Persistence, Faith, and Positivity: The Legacy of Dr. Robert Gallegos

Oftentimes those who overcome hardships early in life develop the greatest passion for helping others overcome theirs. Such was the case for Dr. Robert Levi Gallegos (1932 – 2021), who came to NMSU in 1976 and taught in the former College of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction for 36 years.

Born in Cuba, New Mexico, the second youngest of eight, Robert spent his first two years of elementary school in what he called “the baby room” because he could not yet speak English.

Robert was forever shaped by that experience and became driven to pursue challenging educational and professional goals, eventually using his own success to propel others to do the same. His special expertise was methodology—in particular, teaching teachers how to bring out the best in bilingual students.

Among his many achievements, Robert developed and directed the Title VII Bilingual Education Doctoral Fellowship Program and Project MOVEMOS, a nationally recognized teacher-preparation undergraduate program. He raised more than $5 million in grant funding that supported 50 Bilingual Fellows to earn doctorates and hundreds of others to earn master’s degrees. He also lent his expertise as an editor for academic journals and served on boards of national and international education organizations.

Robert believed success came through collaboration. One of his family members shared that he always encouraged patience and working together with colleagues to exchange ideas. Another noted that his kindness, caring, love and support were not only for family, but shown toward his students as well.

Indeed, nearly all his former students remember that he mentored with his heart as well as his intellect, and how, in his gentle way, he would ask subtle yet critical questions that would awaken your awareness. As one nephew, Cal Cordova, affectionately described him: “He was a deep thinker and a man of vision, with a light touch of crazy.”

Thanks to Robert and his wife, Professor Emerita Anne Gallegos ’68, ’76, ’79, their NMSU legacy will live in perpetuity through six endowed scholarships. Two of them, the Brave Girl Endowed Scholarship for Special Education and the Dr. Roberto Gallegos Rural Northern New Mexico Endowed Scholarship, made their first awards in fall 2024. According to Anne, this final scholarship will help young people with “determination and potential but who lack the resources to go to college.”

The Brave Girl Endowed Scholarship for Special Education was co-created as a cornerstone endowment by Anne and her former Ph.D. student, Dr. Laurie McCarty, in memory of Anne’s daughter, Heather Garner-Becknell (BA ’97, MA ’03). The scholarship will provide one or more awards to undergraduate students majoring in special education. Contributions to this scholarship can be made at https://nmsufoundation.org/givenow/bravegirl.

To honor the memory of Dr. Robert Gallegos and continue his enduring legacy of helping talented rural students, you can make a gift to the Dr. Roberto Gallegos Rural Northern New Mexico Endowed Scholarship at https://nmsufoundation.org/givenow/roberto-gallegos-scholarship.