Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs James Holloway has selected Christopher Lyons as the assistant vice provost for faculty affairs at The University of New Mexico.
Lyons, a professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology, will begin in his new role Jan. 6.
Lyons will work closely with deans, department chairs and other faculty leaders to ensure that faculty have the support they need to thrive. He will also lead the design, expansion and implementation of faculty development programs; mentoring initiatives; awards and recognition programs; new faculty and graduate student assistant orientation, as well as other support programs and initiatives aimed at faculty success.
Additionally, this position will supervise and support Counseling Assistance and Referral Services (CARS), the Center for Regional Studies, and Advance at UNM.
The assistant vice provost for faculty affairs will report directly to Barbara Rodriguez, senior vice provost for academic affairs. The position was one of two new assistant vice provost roles created by Holloway this fall to “deepen the bench” of expertise in the Office of Academic Affairs.
“This position will be key in taking the strong faculty support system that former Associate Provost William Stanley has built up the last few years to the next level,” Holloway said. “Dr. Lyons impressed us with the perfect mix of experience and enthusiasm for the role, and I am thrilled to welcome him to the Office of Academic Affairs team.”
Lyons joined UNM as a faculty member in the Department of Sociology and Criminology in 2006. His expertise is in the areas of criminology, social control, urban communities and inequality. In 2009, he was chosen as a senior fellow with the UNM Robert Wood Johnson Center for Health Policy. In 2013, he was selected as a UNM Regents’ Lecturer, and in 2023-24, he was interim associate dean for faculty and staff in University College. Since 2023, he has served as interim director of Liberal Arts and Integrative Studies in University College.
“I am honored to be part of the Office of Academic Affairs team to promote the diversity and excellence of UNM’s faculty,” Lyons said. “I look forward to partnering with the UNM community to ensure that all faculty have the necessary support to flourish in their efforts to advance our academic mission.”
Lyons earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology from Kalamazoo College in 1996, and a master of arts and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Washington in 2002 and 2006, respectively.