Wednesday, August 12, 2026 | Edition #189

Dr. Scott speaking at the Student Affairs Onboarding Orientation.

Dear Colleagues,

This week, we wrap up New Student and Transfer Orientation and prepare to welcome our Lobos back to campus. The start of a new academic year always brings renewed energy and excitement, and this year is especially notable as we welcome new leadership. 

As we begin a new academic year, I am excited to welcome Dr. Steve Goldstein as UNM’s new president, and Barbara Rodriguez as provost, and look forward to partnering with them as we continue advancing student success and strengthening our university community. I am equally excited to welcome new leaders within the Division of Student Affairs. Their perspectives, experience, and energy will further strengthen our ability to serve students and support our mission. These leadership transitions present a unique opportunity to build on our momentum, foster collaboration, and continue shaping an exceptional experience for every Lobo. 

I also had the pleasure of welcoming new faculty and graduate employees during their respective orientations, highlighting the outstanding work of the Division of Student Affairs. Our newest community members are excited to collaborate with us as we continue to innovate and enhance the student experience.

​This Sunday is the official start to the fall semester and matriculation of the class of 2030 at First-Year Family Day where we will celebrate our new students at Convocation and help them navigate our campus at Class Crawl. The next few weeks are some of the busiest and most important for our work and I am excited to see many of you as we engage with students together.

Thank you for all you bring to our community during this critical time. I’ll see you out there and Go Lobos!

With appreciation,

Eric

The Division of Student Affairs welcomes three new Student Affairs Leadership Interns (SALIs), to the Office of the Vice President (OVPSA) for the 2026-27 academic year. Carlos Miller, Bailey Rutherford, and Claire Tapia will begin their terms on Monday, Aug. 17, coinciding with the start of the fall semester.

The program is designed to provide mentorship and career exploration in student affairs. SALI offers participants meaningful insight into the divsion's work and direct access to its leadership. Interns contribute to essential functions within the OVPSA including assessment, communications, development, event planning and administrative support. 

"As the SALI program enters its third year, our focus is on creating an experience that intentionally supports both personal growth and organizational impact,” said Tina Zuniga-Carilli, strategic support manager, vice president for Student Affairs office.

Zuniga-Carilli said the goal is to equip interns with the knowledge, skills, and support they need to succeed as emerging young professionals, fostering strong communication, evidence-based decisions, collaborative leadership, and healthy work-school-life balance.

“This year, we're focusing on helping interns connect theory to practice while building skills in assessment, collaboration, communication, and leadership that will serve them throughout their careers,” she said.

Meet the 2026-2027

Student Affairs Leadership Interns

Carlos Miller

Carlos Miller believes that service and advocacy go hand in hand. A junior majoring in economics and philosophy, Miller plans to attend The University of New Mexico School of Law and hopes to use his education and leadership experience to make a meaningful impact on the lives of others.

Growing up in Taos, Miller arrived at UNM unsure of what to expect. What he found was a supportive community that helped him navigate his first year, shaped his college experience and sparked his interest in student affairs.

"As a first-gen college student from Taos, I entered an unfamiliar environment and found myself overwhelmed by the support systems in place to hold students during good times and bad times," Miller said.

That experience motivated Miller to pursue the Student Affairs Leadership Internship program, where he hopes to represent students and help ensure their voices are heard.

"Applying for this internship will hopefully bring a unique voice to the table as I advocate for students of all backgrounds,” he said.

Miller is particularly interested in understanding how institutions use resources to support students and how data can help drive more equitable outcomes.

“I want to explore data, how the university equitably supports students per dollar, hour, and event to ensure we grow as one university,” he said.

Bailey Rutherford

For Bailey Rutherford, leadership has never been about titles. It has been about creating opportunities for others to grow, connect and succeed. A fourth-year student studying secondary education with a concentration in English language arts, Rutherford has dedicated their time at UNM to serving students through advocacy, leadership and education.

Rutherford's involvement on campus spans a range of organizations and leadership positions. In ASUNM, they served as a senator, Finance Chair, President Pro Tempore and Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Outside of student government, they have held numerous leadership roles within Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity Inc., including treasurer, secretary, New Member Educator, vice president and president. Today, Rutherford continues that work as president of the United Greek Council and executive director of ASUNM's Emerging Lobo Leaders program.

Their decision to become a Student Affairs Leadership Intern was driven by a desire to better understand how universities support students and to bring those lessons into their future career as an educator.

"I applied to be a SALI because I wanted to see what student support and services can look like in practice," Rutherford said.

Claire Tapia

Inspired by former SALI Bree Hawkins, Claire Tapia, a senior marketing major at the Ellis School of Business Leadership, applied to be part of the 2026-27 SALI cohort. Tapia saw the internship as a way to help transfer students, returning learners and nontraditional students feel welcomed, supported and connected to campus resources.

"As a nontraditional, returning student who transferred to UNM from CNM, I've experienced firsthand how much of a difference the right support and advocacy can make in a student's path," she said. "Ultimate I want every student to feel like they have a voice, and that's the same thing driving my long-term plans."

As a senior marketing major, Tapia has built a remarkable record of leadership and student advocacy at UNM. She is actively involved with the UNM Trailblazers and serves as an ELL Student Success Leader within ASUNM. This spring, she was recognized as the Most Notable Emerging Lobo Leader through ELL and became the first recipient of the ELL Scholarship.

By working directly with the vice president, Tapia hopes to build strong professional relationships within the office. She is also interested in learning more about the role student affairs plays in supporting transfer and nontraditional students, along with community-building programming that reflects New Mexico's cultural heritage.

Welcome Back Days

Save the Date for the Fall All Staff Gathering Set for Friday, Sept. 18

The fall 2026 Division All Staff Gathering is set for Friday, Sept. 18 from 8 to 11 a.m. in the SUB, Ballroom C. All Student Affairs staff are invited to join Dr. Eric Scott for this important event which will provide updates on what's happening in the Division. Please look for a calendar invite from the VPSA account which will serve as your rsvp for the event.

Traditional prevention programs may only approach men as potential perpetrators and women as potential victims. Green Dot approaches all students, staff, administrators, and faculty as allies. The original Green Dot program was conceived in the college setting to prevent dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking. It relies on the premise that if everyone does their small part and commits to individual responsibility, the combined effect is a safe campus culture that is intolerant of violence.

The college-based curriculum draws heavily on the experiences of college students and the reality of this issue in their lives. This curriculum uses interactive activities to reinforce core concepts and encourages students to envision their future and the world in which they want to live, then aligns their bystander behavior with that vision.

UNM McNair & ROP are looking for volunteers for the Undergraduate Research Conference on September 10-11. Opportunities include moderating sessions, evaluating presentations, and providing general event support.

Last year's conference featured student researchers from 35 universities nationwide, with 61 poster presentations and 135 oral presentations.

The McNair Scholars Program supports first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students as they prepare for graduate school.



The time commitment is minimal, but your impact can be substantial.