Good afternoon Lobos –

I didn’t have the opportunity to say it last week, so let me start this week off by saying welcome back, Lobos—and best wishes for a successful and energizing Spring 2026 semester.

As our students return to classrooms, labs, studios, and fields across campus, The University of New Mexico remains focused on creating spaces that support learning, connection, and Lobo pride. This Spring, in fact, brings some important momentum for the future of University Stadium and the South Campus Sports and Entertainment District.

UNM has released initial findings from an ongoing feasibility and development planning effort that outlines a thoughtful, phased approach to modernizing the stadium. Phase 1 centers on a proposed $58 million package of high-impact improvements designed to address urgent infrastructure, safety, accessibility, and fan experience needs. Planned upgrades include expanded and more efficient entry points, wider concourses, modernized restrooms, and enhanced concessions—all aimed at improving game-day flow, safety, and accessibility.

These foundational investments reflect UNM’s commitment to responsible stewardship of a shared campus and community asset, while laying the groundwork for future enhancements that will benefit students, fans, and New Mexicans for generations to come.

Advancing Our Plan to Grow the Next Generation of Health Care Professionals

I’m proud of the progress we’re making to strengthen New Mexico’s health care future by expanding education, training, and clinical capacity across the UNM Health Sciences Center. With statewide demand for health professionals continuing to grow, UNM is responding with bold investments designed to prepare more physicians and allied health professionals to serve communities where they are needed most.


Recent additions—including new clinics and the UNM Hospital Critical Care Tower—have created critical space to support expanded clinical training for students, residents, and fellows. Building on that momentum, UNM has set an ambitious goal to double enrollment at the UNM School of Medicine over the next decade. Achieving that growth will require new, modern educational space, and planning is already underway for a state-of-the-art School of Medicine building on North Campus.

Designed for flexibility, collaboration, and innovative teaching, the proposed facility would replace aging infrastructure with state-of-the-art facilities. Together, these efforts reflect UNM’s commitment to closing workforce gaps, driving economic impact, and ensuring access to high-quality care for New Mexicans for generations to come.

National Search for Provost Gets Under Way

The University of New Mexico has launched a national search for its next provost and executive vice president for academic affairs—a key leadership role advancing academic excellence, research impact, and student success across UNM’s statewide campuses. Supported by Isaacson Miller, the search will engage a broad, diverse pool of candidates through a transparent and inclusive process. The search advisory committee, led by Katie Witkiewitz, a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and the Director of the Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions, will invite input from faculty, staff, students, and the public. Opportunities for community feedback on the role, committee details, and the search timeline will be shared on the provost search website as we work toward selecting our next academic leader by May 2025.

UNM Reaffirmed as a National Leader in Community Engagement



The University of New Mexico has once again earned national recognition for work that makes a difference where it matters most: in our communities. UNM has been re-certified as a 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement campus, a distinction it first achieved in 2020. This is a designation that reflects UNM’s deep alignment of mission, leadership, teaching, research, and partnerships that advance community-focused impact across New Mexico—and beyond. Awarded by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the classification underscores UNM’s enduring commitment to service, opportunity, and shared success. We’re proud to receive this recognition once again.

Researchers Explore How Breathing May Boost Brain Cleaning



Lobo researchers are advancing promising new insights into brain health by exploring how the body’s natural waste-clearing system might be enhanced while people are awake. A collaborative team from the UNM School of Medicine, the Mind Research Network, and the New Mexico Veterans Affairs Health Care System is studying whether rhythmic changes in carbon dioxide levels, achieved through controlled breathing or brief CO₂ exposure, can boost the brain’s glymphatic pathway. In newly published research, the team demonstrated that intermittent CO₂ can stimulate blood vessel responses that help clear harmful proteins linked to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. The findings open the door to simple strategies, such as slow, intentional breathing, that could support brain function, cognition, and long-term neurological health—research that translates innovative science into real-world strategies for improving brain health and quality of life.

LoboLift Launches to Advance Student Safety After Dark

Years of Lobo student advocacy at The University of New Mexico have culminated in the launch of LoboLift, a free, peer-to-peer ride service designed to enhance safety and mobility after dark. Developed through collaboration between Associated Students of The University of New Mexico and UNM Parking & Transportation Services, with support from the New Mexico State Legislature and the President’s Office, LoboLift reflects a truly student-centered approach. Staffed by trained student employees, the on-demand service helps Lobos move across central campus with greater confidence and peace of mind. Launching at the start of the Spring 2026 semester, the pilot program demonstrates how sustained student leadership and partnership can shape a safer, more connected campus.

Using Moon Rocks to Rethink the Origins of Earth’s Water

Researchers at The University of New Mexico are helping reshape how scientists understand the origins of Earth’s water. In a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers analyzed Apollo lunar soil using advanced oxygen-isotope techniques to test long-standing theories about water delivery to Earth. Because the Moon preserves a record of ancient impacts erased on Earth, the findings place strong limits on how much water late meteorites could have supplied. This exciting research highlights UNM’s leadership in planetary science, demonstrating how precision analysis of lunar samples continues to deepen our understanding of habitability, the solar system’s history, and the forces that shaped our life here on Earth.

Brian Levant Brings Hollywood Storytelling Home to UNM



The University of New Mexico has received an extraordinary gift from acclaimed Hollywood filmmaker and alumnus Brian Levant, whose career-spanning archive is now housed at the Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections in Zimmerman Library. The Brian Levant Collection marks the Center’s first major television and film archive, offering students, scholars, and the public an unprecedented look at the creative process behind iconic shows and family films. With screenplays, storyboards, photographs, recordings, and production materials, the collection traces projects from early concept through final cut—including work that never reached production. This remarkable contribution deepens UNM’s role in preserving creative history while inspiring future storytellers, and we’re truly grateful for this incredible gift.

Sign Up for Traveling Office Hours

I regularly hold traveling office hours, which provide me with the privilege of coming directly to you to learn more about your concerns and aspirations for our university, and I’m always inspired by hearing about your lives as Lobos. Traveling office hours are on Tuesdays or Wednesdays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.; if you’d like me to come to your department, please send an invitation through my office. Slots tend to fill up fast—but if none are available, please add your name to the waiting list. I look forward to our conversation!