RED Magazine Spring 2025

FEED THE NEED

ROADRUNNERS WHO FLY A HEART FOR HOMES MAGAZINE | SPRING 2025

Roadrunners

MSU Denver launches into a new era.

8 A heart for homes

MSU Denver’s Affordable Housing Institute blends real estate and social work to build ‘win-win’ careers that benefit the community.

12 Roadrunners who fly

MSU Denver’s Aerobatics Team has dominated competitions in recent years through ‘practice, practice, practice.’

16 Feed the need

As food insecurity grows on college campuses, MSU Denver takes a holistic approach to get more students the meals and services they need to succeed.

20 Fountain of youth

Community members over age 60 are pursuing their passions at MSU Denver while also improving cognitive health — for free.

Rocky

Students knock ’em dead in ‘The Addams Family’

In this scene from MSU Denver Theatre Department’s production of the Broadway musical, Uncle Fester, played by Ren Patton, conspires with deceased members of the family to help Wednesday in her quest for approval of her secret fiancé. The play ran Feb. 27 to March 9 at the Eugenia Rawls Courtyard Theatre on the Auraria Campus.

Rising to the challenge

Seven years ago, I became a proud Roadrunner because I saw something truly special at Metropolitan State University of Denver. As I walked our campus and met students from all backgrounds, ages and experiences, I heard stories of determination, purpose and the desire to build better futures for themselves, their families and their communities. I talked with faculty members dedicated to mentoring and inspiring students and saw staff members working tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure education remained accessible and transformative.

But I also saw the challenges we needed to overcome. Our students — some of the hardest-working in the state — deserve modern facilities, career opportunities and the financial and wraparound support needed to persist in their education. We needed a stronger foundation to sustain our mission, particularly in the face of unpredictable state funding.

That’s why Roadrunners Rise, the University’s ambitious $100 million fundraising campaign, is so important. Many have already invested in our mission with significant gifts that are transforming our campus and our students’ futures.

In this issue of RED Magazine, you’ll learn about the University’s Affordable Housing Institute, made possible by a seven-figure donation from FHLBank of Topeka, Kansas. The new program aims to address Colorado’s affordable-housing crisis while preparing a new generation of changemakers for meaningful careers creating, funding and managing affordable housing.

You’ll also read about MSU Denver’s high-flying Aerobatics Team, which just won its fifth national championship in eight years. The team’s prospects for future titles are better than ever, thanks to an anonymous donor who gave our Aviation program a new $620,000 GameBird aerobatics plane. The top-of-the-line two-seater will help our students rise to new competitive heights while training them for careers in aviation.

While such high-profile gifts are critical to achieving University goals and serving our students, thousands of supporters are pitching in with small donations that make a big difference. Take Rowdy’s Corner, for instance. The University’s reimagined concept of a food pantry, also featured in this issue, is addressing growing food insecurity among students, thanks to generous support from alumni, employees and community supporters.

Engaging with the University doesn’t have to involve writing a check. Our tremendous network of alumni — more than 100,000 strong — supports our mission through mentorship, advocacy and simply spreading the word of how an MSU Denver education changes lives.

Thank you for being part of the Roadrunner family. I look forward to what we can accomplish together.

Sincerely,

JANINE DAVIDSON , Ph.D. President, Metropolitan State University of Denver

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

John Arnold

MANAGING EDITOR

Laura Miller

PUBLICATION DESIGNER

Aldrich Design

COPY EDITORS

Marcus Chamberland

Paul Beique

Michael Haederle

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Karen Garvey, senior writer/ content manager, Communications and Marketing

Debora Gilliard, professor of Management

Brian Gunther, technical process and communications manager, School of Education

Jamie Hurst, assistant vice president for Strategic Engagement

Steve Juliff, communications specialist, School of Hospitality

Laura Miller, associate director of editorial and content operations, Communications and Marketing

Sam Ng, professor of Meteorology

Cory Phare, marketing and communication strategist/ senior copywriter, College of Health and Human Sciences

Nicole Predki, senior lecturer, Department of Theatre and Dance

Andrea Smith, associate vice president of Strategic Communications

Lynne Winter, associate director of Advancement Communications

RED Magazine is published by the Metropolitan State University of Denver Office of University Communications and Marketing. © 2025

Metropolitan State University of Denver. All rights reserved. Send correspondence and address updates to magazine@msudenver.edu

The opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the policies and opinions of Metropolitan State University of Denver or imply endorsement by its officers or by the MSU Denver Alumni Association. MSU 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.

FIRST WORD

Ready to rise?

Roadrunners Rise is MSU Denver’s comprehensive fundraising campaign with a goal of raising $100 million to fuel MSU Denver’s vision of becoming a national leader in social mobility. OF GOAL REACHED

Facilitating Student Success PRIORITIE S 77%

Cultivating Inclusive Excellence

$76,769,055 OF $100,000,000 AS OF FEB. 5, 2025

Creating Classroom to Career Pathways

Addressing Colorado’s Talent Pipeline

Gina and Frank Day commit $10 million to the Health Institute.

MSU Denver alumnus

Brad Kaplan and his wife, Judy, make historic planned gift to support the College of Business, women’s softball and the President’s Innovation Fund. Your gift!

MSU Denver alumnus

Russell Noles gives $250,000 to the University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

UMB Bank gives $500,000 to MSU Denver’s Classroom to Career Hub.  Molly and Rob Cohen’s transformational gift establishes the Cohen Pacesetter Scholarship Program.

Now is the time to show your support for MSU Denver students and help us reach our goal.

GIVE TODAY

Ball Arena redevelopment brings benefits

Denver’s Ball Arena is slated for a sweeping redevelopment, transforming 64 acres of parking lots into a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood and shifting the center of downtown west. As part of the project, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment has committed $500,000 to the adjacent Auraria Campus under a Community Benefit Agreement approved by the Denver City Council on Oct. 21.

The agreement prioritizes support for local communities most impacted by past urban-renewal projects while fostering stronger connections between the Auraria Campus and Denver’s rapidly evolving downtown.

The Community Benefit Agreement was developed collaboratively with ideas from community groups, educational institutions and city officials.

“The process brought together voices from across the community,”

said James Mejia, chief strategy officer at Metropolitan State University of Denver. “It’s a model for how urban development can create shared value.”

The redevelopment will include more than 6,000 housing units, a hotel, a 5,000-seat entertainment venue and a 3-acre public park. Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with completion projected by 2050.

“This transformation will probably take the next couple of decades,” Mejia said. “But you will see major changes not only on our own campus but at Ball Arena starting in the next five years.

“Physically, campus will look different. With more housing and places for recreation nearby, there will be an influx of residents and visitors. Positioned right in the middle of all this activity, MSU Denver will be a draw for students, events, conferences and exchanges of ideas.”

“Positioned right in the middle of all this activity, MSU Denver will be a draw.”

— JAMES MEJIA POLINA SARAN

‘Anuja’ falls just short of an Oscar win

At first sight, “Anuja” seems an unlikely Oscars prospect. It was shot on a tiny budget. It’s a foreign-language production. The director is a full-time college professor. Its focus, exploitation of child laborers, could hardly be less glamorous.

And yet the film — directed by Metropolitan State University of Denver Philosophy Professor Adam J. Graves, with his wife and producing partner, Suchitra Mattai — really took off last year. High-profile names such as Mindy Kaling, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Guneet Monga Kapoor joined the project as producers, and Netflix announced it had acquired the film for release in February.

Meanwhile, the film was nominated in the highly competitive Best Live Action Short Film category of the Oscars and glided its way to the final shortlist. On Oscar night, the film had its big moment before an audience of millions and only narrowly missed winning the prize, which went to “I’m Not a Robot,” at a star-studded Los Angeles ceremony.

For Graves, the large-scale impact and global success of “Anuja” has been a revelation. The 22-minute film, which follows the travails of a gifted 9-year-old girl working with her sister in a

New Delhi garment factory, was shot over four hectic days on a smaller-than-shoestring budget.

“The project was sparked by a shocking statistic that my wife encountered: One in 10 kids, globally, is engaged in child labor,” Graves said. “That equates to 160 million children, and yet we were struck by how few coming-of-age films feature working children.”

Graves and Mattai say they hope the positive reaction to “Anuja” might help change that.

“We’ve been completely blown away by the

film’s reception. And while ‘Anuja’ got plenty of positive attention in the U.S., in India it has become a genuine cultural phenomenon,” Graves said. “My main hope now is that the film will not only have an emotional impact on its audience but also a social impact.”

Graves and Mattai plan to host socialimpact screenings of the film, which was created in collaboration with the Indian nonprofit Salaam Baalak Trust, to raise awareness for the cause.

From left to right, Ananya Shanbhag, Suchitra Mattai, Adam J. Graves and Sajda Pathan attend the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 2 in Hollywood, California.

MSU Denver to provide student housing as part of community-centered development

Metropolitan State University of Denver is planning to construct an approximately 550-bed student-housing building on the Auraria Campus, part of the first on-campus housing project in the University’s history.

The development on the campus’ north end, across from Ball Arena and just east of the Tivoli Garage, will also include a second building, owned by the Auraria Campus, that will offer workforce-housing units for mixed-income residents, including qualifying MSU Denver faculty members, staff members and students.

“This initiative marks an exciting new chapter for MSU Denver,” said project Co-chair Larry Sampler, special advisor to the president. “We are evolving alongside our city to ensure that our students and workforce have access to modern, communityfocused living spaces that support their academic and professional goals.”

MSU Denver is partnering with the Auraria Campus on the development of the 2-acre parcel, which will include two 12-story buildings. MSU Denver’s studenthousing building will include a floor dedicated to the Classroom to Career Hub (C2 Hub), which, in collaboration with Community College of Denver, connects students with career opportunities and industry partners.

With planned retail and dining, the mixed-use development aims

to create a vibrant, community-centric downtown environment while addressing growing concerns about soaring housing costs in Denver.

“We are evolving alongside our city.”

— LARRY SAMPLER

“While the project is still in its early phases and may change slightly, the vision is clear: a mixed-use space that enhances access to education, workforce development and housing in one of Colorado’s most vibrant urban areas,” said Will Simpkins, Ed.D., vice president for Student Affairs.  Construction is expected to begin this summer and be completed in summer 2027.

Illustration of the site plan for the new buildings.

Tanya Haave announces retirement after storied coaching career

After 25 years on the sidelines, including 14 seasons as head coach of MSU Denver’s women’s basketball program, Tanya Haave has announced her retirement.

Haave, the winningest coach in program history, has guided the team to two RMAC regular-season championships, five NCAA Tournament appearances and a 2022 RMAC Tournament title.

“Not only did she have great success as our coach, but she was an amazing leader who provided guidance and mentorship to the players that came through our program,” said Athletic Director Todd Thurman.

Before her coaching career, Haave was an All-American player at the University of Tennessee, playing under the legendary coach Pat Summitt and helping the Lady Vols to three Final Four appearances. She went on to play professionally in Europe and Australia, earning 10 all-star selections.

At MSU Denver, she’s coached two All-Americans, five All-Region players, three RMAC Freshmen of the Year and 38 All-RMAC honorees.

“One of the major reasons I loved coaching so much was the special relationships I developed with so many players through the years,” Haave said. “Those relationships will always be special to me.”

SOFTBALL

Robb receives NCAA Today’s Top 10 Award

A former softball standout student-athlete at Metropolitan State University of Denver, Shelby Robb was selected as a recipient of the NCAA Today’s Top 10 Award and was honored at the NCAA Convention in January. The award recognizes former student-athletes for their exceptional athletic and academic achievements, as well as their contributions to their campuses and communities.

The Today’s Top 10 awardees were selected by the NCAA Honors Committee, composed of representatives from NCAA member schools and conferences, as well as nationally distinguished citizens, including past awardees. The awardees were celebrated Jan. 14 at the NCAA Convention Welcome and Awards Presentation in Nashville.

Earlier this year, Robb was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Woman of the Year. Among her long list of accolades, Robb

has been a two-time All-America first team selection as well as a two-time Academic All-America first team honoree. She was also named College Sports Communicators’

Academic All-America Team Member of the Year.

Not only did Robb post the best career batting average in program history (.425), but she also had a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average while majoring in Sport Management. She contributed well over 75 hours of community service in her four years at MSU Denver, and she overcame a significant injury that cut short her sophomore season and delayed the start of her junior year.

“It shows that if you come in, work hard on and off the field, get involved and be an active member of the campus and part of your academic department, some really great things can happen for you,” said coach Annie Van Wetzinga. “Hopefully, our student-athletes will see what she’s done and make some bigger goals and have bigger aspirations after looking at what she did.”

Coach Tanya Haave huddles with the women’s basketball team at a game in November.

A heart for homes

MSU Denver’s Affordable Housing Institute blends real estate and social work to build ‘win-win’ careers that benefit the community.

BY KAREN GARVEY

Stacy Berry is a licensed real estate agent. But that’s not how she pays the bills. “I’m a paralegal during the day. I got a real estate license so I could give back,” she said.

The people she wants to give back to are women escaping abusive relationships — something the mother of three knows about firsthand. She knows, for example, that one of the biggest obstacles those women face is finding a place to live. “Affordable housing is one of the main reasons women stay in those abusive relationships,” she said.

The desire to put her real estate background to work for those women is why Berry signed up to be one of the first students in the first class in the first semester of Metropolitan State University of Denver’s new Affordable Housing Institute.

She’s come to the right place.

The new institute will address the state’s affordable-housing shortage while providing a multidisciplinary education that

prepares a new generation of leaders and workers for meaningful careers creating, funding and managing affordable housing.

AHI Director Andy Proctor said the institute has “three customers: students who are investing in their careers, employers that need prepared workforce and, ultimately, people who will become housed.”

INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES

The institute began taking shape last August, thanks to early funding from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority and a seven-figure gift, the largest in the history of MSU Denver’s College of Business, from FHLBank of Topeka, Kansas.

The investment is a first for FHLBank. Although the memberowned institution has given $250 million in support of affordable housing, it traditionally funds brick-and-mortar building projects.

But backing a program that trains an affordable-housing

workforce aligns perfectly with the bank’s objectives. “Our mission is to build community, and that can be done in many different ways,” said Jeffrey Kuzbel, FHLBank president and CEO.

Matt Koupal, FHLBank’s executive vice president and chief mission officer, said he expects the AHI program to have broad, long-term impact, benefiting the community and the affordable-housing industry. “We need to energize people, get them engaged and knowledgeable about affordable housing as a career opportunity,” Koupal said.

An MSU Denver alumnus, Roy Alexander, connected the University and FHLBank. “What MSU Denver is doing is launching an initiative that would enhance the speed at which affordable housing is developed in the state of Colorado. And potentially beyond the state of Colorado,” said Alexander, a former CEO of the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority and current vice chair of FHLBank Topeka’s board of directors.

“What MSU Denver is doing is launching an initiative that would enhance the speed at which affordable housing is developed.”

— ROY ALEXANDER

WHERE TWO PATHS MEET

The AHI grew out of the recent formation of MSU Denver’s Bachelor of Science in Real Estate. As that program was being formed, real estate professionals advising the University “said we should be talking about affordable housing,” Proctor said.

They did more than talk.

What they ended up with is a certificate program, available to undergraduates as well as graduate students. The certificate program works with public agencies that fund affordable-housing projects to be better stewards of public resources. It also offers several noncredit options that provide an introduction to affordable-housing finance.

Real estate and social work are two worlds that seemingly meet only in the realm of affordable housing. And when they do, their goals often conflict.

To earn the AHI’s certificate in Affordable Housing, students complete coursework in social work as well as business and finance. The result is professionals trained to navigate the complex process of securing funding and monitoring compliance with complicated federal, state and municipal regulations that govern affordable housing. They also know how to work with residents experiencing unemployment, health problems and other issues that could lead to their losing their home.

In the first weeks of Proctor’s introductory AHI class, he discussed basic housing terms such as “low-income” and reviewed Denver’s current minimum wage of $18.81 an hour and average rent of $2,150 a month for a two-bedroom apartment. Even nonmath majors guessed that those two figures don’t add up for anyone trying to afford a place to live on minimum wage.

In fact, the federal government defines anyone paying more than 30% of their income on rent or mortgage as “cost-burdened.” As of 2023, nearly half the renters in the United States fell into that category, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

To many in Proctor’s class, such terms and definitions were alien. Others, such as Berry, knew them all too well.

Working with a foundation she started, Harriet’s Liberation Society, and with Project I See You’s Shared Power Initiative, she helps women with things such as applying for grants or repairing damaged credit — whatever they must do to become first-time owners of affordable homes. That’s when she puts her real estate license to work and why she earned it in the first place.

top: MSU Denver student Stacy Berry listens during the first Intro into Affordable Housing class during the spring 2025 semester. bottom: Andy Proctor, lecturer of Finance, is the director of the Affordable Housing Institute.

But when she was getting that license, the courses didn’t cover affordable housing. “So, hearing about this class, that was an ‘aha!’ moment,” she said.

AMANDA SCHWENGEL

JOSH GEURINK

LAYING THE FOUNDATION

Given the tremendous need in Colorado for affordable housing, and the growing recognition that addressing the problem benefits everyone, Proctor and Koupal are sure that students emerging from the AHI program will find employers eager to snatch them up.

Over more than three decades in the field, Mark Marshall, president and CEO of affordable-housing provider Rocky Mountain Communities, said he has encountered few potential employees who are trained to work in the industry. “It seems everyone in affordable housing stumbled into it,” he said. “Most of the training is on-the-job.”

That’s unfortunate, he said, given the complexity of financing and regulation that oversee the industry.

His organization, which provides a complete array of social services in addition to housing communities, plans to address that, too, with online courses and internships for students in eighth grade through high school.

“I’m excited about MSU Denver being one of the first colleges to offer a certificate in affordable housing,” said Marshall, who served on the MSU Denver real estate panel that helped create the AHI. He said he’s hopeful that the program will inspire a new generation to step into what he sees as a “graying” industry.

Students should be excited about the program too, Proctor said. “Affordable housing offers a steady, well-paying career where you can make a difference in people’s lives,” he said. “That’s a win-win.”

Need by the numbers

Number of people experiencing homelessness in metro Denver:

Increase in the percentage of people experiencing homelessness from 2023:

Percentage of people experiencing homelessness who sleep in cars or tents, under bridges or outdoors because they lack shelter:

Number of families experiencing homelessness (an increase of more than 1,000 from 2023):

Number of Denver households paying more than 30% of income for housing:

*All figures are from the Aug. 14 Metro Denver Homelessness Initiative’s annual Point in Time survey.

**Source: City of Denver, 2022.

10% 29%

3,136

115,000

9,977* or 35%**

JOSH

FHLBank Topeka helped fund Arroyo Village, which provides temporary shelter and affordable housing in Denver’s Villa Park neighborhood.

The GB1 GameBird aerobatics plane flies over the Front Range.

Roadrunners who fly

MSU DENVER’S AEROBATICS TEAM HAS DOMINATED COMPETITIONS IN RECENT YEARS THROUGH ‘PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.’

BY MARK COX

Look up at Colorado’s big, blue skies and you might well spot them:

members of Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Aerobatics Team flying around at altitude, practicing loops, spins and barrel rolls. And unlike their feathered namesakes, these particular Roadrunners are very comfortable with being up in the air.

Despite being founded only nine years ago, this University flying team has already won the International Aerobatics Club’s Collegiate Championship Award a jaw-dropping five times.

Each year, at several regional contests and the National Aerobatic Championships in Kansas, they are the team to beat. Which raises the question: How did they get so good so quickly?

“Well, how do musicians get to Carnegie Hall?” asked Dagmar Kress, the team’s coach and a lecturer in MSU Denver’s Aviation and

Aerospace Science Department. “It’s practice, practice, practice. Our secret is having dedicated students who really put in the hours and committed coaches who train them well.”

STAY AHEAD

Kress, who has been competing in aerobatics competitions for decades, likens her beloved sport to figure skating in the sky.

During competitions, each participant is required to perform a series of tricky aerial maneuvers. Complicating the picture is that all of their activity must take place in the “aerobatic box,” which is 1,000 meters cubed, at 4,000 feet of altitude, marked only by indicators on the ground.

The pilots are graded by judges not only on the difficulty and performance of their maneuvers but on their ability to stay strictly within the confines of this invisible box.

But as Tien Luu, the captain of last year’s Aerobatics Team, explained, there are solid coping strategies to help competitors stay on track.

“We are taught to ‘always stay ahead of the aircraft’ when executing aerobatic maneuvers — to think several steps ahead and plan meticulously before making any moves,” Luu said.

“Everything we do as aerobatic pilots is a complex dance between preparation, execution and awareness,” he added. “But when everything clicks, it really is one of the most satisfying experiences ever.”

GREATEST GIFT

Although their trophy case is already crowded from collegiate championships in 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2024, as well as numerous individual awards, the flying team’s competitive prospects grew even sunnier last summer.

An anonymous donor gave them a brand-new GameBird aerobatics plane, a top-of-the-line two-seater with a carbon-fiber airframe and a price tag of $620,000. It’s a technically advanced, high-performance machine that Kress says is among the best on the market.

“It is an extraordinary airplane,” she said. “They don’t break, and they don’t quit, so it has been a total game-changer in helping our students rise to a new level of proficiency and success.”

Another bonus: The new plane’s eye-catching design and sleek performance have been impossible to miss at competitions, boosting the team’s profile nationally and even internationally throughout the close-knit aerobatics community.

“Everybody has been talking about it,” Luu said. “It’s now known worldwide that MSU Denver is the only university that’s equipped with a state-of-the-art GameBird.”

MSU Denver Aviation and Aerospace Science students pull the GameBird aerobatics plane to the runway.

Having a dependable, super-speedy new plane has meant more frequent and productive practice sessions for the student flyers. Which is handy, given some of the grueling aerial maneuvers they need to perfect.

Take a staple of aerobatic flight: the circular loop, which involves executing a vertical 360-degree turn. Few people realize how difficult it is to prevent that perfect circle from turning into a perfect egg or watermelon.

Luu explained the process. “When I start to pull for a loop, experiencing around 4 to 5 Gs, my whole focus is on maintaining smooth control while feeling the g-forces sustain,” he said.

But as the aircraft reaches the top of the loop, everything changes. “The airspeed slows, the wind noise fades, and the Earth comes into view above me as I hang, momentarily weightless,” Luu said. “It feels peaceful, almost heavenly, as the g-forces drop to zero.”

Then, almost immediately, Luu is inverted and looking up at the rapidly approaching ground, while focusing hard on maintaining a precise alignment within the aerobatic box. Finally, he pulls on the control stick once more, getting loud and fast and intense again, to guide the plane back to level flight.

“Only once I’ve successfully accounted for all of those cues — managing airspeed, positioning, g-forces and precise steering — do I know the loop has gone as planned,” he explained.

SAFETY FIRST

For student flyers eyeing a career in aviation, aerobatics competition practice is particularly invaluable. Developing a range of advanced skills such as performing rolls and learning how to fly upside down so early on makes them better pilots.

But just as important, the students also have critical safety

TRICKY MANEUVERS

ALL MANEUVERS MUST TAKE PLACE WITHIN THE “AEROBATIC BOX”

1,000 METERS CUBED

“We stall and spin the GameBird every day. Because it’s this kind of hardcore learning that will make our students super-safe pilots once they’re flying planes professionally.”— DAGMAR KRESS

INTERNATIONAL AEROBATICS

CLUB’S COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS WON BY MSU DENVER:

procedures drilled into them. With any kind of flight, there is always the possibility of a plane stalling. Unless a pilot knows how to recover the aircraft, it could fall into an uncontrollable spin.

That’s why, during aerobatic training, MSU Denver’s student pilots repeatedly climb their plane vertically, then intentionally fall into a stall so they can recover from it.

“We go straight up until the airplane stops going any further,” Kress said. “We stall and spin the GameBird every day. Because it’s this kind of hardcore learning that will make our students supersafe pilots once they’re flying planes professionally.”

Luu and his colleagues are keenly aware that they are learning the kind of critical skills and maneuvering techniques that will be foundational to their careers.

“My learning experience has truly been one of a kind,” he said. “All the aerobatics skills I’ve gained will translate directly into negotiating the challenges of everyday flying, which is incredibly helpful.”

FLYING CAREER

Along with all the prizes and accolades, another defining feature about the team radiates from its many sky-high social videos and

ADVANCED SKILLS:

CIRCULAR LOOP

PERFORMING ROLLS

FLYING UPSIDE DOWN

posts: These folks are clearly having the time of their lives.

“Oh, absolutely,” Kress said. “On one hand, they can find total freedom and a peace that’s almost meditative up in the air. But aerobatic flying also gives them a huge adrenaline rush and the thrill of competition, while the experience of winning a trophy is priceless.”

Speaking of priceless experiences, Luu is hugely grateful for his time at MSU Denver. “The Aviation program at MSU Denver has been exceptional,” he said. “The professors bring real-world experience into the classroom, which has enriched my learning and prepared me for what lies ahead.”

In the competitive aviation industry, he explained, standing out against your peers is essential. All the opportunities and achievements of the past few years have given him a significant boost.

Next, Luu plans to compile the necessary flight hours to join a major airline, and he hopes someday to build or own a high-performance aircraft to perform in air shows. But he won’t forget where it all started.

“MSU Denver gave me more than just an education,” he said. “It provided me with a valued friendship community, a professional network and the tools to achieve my dreams. I’m so excited for what comes next.”

Rowdy’s Corner provides students with no-cost healthy food options.

FEED THE NEED

Late on a Thursday afternoon, Alejandro Ramirez showed off the menu at Rowdy’s Corner, Metropolitan State University of Denver’s take on a corner grocery store. The laminated food list, in bright blue and red with a jaunty typeface, evokes an old-time diner menu.

But rather than prices next to items such as milk, soup and produce, the costs on the Rowdy’s Corner menu are expressed in points, said Ramirez, a thirdyear Business student. Each week, every MSU Denver student receives points, whether or not they know it or need them. Those points act like cash at Rowdy’s Corner, paying for food in the hope that no one at the University ever has to go without.

As Ramirez explained the system, three students lined up behind him with plastic grocery-store-style baskets full of food, waiting to check out. “It’s quiet now, though,” Ramirez said. “The rush is usually around noon.”

That afternoon, the spring semester was not quite four days old. But Rowdy’s Corner had already recorded 1,475 transactions, Ramirez said. Visits to Rowdy’s Corner have steadily increased since it opened

AS FOOD INSECURITY GROWS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES, MSU DENVER TAKES A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO GET MORE STUDENTS THE MEALS AND SERVICES THEY NEED TO SUCCEED.

BY KAREN GARVEY

SCHWENGEL

in fall 2022. And if the flood of business early in the semester is any indication, that growth is on track to continue.

According to the most recent National College Health Assessment, conducted last spring, nearly 60% of MSU Denver students reported struggling with food insecurity, and 7% experienced periods when they had no place to live.

Students not getting enough to eat isn’t a problem at MSU Denver alone, and it’s not a problem just in Colorado.

Last June, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that 3.8 million college students nationwide faced food insecurity in 2020, which confirmed previous findings. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as having limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods.

A 2017 study in the Annals of Anthropological Practice found that college students are more likely than the rest of the population to suffer food

PHOTOS BY AMANDA

FALL SEMESTER USE OF ROWDY’S CORNER

YEAR

2022

WEEKLY AVERAGE UNIQUE STUDENTS SERVED

WEEKLY AVERAGE SEPARATE TRANSACTIONS

406 —

2023 700 1,200

2024 1,000 2,200

insecurity. In interviews with some of those students, researchers found that “most foodinsecure students were faced with issues of stigma and shame daily, which prevented them from seeking assistance.”

above: Rowdy’s Corner expanded into a 1,000-square-foot space in the Tivoli Student Union in 2022.

The researchers recommended that effective solutions should protect student confidentiality and strive to alleviate that pervasive stigma.

Rowdy’s is a shiny, inviting — and busy — symbol of MSU Denver’s trailblazing work to address the stigma that

comes along with food insecurity. Transforming the campus food pantry to something that feels more like grocery shopping than getting a handout is a cornerstone of that work.

When Ramirez, now in his third year on the job, started working at the MSU Denver food pantry, it was “basically in a closet,” he said.

Students “would be lined up down the hall,” he said, because only a handful could be allowed in at once.

Like Ramirez, Angelica Marley worked at that “closet”

where students had to ask for items and staff members would collect them. “That takes courage, asking for things,” said Marley, who’s now the manager of Rowdy’s Corner and who expects to graduate in May with a degree in Public Health.

Checking out meant students had to share personal information to make sure they qualified for assistance.

Dennis C., a fourth-year student who asked that his last name not be used, is a veteran of that system.

On a cold January day, Dennis sat in Rowdy’s Corner munching on a bagel he had brought from home to toast and reflecting on how different the new space is, with its stocked shelves and students picking up instant oatmeal, cans of soup or protein bars.

“There was a lot more embarrassment to be felt in that room,” Dennis said of the old food pantry.

There’s plenty of blame to go around for the cause of rising food insecurity. Food prices rose 2.5% in 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And the average Denver apartment rented for $1,875 last year.

Not surprisingly, students responding to that health assessment also cited anxiety, depression and stress as primary factors affecting their academic performance.

“If we want students to succeed and graduate and thrive, meeting their basic needs is a priority,” said Richard Miccio, associate director of Well-being, Inclusion and Behavioral Intervention at the Health Center at Auraria. “I think one of the most important things is how MSU Denver has changed its approach to dealing with student food insecurity.”

In addition to relocating its food pantry from a tiny, outof-the-way room to the spacious store that is Rowdy’s Corner, MSU Denver has transferred responsibility for addressing food insecurity to the University’s new Health & Well-being team.

That shift paved the way for MSU Denver to implement what Miccio calls a holistic approach to dealing with student food insecurity. “The Health Center is a hub for health and well-being,” he said, “so we can identify some of those needs and connect students to services.”

That can include getting qualifying students signed up for food benefits, known as SNAP, and the popular, free Cooking With Purpose classes. Those classes draw students who want to learn cooking techniques and those who just need a nutritious meal, said Margarita Driscoll, program administrator at the Health Center.

Miccio suspects that the increase in Rowdy’s Corner visitors reflects more than just growth in food insecurity. “Need has grown, but the willingness of students to seek services also has increased,” he said. Which must be a sign that in its new holistic approach to the problem of food insecurity, MSU Denver is on the right track.

More than a hill of beans

Most people wouldn’t view ramen as a healthy meal option.

But then, most people don’t have Katrina Suthers’ nutrition smarts and her natural creativity in the kitchen.

“People are going to eat ramen,” said Suthers, who earned her master’s in Nutrition in 2022 and served an internship as a dietitian at Rowdy’s Corner last fall. It’s cheap, easy and accessible. So rather than bad-mouth the dried-noodle packets, she found a way to make them healthier.

In a YouTube video, she whipped peanut butter, a little oil and a lot of vegetables, and the result was a main dish as colorful and nutritious as it was affordable and easy to make.

In addition to access to a registered dietitian, Rowdy’s Corner customers have another advantage over many other college students. “Our population is a little older, they have been living on their own,” Suthers said. Having wrestled with the daily “What-are-wehaving-for-dinner” dilemma, they appreciated her suggestions and weren’t as scared of Rowdy’s Corner’s fresh fruits and vegetables.

“They were like, ‘Yeah, I know what to do with this bag of beans.”

SUPPORT Rowdy’s Corner

Fountain of youth

Community members over age 60 are pursuing their passions at MSU Denver while also improving cognitive health — for free.

BY MICHAEL HAEDERLE

RICHARD STROUSE READ AN ARTICLE years ago that suggested learning music or a foreign language could help older people keep their brains active and ward off dementia.

So when he retired from his career as a certified financial planner in 2020, he decided to start auditing French courses at Metropolitan State University of Denver through its Meritus Scholars program. He had already tried his hand at learning the guitar.

“If you heard me play, you’d know why I’m taking French,” Strouse said.

He’s among many community members ages 60 and older who audit classes for free on a noncredit basis at MSU Denver. And it turns out that lifelong learning has many health advantages. In addition to preventing the onset of dementia, as Strouse read years ago, taking classes can sharpen focus, spark new neural connections, encourage socialization and improve memory function, according to the National Institute on Aging.

Richard Strouse talks with his professor in the Survey of French Literature class.

ALYSON M c CLARAN

“The Meritus Scholars program is part of Pillar III in the University’s 2030 Strategic Plan,” said Sara L. Jackson Shumate, director of the University’s Center for Individualized Learning. “It promotes diversity on campus and provides new opportunities for community engagement.”

Most courses are eligible for the program based on the instructor’s approval and the availability of space, she added.

‘GOOD PEOPLE’

Over the past four years, Strouse, 75, has moved on to upper-level courses, taking the light rail to the Auraria Campus twice a week to study the language alongside and mingle with students half a century his junior.

“The more I took it, the more I liked it,” he said. “It turns out it’s a global language in many ways — there’s so much written in it. It’s spoken on every continent. Broadly speaking, second to English it is the most common language in terms of its acceptance.”

Strouse speaks highly of the instructors he has had and their willingness to have him in class. “They engaged the students,” he said. “They were open to all kinds of questions, didn’t feel intimidated at all and encouraged everybody to work.

“The environment was just incredible. The students want to be there. It’s exciting going to class. They’re good people.”

The younger students appreciate his presence, he added. “I like being around the younger kids because it keeps me fresh,” Strouse said, “but I think the reverse holds true too. The professors by and large embrace the Meritus participants wholeheartedly because they bring some gravitas to the classroom.”

A SMORGASBORD OF CLASSES

Paul Aldretti, 71, retired two years ago after a career working in climate change, sustainable development and health equity. “I had thought quite a bit before I retired about what I wanted to do because I didn’t want to become a couch potato,” he said.

Aldretti, who taught as an adjunct professor at Naropa University in Boulder for five years, treated himself to a smorgasbord of classes in History, Literature and Environmental Studies and looked forward to in-person classes.

“One of the reasons I took courses was to really engage with people, especially younger people — to have challenging interactions,” he said. “There have been classes I’ve decided not to take because they were online. I really wanted the personal interaction. Especially after the last few years of my work, during Covid.”

Aldretti says he tries to be careful not to monopolize classroom discussions while sometimes offering a different perspective. “The floor is theirs,” he said, referring to his classmates. “It’s the beginning of their journey. If there’s a pause in the conversation, I’ll interject, and I think they appreciate that.”

He has gotten to know some of his fellow students to the point where they stop him to chat on campus. “It’s been really enjoyable,” he said. “We’ve had really interesting conversations, both in class and out of class.”

Aldretti also had praise for his instructors. “The professors that I’ve had at MSU Denver have been very good,” he said. “Having been an adjunct faculty member, I know how much work it takes to be a teacher.”

NURTURING A LIFELONG DREAM

Dr. Vince Collins, 74, nurtured a lifelong dream of playing the saxophone, but the clinical, teaching and administrative responsibilities that accompanied his work as a child-and-adolescent psychiatrist usually took precedence.

“Finally, at age 62, I interviewed several members of the faculty of Metropolitan State University of Denver and really found them to be engaging and bright and welcoming, even to an unconventional student such as myself,” he said. “I decided to start working very part time as a child psychiatrist and began taking classes at MSU Denver for credit. It took me six years to complete the undergraduate requirements for the degree of Bachelor of

Music. I graduated in 2018 — as the oldest member of the graduating class.”

But he wasn’t ready to stop. “I started taking Meritus classes, recognizing that I still didn’t know everything that I wanted to know about music and still couldn’t perform with the saxophone at the level I was hoping,” Collins said.

“I continued on basically since that time, with a short hiatus during the pandemic,” he said. “I take a course or two, usually in the Music Department. I broke out of that pattern just last semester when I took a class on the History of American Baseball. It was wonderful, a spectacular course.”

Collins, who describes himself as “the senior citizen who plays in the symphonic band or chamber ensembles at MSU Denver,” said he is “absolutely intrigued by my younger colleagues, as they are by me.”

“They are also intrigued by having Grandpa sitting next to them on the stage,” he said.

Having spent his undergraduate years at Yale University amid the tumult of the civil rights and antiwar era, he sometimes finds himself comparing notes with his fellow students. “There’s a lot of conversation about how things were different when you were in college in 1968,” he said. “I thoroughly enjoy those kinds of interactions with them.”

The students are also aware of his career as a psychiatrist, which provokes some curiosity. “They know I’m a mental health professional of some sort,” he said. “Largely as a consequence of that, they ask questions of a clinical nature: ‘How do you make the diagnosis of depression? How much marijuana use is too much?’”

Collins said he has found “mutual respect” with his fellow students. “Initially, there is skepticism: ‘Why is this guy on the stage?’” he said. “I’ve not encountered a student who’s been frustrated to have to make accommodations for an old guy. It’s been a delight hanging out with young people.”

MSU DENVER ALUMNUS STEPHEN LEASE, FOUNDER OF A POPULAR SUNGLASSES COMPANY, SHEDS LIGHT ON HIS SUCCESS.

GOODr ADVICE

The word “reckless” doesn’t exactly call savvy business skills to mind. But for Metropolitan State University of Denver alumnus Stephen Lease, co-founder and CEO of the successful activesunglasses brand goodr, it’s a vital component of a thriving business.

The Colorado native is now a CEO, co-host of the popular “Culture” goodr podcast and a serial entrepreneur. And he was named the 2024 MSU Denver Distinguished Alumni of the Year, all because of that recklessly creative approach to business and life.

Here are some of Lease’s top insights into success as a CEO.

Relax where you can …

Lease has a laid-back attitude at work — when it comes to the less-urgent formalities of business life, that is. “They can make up their own job titles,” Lease said of his employees. “They’re not allowed to send internal emails.”

Those employees have ditched email in exchange for Slack chats and refer to themselves as “Flamingos.”

When building his company culture, Lease said, “We realized, ‘Man, it’s our company. Let’s have fun with it.’”

… but add structure where it counts

That doesn’t mean things are loosey-goosey at goodr, which has made a name for itself in products designed to revolutionize the world of eyewear. “You build containers,” said Lease, who cites his parents as an influence for scaffolding his success, then stepping back to let him learn and lead. “You hold people accountable in certain areas and trust them in others.”

Let go of your ego

“I’m not trying to be liked as the CEO of goodr; I’m trying to be respected,” Lease said. Mistakes and missteps happen, he said, “when people are unwilling not to be liked sometimes.” Such a people-pleasing habit can lead to crossed wires and missed opportunities, he said.

Get educated

Lease’s education at MSU Denver was just the beginning. His entire team is certified in “Dare to Lead,” a program designed by bestselling author and researcher Brené Brown that educates leaders on how to build courage and cohesion in their organizations. Lease said the benefits ripple out from his employees into the wider world.

Challenge the status quo

The company’s wild names, in-your-face advertising and irreverent approach to the world show how far he’s willing to go in the name of a better brand. He says his education at MSU Denver taught him to challenge people’s assumptions and chip away at norms.

When you show up as your authentic self, Lease said, you’ll get uncomfortable. But you’ll also get noticed and create new opportunities. “If you want to create real change,” he said, “get comfortable challenging the status quo.”

WANT MORE tips from Lease?

Check out the MSU Denver alumni podcast “Bird Talk.”

PORTRAIT

WITH PURPOSE AND PASSION, COLORADO TEACHER OF THE YEAR

JANET DAMON HELPS STUDENTS REACH THEIR POTENTIAL.

A LEGACY OF HOPE

When DELTA High School history teacher Janet Damon was surprised with a ceremony naming her the Colorado Teacher of the Year, her colleagues and students used the words “selfless,” “supportive” and “innovative” to describe the educator’s extraordinary accomplishments. But Damon would rather use the spotlight to highlight the endless potential of public education.

She should know: She has spent more than 25 years as a literacy interventionist, librarian and history teacher, helping Denver Public Schools students reach their potential.

Damon graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver with a bachelor’s degree in History and Africana Studies in 2000 and earned an Alternative Teaching License in 2003. Her MSU Denver education prepared her well. “It helped me to be very resilient,” Damon said.

As an instructor at DELTA, a pathway school that serves 14- to 20-yearold students who face challenges, Damon often offers students their last opportunity to return to school and thrive.

It’s a heavy responsibility, but Damon incorporates into her lessons her students’ everyday challenges, such as contact with the criminal-justice system and social inequities. The result is transformative.

“They do the work of archiving, storytelling, connecting, and they practice communication skills,” she said.

For Damon, education is a lifelong passion and family culture. As a Black child in Jim Crow-era Texas, Damon’s father was barred from betterfunded classrooms. He and Damon’s mother, who also faced educational barriers in South Korea, passed on to their children a passion for the knowledge they were denied.

“School was the fundamental vision of both of my parents for their children,” Damon said.

Damon realized that vision at MSU Denver. “It took me a while because I was also a young mother,” she said, “but it also offered remarkable support to students who were parents.”

As Teacher of the Year, Damon will be Colorado’s nominee for National Teacher of the Year, and she’ll travel around the state, representing Colorado teachers.

Her message is one of hope. “I think we can make a space where all human beings can reach their potential at school,” Damon said.

PORTRAIT

ROCKY FORD MAYOR DUANE GURULÉ

DISCOVERED THAT THE PATH TO REDEMPTION IS PAVED WITH EDUCATION.

ALL ROADS LEAD HOME

Wearing a Santa hat and a broad smile, Duane Gurulé posed for a picture with the Grinch last December in Rocky Ford, a small town on Colorado’s Eastern Plains. He was there on behalf of Small Town Project — a nonprofit founded by Gurulé and his wife, Elaine Gurulé — passing out cookies and hot chocolate to families picking up free Christmas toys.

But hometown life wasn’t always so idyllic.

Growing up in an unstable environment that included homelessness and food insecurity, Gurulé found refuge at his high school.

“I used to go in early and stay late because if I hadn’t, I probably would have been freezing or not eating,” said Gurulé. “School was my lifeline.”

Then, trouble struck. Shortly after graduating from high school, Gurulé was charged with a violent crime and faced the possibility of spending decades in prison. He thought he had ruined his life.

During his nine-year sentence, Gurulé started preparing for his future. He researched colleges and considered many things — tuition costs, financial aid, his interests, job forecasts and the type of work he could do with a felony conviction. All roads led to MSU Denver and the Computer Information Systems degree program.

One year after starting classes, Gurulé had his first help desk position, was married, had a daughter and had started a business. MSU Denver’s flexible class schedules helped him balance his responsibilities with completing his degree.

With his remote job as a systems administrator for a finance company, Gurulé and his family made the decision to return to Rocky Ford. They arrived to find the town still reeling from the economic impact of the American Crystal Sugar factory closing in 1978. “It was close to a ghost town,” said Gurulé.

Problem solvers at heart, the Gurulés founded the Small Town Project in 2019 to help rebuild the community. The experience made stepping into a position on the Rocky Ford City Council in 2021 a natural fit; he advanced to mayor pro temp and was elected mayor in 2023.

Now a senior database administrator with Hunger Free Colorado, Gurulé is dedicated to serving others. “This is where I want to invest my knowledge, experience and energy,” said the 2024 MSU Denver Alumni Awards 10 Under 10 award winner.

“When I left, I thought, I’m gone from this place — but I found my way back. This is where I needed to be.”

ROAD RUNNERS

1990

After graduation, ALAN WARFIELD, J.D. (B.S. Mathematics, ’90), worked as a software engineer for McDonnell Douglas and United Airlines. Warfield later went to law school and became a lawyer in Los Angeles; he has been on counsel at an Am Law 100 firm for the past 10 years.

1995

JOLENE GUTIERREZ (B.A. English, ’95) is a children’s author who has been a librarian and teacher at a private school for neurodivergent learners since 1995. She explores Dia de los Muertos celebrations in her most recent book, “The Ofrenda That We Built,” which she wrote with her daughter; it will come out in August.

CHRISTOPHER FLORMAN (B.S. Finance, ’95) is an information technology management consultant with over 29 years of professional experience, focusing on Oracle Enterprise Resource Planning systems, big data and automations to help federal, public-sector and commercial clients meet their strategic goals and objectives. For the past 14 years, Florman has supported all aspects of building and growing an innovative information and management-consulting company. He plans to retire this year.

1996

TODD WINN (B.S. Aviation Management, ’96) was commissioned in the U.S. Navy after graduating from MSU Denver, promoted to captain last May and successfully screened for Major Command.

2000

JENN GORDON (B.A. Journalism, ’00) worked in health care marketing and business development for many years before transitioning to a career supporting youth through their educational journeys as a student advisor with Denver Kids. Gordon loves getting

to know the students, helping them develop confidence, build life skills and learn to believe that they will thrive no matter what path they choose after high school.

2004

JENNIFER ZERTUCHE (B.S. Finance, ’04) has worked in the financial-services industry for over 20 years; she is the executive vice president of accounting at FirstBank. Zertuche has been married for nearly 20 years and has four children and two dogs.

2005

ERIKA CHURCH (B.A. Individualized Degree Program, ’05) worked at MSU Denver for many years after graduating and earned her master’s in Education from Regis University in 2010. Church joined The Buck Foundation, a family foundation committed to social justice and climate action, in 2007, where she has served as executive director for six years.

2007

AUBREY VALENCIA (B.A. Art, ’07) is the founder and executive director of the Storytellers Project, a synthesis of her work and life experiences, education and activism, which helps others

heal and transform their lives. The idea came when she was teaching after-school programs at Denver schools and realized that a young man’s behavior was the result of trauma for which he had no coping skills. The Storytellers Project is her way of sharing her resilience with young people, breaking and healing the cycle of violence, and increasing the love and compassion in the world.

2008

DEVLIN THYNE (B.S. Electrical Engineering Technology, ’08) is a senior electrical engineer with the Front End Innovation Department of Milwaukee Tool, where he applies his skills toward developing and advising outdoor power-equipment products that are five years out from getting to market. Thyne describes the day-today as a cross between “Shark Tank” and “MythBusters,” with a heavy dose of ethnography to develop user empathy, all supported by a fantastic team, culture and workplace — it is his dream job. In his spare time, Thyne enjoys hanging out with his dog, attending events in the City of Festivals and playing trivia and tabletop games.

Continued on Page 30.

Setting the table for victory

ATHLETES WELL FED AND PERFORMING AT THEIR PEAK.

When friends say Andrew Dole has come a long way, they’re not just talking about his career.

Four years ago, the Colorado native (and double Metropolitan State University of Denver graduate in Hospitality Management and Nutrition and Dietetics) headed to New Zealand to feed some of the world’s most awarded athletes.

As the performance dietitian for two of New Zealand’s storied national rugby teams, the All Blacks Sevens men’s team and the Black Ferns Sevens women’s team, Dole helps extraordinary athletes compete at their peak.

“You do feel the pressure to show up 200% every day because these athletes are at the pinnacle of their sport,” he said.

Dole started out as a chef, then his passion for fitness sparked an interest in nutrition. Now, as a certified chef and registered dietitian with a Ph.D. in Human Performance, Dole not only knows which foods are the healthiest but has the savvy to transform them into tasty dishes.

“At some point, you have to put the science onto a plate and make it into an enticing meal.” — ANDREW DOLE

Dole likes many aspects of Kiwi living, while some still confound him.

“The work-life balance is very healthy here,” he said. However, “it’s still a shock for me to see people walking around in public without shoes. ... It’s still hard getting used to that!”

Overall, Dole said he’s where he belongs. “Honestly, it feels like my entire career and accumulation of experiences have prepared me for this exact place in life,” he said.   HOW AN ENTERPRISING GRADUATE TRAVELED DOWN UNDER TO KEEP

“At some point, you have to put the science onto a plate and make it into an enticing meal, and that’s something I pride myself on doing very well,” he said.

New Zealand’s 15-member and seven-member All Blacks men’s teams, named for their distinctive monochromatic uniforms, and Black Ferns women’s teams are among the sport’s most successful. In fact, the Black Ferns Sevens won 2024 Olympic gold.

“Rugby Sevens is a much faster and brutal version of the sport” than the 15-member squads, Dole explained. Sevens teams also endure a heavier workload, often playing six games over two days. That requires careful nutritional planning.

“I make sure that each player establishes the right daily habits, eating five or six times a day, so that their bodies will be prepared for the demands of multiday tournaments with inconsistent schedules,” Dole said.

BY MARK COX

COURTESY OF ANDREW DOLE

2009

CHRIS OLSON (B.S. Mechanical Engineering Technology, ’09) has been growing his career since graduation and was recently promoted to manager and the corporate leadership team with Sargent & Lundy. Olson volunteers extensively with organizations such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and MSU Denver. He is a past chair and secretary for the Colorado professional section of ASME and coordinates the Petroleum Division’s LEAD (leadership, education and development) college program. Olson was recognized for his efforts by being elected as an ASME fellow in 2024 and invited to join the ASME Petroleum Division Executive Committee in summer 2025. At MSU Denver, he is chair of the Mechanical Engineering Technology Industry Advisory Board and past chair of the Engineering and Engineering Technology Industry Advisory Board.

2010

DEREK HRABAL (B.S. Marketing, ’10) has built a career as an enterprise software account executive/business development professional for public and private software development

organizations. Hrabal has led go-to-market strategy discussions for multimillion-dollar lines of business and designed, developed and executed many strategic campaigns.

2013

AMANDA MCHANEY (B.S. Hospitality, Tourism and Events, ’13) built a career with the catering company Biscuits and Berries before facing furlough during the pandemic. Later, she took on a general manager role at With a Twist Bartending Services, giving her valuable insight into franchise operations and ownership. McHaney was inspired to take a leap of faith and pursue an entrepreneurial path as the owner of Sweet Travels, helping people plan and book dream vacations.

2017

ERIN LEIDY (B.S. Mathematics, ’17) owns Missing Piece Puzzle Exchange, a jigsaw puzzle rental company she established in 2019. Leidy rents and sells puzzles out of her store in Westminster, where she also offers monthly speed-puzzling events.

BLAKE FLETCHER (B.A. Speech Communication, ’17) started his postgraduation career in SaaS

sales in Denver, most notably for Zoom Video Communications. Fletcher has since transitioned to working for global logistics company PGL Services in Dallas, where he was promoted to vice president of sales development.

2019

TIMOTHY MCEWAN (B.S. Geospatial Sciences, ’19) says his degree from MSU Denver gave him the skills to navigate a career in geospatial analysis successfully. He has worked at the U.S. Geological Survey, in the private sector and now as a criminal-intelligence analyst for Colorado.

2020

JENAE MCCALL (B.S. Human Services, ’20; Master of Social Work, ’24) is a two-time MSU Denver graduate working as a survivor advocate with The Phoenix Center at Auraria, where she uses the skills she learned during her degree programs to support survivors. McCall is proud to have had a project she completed as a graduate student used as conference-presentation material for the 2024 Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance Conference.

2021

SVETLANA MIKHAYLOVA (B.S. Management, ’21) has worked at Xcel Energy since 2022 and was recently promoted to humanresources project manager. Since graduation, Mikhaylova has also earned an M.S. in Organizational Leadership from the University of Denver and started volunteering at the Justice and Mercy Legal Aid Clinic; the nonprofit took her on as a pro bono client when she was a homeless, unaccompanied minor during her first year at MSU Denver.

2022

CADEN PAZO (B.A. Theatre, ’22) is a theatre technician and patron-services associate with the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder. Pazo is a theatrical everyman interested in acting, stage management, stage combat, devised theatre and arts administration, aspiring to make art that changes everyone who experiences it. He has served as secretary and board member of the Colorado Theatre Guild since June 2021.

CONNOR BABCOCK (B.S. Video Production, ’22) has made a few significant changes since graduating, such as moving from

his lifetime home of Colorado to Florida, where he worked at a variety of jobs before landing a news video-editing role for WBBH and WZVN in Fort Myers.

2024

WESTON ZBYLSKI (B.S. Video Production, ’24) began his professional journey with Mile High Creatives as an intern specializing in postproduction work, primarily editing social media content for clients, allowing him to gain experience and refine his technical skills; he transitioned into contract work as a videographer following the internship. Zbylski has since taken on a more dynamic role with MHC’s sister company, Vrtrum, where he oversees marketing events, develops social-media strategies, handles sales and manages shop operations. The work has been rewarding and transformative, allowing him to grow with the companies and positively impact the local community.

Meet the scholarship-earning students who are excelling in their fields

Sergio Ceballos, Professor Jackson Lamb Hospitality Endowment and Dimond Family Hospitality Endowed Scholarship

Sergio Ceballos’ culinary journey began with the ProStart Culinary Career Technical Education class, where he worked part time at Wolf Bites, Westminster High School’s food truck. He’s now in his second year at Metropolitan State University of Denver, pursuing a degree in Hospitality Leadership with a minor in Accounting. Ceballos’ dedication to his craft has earned him a Certificate of Completion in Culinary Arts, the Westminster Public Schools Foundation Business Scholarship Award and a National Restaurant Association Certificate of Recognition.

Victor Delgado, Puksta Annual Scholarship

Born in Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, Víctor Jaén Delgado Bonilla moved to the U.S. when he was 1 year old. He’s now a senior at MSU Denver, majoring in Physics. He’s grateful to the Puksta Scholarship, Finish What You Started, The Student Advisory Council and the Physics Department for giving him the support and encouragement he needed to keep going, especially when he felt like giving up. He hopes to continue his education by pursuing graduate school after he completes his degree in May.

Meidi Reyes, Roy & Shirley Durst Scholarship, Cohen Pacesetter Endowed Scholarship and Corky and Geraldine Gonzales Spirit of Tlatelolco Endowed Scholarship

Meidi Reyes Pizarro is a first-generation student from a small town in Mexico called Nicolás Bravo. She moved to the U.S. at a young age, bringing with her a deep appreciation for her heritage and a passion for bilingual education. Now a senior at MSU Denver, she’s pursuing a degree in Spanish with a concentration in K-12 education. Her goals include teaching at a bilingual school and giving back to her Latino community. She loves being part of MSU Denver’s diverse, supportive community, which she says has played a huge role in her success and personal and academic growth.

MAJOR: HOSPITALITY LEADERSHIP

MAJOR: PHYSICS

MAJOR: SPANISH

MSU DENVER STUDENTS AND ALUMNI SHRED NORMS IN COLORADO’S GROWING WINTER-SPORTS INDUSTRY.

MARK COX AND LU SNYDER

Colorado’s winter-sports industry is booming. In the 2022-23 season, the state’s ski resorts reported a record 14.8 million visits, an 18% increase over the five-year average. Snow-related activities alone generated $1.4 billion, more than double the revenue of any other state. This surge in popularity is part of a national trend, with nearly 30 million Americans participating in winter sports last season.

Metropolitan State University of Denver students and alumni are shaping the future of the industry in unique and inspiring ways.

For Industrial Design student Quinn Aiello, 19, the journey began with a eureka moment in his parents’ workshop. After a stint in construction left him elbow-deep in sewage pipes and vowing to never take a job he hated again, Aiello turned to his artistic roots and started tinkering with wood scraps. To his surprise, he ended up crafting his first snowboard.

Working in a winter wonderland

Holding this tangible product in his hands switched on a light for the teenager. “It made me see that, with time and effort, I could maybe make something out of this,” he said.

By November of his first semester at MSU Denver, he had launched Kamber Labs, a snowboard company dedicated to creating handcrafted, affordable boards. “I definitely think we’re seeing increased demand for bespoke products made with genuine passion and care,” Aiello said.

His first products, known as powder surfers without bindings, hark back to the roots of snowboarding, emphasizing accessibility and community.

Aiello’s vision is deeply personal. Growing up in Denver near the mountains, he saw many of his childhood friends unable to afford winter sports. His mission is to make snowboarding more inclusive by offering high-quality boards at affordable prices. “Such opportunities should be available to everybody,” he said.   Kamber Labs has since grown, with the addition of fellow student and creative partner Chris Hagenau pushing the company’s designs and manufacturing to new heights.

Similarly, winter sports led Thomas Lutke to find his purpose.

The Michigan native came to Colorado after dropping out of college, with no idea of what he wanted to do with his life other than

to ski. It was through following his passion for skiing that Lutke realized he wanted to become a teacher. Still, he could have never imagined he would one day share his passion for skiing with his students. “It was wild, but I wouldn’t change the path I took to get here at all,” Lutke said.

Lutke started with a low-paying job at a Copper Mountain ski-rental shop before moving to Breckenridge for a stint as a ski instructor and then into a ski-coaching position with Team Breckenridge, always working as a ski tech on the side for extra money. As a coach, Lutke realized how much he enjoyed working with teens, which eventually led to his decision to become a high school social studies teacher.

Lutke was 23 and married when he enrolled at MSU Denver in 2008. Being an older student helped him maximize his education. “I knew exactly what I wanted to do,” Lutke said. “As soon as you have that “why,” it really makes school a lot easier.”

JOHN ARNOLD

Quinn Aiello puts grips on snowboards at his design shop in Denver.

Since his first position teaching at Breckenridge’s Summit High School in 2012, Lutke has developed ski- and bike-tech classes for the school’s Career and Technical Education program, giving students hands-on experience to work in the ski and bicycle industries.

Now a full-time Career and Technical Education teacher, Lutke has merged three passions: skiing, biking and teaching. His new love is his Ski Business and Manufacturing class, one of the few of its kind in the nation, in which students learn to design and build custom skis and snowboards and market their products to their intended demographic.

Lutke says it’s important that schools think creatively to offer classes that help students tap into their passions.

“When you can offer a class that students are truly passionate about, they’re learning so much more,” he said.

Summit High School’s innovative class can be an inspiration to more than other schools in Colorado’s ski towns.

“We have an opportunity to transform education into something totally new and exciting for the current and next generations,” Lutke said.

“We have an opportunity to transform education.” — THOMAS LUTKE

AMANDA SCHWENGEL JOHN ARNOLD

Chris Hagenau, left, and Quinn Aiello outside of Kamber Labs.

Summit High School teacher Thomas Lutke, right, with one of his students at Arapahoe Basin.

Faculty & Staff

DOUGLAS CLARK died Nov. 18, 2024, at age 75. A cherished faculty member, alumnus and colleague in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Clark taught from 2017 until his retirement in fall 2023, leaving behind a legacy of kindness and a passion for education and the environment.

Clark’s connection to MSU Denver ran deep. As an alumnus, he often reflected on his time as a student, balancing work in a grocery store’s produce department with pursuing his degree. His personal experiences shaped his approach to teaching and made him uniquely attuned to the challenges faced by many of his students.

Before joining MSU Denver, Clark worked for 25 years as a geographic information system specialist and research associate at the Bureau of Reclamation on remote sensing projects, including many analyzing waterresource capacity in the western U.S. He brought this wealth of professional experience into the classroom, teaching courses such as Western Water Conflict Management, Global Water Concerns and Geography of Colorado.

“Doug was a kind, intelligent and thoughtful colleague,” said Gabrielle Katz, Ph.D., chair of the

Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department and professor of Geography. “He brought considerable professional expertise to his teaching, and we all benefited from his perspective. For those of us who had the pleasure of working with him, we miss his presence, contributions and genuinely kind and engaging personality.”

WILLIAM (BILL) HUDDY, Ph.D., died Nov. 29 at age 71, after a rich and adventurous life filled with passion for education, service and family. Huddy joined MSU Denver in 2013 as an affiliate lecturer in the Communication Studies Department. He quickly became a senior lecturer known for his engaging teaching style and caring for his students. Huddy’s unwavering commitment to his students and colleagues left an indelible mark on everyone he encountered.

Before his 21-year career in academia, Huddy spent two decades in television news, starting as a news photographer and later anchoring newscasts. In 1991, he explored new paths, including politics, financial advising and sales, before finding his true calling in higher education.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Huddy lived a life of generosity, thoughtfulness

and exploration. He was a proud father to his two daughters, Caitlin and Mary, and shared a love of travel and adventure with his fiancée, Linda. His colleagues remember him as an empathetic mentor, a supportive friend, a passionate advocate for education and an avid music fan.

“When you talked to Bill, whether during a long conversation or a chance encounter on campus, you got all of him,” said Sam Jay, Ph.D., director of Faculty Affairs and professor of Communication Studies. “He was present, authentic and unafraid to share about both the ordinary rhythms of life and its more demanding, inspiring moments.”

Alumni & Students

LINDA R. KELL (B.A. Elementary Education, ’78) died last June 18 at age 71. Kell taught special education in the Cherry Creek School District for 10 years; she loved her students and the job. Outside of work, she was passionate about reading, her home resembling a well-stocked library, as well as traveling to beautiful and exotic places and gardening. Kell was known for her generous spirit and caring for others.

JUDY FLORIAN (MSW Social Work, ’22) died last July 8 at age 59. Before attending MSU Denver, Florian earned a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Chicago, an M.A. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign and a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Michigan. Florian held many roles throughout her life, including as a middleand high school teacher, paraeducator and social worker, but the one she most cherished was being a mother. She was an active member of her church and loved playing the piano, flute and piccolo, attending concerts, spending time outdoors and reading.

JAMES C. ECKART (B.S. Business Management, ’76) died Aug. 1 at age 77. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, Eckart earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He was a retired project manager for AT&T.

ROBERTA (BOBBI) CAPPS (B.A. Speech Communication, ’15) died Aug. 20 at age 41. A proud high school dropout, Capps earned her GED and began a career in kitchens at age 14. In 2009, she had her son, Rylan. Capps’ commitment to personal growth led her to MSU Denver, where she was

actively involved in campus societies and organizations; she also earned her MBA from Michigan State University. Capps had a fulfilling career journey that culminated with being promoted to regional vice president for Workplace Hospitality in the West Region at Aramark. She leaves behind a legacy of love, leadership and unwavering dedication.

RACHEL GONZALES

(B.S. Criminal Justice and Criminology, ’17) died Sept. 9 at age 36. After spending three years as a student employee in the Cashier’s Office, Gonzales was hired full time in the Office of the Bursar following graduation. She was known for her smile and calm demeanor, radiating kindness and lifting others up during difficult times. Gonzales loved her family, friends, boyfriend Omar and dogs, as well as movies and working at MSU Denver. She will be missed deeply.

DAVID J. ALLEN (B.S. Technical and Industrial Administration, ’90) died Feb. 1, 2024, at age 63. Allen retired from the National Guard after serving 20 years as a combat engineer in Idaho and Army aviation fueler and crew chief in Colorado; his passion for helicopters and his love of country never faded. In addition

to his B.S., Allen earned two associate degrees from Brigham Young University-Idaho, where he met his wife, Cheryl, and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Colorado Denver. He was a nationally recognized waterconservation expert, working for Denver Water and Kohler and as the public-works director for Okeechobee, Florida. Allen loved spending time with his family, watching movies, reading, listening to music, serving in his church and woodworking.

TOBIAS J. MULLEN (B.S. Mathematics, ’17) died Aug. 9, 2023, at age 41. A selfproclaimed “nerd,” Mullen was an award-winning playwright who enjoyed tabletop games and gathering to tell stories with family and friends. He loved reading to his son, Finn, and taking him to the park to play. Mullen loved well, was well-loved and will be greatly missed.

JO ANN JACKSON (B.S. Mental Health, ’73) died Nov. 5, 2022, at age 92. She is survived by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

GROW YOUR SKILLS

THE

CREDENTIAL HUB

The macroproblem with microplastics

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING SUNG HEE JOO, P h .D., SAYS THEIR PROLIFERATION COULD LEAD TO ANOTHER PANDEMIC. // BY KAREN GARVEY

Plastic seemingly is everywhere. Recently, we’ve begun learning that our plastic never leaves us, even after we toss it — hopefully, into a recycling bin.

Now, researchers have found that microplastics contribute to antibiotic resistance. Sung Hee Joo, assistant professor of Environmental Engineering at Metropolitan State University of Denver, along with a colleague at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and others, published the study “Antibiotic resistance in plastisphere” in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering.

The study discusses how microbes living on plastic debris are emerging habitats for antibiotic-resistant genes and bacteria.

RED Magazine spoke with Joo about the problem of microplastics.

How concerned should we be about microplastics’ interference with antibiotic effectiveness? With the increase of plastics and the waste that results, antibiotic resistance caused by microplastic waste is likely to result in new disease outbreaks.

That’s a significant concern, not just in the U.S. but globally. We already have microplastics detected in tap water, and water-treatment methods don’t remove them all — yet there is no regulation on microplastics in drinking water.

So I’m very concerned about another pandemic because of plastic waste and the genetic changes we see in bacteria as a result. Now is the time to act. It’s not too late, but it’s not early, either.

Avoiding microplastics altogether isn’t practical for most people. So what are some steps we can take to mitigate the harmful effects of using plastics? One thing we can do is focus on upcycling. This is a process that converts plastic waste into resources. One example is Nike*, which uses plastic waste to make shoes, resulting in a positive environmental impact.

We need to educate the public because many people don’t realize how important proper recycling is.

My colleague at NREL and I recently secured a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. We’re thrilled with this exciting project, which will include creating internships for MSU Denver Environmental Engineering students this summer.

If you could somehow convince the public and public officials to do just one thing to address this problem, what would it be? I would encourage increased regulation and education.

One possible program would be to encourage people to get money back for recycling. For example, if I return a bottle to the market, they give me money back. This is one of the programs we can implement through regulation.

*According to the company’s website, all Nike Air soles on shoes made at certain facilities are composed of at least 25% recycled manufacturing waste.

St. Cajetan’s restored to original colors

For nearly a century, St. Cajetan’s has been a treasured landmark in Denver’s Auraria neighborhood. Now, it boasts a refreshed exterior that honors its rich history. The church’s yellow and blue facade reflects the original color palette from its construction, which was completed in 1926.

Denver, CO 80217