In Memory

IN MEMORY

his audiences. His family hopes others will remember McInerney’s flair for entertainment, his impressive ability to tell a story and his laugh.

Professor Emeritus CONWAY H. OLMSTED, Ph.D., died Dec. 11 at age 87. Before coming to MSU Denver in 1975, Olmsted taught at Purdue University and Regis University and was a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru. Olmsted ultimately led what is now known as the Department of Modern Languages and, even after retiring in 2001, continued to tutor students in Spanish. Colleagues fondly remember Olmsted for the long hours he spent in the office advising students and his great passion for reading and discussing books of all genres.

LASZLO “LACI” POOK, Ph.D., professor emeritus, Computer Information Systems, died Feb. 15 at age 81. Pook joined MSU Denver in 1985 to teach in what was then the Department of Computer Management and Sciences, becoming one of the architects of the Computer Information Systems Program. Pook was a staunch believer in offering a relevant and high-quality curriculum. He retired from the University in 2009 after a long and distinguished career. He is remembered by colleagues and students as a wonderful human being and a devoted teacher.

LAURENCE WASHINGTON (B.A. English, ’89), MSU Denver Journalism affiliate faculty member and alumnus, died recently at age 65. A dedicated member of the Department of Journalism and Media Production for 26 years, Washington wrote on his MSU Denver educator bio, “Teaching is a privilege — there is no higher calling that enables an individual to inspire, spark interest and stimulate the imagination of others.” His co-workers and students are heartbroken by the news of his death, remembering him as an amazing instructor and colleague.

Alumni & Students

REV. HAROLD L. BROWN SR. (B.S. Technology, ’68, and B.S. Mathematics, ’71) died Dec. 8 at age 83. After graduating from MSU Denver, he was hired by the medical division of American Optical as a sales engineer, later becoming a district manager. In 1980, Brown started preaching and teaching in churches across the Denver area, as he would for the next 30 years. In 2009, he was ordained as a deacon at Living Hope Baptist Church, where he stayed until his passing.

CAROLYN BURKE (B.S. Health Care Management, ’04) died Oct. 25 at age 38. Burke was born and raised in Gillette, Wyoming, and after beginning her college career at the University of Wyoming, she transferred to MSU Denver. She worked in various fields, including higher education and the insurance industry. Burke made friends easily and was loved by all who knew her.

TIMOTHY GARBETT (B.S. Electrical Engineering Technology, ’95) died Nov. 3 at age 55 after a lengthy struggle with multiple sclerosis. Garbett attended MSU Denver after serving for four years in the U.S. Navy. He later worked on satellite-sensor technology and satellite-data analysis at Los Alamos National Laboratory for 21 years. His family says that even with the limitations and burdens of MS, Garbett inspired others with his smile and sunny disposition.

BARBARA JACOBS (B.S. Accounting, ’94, and B.S. Computer Information Systems, ’03) died last April 3 at age 69. After raising her two sons, Jacobs worked part time to afford the first of her two degrees earned at MSU Denver. During her career, she worked as an accountant for Robert Waxman’s in Denver and for the State of Colorado in various capacities until retiring in 2014. Jacobs enjoyed crocheting, knitting and riding her motorcycle through rain, hail, snow and wind across the western U.S. and British Columbia.

MSU Denver Aviation and Aerospace Science major KEVIN PRYOR died Sept. 26 at age 44. Pryor joined the U.S. Army in 2005, becoming a drone pilot and completing overseas tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Following his military service, he earned an aviation-maintenance-technician certificate at the National Aviation Academy. In 2018, Pryor continued his education at MSU Denver and was close to earning his degree.

MARC SCOTT (B.S. Management and B.S. Marketing, ’05) died Oct. 7 at age 45. Scott was a U.S. Army veteran, serving in Germany and Bosnia. Upon his honorable discharge, he spent five years in the U.S. Army Reserves and earned his degrees at MSU Denver. After college, he interned with the federal government and worked his way up the ladder. Scott was a devoted husband and loving father who enjoyed volunteering, watching sports (especially the Denver Broncos), staying active, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

VICTORIA “TORI” SUBLETTE died Dec. 29 at age 22. She was passionate about expression, art, music and film, and her family says that being caught in her charismatic orbit granted you access to an endless source of imagination, creativity and humor. Sublette was a proud Roadrunner who enjoyed her classes and felt supported by MSU Denver faculty and staff as she worked toward her degree. Although her life was short, her memory will live on in those inspired by her warmth and generosity.

ERICK TEGLAND (B.S. Biology, ’96) died last June 3 at age 50 with his wife, Amy, and his best friend Frank by his side. Tegland loved his job as a businessintelligence analyst and was an avid rugby fan, watching every televised match he possibly could, and even volunteered with the Colorado Rapids soccer team. An active outdoorsman and animal lover, Tegland spent his free time fly-fishing, gold prospecting, volunteering as a naturalist for Castlewood Canyon State Park and hanging out with his cats.

Skin deep

JON FERNANDEZ LAUNCHED A SKIN-CARE COMPANY PIONEERING

SAFE AND EFFECTIVE CANNABIS-BASED TREATMENTS. By Lynne Winter

An eczema diagnosis in his infant son reignited Jon Fernandez’s independent streak.

He was working as a sales manager for a pharmaceutical company when his then 3-month-old son Jackson was prescribed topical steroids to treat eczema. Fernandez immediately began researching the safety of such treatments, picking the brains of the experts with whom he worked.

“I learned topical steroids should only be used for a couple of weeks. Any longer could lead to a worsening skin condition,” said c Fernandez, who graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2000 with a B.S. in Environmental Science. “When we couldn’t find a viable alternative, we used the prescription sparingly and kept looking for another option.”

That search for a safer topical eczema treatment inspired Fernandez to forgo the security of his corporate 9-to-5 job to launch in 2015 a biotech incubator focused on the emerging cannabinoid health-and-wellness industry.

“My jobs supported my family, but I wasn’t happy,” he said. “Deep inside me, from a young age, was an entrepreneurial spirit — the desire to build something. To create. If I didn’t make the leap, I was always going to regret it.”

The team of scientists and physicians he brought together soon identified intriguing peer-reviewed studies indicating that cannabinoids — any of the 100-plus chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant — could help decrease skin inflammation. By 2018, Fernandez was all-in on cannabinoids and skin care, co-founding CQ Science to develop cannabinoid-based treatments for eczema-prone skin conditions.

CQ Science’s work was accelerated by a provision in the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill that removed hemp, a variety of cannabis, from the Controlled Substances Act. As a result, tens of thousands of

CLARAN ALYSON M acres of land were dedicated to this once-outlawed crop and products containing cannabidiol, the nonpsychoactive cannabis compound widely known as CBD, proliferated. The global hemp-derived CBD skin-care market is projected to reach $1.7 billion in sales by 2025.

“We discovered a unique opportunity to determine how hemp and CBD alleviated sensitiveskin conditions,” Fernandez said. “We spent years researching and testing to develop skin care for daily use.”

Launched online in early 2020, CQuell — a line of plant-derived, dermatologist-approved products for dry, irritated and sensitive skin — became the first company using hemp-derived ingredients to earn the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance.

Thanks in part to Fernandez’s ingenuity, Jackson’s eczema is managed.

“Whatever your goal, you have to put yourself out there and follow your path,” Fernandez said. “Over 30 million people have eczema, and I wanted to focus on finding a solution. I’m not trying to cure everything — just treat sensitive skin.”