Patricia Trujillo, Ph.D., has made education access, social justice and support for traditionally underserved communities the pillars of her lengthy career as an educator and administrator. Dr. Trujillo joined the Higher Education Department as deputy secretary in 2020. In that role, she was part of the leadership team that secured the passage of the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship Act (NMOSA) in the 2022 Legislative Session, secured a $146 million dollars recurring appropriation in FY24, and secured nearly $1 billion for a Higher Education Trust in FY25. The collective work guarantees that tuition-free college is available to New Mexican for generations to come.

Deeply passionate about accessible, affordable, and high quality higher education, Trujillo understands that college students need more than tuition relief to thrive. Which is why she is proud, in her role as deputy secretary, to have overseen a dramatic expansion of services that help college students meet basic needs, including programs that address food security, housing, and behavioral health. Trujillo led the development of the Basic Needs Survey, which contributed to the establishment of the Basic Needs Consortium—a statewide community of practice committed to supporting the essential needs of college students. The consortium continues to work on policy and actions to improve student experiences and support college completion.

Prior to her work at the Higher Education Department, Trujillo, a native of the Española Valley, was founding director of the Office of Equity and Diversity at Northern New Mexico College, where she oversaw new programming to expand higher education access for traditionally underserved populations. During her service to NNMC, Trujillo worked with students, families, and community to bridge the “town/gown divide” by addressing the work contextually through community wealth strategies and racial and gender equity frameworks.

A tenured professor who has taught Chicana/Chicano studies, Southwest literature, and Indigenous history, among other subjects, Trujillo has published work in numerous academic journals and books. In addition, Trujillo has long been a dedicated community servant, serving on multiple commissions and boards, including the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area, Tewa Women United, NewMexicoWomen.Org, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation.

She earned her doctorate in U.S. Latina/Latino Literature from the University of Texas at San Antonio, an M.A. in English from the University of Nebraska, and a B.A. in English with a supplemental major in Law and Society from New Mexico State University.