Ashwani Monga, a finalist for the University of New Mexico, has pledged to strengthen state relationships and improve graduation and retention rates at the university. Monga is executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer at the University System of Georgia, where he added 47,000 students over three enrollment cycles. He also served as interim president of the University West Georgia from 2024 to 2025, increasing the student body by nearly 12% through a state program called Georgia Match. If elected, Monga would be the 24th president of UNM, succeeding current President Garnett Stokes. He plans to join the Association of American Universities, a group of 71 leading research universities in the U.S. and Canada.