HIGHER EDUCATION
UNM presidential candidate addresses campus community, pledges to bring university into modern age
Health Affairs vice president at Purdue, Eric Barker, boasts a decades-long career in health sciences and academic leadership
Published
Modified
A finalist for the coveted role of University of New Mexico president gave his pitch to students and faculty Monday.
Eric Barker, the vice president of Health Affairs and dean of Pharmacy at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, said he hoped to steer UNM into an oncoming technological age while honoring its history as a center for cultural convergence.
鈥淚n my opinion, from where I sit, UNM is sitting at an inflection point in its history,鈥� Barker said in his speech Monday. 鈥淚n various scientific disciplines an inflection point is that precise moment the direction of a curve changes when steady progress and momentum change and give way, hopefully, to acceleration and soaring to new and greater heights.鈥�
Barker spent 28 years at Purdue, working as a professor of chemistry and molecular pharmacology and eventually becoming the dean of Pharmacy. As vice president of Health Affairs, he oversaw all life sciences and health-related programs at Purdue.
Beyond his experience in the field of health sciences, Barker said that he would carry over priorities from his previous post, one of which was keeping prices low.
Purdue has not raised tuition in 14 years, with costs for in-state students coming in at around $10,000. Barker vowed to bring that trend with him, promising affordable and accessible tuition, even as the state funds higher education for most first-time students.
Barker also touched on questions of academic freedom.
鈥淭here's a line in the fight song, 鈥楬ail to Thee, New Mexico鈥� that says 鈥榝ighting ever, yielding never,'鈥� Barker said. 鈥淎lright, maybe I'm just a little bit grumpy in my old age, but there are certain things we're going to fight for and academic freedom and being a place that champions free speech and freedom of inquiry are some of them.鈥�
Last year, President Donald Trump withheld billions of dollars in research funding and grants from a plethora of universities, primarily for reported antisemitism on campuses and claims that diversity, equity and inclusion policies made college admission unfair. Though funding was restored to many universities, some, like Columbia, were saddled with millions of dollars in fines in order to restore funding.
At the same time, Barker said he would pursue "federal priorities" when applying for research funding, focusing on areas of interest on Capitol Hill including quantum and artificial intelligence.
Those technologies will not only shape the school鈥檚 future, Barker said, but day-to-day student life.
鈥淪tudents are using AI,鈥� Barker said. 鈥淭hey just got to make sure they know how to use it responsibly in whatever their disciplines are to achieve and answer the questions they need to answer.鈥�
Finally, multiple attendees asked Barker how he would govern a diverse institution with a large demographic of Hispanic and Native American students. Though Barker said that Purdue鈥檚 city campuses also boasted diverse populations, he agreed that he had much to learn.
鈥淚 want to get to know you and you to get to know me,鈥� Barker said. 鈥淚 want to go listen. I want to learn. I want to be curious and be available. And that's my approach.鈥�
During the speech, Sarah and Jonathon Davis-Secord, both faculty at UNM, listened and asked Barker, who touted a science-based background, how he would approach the humanities.
In response, Barker said that he saw the humanities and artistic fields 鈥渁s a vital link to the state's cultural heritage鈥� but did not elaborate on his plans to support or foster that scholarship.
By the end, the couple wasn't quite sure what to think.
鈥淚 feel like I need to go back to my office and process,鈥� said Sarah Davis-Secord.
While they weren鈥檛 sure what they thought of Barker just yet, the couple, who are both humanities scholars and professors, said that they want a president who values their fields alongside the excitement of technology鈥檚 cutting edge.
鈥淚'm looking for somebody who recognizes all the different demands and the ways that the university has to put together all those pieces to find a balance,鈥� Jonathan Davis-Secord said.
Barker is the third of five candidates to speak to the campus community. The final two candidates will address students and faculty at 1:15 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.
Gillian Barkhurst is a general assignment reporter for the Journal. She can be reached at gbarkhurst@abqjournal.com.
