In memory

IN MEMORY

graduating from MSU Denver, she has worked in outdoor education and animal husbandry with Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon and River Valley Raptors in Buffalo City, Wisconsin. Mora always dreamed of working with primates, and now she cares for 78 chimpanzees at Project Chimps. Her team feeds the chimps, cleans their living quarters and develops enrichment programs as part of their overall chimphusbandry plan. She says her daily interactions with the chimps constantly teach and astound her.

2017

THERESA COLE (B.A. journalism, ’17) is the operationmanagement specialist for Catholic Charities and is working on her master’s degree in organizational leadership at Regis University.

CHRISTOPHER SIMMONS (M.A. teaching, ’17) is a physicaleducation teacher with Denver Public Schools.

2018

SPENCER WINSTANLEY (B.S. computer information systems, ’18) is a technical-relationship manager with S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Faculty & Staff

DONALD DALE WALL, Ph.D., died May 17 at age 86 of pneumonia related to COVID-19. Wall taught in the MSU Denver Department of History from 1968-2002. As an educator and historian, he focused on the study of World War II, particularly the enduring relevance and impact of the Holocaust and Nazi Germany. Wall will be remembered for his kind and gentle nature, his skill as an educator and his passion for studying history.

AMY ECKERT, Ph.D., professor of political science, died July 30 at age 49. Eckert left behind a large community of family, friends and colleagues, along with numerous academic contributions to the fields of international relations, ethics and law. A devoted educator and researcher, Eckert focused on international relations, particularly international ethics and international law. She was a mentor to many of her students, encouraging them to present their research on the ethics of ending wars at professional conferences. Eckert will be remembered for her dedication to teaching, research and service.

JOAN M.C. FOSTER, Ph.D., former dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and

former interim provost, died Aug. 1 at age 82. Foster was loved and respected by faculty, staff, administrators and students and will be missed. She accepted an administrative position at MSU Denver in the early 1980s. After leaving to teach at another institution, she returned to MSU Denver later in the decade as an assistant dean in the CLAS. Foster was promoted to dean of the CLAS in the early 1990s and served in that capacity until her retirement in 2008. During her tenure as interim provost, Foster distinguished herself by overseeing many campuswide projects, including a successful 10-year approval of accreditation. After retiring from MSU Denver, Foster became very active in her community, using her leadership skills in her homeowners association and as part of Denver’s Council on Aging. Foster will be remembered as a smart, savvy and compassionate leader who dedicated her creativity and strong work ethic to the MSU Denver community.

DUANE SWIGERT, associate professor, electrical engineering technology, died Aug. 20 at age 64. Swigert joined MSU Denver as an affiliate faculty member in 2001, and fellow Roadrunners quickly recognized his intellect, humor, energy, generosity, thoughtfulness and friendly, caring nature. Working for the Western Area Power Administration, Bell Labs, AT&T, Avaya, Lucent Technologies and Celestica during his career as an electrical engineer gave him a wealth of real-world experience and made him a skilled educator. Swigert will be missed for his approachable personality and outstanding devotion to his students.

PROFESSOR EMERITUS ARTHUR ODDEN, J.D., died in September at age 90. Odden received his law degree from the University of Denver and his license to practice law in the

IN MEMORY

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state of Colorado in 1962. In 1975, he shifted focus from practice to education, joining the faculty at what was then Metropolitan State College of Denver. During his time at MSU Denver, Odden taught securities law, bankruptcy law and contract law. A dedicated educator, he was named Professor Emeritus of Management in 2004 and continued to teach Legal Environment of Business in the Department of Management until his retirement in 2009. Odden will be remembered for his wonderful sense of humor, graciousness and intellect.

C.J. WHITE, Ph.D., former professor of Africana studies, died Sept. 23 at age 80. White joined the MSU Denver Department of Africana Studies in 1985 and served as the department chair from 1995 until his retirement in 2004. He taught courses in African American sociological issues. During his tenure, White made significant contributions to the campus by serving as an active member of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Award Committee and by organizing the Annual Black World Conference for many years. White will be remembered for inspiring students and colleagues as a kind and caring professor.

PAUL SIDELKO, Ph.D., a professor of history, died Oct. 14, at age 53. A beloved son, uncle, brother, friend, professor and colleague, Sidelko taught courses on medieval Europe, Islamic cultures and the modern Middle East. A dedicated academic with a passion for history, Sidelko spent more than 20 years in higher education. He accepted a position as an assistant professor with MSU Denver in 2006 and was promoted to full professor in August 2019. Sidelko dedicated himself to developing study-abroad opportunities, and his own work took him to the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Morocco, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Sidelko also served as the treasurer of the Fulbright Association of Colorado and was a member of the Mediterranean Seminar, the Medieval Academy of America and the Middle East Studies Association. He was also fundamental in helping to shape the Individualized Degree Program at MSU Denver. He helped countless students carve unique paths to IDP degrees.

Alumni & Students

TOM MUNDS (B.A. history, ’77) died Feb. 6 at age 82 after a battle with cancer. A memorial service for Munds was held at Fort Logan National Cemetery in southwest Denver, complete with ceremonial rifle shots and the traditional folding of an American flag. Following retirement from 21 years of military service in the U.S. Air Force in 1976, Munds completed his journalism degree at MSU Denver. In 1977, he was hired to report on and photograph high school sports, and in 1986 the city of Englewood became his assigned beat. Munds will be remembered for loving the community he covered for more than 30 years as a reporter for the Englewood Herald.

KATRINA DAMIAN (B.A. human performance and sport, ’08) died Aug. 22 at age 34. Damian had a passion for civic engagement, serving as a mentor for Colorado Youth at Risk and on the Young Professionals Board for the Latin American Educational Foundation. She loved spending time with family and friends, hiking 14ers, snowboarding, traveling and leading her loved ones on adventures. Her lessons in love, independence, perseverance, success, selfawareness, confidence, wisdom and fun will live on forever in the hearts of her loved ones.

AARON WIENER (B.S. human nutrition/dietetics, ’14) died April 15 at age 30. After graduating from MSU Denver and becoming a certified dietitian, Wiener worked with patients suffering from spinal-cord injuries at Craig Hospital. He was passionate about spending time in the great outdoors, where he skied the backcountry and summited many of Colorado’s 14ers. Wiener will be remembered as a beautiful person inside and out who loved people and living his life to the fullest while touching countless others’ lives.

MSU Denver student and entrepreneur major MASON KIRSCHNER died Aug. 27 at age 21. He loved his family and friends; his dog, Skooter; his cat, Zoots; and exploring everything nature had to offer, including rock climbing, mountain biking and camping. Kirschner will be remembered for his generous heart and willingness to do anything to help others.

MSU Denver student and psychology major KEENAN PUGH died Aug. 6 at age 29. He was determined to succeed in multiple fields of life, from graduating from Grandview High School in 2009 with an exceptional soccer career to pursuing his degree at MSU Denver. Athleticism was one of Pugh’s strong suits, and his interests included skateboarding and bike riding. He was also a loving and caring father to his cat, Soccera.

Homecoming during COVID-19

Jaela Richardson, left, and Kiely Rasmussen volunteer at Food Bank of the Rockies as part of the Roadrunners Rise Homecoming experience.

With COVID-19 disrupting pretty much everything in higher education, some colleges postponed or outright canceled the parades, parties and football games that have been at the heart of university homecoming celebrations in the United States for more than a century.

Other higher ed institutions, however, found new, creative ways online to move full steam ahead with the fall tradition that they deem critical to keeping graduates engaged with their alma maters.

Add Metropolitan State University of Denver to the list of universities making the most of digital homecoming events, which ran Sept. 28 – Oct. 3.

Without a football program or on-campus living, MSU Denver has always taken a creative approach to Homecoming, said Brandi Rideout, director of Alumni Relations at MSU Denver. This year’s celebration, the Roadrunners Rise Homecoming experience, focused on community service and cultivating inclusivity and school spirit.

“We show up by taking care of each other and our communities.”

The week kicked off with a day of service and sharing how Roadrunners give back. Each subsequent day provided opportunities for digital and in-person involvement, including philanthropy, legislative advocacy and social justice.

Members of the University community spent part of the week volunteering at organizations fighting food insecurity — including Food Bank of the Rockies and Food For Thought.

“We’ve never been traditional — we don’t have the same culture of tailgating and dorm life,” Rideout said. “What we kept coming back to in conversations, though, was the Roadrunner spirit. We show up by taking care of each other and our communities.”

Those communities include 65,000 MSU Denver alumni who live within a 25-mile radius of campus, and “home” is a place that’s literally always close to their hearts, said Jamie Hurst, assistant vice president for Strategic Engagement at MSU Denver.

“For us, it’s about how to strengthen our connections and get involved with things that move us forward together,” she said.