Stokes bids farewell to UNM in final state of the university address

University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes delivered her final state of the university speech on campus Monday, in which she called her tenure at UNM “the greatest honor of her career.”

“While it's been the toughest job I've ever had, it has also been the most joyful,” Stokes told the audience at Keller Hall.

Stokes will retire at the end of this school year after eight years at the university. She is the first woman to lead UNM and will be its longest-serving president in nearly 30 years.

Stokes was joined onstage Monday by interim Provost Barbara Rodriguez, UNM Health System CEO Dr. Mike Richards and Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration Teresa Costantinidis. The four said they hope UNM’s future includes a position at the front of the technology industry, a refurbished, safer campus, and an overhauled and expanded athletics program and health system.

UNM Health Sciences is in the midst of a years-long expansion to increase both the number of patients served and health care workers trained, starting with a new $842 million critical care tower at UNM Hospital, which opened last fall.

The university also plans to double the size of its medical school in an attempt to produce more doctors to alleviate the state’s physician shortage. 

“All of that improves the ability for us to be able to take care of patients, but really importantly for us, it also lets us train the workforce,” Richards said. “When we have a robust health care delivery system, it's easier to recruit businesses and families to our state.”

UNM is also in the midst of a “transformative time in athletics,” Costantinidis said. The university named a new athletic director, 32-year-old UNM alum Ryan Berryman, earlier this month and is expected to receive at least $20 million in state funding to renovate its football stadium.

A slew of new campus construction is also in the works, kicked off by renovations on the duck pond last September. (Campus officials say the ducks have finally made their return to the pond after they were relocated during the construction.)

UNM is planning new humanities and arts buildings in the years to come, as well as a new UNM Police Department headquarters on University Boulevard. 

The new police station will help speed up response times for the north, south and central areas of campus, Costantinidis said.

Last July, 14-year-old Michael LaMotte was killed and another teen injured in a shooting at Casas del Rio student housing on the edge of campus. 

“There's just so much about it that is going to make this a safer campus,” she said.

The university will continue developing its quantum technology efforts, as well as its research into the effects of microplastics, Stokes said. 

Academic statistics are rising after a pandemic dip — the share of freshmen who continue on to their second semester is 91.3%, and the number of students who stay until their third semester is 76.4%, Rodriguez said.

“We have come such a long way. COVID got us a little bit off of our path, but we are right now back on track and very, very proud of the progress that we've made,” she said.

Stokes’ UNM 2040 plan — a roadmap for the university’s future — will continue in her absence, she said. The plan seeks to improve student experience, inclusion and sustainability, and to better serve the state.  

“It’s something I’m really proud of,” Stokes said. “UNM 2040 reminds us that our work is never just about the present moment. It is about building a university that will serve New Mexico and the world for generations to come.”

Natalie Robbins covers education for the Journal.  You can reach her at nrobbins@abqjournal.com.