Jim and Gail Ellis

Student Success and Access Research and Innovation and Faculty Excellence

When Jim Ellis arrived at UNM, he found doors open to him. He graduated in 1968 and carried that foundation into a career spanning business, academia, and global markets, including service as dean of the USC Marshall School of Business. Decades later, Jim and Gail Ellis made a choice designed to hold those doors open for generations.

Their $30 million commitment is the largest gift from an individual or couple in UNM history. In recognition, the Anderson School of Management became The James and Gail Ellis School of Business Leadership, the first UNM school or college named through philanthropic support.

The name marks a milestone. The endowment behind it creates the motion. A student facing an emergency can receive help and stay enrolled. Another can study abroad and return with a wider view of the world. Faculty can pursue new research and strengthen the curriculum. Students can meet mentors, secure internships, and build relationships with employers before graduation. A $5 million challenge fund invites others to establish and grow endowments, extending the reach of the original gift.

This is what happens when gratitude looks forward. Jim and Gail took the opportunity UNM once gave Jim and multiplied it across classrooms, careers, and generations. Their commitment strengthens all three pillars of Accelerate New Mexico because students, faculty, and ideas do not advance alone; each makes the others stronger.

One open door changed Jim Ellis’s life. Jim and Gail are opening thousands more. Be the reason the next student finds opportunity waiting and carries it into New Mexico and the world.