The University of New Mexico announced on May 13 that three individuals will receive honorary doctorates during the spring 2026 undergraduate commencement ceremony, scheduled for May 16.
The recipients are Roberta Cooper Ramo, attorney and former member of the UNM Board of Regents; Barry Ramo, physician and educator; and Esther Tenorio, Pueblo of San Felipe elder and community advocate. The university said these honorees have longstanding connections to both the institution and the broader community.
Roberta Cooper Ramo will receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws. She served on the Board of Regents from 1989 to 1995, including as president from 1991 to 1993. Her work has focused on healthcare policy, nonprofit governance, and support for vulnerable populations. She was also recognized as “the first woman to serve as president of both the American Bar Association and the American Law Institute (where she is currently chair). In 2015, she received the American Bar Association’s highest honor, the ABA Medal.” Other honors include being a fellow in multiple legal organizations and holding honorary memberships in international legal bodies.
Barry Ramo will be awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. He has been a clinical professor at UNM School of Medicine since 2003 and was founder of the New Mexico Heart Institute. His leadership extended into community health initiatives such as Project Heart Start. He also provided medical reporting for KOAT-TV and columns for the Albuquerque Journal over three decades.
Esther Tenorio will also receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. Tenorio’s career spans more than thirty years in behavioral health service development with significant roles in federal grant projects focusing on youth suicide prevention and mental health initiatives through SAMHSA. She continues her work as a cultural consultant coordinating federal grant activities with cultural protocols.
Honorary degrees at UNM are given “to recognize individuals’ contributions to a specific field or to society in general.” The university states that nominees must have records reflecting academic or public accomplishment aligned with its standards for rigor, quality, and significance.
The University of New Mexico boasts more than 200,000 alumni worldwide—including fellows of national academies—and serves over 24,000 students across its main campus and branches each semester according to its official website. The institution is known for its Pueblo Revival architecture campus within a metropolitan area; it is ranked among top public schools nationally by U.S. News & World Report—including high marks for primary care medical education—and serves as a cultural resource through libraries, museums, galleries, performance spaces while promoting diversity engagement.
