Garnett Stokes has led New Mexico's flagship university through financial woes, the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding enrollment and research initiatives, and the shifting federal landscape for higher education.

Stokes, the University of New Mexico's 23rd president and the first woman to hold the title, will retire from her position in July 2026, she announced Tuesday. She joined UNM in 2018.

"As I approach eight years of service as your President — and after several wonderful decades of service in higher education leadership, it soon will be time for me to step away and begin a new chapter in my life with my husband, Jeff, who has served as my partner throughout this leadership journey," Stokes wrote in a campuswide email.

This is not the only high-profile shift in leadership UNM has seen t

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