Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

Christopher Lyons joined the Office of Academic Affairs in January 2025 in a newly created role — assistant vice provost for faculty affairs.

He will work closely with deans, department chairs and other faculty leaders to ensure that faculty have the support they need to thrive and will also lead the design, expansion and implementation of faculty development programs and reward structures.

The Michigan native first joined UNM as a faculty member in the Department of Sociology and Criminology right after completing his Ph.D. in 2006.

His area of study is in the areas of criminology, social control, urban communities and inequality. In 2009, he was chosen as a senior fellow with the UNM Robert Wood Johnson Center for Health Policy. In 2013, he was selected as a UNM Regents’ Lecturer, and in 2023-24, he was interim associate dean for faculty and staff in University College. Since 2023, he has served as interim director of Liberal Arts and Integrative Studies in University College.

What attracted him to UNM is a lot of what has kept him here.

“I was drawn by the landscape and cultural diversity, and I’ve stayed because of the quality of life — the ability to hike trails around the state and the natural beauty.”

Over the years, he also became enamored of the culture of UNM itself.

“The more you work here, the more you want to help keep the culture of the university,” he said.

He said he hopes to be able to make a difference for faculty in his new role in the provost’s office.

“I really appreciate the outstanding faculty we have, and the diversity of faculty at UNM,” Lyons said. “I have a very collaborative style. I don’t tend to work alone. I think I have a caring personality and will be someone who listens and is committed to equity.” 

Lyons lives in the East Mountains in a house that has a great view of the Ortiz Mountains.

In his spare time, he enjoys hiking and is an avid pickleball player three to four days a week.