近距离内射合集

The first of five finalists vying to be the next president of the University of New Mexico visited campus Monday with promises to preserve the school鈥檚 diversity while improving its academic outcomes.

Elizabeth Watkins, provost and executive vice chancellor at the University of California, Riverside, said at a campus forum she was attracted to UNM in part because of its diverse student body, its status as the state鈥檚 flagship university, its Division I athletics program and its health sciences campus.

Watkins said she envisions UNM becoming 鈥渁 national leader in demonstrating that both inclusive access and research excellence are possible at once in the same institution.鈥�

UC Riverside, where Watkins has worked since 2021, is demographically similar to UNM 鈥� the school is a Hispanic-serving institution made up largely of in-state students, half of whom are first-generation college students, she said.

鈥淏oth institutions share similar missions: to provide education that is centered on inclusive pedagogy and workforce development, to support high quality research that fuels discoveries, impacts lives and informs teaching, and to deliver excellent health care,鈥� Watkins said.

Following a question from gender and women鈥檚 studies professor Sarah Davis-Secord about academic freedom under the looming threat of funding cuts from the Trump administration, Watkins said she believed in 鈥渄iversity, equity and inclusion,鈥� and that she would still support research not sanctioned by the federal government.

鈥淗ow do we address the fact that many of the things that we hope to be true, endeared and necessary are under attack? I think we continue to do them, and I think we continue to do them with intentionality,鈥� she said.  

Watkins鈥� background is in the health sciences; she came to UC Riverside after 17 years at the University of California, San Francisco, the UC鈥檚 health sciences campus, where she led the Ph.D. program in the history of health sciences before becoming dean of the graduate division and vice chancellor of student affairs. 

Watkins, a former Division I tennis player and high school teacher, holds a doctorate degree in the history of science from Harvard University. She has published several books on the histories of birth control, hormone replacement therapies and prescription drugs.

UNM is in the midst of a major expansion of its own health sciences programs 鈥� the university plans to double the size of its medical school in the coming years and recently opened a new critical care tower in a bid to serve more patients at its overcrowded hospital.

Watkins told the crowd in the university鈥檚 Student Union Building that if appointed president, she would work to strengthen ties between the school鈥檚 main campus and its health sciences campus by making it easier for all students to pursue careers in health care.

For Watkins, the biggest challenges facing the university are its graduation rates, its career and professional development programs, its relationships with its other campuses and its national visibility.

UNM loses a quarter of its students between their freshman and sophomore years, according to university , and 55% of students graduate in six years or less. 

Watkins would improve graduation and retention through summer bridge programs and by promising students that a fulfilling career awaits them upon completion of a college degree, she said.

鈥淲e owe (it) to our students to transform their education experience, and it鈥檚 also our commitment to employers across the state who need and want to hire well-trained graduates,鈥� Watkins said.

For artificial intelligence 鈥� another major bone of contention in academia 鈥� the university must confront it head-on, Watkins said.

鈥淚 do think that our students need to learn facility with AI, and that is our obligation to help them get there,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 just cover our heads and say, 鈥楳aybe it鈥檒l go away.鈥欌��

When asked by a member of the audience, Watkins said she plans to negotiate with the labor unions representing UNM faculty and staff as she鈥檚 done at UC Riverside. 

She proposed 鈥渃reative partnerships鈥� to help alleviate the cost-of-living crunch for graduate student workers, who often are paid modestly. At UCSF, where housing is significantly more expensive than in Albuquerque, Watkins said she implemented a relocation stipend and a cost-of-living supplement for graduate students to move into off-campus housing and would work toward similar programs if at UNM.

If appointed, Watkins would be the second female president of the university after current President Garnett Stokes, who will retire in July after serving since 2018.

Watkins said that as president, she would plan to embark on a listening tour similar to the one Stokes did when she took office 鈥� Stokes famously undertook a trip statewide across New Mexico鈥檚 33 counties to meet and hear from its people at the beginning of her tenure.

鈥淭here鈥檚 only so much book learning you can do about peoples and cultures,鈥� Watkins said. 鈥淥ne of the things that attracts me is coming to live and work and serve a minority majority state.鈥�

Finalist Ashwani Monga, executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer for the University System of Georgia, will be the second candidate to visit UNM on Tuesday at 1:15 p.m. After the remaining three candidates visit campus in mid-May, the Board of Regents will announce its choice to replace Stokes.

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