Good afternoon Lobos –
It was such a joy to celebrate our Class of 2025 last week. On Friday night in The Pit, we proudly honored our graduate students as they completed the next stage of their academic journeys. Then, on Saturday morning, we cheered our undergraduates as they entered The Pit as Lobo students and proudly left in the afternoon as Lobo graduates and alumni. It was wonderful to experience these life-changing milestones together, and to celebrate mutual joys and accomplishments as Lobos. Congratulations to our Class of 2025! I hope you’ll take a moment to check out the stories of some of this year’s Inspiring Graduates.
My thanks as well to the countless departments across campus whose untold hours of planning and preparing for the ceremony made the day a huge success. If you were unable to join the festivities, you can watch our graduate and undergraduate celebrations here.
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Six New Teams Join UNM’s Grand Challenges
UNM’s Grand Challenges program is growing—and so is our commitment to solving New Mexico’s toughest problems. We’re thrilled to announce six new interdisciplinary teams joining our Grand Challenges Level 1 program for the 2025–2026 academic year. Each of these teams, selected through a competitive process, bring bold ideas and fresh energy to some of the most urgent issues facing our state. From more trustworthy AI and safer streets to improving perinatal care and building disaster resilience, these Lobo researchers are tackling problems that matter. They’ll each receive $8,000 in seed funding for planning, team building, and collaboration as they lay the groundwork for high-impact work.
UNM’s Grand Challenges embody what our Research 1 institution is all about: collaborative, community-focused, and solutions-driven. I’m especially proud to see such diverse, cross-campus expertise come together to address everything from climate change and child language development to public health and safety. So, stay tuned—these teams are just getting started.
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Lobo Sophomore Named 2025 Udall Scholar
Congratulations to Rebecca Nez, a sophomore Regents’ and Gates Scholar, on being named a 2025 Udall Scholar! A proud member of the Navajo Nation and an Environmental Engineering major, Rebecca is one of just 55 students nationwide—and one of only 12 sophomores—selected for this prestigious national award recognizing leadership in Native American policy, health care, and environmental stewardship. Rebecca’s passion for addressing water insecurity in Native communities shines through her work with UNM’s Center for Water and the Environment and the Navajo Nation EPA. With this honor, she’ll receive a $7,000 scholarship, attend a leadership conference in Tucson, and join the national Udall Alumni Network. We’re also proud to recognize Nicholas Redhouse and Brady Woods, who received Udall Honorable Mentions for their work in tribal policy and sustainability.
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UNM Libraries Receive $7M Archival Gift
UNM Libraries has been honored with a transformative gift from the estate of world-renowned architect and proud Lobo, Antoine Predock. Valued at over $7 million, this extraordinary bequest includes a vast archive of drawings, models, collages, and digital design work—offering an unparalleled window into the creative life of one of architecture’s boldest visionaries. Predock, who passed away last year, left his mark across the globe—from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights to our own School of Architecture and Planning. His legacy now lives on at UNM, where his archive will inspire students, researchers, and architects for generations. We’re deeply grateful for this gift and proud to be the home of his enduring vision.
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Lobo Art History Major Wins Undergraduate Arts Research Award
Congratulations to Evany Lopez, this year’s winner of the UNM Excellence in Undergraduate Arts Research Award. A Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow and art history major, Evany was honored for her powerful research on protest art connected to International Women’s Day and the urgent issue of femicide in Latin America. Her work examines how artists like Cutzi Salgado use performance art to challenge injustice and spark critical conversation. Evany’s bold and insightful project reminds us that art is not only expression, but also action, protest, and change. A round of applause as well to Christopher Tran, who earned Honorable Mention for his thoughtful integration of art history and studio practice to support creative growth. And a special thank you to our faculty judges for supporting these emerging scholars in the arts—an essential part of our academic community.
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UNM-Taos Massage Therapy Director Honored with Statewide Leadership Award
A prestigious state award was recently presented to Susan Myers, Director of the Massage Therapy Program at UNM-Taos, who has been named the 2025 recipient of the Meritorious Award by the American Massage Therapy Association–New Mexico Chapter. This honor is awarded to just one standout member in the state each year for extraordinary leadership and service—and Susan is the first-ever recipient from Northern New Mexico! With nearly 30 years in the field, Susan’s journey began with personal healing and has grown into a remarkable career of therapeutic care, student mentorship, and public service. We’re proud to have Susan shaping the future of massage therapy here in New Mexico. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor!
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Women’s Track & Field Clinch MW Championship; Men’s Golf Advance to NCAA Tourney
It was one for the record books this weekend as UNM Track & Field wrapped up a thrilling season with our women’s team clinching their first-ever Mountain West Outdoor Championship, completing a clean sweep of the 2024–25 cross country, indoor, and outdoor titles. Our Lobos dominated the final events to pull away from Colorado State, sealing the win with a powerful 4x400m relay. On the men’s side, the team scored big in the 5,000m to finish second overall with their highest conference total since 2011. Congratulations to Coach Darren Gauson, named Mountain West Women’s Coach of the Year, and to standout Mathew Kosgei, who shattered the steeplechase record! What a season it’s been.
Meanwhile, the men’s golf team advanced to the NCAA Championship for the third straight season. The team won a third-place finish at the NCAA Tallahassee Regional, shooting 14-under par, earning one of the five tickets to the finals. The NCAA Championship will be held May 23-28 in Carlsbad, California.
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Memorial Day is Monday, May 26
Finally, please remember that next Monday, May 26, is Memorial Day, when we honor and remember the members of our military who died while in service to the United States. The University of New Mexico will be closed next Monday in observance of the federal holiday, so this will be my final message for May. I’ll see you the first week in June, and I wish you all a safe holiday weekend.
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Have a great two weeks, and let's go, Lobos!
Garnett S. Stokes
President
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