Dear NMHU Community,

One month to graduation, and congratulations to all our students who will be earning their degrees this spring! As we approach commencement, we’ve got a number of exciting campus events happening during April and May. I hope you’re able to join us for some of them:

Information on our upcoming commencement ceremonies:

• Rio Rancho, Thursday, May 7, at 7:00 p.m., in the Rio Rancho Events Center
• Las Vegas, Saturday, May 9, at 2:00 p.m., in the John A. Wilson Physical Education Center
• Farmington, students line up at 8:00 a.m., at the San Juan College Learning Commons/Graduation Plaza

Please consult the commencement page on the website for more information, including details on regalia and student check-in times: https://www.nmhu.edu/commencement/

To ensure the safety of all graduates and their guests, heightened security measures will be in effect throughout the commencement ceremonies. This includes a clear-bag requirement to enhance safety, security, and the speed of entry. See the commencement webpage for more details.

The spring football game is next Saturday, 4/18 at 2:00 p.m. in Sanchez Stadium. After the game, join us for our Polynesian Pit Roast, where we’ll be roasting several pigs in the Cultural Park, and then serving a dinner open to students, faculty, and staff in Stu Clark starting at 5:00 p.m. Tickets are free, but we have a limited number available: https://events.hometownticketing.com/boxoffice/nmhu/L2VtYmVkL2V2ZW50LzY3MQ%3D%3D :

The annual 2026 Employee Recognition ceremony for faculty and staff will be held on Thursday, April 23, in the SUB Ballroom, from 8:30 AM -- 10:30 AM. All faculty and staff are invited to join us for breakfast and a recognition of years of service (5, 10, 15, etc.) and official retirements.

On Friday, April 24, there will be a Business Building Dedication. Join us for a barbeque cookout and be present for the historic re-naming celebration. Live music, ribbon cutting, silent auction, and more. Free with advanced reservation, $25 at the door: https://nmhufoundation.org/event/highlands-business-dept-dedication

The end of the semester is sure to go by quickly, with everyone preparing for exams and graduations. Thanks to all who have worked to organize those events and to ensure we have a smooth ending to the Spring 2026 semester!

Some Recent Highlights:

At the end of the march, Regents Harpo Sanchez, Gary Tripp, and Grace Herrera, along with an administrative team including me, General Counsel Doajo Hicks, Chief of Staff Brandon Kempner, and Executive Administrative Assistant Amalinda Arguello, attended the Association of Governing Board annual conference in Aurora, CO. This conference allows our regents to learn about best practices for governing boards and to take part in national conversations on the major issues affecting higher education. It was a productive weekend of meetings and discussions. On the way up there, we were able to stop in Colorado Springs, CO, to watch the NMHU baseball team play against UCCS:

Tisha and I hosted the mayor and members of the city council and county commission over at the president’s residence, as part of our efforts to coordinate more closely with the city and the county. We’re also putting together a quarterly meeting with various leadership groups in Las Vegas:

I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for Capra Bank down in Albuquerque, and there may be some opportunities for collaborations:

On March 31st, the library hosted an Archives to Action community discussion with members of M.E.Ch.A., a student club with a long history at Highlands. During the program, students Angelica Gallegos, Michael Brown, and David Lucero shared stories about their community activism and efforts to invigorate the student group, as well as the challenges and joys of student life. The club has organized clothing swaps and social gatherings, collected data about student concerns, created art, and begun publishing a newsletter. The club seeks to strengthen student connections to culture and community.

Upcoming Events:

NMHU's regional accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), will be visiting the Rio Rancho center and the Santa Fe center on April 16, 2026. This is a standard visit that takes place during the eighth year of the ten-year assessment cycle. The purpose of the multi-location visit is to confirm the continuing effective oversight by the institution of its additional locations.Visit https://www.nmhu.edu/accreditation-information/ to learn more about the visit.

Arts@HU will be presenting the Mind Reader, Robert Channing, in the SUB Ballroom on April 15 at 6:00 PM. Robert Channing is renowned for his ESP ability to demonstrate the incredible power of the human mind. Audiences are consistently amazed and left awestruck by his performances. Tickets are available here:
https://events.hometownticketing.com/boxoffice/nmhu/L2VtYmVkL2V2ZW50LzY2Mg%3D%3D .

Starting the week of 4/20, we will have a full range of Pride Events. On Friday, the President’s Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will have a keynote by Marshal Martinez, EQNM, from 3:00 – 4:00 PM, and then a book talk and book signing by NMHU faculty member Dr. PJ Sedillo at 4:00 PM, both in SUB 320 and via Zoom. See the flyer included in the weekly global for more info.

Congratulations:

Thanks to everyone who participated in the HU Talks in March, either by giving a talk or attending. It was a very impressive showing. A wide range of topics was covered by a ross-section of faculty (13), staff (6), and alumni/community (5) presenters, who generously shared their expertise and passions with appreciative audiences. The Foundation is proud to shine a light on these individuals!

Congratulations to Ivan Smith, who was named RMAC Academic Wrestler of the Year! Quite the honor, read more about it here: https://nmhuathletics.com/news/2026/4/1/wrestling-ivan-smith-named-rmac-academic-wrestler-of-the-year.aspx.

On the NMHU News website, we featured a story about James Kurui, who was awarded an internship through INBRE, working with NMHU faculty member Dr. Nabanita Saikia, through the New Mexico Idea Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence to continue studying forever chemicals, which are found in virtually everywhere: https://www.nmhu.edu/nmhus-kurui-lands-prestigious-new-mexico-inbre-internship/.

If you have any congratulations you’d like to share, please let your VP know, and they can forward the information for inclusion in the biweekly message.

Respectfully,

Dr. Neil Woolf
President
New Mexico Highlands University