Dr. Daniel López had an extensive and distinguished career in the public sector, starting in state government in 1973, and including serving as cabinet secretary in two separate agencies from 1983 to 1986.
His career in higher education began in 1987 and spanned 30 years. He was president of NMT from 1993 to 2016 and, in an interim capacity, for the 2023-24 academic year. During his time at Tech, the university added a number of engineering degree programs, grew enrollment substantially, increased sponsored research to nearly $100M, and carried out a comprehensive upgrade of campus facilities and infrastructure.
Dr. López earned baccalaureate (1970), master’s (1972), and doctoral (1982) degrees in political science from the University of New Mexico. He also served in the Air National Guard from 1965 to 1969, including active duty in the U.S. Air Force from 1968 to 1969.