Carol and John Cochran

Student Success and Access and Faculty Excellence

Carol and John Cochran know that a university can change the direction of a life because UNM changed theirs. They earned their degrees here, built their careers, and made Albuquerque their home. Then they began helping other New Mexico students find their own way forward.

For three decades, the Cochrans have supported the Presidential Scholarship Program. Their giving helps talented students, including those who are the first in their families to attend college, arrive at UNM with more freedom to focus on the work ahead. A scholarship can mean fewer hours worrying about tuition and more hours in the classroom, with a mentor, or preparing for a career.

Their support reaches beyond scholarships. The Cochran family contributed to the Jackson Student Center at The James and Gail Ellis School of Business Leadership and provides annual funding for Accounting Department faculty research. In 2022, they donated inherited land to endow their Presidential Scholarship and support the Foundation’s new Center for Philanthropy. An asset passed from one generation now helps educate the next.

Carol has paired that generosity with service on numerous community boards and continued study in Native American law. For the Cochrans, giving is not a gesture made from a distance. It is a sustained decision to place their resources, experience, and time behind people doing the work.

Their example began at UNM and keeps widening the path for those who follow. Be the reason a student has room to succeed, and a faculty member has the support to pursue the next important question.