Losada-Rojas wins NM EPSCoR Mentor Award
September 24, 2026 - Carly Bowling
Lisa Losada-Rojas, assistant professor in the Gerald May Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, is one of three 2026 New Mexico EPSCoR Mentor Award recipients. In her research, she advances communities’ public health through transportation solutions.
Losada-Rojas was nominated for offering personalized, thoughtful and transformative mentorship to her students. Her nominator said she has a remarkable ability to meet students where they are and help them grow into independent scholars.
Her approach to uplifting students began with her own mentors teaching her that mentorship is how opportunity multiplies. She tailors her approach to the student in front of her, asking each one what they want for their future and relying on reflection and careful listening.
“It is an honor to be their mentor, and knowing they came together to nominate me means more than the award itself,” Losada-Rojas said. “My students challenge me in many ways, and I am a better mentor because of it. The most rewarding moments are when they bring me ideas I had not considered, and I realize they are now teaching me.”
Losada-Rojas leads the RUTA-HC research group, which aims to develop and advance transportation solutions that positively impact community health through behavioral changes.
“Mentoring is a skill I keep developing, and every student teaches me how to do it a little better,” she said. “For me, this recognition is a reminder to keep continuing the cycle of mentorship that shaped me.”
The other 2026 award recipients are Thiagarajan Soundappan, associate professor of chemistry at Navajo Technical University, and Anu Ogunleye, assistant professor of agriculture at Eastern New Mexico University. Read more on the EPSCoR website.
