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9 ANSWERS: SAGE CEO WALTER ISENBERG PG. 8
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Summer 2011 / Volume XXVI / Issue III
///Contents
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6
8
14
FROM LEARNING TO LAUNCH
PROUD SERVICE
9 ANSWERS
A Metro State couple shares the rewards and challenges of military life.
Metro Magazine asks hotelier Walter Isenberg about the Rocky Mountain hotel business and running “Hotel Metro State.”
DANCING WITH THE CELTS
Majoring in Metro State’s pioneering aerospace and space commercialization programs, four students distinguish themselves internationally by modeling the ancient night sky.
DEPARTMENTS
2 3 4 16 22 24
Letter from the Executive Editor Metrozoic Era Newsworthy Alumni Times
Irish dancing sensation and Metro State student Walter Ware trains with alum Linnane Wick for next world championship.
Cover photo credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team About this image: Full-field image of a stellar jet in the Carina Nebula, imaged by Hubble’s WFC3/ UVIS detector Object Name: Jet in Carina Image Type: Astronomical
The Rowdy Report Don’t Blink
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Metro Vision /// Letter from the Executive Editor Dear Alumni and Friends, If you’ve been following our efforts to change the College’s name, you know that for more than a year, we’ve been studying this issue. We’ve conducted stakeholder input sessions, focus groups, in-depth one-on-one interviews and electronic surveys. The results are clear— people overwhelmingly favor a name change for the Metropolitan State College of Denver. Your alma mater is proud to be part of a community of outstanding higher education institutions with distinct roles and missions, offering a wide range of choices for Colorado students. Be assured that we are committed to our mission of accessibility, affordability and high-quality education. We are also committed to getting this right. So we have decided to defer our request until the 2012 legislative session to give our Board of Trustees the opportunity to conduct further research regarding the marketing and branding of the name Denver State University. As part of the board’s analysis of this issue, they have appointed a committee that will involve additional community stakeholders to conduct a detailed study of the branding, marketing and other issues around the proposed name. A name change is an enormous undertaking, but the fact of the matter is: Metropolitan State College of Denver does not adequately reflect the institution as it is today in terms of size, complexity of offerings or the impact the College has on the region and the state. Our research demonstrated that there is considerable confusion in the community
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Cathy Lucas
about our position as a higher-education institution. Many view us as a two-year community college. But we’ve matured. From our humble beginnings to becoming one of the largest institutions of higher education in the state granting undergraduate and graduate degrees, we educate everyone from highschool valedictorians to the working parent who is balancing classes, work and life. 24,000 Coloradans every year and counting. It’s a fact that Metro State educates more Colorado undergraduates than any college or university. We are in the process of rolling out a new marketing campaign that speaks to the impacts we have and our role as Colorado’s college of choice. Featuring the achievements of students and alumni, the campaign uses the tagline: Metro State—We educate Colorado. Watch for this campaign in print, broadcast and social media in coming months. As a higher education institution, we have been deeply gratified by the support alumni have shown their alma mater as we look to take this enormous step. We anticipate that by aligning our name with the outstanding educational opportunities we offer, we will increase the value of your degrees, boost the College’s status and clarify our identity as the institution educating the most Coloradans of any school in the state. If you have any feedback, please send it via email to: namechangeinfo@mscd.edu. We will continue to keep you apprised of our efforts on this initiative. Sincerely, Catherine B. Lucas Executive Editor
Voices /// Letter to the Editor Editor: I do not understand why the terms “undocumented/illegal aliens” when applied to Mexicans continue to be skimmed over (Metro Magazine, Spring 2011, p. 8). What is there that makes the Mexicans above what many immigrants in the history of our country have had to do to become citizens? It is a slap in the face to every documented/legal alien/immigrant that went through the process and became rightfully eligible to receive what the Mexicans are being granted for flaunting the law. So wrong! Barbara Fox (’99) 2 2
Metro Magazine llllllllllllllll FALL 2010 Metro Magazine llllllllllllllll SUMMER 2011
EDITOR Donna Fowler (’80) ASSISTANT EDITOR Angelia McGowan ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER Julie Strasheim GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ruth M’Gonigle PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Neligh Chris Schneider Julie Strasheim
Jessica Taves Mark Woolcott
METRO MAGAZINE EDITORIAL BOARD Bridgette Coble, Director of Career Services Clay Daughtrey, Professor and Chair of Marketing Jeffrey Forrest (’90), Professor and Chair of Aviation and Aerospace Science Donna Fowler (’80), Director of Internal Communications Mark Jastorff, Director of Alumni Relations and Executive Director of the Alumni Association Richard Jividen (’00), Director of Creative Services Cathy Lucas, Associate Vice President of Communications and Advancement Lunden MacDonald, Assistant Professor of Spanish Angelia McGowan, Assistant Director of Communications Carmen Sanjurjo, Assistant Professor of Secondary Education Julie Strasheim, Art Director, Creative Services © 2011 Metropolitan State College of Denver. Metro Magazine is published three times a year by the Metropolitan State College of Denver Office of College Communications for alumni and friends of the College. All rights reserved. Address correspondence to: Metropolitan State College of Denver Metro Magazine Office of College Communications Campus Box 86, PO Box 173362 • Denver, CO 80217-3362 Please send letters to the editor, editorials and inquiries to: Donna Fowler, editor, at the address above or fowlerd@mscd.edu. Email alumni address changes and Class Acts submissions to: alumni@mscd.edu. The opinions expressed in Metro Magazine do not necessarily reflect the policies and opinions of Metropolitan State College of Denver nor imply endorsement by its officers or by the College’s alumni association. Nondiscrimination Policy Metropolitan State College of Denver does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation or disability in admissions or access to, or treatment or employment in, its educational programs or activities.
Metro Magazine is printed on recycled paper.
Metro State’s past, present and future ///
Metrozoic Era
NO ‘BEEP-BEEP’ FOR THIS ROADRUNNER By Carson Reed ( ’83) Despite being sidelined for the 2011 baseball season by surgery to his throwing arm, you could still say that Metro State pitcher Forrest Carpenter is at the top of his game. At least, if by game, you mean waterfowl. It would be fair to say that the left-handed pitcher is the only Roadrunner in history who’s “beep-beep” is actually a very convincing “honk.” A world-class honk, in fact. Carpenter, an avid sportsman who started hunting not too many years after he started playing t-ball, is both a state champion duck caller and the reigning world champion live goose caller. Carpenter took the top honors last fall at the world competition in Easton, Md. and has competed all across the southeast, the Eastern seaboard and in Canada, not to mention here in Colorado, where he is also a three-time champion duck caller. All told, Carpenter won dozens of trophies in both junior and adult competitions, all before turning 21. In the parking lot of a small retail strip center in Lakewood last March, Carpenter pulled a bag of calls from the cab of his GMC Sierra and gave a brief demonstration of the art of calling geese. His fists balled tightly around the call, he squeezed sounds from it that sounded not just like a lone goose, but like a whole flock of them. He seemed to recite the entire goose vocabulary, in fact, from clucks and moans to honks and grunts. Though no geese responded to the brief demonstration, it would be reasonable to assume that anyone within earshot of that parking lot was looking up and maybe reaching for a hat. With his love of both hunting and fishing, and his early successes as a competitive game caller, it’s hardly a surprise that Carpenter hopes someday to parlay his management degree into a career in the “outdoor industries”—fishing and hunting. But baseball remains Carpenter’s first love. “Baseball takes all my time,” he says. In his desire to play professional ball, he is keeping his options open: “I’ll play wherever I can.” At the time of this publication, Carpenter is recovering from surgery to repair an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury— common among baseball pitchers. He says he tore the ligament in two places last summer. The injury didn’t sideline him; it just took some of the heat off of his fastball. The surgery, however, will keep him off the field this summer. He hopes the procedure, which he describes as “90 percent successful,” will bring his pitch back into the upper 80s (mph), or even higher, by the time baseball rolls back around in 2012. Carpenter, a junior, transferred from the University of Northern Colorado last fall. He grew up on a six-acre farm west of Loveland and admits that going to school in the heart of downtown Denver has required some adjustments. “I’m still not used to being around so many people,” he says of life on the crowded Auraria Campus. Between baseball and waterfowl calling, Carpenter stays very
Honk if you love Metro State: junior management major, Forrest Carpenter, holds the title, world champion live goose caller.
busy, but his interests go well beyond diamonds and duck blinds. “I’m one of those guys who want to keep going back to school forever,” he says. Among his other interests: journalism, and art. He hopes one day to play international baseball and adds, “I want to learn Italian.”
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Newsworthy
/// College News
What’s in a name? In the continuing name-change story, the Board of Trustees has voted unanimously to defer seeking legislative action to change Metropolitan State College of Denver’s name to Denver State University until the 2012 legislative session. The decision was made at a special meeting convened in response to opposition by the University of Denver, which expressed concerns about branding issues. It’s important for the public to know that “the alumni, faculty and students are unified in this motion,” says Board Chair Robert Cohen, who noted the efforts of students and alumni in advocating for Denver State University as the new name. The strategic name initiative was the result of more than a year of research by the College, which demonstrated how the new name could increase the value of degrees for students and alumni and eliminate confusion with community colleges, among other goals.
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No reservations: HLC construction begins Book your room now! Construction of Metro State’s Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center (HLC) is underway. More than 250 faculty, staff, students, elected officials, community and business leaders attended the March 31 groundbreaking ceremony for the estimated $45 million facility, the second building in the Metro State neighborhood on the Auraria Campus. “I am proud beyond words to see the College taking this momentous step,” said Board of Trustee member and ceremony emcee Dawn Bookhardt, who also chaired the public-private partnership committee that facilitated the development of the HLC. The hotel, a SpringHill Suites® by Marriott, will be managed by Denver-based Sage Hospitality and include 150 hotel rooms and conference facilities. It will also provide hands-on training opportunities for students in the College’s Department of Hospitality, Tourism and Events (HTE). (Read an interview with Sage CEO Walter Isenberg on p. 8.) The adjacent Hospitality Learning Center will boast more than 28,000 square feet of academic space, including classrooms, specialty learning labs and faculty offices. The HLC is scheduled to open fall 2012. To keep abreast of the project, go to www.mscd.edu/metrostaterising.
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Theater students teach kids about hearing loss A touring play featuring Metropolitan State College of Denver theatre students has captured the eyes and especially the ears of youth in the Denver metro area. “Here’s to Ears,” a 17-member play, toured Pre-K-8 schools in the Denver metro area this spring, presenting a “visual performance of a journey through the ear mechanism,” according to Chair and Professor of Theatre Marilyn “Cookie” Hetzel. “Through this journey, they also teach children how to protect their hearing.” The impetus for the collaboration came in March 2010 after Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Assistant Professor
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Jessica Rossi-Katz accompanied members of Metro State’s National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) Chapter who spoke to third graders about hearing loss. Afterward she wondered whether there might be a more kid friendly way to present the information and ensure it would “stick.” That led to a conversation with Hetzel, who mentioned that she teaches a theatre ensemble class and thought hearing loss would make an ideal topic to build a play around. “So as our wheels are turning, around the country there is increasing attention
being paid to hearing loss,” says Rossi-Katz, who provided scientific information to Hetzel for her class. “I realized lecturing doesn’t do it. There’s nothing more powerful than storytelling.” Through performing, the “Here’s to Ears” cast reached more than 1,000 students with their message about hearing loss prevention.
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College welcomes new business dean Metropolitan State College of Denver Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Vicki L. Golich has announced Ann Murphy as the new dean of the School of Business, effective June 1. Murphy, who had served as associate dean of the College’s School of Business, has been at Metro State since 1997 as a professor of accounting. She assumed the role of associate dean in 2007. “I’m excited about (working with the faculty, staff, president and provost to continue the College’s initiatives and the work Dean Cochran has started in the School of Business,” says Murphy. “Through the interviewing process I received so much support from the faculty. I look forward to continuing to work with them at Metro State, a place I love.” Murphy replaces John Cochran (’78, economics), now retired, an economics professor who has served in the role since 2004 and been with the College since 1981.
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IN MEMORIAM Elyse Mikiko Yamauchi, a longtime administrator and faculty member, passed away April 21 at Hospice of Saint John from complications of cancer. From 1979 to 2003, when she retired, Yamauchi worked at Metro State in three different administrative positions, including student judicial officer/assistant dean, benefit administrator/director and assistant to the vice president for administration and finance. Yamauchi also served as an affiliate faculty member teaching sociology, ethnic studies and Asian studies since 1997. She served the College for more than 30 years.
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7th annual
a sample, sip & savor classic Presented by - the Exclusive Culinary Sponsor
at
Metropolitan State College of Denver
THE GRAnD TASTInG Saturday, September 10, 2011 noon– 4:00 p.m. Experience Tastes From Denver’s Finest Restaurants and Over 600 Wines & Spirts Southern Wines & Spirits of Colorado and the CRA Education Foundation are pleased to present the 7th annual Denver Food and Wine, a sample, sip & savor classic, the largest single-day food, wine and spirits tasting experience in Denver. Beneficiaries: Metropolitan State College of Denver, The Denver Post Charities and the CRA Education Foundation Scholarship Program Metropolitan State College of Denver • Jim Beam • Maker’s Mark • Red Stag • Hornitos • Tequila Patron • Malibu • Absolut Vodka • Jameson • Kahlua • Ameristar Cares • American Express • SKYY Spirits • Trinchero • W.J. Deutsch & Sons • Seattle Fish Co. • Viking • The Brown Palace Hotel • KOSI 101 • The Mountain • Alice 105.9 • Studio 1430 KEZW • The Denver Post • CBS 4
For more information visit www.denverfoodandwine.com Metro Magazine llllllllllllllll SUMMER 2011
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The Rices in 2008: Kendall, Alexandria, Dalton, Joe and Harrison
That may be a slip in the bathtub, or an accident on Santa Fe, or in Iraq.” The couple met at Metro State, when Joe was a senior, Kendall a sophomore. “We had a class together,” she says. “I thought he was cute and sat by him. It took him three weeks to ask me out.” To fulfill his ROTC commitment, Joe went on active military duty upon graduation. He proposed when she attended his Army Ranger graduation at Fort Benning, Ga. “She pinned on my Ranger Tab,” he recalls, “and I dropped to a knee and proposed.” Their road forward included time at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs and his foray into local politics. From a homeowners association board, Glendale
Proud Service A Metro State family deals with the realities of repeated tours of duty BY ROXANNE HAWN Joe Rice (’89, history) answers interview questions via email, hoping his internet connection holds a few more minutes. He replies
city council and later two terms as Glendale mayor, Rice bridged both private sector work and public service.
from Kuwait while waiting for a military flight to Colorado for two weeks of R&R in late May. Then, he’ll return to Iraq to complete his sixth tour since 9/11.
He was in Iraq when Kendall moved the family to a republican stronghold neighborhood in Littleton, when their twins were 2 years old. “Really, for his political future,” she says, “I couldn’t have moved to a worse place. I wasn’t looking at the political map.”
“Hopefully, coming home for good in August,” he says. Just like many times before, his wife Kendall Rice (’90, psychology and physical therapy) and their three children wait from their Littleton home. “It’s been unnerving over the years,” Kendall says. “You just put it out of your mind. We’ve always approached it like, ‘When it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go.’
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Nonetheless, voters elected Joe, a democrat, to Colorado House District 38 in 2006 and re-elected him in 2008. Often, he worked here during the legislative session, which lasts five months, before heading back to Iraq. Tapping into his local government experience as well as his master’s degree in public administration (University of Colorado Denver) and his master of strategic studies (U.S. Army War College), Joe helps Iraqis set up neighborhood, city and district councils—where much
of the grassroots humanitarian work happens. Imagine a wartime mess of epic proportion. Now, imagine not speaking Arabic, not having access to good maps or demographics, not getting clear directives on what to fix and how, and you’ll have a pretty good idea of the challenges Joe faces in Iraq. Yet, he explains, “I’ve always been drawn to service. Public service, military service, I believe these things are important. I enjoy the teamwork, the frustration and the accomplishments.” Especially since the family does not live in a military community, with whole neighborhoods affected by deployments, Kendall watches others go about their business. “That’s probably the hardest part,” she says. “Our reality is separate from how we live.” Life takes on a new dimension when you’ve seen communities in action both locally and abroad, and especially after a roadside bomb blows up your vehicle. Yet, Joe questions the premise that U.S. politics have changed. “Tough issues are tough for a reason,” he says, adding, “If there is one thing I worry about, it is that we are losing our ability to think critically about issues. Too many people vote for people who tell them what they want to hear, instead of thinking through an issue themselves.” Looking back, Kendall credits Metro State with teaching valuable lessons about tenacity, resiliency and life transitions. The Rice family has another big change coming. Joe lost his re-election bid in 2010, his first-ever political loss. When he returns in August, he’ll work as the director of government affairs for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. Kendall, fresh from earning a Ph.D. in health and neuropsychology, will also take on a new, private practice job. Kendall expects another political run at some point. “He is very gifted at it,” she says. “He is good working with people. He is a good negotiator.”
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H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H
Notes from Iraq In his fifth deployment, alum Joe Rice reflects on U.S.-Iraqi relations A lot has changed in eight years. Since 9/11, I have completed a tour in Bosnia, four tours in Iraq with the Army Reserve and am presently on my fifth Iraqi tour. In that time, I’ve been privileged to see how things have evolved in Iraq, going from great hope to great despair to guarded optimism today. As the United States prepares to withdraw all military forces by the end of December, it is interesting to be part of the group that is helping to transition the U.S. presence in Iraq from being led by the U.S. military to instead being led by the U.S. Embassy. Regardless of how people feel about the United States’ involvement in Iraq, everyone should understand the importance of doing what we can now to ensure the best possible future for the Iraqi people. Not only is it morally right, it is also in our national interests. An unstable Iraq will prove to be a breeding ground for terrorism and also will strengthen an already dangerous Iran. Even after the transition, the United States will continue to provide limited military training and equipment; this involvement was requested by the Iraqi government and will be conducted by around 200 U.S. military personnel as well as several thousand contractors, who will work under the U.S. Embassy. But this is only part of what I think the future U.S.-Iraqi relationship should hold. Our future relationship should reflect our status as peers. We are two nations that share the common, mutually beneficial goals of stability, democracy and economic prosperity. That is a tall order for Iraq to achieve, but it is one I believe is possible. Iraq is largely out of the media and out of mind, but what happens there affects us all. You don’t have to share my views on Iraq, but please consider getting involved in a citizen-diplomacy effort involving Iraq. You can find out more at www.drcog.org/bdrp. Joe Rice is on his fifth tour of duty in Iraq.
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9 Answers
[By Wendy Petersen (’89)]
Walter Isenberg, president, CEO and co-founder of Sage Hospitality—the company that will manage the SpringHill Suites® by Marriott property at Metro State’s Hospitality Learning Center—shares his thoughts on succeeding in the hotel business.
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How long do you think it will take for Denver’s hospitality industry to recover from the economic crisis? Denver’s hospitality industry really didn’t start feeling the economic crisis until fourth quarter 2008, while the rest of the country started to feel the crisis in 2007. I’d have to say that the most difficult economic downturn for us was in 2009. However, I’m excited to report that as of May 2011, we have seen 15 months of positive gain year-over-year, which indicates we are well on our way to recovery.
How did you get into the hospitality business? Back in 1972 when I was 14 years old, I washed dishes at a country club in Kansas City. A very dynamic maître d’ from Mexico, Carlos Pena, noticed that I had a knack for the hospitality industry. I’ll never forget Carlos; he had no diploma, but he sure knew exactly how I should go about mapping out a hospitality career. Carlos took me under his wing, and when I was 16 years old, he told me I needed to go to Cornell for my education. He introduced me to a highpowered member of the club, Phil Pastilli, who used his connections and assisted and guided me in getting into Cornell.
How does it feel knowing that your company is such an integral player in one of only a few operating hotel learning centers on a college campus in the country? We’re extremely excited! This is not only a great opportunity for Sage but a tremendous asset for Denver, the Rocky Mountain West and, of course, Metro State.
What are you most proud of in your career? I’m most proud that I have been able to weave corporate citizenship into our business. Through implementing meaningful ways of conducting business, the rewards are both personally and professionally satisfying—giving back and getting back.
What would be your best advice for someone wanting to break into the hospitality business? Get a job in the industry first! Experience the business and have a good understanding of customer service. This industry is customer-driven and it’s important to have passion for it. As I’ve always said, love what you do and love who you do it with!
How did you wind up in Denver? Why do you stay here? Zack Neumeyer, a college associate, was in Denver and had quit his job and started a consulting company. He called me a few months later and asked if I wanted to join him. The rest as they say is history…And I love this place!
Do you have a favorite story about running a hotel? Back in 1984 when my partner Zack and I were negotiating our very first hotel management contract, we were in discussions to manage a hotel/resort in Utah for a wealthy developer from Oklahoma. We flew to the resort, which was out in the middle of nowhere, on his private plane, needless to say a very exciting experience for Zack and myself. After touring the hotel/resort, we got back on the plane and were flying back when the developer all of a sudden pulled out a gun, laid it on the table and proclaimed, “Boys we’re going to negotiate your management contract!” True story!
I myself am an alum and a high percentage of your workforce has graduated from Metro State. Do you see a difference in Metro State grads vs. graduates from other institutions? I’ve noticed two differences with Metro State grads as compared to other graduates: First, Metro grads are ready to work and succeed from an operating standpoint. Second, they possess a strong work ethic, probably due to having worked or held jobs while in college.
What do you think it is about Metro State that has made it so successful? I feel Metro State is successful for a number of reasons. The first being that Metro State provides an affordable, “high value” education that is accessible to a culturally diverse student body. Secondly, students have the ability to work—or have been working—and they’re gaining valuable hands-on experience while attending college. Plus Metro State’s close proximity to downtown Denver and area businesses enhances their successes.
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A 1989 graduate from the thenDepartment of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism, Wendy Petersen began her career with Marriott and has spent the last 18 years with Sage Hospitality working in sales and marketing positions regionally and nationwide. As the current director of field sales support for all Sage properties, Petersen will oversee the pre-opening sales and marketing process for the SpringHill Suites® by Marriott hotel at Metro State’s Hospitality Learning Center. “This project is so close to me and to see it come to fruition is wonderful,” she says. “It was so exciting when we landed this project; it’s been really incredible and lots of fun working with Metro State.” Metro Magazine llllllllllllllll SUMMER 2011
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FROM LEARNING A team of students in Metro State’s burgeoning aerospace and space commercialization It’s Dec. 3, 2010 in the lobby of the Seventh Street Classroom Building 10 days before the end of Metro State’s fall semester. The weather has been unseasonably warm and a wan sun illuminates this dreary room where four men huddle around laptops, feverishly hammering on their keyboards. In less than 30 minutes they are scheduled to present a “rough draft” of the Cordova Project to Jeff Forrest, who chairs the Department of Aviation and Aerospace Science. This is a go-no-go moment for this team of students, who for the last three months have been preparing to take a powerful software called the Satellite Toolkit (STK) back in time. Developed by AGI, a Pennsylvania-based company that produces software for the space, defense and intelligence sectors, STK is considered one of the most powerful programs for simulating missions and tracking objects in space or on the ground. STK’s three-dimensional visualization capabilities allow users to do everything from model interplanetary travel trajectories to tracking groundaerial military maneuvers—or send 3D-modeled beer cans into orbit, an exercise students particularly relish. “STK is heavily used in industry,” explains Jose Lopez, an affiliate faculty member and retired aerospace engineer, who teaches a class at Metro State on using the software. “There are a lot of aerospace jobs where STK certification is required.” The class he teaches, “Special Topics in Aerospace Science,” is to the best of his knowledge the only one of its kind in the country where students actually get hands-on experience learning to use STK. Most universities with STK licenses, he says, give students access to the application but don’t teach it directly. “My gut feeling is they treat it like (Microsoft) Word or MATLAB (a technical computing 10
language used by engineers and scientists); students have to learn it on their own. But you need guidance to learn all the pieces of STK, it’s so incredibly powerful.” The team, students Dave Dominguez, Robert Thompson, Amritpal Singh and Yee “Ken” Tai, are struggling to make this uber-powerful software do something even its architects would have difficulty imagining. As entrants in the 2011 AGI University Grant Competition, they are wrestling STK back to the time of the Pyramids, 4713 BCE, to see if it can serve as an archaeoastronomical tool.
“The Mayans incorporated these alignments to mark days of the year when the stars would be in a significant phase. They would orient a temple to view celestial events, to mark solstices or equinoxes. It was a huge part of their lives.” Since the early part of fall semester 2010, Lopez has mentored the Cordova team through months of learning curves, missteps, software incompatibilities, personality differences and flashes of genius as they prepared to submit their project in April 2011. The competition— first-place winners receive $1,000, a speaking opportunity and bragging rights—asks undergraduate and graduate students to propose a problem and then solve it using AGI software. The problem plaguing the team today is emblematic of the obstacles and challenges faced by this diverse group of engineers, software developers and
Metro Magazine llllllllllllllll SUMMER 2011
aviation specialists, each in possession of different computers, operating systems and versions of critical software, especially the 3D-modelling package by Autodesk. In trying to load the latest iterations of their ancient monuments, STK balked, refusing to accept them. “We need to establish procedures,” Lopez tells the team, exasperated. “We need to know what went wrong. This needs to be written down!” Dave Dominguez, the team leader, visibly agitated, asks: “Where is the scenario?!” Suddenly Singh and Thompson yell, “We got it!” High fives make the rounds. “Sweet!” Dominguez says, relieved. “Let’s get Chichen Itza (a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Mayan civilization) in.” The celebration is short-lived as they scoop up laptops and head to the Advanced Aviation and Aerospace Flight Simulation Training Lab to give their demo. The Cordova Project is a “go.”
The Cordova Project It all began in early 2010. Jason Cordova (BS ’10), a veteran of the U.S. Navy and a Metro State senior, was the only student in Lopez’s STK class last year who volunteered to take a crack at the AGI competition. Armed with an enthusiast’s knowledge of the ancient skies, Cordova wanted to see whether STK could behave like an astronomical time machine. Could STK model how ancient people aligned important buildings to the heavens? Intense and restively curious, Cordova approached Lopez with his idea. Intrigued but concerned about timing and scope, Lopez, who’s managed large
TO LAUNCH programs take industry software where no code has gone before. teams and projects for the military and Raytheon, paired Cordova with another senior at the time, Willard Kyle Otto (BS ’10), an aerospace technology and design major skilled in 3D modelling. With only about 12 weeks to complete their project, Cordova and Otto chose to model only two buildings on the Chichen Itza site. While Cordova worked on the archaeoastronomy, Otto built computer models of the iconic Temple of Kukulkan or El Castillo and El Caracol, a structure thought to be an observatory with windows and doors aligned to track Venus’ journey across the sky. Using the STK vector tool Cordova and Otto showed known alignments from
El Caracol to the summer and winter solstice sunsets, the summer solstice sunrise and Venus’ northern-most rising point. They also pinpointed the stars Pollux and Canopus rising and Fomalhaut setting. “The Mayans incorporated these alignments to mark days of the year when the stars would be in a significant phase,” Cordova explains. “They would orient a temple to view celestial events, to mark solstices or equinoxes. It was a huge part of their lives. It was evident in the way they built these structures and speaks to the advancement of ancient people. It dispels stereotypes that everything old is primitive.”
On the day AGI was scheduled to post contest results on its website (www.agi.com), Lopez kept checking it hourly. It wasn’t until 9 p.m. that Lopez learned that his digital archaeoastronomers from Metro State had bested teams from all over the world, earning an honorable mention. In 2010, the competition’s inaugural year, the contest attracted entries from dozens of universities worldwide.
A space odyssey While aligning ancient monuments to stars represents a cool intellectual and technological challenge, the exercise is only part of the Department of Aviation continued on page 12
Shooting the moon: (l to r) Dave Dominguez, Amritpal Singh, Robert Thompson and Yee “Ken” Tai digitally recreate ancient skies and monuments for international competition.
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and Aerospace Science’s plan to boldly go into the business of building a workforce for Colorado’s burgeoning aerospace industry. According to the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, Colorado is the country’s third-largest aerospace economy—home to almost 400 companies, four military commands and corporate juggernauts such as Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Ball Aerospace. Almost 25,000 people work in private aerospace companies with another 28,000-plus in the military. With civilian space travel once again fueling the public’s romance with the cosmos not to mention commercial interests related to national security, research, alternative energy and telecommunications, that’s only the beginning. Located as it is in downtown Denver— the Mile High metroplex ranks first among the country’s biggest cities for the number of aerospace professionals employed in private companies—Metro State is ideally positioned to become a go-to resource for companies seeking interns, future employees and professional development training; opportunities that haven’t been lost on Aviation Chair Forrest. Leveraging the College’s flexible Independent Degree Program (IDP), a major where students can—with approval—develop their own learning plans, the Aviation and Aerospace Science Department has launched options for IDP degrees in aerospace system engineering technology (in conjunction with the Department of Engineering Technology), aerospace physics (with the Physics Department), a space commercialization certificate, emphasis and IDP minor as well as an aerospace operations concentration and one in aerospace management. All in all, Metro State has well over 100 students enrolled in some kind of space-related program. “Our Intro to Aerospace Operations class for fall of 2011 had the highest number of early registrations yet,” observes Forrest, himself a 1991 Metro State aviation graduate. “Once students see how much fun this domain is—it is challenging and thrilling—I believe we will see steady enrollment growth. This subject and profession introduce students to topics that most can’t even 12
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dream about. And it provides an avenue to the future, which is global in scope and transferable to any industry in skill.” In 2007 Forrest also secured the donation from AGI of 22 educational licenses of the STK software suite, a gift worth approximately $1.5 million. Last year Alex McKenzie, a junior majoring in physics and mathematics, became Metro State’s first student to earn his professional STK certification after taking Lopez’s class—part of his reward for passing the test: A maroon polo shirt that reads, “AGI-STK-Certified Rocket Scientist.”
started taking classes at Metro State in meteorology, a long-standing interest of his. Lopez’s STK class, however, reignited his passion for cracking the binding on computer software and “making things happen.” Dominguez, who graduated this spring in aerospace operations and is interested in graduate school and applying his STK savvy toward new Earth- and spacebased solar energy technologies, took the reins as the Cordova Project’s team lead. He and Lopez brought Amritpal Singh into the fold.
The Competition Version 2011 Impressed by what Cordova and Otto accomplished with only weeks to prepare and intrigued by the archaeoastronomy angle, Lopez wondered what a team could do if it took the better part of an academic year to prepare. Could an undergraduate team from Metro State win against students and teams—some with advanced degrees—from eminent programs around the world? With months to get ready, Lopez expanded the scope to encompass the entire Chichen Itza site, the Giza Necropolis (the Egyptian pyramids in Cairo) and Machu Pichu in Peru. By including the pyramids at Giza, the team would have to push STK back in time to 4700 BCE, a feat even some AGI experts didn’t know could be done. They would also have to recreate the night skies that so inspired the ancient peoples by inputting star and planetary data into their scenario from the STK database. Finally, they would build a “plug-in”— software—that would enable nonSTK-conversant astronomers to research alignments on their own. At the beginning of the academic year, Lopez began looking for students. He hand-picked Dominguez, a careerchanger and software developer, who after breaking his neck in a mountain bike accident in 2002, decided while in recovery to check off some items on his bucket list. “I had a lot of time to reflect,” he says of his post-surgery year in a brace. “One of my biggest regrets was I had never gotten a master’s degree and had never learned to fly.” Dominguez already had a bachelor’s in electronics engineering technology with a minor in computer science when he
Singh, a first-generation college student from Punjab, India and professional flight officer major, came to the project with the strongest aviation background, having worked in aircraft maintenance. He is also heavily committed outside of school. Married and working full-time at a big-box computer store as a computer technician, he’s helping to support his parents, who live in the Denver area but are facing deportation. Though it’s been hard to concentrate, he says, the internship has given him a greater understanding of space and the software technology associated with it. “My long-time goal is I want to fly in a space mission,” he says. “That’s my main dream. But who knows?” At 21 Ken Tai, a junior majoring in aerospace systems engineering technology, is the youngest team member and arguably its most laid back. He came to Metro State from Sabah, Malaysia (on the island of Borneo) on the recommendation of his uncle, George Middlemist, the College’s controller, and was a veteran of Lopez’s Introduction to Space class. Tai, who did much of the team’s research on star alignments and monument placements, discovered the competition, which Lopez runs as an internship, through the College’s internship office. “Sometimes it feels overwhelming,” he says. “There are some egos. I just sit quietly and do my stuff; I just do what they tell me to do.” Robert Thompson, a senior majoring in aerospace physics and aerospace systems engineering technology, has perhaps travelled the furthest of anyone to work on the project. Though he’s the
HIGH FLYING—Affiliate professor Jose Lopez at the site of a balloon launch conducted by his Introduction to Space class. Lopez gives Metro State students opportunities to test-drive careers in space.
only Colorado native on the team, 10 years ago, he was also a homeless teen, working odd jobs and flying a flag on the streets to bring in extra cash. Deeply connected to his scout troop, which became a surrogate family, Thompson managed by the time he was 18 to get both he and his mom, who suffers from progressive multiple sclerosis, off the streets, while at the same time earning his GED and becoming an Eagle Scout. He caught wind that the team needed a crackerjack 3D modeler to “build” digital versions of Giza and Chichen Itza. As with any complex endeavor, the Cordova Project had its apogees and perigees. Prior to February, none of the members had any experience programming in HTML, MATLAB or STK. The team, too, became hamstrung by STK’s byzantine naming conventions for directories, which caused an ongoing scramble for files. Machu Pichu fell by the wayside due to timing. Then there was the sheer enormity of inputting thousands and thousands of stars into STK’s database from the Hipparcos 6 ephemeris or star map. There were high points, too. On Feb. 3, wearing suits and looking vaguely
discomfited, the team presented their early work to Metro State President Stephen Jordan, Provost Vicki Golich, the Chairman of the College’s Board of Trustees and other high-ranking College officials, intrigued by this next generation of aerospace workers and the educational potential of the software. “How much time a week do you spend on this?” Jordan asks. “Twelve to 15 hours per week per person,” Dominguez says. By early spring as the AGI deadline loomed that number would double, with each member logging hours a day on the project while balancing their other classes, personal lives, March Madness and the Cricket World Cup. On April 14, Dominguez submitted the Cordova Project, complete with beautifully rendered 3D models of the Giza and Chichen Itza plains and alignments matched and confirmed to various stars. (Whimsically, the team even predicted the next two North Stars, the change a result of how the Earth moves vis-à-vis the movement of the celestial firmament.) They also completed a preliminary version of the plug-in to
allow non-STK users to research alignments. “This is a very creative project,” Lopez says. “It pushed the bounds of STK, it wasn’t designed to do that, it really goes outside the envelope. I feel this is a first-place scenario, but I’m biased.” In the end, though, Metro State garnered a second honorable mention. In an email to his teammates, Dominguez wrote, “The winners most certainly deserved their win. We have nothing to be ashamed of. We did an amazing job.”
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See a slideshow of computer-generated pyramids and stars: www.mscd.edu/metromagazine
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Dancing C elts
Faced with another chance to take on the world’s best, Ware made another important decision. “Originally, I was going to major in dance at CSU, but I decided to attend Metro so that I could continue to live and train in Denver,” he says.
take on the world...of dance.
“Linnane is great. She is like family. It’s ridiculous. I’ve known her almost as long as I’ve known both of my brothers,” says Ware, who is one of five kids. “Wick School is kind of a powerhouse. We’re definitely known nationally.”
with
the
A Metro State grad and Metro State freshman By Roxanne Hawn
Student Walter Ware and alumna Linnane Wick are a championship parnership.
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At the tender age of 6, Walter Ware made a big decision about his life. He chose dance—and, not just any dance typically available to kids. Inspired by Michael Flatley (aka “Lord of the Dance”), Ware wanted to learn the disciplined art of Irish dancing. Beyond the costumes, which can be spectacular and pricey, and beyond the dance’s cardiovascular, calorie-crushing glory, he saw only fun. It requires a lot of jumping around, in case you didn’t know.
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It didn’t hurt that his Irish dance instructor since day one, Linnane Wick (pronounced “Lynn-Anne”), from the Wick School of Irish Dance, graduated from the College in 1987 with a degree in Spanish and accounting. Those disciplines served as Wick’s backup plan, but she has always worked full time as a dancer and dance instructor.
Wick admits steering Ware toward Metro State and toward his international dancing goals. “I said to him, ‘You really want to give it another go and going to Fort Collins is going to make it really hard to get your practice in. You know, I went to Metro. You can live at home. You can work. You can teach classes for me. You’ll have the studio to use,’” she recalls, adding, “I think Metro has been great for him.”
Ware took lessons, sometimes several a week. Upon discovering a competitive streak, he often danced daily on his own. That hard work paid off over the years with travel, performances and dance-competition success. Even as he grew into the most competitive age brackets, Ware qualified a second time to attend the Irish Dance World Championships in 2010. He finished in 12th place. His first trip to the world event in high school netted lower results. “It’s a big deal,” Ware says of the opportunity. “I didn’t expect to do very well then, because it was my first time competing at that level.”
Wick describes a confluence of talents when asked about Ware’s success. She points to his rhythm, athleticism and commitment. Plus, she says, “He has a great spring in his step and being a good jumper is a big part of Irish dancing. Walter is an incredible jumper.” These days, Ware balances school, an on-campus job, Irish dancing (both as student and teacher) and playing on Metro State’s lacrosse team. Ware majors in history education, with a plan to graduate in 2013, then teach. However, when asked if he’d take a job as a professional dancer, he laughs and answers without missing a beat, “Oh, immediately.”
‘Passion’ for forensics leads to coroner’s position By Vonalda Utterback (’92)
Emma R. Hall rarely brings good news to the people she visits professionally. Yet that doesn’t stop Boulder County’s newly elected coroner from loving what she does. Hall, 33, along with her team of five full-time investigators and a contract forensic pathologist, is responsible for investigating all sudden and/or unattended deaths in Boulder County, identifying the deceased, removing bodies from the scene, determining the cause of death and conducting autopsies, among other duties.
Emma R. Hall (’06) serves as Boulder County’s coroner.
“The appropriate law enforcement agency is responsible for the scene of the accident and follow-up investigation,” explains Hall, who ran as an independent. “The coroner’s office is responsible for the body itself and determining cause of death.” She concedes her chosen career may seem somewhat unconventional, yet it’s almost second nature for Hall. Her fascination with forensics and death investigation began early, she says, recounting a time as a young girl when she overheard family members discussing a murder that occurred near the family home in Lyons, Colo., years before. She didn’t exactly run and hide under the bed. “I immediately wanted to know how the family was told about the death.” During high school Hall was able to match her education with her long-standing interest in forensics, supplementing her classes at Niwot High School with medicalrelated classes at Colorado’s Career Development Center. After earning an associate of science degree from Front Range Community College, she searched for a college in Colorado that would give her the type of degree she needed to compete in her field. She found it in Metro State, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry criminalistics in 2006. “The job of coroner involves elements of medicine, forensic science,
investigation, management and community service,” explains Hall, who won the November election by more than 15,700 votes over her opponent. “I thoroughly enjoy the challenge and diversity of my work. I love what I do.” According to Hall, as coroner she attends all homicide and “high-profile” calls—leading one to ask how the soft-spoken official manages to keep her cool in potentially gruesome or heart-wrenching situations. Hall says she draws on her past experience as an evidence analyst intern for the Denver Police Department and as an investigator and field-training officer with the Adams County Coroner’s Office, as well as her commitment to her work.
“Of course certain cases can be very difficult,” says Hall. “But when I’m on the scene or talking with the family, I stay professional and I don’t allow my emotions to surface.” In fact Hall, the middle child in a close-knit family of 10, places a high priority on proper notification of family members—an unenviable task that falls under the coroner’s office, yet one Hall is determined to handle with dignity and grace. “I’m passionate about the field of death investigation, especially how it relates to answering questions for the surviving family and loved ones,” says Hall. “I realize how important it is for the family to get answers quickly, be treated with compassion and have closure.”
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Alumni Times /// Alumni News and Events
Reflecting Our Core Values: 2011 Alumni Recognition
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bout 350 people gathered at a luncheon at the Tivoli Turnhalle on Feb. 19 as five Metro State alumni received the 2011 Alumni Recognition Awards. New Athletic Hall of Fame inductees were also announced. The luncheon, co-sponsored by the Athletics Department and the Metro State Alumni Association, capped a week of Homecoming activities. “It was a true Metro State event,” says Mark Jastorff, director of alumni relations. “This year’s award winners are an eclectic mix.” The awards are bestowed based on the four core values of the association: Making a Difference, Metro State Pride, Giving Back and Work Ethic. The Distinguished Alumnus/a Award is given to an individual who exemplifies all four. Traditionally, nominations are solicited once a year in the fall, Jastorff explains. “In the coming year, with the new website we’re working on, we’ll accept nominations online year-round,” he says. “When you think of nominating someone, you’ll be able to do it right on the spot. We’re always on the lookout for alumni deserving of recognition.”
Michael Miera (’80, bilingual studies) 16
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DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS The Distinguished Alumnus award went to Michael Miera (’80, bilingual studies). In 1981 Miera began a 20-year career in Metro State’s Admissions Office, during which he gained a reputation for relating to at-risk Latino/a youth. In 1991 he helped found—and he continues to work with—La Raza Youth Leadership Institute, which annually presents both a conference and five-month leadership training for Latino/a youth. Miera is also a City and County of Denver community development representative in redeveloping brownfields, property where redevelopment may be complicated by the presence of hazardous substances or pollutants. MAKING A DIFFERENCE Hon. Chris Melonakis (’74, economics), Adams Country District Judge in the 17th Judicial District, received the “Making a Difference” award. Appointed a district judge in 1998, Melonakis has worked tirelessly to improve outcomes for children and families caught up in drugs and alcohol abuse. He helped form an integrated family drug court that helps mothers overcome addiction and
reunite with their children, created the Family Violence Coordinating Council for at-risk youth, and led an initiative to screen and assess young people with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD) who have come in contact with the courts. METRO STATE PRIDE Shirley Phillips (’76, early childhood education) was recognized for “Metro State Pride.” In the early 1970s, Phillips and four family members made a pact: to finish their educations. That commitment started a family tradition of Metro State education that continues today with 10 Metro State grads in the family and counting. Today, as the owner of Phillips Invest Group, LLC, Phillips oversees business development and project management for businesses ranging from gas stations and restaurants to housing projects and automotive dealerships. Several family members have worked in the family business while obtaining their degrees at the College. GIVING BACK Lisa Moder (’90, electrical engineering technology), a senior manufacturing test engineer at EchoStar Technologies, received the award for “Giving Back.” Moder’s area of specialty is set-top boxes, devices that connect televisions to an external signal. She has developed innovative testing strategies, despite challenges posed by the diverse technologies and hacker-proofing. In 2010, Test and Measurement World magazine named her Test Engineer of the Year. Asked to designate an engineering school to receive a $10,000 grant as part of her award, Moder chose Metro State, saying she “believes in giving back to those who have helped
Alumni Times
Awards
By Julie Lancaster
me in my career.” She also serves on the College’s Technology Industry Advisory Board. WORK ETHIC Zander Keig (’99, interpersonal communication) received the “Work Ethic” award. Keig, a transsexual man, holds two graduate degrees and is working on a third. He is currently a full-time MSW student at San Diego State University and a social work intern at Jewish Family Service of San Diego. The award recognizes the consistency and extensiveness of his engagement in community development, organizing, mentoring and educating on GLBT topics since 1987. “I’ve done this work as a student, through both of my graduate programs, and I do it currently on and off campus,” Keig says. “It’s in my DNA.” FUTURE ALUMNI Finally, two seniors were honored as future alumni: Adrian Puryear (English, secondary education licensure) and Phillip Eggers (human services).
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ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES • Elizabeth Friot • Rebecca “Beck” Meares (2001-04) • Patrick Mutombo (1999-2003) • Antonio Porras (2003-06) • Doug Stepleton (1966-69) • 1994 Men’s Tennis Team • 2004 Women’s Soccer Team Read more about this year’s Athletics Hall of Fame class at gometrostate.com.
ASK AN ALUM SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVIN’ IS…QUEASY? FOOD SAFETY ON THE GO
BY MASON CAPPS
It’s summertime and you’re ready to take that party to the park! Here are a few tips on making sure your food is safe to eat wherever you choose to enjoy it. Before you purchase any food, remember to ask yourself, “How will I keep hot food hot and cold food cold?” One of the best answers is to be sure you have ice packs, coolers and insulated lunch bags to keep food cold. Keeping food hot is a little trickier. I like to use the microwaveable hot and cold packs and instant hand warmers. Or you can use the insulated lunch or grocery bags that close with a zipper. Why does food temperature matter? Food is safe to consume when its temperature is 40 F degrees or colder and 140 F or hotter. The “danger” temperatures to stay away from are between 70 F and 135 F. Once your food settles in this range, bacteria begins to grow rapidly and your food may become dangerous to eat. To further avoid dangerous temperatures, keep cold food out of direct sunlight and try to avoid heating and reheating food unnecessarily. The more trips through the danger zone your meal takes, the greater the chance for bacteria to grow in your food. If you are storing foods for later consumption, do so rapidly. Cooling quickly and storing and serving food at its appropriate temperature will keep you safe and happy this summer and all year long. Here’s another quick tip: When you finish doing dishes, make sure they have dried thoroughly before you put them away. Trapped moisture between dishes can provide a perfect environment for harmful bacteria and molds to take hold—not exactly welcome guests at any meal!
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Mason Capps (’98, English) is the owner/operator of OiNKs! BBQ in Denver, which just celebrated its first anniversary.
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Alumni Times /// Alumni News and Events
Show your Metro State ties! 100-percent silk ties! Featuring details from an original painting done by internationally acclaimed artist and Metro State alum, Malcolm Farley, for the 45th anniversary Plain & Fancy Ball
A portion of tie sales benefit the Metro State Alumni Association Purchase ties at www.aurariabooks.com or call 303-556-4286
New assistant director has her own Metro State story
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By Julie Lancaster
Meghan Hartvigson (human services, ’10), the new assistant director of outreach and engagement for the Office of Alumni Relations, has an inside track on telling the Metro State story—she’s lived her own version of it. Hartvigson grew up in Denver, her mom an educator in Jeffco Schools and her dad a King Soopers employee who worked nights. After graduating from North High School she attended Adams State College in Alamosa for a year and a half. Seeking a sociology program with more human interaction and community involvement, she transferred to Metro State. Then she discovered she was pregnant. “I come from a family with not-extensive college education backgrounds,” Hartvigson says. “But I’ve always been encouraged to go full force with my education. So when my fiancé and I found out I was pregnant, and in taking in his daughter Alison, my ‘bonus’ daughter, I really wanted to make the statement to them as well as young 18
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women in the community: There are so many forces working against you— opportunities you think are missed. But if you embrace them, you can use them to your advantage.” Hartvigson continued to attend school and work, including an internship in the College’s Development Office. Two years after her daughter Rory was born, she graduated with a degree in human services, nonprofit emphasis, with a sociology minor. She joined the alumni office last August as alumni engagement coordinator, researching the alumni base and working to further engage alumni. Effective July 1, as assistant director of outreach and engagement, she will be charged with building programs, community partnerships and the volunteer base. “Researching, reconnecting with people, reaching out, telling the Metro State story and having conversations that really resonate,” she says. “That will be a good part of the first steps I need to take.”
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YOUR METRO STATE ALUMNI REL ATIONS STAFF: Alumni Times
Our door is wide open. Please stop by and say hello! MAILING ADDRESS: Office of Alumni Relations Campus Box 11 P.O. Box 173362 Denver, CO 80217-3362 CAMPUS LOCATION: 1059 Ninth Street Park Phone: 303-556-8320 VISIT US ON THE WEB: www.mscd.edu/alumni
Mark Jastorff
Janell Lindsey
Meghan Hartvigson (’10)
Gini Mennenga
Director of Alumni Relations and Executive Director of the Alumni Association 303-352-7207 mjastorf@mscd.edu
Director of Special Initiatives for Alumni Relations and Enrollment Services 303-556-6344 lindseja@mscd.edu
Alumni Engagement Coordinator 303-352-7245 mhartvig@mscd.edu
Administrative Assistant 303-556-8320 vmille17@mscd.edu
METRO STATE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 2010-11 BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Jim Garrison (’80, Economics) VICE PRESIDENT Cassandra Johnson (’04, Management) SECRETARY Victoria Hannu (’84, Computer and Management Science) TREASURER Judy George (’01, Business Management) PAST PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES REPRESENTATIVE Eric Peterson (’99, Marketing) FOUNDATION BOARD REPRESENTATIVE Rob Morrill (’97, Political Science)
NEW! OFFICIAL COLLEGE RING COLLECTION The official Metro State ring collection, designed for and by alumni, is a unique and lasting symbol of your lifelong connection to your alma mater. Part of the proceeds from ring sales benefit Metro State Alumni Association programs and student scholarships. If you would like to book a consultation, contact Shelley McClellan from Jostens at 303-921-6662.
Derek Anguilm (’00, Finance) /// Scott Applegate (’96, Finance) /// Piper Billups, (’99, Marketing) /// David Diaz (’97, Mathematics) /// Marisol Enriquez (’99, Hospitality, Meeting and Travel Administration) /// Danyette Hardin (’07, Management) /// Michelle LeBoo, Administrator Representative (’95, History) /// Brad McQueen (’95, Accounting) /// RC Montoya (’93, Technical Communication) /// Chuck Moss (’88, Finance) /// Anne O’Neill (’07, Hospitality, Tourism and Events Management) /// Daniel Parks (’96, Political Science) /// Wendy Petersen (’89, Hospitality, Meeting and Travel Administration) /// Ron Ramirez (’94, Hospitality, Meeting and Travel Administration) /// Judy Shafer (’95/97, English) /// John Silva, (’91, Finance) /// Sterling “Noah” Steingraeber (’08, Marketing) /// Metza Templeton, Classified Staff Representative (’07, Management) /// Aerospace Science Chair Jeffrey Forrest (‘91, Aerospace Science) Faculty Representative /// SGA President Jessie Altum, Student Representative.
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CLASS ACTS Class Acts highlights the latest news from Metro State alumni. To submit your information for publication, go to www.mscd.edu/alumni and click on Update Your Info. John Agner (’76, political science) is an assistant principal with Winslow Public Schools in Atco, N.J. He received a master’s degree in special education from the University of Northern Colorado and a law degree from Rutgers University in 1990. After seven years practicing law, he began working in school administration.
Wally Blinde (’70, criminology) is retired after working 37 years in prison administration. He lives in Astoria, Ore. James Penland (’77, psychology) retired in 2007 after working 26 years as a P.h.D.-level research scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. His research focused on the relationship between mineral element nutrition and brain function in adults and children. He lives in Fort Collins, Colo.
Kathryn L. Lee (’86, communications) manages real estate in Sterling, Colo. Ken Martinez (’81, finance) owns VidaRiche Designs, a home interior design and window treatment company in Broomfield.
Alfonzo F. McCullough (’86, professional pilot) is a captain with United Airlines. He lives in Centennial. Kathie Scarbrough (’85, computer management systems) is a housekeeper with Mt. Cat Cleaning in Grand Lake, Colo. She’s also working on finishing her master’s degree in information systems with Regis College.
Melinda Yeary (’86, marketing) has become a real estate agent for Live Urban Real Estate in Denver after working for several years with Delta Airlines. She enjoys donating time to area nonprofits and helped Friends of Red Rocks, a group of park advocates. She also serves on the board of directors for Arts Street, a creative outlet for underserved youth, and Furry Friends Food Drive, which collects food for the food banks for pets.
Edward Jacobs Jr. (’96, computer management systems) is a senior educational technologist at Metro State. Kristine A. Knapp (’92, chemistry) is a medical doctor (OB/GYN) for Putnam Women’s Health in Greencastle, Ind.
Jerra H. Ryan (’93, English) is a vice president at Cherry Creek Mortgage Co. in Greenwood Village, Colo. Brad Swartzwelter (’94, hospitality) is a conductor for Amtrak in Denver. David Sweet (’91, English) is a managing director for Top Grade Japan K.K., an executive search consultancy in Japan.
Shayne Urbanowski (’97, land use/GIS) is a senior staff software engineer for Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colo. and has earned a master’s of science in software engineering.
David Vaughan (’93, land use) is self-employed in Westminster, Colo. Shawna Wood (’97, psychology) has been an insurance consultant for 13 years and has just completed a degree to become a veterinary technician.
Fred Allen (’03, aviation technology) is an FA-18 Hornet instructor pilot at VFA-106 stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Va. He was named Captain Michael Scott Speicher Pilot of the Year in 2010 by Commander Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic.
Dana Bell (’01, English) has published, “Winter Awakening,” her first book, now available on Amazon. Bell also has published stories in several anthologies and e-zines and poems in magazines. Bell lives in Littleton, Colo.
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CLASS ACTS Alumni Times
Kyle Bowman (’08, management) is a sales planner for Nike Inc. in Denver, handling accounts with companies such as Target, Walmart, Kohl’s and Sports Authority.
Joy C. Davidson (’03, Spanish) is president of Joyful Transitions, LLC in Aurora, Colo. Suzette Davis-Hudson (’07, political science) is a constituent services representative for U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter in Lakewood, Colo. Davis-Hudson also plays field hockey and won a gold medal in the Colorado State Games in 2009.
Kerri Dunagan (’07, human services) is a program assistant at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Fristina Fritsch (’04, environmental science) is a flood analyst for Michael Baker Corp. in Lakewood, Colo. Kristopher Kreutzer (’05, art) is a graphic designer with Merrick & Company in Aurora, Colo. Travis Landry (’07, biology) is a student at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Denver, class of 2012; he has a health professional scholarship from the United States Navy. He’s currently an ensign.
Brian Macias (’05, Spanish) is a teacher with Jefferson County Schools. Tim Meurer (’03, management) is a recruiter with Long View Systems, an IT solutions company in Denver. Tyler Murphy (’05, management) is a channel development manager for McAfee, Inc. in Englewood. He earned a sales recognition honor from ColoradoBiz Magazine for Colorado’s 25 most powerful salespeople for 2011.
Eric Lucas Wilson (’03, English) is a deputy with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Offices in Golden, Colo. John Wiltsie (’08, behavioral science) is an administrative assistant at Metro State. He earned a master’s in adult education from the University of Phoenix in 2010 and is working on his doctorate in education there and expects to graduate 2014.
Keri Cooper (’10, marketing) is an advertising specialist with SpeeCo in Golden, Colo. Bethany Lamer (’10, technical communications) is an e-learning data and development specialist with Sutter Health in California.
ROWENA ALEGRIA
PUBLISHING MOGUL ON THE MOVE Not long after Rowena Alegria (’91, Spanish) graduated with honors from Metro State, she landed a job with The Denver Post where she has enjoyed a steady climb of journalistic success. Eventually Alegria became editor of The Post’s Viva Colorado, the largest publication for Latinos in the state. And last year she was named Viva’s publisher. Alegria says that initially her role at Viva was small because the paper was produced mostly in Mexico. But a couple of years ago she persuaded the Post to make Viva a paper for the community with a completely local staff.
“Since then we’ve watched Viva Colorado grow and change and become an important and award-winning voice for Denver’s Latino community,” says Alegria, who gave the keynote speech at Metro State’s Latino graduation ceremony in May. Since taking the publisher reins, she says she’s been working to “take Viva to the next level.” Alegria has made the paper bilingual, added a new look with expanded content; and readers no longer have to wait for the paper to arrive on newsstands every Thursday, because it’s now online at www. VivaColorado.com. What’s more, Viva now breaks news on Facebook, Twitter and via mobile applications.
“I take great pride in our work at Viva Colorado and look to the future with high expectations,” she says. Alegria has breaking news on the personal front, too. In January, Alegria and son, her eldest son, Cameron Subryan Cameron Subryan, enrolled at Metro State to study avionics. –Doug McPherson
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The Rowdy Report /// Roadrunner Sports
The final buzzer
Metro State senior, Cassondra Bratton and daughterJayna.
By Doug McPherson
Less than 24 hours after Metro State’s women’s basketball team suffered its ouster from the 2011 NCAA Division II Tournament (they had made it to the Elite Eight, the College’s first-ever women’s team to do so), Cassondra Bratton was sitting in her Arvada home just beginning to put some perspective on the season, her career and the game that’s played a central role in her life for nearly two decades. It’s particularly tough because she’s a senior; she’ll graduate in December with a degree in business management. The final buzzer on her days as a Metro State basketball player has sounded, its echo gone. The gym is quiet. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Bratton says. “The loss still stings.” Indeed. But she doesn’t sound as sad as you might expect. Actually, the emotion that surfaces from her voice is one of gratitude. “As I think back on it right now, I’m very happy about having had the chance to play with the players on the team,” she says. For Bratton, a 5-foot-10 forward and a graduate of Pomona High, basketball has always been about the team. Here’s a perfect example. When asked about her personal contribution (she was the team’s leading scorer and rebounder), she quickly brushes it off. “My numbers aren’t that impressive. Something like 13 points and eight boards a game. Look at the average across the nation. Those aren’t really big numbers. But if you look at what we’ve done as a team, that’s really outstanding. Our defense on shooting percentage and points allowed was incredible.” Humility. It’s likely an attribute she brought naturally to the game when she first learned about it. That was when she was 8 years old, walking through her front door and sharing a flyer from the YMCA with her dad about a basketball league.
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“Ever since then, my dad has been in my corner and he did a great job of making me humble and to always think of the team first,” Bratton says.
Lesson learned—and applied Turns out her dad was behind Bratton taking up basketball not once, but twice. Bratton played often and well from age 8 to 23 but decided to leave the sport to spend more time with her daughter, then a 3-year-old cutie named Jayna. At first she didn’t miss it. But after about 18 months the fire started burning, and she knew she had more left to leave on the court. At the same time her dad was battling stage three colon cancer. “It was a tough time, but we battled through it together,” Bratton says. “He was getting burned out on coaching, but I thought he should go back to it when he got better, and he thought I should play basketball again, so I did.” The new coach at Metro State, Tanya Haave, knew Bratton and asked her to play a pick-up game with the team to see if Bratton still had the goods. “After the game, she called me over and said, ‘Let’s do some paperwork.’” “She’s definitely humble but also very competitive,” Haave says. “She understood the game was about the team, she was a clear leader and we’ll miss her terribly.” Now that her playing days really are over, Bratton’s future is uncertain. “I may try coaching or go into the corporate world, we’ll see.”
“I feel like everything I’ve learned in basketball has been a life lesson,” she says. “I remember when I first came home with that flyer, my dad told me I could play if I didn’t give up and worked hard, if I did those two things I’d never fail. And he was right. People who work hard can make it in life.”
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Bratton says what she’ll miss most from Metro State is being on a team. “I’ve played basketball and been on a team for most of my life. It’s kind of like you lose your identity when you’re not a part of a team.” Perhaps her family will fill that role now. Her dad has since returned to coaching the Boulder Rockies Basketball Club— cancer free. And as for her daughter, Jayna, now age 5, her role will change some, too. She’d spent the season in the stands cheering on her mom, always wearing her favorite shirt: The front reads, “Go Mom.” And the back, the name Bratton and her mom’s number: 40. At home, little Jayna has a small hoop and hardwood floors. “She’s not very good at defense, but she has pretty good aim,” her mom says. “But she likes everything to be perfect. That’s something she’ll have to learn to get over.” Will Jayna be a future Roadrunner? “We joke about that all the time,” Bratton says. “She can write her name, so she could actually sign the papers.”
She also reflects on the sport that’s meant so much to her.
2010-11 Season Highlights n First-ever Elite Eight appearance n Finished the season ranked fifth nationally, the highest ranking in school history n School record for wins in a season (finished 30-3) n Tanya Haave named RMAC Coach of the Year in her first season n Cassondra Bratton named first team all-conference and Central Region Tournament MVP n Three players named academic all-conference n First RMAC regular season championship since 1997-98 n School record for longest home winning streak (18 games, streak is still active) and tied the record for longest overall winning streak (15 games)
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Don’t Blink /// A Last Look
COLLEGE DAY IN COLORADO Students from Park Hill Elementary displayed their Metro State pride in “Future Roadrunner” t-shirts when they led the Pledge of Allegiance at the state capitol on Friday, April 8—College Friday. The day represented the state’s sixth annual College Friday, a day when all Coloradans are asked to support students’ dreams of higher education by wearing their favorite college logo items. The students are (l to r) Ethan McWhirter, Sam Baker, Aiden Smyrnios, Taylor Lucas and Eoin Smyrnios.
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An MBA for Metro
StateGrads
Take the next step
Thomas Gaschler-FHSU & Dr. John Cochran, Dean, Metro State School of Business
Convenient, Flexible, Online Learn on your schedule, not ours. Choose to study online, or on the Fort Hays State campus in Hays, Kansas. Full-time or part-time ... again, your choice! Same great program, same great faculty teaching relevant, up-to-date courses using the latest in user-friendly course delivery methods.
Your Program ... Your Specialty. One size does not fit all. That was true when you were a student at Metro State, and it’s true of MBA programs. Choose a concentration that will help you achieve your professional goals. • Finance • Health Care Management • Human Resource Management • Information Assurance • International Business • Leadership Studies • Management Information Systems
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• Tourism and Hospitality Management • Health and Human Performance/ Sports Management • General MBA Studies
* Total estimated program tuition; current as of Spring 2011 ** Based on CO in-state residency; non-resident est. tuition $42,456
No Business Degree? No Problem. The Metro State/FHSU partnership offers you a seamless transition into the MBA progam. Begin your MBA while completing the business foundation courses. You do not have to wait!
Fast Track Admissions Requirements • A bachelor’s degree in Business from Metro State College • • Completion of all required admission materials • • Score a 990 or above with the MBA admissions formula: • 200 x undergraduate G.P.A + Official GMAT score = 990 or above
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“I’m really excited about the new Master’s of Social Work Program. It’s affordable, which means I won’t have to move out of Denver to continue my education.”
Take your Metro State bachelor’s degree one step further. Metro State offers master’s degrees in: • Professional Accountancy • Teacher Education (MAT) • Social Work Access graduate-level urban education at its finest and most affordable. For more information, visit . . .
www.mscd.edu/masters Kaylee Jeffrey, B.S. ’11 Social Work