UNM Valencia Chancellor Samuel Dosumu Resigns, Dean Named Interim

Samuel Dosumu resigned as chancellor of UNM-Valencia effective March 9, ending a tenure that began August 1, 2022, when he replaced long-time chancellor Dr. Alice Letteney. Dr. Laura Musselwhite, the campus's dean of instruction and chief academic officer since 2014, has been named interim chancellor.

UNM Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Barbara Rodriguez made the announcement, saying Musselwhite "will serve as interim chancellor to ensure continuity of leadership and campus operations." Rodriguez added: "With her deep experience and commitment to students, I'm confident UNM-Valencia will continue its important work serving learners across Valencia County."

Dosumu, who was selected for the chancellor position in May 2022, will not be leaving the Belen campus entirely. He will remain a tenured faculty member in the Division of Social Sciences at UNM-Valencia, keeping him connected to a campus that enrolled 1,390 students in fall 2025. No public statement from Dosumu explaining his departure has been released, and no reason for the resignation was included in UNM's announcement.

Musselwhite brings more than a decade of institutional familiarity to the interim role. A professor of history, she has served as dean of instruction and chief academic officer at UNM-Valencia since 2014, overseeing the academic operations of a branch campus that serves students across Valencia County with programs ranging from transfer degrees to certificate pathways. Before joining UNM-Valencia, she spent nearly 20 years teaching history at Georgia Highlands College.

The Valencia County News-Bulletin has requested a copy of Dosumu's resignation letter from Rodriguez, along with details on how UNM plans to conduct a search for a permanent chancellor. Neither the letter nor a search timeline had been made public as of this reporting.