UNM’s Jingjing Wang honored with 2025 NM EPSCoR Mentor Award

Jingjing Wang, associate professor of economics and associate director of the Water Resources Program at The University of New Mexico, has been named a recipient of the 2025 NM EPSCoR Mentor Award. Wang was nominated by her own students for her excellence in academic guidance, student support and leadership.

The New Mexico Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NM EPSCoR) Mentor Award honors faculty across the state who exemplify outstanding mentorship in STEM research and education. This year's recipients each submitted personal statements of mentoring philosophy, articulating a clear commitment to advancing student success across disciplines and backgrounds.

Wang's mentorship is described by her students as kind, supportive and uplifting. Her approach is rooted in student-centered practices that prioritize trust, shared purpose and holistic care. She builds mentoring relationships that respect each student's individual background, goals and challenges.

"Mentoring students at UNM is one of the most meaningful and rewarding parts of my work, and I'm truly honored by this recognition," said Wang. "I'm grateful for the support I've received, from the university to the college to my department, and for the opportunity to help our students grow, thrive and succeed."

Wang supports students working across disciplines, including climate science, water resource management and agricultural sustainability. In addition to academic support, she actively connects her mentees with fellowships, conferences and other professional development opportunities. Many of her mentees have gone on to pursue roles in academia, government and industry.

Wang studies how public policies can help solve environmental problems and make better use of resources like water and agriculture.

She earned her B.E. in environmental engineering from Tsinghua University, her M.S. in environmental science, and her Ph.D. in environmental and natural resource economics from the University of California, Riverside.

Her teaching interests include microeconomics, natural resource economics, environmental economics, mathematical and numerical methods for economics, and integrated modeling.

"I'm deeply grateful - this recognition really belongs to my students and mentees. They inspire me every day," said Wang.

Wang was selected alongside Qianyun (Gloria) Zhang of New Mexico State University and Eduardo Ceh-Varela of Eastern New Mexico University.