporting education for nurses and business students. They encourage alumni to give back because education is a ticket to furthering careers and opening minds to new horizons.

The Thorntons are members of the New Horizons Society, a group honoring individuals and families who have included UNM in their estate plans. For more information about how you can create a legacy at UNM or to share that you’ve already done so, please contact Bonnie McLeskey at (505) 313-7610 or bonnie.mcleskey@unmfund.org.

Look forward by giving back.

Maribeth Thornton (MBA ‘96, PhD ‘17) and Chris Thornton

DEAR LOBO ALUMNI,

As we move into summer at The University of New Mexico, I’m excited to share a few important updates from the UNM Alumni Relations Office and your UNM Alumni Association.

The past year has been a vibrant and transformative period for UNM, marked by our support for significant achievements in academics, research, athletics, and alumni engagement.

Academically, UNM has continued to foster innovation and excellence. Notably, researchers at the UNM Health Sciences Center led groundbreaking studies on microplastics, identifying their presence in human placentas and tracking their movement from the gut to vital organs like the liver and brain. These findings have sparked global conversations about environmental health and safety. Dr. Matt Campen, a leader in this research, presented his findings to our Alumni board of directors and most recently was awarded the Association’s outstanding researcher award.

We continued our support and promotions of UNM athletics. The UNM Lobos men's basketball team had an impressive 2024–25 season, finishing with a 27–8 record and clinching the Mountain West regular-season championship and moving on to the NCAA March Madness. Shortly thereafter, the University of New Mexico appointed Eric Olen as the new head coach of the men's basketball team. His leadership and commitment to student-athlete development are expected to usher in a new era of success for the Lobos. Meanwhile, the football program underwent an exciting leadership change as well, welcoming Jason Eck as the new head coach, signaling a fresh direction for the team. We are already working with Coach Eck on several alumni engagement events and activities. And we welcomed new Athletic Director Fernando Lovo to our Lobo family.

The UNM Alumni Association continues to be instrumental in strengthening the bond between the University and its alumni. We are proud to announce the successful launch of the first cohort of the Mission Collaborative Career Exploration and Design Program. This virtual, structured experience is helping students and alumni alike clarify their career goals and build valuable professional skills. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and participation continues to grow—proof that our Lobo community is eager for lifelong career support.

In celebration of the Class of 2025, we hosted a series of Senior Sendoff events. These gatherings welcomed our newest graduates into the alumni family and offer job search support, professional headshots, networking opportunities, and a dose of cherished Lobo traditions.

Looking ahead, we’re gearing up for a statewide alumni outreach initiative launching this summer. Using enhanced data analysis and updated contact records, we’re planning a slate of regional receptions, strategic chapter engagement opportunities, and expanded programming to deepen our connections with alumni across New Mexico.

Thank you for your continued support of UNM and your fellow Lobos. Whether you’re just beginning your alumni journey or have been a proud member of this community for decades, we are always stronger together.

Go Lobos!

Vice President (’76 BA, ’78 MPA) UNM Alumni Relations & Executive Director, UNM Alumni Association

HODGIN HALL: THE HEART OF UNM’S HISTORY

by Mary Beth King

Every day, members of the Lobo community pass by Hodgin Hall on The University of New Mexico campus. Yet, many may not realize that this stately building once housed the entirety of UNM—administration, faculty and staff offices, the library, laboratories, and classrooms—all in a single structure perched on a mesa overlooking Albuquerque.

A historic landmark

Constructed in 1890 for $26,000, Hodgin Hall, the oldest building on the UNM campus, has undergone several name changes reflecting its evolving purpose. Originally called the University Building until 1898, it became the Main Building until 1900 and then the Administration Building until 1936. It was finally renamed Hodgin Hall in honor of Charles C. Hodgin, a champion of public education and a member of UNM’s first graduating class in 1894.

Today, Hodgin Hall stands among more than 100 buildings on the modern UNM campus and is home to the UNM Alumni Relations Office and Alumni Association. Beyond its administrative function, it is a treasure trove of UNM history, art, and memorabilia, with venue operations

manager Raymond Armijo as its unofficial historian and tour guide. Armijo’s connection to the building is personal—his grandmother, Condrada Armijo, worked as part of the custodial staff there in the 1930s.

A building with a story

UNM was established by the Territorial Legislature in 1889, and three years later, its first building opened with 108 students enrolled in pre-college prep and teacher training courses. Initially designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, the red-brick structure featured a high-pitched roof and rows of arched windows. However, the weight of the massive roof caused the walls to bulge, necessitating a major 1908 remodel. The building was transformed into the Pueblo Revival style, more reflective of the Southwest, with a vigasupported flat roof, stucco-covered brick, and a viga-topped portal at the east entrance.

Remnants of the original structure remain visible. Inside the library, arched windows from the building’s early days peek through the Pueblo-style façade. An old coal fireplace stands outside the boardroom, and a 1908 safe that once stored student records now serves as a storage room.

The original Hodgin Hall.

Hodgin Hall today. Photo by Brandon Bennett.

One of the most fascinating features is a "truth window" on the bottom floor, revealing the building’s original sandstone foundation. Behind it lies a time capsule first buried by the Class of 1908. When opened in 2011 during a major renovation, the capsule contained a class pennant, an edition of the UNM Weekly newspaper, a Mirage yearbook, a 1905 UNM songbook, a commencement schedule, and a handwritten letter describing its burial. A new time capsule, set to be opened in 2111, was placed in its stead.

A living museum

Hodgin Hall is filled with historical artifacts linked to notable figures in UNM’s history. Among them are former UNM President Thomas Popejoy’s football shoe that kicked a game-winning goal in 1924, his handcrafted desk from the 1930s, and a desk once used by former UNM President James Zimmerman. The Alumni Lounge, formerly the Lettermen’s Lounge, is furnished in Southwestern style, houses a complete collection of Mirage yearbooks in glass cases.

Armijo highlights some of his favorite pieces: a maroon sofa with lion-faced armrests, a chandelier featuring a phoenix and mythical creatures, and an inlaid bar with claw feet—each foot boasting nine toes.

"The furniture is just as special as the paintings," he notes.

Beyond furnishings, Hodgin Hall doubles as an art museum featuring works by UNM educator Raymond Jonson, alumnus Angus McPherson, Corrales artist B.C. Nowlin, Santa Fe artist Fremont Ellis, and Western painter Charlie Dye. Native American art is interwoven throughout, including a massive Navajo rug in the thirdfloor Bobo Room. One of its most remarkable pieces is an original portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart, the same image used on the one-dollar bill.

One of the first things visitors notice is the building’s gleaming red oak floors, which add to its historic charm.

"I love the sound of the wood floors," Armijo says, noting that framed sections of the original flooring have been preserved in the Bobo Room.

Outside, a symbol of UNM pride stands prominently. The original tin "U" placed on the roof and once illuminated with electric bulbs—difficult to change when they burned out—was replaced in 2012 with a cast bronze "U" at the main entrance. This beloved landmark now lights up in different colors for special occasions and serves as a favorite backdrop for graduation photos. Lobo sculptures in front of Hodgin Hall and behind it in Tight Grove, an arboretum extending to historic Route 66, further enhance the area’s beauty.

"Working in Hodgin Hall is like stepping into a living piece of history every day," says Connie Beimer, Vice President of Alumni Relations. "The building exudes

The Bobo Room set up for an alumni dinner.

the charm and legacy of UNM’s past while remaining a hub of activity."

A gathering place for Lobos

With UNM celebrating its 136th anniversary last February, Hodgin Hall continues to play an integral role

in university life. It hosts student events, alumni gatherings, award ceremonies, and meetings, ensuring that its legacy endures.

"Alumni and visitors are always captivated by Hodgin Hall," Beimer adds. "It’s a bridge between past and present, sparking nostalgia and pride."

Keeping the legacy alive

Hodgin Hall remains a vibrant space where past and present UNM students connect. People can donate through the UNM Foundation to the UNM Alumni Association. These donations help maintain the building and its historic furnishings, ensuring Hodgin Hall continues to serve the Lobo community for generations to come.

Self-guided tours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Brochures detailing the building’s highlights are available at the front desk and online. Personalized and group tours can be scheduled by appointment through the Alumni Relations Office at 505-277-1889.

Whether visiting to explore UNM’s history, admire its art, or take in the nostalgia, Hodgin Hall remains a beloved landmark—one that tells the story of a university that started in a single building and grew into a world-class R1 institution.

The Hodgin Hall library contains books written by UNM alumni. Photo by Brandon Bennett.

The Alumni Lounge is comfortably furnished in Southwestern style. Photo by Brandon Bennett.

ABRIANNA MORALES

NAMED A PRESTIGIOUS

RHODES SCHOLAR

Morales becomes UNM’s first Rhodes Scholarship recipient since 2001

Story by Kiyoko Simmons & Steve Carr Graduation photos taken by Gabby O’Keefe Photography

“I most look forward to becoming a part of a global community of scholars and changemakers who are committed to making our world a better place.”

ONE OF THE 32 U.S. RECIPIENTS

It was a surreal moment late last year when Abrianna Morales heard her name called as one of the 32 U.S. recipients of the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. The announcement itself happened following a long day of interviews and deliberation in downtown Denver.

“I was stunned and in complete disbelief,” said Morales. “The room, the scholarship—none of it felt real, especially at first. It wasn’t until the other finalists started hugging me that it really started to sink in. At first, all I could think to say was ‘thank you.’ I called my fiancé first, then my mother. It was an incredibly joyful, surreal experience.”

Morales, who graduated summa cum laude in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Criminology, has demonstrated a commitment to youth empowerment and victim advocacy. During her time at UNM, she was a Presidential Scholarship recipient, a 2022 Truman Scholar, and a researcher in both the McNair Scholars Program and the Psychology Honors Program.

The Rhodes Scholarship provides full funding for two years of graduate study at the University of Oxford, one of the world’s leading academic institutions.

“I am so honored and privileged to have been selected as a 2025 Rhodes Scholar,” said Morales. “Though I am incredibly excited to pursue studies at the University of Oxford, I most look forward to becoming a part of a global community of scholars and changemakers who are committed to making our world a better place.”

Morales has never been outside the United States before so this whole experience— heading to the UK, to Oxford—will be entirely new. “I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to meet new people, explore new perspectives, and immerse myself in different

cultures. There’s so much to learn both in and outside of the classroom, and I’m ready to see what’s out there. If I had to name something I’m excited about, I would say that I’m really looking forward to seeing the libraries at Oxford, particularly the Bodleian Library. There’s so much knowledge within those halls and it’s such a privilege to have access to it.”

Morales’ journey as an advocate began in 2017 when she founded the Sexual Assault Youth Support Network (SAYSN), a nonprofit organization born out of her personal experience of victimization at the age of 15. This traumatic experience fueled her determination to uplift the experiences and perspectives of young people impacted by gender-based violence. During UNM’s campus nomination process, the selection committee was struck by her strong commitment and her profound intention to

“Abrianna is an exceptional individual who is always seeking ways to improve the lives of others … She has shown that scholarship and service go hand in hand.”

serve others. While her motivation is rooted in her own experience, her focus is on advocating for others, not on her own victimhood. As the founder of Sexual Assault Youth Support Network, Morales has worked to address the needs of young sexual assault survivors by providing vital resources and support. Currently, she is leading efforts to create a national victim service corps program for college students interested in serving crime victims. As a program manager with the National Organization for Victim Advocacy (NOVA), she oversees the nationwide Victim Advocacy Corps, a pilot program that aims to elevate the next generation of leaders in victim services by providing college students across the country with victim advocacy training, credentialing, mentorship, and paid, field placement experience. To date, this program has recruited, mobilized, and credentialed

The 32 Rhodes Scholars chosen from the United States will join an international group of Scholars chosen from 25 other jurisdictions (more than 70 countries) around the world, and two Global Scholars from any country in the world without its own Scholarship.

14 new advocates across Montana, New Mexico, Texas, Mississippi, Colorado, and Washington, D.C.

While Morales’ commitment to uplifting youth voices started in victim advocacy, it hasn’t stopped there. In addition to her leadership of NOVA’s Victim Advocacy Corps, she has also collaborated with The Allstate Foundation on their work to empower youth to serve their communities. Through this work, she has developed a deep interest in the ways that young people’s sense of identity motivate them to serve their community. Morales’ personal evolution —from victim to advocate to a change-maker dedicated to improving young people’s lives —demonstrates her capacity for leadership and her potential for making a significant impact. Her proposed study at Oxford will equip her with the intellectual foundation and strategic insight needed for her next chapter: making a lasting difference in the lives of young people.

Morales’ academic interests center on the intersection of identity development and youth service engagement. In October 2025, she will begin a two-year master’s program in Political Thought at the University of Oxford.

This Fall, she will begin reading for a second BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at Balliol College. This degree combines the study of philosophy, politics, and economics with the aim of giving students a dynamic, interdisciplinary education in what some have called the ‘modern classics’ or ‘modern greats.’

“For the past seven years, I’ve been entirely dedicated to serving young people impacted by sexual violence—youth engagement and victim advocacy has been at the center of my professional work, my academic interests, and my personal identity—and I have long been committed to the idea that it is only through cross-sector, interdisciplinary approaches

that we can truly effect change,” said Morales. “While victim advocacy remains dear to me, I have been thinking a lot about the relationship between identity, narrative, and civic engagement—especially for young people.”

“In other words, how do our experiences inform the stories we tell about ourselves and our communities? How can we use narrative as a framework for thinking differently, perhaps creatively, about personal and collective development? I find these questions really compelling. They’re also deeply philosophical and political. I’d like to explore these questions—and those subjects—more thoroughly at Oxford, and I hope to bring back some answers—or at least ideas—to young people in New Mexico.

Morales’ selection marks UNM’s first Rhodes Scholarship recipient since 2001, a significant achievement reflecting the university’s dedication to cultivating academic excellence and leadership.

“As a native New Mexican, I recognize that opportunities like this are not often afforded to people in communities like ours, and I want to express how proud I am to represent and advocate for the interests and experiences of people in our state,” said Morales. “I could not have achieved this without the support and influence of my community, my friends and family, my partner, or the myriad mentors and teachers that have helped me along the way.”

One of those mentors is Dr. Kiyoko Simmons, UNM’s Fellowship Advisor, who was one of the first people Morales called with the news about receiving the Rhodes Scholarship.

“The Rhodes Scholarship is one of the most prestigious and competitive awards in the world, and Abrianna has joined an elite group of scholars who are shaping the future,” said Simmons, who coordinates nationally competitive scholarships at the UNM Honors College. “Abrianna is an exceptional individual

who is always seeking ways to improve the lives of others. She has consistently demonstrated an extraordinary ability to merge intellectual rigor with meaningful action. She has shown that scholarship and service go hand in hand.

“The Rhodes Scholarship will offer her a lifelong scholarly community and a platform to expand her impact, learn from diverse perspectives, and lead efforts to address some of the world’s most pressing issues. I couldn’t be more proud of her and am excited to see the incredible work she will continue to do. This moment underscores the talent and potential of our students at The University of New Mexico. Abrianna’s success serves as an inspiration for our community.”

“Abrianna Morales is an exceptional person who displays professional poise far beyond her years. I’ve been extremely impressed by her intelligence, her drive, and her good nature,” said Jaymes Fairfax-Columbo, a former assistant professor in UNM’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and research mentor for Morales.

“I cannot think of a more deserving individual for a Rhodes Scholarship opportunity and I’m excited to see the positive changes she’ll continue to bring into the world!”

The 32 Rhodes Scholars chosen from the United States will join an international group of Scholars chosen from 25 other jurisdictions (more than 70 countries) around the world, and two Global Scholars from any country in the world without its own Scholarship. Over 100 Rhodes Scholars were selected worldwide last year, including several who have attended American colleges and universities but who are not U.S. citizens and who have applied through their home country. 

SPORTS-LOVING LAWYER LEADS NAME, IMAGE, AND LIKENESS COLLECTIVE

Story by Steve Carr

It was 1972 when Kurt Roth started to consider colleges. He was going to graduate high school in 1973, and cities on the East Coast, Boston, D.C., and New York City, were in bad shape due to high crime rates, economic decline, and social unrest.

“There was a huge migration out west,” said Roth. “You go back 50 years and that’s when the population exploded out west. A good percentage of my classmates were headed West—California, Arizona, Colorado—so it was a natural place to look.”

Roth was somewhat familiar with life in the West when his mom took classes at Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore., in the summer when he was 16. He gave it some more thought and decided to apply to three schools out West— the University of Hawai'i, the University of Colorado, and The University of New Mexico. Paradise (Hawai’i) was his first choice, but his family balked at the travel costs to go back and forth. Air travel was a bit cheaper back in the 70s, but still a consideration for traveling from the East Coast to Hawai’i and back.

“I got into UNM sight unseen, only having read a book called The Underground Guide to the College of Your Choice, recalled Roth. “I decided to come to UNM. I’m not really sure why. I was 17 years old and don’t know what was in my brain back then. My parents were educators, so I didn't grow up with a country club or a car, but college would be paid for me and my two siblings. I looked at UNM, and it was very reasonable tuition-wise. I figured that if it didn't work out, my father wouldn’t be too mad at me if I quit, so I came to UNM and loved it.

“I had a wild first year of hitchhiking around the Southwest, following the Grateful Dead into Denver, El Paso, Phoenix and almost flunked out, but I made it. I came back and had three more years. They were great socially. I had great professors for when I wanted to go to class and pay attention. I got a great education and had an incredible time.”

The total tuition for his parents, without a scholarship or any special benefits, was $2,925 for four years of college. Roth became a resident after his first year because the

Legislature was paying if you were a resident. There were very few criteria.

“It was the best deal I've done,” said Roth. “I don't know how many, hundreds of millions of dollars of real estate transactions and deals I’ve made, but this deal was the best one I've ever seen—my tuition at UNM.”

Roth earned his Bachelor of Science in Political Science degree and decided to take some time off after graduation. He went to work for his friend’s dad, who owned a publishing company. He was making $4 an hour, “enough to survive,” at his first job out of college. He did that for a year in Washington, D.C., and realized if he was going to be on the East Coast, which he didn’t really like anymore, that he better go back to New York. He worked in publishing for another two years, started law school at UNM in 1981, and graduated two years later in 1983.

He opened his law firm shortly thereafter in 1986 as a “clueless young lawyer” and has operated the office until now. Roth got into residential and commercial real estate and represented several non-profits and churches in and around Brooklyn because the property values went skyward during his 40-year career. His business was representing churches. “Brooklyn was a destitute, crime-ridden place and became a landing spot for kids all over the United States,” he said. “The gentrification has been unbelievable.”

Known as the borough or county of churches, Brooklyn has many beautiful buildings everywhere. Churches owned much of the property, but the demographics of the churches, especially the African American churches, were aging out. The land became incredibly valuable. Roth conducted transactions that led to the building of new churches, raising incredible amounts of money for the church. The churches remained and developed the property around them while building a portfolio of nonprofit experience. He also represented some of the larger developers in Brooklyn and Manhattan dealing with large investment groups.

In the 1990s, he started earning enough income to fly back to New Mexico for basketball games. He soon became involved with the various coaching staffs and started helping with East Coast recruiting. He recalled his days as a student when his love for Lobo athletics began.

“I was always a sports guy,” Roth recalled. “The first year I was here in 1973-74, the Lobos were led by a kid out of Brooklyn, Bernard Hardin. We won the WAC Championship. So, there was an instant attraction. The Pit was amazing. There was no development on the floor level and no suites yet. Students sat on the court, at center court, and not behind the basket. It was one of the greatest experiences for an 18-year-old kid who loved

“So, I was excited. I met Richard immediately.

As soon as Covid ended, I flew out for a vacation, met him, and we connected.”

Roth says.

sports to come in and feel that atmosphere. It was wild. The Pit was a vibrant place. Yeah—young entrepreneurs, bell bottoms, cowboy boots, turquoise, long hair, and Norm Ellenberger!”

FLASHING AHEAD

Throughout the years, Roth has always been involved with UNM as a booster. Seeing the importance of the role through that lens as a booster and its impact on an institution led to his involvement on the UNM Foundation’s Board of Directors for eight years, aside from the last two when he couldn’t come to New Mexico due to Covid disrupting life around the world. However, he couldn’t wait to come back to New Mexico.

“When Covid ended, I popped back in, and Richard Pitino was hired,” Roth said. “I had a preexisting relationship with his dad, Rick, who was a local guy, a couple of years older than me. I followed his career. He ran a very good program in New York. Pitino and others recruited my kids. So, I was excited. I met Richard immediately. As soon as Covid ended, I flew out for a vacation, met him, and we connected.”

Right before he came out, landscape-changing legislation in collegiate athletics, was in the works. In June 2021, the NCAA implemented an interim policy on Name, Image, and Likeness, or NIL, allowing student-athletes to

profit from their brand. In New Mexico, the NIL legislation was head-scratching.

“Literally, right before I came out, the governor signed the NIL bill into law,” said Roth. “I devoured it. It was a page and a half long. I thought it was an outline. I said, ‘holy crap.’ I knew what was going on litigation-wise. I said, ‘Well, this is a need.’ I assumed, at that point, that New Mexico, the school, the city, and the fan base would jump in headfirst. So, I jumped in. I committed $25,000 the first year and said to myself, ‘I would be able to invest maybe 10 times that amount to keep it going.’ I wish that had been the amount I invested; we're substantially more involved now. To a certain extent, the program has taken off with the success on the basketball court.”

The NIL movement led Roth to create 505SVF (Sports Venture Foundation), a New Mexico-based non-profit corporation dedicated to supporting college studentathletes seeking to monetize the use of their name, image, and likeness.

“It was a natural progression. My interest in New Mexico sports and, as an entrepreneur, as soon as I saw the court cases in the NCAA floundering, I knew this was uncharted territory and would be fun,” Roth said. “I knew exactly, as a lawyer, I could sum up what it meant. They said ‘you can't pay for play. You have to pay for their name, image, and likeness.’ So, I laughed. I said, ‘Okay, I want to pay the number one quarterback from El Paso a million dollars for his picture. I just paid for his name, image…’ Come on. These are professional athletes now, and we all get it. That'll become reality very soon.

“You know, I always laughed. If I wanted to pay the tuba player in the pep band a Mercedes or hire a law student at my law firm while they were in school, I would be applauded. I might be nuts if I bought the Mercedes, but if I bought the quarterback a bowl of green chile stew at the Frontier, we both could get in trouble. That's utterly ridiculous, illegal, and anti-American if you want to go down that road. Limiting people's ability to make money is one of the most un-American things ever legally, and here we are with a law that says you can pay these kids. They don't lose their eligibility; we're paying them to be students at The University of New Mexico. And the NCAA wants to restrict that. It's outrageous.”

With the Lobo men’s basketball team's success and record-setting year on the court and in the stands, the athletics program is at a point where the community can and needs to show its financial support. Roth highlighted UNM’s home game against Utah State this past winter.

“Considering the importance of the game, the setting, the crowd, and the quality of play on the court, it was probably one of the best five games ever played in The Pit,” said Roth. “That's what we want to get to. Now, we're at a crossroads with that program. We have an incredible history and a successful program now.”

Success often comes with a cost, and with the rapidly changing landscape in collegiate athletics, the price of success is going up. With conference realignments across the country, a transfer portal, and NIL money available to student-athletes, the haves and have-nots in collegiate sports are separated by millions of dollars. The entire community can now easily rally behind the Lobos and show its support through 505SVF. Individuals, businesses, large and small corporations, and other entities can invest in the Lobos.

“We can be a regular national contender, a top 25 contender. We can do that here,” said Roth. “New Mexico is unique in the college setting. There are just two Division-I schools in this entire state. They’re our professional teams. These players, these student-athletes, men and women, become celebrities in this town. There’s not a major league franchise within 400 miles.

“The community is emotionally invested in the logos and needs to take the next step and buy stock financially. You can now buy stock. You can direct the income to players and have them visit your business or go to your kids' Christmas and birthday parties—things you couldn't do before (NIL). You can do it now. UNM and New Mexico are perfect places for public involvement, but we haven't gotten there yet. We need to change our mindset and say, ‘this is a great place. We're going to invest in it with everything we have.’ And for me, an easy starting point was UNM athletics because it's so popular when it's successful.”

SANDRA BEGAY: TRAILBLAZING ENGINEER AND ADVOCATE FOR INDIGENOUS EMPOWERMENT

Story by Steve Carr

Sandra Begay always knew education was the key to success—both for herself and also for the various tribes she has spent decades teaching and helping to build a sustainable future.

A native New Mexican and proud Navajo woman from the GallupRehoboth area, Begay is an esteemed alumna of The University of New Mexico. She was recently promoted to Distinguished Member of Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), the highest level of technical rank at the laboratory. “I tease people that I’m one of the top nerds at Sandia,” she said, laughing.

A member of the Navajo Nation and a trailblazer in the engineering world, Begay is known for her innovative approaches to integrating sustainable technology with traditional indigenous practices. Her journey from a Navajo community to becoming a prominent figure at Sandia National Laboratories showcases her commitment both to her cultural heritage and professional excellence. Begay’s 33-year SNL journey and achievements demonstrate the profound impact that UNM graduates can have in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, particularly as many

strive to empower underrepresented communities in the sciences. Her significant contributions to engineering and sustainable energy, as well as her empowerment of Native American communities and advocacy for more Native American representation in STEM, have always hinged around a great education, an expectation her parents made clear while growing up.

“Both of my parents expected my sister, Sharlene, and I to go to college,” said Begay. “They just said that right off the bat. My mom was a first-generation college graduate. I saw her when I was young, going through school at UNM get her

Bachelor of Nursing degree. My dad had also gone to college, but he was tagged to go into the Army, so they pulled him out of school and sent him to the Army. He never finished, but they both always had that (educational) dream. That type of encouragement is just key to any success of a student. Having family and parental encouragement is a must. If you can't get that from immediate family members, I encourage students to find somebody else who can keep them encouraged.”

When she began at UNM-Gallup, Begay wasn't ready for calculus because no upper-level math or science was offered in high school. Already behind, she had to take remedial classes before taking calculus. Before she got to college physics, she had to take high schoollevel physics to be ready for college physics. It was the same thing with chemistry—UNM-Gallup chemistry before UNM main campus chemistry. With determination, she pushed on from what she learned in high school.

At UNM, Begay was the founding member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) organization forming a chapter at UNM in 1983. As one of the first members, it led to her success in study groups and national conferences, building camaraderie along the way. “Every year there's a conference and I'd go see people like

me, not feel so isolated, come back and in my own class thinking I can do this. I saw others doing it. Yeah, that was a big for my confidence,” Begay recalled.

“My parents were also encouraging all along the way. They had so much pride in what I was doing. My mom was a nurse with Indian Health Service for her whole career. My dad was a politician. He was vice chairman of Navajo Nation and a council delegate for his whole life. So, you can see that influence of really pushing the bounds, taking on a leadership role. My mom tried to help people. So that's where I got that, that part of me and my dad taught me to be a very good listener, and to have a lot of diplomacy. That’s what I learned from my dad.”

Diplomacy has played a key role throughout Begay’s career, during which she’s held several leadership

contributing to educational policy, governance, and finance and facilities.

“I’m proud of all the UNM presidents that we hired and trying to help them be successful is what I really enjoyed,” Begay said of her time on the board. “My biggest accomplishment is getting President Garnett Stokes an extension of her contract. I don’t know how many years we went where presidents didn’t get their contracts extended. But I’m most proud of that.

“It took us honestly about a year of meetings every month to get through that. But the outcome was what I wanted. I wanted five years, and it had to be negotiated, three plus two, still five,” she said laughing. “I'm so proud of that. She's still in place. I'm proud of her. Whatever she wants from me, all she has to do is pick up the phone and ask.”

“I’m proud of all the UNM presidents that we hired and trying to help them be successful is what I really enjoyed,”

Begay

says.

roles extending to academic and policy-making platforms. She served two terms over 10 years as a member of UNM’s Board of Regents, where she had an influential role as chair

An avid Lobo sports fan, Begay continues to serve on various committees and supports UNM in any way she can. Begay continues to advocate for research and development initiatives that

benefit both regional and national communities. She still serves the UNM community on the Alumni Association, Rainforest Boards of Directors and the Lobo Club Board of Directors.

“People have never met a person like me. I enjoy educating them and enlightening them about tribes. It's been very unique position,” said Begay. You have to feel that uniqueness and make it an opportunity. So, if you really feel like you want to support diversity— minorities and underserved people, there are people like me that you can look towards to help you in whatever that might be.”

She earned her master’s in structural engineering with an emphasis on earthquakes at Stanford University in 1991. Begay is also part of Stanford's School of Sustainability with the Stanford Committee, serving on the advisory committee as the only Indigenous person. Condoleezza Rice is the other woman of color in this group. “Okay. So, I'm like, wow, this is pretty cool to be able to be a part of this kind of group,” she said.

Begay’s work ethic has earned her a positive reputation wherever she goes and in whatever she does. She encourages people to work really hard in their jobs and prove that they're there to do a job. Once you gain a great reputation, you need to use your voice, she says.

“You can't just sit back and be quiet. How you do that is up to you,”

said Begay. “I'm more of an advocate than being adversarial. Maybe that's my Native heritage—to be present, but not always bouncing up and down and shouting from the rooftop. So be comfortable with that. But learn to speak up when you need to, because many times you're put at a table, you've been given a seat. Don't just take up space. You're there for a reason. You have to learn how to handle that and feel comfortable with it.”

support sustainable development in culturally sensitive ways.

“You can't just sit back and be quiet. How you do that is up to you,” Begay says.

“We look at their tribal history having to do with energy development and we also look at where they want to go for a 10-year future, and then I give a technical overview of what technologies are available that would lead them to have more clean energy or renewable energy at the tribe's location. Then, we go further into that. Once you have a vision, you sort of know what the technology looks like, and what kind of strategies you can do in the next two years to get to that level. At the end, if we have time, we do a 90-day action plan for the tribe.”

At Sandia National Labs, Begay spends most of her time in the Department of Energy's Office of Indian Energy, which was created in 2005. Her main goal is to provide technical assistance to Tribes within the U.S., including Alaskan Native villages focusing on renewable energy development, mostly solar—photovoltaics. Serving as the technical lead, she takes a team of master facilitators, and they go out to the tribe wherever they're at and conduct three days of planning. Her work is not merely technical; it involves a deep understanding of the cultural and social contexts of the communities she serves, ensuring that technological implementations

Begay has completed 22 strategic plans for 22 different tribes. On average, she completes about one per year, and most have been successful. These plans help them organize the grassroots of the people, not only the administration, but also their leadership elders.

“I've been watching it over time and think a majority have (come to fruition). Every year there's a program review with Indian Energy where all the tribes that have gotten money from the federal government report back. What have you done? What are your plans? I've been able to see over these 22 years how these different tribes are doing one increment after another, or they're building off of what they learned. They are doing more than what we

ever thought they would do. Those are exciting things. Really, for me, it's a joy to see that.”

Begay’s work not only includes the administration and leadership elders, but also with students as part of a summer internship. She spends time on these plans working on a program she created because she didn’t want to work alone. “I didn’t want to work by myself. That was my bottom line,” said Begay. She hired Debby Tewa (Hopi), a certified electrician and a solar installer who happened to be in school at the time.

“I thought I should hire more students, and it was pretty easy. I did what I could with a little bit of money and brought Debby on board,” said Begay. “She taught me

projects. She has many graduate students who want to come and work to enhance actual tribal projects. She gets the students involved by having them actually talk about where they see themselves in 10 years and how energy can play a big part in moving their tribe forward.

“They do this either through getting their own energy systems, maybe economic development if they can sell their renewable energy power, or just really making sure they have energy sovereignty, which means you generate your own energy and you control it. So that's an ultimate goal, but it takes time to do all that,” said Begay. “I think the enhancement is they're already doing well in STEM. They got their

have the reality of doing this on the job versus an academic experience. I kind of combine the two.”

A fervent advocate for increasing Native American representation in STEM fields, Begay has created mentorship programs, delivered presentations, and worked on policy development to ensure more Indigenous people can access education and career opportunities in science and engineering. She’s also honest and straightforward about engineering and STEM noting that it's a very hard curriculum.

“I thought I should hire more students, and it was pretty easy. I did what I could with a little bit of money and brought Debby on board,” Begay says.

a lot that I needed to know about these electrical systems. ‘Sandra don't touch that. You're going to electrocute yourself. Don't do that. Here's what you need to know.’”

Begay recruits Native students in the STEM disciplines, preferably upperclassmen. Part of the uniqueness is taking the students out into the field and having tribal staff, or the leadership describe their

academics down; they know what they want to do.”

As part of the work, Begay takes them out to the field and says, “This is what it looks like when these projects are fielded. ‘Mm-Hmm,’ the students nod and say. And the staff will tell them, ‘It didn't happen easy. Here's what we needed to do to tweak this.’ ‘Mm-Hmm,’ the students, again nod and say. So, they actually

“If you're not honest with that, then people will say, ‘this is too hard, I'm going to stop.’ And it's like, yes, it is hard. Go get help, go get a tutor. Just figure out how you can overcome the challenges that you have,” Begay said. “I had to learn to reach out for help, for tutoring, for study groups, to find scholarships, to ask for letters of recommendation. At first, I stayed isolated, and I didn't realize how much help I needed. You have to get out of your comfort zone and start asking for help—especially the tutors. I was failing a couple of classes, and I had to turn it around with a tutor and study groups and I squeaked out of that because the help I received. I couldn't have done it without them.”

SHARING THEIR GOOD FORTUNE

Albuquerque couple truly enjoys their tradition of philanthropy

Story by Michelle G. McRuiz

People who give their money and time to a cause do so not only to make a difference, but also for the feeling of pleasure it brings. For Carol and John Cochran, that pleasure has created a decades-long tradition of philanthropy. They are as thoughtful about their giving as they have been about their lives, and their intention is to make a meaningful impact on the community.

A CALLING TO GIVE

Carol and John’s connection to UNM began as students. John worked towards a master’s degree in geography and Carol earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration and executive MBA there. Her parents, Richard and Virginia Mayo, graduated from UNM as well, and Carol and John’s daughter, Rachel, holds a JD from the School of Law.

“Their legacy at Anderson will continue to empower students and faculty for generations to come and inspire future leaders to make a difference in the world around them.”

They are as thoughtful about their giving as they have been about their lives, and their intention is to make a meaningful impact on the community.

After graduating from the Anderson School of Management in 1984, Carol launched what would become a long and successful accounting career at Ernst & Young in Roswell, New Mexico, and Hondo Oil and Gas Company, where she became the youngest corporate officer. Two other significant things happened to Carol in Roswell: She met John, and she learned about the importance about giving back. The latter was like a calling to her.

“The partners of the CPA firm had a message to employees: We make a good living from the community, and we expect you to give back to the community,” Carol says.

STARTING WITH STUDENTS

The couple moved back to Albuquerque in 1992. Carol began working at REDW, LLC, where she now is a principal in human resources consulting. John, now retired, spent his career with the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer as a water resource specialist and with the New Mexico Environment Department as an environmental specialist.

Carol took her former employer’s message to heart. A couple of years after returning to Albuquerque, they began giving to the Presidential Scholarship Program. They had made gifts to UNM before, but “really got serious” with this program, which helps exemplary New Mexico high school students attend UNM. More than 30 years later, they’re still giving to that fund.

Out of all of the support they provide to UNM, “I get the most pleasure from giving money to the Presidential Scholarship Program,” says John. “The funds go to specific students so they can afford to stay here in New Mexico. They are all very bright, and it has been interesting to visit the students we have sponsored — in biology, pharmacy, and business — and talking with them about what they want to do.”

“Easily half the students we have sponsored have been first-generation college students,” Carol adds.

LONG-TERM PLANNING

Carol and John didn’t stop there. They made a sizeable capital contribution to support the construction of the Jackson Student Center at Anderson. They also annually fund faculty research stipends and grants in Anderson’s Department of Accounting.

“I meet with the department chair every year to review the applications,” says Carol. “It gives me a chance to see the fantastic work they’re doing. It’s fascinating to see their interests, and I’ve been able to fund initial and subsequent research.”

“Carol and John’s dedication to supporting education, particularly through student scholarships and faculty development grants, embodies the spirit of generosity that strengthens our community,” says Alina Chircu, PhD, Dean of Anderson School of Management. “Their legacy at Anderson will continue to empower students and faculty for generations to come and inspire future leaders to make a difference in the world around them.”

Carol feels particularly close to Anderson, having earned two degrees from the school. In 2018 she began teaching there as an adjunct accounting professor and still teaches financial accounting in the Executive MBA program.

Last year, Carol and John made a large, unique gift to UNM: Land that Carol inherited from her grandfather.

“My grandfather came to Albuquerque with my grandmother and Mom in 1940,” she says. “He got into real estate because, after the Great Depression, there was no other place for him to work.”

Contributing both time and money is deeply fulfilling to the Cochrans, more so than choosing just one way of giving back.

He acquired over 100 lots in Rio Rancho, which remain undeveloped, and Carol and her brother each inherited half of those lots.

“It was an asset I wasn’t doing anything with,” she says. “The lots have been in my family for over 40 years, and it seemed appropriate to give them to UNM. Not every place you donate to is able to take lots like these, sell them, and convert them to funding. It’s good from a tax standpoint, and you also get to do something meaningful.”

This gift indeed will make a difference at UNM. Carol and John say it will endow their Presidential Scholarship, fund three years of the Accounting faculty scholarship, and make a significant contribution to the UNM Foundation Center for Philanthropy, which, when built, will serve as the Foundation’s new home and elevate the culture of philanthropy at UNM.

PAIRING TIME AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES

Carol’s contributions go far beyond monetary gifts. She has served on more than 25 community boards and has been a member of the UNM Foundation Board of Trustees for five years. She is also on the board of the National Dance Institute and attends law school full-time — and that’s in addition to her career of more than 30 years at REDW, LLC, where she is a principal in human resources consulting. She’ll graduate in 2025 and intends to focus on Native American law and business law.

“That’s an area where I feel like I can make a big difference,” she says.

Contributing both time and money is deeply fulfilling to the Cochrans, more so than choosing just one way of giving back.

“Until you’ve done it, you don’t realize how incredibly meaningful it is to pair time and financial resources,” Carol says. “It is an amazing way to have impact on an organization, on yourself, and on the community.

“There is a Bible verse that says, ‘To whom much is given, much is expected,’” she continues. “I feel I have been unbelievably fortunate. I have worked in a field I was good at, made a difference in the lives of my clients, and had a wonderful family life. We have the resources to give and to create an impact in New Mexico.” 

DIRECTOR WRITER

PRODUCER

EDUCATOR AUTHOR

BRIAN LEVANT

TURNED SKILLS LEARNED AT UNM INTO SUCCESSFUL FILM CAREER

Story by Mary Beth King

Director, writer, producer, educator, and author Brian Levant laughs today that in 1970, he arrived at The University of New Mexico, 12 days after his 18th birthday, with a burning desire to become a filmmaker... at a school that didn’t even own a movie camera.

However, during his time at UNM, he nurtured his passion, graduated, and went on to have an extraordinarily successful career in the TV and film industry.

What is now the UNM Film & Digital Arts program wouldn’t come into being for another 20 years. In the early 1970s, there  was no organized program, just a few history and theory classes.

“Still, I spent countless nights watching movies in the SUB Theater, the Lobo Theater, Don Pancho’s, and at the Guild.”

After briefly transferring to the California Institute of the Arts, a private art university, and finding it a poor fit, Levant returnedto UNM.

While Levant was in California, UNM brought in Ira Jaffe, a one-man film school. Today Jaffe is Professor Emeritus of the department he founded.

“Ira recognized my hunger and ushered me through a buffet encompassing the entire history and every tributary of the cinematic arts. UNM had also just instituted its Bachelor of University Studies degree, which allowed me to create my own program, hopscotching through a variety of art, literature,

“…it's wonderful and kind of remarkable that 55 years later, I still set foot on campus and I’m reminded of all that I learned there and how it continues to pay dividends.”

writing classes, and numerous independent study projects. Then I took this incredible education, moved to Los Angeles, and became a comedy writer.”  Levant had already written shows for The Practice, a sitcom starring Danny Thomas, and the Emmy Award-winning comedy The Jeffersons when he met screenwriter, director, producer, and actor Garry Marshall, known for directing such well-known films as Pretty Woman and The Princess Diaries, as well as creating the popular TV series Happy Days Levant met  Happy Days  creator Garry Marshall at a Saturday morning basketball game.

“I guarded him and blocked a couple of his shots. After the game, we talked, and he offered me a story meeting. Happy Days was the number one show in television at the time. I sold them the first story I pitched and would be part of the show on and off for the next seven years. It was an incredible learning experience.”

One of the most successful TV shows of all time, Happy Days drew in 30 million viewers weekly at its peak and launched the careers of stars like Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, and Robin Williams.

The second Happy Days episode Levant wrote was inspired by a real incident at UNM. In the episode, Richie, played by former child actor and now successful director Ron Howard, gets locked in the girls’ dorm at college after meeting the woman who would go on to become his wife in the series.

“It actually happened to one of my roommates at UNM who got caught in 1970. When I got there, there were still visiting hours in the dorms. They weren’t coed. No one was sharing bathrooms. A very different world. So, the doors were locked at 11. My friends got caught in there and had to stay overnight. I said that it happened to me, and I sold them that story. And so, my UNM education paid off once again.”

Levant was also the writer-producer of the Happy Days spin-off Mork & Mindy, starring the late, great Robin Williams. After winning the Cable Ace Award for Directing in a Comedy Series for his long-running Leave

it to Beaver revival, Levant turned his attention to writing and directing feature films. His movies include the original Beethoven, the Steven Spielberg-produced box office juggernaut The Flintstones, the holiday film Jingle All the Way and Are We There Yet? with Ice Cube. In 2010, Levant came back to Albuquerque with his wife Alison, also a Lobo alum, and directed the Jackie Chan vehicle The Spy Next Door

Still in contact with Jaffe after leaving UNM, Levant invited his mentor to the set of The Spy Next Door

“On the last day Ira came and visited my set, and I was about as proud as I was of anything. To have the man who taught me to speak the language of film visit my set.”

Nearly every year since the late 1970s, Levant has returned to lecture and work with film students at UNM. In 2017 he launched his Sitcom Boot Camp, an intensive program where a small group of students would collaborate in “creating, writing, rewriting, rewriting, rewriting, and rewriting” an original, network-style comedy and see it performed by student performers and local professionals, for an audience — under a punishing timeline 42 hours of class time over only six weeks.”

“I returned to a UNM Film & Digital Arts program, which was bursting with energy and promise under the direction of another of Ira Jaffe’s students, [Department Chair and Associate Professor] James Stone. He allowed me to create a program based on what I wish I’d known before trying to scale the wall separating the student

Above: Levant on the set of Happy Days. Right: Sitcom Boot Camp.

filmmaker and the professional. Other schools have had similar writing programs where everyone writes their own show, but in the Sitcom Boot Camp, students collaborated on a single project and got a handson experience of the teamwork, structure, and improvisational thinking necessary to produce at a professional level.”

For six years the classes grew in confidence and skill while creating storylines about building and rebuilding relationships, while learning to create interesting characters, story and scene structure, and to write crisp dialogue—skills transferable across the entire entertainment spectrum, Levant noted. Even during the COVID shutdown, the Sitcom Boot Camp team pressed on, presenting their creation via Zoom instead of the traditional table read format.

He is really sharp. I also got him in a mentorship program through George R.R. Martin’s Stagecoach Foundation in Santa Fe that I was involved in, and he's doing great.”

Levant noted that Netflix is building more soundstages in New Mexico and there are opportunities here.

“They are in it for the long run. These things ebb and flow but having an anchor tenant like that is good for the community and the film industry here.”

Financial analysis when Levant was filming The Spy Next Door here discovered that for every dollar invested, the state economy received $1.15 back, “and that didn't take into account car rentals, hotel rooms, meals, wardrobe, set dressing, dry cleaning, gas, renting locations, water tankers, cranes, lifts... It's a tremendous economic engine.”

“I returned to a UNM Film & Digital Arts program, which was bursting with energy and promise…”

“I think it's wonderful and kind of remarkable that 55 years later, I still set foot on campus and I’m reminded of all that I learned there and how it continues to pay dividends. And the fact that I have this wonderful relationship with the university that I was able all these years to come back almost annually to work with film students and kind of give a report card of where I was and how I was doing and how my work was growing and then the transition into six years of teaching classes and now I feel like Ira Jaffe, like some kind of student emeritus or something. I think that your dreams for your students are almost equal to those you have for yourself.”

Levant admitted that it’s not easy to get a foot in the film industry career door now. He fondly recalled his grandmother giving him her Social Security check to get him started in his career and then writing her a letter less than a year later to tell her he had sold his first story to Happy Days and didn’t need her financial help anymore.

He cited UNM graduate and Sitcom Boot Camp veteran, Enrique Torres, as a success story. “I just saw him, and he is working in a writer’s room. He worked for the last three years in post-production and production on Young Sheldon, and he was a go-getter. I knew it when he ran the Cherry Reel Film Festival and the film society.

Asked what advice he’d give to today’s Lobos, Levant said, “No matter what, continue to find ways to express your creativity. You may not be directing a movie or have a show at the Guggenheim, but my god, if you know if it's your passion, then let it remain your passion and find a way to fit it into your life so that you don't deny your own talent.”

In 2024, Levant, along with his Happy Days producing partner Fred Fox Jr., published his second book, 50 Years of Happy Days: A Visual History of an American Television Classic to mark the 50th anniversary of the popular sitcom for which Levant was story editor, executive story editor, consultant, and supervising producer for 100 of the iconic show’s 255 episodes. The book has been a success, rating high for its genre in hardback and Kindle formats.

Also in 2024, Levant was presented with the UNM Alumni Association Lobo Award, given to a UNM graduate who has given outstanding personal service to the University or whose career achievement reflects on the University.

Levant returned to Albuquerque and UNM again in May to give the keynote address at the UNM Film & Digital Arts commencement.

“Having this relationship with the university is so unexpected and comforting in a tumultuous world. It’s still my home away from home. It’s where so many of my closest friends live. It's where we began our life together, where I came of age... and I’m addicted to The Frontier sweet rolls.” 

UNM ALUMNA EXAMINES

THE FUTURE OF BEES IN

THE SOUTHWEST

Story by Mary Beth King

If you enjoy fruits, nuts, and vegetables in your diet, you have bees to thank.

“A diverse bee population supports diverse plant communities. Bees and other animal pollinators contribute to the production of about 75 percent of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts in our diets, including almonds, apples, and blueberries,” said University of New Mexico alumna Melanie Kazenel. “Some of the plants we eat, including grains such as wheat and oats, are wind-pollinated rather than bee-pollinated. So, we would still have those crops without bees. But our plates would be less colorful and nutritious in their absence.”

Kazenel completed her Ph.D. in Biology at UNM in 2022 and is currently a visiting assistant professor of Biology at Earlham College in Indiana.

Recent research published by Kazenel and colleagues predicts climate change will reshape bee communities in the southwest United States, with some thriving and others declining. The research, titled Heat and desiccation tolerances predict bee

Kazenel’s bee research was conducted at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) near Socorro, N.M. This region is home to extraordinarily high bee diversity, she said, and researchers have recorded about 340 species of wild, native bees there. Photos courtesy of Melanie Kazenel.

abundance under climate change, was published in Nature, an international journal publishing peer-reviewed research in all fields of science and technology.

“I study how native bees respond to climate change,” Kazenel said. “Bees are the most important pollinators of many wild plants and agricultural crops, meaning that they are crucial to sustaining natural ecosystems and the human food supply. However, there is increasing evidence that bees are threatened globally. Habitat loss, pesticides, disease, and

climate change all pose serious threats to bees. However, climate change has been less studied relative to other factors that threaten bees.”

Kazenel’s research indicates that, in terms of numbers, bee species in central New Mexico that do well under climate change will balance out those projected to decline. However, different bee species are more effective at pollinating different plant species. So having a diversity of bees helps sustain a diversity of plants, which in turn sustains ecosystem function. Losing some bee species could,

“I study how native bees respond to climate change,” Kazenel said.

“Bees are the most important pollinators of many wild plants and agricultural crops…"

Melanie Kazenel completed her Ph.D. in Biology at

UNM in 2022.

therefore, have negative consequences, even if many bee species continue to do well.

“I think we have real reason to be concerned about bee declines, as the loss of bees could threaten both agricultural production and natural ecosystems,” Kazenel said. “However, I think there is reason for hope. We know that there are steps that we can take to sustain bee populations, such as planting and conserving native vegetation, reducing pesticide use, and taking measures to stop the spread of bee diseases. It is heartening to see how many people care about protecting pollinators, and I hope that together we can take steps to conserve bee populations.”

Kazenel’s bee research was conducted at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) near Socorro, N.M., as part of the National Science Foundation-funded Sevilleta LongTerm Ecological Research Program (SEVLTER). This region is home to extraordinarily high bee diversity, she said, and researchers have recorded about 340 species of wild, native bees there.

The research began in 2002, when UNM Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biology Karen W. Wright, also a UNM graduate, established a long-term bee monitoring study at the SEV-LTER. This ongoing study is possibly the world’s longest continuous bee monitoring effort.

“Each month from March through October, when bees are active, we open traps in the field at the SNWR to collect bees, which we then identify to species. This gives us an incredible record of how bee abundance and diversity have changed from month-to-month and year-to-year over time. We have been able to pair our long-term bee data with data from on-site weather stations to understand how changes in bee abundance and diversity correspond with climate,” Kazenel said.

To complement the long-term bee monitoring data, the researchers collected additional data on bee body size and physiology, taking body size measurements on preserved bee specimens collected in the long-term study. To collect physiology data, they netted bees in the field and placed them in an environmental chamber that allowed them to measure thermal (heat) tolerance and desiccation tolerance (tolerance to dry conditions).

“Climate was a strong predictor of bee population dynamics in our study. For 71 percent of populations, aridity, or the level of drought, predicted abundance. Some bees — those with high tolerance of heat and desiccation in our experiments — appear resilient to climate change and may even increase in abundance in the future. But our models forecast declines for 46 percent of species and predict more homogeneous future bee communities, she said. This is a concerning result, as bee diversity supports diverse, healthy plant communities.

“We also found that larger-bodied bees dominated communities under the arid conditions that will increase in the future. Change in the body size composition of bee communities could alter pollination of plants, because the size of a bee and a flower need to ‘match’ for effective pollination to occur.

Our study therefore provides important new evidence of how climate change is directly affecting bee communities and the plants they pollinate,” Kazenel noted.

“Our work paints a mixed picture about the future of bees in New Mexico,” Kazenel summarized. “On one hand, some bee species appear well-adapted to persist under climate change, which gives us reason for hope. But on the other hand, we predict declines for nearly half of species, which is reason for great concern. Our work thus broadly speaks to the importance of swift action to curtail greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate future climate change to conserve the biodiversity that sustains our planet.”

Co-authors on the study are Wright and Terry Griswold, research entomologist at the USDA-ARS Pollinating Insects Research Unit at Utah State University, both expert bee taxonomists who identified all bees collected in the study. Wright received her Ph.D. in Biology from UNM and now works for the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

The team also includes UNM Distinguished Professor of Biology Jennifer Rudgers and Professor Kenneth Whitney, associate chair of the UNM Department of Biology, who supervised the work, along with numerous field and lab assistants. The research is supported by the National Science Foundation Long Term Ecological Research Program award to UNM for the SEV-LTER site.

“As a next step related to our research, we are working to document which plants are pollinated by each bee species in our dataset. This will allow us to consider how plant responses to climate change could cascade to influence bees. Conversely, it can also help us understand in more detail how changes in bee abundance under climate change will influence particular plant species. We are

ANYONE CAN HELP SUSTAIN BEES AND THE IMPORTANT WORK THEY DO.

Kazenel listed some pointers:

• One great step is to plant a garden of drought-tolerant native plants.

• Focus on choosing plants that bloom at various times of year, as the seasons change, to provide bees with diverse food sources.

• Reduce the use of yard and garden pesticides that can harm bees.

• Finally, vote for lawmakers who are invested in taking concrete measures to conserve biodiversity and mitigate climate change. Photo credit Jon Sullivan.

additionally exploring how changes in bee and plant phenology — the timing of life cycle events — could shift under climate change,” Kazenel explained.

“I feel very grateful to have completed my Ph.D. at UNM,” Kazenel said. “The Department of Biology provided a fantastic intellectual community where I learned and grew immensely as a scientist. In addition, the NSF-funded Sevilleta Long-Term Ecological Research Program at UNM provided the foundation for my work and amazing resources. I am thankful for the mentors, colleagues, and opportunities that UNM provided. Also, having grown up in the Northeast, I fell in love with New Mexico during my time there and return to visit whenever I can.”

Lydia Grindatto has been busy since she graduated from The University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Music in 2017, but the opera soprano reached new heights last year after winning the Fernand Lamesch Award of the prestigious Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition.

The Met Opera’s Laffont Competition is an opportunity for opera singers ages 20 to 30 to gain national recognition for their operatic skills and assistance in their career development. Performers who win the Laffont Grand Finals earn a prize of $20,000. The artists must perform four arias in at least two languages.

UNM ALUMNA EARNS

PRESTIGIOUS AWARD AT MET OPERA COMPETITION

Story by Carly Bowling

“It feels a little bit surreal because this competition was something that I’d always heard about in school and as I was going through training. It’s such a big deal and so I never assumed that I would go on to be in the finals, much less win. It just feels so surreal and very exciting,” Grindatto said.

Grindatto first learned about the competition while studying opera at UNM, but even through years of intense operatic practice, she recognized its exceptional difficulty. In preparation, she focused on finding arias she connected with most and worked hard to refine them with vocal coaches. As she advanced through the fourstage competition, she strived to improve her vocal skills through extensive practice.

Even before the Laffont win, Grindatto has had an incredible performance year and is currently a resident artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA), a rigorous institution dedicated to training opera soloists. Residents must have at least four years of collegiate academic training in music, a history of working with major vocal coaches, and exceptional vocal and theatrical experience. Grindatto’s professional background includes several seasons with Opera Southwest, where she performed in the choruses of Norma and Tosca, covering Violetta, and singing a Page in Lohengrin.

Last year, she made her debut at the Santa Fe Opera singing the Second Wood Sprite and covering the title role in Rusalka. In early March, she made her debut at the Columbus Opera as Tatyana in Eugene Onegin. Last April, she performed for the first time with the Arizona Opera as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni.

Acceptance to the Academy was a “dream come true” for Grindatto, who has looked

up to the singers who have come out of the institution since she began her career and study of opera.

Studying vocal performance at the university level felt like a natural next step after growing up in a musical family and singing in choirs. When she arrived at UNM, she discovered her love of opera. Though she’d been exposed to the opera and even sung some opera pieces before, UNM is where she was cast as her first character — Adele in Die Fledermaus.

“I’ll never forget my first experience of being the one on stage, singing with the orchestra and acting with the opera and I think that is where I really started the journey of refining my skills,” Grindatto said. “It helped me learn how to do things like watch a conductor and sing with an orchestra. These are very unique and special skills that are very difficult to learn at first and so UNM gave me the beginning of that training.”

Her first role got her hooked on opera performance. She loved the challenge of trying to juggle opera’s complexities like singing with a high-level technique, acting, and performing with an orchestra all at once, often in foreign languages. She connected with the stories, sometimes tragic, sometimes comedic, but always beautiful, and seeing the way opera performances touch audiences.

“There’s a lot of joy to be had in opera, especially in the acting. It’s just a lot of fun,” Grindatto said.

Grindatto went on to credit UNM for providing her with the foundational academic skills required to be an opera singer, like music theory, history, piano, acting and performing. She was quick to thank the faculty in the Department of Music for the mentorship and coaching they provided her with during and after her studies.

All of Grindatto’s achievements have been widely celebrated by the professors of her alma mater, though her success in the opera world has been no surprise to them. Michael Hix, chair of the Department of Music, described how proud the faculty are of her.

“From her very first semester at UNM, we knew she was destined for success. While she possessed natural talent, it was her work ethic, intellectual curiosity, and drive that really made her shine. It was such a pleasure watching her grow while at UNM,” Hix said. “I remember her UNM Opera Theatre performances from her early years as a singer so fondly. We know that the Department of Music provides a top-notch musical education and amazing faculty mentors. Lydia’s success is just another example of the results of this education and mentorship.”

Between the Met Opera win and becoming an AVA resident, Grindatto’s vocal coaches have much to be proud of. Olga Perez Flora, assistant professor of voice, and Kristin Ditlow, associate professor of vocal coaching, were excited to see her not only earn an award in the competition but to hear the aria she performed in her final round.

“She studied with me for two years post-college and our goals were for her to win the Met and go to AVA. She accomplished both of those goals,” Perez Flora said. “Kristin and I both worked with her regularly and in preparation, she was having two lessons a week. We worked on Sempre Libera together (all 3 of us), the aria she sang last in the finals.”

Late last year, Grindatto joined San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program as one of 29 artists selected from more than 1,300 applicants. 

“There’s a lot of joy to be had in opera, especially in the acting. It’s just a lot of fun,” Grindatto said.

Lydia Grindatto graduated from The University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Music in 2017. Photos courtesy of Lydia Grindatto.

2025 UNM Alumni Award Recipients

DISTINGUISHED GROUP OF RECIPIENTS HONORED DURING 2025 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AWARDS

Each year, the UNM Alumni Association honors a distinguished group of recipients as part of its Alumni Association Awards. Once again in 2025, a special group of awardees was recognized during the annual awards celebration Sponsored by Parnall Law, eight UNM alumni were recognized for exemplifying excellence and having

a lasting impact on their fields, the University of New Mexico, and their communities.

The awardees included Iliana Limón Romero, Cynthia Chavez Lamar, Len Kravitz, Enrico Jeantete, Robert DeCampo, Abdullah Shah, Leola Tsinnajinnie Paquin and Matthew Campen.

Pictured back (l. to r.): Kenneth Armijo, Abdullah Shah, Len Kravitz, Iliana Limón Romero, Enrico Jeantete and Connie Beimer. Front (l. to r.): Award Recipients Cynthia Chavez Lamar, Robert DelCampo and Leola Tsinnajinnie Paquin

James F:

Zimmerman

Iliana Limón Romero

Award

Assistant Managing Editor, Sports, Los Angeles Times

Iliana Limón Romero is the Los Angeles Times assistant managing editor for sports, a senior leadership role at the largest metropolitan daily newspaper in the country.

The El Paso, Texas, native joined the Times in March 2021 and is the first woman and first Mexican American to lead the paper's sports department. During her tenure, the Times has won Associated Press Sports Editor grand slam honors, becoming the only publication to claim the prestigious best-in-show prize for four consecutive years. The UNM alum was editor-in-chief of the Daily Lobo from 2001-02 and earned the Daily Lobo & Student Publications Distinguished Alumni Award in 2023.

Bernard S. Rodney Award

Cynthia Chavez Lamer, Ph.D. (’01)

Director, National Museum of the American Indian

Cynthia Chavez Lamar is the director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, making history as the first Native woman to lead a Smithsonian museum. She oversees its three facilities in Washington, D.C., New York, and Maryland. A curator, author, and scholar, Chavez Lamar specializes in Southwest Native art and Indigenous collaboration methodologies. She’s held leadership roles at the museum since 2014, previously serving as assistant director for collections, where she enhanced access to one of the world’s largest collections of Native items and prioritized partnerships with Native nations and tribes.

Erna S. Fergusson Award

Len Kravitz, Ph.D. (’74,’94)

Professor, Coordinator of Exercise Science, UNM College of Education

Len Kravitz launched his higher education journey as a UNM doctoral student. After three years at Ole Miss, he returned to UNM in 1999 as an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of Exercise Science. Along with his teaching and research at UNM, he distinguished himself as a leading educator in the fitness industry. Every major fitness organization in North America has recognized his professional contributions to the fitness industry. In particular, the American Council on Exercise awarded him the Fitness Educator of the Year.

Zia Award

Enrico Jeantete (’04)

Deputy Director, Innovation and Prototyping Acquisition

Delta, Space Systems Command, Kirtland Air Force Base

Enrico P. Jeantete serves as Detachment-1’s Deputy Director for the Innovation and Prototyping Acquisition Delta, Space Systems Command, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. Jeantete leads a combined team of 650+ military, government civilians, and contractors at four geographically separated units and manages the operate, train, and equip (OT&E) functionality for the Delta. SZI conducts tests and experimentation, prototyping, demonstrations, and operations of innovative space systems and technology for the Space Systems Command. Before his current position, Jeantete was the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Innovation and Prototyping Delta, Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, N.M.

Kenneth Armijo, UNM Alumni Association President, speaks to alumni and supporters at the 2025 UNM Alumni Awards Dinner, sponsored by Parnall Law Firm

Lobo Award

Robert

G. (Rob) DelCampo, Ph.D. (’99,’00)

Senior Executive Director of Corporate & Community Engagement, Executive Director of the Innovation Academy, Rutledge Professor of Management, UNM Anderson School of Management

A proud New Mexican, Robert (Rob) G. DelCampo grew up in Las Cruces, earned his undergraduate and MBA degrees at UNM, and completed his Ph.D. at Arizona State University before returning to UNM to begin a distinguished career. As Associate Dean (2012-2015), Rob developed an innovative MBA curriculum and co-launched the Hispanic Leadership Development Program. In 2015, he became the Founding Executive Director of the Innovation Academy, fostering entrepreneurial capacity across disciplines and supporting the creation of hundreds of student-owned businesses. His leadership has attracted millions in global investments and significantly enhanced UNM’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Inspirational Young Alumni Award

Abdullah Shah, DDS, BSPH (’19)

Dentist, La Clinica de Familia

Dr. Abdullah Shah, DDS, BSPH, is from Rio Rancho, N.M., and is a general dentist practicing in Sunland Park, New Mexico. He currently practices at La Clinica de Familia (LCDF), a federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that provides medical, dental, and behavioral health services to low-income and underserved people in Southern New Mexico. Dr. Shah attended the University of New Mexico full-time from 2016 to 2019 as a Presidential Scholar. In three years, he graduated with Summa Cum Laude & Clauve Award honors and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Population Health. He then attained his Doctorate in Dental Surgery (DDS) as a National Health Service Corps (NHSC) scholar at the Creighton University School of Dentistry.

Faculty Teaching Award

Leola Tsinnajinnie Paquin, Ph.D. (’11)

Assistant Professor, UNM Native American Studies

Leola Tsinnajinnie Paquin, Ph.D. [Diné/Filipina] is an Associate Professor in Native American Studies at UNM. Her research and service activities focus on Indigenous educational sovereignty and well-being. She is a longtime member of the UNM Diversity Council Curriculum Subcommittee and the Institute for American Indian Education. Beyond UNM, she has also served as President of the American Indian Studies Association Council and on the New Mexico American Civil Liberties Union Board of Directors. She is the 2024-2026 UNM Presidential Teaching Fellow, focusing on faculty well-being as pedagogy. She centers her efforts around the core values of her families, communities, academic studies, and collaborations.

Matthew J. Campen, Ph.D.

Research Award

Matthew J. Campen, Ph.D.

Professor, UNM College of Pharmacy; Director, UNM Center for Metals in Biology and Medicine

Matthew Campen is a Distinguished Professor in the UNM College of Pharmacy. He has been at UNM since 2009, conducting multidisciplinary research on the health effects of environmental exposures. His work emphasizes the link between cell and molecular interactions and how toxicants can impact individuals' health and well-being. He currently leads the UNM Center for Metals in Biology and Medicine and recently secured funding to research the influence of toxicants like wildfire smoke and microplastics on neurodegenerative disease. Over the past three years, he has assembled a team with the knowledge base and the technological resources to make UNM a world leader in understanding the emerging health concerns posed by microplastics.

Stay Lobo Proud

Your Alumni Look Starts Here! Grab your exclusive Homecoming shirts, Green Chile

Roast tees, and more—for proud alums like you.

Shirts, Hoodies, Vests, Polos, Aprons, Merch & More

2024 COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN SCIENCES ALUMNI AWARDS

UNM Alumni awards more than 20 endowed scholarships and several regional chapter scholarships to graduate and undergraduate students. Pictured (l. to r.): Matias Santo, Alumni Scholarship recipient and Kenneth Armijo, UNM Alumni Association president.

2024 College of Education and Human Sciences Alumni Awards Ceremony (l. to r.): Connie Beimer (VP of Alumni Relations), Charles Khan on behalf of his wife, Janet S. Khan (Alumni Posthumous Award), Dr. Deborah Good (Chair-elect of CoEHS Alumni Chapter), Maryann Trott (Alumni Award), Ann Darling (Chair of CoEHS Alumni Chapter), and Dr. Staley Seidler (Community Award).

2024 Honors College Alumni Awards recipients (l. to r.): Alison Turner, Alina Deshpande, and Julia Youngs.

2024 Daily Lobo Award recipients (l. to r.): Gail Rosenblum, Keynote Speaker; Troy McCasland, Contributor Award Recipient; Elizabeth Sanchez, President of Daily Lobo Alumni Chapter; George Johnson, Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient; and Jeff Proctor, Q&A Moderator.

2024 UNM Alumni Native American Chapter Awards (l. to r.): Anna Barthelemy, Joy Harjo, Stacey Benally-Vicenti, Ervina Castillo, Mark Dixon, Adrian Pinnecoose, Britney Choy, Rebekah HorseChief, and Ariel Nephew Lee.

2025 UNM Black Alumni Chapter award recipients (l. to r.): Trajuan Briggs, UNM Black Alumni Chapter president; and award recipients Michael Carter, Frank Willis Jr., Yeshemabet Turner, and Anthony Williams, accepted the award for Edward G. Lloyd.

UNM ALUMNI NATIVE AMERICAN CHAPTER AWARDS

2025 BLACK ALUMNI AWARDS

NEW DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS: BORN TO BE A LOBO

Story by Steve Carr

When he was introduced as the next vice president and director of athletics at the University of New Mexico last December, Fernando Lovo stepped to the podium and made it clear in his opening remarks that he was born to be a Lobo.

“As you know, my last name is spelled L-O-V-Victor-O, which is an altered form of the Spanish word Lobo, which means wolf,” said Lovo. “It might be familiar to some of you here today. I can remember growing up and going to my grandfather’s office in Miami and seeing our family crest above his desk with the last name Lobo underneath it.

“At some point in our family's history, whether it was accidental or intentional, the spelling changed to what it is today—LOVO. But whether it was destiny or coincidence, I think it’s safe to say I was born to be a Lobo!”

With that, a throng of supporters in the Club Level of The Pit welcomed Lovo and his family to Lobo Nation on that bright, sunny December day. Lovo hit the ground running in his new position at UNM, his first as a director of athletics. He came from the University of Texas at Austin,

where he served as an executive senior associate athletics director for Operations.

“We are excited to welcome Fernando Lovo to The University of New Mexico,” said President Garnett S. Stokes. “His extensive experience and dynamic leadership style make him an exceptional choice for this pivotal role. Fernando's commitment to fostering an environment where our student-athletes can thrive academically and athletically is genuinely inspiring. His track record of success and dedication to studentathlete well-being aligns perfectly with our university's values. I am confident that under his leadership, our athletic programs will continue to excel and positively impact our community.”

Lovo has a proven track record of operational excellence, revenue generation and fundraising, and an unwavering dedication to academic integrity and financial stewardship. He is also positioned to lead UNM Athletics into a new era of growth and achievement. At UNM, Lovo will oversee all aspects of UNM's NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic programs, aligning athletics with the university's mission, managing financial operations, ensuring NCAA compliance, and fostering community relationships.

"I am truly honored and humbled to be selected to lead UNM Athletics and build upon its rich tradition,

and I am grateful to President Stokes and the search committee members for their belief in me,” said Lovo. “This opportunity means a great deal to me, and I am excited to work alongside the talented student-athletes, coaches, and staff at UNM and the entire New Mexico community to achieve new levels of success, both on and off the field."

Within days of starting the UNM job, Lovo was searching for a new head football coach. A few months later, following a 60-day Legislative session where he met with lawmakers and advocated for student-athletes and Lobo athletics, he was searching for a new head men’s basketball coach.

Only the fourth Lobo athletics director in the last 32 years, Lovo has a variety of challenges to manage that dot the landscape of intercollegiate athletics today. In the short term, his goals are to develop student-athletes, build on established

success, and be good stewards of available resources.

“We're always going to ensure that we're aligned with the university's mission and President Stoke’s vision for The University of New Mexico in everything that we do,” said Lovo. “We're living in a world of uncertainty in college athletics and making sure that amidst that uncertainty, we're keeping our priorities what they need to be, and that's to holistically develop student-athletes and have them graduate and become meaningful and productive members of their communities. That, to me, is always a priority. It was something that I saw coming up in this profession from my mentors, who always kept that at the forefront of every decision that they made.

“Also, we continue to build on the success that we've seen in those areas here in athletics. We want to compete for championships in all the sports that we sponsor. We need to make sure that we continue to enhance the resources that we can provide to our coaches and studentathletes across the board to make sure that they've got everything they need to compete and win.” 

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH JASON ECK

Jason Eck, who has led the University of Idaho football program to a national ranking and FCS playoff appearances in all three of his seasons at Idaho, was selected as the new head coach of the UNM football program less than a week into Vice President and Director of Athletics Fernando Lovo's tenure.

“I am thrilled to have Jason Eck as our next head football coach,” said Lovo. “Jason has led Idaho to tremendous success, turning around the program and building upon success year after year through recruiting, teaching, and a strong culture. Throughout his career, he has been a part of winning programs at all levels of college football, and his passion for student-athlete success and well-being is evident. We are fortunate to have Jason and his family join the Lobos, and I am confident that he will take us to unprecedented heights.”

A veteran coach with 26 years of experience at the FBS, FCS and Division II levels, Eck has led the Idaho Vandals to three straight playoff berths in the FCS, including the quarterfinals the past two seasons. The Vandals totaled just two winning seasons in the 22 years before his arrival. Additionally, Idaho increased its win total each season under Eck.

“I want to thank President Stokes, Vice President and Director of Athletics Fernando Lovo and everyone involved with the search process,” said Eck. “I am truly humbled to be selected as the head coach of the New Mexico Lobos. I know that the university community, students, alumni, Lobo Nation, and greater Albuquerque and New Mexico communities are eager for success, and I cannot wait to give that to them. We will have tremendous coaches and support staff and develop our studentathletes into elite athletes, UNM graduates, and people. My wife, Kimberly, and our five children are thrilled to be a part of Albuquerque, and we are ready to go!”

Overall, in his three seasons with Idaho, Eck compiled a record of 26-13 and coached 16 First Team All-Big Sky players, 12 Second Team All-Big Sky players, four Third Team AllBig Sky players, and 16 Honorable Mention All-Big Sky players.

Before becoming Idaho’s head coach, Eck spent six seasons with the South Dakota State Jackrabbits as offensive line coach and the final three as offensive coordinator. In

2019, he was named the American Football Coaches Association FCS Assistant Coach of the Year.

A 1999 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Eck played on the Badgers’ 1998 Big Ten Championship team, which went on to win the Rose Bowl. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Wisconsin under head coach Barry Alvarez and later moved on to Colorado.

Eck and his wife Kimberly have five children: Quentin, Jaxton, Palmer, Maverick and Lola. Kimberly is on the Board of Directors of the American Football Coaches Wives Association.

HEAD MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH ERIC OLEN

Eric Olen was named the 23rd head coach of Lobo men’s basketball on Sunday, March 30. Olen comes to New Mexico from UC San Diego, where he transformed the Tritons into a Division II power before transitioning to Division I and reaching the 2025 NCAA Tournament in their first year of eligibility.

The all-time winningest coach in UC San Diego history with a 240-119 record, Olen spent the last 21 years at the school, including the past 12 as head coach. He guided the Tritons during their transition from Division II to Division I, taking the program to new heights at both levels.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Eric Olen as the new head coach of Lobo Men’s Basketball,” said Lovo. “Eric is a proven winner with an

incredible track record. Beyond the accolades and success on the court, he is a values-driven leader who puts student-athletes first. We’re confident he’ll bring tremendous energy and vision to our program. Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Eric, his wife Lauren, and their daughters Avery and Madeline— we’re excited to have them join the Lobo family here in Albuquerque.”

Olen is coming off a historic 202425 season at UCSD, as the Tritons won the Big West regular season and tournament titles and made their March Madness debut in their first year of eligibility. He led the program to a 30-5 record as the Tritons were second in the nation in scoring margin at +17.5 points per game.

UCSD went 18-2 in the Big West to win the regular season title before winning the Big West Tournament in their debut in the championship. Olen was honored as Big West Coach of the Year and the NABC Pacific District Coach of the Year.

From 2021-24, Olen guided UC San Diego through the Division I transition period, capping the fouryear process with a 21-12 record in 2023-24 as he won his first Big West Coach of the Year honor. The Tritons went 15-5 in the Big West that season, finishing runner-up in the regular season.

“I am honored to be the next Head Coach of New Mexico Men’s Basketball,” said Olen. “I want to thank President Stokes, Fernando

Lovo, and the UNM leadership team for this opportunity. This is one of the most special programs in college basketball, and my family and I are thrilled to be a part of Lobo Nation! I can’t wait to get to work and write the next great chapter in New Mexico basketball history.”

A native of Mobile, Ala., Olen played collegiately at Spring Hill College in his hometown. He helped the Badgers to three straight appearances to the NAIA National Tournament, including trips to the NAIA Elite Eight in 2000 and 2001. Olen graduated from Spring Hill in 2004 with a degree in Finance. Olen and his wife, Lauren, have two daughters, Avery and Madeline. 

New Basketball Coach Eric Olen and Athletics Director Fernando Lovo.

CAMPUS CONNECTIONS

Dr. Mike Richards

Health Sciences appointment

UNM President Garnett S. Stokes appointed Dr. Mike Richards as the executive vice president of UNM Health Sciences and CEO of the UNM Health System last January. This decision comes after Dr. Richards' successful tenure as interim leader since August 2024.

“Sometimes we find ourselves in extraordinary circumstances, with an exceptional interim leader at the helm and significant momentum in embracing the challenges we face,” said Stokes. “Dr. Richards has demonstrated remarkable leadership and vision during his interim role and his 25-year career at UNM. This, coupled with his deep understanding of New Mexico's unique healthcare landscape, makes him the ideal person to lead the UNM Health Sciences Center. His appointment ensures continuity in leadership and

builds upon the momentum he has already generated."

During his tenure at UNM, Richards has led several transformative initiatives, including a pivotal role in the creation and implementation of New Mexico's Medical Advisory Team during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was a catalyst for crucial Medicaid initiatives that increased annual funding for New Mexico hospitals by $1.6 billion. Richards emphasized that these accomplishments reflect the dedication and expertise of countless individuals across the University and state.

"I am honored to continue serving UNM and the people of New Mexico in this capacity," he said. "Our focus remains on expanding our healthcare workforce, providing high-quality patient care, and advancing our education and research missions. These goals are only achievable through the collective efforts of our exceptional faculty, staff, students, and community partners. Together, we are committed to building a healthier future for all New Mexicans."

Richards emphasized the importance of collaboration in his new role. "We will continue to work closely with state partners, higher education institutions, and healthcare providers to develop and implement a statewide plan for increasing the healthcare workforce," he said.

"This includes expanding our pathway programs, enhancing collaborations, and focusing on the well-being of our current workforce."

A long-time New Mexico resident and advocate, Richards enjoys strong support from the state’s healthcare community as he steps into this critical leadership role. Richards most recently served as Interim Executive Vice President of UNM Health Sciences. He has also served as Senior Vice President for Clinical Affairs, Interim Dean of the UNM School of Medicine, and professor and chair in the Emergency Medicine Department.

“The appointment of Dr. Richards “will foster greater collaboration and synergy across our entire university, benefiting our students, faculty, staff, and the communities we serve as One University,” added Stokes.

Microplastics and their impacts

A flurry of recent studies has found that microplastics are present in virtually everything we consume, from bottled water to meat and plant-based food. Now, University of New Mexico Health Sciences researchers have used a new analytical tool to measure the microplastics present in human placentas.

In a study published in the

journal Toxicological Sciences this past February, a team led by Matthew Campen, Regents’ Professor in the UNM Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, reported finding microplastics in all 62 of the placenta samples tested, with concentrations ranging from 6.5 to 790 micrograms per gram of tissue.

Although those numbers may seem small (a microgram is a millionth of a gram), Campen is worried about the health effects of a steadily rising volume of microplastics in the environment.

For toxicologists, “dose makes the poison,” he said. “If the dose keeps going up, we start to worry. If we’re seeing effects on placentas, then all mammalian life on this planet could be impacted. That’s not good.”

Microplastics throughout the body

It’s happening every day. From our water, our food, and even the air we breathe, tiny plastic particles are finding their way into many parts of our bodies.

But what happens once those particles are inside? What do they do to our digestive system? In a paper published in the journal

Environmental Health Perspectives, University of New Mexico researchers found that those tiny particles— yes, microplastics—are having a significant impact on our digestive pathways, making their way from the gut and into the tissues of the kidney, liver and brain.

Eliseo Castillo, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology in the UNM School of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine and an expert in mucosal immunology, is leading the charge at UNM on microplastic research.

“Over the past few decades, microplastics have been found in the ocean, in animals and plants, in tap water and bottled water,” Castillo says. “They appear to be everywhere.”

Scientists estimate that people ingest 5 grams of microplastic particles each week on average—equivalent to the weight of a credit card.

While other researchers are helping to identify and quantify ingested microplastics, Castillo and his team focus on what the microplastics are doing inside the body, specifically to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and to the gut immune system.

Microplastics and human reproductive health

In another study conducted by the University of New Mexico, researchers detected significant concentrations of microplastics in the testicular tissue of both humans

and dogs, adding to growing concern about their possible effect on human reproductive health.

In a new paper published in the journal Toxicological Sciences, a team led by Xiaozhong “John” Yu, a professor at the UNM College of Nursing, reported finding 12 types of microplastics in 47 canine and 23 human testes.

“Our study revealed the presence of microplastics in all human and canine testes,” Yu said. The team was also able to quantify the amount of microplastics in the tissue samples using a novel analytical method that revealed correlations between certain types of plastic and reduced sperm count in the canine samples.

Microplastics result when plastic is exposed to ultraviolet radiation in sunlight and degrades in landfills. It can be blown about by the wind or carried into nearby waterways, and some bits are so small they are measured in nanometers (a billionth of a meter). They’re now ubiquitous in the environment—even as global use of plastics continues to grow.

Stay tuned for more research involving microplastics and their impacts.

Lobo Welcome Center is officially open

Alumni, faculty, staff and government officials celebrated the opening of The University of New Mexico Lobo Welcome Center.

CAMPUS CONNECTIONS

The newly-renovated building will serve as the first impression of UNM to future Lobos. Sporting UNM’s classic adobe walls and etched wooden pillars—the building seamlessly blends into historic architecture on campus and will give potential students a glimpse of UNM’s flourishing campus life.

“Every year thousands of potential students interested in The University of New Mexico, from New Mexico

and beyond, come here and think about if this is the place for them. This is the kind of facility that will be their starting point, their launching point to come in and start to discover," said Executive Vice President for Academic Affiars and Provost James Holloway.

The purpose of the welcome center is to create a positive experience for prospective students and their families.

“It’s the start of our campus tour and it’s the end of our campus tour,” Dan Garcia, vice president for Enrollment Management, said. “It provides a nice visual representation to our exhibits and displays of who we are and our history, with a focus on academics and academic qualities of the institution for students and their families.”

Discussion of an admissionsfocused welcome center has been

The University of New Mexico Lobo Welcome Center.

ongoing for many years. Until recently, families and visiting groups started their UNM tour on the south campus at the Student Support & Services Center, where they watched a presentation and then rode a bus to campus. The disconnection made it harder to help prospective students connect with UNM.

In 2021, some Enrollment Management staff moved to office space in the Student Union Building, where many recruitment events are held—making a smoother experience for visitors coming to the heart of the UNM campus, but the new space offers a “whole new level” to the campus experience, Garcia said.

“For this project, there have been many updates and improvements, all while keeping the character and key historical elements,” Garcia said. “This renovation and the impressive results were made possible by a combination of legislative appropriation and institutional bond funding.”

The renovation and new addition include a large presentation room, exhibit hall, terrace, a dedicated lactation room for nursing parents, and several office spaces. The center also boasts a lounge area and photo gallery where families can rest comfortably before beginning their campus tours. Each space is complete with UNM’s signature cherry, silver and turquoise coloring. The exhibit hall features displays designed to excite future Lobos about campus events

and research, as well as Lobo Vision, an interactive screen where visitors can explore campus culture and take selfies with Lobo Louie. There’s even a real Formula SAE race car built by students in the Lobo Motorsports program.

The renovated building will help the University attract new students from around the country. It was designed to meet the needs of a modern university admissions welcome center while respecting the historic aesthetic of the building.

UNM breaks ground on landmark Center for Collaborative Arts & Technology

The University of New Mexico is set to embark on an innovative journey with the groundbreaking of the Center for Collaborative Arts & Technology (CCAT) last October.

Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R), this new 60,000-squarefoot facility for the UNM College of Fine Arts (CFA), CCAT, will serve as a central hub for innovation, creativity, and collaboration, where every student is exposed to the most creative and imaginative applications of fine arts and technology.

“The University has always been both a catalyst for and a pathway to New Mexico’s vibrant artistic culture," said UNM President Garnett S. Stokes about the significance of CCAT. "This unique facility will enrich our relationships with our state’s

cultural communities and business sector partners to spur creative and economic growth that is fundamental to the mission of UNM and vital to the growth of the State of New Mexico.”

Located on the northeast corner of Stanford Drive and Central Avenue—a major corridor and leg of the historic U.S. Route 66, the facility will act as a new arts gateway into The University of New Mexico.

The campus has also seen growth in services and revitalizing projects over this past year. UNM opened the brand-new Lobo Welcome Center, renovating one of the oldest adobe buildings on campus in the ongoing commitment to sustainability.

Over the next year, more revitalizing projects will be opening, from the new Center for Collaborative Arts & Technology, the Duck Pond, to the Health Sciences Critical Care Tower, among many others. Additionally, thanks to voter support for GO Bonds in 2024, UNM also looks forward to several major improvements across all four branch campuses.

Secatero named 2025

Chester C. Travelstead Distinguished Faculty Fellow

Shawn Secatero, associate professor at The University of New Mexico College of Education and Human Sciences (COEHS), is not

just a leader in the classroom but also within the Indigenous communities he represents as a member of the Cañoncito Band of Navajos. Secatero is a COEHS alumnus and a long-time faculty member in UNM's Teacher Education, Educational Leadership program.

Secatero specializes in Indigenous leadership, dual enrollment, rural education, holistic education and wellness, and more. He developed an indigenous-based holistic well-being model for teaching and leadership. Also, he founded UNM's POLLEN (Promoting Our Leadership, Learning, and Empowering our Nations) program in 2016, which focuses on building up Indigenous school administrators.

"The highlight is seeing my students walk across the stage to receive their degrees. With our POLLEN teacher to principal licensure program, we graduated 60 teachers in six successive cohorts, and we have also graduated 14 Native American Leadership in Education doctoral students," he said.

Outside of the classroom, you can find Secatero on the basketball court. His Striking Eagle Native American Basketball Invitational (SENAI) is one of the largest Native American basketball tournaments for middle and high school students in the country, bringing hundreds of native students to campus each December.

In recognition and gratitude for his unwavering dedication to delivering high-quality education to all people, the COEHS has named Secatero as the 2025 Chester C. Travelstead Distinguished Faculty Fellow.

Former COEHS Dean Chester C. Travelstead was well known for his work supporting the integration of schools and the personal and professional sacrifices he made in support of Brown v. Board of Education. He was a beloved leader and advocate for high-quality education for all. To honor his distinguished legacy, the COEHS, with the generous support of its donors, established the Chester C. Travelstead Distinguished Faculty Fellowship to recognize and support the endeavors of faculty who continue to demonstrate excellence in advancing this mission.

"It is a great honor to receive the Chester C. Travelstead Distinguished Faculty Fellowship award on behalf of my students along with the Cañoncito Navajo Community," Secatero said.

UNM faculty receive Presidential Early Career Awards

The White House named two University of New Mexico faculty

members recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), widely recognized as the highest honor bestowed upon early-career scientists and engineers. Professor Vanessa Svihla and Associate Professor Matthew Lakin were each nominated by the National Science Foundation.

PECASE recognizes scientists and engineers who show exceptional leadership potential early in their research careers. The award recognizes innovative and farreaching developments in science and technology, expands awareness of careers in science and engineering, recognizes the scientific missions of participating agencies, enhances connections between research and its impacts on society, and highlights the importance of science and technology for our nation’s future. Individuals can receive only one PECASE award in their careers.

The NSF selects its PECASE nominees from among its highestachieving CAREER Award recipients. Nominees must showcase innovative research, demonstrated community service, and a commitment to equity, diversity, accessibility, or inclusion in STEM.

Vanessa Svihla is a professor in the Organization, Information and Learning Sciences and holds an appointment in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. She also serves as special assistant to the dean for learning sciences in the School of Engineering. In 2018, she received an NSF CAREER Award for

Associate Professor Shawn Secatero

Framing and Reframing Agency in Making and Engineering.

Svihla was awarded for her work related to framing agency in engineering classrooms. Through her research, she aims to clarify and design instructional tools and activities that can help students take ownership of their learning.

Matthew Lakin is an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and holds an appointment in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. He received an NSF CAREER award in 2021 for his research on Robust Heterochiral Molecular Computing in Mammalian Cells.

Lakin received the PECASE for bioengineering work that aims to enhance the utility of non-living DNA-based molecular devices by engineering systems that include mirror-image DNA, known as L-DNA. DNA typically forms a double-helix structure, which in nature usually twists to the right in strands known as D-DNA.

The NSF selects its PECASE nominees from among its highestachieving CAREER Award recipients. Nominees must showcase innovative research, demonstrated community service, and a commitment to equity, diversity, accessibility, or inclusion in STEM.

From UNM graduate to museum executive director

Erin Coe, a 1991 art studio graduate from The University of New Mexico’s College of Fine Arts, has been

appointed The Rockwell Museum’s new executive director. With more than 25 years of museum experience, she has become a passionate museum leader and arts advocate.

The Rockwell Museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate located in upstate New York. It offers visitors

a wide range of collections and exhibitions that showcase American art.

Coe started at The Rockwell in January and looks forward to building on the museum’s legacy as a Smithsonian Affiliate and making it a key cultural hub for the region by providing engaging art exhibitions and robust community programming.

Looking back on her time at UNM, Coe remembers a beautiful campus, a diverse student body and a supportive environment in which to flourish and learn. Her most impactful takeaway was her exposure to a wide variety of classes within her art studio and history program and the women’s studies department, among others.

Today, Coe still uses many of the skills and lessons learned at UNM in

her executive director role at The Rockwell, from learning how to work in teams to collaborating across disciplines. She credits her very first UNM internship at the Albuquerque Museum and her bachelor’s degree with launching her almost 30-year career in the museum field. Coe shared that without this pivotal experience, she may not have chosen a museum career path.

As a museum leader, Coe’s leadership style has blossomed over the years into what she calls “a servant-leader” philosophy. She sees it as her responsibility to communicate with all of the museum’s stakeholders, encourage cross-departmental collaboration and foster a philanthropic organizational culture that will help the organization grow and transition during times of change.

She strongly encourages today’s UNM students to take full advantage of their time at UNM, from building relationships with faculty to capitalizing on every opportunity, including internships, clubs, and student-run professional organizations. Her strong ties with her professors led to her career trajectory.

“You may not realize it, but building your network starts when you enter the classroom, lecture hall or studio, and grows from there. Faculty and the program’s administration are indispensable resources for students,” Coe said. 

Executive Director Erin Coe

TRADITIONS

UNM Young Alumni bag up green chile goodness at Ex Novo Brewing in Albuquerque! Pictured (l. to r.): Cody Aguilar and Micah Gray (BBA ’20, MBA ’21).

Our UNM D.C. Alumni green chile roasters firing the flavor on the National Mall. Pictured (l. to r.): John Varoz (’05 BBA), Jason Swanson, Shawn Paterniti, Kenneth Armijo (’05 BSME), and Andrew Varoz (’14 BSCE).

The UNM Alumni Denver Chapter turned up the heat in the Mile High City during their sizzling green chile roast! Pictured (l. to r.): Chris Rothenberger (’00 MCRP, ’05 MA), Jordan Dixon and Alissa Renteria (’00 BA).

The UNM Alumni NorCal Chapter brought the heat to the Bay with its annual green chile roast! Pictured (l. to r.): Antonio Humphreys (’96 BBA), Sue Neufeld (’96 MBA), Maia Chakerian (’84 DM), Raymond Armijo (’88 BFA), and Irene Lefton (’80 BA, ’82 MBA).

Members of ASUNM and UNM Trailblazers are among the ghosts and ghouls who made you scream at Haunted Hodgin Hall last October in what is fast becoming one of UNM’s favorite new traditions.

San Diego Alumni crew choppin’ chile with a view — spicing things up on Mission Bay! Pictured (l. to r.): Jamaal Davis (’20 BS), Katie Williams (’04 BA, Alumni Relations Office), Matthew Callahan (’10 BBA), Crystal Marquez, Veronica McDermott (’17 BA), and Gabby Callahan.

Crowds celebrate the holiday as one of UNM’s oldest traditions, Hanging of the Greens, culminates at Hodgin Hall Alumni Center, where hot chocolate and posole are served.

ALUMNI CHAPTER ROUNDUP

Snapshots from Alumni events

UNM alum and veteran, Paul Blodgett (’02 Nuclear Engineering), was the keynote speaker for the annual Veterans Day Celebration & Remembrance at the UNM Alumni Memorial Chapel last November.

UNM alums enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at Les Misérables with the cast and crew during a memorable UNM Alumni Lobo Living Room event at Popejoy Hall.

UNM Alumni leaders championed higher ed at the Lobos for Legislation reception. Pictured (l. to r.): Kenneth Armijo (’05 BSME: UC Berkeley ’08 MS, ’11 Ph.D.), UNM Alumni Association President; Aprilyn Chavez-Geissler (’96 BS), UNM Alumni Association President-Elect; and Connie Beimer (’76 BA, ’78 MPA), UNM Alumni Association Executive Director.

ALUMNI CHAPTER ROUNDUP

Snapshots from Alumni events

Swifties and Scholars tune in as UNM Honors College Lecturer Maria Szasz breaks down the cultural impact of Taylor Swift during a chart-topping Lobo Living Room event.

UNM President Garnett S. Stokes celebrates Fall 2024 graduates during commencement at The Pit.

New graduates get guidance from various campus groups during UNM Alumni’s Fall 2024 Senior Send-off.

ALUMNI CHAPTER ROUNDUP

Snapshots from Alumni events

Hundreds of Lobos brought the energy to Las Vegas for the UNM Alumni spirited, Post Up rally during the Mountain West Basketball Tournament!

New Mexico’s governor poses with the new generation of Lobo sports Leaders (l. to r.): Fernando Lovo, UNM Director of Athletics; Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-New Mexico; and Jason Eck, UNM Head Football Coach. (Photo courtesy, Instagram/@GovMLG)

Pictured (l. to r.): The Honorable Kenneth John Gonzales (’94 JD, ’88 BA), UNM Alumni President-Elect Aprilyn Chavez-Geissler (’96 BS), and UNM alum Shane Westhoelter supported the cherry and silver as the Lobos battled Saint John’s at Madison Square Garden.

UNM Alumni Board Member Kyle Biederwolf (’17 BBA, ’19 MPA), celebrates a successful Lobo basketball season at The Pit.

ALUMNI CHAPTER ROUNDUP

Snapshots from Alumni events

UNM Alumni regional chapter leaders met during Homecoming to discuss spreading Lobo spirit throughout the land!

Pictured (l. to r.): Robert Mallory (’90 BA), Ann Cowper (’80 BA), Chris Lujan (’05 BAA), Michael Aguilar (’16 BA), Marisela Lewis (’03 MA), Paul Tyhurst (’12 BBA), Antonio Humphreys (’96 BBA), Britney Choy (’10 BA), Robert Wengrod (’89 BS,’93 MA), Lilly Apostolou (’07 BA), Alissa Renteria (’00 BA), Greg Romero (’22 BA), and Ann Darling (’79 BA ’83 MA).

Stephanie Nevarez-Fernandez (’97 BS, ’03 DM), and Antonio Fernandez (’02 BM) dazzled at Diner en Rouge in their cherry-colored outfits during Homecoming 2024.

Lobos got a lift for a birdseye view as Cherry on Top offered free balloon rides during Diner en Rouge.

The UNM Alumni Native American chapter got fired up and game-day ready with a barbecue tailgate! Pictured (l. to r.): Julianne Mix (’24 BA), Stacey Benally-Vicenti (’01 BA), and Rebekah HorseChief (’10 BUS).

CLASS NOTES

Look for a classmate, friend or relative on every page! Email your alumni news to the Mirage Editor at alumni@unm.edu. Please include a brief write-up with your name, including middle name or initial, degree, graduation year, a few sentences about your news and or accomplishment, and where you’re living now. The deadline for submission in the 2026 Mirage is March 31, 2026.

1950s

Manuel D. V. Saucedo (BBA 1957; JD 1977)

Retired 6th Judicial District Court Judge Manuel D. V. Saucedo of Lordsburg was honored by his peers last fall at a special ceremony dedicating the Hidalgo County courtroom in his name. Saucedo served as District Judge from 1985 to 1996 in Hidalgo, Grant and Luna Counties. In 2021, Saucedo received the UNM Alumni Association ZIA Award in recognition of his public service, philanthropic endeavors, service to the University and community and volunteer activities. Saucedo and his friend the late Marshallene Koff, endowed the KoffSaucedo Scholarship in Law at the UNM School of Law. He presently serves on the Lordsburg City Council and as Mayor Pro Tem. 1960s

Kenneth L. “Ken” Groves (BA 1969)

Kenneth L. “Ken” Groves, Fellow of the Health Physics Society (HPS), retired U.S. Navy Commander and former Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) senior manager is the 2024 recipient of the HPS Distinguished Public Service Award, an award that recognizes accomplishments of fundamental importance to the practice, acceptance, and for advancement of health physics for public education in radiation science that is above and beyond the normal, accepted performance for the position held. Groves joins two other New Mexicans, Senator Pete Domenici, and Pete Lyons, distinguished scientist at Los Alamos, as one of the 11 recipients of this award.

Chuck Corbin (BS, 1960; PhD 1965)

Chuck Corbin recently received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement

Award, including a letter from President Biden, for his contributions spanning more than 60 years in the field of youth physical fitness and physical education. His books for high school (Fitness for Life) and college (Concepts of Fitness and Wellness) have been published for decades and have earned excellence awards from the Text and Academic Authors Association. Corbin was nominated for the award by the International Organization for Health, Sport, and Kinesiology.

Charles M. Atkinson (BFA, 1963)

Charles M. Atkinson, University Distinguished Professor (emeritus) and Arts and Humanities Distinguished Professor of Music (emeritus) at The Ohio State University. Atkinson was recognized last November with the publication of a Festschrift, in his honor titled Music in the Carolingian World: Witnesses to a Metadiscipline: Essays in Honor of Charles M. Atkinson, edited by Graeme M. Boone and published by Brepols in the series Épitome Musical.

Jay Higgins (BA, MA – Education, 1967)

Jay Higgins was honored recently by Lake Highlands High School as part of its Distinguished Service Awards at Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas, Texas. During his 44-year career, Higgins amassed 798 wins as Lake Highlands High School Varsity Baseball Coach, He was inducted into the Texas High School Baseball Association Hall of Fame Coach in 2011.

Bipin V. Vora (BS, 1967)

Bipin V. Vora, Honeywell UOP (retired), and Illinois Institute of Technology, was recognized by the American Chemical Society as part of its 2025 National Awards. Vora received the George A. Olah Award in Hydrocarbon or Petroleum Chemistry, supported by an endowed fund established by the Morris S. Smith Foundation and Dow. Recipients were honored earlier this year in conjunction with the ACS Spring 2025 meeting in San Diego.

Maneck Bhujwala (MS, 1968)

Maneck Bhujwala received an award from the Peace Center of Los Angeles "Exemplary Leadership Award For Cultivating Peace and Unity." Bhujwala earned his Master's degree in Engineering from UNM and worked at several large, medium and small companies, including on a NASA Life Sciences Flight Experiment Project on the Space Shuttle in 1979-81.

Martha Schwebach (NP, 1969)

Martha Schwebach was presented with a lifetime achievement award by the New Mexico Center for Nursing Excellence. Schwebach received her training from the UNM School of Medicine to become the first Certified Family Nurse Practitioner in the pilot program in 1969.

1970s

Richard F. Fleck (PhD, 1970)

Amazon Kindle Book, North by Northeast: Princeton to Reykjavik was recently released. The book highlights Fleck’s East Coast experiences all the way to Iceland.

Gregory J. Lalire (BA, 1974)

Gregory J. Lalire, Leesburg, Va., recently retired editor of Wild West history magazine, has had his sixth historical novel published by Sunstone Press of Santa Fe. Two Kids: Willie and Billy (April 2024) looks at the early years of New Mexico’s most famous frontier character, Billy the Kid.

Jeanette Larson (BA, 1974)

Jeanette Larson was honored by the Texas Library Association as a Library Champion for her work that has changed the landscape of libraries in Texas. The honor was first given in 2002.

Denise Tessier (BA, 1975)

Denise Tessier, of San Antonito, N.M., received the Historical Society of New Mexico’s 2024 Edgar Lee Hewett award for “outstanding service to the people of New Mexico, as related to New Mexico history.” She was also honored in 2024 as a “Courageous Communicator” by New Mexico Press Women, and a 1970s investigative piece she wrote while a court reporter for the Albuquerque Journal was part of the Albuquerque Museum exhibit, News for the People

R. David Pederson (BUS, 1975; JD, 1978)

R. David Pederson was unanimously elected by his fellow District Judges to serve as the Chief Judge of the 11th Judicial District (McKinley and San Juan Counties). Judge Pederson is the first Chief Judge for his District from Gallup/McKinley County. He will serve a three-year term.

CLASS NOTES

1980s

John Bell (BA, 1981)

John Bell, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from the UNM College of Arts and Sciences, retired as a professor of English at American River College in Sacramento, Calif.

Michael Flores (BA, 1981)

Expo Home Improvement has promoted Michael Flores from Chief Operating Officer to President. Flores has been a dedicated member of the organization for the last six years, initially joining as Director of Sales and quickly advancing to Chief Operating Officer.

Eric Paul Shaffer (MA, 1983)

Eric Paul Shaffer Kailua, O‘ahu, celebrated the recent publication of Green Leaves: Selected & New Poems, his eighth book of poetry, by Coyote Arts Press, an Albuquerque-based publisher. His book A Million-Dollar Bill, previously out of print, was reissued in 2024 by Coyote Arts. Free Speech, a book of two poem sequences, will be published in 2025. After forty years of teaching, Shaffer will retire from Honolulu Community College in July 2024.

Denise E. Chávez (MFA, 1984; Honorary Doctorate, 2004)

Denise E. Chávez recently released a new novel, Street of Too Many Stories, depicting a fictional street named Encantada, a microcosm of life on the US-Mexico border and the stories of generations living there. It is available through Conocimientos Press, which publishes accounts that voice the heart of a people, as they document narratives of struggle and resistance.

Elaine K. Prentice (MA, 1987)

Elaine K. Prentice, Albuquerque, recently completed her two-year term (2023-24) as president in the office of the New Mexico State Chapter of P.E.O. The P.E.O. Sisterhood is a non-profit organization whose mission is to celebrate the advancement of women; Educate women through scholarships, grants, awards, loans,

and stewardship of Cottey College; and to motivate women to achieve their highest aspirations.

1990s

Steve Carr (BA, 1990)

Steve Carr was the inaugural recipient of the Horizon Volunteer of the Year Award presented by the Public Relations Society of America Southwest District. The PRSA Southwest District serves 15 chapters in six states. The New Mexico chapter of the PRSA nominated Carr, who has served on its board for the past 14 years, including two terms as president. He also earned his Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) in October 2023.

Joseph A. Sapien (BBA, 1990; JD, 2002)

Joseph A. Sapien recently announced the opening of his law firm, Estate | Probate | Succession, a New Mexico Law Firm, which opened in January 2024. graduated with a B.B.A in Finance and graduated with Honors from the University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management in 1990. In 1999, Joseph began his legal studies at the University of New Mexico School of Law, obtaining his Juris Doctor in May 2002.

Lisa J. McBride (BA, 1991)

Lisa McBride retired as the National Geographic Information System (GIS) Program Manager for the US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, after 35 years of providing leadership in the application of geospatial science and supporting the Forest Service’s land management decisions. She's returned to Albuquerque from Washington, D.C.

Misti A. Klarenbeek-McKenna (BA, 1997)

Misti A. Klarenbeek-McKenna , of Wheat Ridge, Colo., is a featured author of The Grief Experience: Tools for Acceptance, Resilience & Connection. The chapter Death Out of Order: Recognizing and Embracing the Both/And shares her grief experience that began during her time at UNM.

Kelly Knupp (MD, 1997)

Kelly Knupp, M.D., was elected treasurer-elect of the American Epilepsy Society (AES) after the Society's annual meeting in Los Angeles. A medical and scientific society of more than 5,200 members,

AES is dedicated to advancing research and education for preventing, treating and curing epilepsy. Knupp is a professor of pediatrics and neurology at the University of Colorado, Aurora.

2000s

Dianne Dixon (BBA, 2000)

The USGA Nominating Committee released its 2025 Executive Committee slate with Dianne Dixon of Saint Johns, Fla., nominated to serve a three-year term on the USGA Executive Committee, a volunteer group of 15 people that provides strategic and financial oversight as the Association’s policymaking and governance board. Dixon, who resides in Saint Johns, Fla., is a former UNM women’s golf team member and Academic All-American.

Brian Colón (JD, 2001)

The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) elected Singleton Schreiber New Mexico Managing Partner Brian Colón to its leadership team for the second year in a row. Colón has been a board member since 2021, served as the organization’s Treasurer in the 2023 – 2024 term, and is now the First Vice President for the 2024 –2025 term.

Jennifer Jacobs (PhD, 2001)

AARP announced Dr. Jennifer Jacobs, the co-founder and CEO of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Connect Our Kids, as a winner of the AARP Purpose Prize award. This annual, national award recognizes extraordinary nonprofit founders aged 50 or older who are using their knowledge and life experience to make a difference. AARP will award each Purpose Prize winner $50,000 for their organization. Honorees will also receive a year of technical support to help broaden the scope of their organizations’ work.

Evelyn Neil (BBA, 2001)

Evelyn Neil was recently honored by the UNM Foundation. After graduating with an accounting degree, she was the "prime mover" in establishing and managing (along with her husband) Kachina

CLASS NOTES

Petroleum Equipment. She is also a member of Southwest Writers, the author of several short stories and a book reflecting on her life, Dancing to the End of Our Rainbow, and a mentor to new writers

Denise L. Teague Myrick (BS, 2003)

Denise L. Teague Myrick has been elected as chair of the New Mexico Dental Hygienists Committee. She has represented District V since 2013. Jal, N.M.

Adam Trubow (BBA, 2003)

Local ultrarunner Adam Trubow is raising funds and awareness for Special Olympics New Mexico as he runs the Leadville Trail 100 Run on August 17. Trubow is challenging New Mexicans to “become a friend” and support Special Olympics New Mexico through his campaign, 100 Friends for 100 Miles. The campaign goal is to raise $50,000 for Special Olympics programs in New Mexico and will culminate when Trubow runs the Leadville Trail 100 Run on August 17. Visit 100friends100miles. com to learn more and support. Trubow graduated from the Anderson School with a BBA in Entrepreneurial Students.

Drew Baird (PhD, 2004)

Drew Baird recently received the 2023 Arid Lands Hydraulic Engineering Award” from the American Society of Civil Engineers, Environmental and Water Resources Institute. The award recognizes original contributions in hydraulics, hydrology, including climatology, planning, irrigation and drainage, hydroelectric power development, navigation, especially applicable to arid or semi-arid climates, or contributions to the understanding and development of new technology in river basins.

Kendal Fortson (BA, 2006)

Kendal Fortson, a New Mexican educator working overseas, was invited to Athens to speak about his AI and education research at the NESA Learning Futures Summit. Fortson is an AP English and Psychology teacher who conducted a research study that found

effective methods teachers could use to improve their detection of students using AI, like ChatGPT, by over 67% by using linguistic forensics and prompt engineering.

Brandon Morgan (MA, 2007; PhD, 2013)

Brandon Morgan, associate dean, School of Liberal Arts at Central New Mexico Community College, released a new book, Raid and Reconciliation, with the University of Nebraska Press. Morgan graduated from the UNM History department with an MA in 2007 and a PhD in 2013.

2010s

Ashli Knoell (BS, 2010)

Ashli Knoell, a UNM College of Education and Human Sciences graduate, was recently selected among 75 other teachers nationally to receive the 2023 Milken Educator Award. Knoell earned a B.S. in elementary education at UNM and is currently a S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) and Robotics teacher at Cleveland High School in Rio Rancho, N.M.

Katy (Kate) Morton (PharmD, 2010) UNM College of Pharmacy Alum was recently selected as an Ethics in Business Award recipient and accepted into the Presidential Leadership Scholars Program, where she will represent New Mexico on a national platform.

Mercy Herrera (BS, 2011)

Mercy Herrera returned to New Mexico to live out her lifelong dream of starting a high-performing, free K-5 public school option. Herrera, a native New Mexican, recently opened Equip Academy of New Mexico, a top-tier, K-5 free public charter school located on Albuquerque’s Westside.

Damon J. Hudson (BBA, 2013; MPA, 2016)

Damon J. Hudson, a two-time alum, recently started his own law firm, Hudson Injury Law, in Santa Fe, N.M.

Molly Nelson-Regan (MA, 2015)

Faegre Drinker announced the firm’s 2023 new associate class, which includes University of New Mexico alumna Molly Nelson-Regan. NelsonRegan earned her M.A. from The University of New Mexico in Latin American Literature/Studies and

Teaching Certification in 2015. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2023.

Jenna Hagengruber (BA, 2016; MA, 2019)

Jenna Hagengruber, a Level 5 10th grade English Language Arts teacher in Nashville, Tenn, was one of nine finalists recognized by the National Society of High School Scholars at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., for the Educator of the Year Award. She earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from UNM.

Alejandra Eliza De La Cruz (BS, 2019)

Alejandra Eliza De La Cruz (2019 BS) accepted a one-year residency with UNM’s Department of Dental Medicine. She earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery from USC's Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry. She is the recipient of two USC senior awards: Certificate of Merit from the American Academy of Orofacial Pain as the senior dental student who has demonstrated the greatest commitment and interest in temporomandinular disorders and orofacial pain, and the Dr. Jeanne Craig Sinkford Student Leadership Award from the American Dental Association as the Doctor of Dental School 2024 Class Representative.

2020s

Kristen Case (BBA, 2021)

Kristen Case co-founded a creative new business called “YoGo LLC,” which combines golf and yoga. Along with coowner Javier Silva, Case, who has been a yoga instructor since high school, has been piloting YoGo Golf events in Santa Fe and Albuquerque.

IN MEMORIAM

We remember alumni who recently passed away.

1920s

Peter Emker, ’20

1930s

Joe Sandoval, ’31

Georgina Fowlie, ’33

1940s

Phillip Melville, ’44

Lawrence Hoyt, ’45

Mandy Pino, ’46

N.J. Gilmore, ’47

Robert Starkweather, ’47

Mary Hodges, ’48

Patricia Hopkins, ’48

Eliu Romero, ’48

Mary Thomas, ’48

Bettie Trotter, ’48

Elmer Hurley, ’49

Geneva McDowell, ’49

Lynn Williamson, ’49

1950s

Orville Bercaw, Jr., ’50

Harriett Barnes, ’50

Mildred High, ’50

Beth Moseley, ’50

Linda Richardson, ’50

Neal Sternberg, ’50

Billy Williams, ’50

Rosemary Zabcik, ’50

Anne Butterfield, ’51

Dick Canfield, ’51

Bob Castillo, ’51

James Frost, ’51

Marianne Frost, ’51

Constantine Hadjidakis, ’51

Barbara Harris, ’51

Jim Neely, ’51

Arnold Singer, ’51

Marian Tonjes, ’51

Jane Baldwin, ’52

Albert Brewster, ’52

Marcia Bumkens, ’52

Lenore Burroughs, ’52

Charles Martin, ’52

Robert Neel, ’52

William Sample, Jr., ’52

Sara Smith, ’52

Gilbert Treweek, Jr., ’52

Thomas Williams, Jr., ’52

Ruth Williamson, ’52

John Clatworthy, ’53

Doris Collins, ’53

David Evans, ’53

Hugh Hilleary, ’53

Don Holliman, ’53

Randy Holt, ’53

HJ Marshall, ’53

Sonny McCulloch, ’53

Hal Neuberger, ’53

Caroline Schlatter, ’53

John Farris, ’54

Jack Goodman, ’54

Myrna Harrison, ’54

Bill Holcomb, ’54

Russell Nystedt, ’54

David Segal, ’54

Robert Spahr, Jr., ’54

Gary Beals, ’55

George Beller, ’55

Michael Brady, ’55

Dorothy Dickerhoof, ’55

Donald Ducoff, ’55

William Gardner, ’55

Mary Holliman, ’55

Ronald Hull, ’55

Nancy Lueker, ’55

Carl Moore, Jr., ’55

Celia Ulibarri, ’55

Lue White, ’55

Corinne Adcox, ’56

Ervin Betts, ’56

Bucky Brandenburg, ’56

Mary Brandenburg, ’56

Jacob Brody, ’56

Alice Chavez, ’56

Fred Cone, ’56

Buddy Cook, ’56

Hugo Cotter, ’56

John Cox, ’56

Saul Miano, ’56

Ralph Park, ’56

Donald Radovich, ’56

William Vance, ’56

Bill Adkins, ’57

Walter Benny, Jr., ’57

Alice Best, ’57

Joseph Ferguson, Jr., ’57

Leonard Goodell, Jr., ’57

Art Hawkins, ’57

Jerry Lott, ’57

Gene Mortensen, ’57

Charles Wiley, ’57

Franklin Wilkins, ’57

Bud Alexander, ’58

Hildreth Barker, ’58

Bob Campbell, ’58

Clifford Caster, ’58

Zach Dean, ’58

Grace Fink, ’58

Thomas McMullen, ’58

Jim McSwain, ’58

Fred Minshall, ’58

Navarre Momaday, ’58

Jim O’Gwin, ’58

Morris Stagner, ’58

Peter Fasone, ’59

Don Fedric, ’59

Roy Fitzgerald, ’59

Bobby Gibbs, Sr., ’59

John Huffmyer, ’59

Pat Hart, ’59

Daton Hill, ’59

Darrell Kent, ’59

Dick Longman, ’59

John Martin, ’59

Lurae McCollum, ’59

Diana McEvilly, ’59

Alice Milligan, ’59

Arthur Perkins, Jr., ’59

Richard Rudd, Jr., ’59

Nancy Shaffer, ’59

Joe Roberts, ’59

Joel Rogers, ’59

Eugene Walter, ’59

Paul White, ’59

1960s

Sharon Colbourne, ’60

Victor Heusinger, ’60

John Krakar, Jr., ’60

William Krum, Jr., ’60

Francisco Maestas, ’60

Doug McVicker, ’60

Frank Pickett, ’60

Martha Thayer, ’60

Wayne McEvilly, ’60

David Merewether, ’60

Marc Simmons, ’60

Johnny Volpato, Sr., ’60

Dick Yeck, ’60

Frank Andrews III, ’61

Donald Burden, ’61

JC Chant, ’61

George Doolittle, Jr., ’61

David Dubois, ’61

Katie Easton, ’61

Jane Elliott, ’61

Richard Gerding, ’61

W D Gutscher, ’61

Jeannie Hines, ’61

Ronald James, ’61

Jim Judge, ’61

Virgil Howe, ’61

Ina Miller, ’61

Dean Stanfield, ’61

Dennis Tedlock, ’61

Carlos Vigil, ’61

Owen Williams, ’61

John Wolcott, ’61

Marvin Briggs, ’62

Donald Bryson, ’62

Stephen Caine, ’62

John Cheetham, ’62

Margo Eichwald, ’62

Bob Garcia, ’62

John Juric, ’62

Jerry Manzagol, ’62

Zoe Mattox, ’62

Norman Melvin, ’62

Rachel Melvin, ’62

Richard Millett, ’62

Peggy Nelson, ’62

Gary Pierson, ’62

Vicki Bachechi, ’63

Betty Benson, ’63

Lucien Freedle, ’63

Tony Gallegos, ’63

O.T. Garza, ’63

Thomas Heldt, Jr., ’63

A. Gayle Hudgens, ’63

Tommie Jewell, Jr., ’63

William Orser, ’63

Jerri Robertson, ’63

Larry Sheets, ’63

Ronald Swigger, ’63

Lee Trussell, ’63

Norma Vandel, ’63

Robert Wheeler, Jr., ’63

John Williamson, ’63

David Burnham, ’64

Modesto del Castillo, ’64

Richard Cloward, ’64

Roy Erwin, ’64

Gary Finley, ’64

Reba Grandrud, ’64

Ilse Gray, ’64

Jerry Groebner, ’64

Michael Gruner, ’64

Lloyd Hardee, ’64

Miyoshi Ikeda, ’64

Floyd Ivey, Jr., ’64

Jerry Jaramillo, ’64

Fritz Krueger, ’64

Vern Martinez, ’64

Howard Mock, ’64

Frank Moran, ’64

Carla Muth, ’64

Nhan Nguyen, ’64

Aubrey Quinn, ’64

Richard Quintana, ’64

James Stanfield, ’64

Nina Adkins, ’65

Jorge Alarcon, ’65

Vicki Anderson, ’65

James Bishop, ’65

Marlene Blair, ’65

George Byrd, ’65

Mike Currier, ’65

Ralph Davis, ’65

Gayle Elliott, ’65

Pat Francoeur, ’65

Cam Gray, ’65

Ronald Jacobsen, ’65

Dermod Kelleher, ’65

Lloyd Lamb, ’65

Jean Lawton, ’65

James McCurdy, ’65

Carl Murphy, ’65

Tony Nuttal, ’65

Barbara Nyland, ’65

Charlie Olinger, ’65

John Owens, ’65

Marsha Phillips, ’65

Bertha Rodriguez, ’65

Doris Sahd, ’65

Martha Stockham, ’65

Graham Van Note, ’65

Jim Warren, Jr., ’65

Mary Broell, ’66

Richard Chapman, ’66

Richard Eitzen, ’66

Sarah Grady, ’66

Marcella Horney, ’66

Esther Nelson, ’66

Barry Rosenberg, ’66

David Shetler, ’66

Jane Slaughter, ’66

Roy Waters, ’66

Anne Wiggins, ’66

Sandra Wilkinson, ’66

Dick Braden, ’67

Patricia Braden, ’67

James Campbell, ’67

Bennie Chavez, ’67

Robert Eaton, ’67

Bob Grethel, ’67

Pauline Jones, ’67

Kathy Koch, ’67

Dennis Lively, ’67

Ed Mauldin, ’67

Frances Mont-Eaton, ’67

Pat Morrison, ’67

Susan Munn, ’67

Mike Scanlon, ’67

Cecil Soto, ’67

Bud Watson, ’67

Douglas Benson, ’68

Donna Bruns, ’68

Julie Davis, ’68

Mimi Davis, ’68

Christopher Eng, ’68

Hunter Geer, ’68

Gary Hall, ’68

Gordon Jorgensen, ’68

Dean Kennedy, ’68

Gary Kirk, ’68

Shugen Komagata, ’68

George Lucas, ’68

Dale McManus, ’68

Mike O’Donnell, ’68

David Peck, ’68

Mildred Plummer, ’68

Joseph Price, Sr., ’68

Michael Smock, ’68

Eddie Van Meter, ’68

Celina Archuleta, ’69

Harold Bailey, ’69

Floyd Braaten, Jr., ’69

Alan Chodorow, ’69

Carmen Conner, ’69

Cole Foster, ’69

Jean Fuller, ’69

David Greenwood, ’69

W. Marquess Hale, ’69

Michael Haley, ’69

Mark Hanson, ’69

Jefferson LeCates III, ’69

Anne Littleton, ’69

Fernando Martinez, ’69

Jonathan Mayhew, ’69

Elizabeth McDermott, ’69

Loran Rhine, ’69

Janet Romero, ’69

Richard Ruminski, ’69

John Smith, ’69

Gary Spitzberg, ’69

Susan Stewart, ’69

Bud Summers, ’69

Patrick Trujillo, ’69

Carolyn Tucker, ’69

Carl Wiggins, ’69

Evelyn Williams, ’69

Laurin Woodruff, ’69

1970s

Alan Bender, ’70

Dennis Burns, ’70

Mary Cavanaugh, ’70

Jeanne Clark, ’70

Terry Dear, ’70

Hildegard Frick, ’70

Miriam Friedman, ’70

William Hanrahan, Jr., ’70

Homer Hazel, ’70

Susan Keller, ’70

Dorothy Gram, ’70

Isaac Griego, ’70

David Lacey, ’70

David Larison, ’70

Arthur Mares, ’70

Kay McKinney, ’70

Jean Milant, ’70

Gary Perkowski, ’70

Duke Reid, ’70

Robert Shadron, ’70

Jim Soper, ’70

Joy Sorden, ’70

Elaine Stone, ’70

John Stroh, ’70

Levi Valdez, ’70

Sharon Walker, ’70

Edward Avila, ’71

Michael Campbell, ’71

Dolores Cano, ’71

Dee Christman, ’71

Billie Connell, ’71

Stanley Debber, ’71

Franklin Ettenberg, ’71

David Farrell, ’71

Mary Finch, ’71

Josephine Garcia, ’71

James Garretson, ’71

Jimmy Gillespie, ’71

Diane Gruner, ’71

Charles Hale, ’71

Stephen Hines, ’71

Douglas Johnston, ’71

Yvonne Knight, ’71

Conrad Longmire, ’71

Orlando Lucero, ’71

William Martin, ’71

Dan Mayfield, Sr., ’71

Jim Morgan, ’71

Mike Moyer, ’71

John Paternoster, ’71

Caroline Redfearn, ’71

Dea Renfro, ’71

Bill Robison, ’71

Edward Seela, ’71

Gilbert Silva, ’71

Wayne Trott, ’71

Martin Trujillo, ’71

Rick Walker, ’71

Charles Wheatley, ’71

Diana Worthen, ’71

Mike Carpenter, ’72

Cassandra Church, ’72

David Church, ’72

Kenneth Divoky, ’72

Betty Lou Dubois, ’72

Thomas Esquibel, ’72

Gilbert Gardner, ’72

Marilyn Gordon, ’72

Rita Herther, ’72

Charles Hodges, ’72

Louie Huning, ’72

Daisy Johnson, ’72

Richard Kyle, ’72

Pearline Mackaron, ’72

Sherry Jones Martin, ’72

Frank Martinez, ’72

Mark McFeeley, ’72

Jean Merson, ’72

Bruce Muhr, ’72

John Mulvaney, ’72

Franklin Nickell, ’72

Larry O’Dell, ’72

Jo Orescanin, ’72

Teddy Palmore, ’72

Peter Petersen, ’72

John Raymer, ’72

Eddie Romero, ’72

Daniel Sedillo, ’72

Frances Valdez, ’72

Thomas Zanotti, ’72

Vivian Barfield, ’73

Allen Birch, ’73

Michael Bogan, ’73

Carolyn Brown, ’73

William Caldes, ’73

Timothy Callahan, ’73

Donald DeGeer, ’73

Leon Fuemmeler, ’73

Dora Gomez, ’73

Timothy Isengard, ’73

Kathy Keller, ’73

Karen Klett, ’73

Diana Morgan, ’73

Ray Navarro, ’73

David Nereson, ’73

Chuck Noland, ’73

Betty Read, ’73

Noel Runyan, ’73

Carlos Salazar, III, ’73

Sidney Sanchez, ’73

Virginia Shumate, ’73

Charles Thigpen, ’73

David Summers, ’73

Rosa Thornton, ’73

Ricardo Trujillo, ’73

Ronald Walker, ’73

Jenine Watson, ’73

Woodrow Wilson, ’73

Ralph Yturralde, ’73

Ervin Aldaz, ’74

Danley Butler, ’74

Leo Coerver, ’74

Ted Cotton, ’74

Chester Crain, Jr., ’74

David Czapski, ’74

Maggie Devlyn, ’74

Helen Kee, ’74

Frank Gutierrez, ’74

Albert Lance, ’74

Richard Malitz, ’74

Marcia Medina, ’74

Claresia Montoya, ’74

Gerald Mora, ’74

Claire Murphy, ’74

Terry Ortiz, ’74

Emily Padon, ’74

Phil Pohyl, ’74

Christopher Rogers, ’74

Maria Salas, ’74

Howard Schaefer, Jr., ’74

Russell Schuler, ’74

E. Chandler Shumate, ’74

Joe Tafoya, ’74

Craig Welsh, ’74

Phil York, ’74

Johnny Begay, ’75

Arthur Cannady, III, ’75

Christopher Carman, ’75

Jay Chamberlin, ’75

Patrick Chavez, ’75

Dennis Dunn, ’75

Jane Farr, ’75

Florence McCabe, ’75

Sandy Ragan, ’75

Allen Service, ’75

Vance Smith, ’75

George Woerndle, ’75

Jim Anderson, ’76

La Merle Boyd, ’76

Patrick Caulfield, ’76

Michael Dietz, Sr., ’76

Terry Dolan, ’76

Greg Duty, ’76

Johnny Griffin, ’76

Kenneth Kietzke, ’76

Richard Land, ’76

Elma Landgraf, ’76

Phillip Loyd, ’76

Dolores Martinez, ’76

Richard Moran, ’76

Leroy Ortiz, ’76

Joe Renn, ’76

Julie Rodgers, ’76

Kerry Rose, ’76

Phillip Ross, ’76

Grady Utley, ’76

James Baca, ’77

Steve Bowman, ’77

Janie Brooks, ’77

Cass Casillas, ’77

Barbara Clay, ’77

Michael Del Sordi, Jr., ’77

Patricia Duran, ’77

Cheryl Eckart, ’77

Daniel Franks, ’77

Larry Emarine, ’77

Frances Ford, ’77

Harold Garrison, ’77

Bud Hall, ’77

Ronald Kay, ’77

Bob Laurence, ’77

Gail McGoughMaduena, ’77

John Michnovicz, ’77

Louie Morrison, ’77

Holly Pence, ’77

Elias Quintana, ’77

Karen Radziewicz, ’77

Barbara Schneider, ’77

Sidney Thorn, ’77

David Weaver, ’77

Frances Avery, ’78

Philip Calabria, ’78

Jack D’Ambrosio, ’78

Donald Baker, ’78

James Dietsch, ’78

Bill Harris, ’78

Marilyn Hurley, ’78

Mona Johnson, ’78

Claudia Giese, ’78

Marie Martinez, ’78

John McMath, III, ’78

Lionel Ortega, ’78

Alejandro Perez, ’78

Chuck Reher, ’78

Steven Roche, Sr., ’78

Bill Smith, ’78

Christine Schneider Smith, ’78

Deborah Smith, ’78

Jay Smith, Jr., ’78

David Till, ’78

Susan Walter, ’78

Kate Watson, ’78

Catherine Wick, ’78

Ronald Anderson, ’79

Margaret Asprey, ’79

Kate Carraher, ’79

Lois Dodson, ’79

Jack Ellvinger, ’79

Johnny Faith, ’79

Mike Hallick, ’79

Kenneth Hutton, ’79

Phoebe Petty, ’79

Florence Romero, ’79

Marianne Schwartz, ’79

Wayne Taylor, ’79

Cheryl Thompson, ’79

Angelo Turiciano, ’79

Donna Wylie, ’79

1980s

Mary Foutz, ’80

John Gromek, ’80

Michael Gutierrez, ’80

Brigitte Lotze, ’80

Patti Magnuson, ’80

Sandy Merz, ’80

Mark Mollo, ’80

Debbie Partington, ’80

Eric Plikerd, ’80

Dorothy Posey, ’80

Elizabeth Roll, ’80

Benny Smith, ’80

Jaune Smith, ’80

Scott Appelman, ’81

Kenny Beal, ’81

Gwendolyn Branch, ’81

David Bunch, ’81

Gloria Chavez, ’81

Cindy Downing, ’81

Lynn Elliott, ’81

Evelyn Fink, ’81

Curtis Frasier, ’81

Steven Luchini, ’81

Mary Luers, ’81

Bambi Nobles, ’81

Joe Rivera, ’81

Alan Senescu, ’81

Sandra Stoy, ’81

Maria Theye, ’81

Joe Williams, ’81

Linda Armas, ’82

Kathleen Baca-Sanchez, ’82

Lorena Beeman, ’82

Alice Harsh, ’82

Arthur Kuo, ’82

Marge Najarian, ’82

Christina Reynolds, ’82

James Rupert, ’82

Janelle Scheller, ’82

Lucille Stone, ’82

Sheryl Brymer, ’83

Mary Buchholz, ’83

Donald Burge, ’83

Galen Burgett, ’83

Ina Collins, ’83

Bruce Cook, ’83

Byrd Gibbons, ’83

Kathy Jutila, ’83

Gregory Lamberth, ’83

Helen Mannion, ’83

Kevin McCauley, ’83

Lucas Montoya, ’83

Keith Paschall, ’83

Steven Schoneberg, ’83

Vee Seal, ’83

Laurie Smith, ’83

Dorothy Treadwell, ’83

Bill Whaley, ’83

William Bowdich, ’84

Debra Brewster, ’84

Frank Cassisa, ’84

David Esquibel, ’84

John Herriot, ’84

Bill Hoff, ’84

Alfred Jonke, ’84

Cindy Lee, ’84

Jeffrey Malanify, ’84

Heather Murray, ’84

Terrie Sais, ’84

Ymelda Valdez, ’84

Tom Wray, ’84

Sunny Birkland, ’85

Terry Craig, ’85

Deborah Davis, ’85

Stella Delgado-Kinnison, ’85

Sixto Martinez, ’85

Gail Meiering, ’85

Manuel Tafoya, ’85

Leslie Wall, ’85

John Zannini, ’85

Edward Abeita, ’86

Brett Blackwell, ’86

Marilyn Foster, ’86

Mike Mazzella, ’86

Matthew Parkes, ’86

Joseph Proli, ’86

Wilma Dewey, ’87

Fran Myers, ’87

Jeanne Whitehouse, ’87

John Cammarata, ’88

Molly DoberneckMassie, ’88

Tarrae Fausnaugh, ’88

Betsy Frederick, ’88

Jeannette Keim, ’88

Glenise Kyle, ’88

Randy Lee, ’88

Rita McGuire, ’88

Carol Mochel, ’88

Rosemary Reynolds Nichols, ’88

Steven Torres, ’88

Beth Wood, ’88

Louise Booth, ’89

Joyce Fort, ’89

Eddie Francis-Baca II, ’89

Kathleen Johnston, ’89

Karen Kerns, ’89

Michael McCan, ’89

Rosalita Mitchell, ’89

Christopher Page, ’89

Tina Smith, ’89

Karen Thurmond, ’89

Arthur Vermillion, ’89

1990 – 1999

Mike Akard, ’90

Shang-Ying Clark, ’90

Phyllis Killpatrick, ’90

Spencer Pearse, ’90

Joni Roberts, ’90

Ted Sahd, ’90

David Bunting, ’91

Philip Doonan, ’91

Barbara Embres, ’91

David McCully, ’91

Hal Meyer, ’91

Martha West, ’91

Joseph Weyers, ’91

Charles Burton, ’92

Lucinda Lee, ’92

Roger Poppe, ’92

Guy Riddle, Sr., ’92

Kent Schvaneveldt, ’92

Susan Stanford, ’92

Myrna Strong, ’92

Linda Williams, ’92

Bruce Bambrook, ’93

Daniel Cano, ’93

Ernest Chischilly, ’93

William DeRaad, ’93

Mary Ann Eaves, ’93

Jodi Eggert, ’93

Kathy Howell, ’93

Penni Schwinkendorf, ’93

Edward Sullivan, ’93

Mark Winter, ’93

Jeffrey Barboa, ’94

Gary Betts, ’94

Ann Bowen, ’94

Jacqueline Christensen, ’94

Jean-Paul De Jager, ’94

Jeanne Huibregtse, ’94

Barbara Rigali, ’94

Kenneth Romero, ’94

Wendy Shelton, ’94

Cynthia Aiken, ’95

David Brown, ’95

Greg Brown, ’95

Carol Piper, ’95

Elmer Yazzie, ’95

Peter Berdusis, ’96

Patricia Caver-Carter, ’96

Lorraine Dominguez, ’96

Paul Legendre, ’96

Paul Trujillo, ’96

Marla Anaya, ’97

Elaine Bawden, ’97

Viviane Renard, ’97

Millicent Sanchez, ’97

Aleta Thomas-Martinez, ’97

Michelle Wright, ’97

Bill Begay, ’98

Tom Brown, ’98

Josette Griffiths, ’98

Bob Hyatt, ’98

Jess Lilley, ’98

Richard Lore, ’98

Shawna MacNeil, ’98

Douglas Ray, ’98

Tim Apodaca, ’99

Teresa Deras, ’99

Charlene Golden, ’99

Blue LeBleu, ’99

Mona Pilgrim, ’99

Lupe Sandoval, ’99

Ima Turtle-Song, ’99

Betsy Vanleit, ’99

2000s

Richard Howell, ’00

Rachel LuceroMaldonado, ’00

Ramona Murvin, ’00

Christine Polansky, ’00

John Steiner, ’00

Alesia Bernasconi-Bell, ’01

Alissa Diaz, ’01

Margaret Gonzales, ’01

Lynda Hagman, ’01

Karen Naughton, ’01

Dan Parvaz, ’01

Antoine Predock, ’01

Kendra Claeson, ’02

Daniel Estrada, ’02

William Dodge, ’03

Preston Hendrix, ’03

Catherine Kleiner, ’03

Mary Bowerman, ’04

Mary McCann, ’04

Judith Murphy, ’04

Rebecca RackleySmith, ’04

Angelica SalcidoLempke, ’04

Nicholas Tubb, ’04

Hui Deng, ’05

James Koschmann, ’05

Suzanne Richardson, ’05

Jennifer Tobin, ’05

Jill Westland, ’05

Bruce Bergeson, ’06

Pamela Lujan, ’06

Jess Pearson, ’06

Maxi Smith, ’06

Brent Brokeshoulder, ’07

Julie John, ’07

Lance Smith, ’07

Lisa Luna-Quintana, ’08

Tiaunna Connelly, ’09

Judith Davis, ’09

Pamela Kenneth, ’09

Michael Meadors, ’09

Timothy Sipp, ’09

Ninabah Williams, ’09

2010s

Ross White, ’10

Tristan Lloyd, ’11

Catherine Sorenson, ’11

Krista Begay, ’12

Mark Davee, ’12

Drew Gordon, ’12

Barron Jones, ’12

Joe Lovato, ’12

Andy Madden, ’12

Lorena MartinThompson, ’12

Kamie Ulibarri, ’12

Gaby Pacheco, ’13

Cheii Martinez, ’15

Tracy Morris, ’15

Bryan Baker, ’16

Gabino Dimas, ’16

Denise Hinson, ’16

Mark Betsoi, ’17

Sylvester Chee, ’17

Michael Klein, ’17

Sean Sullivan, ’17

Myron Tapaha, ’17

Cruz Otero, ’18

Shawn Charley, ’19

Janessa Johnson, ’19

Raymond Sanchez, II, ’19

Jeremy Trujillo, ’19

2020 – 2023

Gregory Brooks, ’20

Peter Emker, ’20

Natalie Duncan, ’21

Jacob Sandoval, ’22

Michael Thornton, ’24

Taijzha Wilson, ’24

Other

Peter Arndt

Carol Baldwin

Beverlie Bernitsky

Sandra Berry

Bob Blair

Edward Bisetti

Maurice Carpenter

Robert Carter

Charles Claggett, Jr.

Mark Cohen

Clarabelle Sloatman Cooper

Jane Cooper

Raymond Corazzi

Mario Cornfield

Reed Crespin

Mario Cruz

Bud Cushing

Mary DeSaulniers

Chelsey DiPasquale-Hunton

Evelyn Feffer

Scott Dietert

Ruben Douglas

Pauline Garcia

Julie Gipson

Peggy Glascock

Eddie Gomez

Jake Gonzales

William Gorman

Kenneth Haw

Karla Haywood

Mala Htun

Bruce Huckell

Fern Hudson

Robert Istnick

Winnie Kelly

Asja Kornfeld

Marge Lalicker

Richard Lueker

William MacKay

Carol Manwarren

Harold Martin

Joseph Martinez

Dennis McCance

Lance Mikkelson

Daniel Moreno

Susie Mosier

Barbara Moyer

Patricia Myer

Vincent Muscarella

Horton Newsom

Bart Nilson

Linda Nine

Vickie Peck

Feliz Rael

Barbara Rees

Harold Riley

Robert Rudawsky

Jerry Saunders

Barbara Schnurr

Cindy Shue

Williams Sims, Jr.

F.X. Stark

Steve Taub

Barry Tompkins

Jim Torres

Alice Valdez

S. Linda Wainionpaa

Betty Webber

Geri Werdig

Howard West

Penington Wimbush

David Woodward