SoE's Castillo celebrates 25th year in education with three major awards

Ask a student at The University of New Mexico School of Engineering if they've worked with Elsa Castillo, director of the Engineering Student Success Center, and there's a good chance they'll share a story about how she has supported their education in one way or another.

Castillo, who has worked in higher education for over 25 years, was honored with three major awards during the 2025-26 school year for her efforts to support students in STEM.

SHPEtina of the Year

In April, Castillo was named recipient of the SHPEtina of the Year Award at the Society of Professional Hispanic Engineers Region 3 conference in Denver. It was the third major honor she received in the 2025-26 academic year for her support of students.

Castillo was awarded the SHPEtina of the Year Award for her years of service and tremendous impact as a mentor, advisor, and role model for students in UNM's SHPE chapter, also known as the Hispanic Engineering and Science Organization (HESO). Involvement in the chapter has allowed her to stay close to her roots and build connections in the regional STEM community to support strong networking opportunities for UNM students, she said.

"It is an honor to receive this award as it validates over 25 years of working in higher education, focusing on making an impact in the community by finding ways to bring STEM to kids across New Mexico, or securing resources to help my School of Engineering students stay in college," Castillo said.

She has been involved with the chapter since she joined UNM in 2003 and became the advisor of record in 2019.

Be the Change Award

Early in the spring, Castillo received the Be the Change Award at the School of Engineering's second annual Change and Empowerment Summit. The award recognizes and honors leadership that strengthens the school's culture, expands access and connects individuals to opportunity through deep commitment, expertise and unwavering care of students.

Castillo was selected by the Change and Empowerment Committee, led by Donna Riley, Jim and Ellen King Dean of Engineering and Computing, for her tremendous efforts to ensure students have what they need to thrive in the school, whether that's a ride to a professional conference, securing summer grant funding to support our students and high school participants, or getting financial support to any student in need.

"She gives of herself wholeheartedly, bringing her time, energy, expertise, and passion to her work every day, including evenings and weekends," Dean Riley said. "Elsa goes above and beyond to ensure that every student feels supported, valued, and equipped with the resources they need to succeed." Castillo said she felt honored to receive this recognition from the school as a big advocate of change.

"We may not be able to change the world, but joining forces and never giving up, we can at least make a little difference in someone's world," she said.

New Mexico Impact Award

Castillo was also honored last fall with the 2025 New Mexico Impact Award by the New Mexico Network for Women in Science and Engineering (NMNWSE). As a recipient, she joins New Mexico leaders like former UNM Regent and Sandia Engineer Sandra Begay, Distinguished Professor Emerita Laura Crossey, and a host of other high-ranking engineers and academics across the state.

The NMNWSE created the Impact Award in 2007 to recognize New Mexican women who have made an impact through STEM outreach, mentoring and their professional achievements.

Castillo was selected for her "unwavering commitment to STEM education, outreach, recruitment, and retention of future scientists and engineers."

For Castillo, building the pipeline of students with an interest in STEM from the elementary, middle, and high school levels is instrumental.

"I will forever be thankful to my students and mentees with the Society of Women Engineers, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and other engineering student groups through the years, for teaching me resilience, patience, and to be stronger in adverse situations out of our control," Castillo said of receiving the awards.

Though she has no plans to slow down, Castillo's work at the School of Engineering echoes across the region through the work of engineers, computer scientists, and construction managers who were able to graduate with the support she and her team at the Engineering Student Success Center provided along the way.

This summer, the work continued for ESS, as Castillo and her team successfully ran three summer programs to support 8th graders through incoming first-year students while collaborating with New Student Orientation activities and providing internship and scholarship support for our SOE students, among other activities.