The Glenda Lewis Critical Race Scholar Award

As an affirmation of its commitment to support racial equity and inclusion in graduate education at UNM, Graduate Studies announces The Glenda Lewis Critical Race Scholars Award Program. Named in memory of Glenda Lewis, a recognized graduate student leader, critical race theorist, and doctoral candidate in Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies, the Program will provide up to four awards for eligible graduate students conducting research on topics related to critical race scholarship.

Topics might include but are not limited to:

• higher education, intersectionality, and institutional change
• research on race relations in the United States;
• studies of slavery and its legacies;
• issues of social, restorative, or transformational justice and racial equity;
• research on Black Lives Matter or related movements in past or recent present;
• literary, historical, archival, community, or artistic studies of black, indigenous, or Latinx expressive cultures, written or oral;
• critical race theories, pedagogies, and activist practices;
• critiques of historic, institutionalized, or structural forms of racism;
• urban design, public policy, or environmental racism;
• protest, activism, and social change

Recipients will be named Critical Race Scholars and will receive an award of $2,000 to support and facilitate their research. Critical Race Scholars will form a cohort that will meet during the tenure of the award to showcase their research in a Graduate Studies hosted event like Lobobites and/or Graduate Poster Showcase.

Eligibility

Degree-seeking graduate students in academic good standing, with a minimum 3.5 GPA or above and no standing Fs, NCs, or Incompletes at the start of the Fall semester. Students must be full-time (9 credit hours or 6 credit hours and an assistantship).

Application Instructions

Department chairs or designated graduate directors will submit nominations in InfoReady. Nominations must be submitted by Friday, April 24, 2026 at 11:59 pm (MT). Departments may submit only one nominee. Nomination packets should include:

• Letter of Application (limit to 300 words total) to include progress towards degree, how the funding will facilitate student’s research, and a statement on how your research relates to critical race scholarship
• Resume or CV
• Transcripts
• Two (2) Letters of Reference with one letter being from a faculty advisor, director, or committee chair

Application Deadline

Applications must be submitted by April 24, 2026 at 11:59 PM MST. Awards will be announced soon thereafter.