SW New Mexico News

Friends and colleagues from the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at New Mexico State University (NMSU) have established a scholarship to honor Matthew Gompper. Gompper, who passed away in March 2024, was the head of NMSU's Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology from 2019 to 2024.

“Our department flourished under Matt’s leadership, with the graduate program increasing by 25% and the addition of new faculty members. All of us in the department were stunned by Matt’s sudden passing,” said Martha Desmond, interim department head of FWCE. “He was a strong advocate for our faculty, staff and students, had a calm and gracious demeanor, and truly cared about the successes of everyone in the department. We miss his presence, his proud tweets and his guidance.”

Gompper hailed from New York and earned a Ph.D. in life sciences from the University of Tennessee in 1994. He completed post-doctoral research at both UCLA and the University of Nevada, Reno. His research focused on wildlife disease ecology, mammalian ecology, conservation, and management.

During his time at NMSU, Gompper gained recognition as a prominent researcher. In both 2022 and 2023, Stanford University and Elsevier recognized him among the top 2 percent scientists globally. He also supported underrepresented groups by helping establish a national consortium with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service aimed at assisting minority students pursuing careers in wildlife ecology.

The newly created scholarship will support students within FWCE. Donations can be made at nmsu.link/gompper-scholarship.