UNM alumni director to retire after serving UNM for 52 years

Alumni director to retire after serving UNM for 52 years

Karen Abraham, associate vice president of alumni relations and executive director of the Alumni Association, is retiring from her position this semester, according to a UNM press release.

According to the release, Abraham spent 50 years on campus in different positions, from her start as a student at UNM to her final position in alumni relations.

“A beloved campus and community leader, Karen earned three degrees from UNM – a BSE in 1967, an MA in 1968 and an Ed.D. in 1971, and is truly, a lifelong Lobo in every sense,” the release stated.

Abraham was hired as assistant, then associate, dean of students/director of student activities, after finishing her degrees, according to the release.

In 1987 she was promoted to head of the Alumni Relations Office and the Alumni Association. Abraham occupied those positions until her retirement, “watching the UNM alumni population grow from just under 70,000 to nearly 200, 000,” according to the statement.

Abraham said she was honored to serve UNM for 52 consecutive years, according to the statement.

“I remember deciding whether or not to go to the University of New Mexico. For my parents, there was no thought I’d ever go anyplace else. It was the University of New Mexico, it was 60 miles away and it was affordable,” she was quoted by the press release as saying.

Abraham said that she hoped the alumni association never loses its heart.

 “The best thing alums can do for the university is unfold their lives to the greatest of their potential, become civically involved wherever they are and make the world better,” she said in the press release.

Sayyed Shah is the assistant news editor at the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at assistant-news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @mianfawadshah.