Roadrunners

Roadrunners

2022

After graduating summa cum

laude, ANGELA MARTINEZ (B.A. Communication Studies, ’22) became the assistant conference director for GlobalMindED, connecting first-generation students to mentors, internships and professional/personal coaching. She would love for other Roadrunners to join her in getting involved.

CARYN REVELING (B.A. English, ’22) returned to school to finish her education in her 30s, hoping a degree would open up career opportunities. After graduating in the spring, she moved to Maine, where the skills she learned at MSU Denver helped enhance her job as a technical writer for Johnson Controls.

AUSTIN TOVAR (B.S. Hospitality Leadership, ’22) and his wife moved to Colorado Springs, where he started a job at the Broadmoor. They are excited to be in the Springs, exploring the outdoors and other opportunities the city has to offer.

Alumni updates and resources: msudenver.edu/alumni

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Faculty & Staff

DOLORES F. PUGH, Ed.D., (B.S. Accounting, ’85) professor emerita and former chair of the Department of Human Services, died Aug. 10 at age 94. Pugh was a passionate MSU Denver alumna, world traveler, bridge player and ballroom dancer.

Alumni & Students

SHANE BASS (B.S. Accounting, ’12) died April 18 at age 36, following his battle with multiple sclerosis. The birth of his daughter, Madison, motivated Bass to earn his degree. He then worked as an auditor for the Isle of Capri Casino, Academy Bank and the Bureau of Land Management. He loved outdoor activities and was a devoted fan of the Colorado Avalanche.

ROBERTA BLANC (B.A. Anthropology, ’88) died March 19 at age 88. She was born and raised in Denver, then moved to Canada after marrying her husband, Air Force Sgt. Warren Blanc. Upon returning to Denver, she pursued her passions and earned her degree. A lifelong lover of music, Blanc played the string bass and recorder, sang in her church choir and was a member of the American Recorder Society. MSU Denver graduate student

CAROLINE CRAWLEY died June 21 at age 25. Crawley earned her undergraduate degree in Social Work and Sociology at Colorado State University and had just started in MSU Denver’s Master of Social Work program. She was passionate about helping vulnerable people and riding her horse, Daddy Long Legs.

BRITTANY DURAN (B.A. Political Science, ’15) died Aug. 3 at age 30. After earning her degree, Duran worked for Ball Aerospace and Northrop Grumman and as a hardware engineering recruiter with Meta Reality Labs. She had a passion for music, yoga, poetry and social causes. Duran’s family said she possessed a beauty and spirit so free you could feel her luminous light with every encounter.

ANDREW HEGGEN (B.S. Marketing, ’98) died June 9 at age 59. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends and was the North Dakota State Bisons’ biggest fan.

JEFFREY HIGGINS (B.A. Economics, ’94) died June 11 at age 53. After graduating, Higgins pursued a master’s degree at Regis University. He spent the past four years as the director

IN MEMORY

of Medicare and Medicaid sales for United Healthcare. A devoted husband and father, Higgins loved spending time with his family and friends, being outdoors and playing and coaching lacrosse.

ILENE LEE (B.S. Law Enforcement, ’73) died March 14 at age 69. After earning her degree at MSU Denver, Lee received a law degree from the University of North Dakota in 1978. Later that year, she married her husband, Terry Block, and they would be married for 43 years.

THEO HOWELL “BUD” MEES JR. (B.S. Accounting, ’83) died July 26 at age 77. Mees worked in fields that included accounting and human resources. He was an avid reader and also enjoyed visiting with family and friends, storytelling, music, playing guitar, the Colorado Rockies and woodworking.

ROBERTA “ROBIN” EDITH NYPAVER (B.A. Psychology, ’71) died Feb. 15 at age 74. Nypaver loved her family, life in Colorado and traveling the world. She was a wonderful cook, nurse, mom and wife.

RANDOLPH “RANDY” REEDER (B.S. Physics, ’76) died July 12 at age 75. After graduating, he earned an M.S. in Physics from the University of Wyoming in 1979 and his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of New Mexico in 1985. Reeder was an Air Force veteran, and his professional career included a postdoctoral fellowship in particle physics and computer modeling at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. He also served as a research associate in elementary particle physics at UNM. In addition to his passion for particle physics, math and science, Reeder loved hiking, gardening, botany and the opera.

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MOLLY CRABB RENES (B.A. Elementary Physical Education, ’79) died Aug. 27 at age 70 after battling small cell lung cancer for 20 years. After graduation, Renes taught elementary physical education. She then coached high school field hockey and lacrosse and in 1992 successfully advocated for making both varsity sports in the Cherry Creek School District. The Sportswomen of Colorado recognized her contribution in 2006 with the Pioneer Award and in 2007 she was inducted into the U.S. Lacrosse Colorado Chapter Hall of Fame. Renes concluded her coaching career as an assistant coach at the University of Denver, after which she worked for Oppenheimer Funds.

ERIC SKOUGSTAD (B.A. Journalism, ’13) died April 22 at age 43. A gifted writer, Skougstad published and edited Antiquated Zine. He was also an avid bicyclist and worked as a BMX/Freestyle performer and bicycle mechanic, among many other jobs. In his free time, he enjoyed lost-wax casting, fly fishing, backpacking with his dad and cooking with his mom and grandma.

MICHAEL TIERNAN (B.S. Psychology, ’20) died June 2 at age 46. Tiernan was a talented musician and for several years taught music in public schools and privately. In 2019, he became a mental health counselor at Centennial Peaks Hospital, while also pursuing a master’s degree in Clinical Behavioral Health at MSU Denver. Tiernan was witty and loved his family and friends. His son, Kinsman, was the light of his life.

DANIEL WILMOTH (B.S. Aviation and Aerospace Science, ’22) died Sept. 17 at age 22. Wilmoth was an accomplished aviator, commercial pilot and flight instructor, and loved life as a Coloradan. While at MSU Denver, the recent graduate competed and won at the national level in aviation aerobatics. In 2020, Wilmoth joined the Colorado Air National Guard, serving with pride as an aircraft armament systems technician while working toward becoming an officer. In addition to his passion for flying, Wilmoth loved technology, Marvel movies, dancing, golf and embracing life.

Brittney Kocman, left, and Molly and Rob Cohen celebrate the impact of the Pacesetter Scholarship Program at the Cohen Center for Athletics.

Pacesetting program

DONATION TO MSU DENVER MAKES COLLEGE DREAM POSSIBLE FOR MORE STUDENTS. BY GLAVINE DAY

The Cohen Pacesetter Scholarship Program is expanding to help even more students in need thanks to a generous financial gift to Metropolitan State University of Denver.

The program was established in 2017 by a previous donation from Rob and Molly Cohen and aimed at aiding student-athletes. But the couple, who have supported the University for decades, wanted to do more for tenacious MSU Denver students.

“Molly and I learned early in our lives that if you’re blessed and you’re given gifts, then what really makes this world a special place is when you pay it forward and when you give back to others,” said Rob Cohen, chairman and CEO of IMA Financial Group Inc. and a former longtime University trustee.

The Pacesetter Program provides financial support and wraparound services for students. Under the expanded program, about 20% of recipients will be studentathletes, but the scholarship will also benefit students who aren’t in Athletics.

At a recent reception celebrating the program’s expansion, MSU Denver President Janine Davidson, Ph.D., lauded the Cohens as exemplary civic leaders. “They lead from the heart,” she said. “Their values are used in everything they do to lead their company as well as their family, and we like to think of ourselves as part of your family.” Brittney Kocman, a first-generation student, spoke at the reception about how the scholarship made her education at MSU Denver possible. She was struggling to balance a full course load, part-time job and commitments to the track and crosscountry teams. The scholarship she received in 2017 made all the difference. Thanks to the Cohen’s support, she graduated in 2020 with a degree in Applied Mathematics and now works at Lockheed Martin. “They are truly family to me,” Kocman said of SUPPORT the scholarship the Cohens. “This is about family, at the end of the and students in need. day, and supporting students in need that aren’t afraid of dreaming big and working hard is what the scholarship is about.” The Cohens hope their donation will inspire others to support the Pacesetter Scholarship Program.