The University of New Mexico’s commitment to serving communities across the state continues to gain national recognition—something Lobo alumni know well through the University’s lasting impact.

UNM has once again earned the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, reaffirming a designation it first received in 2020. The recognition places UNM among 237 institutions nationwide in the 2026 cohort—and among just 277 campuses currently holding this distinction.

“This designation affirms something fundamental about The University of New Mexico: our work is inseparable from the communities we serve,” said UNM President Garnett S. Stokes. “Across the state, our faculty, staff, and students partner with communities to address real challenges and expand opportunity. Community engagement is central to our mission as the state’s flagship public university.”

Earning the classification requires a rigorous review process, including extensive documentation of how universities integrate community engagement into teaching, research, and service. It highlights institutions where partnerships are not just outreach efforts, but deeply embedded in mission, leadership, and day-to-day work.

Tim Castillo, professor in UNM’s Department of Architecture and Planning and director of the Office of Community Engagement, said the renewal reflects a growing commitment to collaboration across New Mexico and beyond.

“The Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement is not an award, but a powerful indicator of institutional commitment,” Castillo said. “It affirms the depth and breadth of UNM’s community-engaged teaching, research and service, and provides clear evidence of the meaningful, reciprocal impact that faculty, students and staff advance every day.”

For the Lobo community—past and present—this recognition underscores a shared legacy: graduates who go on to teach, heal, innovate, and lead in communities across New Mexico and the nation.

UNM’s classification is valid through 2032, continuing a tradition of engagement that reflects the University’s long-standing mission—and the enduring spirit of its alumni.