DALLAS – Conference USA selected
Dr. Kathryn Hanley, Regents Professor at New Mexico State University, as the 2026 CUSA Professor of the Year, voted on by the member institution’s provosts.
An internationally recognized leader in the study of emerging infectious diseases and arthropod-borne viruses, Dr. Hanley’s work has had a profound impact on public health, shaping understanding of how viruses evolve, spread and can be controlled.
“Professor Hanley’s work is the epitome of service to the land grant mission of New Mexico State University,” NMSU Senior Associate Provost
Dr. R.T. James McAteer said. “It is not just that her teaching, scholarship, and extension are all excellent - it is also that those three aspects of her career are intertwined and so the impacts of the work all multiply on each other.”
Since arriving at NMSU, Dr. Hanley has established one of the most influential infectious disease
research programs in the American Southwest. Her prior experience at the National Institutes of Health involved her being part of the team that developed the NIH’s live-attenuated dengue vaccine, now administered to millions worldwide and expected to save thousands of lives. Her research program has continued to break new ground, with her lab leading studies on viruses transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever.
In addition to her international research leadership, Dr. Hanley has played a critical role in strengthening public health infrastructure in New Mexico. She leads the Southwest Aedes Research and Mapping project, which monitors mosquito populations and insecticide resistance across the state, and has expanded surveillance efforts to include ticks and tick-borne pathogens. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she served on
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Medical Advisory Team, providing guidance on vaccine safety and distribution while also advising university leadership and engaging the public through educational outreach.
A dedicated educator, Dr. Hanley teaches courses in virology, emerging infectious diseases and science ethics, ensuring her curriculum reflects the rapidly evolving scientific landscape. She is also an accomplished mentor, having trained dozens of students and early-career scientists who now hold positions in academia, government and industry around the world.
With more than 120 peer-reviewed publications and sustained leadership in multinational research consortia, Dr. Hanley’s scholarship has earned broad international recognition and shaped scientific understanding of disease emergence worldwide.