Steve Goldstein named 24th president of The University of New Mexico

After an extensive search that attracted a highly-qualified pool of candidates, the University of New Mexico Board of Regents has unanimously selected Steve Goldstein as the 24th president. Goldstein will succeed President Garnett S. Stokes, who in July 2026, after more than eight years of distinguished service, will begin her well-deserved retirement.

During the search, the Board was assisted by a 14-member Presidential Search Advisory Committee chaired by UNM Board of Regents Chair Paul Blanchard. The committee included broad representation from faculty, students, staff, and alumni. Members of the search committee and the executive search firm, Isaacson Miller, conducted campus-wide listening sessions, solicited online feedback, and met with community and business leaders from Albuquerque and across the state to gather input on the opportunities and challenges facing the next president.

After initial interviews with the search committee, finalists participated in candidate forums and public engagement sessions that drew participation from hundreds of community members.

"The Board of Regents is excited to announce the selection of as the 24th president of The University of New Mexico. We are extremely proud of how this search was conducted, and the input we heard from faculty, staff, students and community members was critical to the Board's decision-making process. Goldstein brings the academic leadership, the strategic vision, and the deep commitment that this university and this state deserve. We are confident that under Dr. Goldstein's leadership, UNM will continue building on the university's incredible momentum in healthcare, academic research, student success, and Lobo athletics"

"I am delighted to welcome Steve Goldstein to the Lobo family," said outgoing UNM president Garnett Stokes. "He inherits a university that is stronger, more innovative and more consequential to the people of New Mexico than ever before, and I have every confidence that he will build on that momentum in ways that will continue to benefit our students and our state for years to come."

"It is a profound honor to be invited to serve as the next president of The University of New Mexico," said Steve Goldstein. "UNM is a truly distinctive institution: a world-class research university and premier academic health system, committed to the wellbeing of all the diverse peoples of New Mexico. The exceptional faculty, staff and students, in partnership with businesses, philanthropists and the legislature, are solving today's problems for New Mexico and the Nation while never losing focus on the aspirations of each person within their community. The opportunity to lead an institution with this scope of responsibility and resolve is compelling. Building on the strong foundation that has been laid by outgoing President Stokes and her predecessors, I look forward to joining this community and to all we will accomplish together."

Goldstein currently serves as Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs at the University of California, Irvine, where he leads a $5.5 billion academic health enterprise spanning education, research, and patient care at a top public research university serving 37,000 students across 15 schools.

Under Dr. Goldstein's leadership at UCI, the College of Health Sciences expanded to include two new schools - pharmacy and public health - growing enrollment to nearly 5,000 students, while research funding increased by 72 percent, philanthropic support surpassed $1 billion, and clinical care expanded fourfold to serve more than 5 million people as the region's only academic health system and safety net provider. He has held senior leadership roles at Yale University, the University of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago, and Brandeis University, where he served as Provost. A nationally recognized biomedical researcher continuously funded by the NIH, he has made foundational contributions to understanding ion channels and their roles in diseases of the heart, lungs, and nervous system, and is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

UNM's R1 research mission, its role as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, and its deep integration with New Mexico's healthcare and scientific ecosystem make it a natural fit for a leader of Dr. Goldstein's background. His experience building and expanding academic health systems speaks directly to New Mexico's critical healthcare workforce needs, and his record of growing research enterprise and philanthropic investment will serve UNM's ambitions well. His familiarity with the work of federal research institutions and his career-long focus on translating discovery into community benefit align with UNM's partnerships with Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories and its commitment to driving economic development across the state. Dr. Goldstein has noted that he and his family value the land, history, artistry, and collective spirit of the American Southwest - and share UNM's commitment to access, culture, and community in service to New Mexico and the nation.

Goldstein holds a B.A./M.A. in Biochemistry from Brandeis University and an M.D. and Ph.D. in Immunology from Harvard University.

Goldstein's appointment is pending the finalization of contract negotiations. The Board of Regents voted to delegate negotiating authority to the board chair at today's public meeting.

For more information about the presidential search, visit presidentialsearch.unm.edu.