Title with Advance at UNM:

Program Manager

Your background in academia:

Sandy Rodrigue has been a staff member at UNM since 2002, first serving as an administrative assistant to the Arts and Sciences Associate Deans. She spent 15 years serving two academic departments as their Department Administrators. It was during her time serving the American Studies Department that she became particularly aware of issues of diversity, equity and inclusion and their importance in an academic institution.

Professionally, one of her proudest achievements came in December, 2012, when she was one of five recipients of the Gerald W. May Outstanding Staff Recognition Award. This is the most prestigious award a staff member can receive from the University, and she was both surprised and humbled to learn she had received a record seven nominations from American Studies faculty and graduate students as well as from affiliated faculty from Women Studies, a separate program that she worked very closely with at
the time.

Sandy received her Master’s in Public Administration (with distinction) in May, 2013. Her focus was in public management, and for her capstone project she focused on emergency management policies as they related to vulnerable populations during Hurricane Katrina. While she has not made
plans to pursue another degree, she does appreciate the opportunities for lifelong learning provided by working at the university.