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Longtime University of New Mexico faculty member Barbara Rodriguez, who has been serving as interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs since July, will step into the role full time.

Rodriguez was selected provost after a national search from a pool of three finalists, which included Avery August, deputy provost at Cornell University, and Charles Martinez, dean of the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin.

The provost serves as UNM's chief academic officer, providing leadership for the university's academic programs, faculty affairs, research enterprise and student success initiatives.

Rodriguez was appointed by outgoing university President Garnett Stokes 鈥� who will retire this summer 鈥� with a vote of confidence from incoming President Dr. Steve Goldstein, who was named Stokes鈥� successor this month, UNM officials said.

Her appointment marks the end of a monthslong search for new university administration.

鈥淲hen Steve Goldstein told me that Barbara Rodriguez was his choice, I didn't hesitate,鈥� Stokes said in a statement. 鈥淚 ran this search with one goal: to give our incoming president a provost he could hit the ground running with. He made the call, and it was the right one.鈥�

Goldstein interviewed all three provost finalists, university officials said. He will become UNM鈥檚 24th president in July after leaving his post as vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of California, Irvine.

鈥淏arbara Rodriguez stood out for her deep institutional knowledge, her commitment to academic excellence, and her clear vision for where UNM needs to go,鈥� he said in a statement. 鈥淚 look forward to hitting the ground running alongside Barbara as a true partner in advancing this university.鈥�

Rodriguez has been senior vice provost at UNM since 2018 and stepped into the interim provost role following the departure of James Holloway, who left UNM last year to become president of the University of Toledo.

As provost, Rodriguez will earn a base salary of $425,000, plus $50,000 in deferred compensation annually. She will receive a $30,000 performance bonus if she meets goals set by the president.

鈥淏arbara is a distinguished scholar and a trusted leader who has given everything to this university in support of our state and its people. It is my honor to make this appointment official,鈥� Stokes said.

Rodriguez is an Espa帽ola native who holds bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in speech and hearing sciences from UNM, where she has been a member of the faculty since 1999. Her research focuses on bilingual language development in young children, particularly in Spanish speakers. She has a Ph.D. in speech-language pathology from the University of Washington.

鈥淚t is an honor to serve the university in this capacity,鈥� Rodriguez said. 鈥淯NM has been my professional home for more than 25 years, and I have seen firsthand the difference this institution makes in the lives of students and communities across New Mexico. I am committed to working alongside Dr. Goldstein and the entire Lobo community to build on our momentum and ensure UNM continues to deliver on its promise to the people of this state.鈥�

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