J. Scott Tonigan, director of the Center on Alcohol, Substance Use, and Addictions (CASAA) at The University of New Mexico knows that the impact of research done stretches far into the Albuquerque community and beyond. He has been with CASAA since its inception in the late 1980s.
“CASAA’s mission is to alleviate suffering associated with substance use through mutual respect,” he says. “We are always looking to answer the question: What exactly is the problem, and how do we solve it?”
Tonigan’s life as a Lobo began in his youth. His father joined the faculty in the UNM Department of Educational Administration (now called Educational Leadership) in the College of Education and Human Sciences when the family moved to Albuquerque in 1967. Both Scott and his brother received degrees here. In addition, 11 of Tonigan’s family members have received undergraduate or graduate degrees from UNM.