Garnett Stokes

UNM President Garnett Stokes got her timing right with her retirement announcement. She will turn 70 at the end of the year, a natural time to depart, and she will avoid whatever additional chaos befalls UNM and other universities in the final years of the Trump administration. 

Saying that replacing Stokes will be extremely difficult is not necessarily a statement on her job performance, although that has received passing grades from the Regents. But getting aboard a new president is fraught with political and financial peril for those same Regents.

Of course, MLG will weigh in on the national search for a replacement. She appoints the Regents and like past governors will expect to have her voice heard at a critical moment for the institution.

The national environment will make what is always a challenging task even more tense and complex.

Stokes, who will leave in July of '26, and UNM have already felt the Trump administration's foray into university governance and there is no reason to think there won't be a play made for more influence as UNM looks to hire a new president. 

DEI at UNM--diversity, equity and inclusion programs--could be at the center of any battle that develops over a new president. The administration has targeted DEI in federal agencies and education which has led UNM and other universities to review hiring, promotion and recruitment policies. The new president will have to know how to handle political pressure--like threatened cuts to influence university behavior--while maintaining UNM's diversity. 

Funding for Hispanic Serving Institutions like UNM has already been hit with the administration ending several grant programs, arguing they are unconstitutional. They've redirected some of the money to Black colleges and tribal colleges. That's tricky territory to navigate.

There is also a plan to cap federal funding for research grants. A cap of 15 percent for federal funding of "indirect costs" of research grants would be drastic for UNM and could cost $20 million. The plan is being fought in court. 

The new UNM president will need to be a staunch defender of academic freedom and institutional autonomy and prepared to defend the university's mission in the face of contentious debates over Palestine, teaching methods and free speech. They will also have to know their way around Washington to ward off cuts in funding. 

The new president will have to protect faculty and staff but also accommodate legitimate calls from inside and outside the university for change in UNM policies. 

Stokes came across as a caring apolitical centrist. But the times ahead will demand a more assertive personality but still one not prone to alienate constituencies.  

Even if the Regents pay the new president as much as the football coach--over a million a year--they could have a hard time finding outstanding candidates. A hefty dose of Lobo luck will be needed when UNM begins a new leadership chapter.

PROJECT JUPITER 

Reader Arturo Uribe writes us from Las Cruces:

Joe, If we could get a shout out on our community efforts that would be great. Thanks for all you do. We don’t have the blogs or journalists down here like we used to. 

Constituents will come together Wednesday at the Dona Ana County Government Center to voice concerns on Project Jupiter. A project of this magnitude, $165 billion, and its potential impact to Sunland Park, Santa Teresa and Dona Ana County is unknown. Constituents and the critical stakeholders deserve transparency. . .We stand as concerned citizens not in rejection of Project Jupiter, but a call for thoroughness and accountability. Project Jupiter Wednesday, September 17th 10 am at Dona Ana County Government Center

That $165 billion is not a typo:  

Project Jupiter is a proposed $165 billion hyperscale data center campus focused on artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, developed by STACK Infrastructure in partnership with BorderPlex Digital Assets. It is planned for an unincorporated area in Santa Teresa, Doña Ana County, New Mexico, just north of the U.S.-Mexico port of entry near El Paso, Texas. . . Dona Ana county commissioners are considering approving a historic $165 billion industrial revenue bond (IRB). The incentive would support building a campus to include four data center buildings powering AI technology and a microgrid energy facility. 

The chief concerns of those gathering today are water usage, energy demands and transparency. Critics worry about the data centers' cooling needs. Developers say a closed-loop system requires only a one-time fill and minimal ongoing use. Also, the data center campus could consume energy equivalent to the entire county's current usage. 

The Dona Ana County Commission will meet Friday, Sept. 19 to consider the massive bond package.  

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.