Dear Colleagues and Friends in the University of New Mexico Community:

As I approach eight years of service as your President—and after several wonderful decades of service in higher education leadership, it soon will be time for me to step away and begin a new chapter in my life with my husband, Jeff, who has served as my partner throughout this leadership journey. I have informed the Board of Regents that the 2025-26 academic year will be my last serving as your President. I am sharing this news with you and the Board of Regents now to ensure there is ample time for a search for my successor and a smooth transition.

When I first arrived on campus in February of 2018, I encountered an incredible community, amazing students, faculty and staff, and a collective desire to elevate the institution. While I will leave it to others to put my tenure into perspective, I am incredibly proud of what we have done together in alignment with UNM2040 and with our mission: promoting discovery, generating intellectual and cultural contributions, honoring academic values, and fostering an educated, healthy, and economically vigorous New Mexico. I am also proud of the work of our students, faculty, and staff over the years, all of whom have helped lift up the institution and improve the lives of our communities around the state. And I am proud that we accomplished so much together while living our shared values of excellence, inclusion, environment, integrity and place in our words and actions. 

But I want to be clear – I am not going anywhere yet. There is still a great deal of work ahead of us this academic year as we move forward in pursuit of our vision and face head-on the challenges being encountered by higher education institutions across the country. I will continue to work on behalf of the University and the community each and every day until my term is over, and I will do everything I can to assist the Board of Regents in a smooth transition to better ensure UNM’s future success and continued impactful service to New Mexico, a state I love and will always hold close to my heart.

It has been an honor to serve as your President. I’m grateful to the Board of Regents and the UNM community for their continued support. No matter where my journey into retirement takes me, I will always be a Lobo!