Wells-Stone Named Executive Director for Student Support in the Division of Student Affairs
August 5, 2026 - Dorene DiNaro
Following a competitive national search, Dr. Brandi Wells-Stone has been named executive director for Student Support in the Division of Student Affairs. Wells-Stone, who has served The University of New Mexico for 11 years, will begin her new role on Monday, Aug. 17. The search included participation from students, faculty, staff, campus partners and community members through interviews, open forums and opportunities for feedback.
Currently, Wells-Stone serves as director of African American Student Services and special advisor to the president on African American Affairs. A proud second-generation Lobo, she earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees from UNM before completing her doctorate at New Mexico State University. As a scholar-practitioner, her work has focused on student belonging, cultural resource center leadership, assessment and equitable student success.
As executive director, Wells-Stone will provide strategic leadership for programs and services that support student access, engagement, belonging, persistence and success. The role also focuses on strengthening partnerships across student-serving units, advancing innovative practices and using assessment data to improve student outcomes.
In this role, Wells-Stone will oversee African American Student Services, American Indian Student Services, the Asian American Pacific Islander Resource Center, College Enrichment and Outreach Programs, the Community Engagement Center, El Centro de la Raza and the Women’s Resource Center. She will also support divisional initiatives focused on first-generation student success, coordinated student support, strengthening assessment and data infrastructure and enhancing collaboration across student-serving units.
“This is an especially meaningful opportunity because several of these centers shaped my own educational journey as a student and professional,” Wells-Stone said. “I’m looking forward to working alongside students, staff, faculty and communities to continue strengthening how we support students while also supporting the staff who make that work possible.”
Dr. Eric Scott, vice president for Student Affairs, said the appointment comes at an important time for the division.
“As a division, we are at a moment where the execution of our strategic plan, the building of assessment infrastructure and the implementation of new systems, while staying true to a core value of student success, calls for thoughtful, pragmatic and authentic leadership,” Scott said.
Wells-Stone brings extensive experience in student affairs and Black Cultural Center leadership, with a strong record of developing partnerships, strengthening communities and creating opportunities that support both student and institutional success.
“I’m excited to bring a joyful, collaborative spirit to this work and contribute to innovating the student experience alongside the leaders and teams across the Student Support centers,” she said.
“The executive director for Student Support serves as a critical connection point, ensuring consistency, communication and collaboration across Division of Student Affairs units and leadership while serving as a central representative with key campus partners such as the Division for Change and Empowerment and the Office of Advising Strategies,” Scott said.
Working closely with colleagues across campus, Wells-Stone will focus on strengthening connections across student support programs and services to help students more easily access the resources they need to succeed. She remains committed to advancing equity, access and opportunity for students and communities across New Mexico and beyond.
“My vision for this role is to continue building toward a more integrated student support ecosystem that is aligned with the vision, mission and values of the Division of Student Affairs,” she said. “I hope to create opportunities for our Student Support centers to engage in co-creation that is responsive to the needs of our diverse communities while honoring the unique histories and legacies of each department.”
Wells-Stone's research focuses on Black Cultural Center leadership and the ways institutional structures and campus environments influence belonging in higher education. She is also co-editor of the forthcoming volume, Making Servingness a Reality: Confronting Past Harms and Dreaming New Futures.
Beyond UNM, Wells-Stone serves in leadership roles with the Race Amity Project, the New Mexico Black Education Advisory Council and the New Mexico Martin Luther King Jr. Commission. Nationally, she serves on the board of the National Association for Black Culture Centers and recently completed a term as NASPA's Undergraduate Fellows Program Assessment Co-Chair.
