UNM-Valencia’s Melinda Schwartz Named ACTE Emerging New Professional in Nashville

Melinda Schwartz, division chair for Business and Industrial Technologies and lecturer in Career and Technical Education at The University of New Mexico Valencia, was named Emerging New Professional by the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) at the organization’s national conference in Nashville. The campus posted the announcement on Feb. 2, 2026, signaling a national spotlight on Valencia County’s career and technical education leadership.

The honor recognizes an early-career professional in the field of career and technical education; the announcement names ACTE as the awarding body and locates the recognition at the national conference in Nashville. UNM‑Valencia placed the item on its recent news list alongside other campus initiatives, underscoring the college’s current focus on workforce and pedagogical programs. A NewsBreak aggregation also carried the announcement with a byline for Rita Garcia, and the campus shared a truncated congratulatory note on Instagram.

Local implications center on workforce development and program credibility. UNM‑Valencia has recently advanced partnerships and training pathways, including a Pedagogical Partnership Program listed on Feb. 2, 2026, and a first-ever Power Pros pre-apprenticeship program launched Jan. 12, 2026. Recognition from ACTE can strengthen program visibility for employers and funders who recruit skilled technicians and business-support personnel, potentially increasing external partnerships, apprenticeship slots, and student enrollment in technical tracks.

UNM‑Valencia’s run of national faculty recognitions extends beyond the ACTE honor. In 2025, Dr. Tammi Duncan‑Teller received the 2025 Two-Year College Biology Teacher Award from the National Association of Biology Teachers. Duncan‑Teller accepted the award at the NABT Honors Luncheon in St. Louis, Mo., on Saturday, Nov. 1. The NABT award package included an NABT membership, an award plaque and a $500 honorarium sponsored by NABT and CellZone. Duncan‑Teller reflected on teaching outcomes, saying, “What brings the most joy to my teacher’s heart is the confidence I see in my students’ thinking and explanations from the first time I meet them in my biology course to when they complete my microbiology course. No longer are they worried that a critical-thinking problem we’re working on can have more than one answer. I trust that at the end of my courses, my students are confident learners who will take charge of their educational and career paths.”

For Valencia County residents and employers, these faculty honors signal that UNM‑Valencia is building instructor expertise and industry-aligned programs that feed the local labor market. Recognition by ACTE and NABT can translate into stronger program credibility when the college seeks industry partners, grant funding, or expanded apprenticeship placements.

Readers seeking more information or wishing to connect with UNM‑Valencia can contact the campus at 280 La Entrada Rd., Los Lunas, NM 87031, or by phone at 505.925.8500. As UNM‑Valencia advances partnerships and pre-apprenticeship pathways, expect continued emphasis on aligning technical curriculum with regional employer needs and on translating national faculty recognition into tangible opportunities for students and local businesses.