Friends and colleagues from the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Enrvironmental Sciences have established a new scholarship to honor the legacy of Matthew Gompper. Gompper, who died in March 2024, served as the head of New Mexico State University'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.”
Originally from New York, Gompper earned a Ph.D. in life sciences from the University of Tennessee in 1994 and later completed post-doctoral research at the University of California, Los Angeles and University of Nevada, Reno. His research areas included wildlife disease ecology, mammalian ecology, conservation and management.
At NMSU, Gompper grew his reputation as a renowned researcher. In 2022 and 2023, Stanford University and Elsevier included Gompper in their annual list of the top 2 percent scientists in the world. He also advocated for underrepresented groups and helped champion a national consortium with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that supports minority students pursuing careers in wildlife ecology and related fields.
Gompper’s legacy will live on in a newly created scholarship to benefit FWCE students. To donate, visit nmsu.link/gompper-scholarship.
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CUTLINE: Matthew Gompper, who served as the head of New Mexico State University's Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology from 2019 to 2024, was considered one of the top scientists in the world.