Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dear Student Affairs Colleagues,

Welcome back! I hope your first day of the spring 2026 semester was both energizing and meaningful, especially following the reflection and engagement inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Each year, as we honor Dr. King’s life, legacy, and the progress of the Civil Rights Movement, I find myself returning to his vision of a “beloved community.”

Dr. King imagined a world where freedom and dignity prevail, and where reconciliation is chosen over conflict. “Beloved community” was presented as a practical ideal and a realistic vision of an achievable society—one requiring systemic change, compassionate policies, and individual commitment to seeing humanity as one.

Interconnectedness, inclusion, and belonging are key elements to embrace, as is a sense and understanding of moral righteousness. Through “beloved community,” meaningful progress can be made on many of the world’s problems, and the transformation to a more just society becomes possible.

Nearly 58 years later, there is clearly still much work to be done to achieve the dream of “beloved community,” but that should not stop us from embracing and living these ideals. It should not stop us from dreaming, serving, and changing. So, as we begin a new semester and a new year, I encourage you to think about what is beloved to you and consider what might be beloved to others.

Our work is poised to support the development of tomorrow’s leaders, and it is my sincere hope that, as we show them the tenets of ethical leadership and community engagement—and show them compassion, care, and support—they may help move us closer to the “beloved community” Dr. King so passionately advocated for.

With appreciation,

Eric

Spring Welcome Back Days

The͏ Student͏ Activities͏ Center͏ is͏ hosting͏ this͏ spring’s͏ Welcome͏ Back͏ Days͏ from͏ 11:30͏ a.m.͏ to͏ 1͏ p.m. in the Student Union Building (SUB) Atrium, on Wednesdays, Jan. 21 and 28. January 21 will center around UNM departments and Greek organizations. January 28 will highlight the various student organizations on campus.

The Department of Africana Studies, in collaboration with African American Student Services, will launch their Black History Month (BHM) celebration with the 41st Annual Black History Month Kickoff Brunch on Saturday, Jan. 31, in the UNM SUB Ballrooms. The event will feature keynote speaker Nichole Rogers and aims to inspire attendees.

AISS is hiring for Residential Advisors to welcome and lead their next cohort of American Indian Summer Bridge. AISS Residential Advisors have the primary responsibility for providing tutoring support services, living on campus with AISB participants; and conducting small group discussions on a variety of topics relevant to college life.

To kick off the spring 2026 semester, the Student Affairs Leadership Team came together with critical campus partners for a collaborative retreat.

Division staff are invited to learn more about service on the DSA Staff Engagement and Recognition Committee at its upcoming meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 11 a.m. via Teams. Meetings will continue every fourth Tuesday at 11 a.m.

Please RSVP via email to Stephanie McIver.

DSA Professional Engagement Initiatives

The Division of Student Affairs staff is dedicated to enhancing and innovating the student experience through active participation in professional engagement initiatives. In this edition of CONNECT, we are proud to highlight and celebrate the many ways our staff have contributed to professional development, leadership, and innovation over the past year. 

We look forward to the new year with optimism and renewed purpose. The dedication, creativity, and collaboration demonstrated by our staff continue to position the Division of Student Affairs to meet evolving student needs with intention. We are excited to build on this strong foundation, and continue shaping an inclusive, supportive, and innovative student experience in the year to come. 

Ivette Acevedo-Weatherholtz, graduate assistant, El Centro de la Raza

• 40 Congreso Interamericano de Psicología, San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Roundtable participant, Advancing Bilingual and Bicultural Clinical Training Through Evidence-Based Pedagogy
• Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture Conference
• Poster presentation, “Decolonizing Mental Health and Clinical Training Through Culture and Community Engagement”

Pam Agoyo, executive director for Student Support and special assistant to the president for American Indian Affairs

• 2025 College Board’s Native American Student Advocacy Institute (NASAI)
• Co-Speaker: "Pathways of Promise: Advancing Native Student Success in Higher Education"

Dr. Heather Applewhite, physician, Student Health and Counseling

• Medical coverage volunteer as a “Doc-of-the-day” during the legislative session

Marty Apodaca, manager of career counseling, Career Services

• National Career Development Association membership town halls addressing displaced federal workers, organizational advocacy efforts and local-level community building
• American Counseling Association
• National Career Development Association
• Career Development Associations in California, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio
• Arab Career Development Association

Presentation topics included:

• “Stories of Work and Well-Being: Navigating Mental Health in an Ever-Evolving Career Landscape”
• “A Storied Perspective: Deconstructing the Career Construction Interview”
• “The Integration of Career and Mental Health Counseling: Well-Being and Success”
• “Future Ready: AI’s Influence on Higher Education and Career Development”

Chris Brooks, fraternity and sorority life advisor, Student Activities Center

• Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors Annual Meeting

Presenter, “Learning Organizations Start Here,” on human resource development practices supporting leadership, team cohesion and sustainable learning cultures

Erin Callahan, senior career development facilitator, Career Services

• UNM Undergraduate Research, Arts and Design Network
• Developed a presentation and workshop encouraging undergraduate students to explore research pathways, understand how research supports career goals and identify early steps for involvement

Cinthia Leon Lazcano, student success coordinator

Valerie Chavez, program assistant

El Centro de la Raza

• Presenters: "Centering the “g” in gHSIs: Envisioning Graduate Student Holistic Growth and Success, AHSIE"

All El Centro staff presented with Rosa Isela Cervantes and Alejandro Mendiaz Rivera

• Presenters (Cervantes and Mendiaz Rivera as lead presenters)

"Serving & Advocating for Undocumented Students” training provided to over 800 people across all campuses

Eduardo Esquivel, supervisor, Community Education Programs

Dr. Kiran Katira, program operations director

Akila Ravichandran, supervisor, Community Education Programs

Community Engagement Center

• NCORE (National Conference on Race and Ethnicity)

presenters: "Indigenize Higher Education"

Eduardo Esquivel, supervisor, Community Education Programs, Community Engagement Center

• NASPA Student Success in Higher Education conference

presenter: "Anti-racist Leadership of University Students for a Just and Kind World: The Promise and Potential of Community Engagement"

J. Gourdin, student success specialist, Academic Advising and Student Services, African American Student Services

• 2025 American Sociological Association Conference, Chicago

Moderator, Gender and Sexuality Roundtable

Dr. Kiran Katira, program operations director

• American Education Studies Association

Presenter: "Student Engagement with Community: In the Spirit of Freedom Schools."   

Sam Lechuga, coordinator of student CARE, Dean of Students

• New Mexico Safety Summit: Presenter, CARE Process

Áine McCarthy, director, Women’s Resource Center

Michelle Dugan, campus advocate, Women’s Resource Center

• Presenters: “A Survivor’s Guide to Surviving: Establishing a Peer Support Group for Survivors of DV/SAS”

Alejandro Mendiaz Rivera, senior program manager

Gustavo Garcia, graduate student

Natalia Toscano, graduate student

El Centro de la Raza

• Presenters: "Pedagogies of Convivencia: Creating spaces of support and empowerment through El Puente Research Fellowship - AHSIE

Graeme Nicholl, program coordinator, Dean of Students

• UNM Research and Discovery Week 2025: Co-presenter, “It Takes the Whole Pack: Innovating Student Well-Being at UNM”
• 2025 New Mexico Basic Needs Consortium: Speaker, Emergency Aid Program Implementation; panelist, Basic Needs Interventions in Higher Education

Dr. Eric Scott, vice president for Student Affairs

Lisa Ellis, director of development for Student Affairs

Pamela Agoyo, executive director for Student Support: Division of Student Affairs

• 2025 NASPA Annual Conference

Presenters: "Sustaining Our Work: Developing a Culture of Philanthropy in Student Affairs"

Andrew Yazzie, director, American Indian Student Services

• Co-speaker: Native American Student Advocacy Institute (NASAI) 2025

An In-Depth Look: College Board Higher Ed Professional Development Suite

• NASPA Indigenous Peoples Knowledge Community (IPKC) 

Panelist: Supporting Indigenous Affinity Groups On Campus

Panelist: Constellations of Experience: Indigenous Men in Student Affairs

Pam Agoyo, executive director for student support & special assistant to the president for American Indian Affairs

• Trustee, Cobell Board of Trustees (CBOT) and Indigenous Education, Inc.
• Vice-Chair & President-Elect, College Board Trustee Oak Circle

Maria Anchondo, senior student success specialist, College Enrichment & Outreach Programs

• Southwest Association for Student Assistance Programs Board of Directors

Marty Apodaca, manager of career counseling, Career Services

• Past president, National Career Development Association; served as president through October 2025
• President, Financial Committee, Arab Career Development Association

Dennis Armijo, director, Student Union Building

• Planning team member, Association of College Unions International Region I Conference

Pete Bourland, associate director of business operations, Student Union Building

• Membership Experience Coordinator, Association of College Unions International Region I

Kelly Cano-Martinez, accommodations specialist, Accessibility Resource Center

• Disability Resource Professional Academy

Dr. Nora Dominguez, program operations director, Mentoring Institute

• Member-at-Large, American Educational Research Association (AERA) SIG Executive Committee
• Member, European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) Global Code of Ethics signatory board
• Member, Board of Directors of the International Journal for Mentoring and Coaching in Education, Emerald, UK

Keith Hitz, manager of employee outreach, Career Services

• National Association of Colleges and Employers
• Mountain Pacific Association of Colleges and Employers
• New Mexico Career Development Association
• Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance

Victoria Kirikos, employer relations specialist, Career Services

• Secretary, New Mexico Career Development Association (since 2020)

Emily Lopez, professional student intern, Student Union Building

• Student Engagement Coordinator, ACUI Regional Leadership Team

Dr. Tina Zuniga, strategic support manager, Vice President for Student Affairs Administration

• Practitioner-Scholar Development Coordinator, NASPA’s Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Knowledge Community

Andrew Yazzie, director and

Uchme Gollette, senior student success specialist

American Indian Student Services

• Co-Chairs: NASPA Indigenous Peoples Knowledge Community (IPKC) Co-Chairs

Emily Lopez, professional student intern, Student Union Building

• 2025 ACUI Region I Conference, San Jose State University

Presenter, “The Student Employee Playbook: Winning Together”

Emmanual Mitchell, student operations assistant, Student Union Building

• 2025 ACUI Region I Conference, San Jose State University

Presenter, “Fundamentals of a Successful Event”

Alex Wright, student engagement manager, Student Union Building

• 2025 ACUI Region I Conference, San Jose State University

Presenter, “Fundamentals of a Successful Event”

Margot Jackson, registered nurse, Student Health and Counseling

• Certification in Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner for Adults/Adolescents (SANE-A)

Lisa Leahigh, clinical operations director, Student Health and Counseling

• Certification in Upaya Chaplaincy Program
• Certification in Tergar AAM Teacher (TCAAMT)

Paula Smith, associate dean of student rights and responsibilities, Dean of Students

• Certification in design thinking

Fernanda Vargas, medical assistant, Student Health and Counseling

• Clinical Medical Assistant certification (CMA)

Dr. Tasha Barnes, physician, Student Health and Counseling

• Point of Care Ultrasound

Dr. Marion Cook, physician, Student Health and Counseling

• Point of Care Ultrasound

Áine McCarthy, director

Michelle Dugan, campus advocate, Women’s Resource Center

• National Organization of Victim Advocacy Annual Training

Angela Graham, student accountability and conflict resolution specialist, Dean of Students

• Association of Student Conduct Administrators Student Organization Misconduct Institute
• SUNY Student Conduct Institute: Investigating and Adjudicating Organizational Hazing

Paula Smith, associate dean of student rights and responsibilities, Dean of Students

• SUNY Student Conduct Institute: Investigating and Adjudicating Organizational Hazing

Alex Wetzel, compliance assistant, Dean of Students

• SUNY Student Conduct Institute: Investigating and Adjudicating Organizational Hazing
• Advocate webinar series on report customization, new features, online reporting forms and Stop Campus Hazing Act requirements

• Dr. Nora Dominguez, program operations director, Mentoring Institute



co-authored the following publications:

• The Chronicle of Mentoring and Coaching: "Impact of Faculty Mentor Development Intervention on Mentees’ Subjective Career Success"
• Mentoring in Health, Social Care and Beyond: Developmental Networks for Success at Health Sciences Centers”

  co-edited the following publications:

• Chronicle of Mentoring & Coaching:

“Developmental networks for wellbeing: The impact of mentoring on individual and organizational performance and growth”

• Chronicle of Mentoring & Coaching:

“Sustaining mentoring communities of practice”

• Chronicle of Mentoring & Coaching:

“The Art and Science of Mentoring”

 Dr. Ronica Martinez, medical director, Student Health and Counseling

• ACSM’s Sports Medicine: A Comprehensive Review, second edition: Ophthalmology chapter

Dr. Florencio Olguin Jr., director of operations, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs

• Journal of Latinos and Education: Co-authored an article, “Navigating Familismo and Higher Education: Voices of Rural Latina/o/x Students from the Borderlands.”

DSA Colleagues - please save the date for our Spring 2026 All‑Staff Gathering.

📅 Friday, February 13, 2026

⏰ 8-11 a.m.

📍 SUB Ballroom C

This gathering provides an opportunity to reconnect as a division, share updates, and align priorities for the spring semester. Breakfast will be provided.

A calendar invite has been sent to all DSA staff. Please use the calendar invitation to indicate your attendance.