RED Magazine Winter 2021-22

CHANGING CAREERS TO CHANGE LIVES M AG A Z I N E | WINTER 2021

The Great Resignation prompts many Americans to leave jobs in search of more meaningful work

also:

CYBER SUPERHEROES SPACE RACE MEOW WOLF

M E T R OP OL I TA N STAT E UN I V E R S I TY OF DEN VER

R E L E VA N T. ESS ENTI AL. D ENVE R.

CONTENTS WINTER 2021 | red.msudenver.edu

FEATURES

8

Cyber superheroes

With cybercrime soaring, the race is on to train a new generation of digital defenders.

12

Art immersion

Roadrunners provide sneak peek inside Meow Wolf’s mind-bending Convergence Station.

16

Changing careers to change lives

The Great Resignation prompts many Americans to leave jobs in search of more meaningful work.

2

First word

3

News

20

Skye-high success

Think the arts can’t lead to success? English Lit grad Skye Barker Maa has a story for you.

22

Green energy

From Denver to D.C., alumnus Ean Thomas Tafoya fights for environmental justice.

24

Party positive

Alumna Amber Handby creates a mindful alternative to drug- and alcohol-fueled nightlife.

26

See: drive

Diligence propels alumnus Emile Nkwagoh from computer novice to IT professional.

28

Roadrunners

29

In memory

32

Aim for the stars

Alumnus Daniel Strawn talks about his trajectory from homelessness to key player in the Colorado space race.

Illustration by Red Nose Studio ALYSON McCLARAN

on the cover:

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Talk about resilience Big ideas returned to the King Center stage in September at TEDxMSUDenver, which featured 15 talks by members of the Metropolitan State University of Denver community focused on resilience and inspiration. Speakers at the “Ready to Rise” event touched on topics that included normalizing disabilities, the power of storytelling and the unique challenges mothers faced during the pandemic.

MSU Denver Industrial Design graduate Dominique Hunt, pictured below, created a device that turns smartphones into laptops.

His talk focused on how the award-winning project can improve educational accessibility.

See all the talks at tedxmsudenver.com.

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EDITOR-IN- CHIEF

John Arnold MANAGING EDITOR

Preparing for new paths The Great Resignation shows no signs of slowing down.

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4.4 million workers — 3% of the workforce — resigned from their jobs in September, the sixth consecutive month in which Americans left their gigs in record numbers.

Some of these workers are taking advantage of a hot labor market and hitting the exits for better-paying or more-flexible jobs. Others have been reflecting on priorities in their careers and lives in the midst of a global pandemic.

“The Great Resignation is definitely real,” said Annie Butler, Ph.D., chair and professor in the Department FIRST WORD of Human Services and Counseling at Metropolitan State University of Denver. “The pandemic absolutely has caused many people to reevaluate their careers, and perhaps change careers, in order to find more meaningful work.”

Butler doesn’t need to look further than her own department’s classrooms to see that career transformation playing out. As you’ll read in this issue of RED Magazine, half of the students who enrolled this fall in MSU Denver’s new master’s degree program in Clinical Behavioral Health say they’re changing paths to pursue a more fulfilling career in addiction counseling or other mental health services.

In fact, even as MSU Denver saw declines in undergraduate enrollment due to the pandemic, a record 1,170 students enrolled in one of the University’s 10 graduate programs, an increase of nearly 7% from last fall. This is another sign that people are retooling their skill sets and also an example of how MSU Denver is meeting students where they are by offering relevant and rewarding degree programs.

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Case in point: The feature story, “Cyber superheroes,” shines a spotlight on how the University’s burgeoning undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity programs are preparing students to fight the serious and growing threat posed by cybercriminals. One student said she enrolled in the program to help defend our country — a noble and gratifying endeavor indeed.

Also in this issue, you’ll meet some of MSU Denver’s working artists and creatives who contributed to the opening of the Mile High City’s new mind-bending immersive art experience, Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station. And you’ll read about an entrepreneur who left the corporate world to pursue her passion in the arts and a rocket scientist who overcame homelessness to become a key player in the accelerating space race.

In other words, the pandemic has not deterred Roadrunners from pursuing meaningful careers; it has motivated them to work even harder in those pursuits. The Great Resignation may signal a fundamental change in how, where and why Americans work. But at MSU Denver, we are prepared for this moment, leaning into the mission that has always made us a top school for careerchangers — offering accessible, flexible, relevant education to help the workers of tomorrow succeed in whatever career they feel called to pursue.

Dan Vaccaro ART DIRECTOR

Scott Surine P U B L I C AT I O N D E S I G N E R

Aldrich Design COPY EDITORS

Marcus Chamberland Cliff Foster EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Debora Gilliard, professor of Management Brian Gunther, communications manager, School of Education Jamie Hurst, assistant vice president of Strategic Engagement Steve Juliff, communications specialist, School of Hospitality Sam Ng, professor of Meteorology Lynne Winter, assistant director of Advancement communication Kip Wotkyns, professor of Journalism RED Magazine is published three times a year by the Metropolitan State University of Denver office of University Communications and Marketing. © 2021 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

Sincerely,

Denver or imply endorsement by its officers or by the MSU Denver Alumni Association. MSU Denver does not discriminate on the basis of race,

JOHN ARNOLD

color, creed, national origin, sex, age,

Editor-in-Chief, RED Magazine Metropolitan State University of Denver

sexual orientation or disability in admissions or access to, or treatment or employment in, its educational programs or activities.

NEWS

Toast of the town The Colorado Restaurant Association in October recognized Chef Jackson Lamb with its Lifetime Achievement Award. The beloved professor in Metropolitan State University of Denver’s School of Hospitality joins the ranks of luminaries in the association’s Colorado Foodservice Hall of Fame.

In his nearly 20 years at MSU Denver, Lamb has taught future hospitality professionals with passion and enthusiasm. Colleagues and students describe him as a consummate educator, lauding his commitment to service-based learning and hunger-related issues.

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NEWS

Colorado Latinos hit hard by Covid-19

their rent or mortgage, the survey found, and 60% have had their work hours or pay cut or had someone in their household lose their job.

And many Latino households remain vulnerable to future financial challenges. Forty-two percent of Colorado’s Hispanic population has $1,000 or less for financial emergencies, and 20% has just $100 or less, according to the survey. Only 37% of those polled are “very confident” that they can pay for basic living expenses such as food, housing and utilities.

The survey results will help inform the state’s newly formed Economic Recovery and Relief Task Force, which is charged with developing recommendations for how the state should distribute its share of American Rescue Plan Act funds, projected to be $700 million.

Alex Sánchez, executive director of Voces Unidas de las Montañas, a Latino-led advocacy nonprofit in the central mountain region of Colorado, said the Covid-19 data from the survey reflects what the organization is seeing and hearing from Latinos. He said the survey will help identify barriers that Latinos face and will also help identify solutions that are communityinformed.

“Latinos know what they need and want,” Sánchez said. “As an organization, we believe that policy should be shaped and informed by those who are being impacted by inequities.”

During the coronavirus pandemic, Latino families in Colorado experienced the following:

60% Nearly two-thirds lost a job or had their work hours cut or reduced.

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50%

46%

Half of Latinos had difficulty paying their rent or mortgage.

Nearly half had a family member or a friend who died due to Covid-19.

33% One out of every three Latinos did not have enough food to eat.

CYNTHZL, LUERAT SATICHOB, ALEXEY BLOGOODF/ISTOCK IMAGES

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a widespread and devastating impact on Colorado Latinos, according to a new statewide survey that highlights significant economic hardships that Colorado’s Hispanic population has suffered.

The study polled 1,000 Latino adults on a wide range of topics, including issue priorities, policy preferences and political values.

But the survey’s findings on Covid-19 impacts are particularly alarming, said Rob Preuhs, Ph.D., chair of the Political Science Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver, which co-sponsored the project.

Colorado Latinos were hard-hit by the economic recession caused by the pandemic, according to the survey, which was also co-sponsored by the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR), the Colorado Democratic Latino Caucus, Voces Unidas de las Montañas and Protégete of Conservation Colorado.

“Covid and the pandemic manifested in a range of hardships, including not having enough food; difficulty paying bills, rents or mortgages; losing a job or having work hours reduced,” Preuhs said. “There was a wide impact on the Latino community, and those impacts, while varying to some extent, were fairly consistent.”

Survey results showed that 33% of Colorado Latinos have not had enough food to eat while 56% have had difficulty paying their bills or utilities. Half of Colorado Latinos have had difficulty paying

COVID-19

Despite Luis Angel Hernandez’s good grades and strong desire for more education, college appeared to be out of reach in May for the 2021 graduate of the Denver Center for International Studies at Montbello in Denver.

“I really wanted to go to college, but as I looked at the tuition for different schools, it didn’t look like I could afford it,” he said. “I definitely fell into the low-income category.”

That outlook brightened when Hernandez learned of Pathways to Possible (P2P), a program at Metropolitan State University of Denver that creates a path to and through college for students from rural and underserved communities.

With financial support, counseling and other P2P support services, Hernandez enrolled in an introductory General Studies course and an MSU Denver orientation class in July. A month later, the recent high school grad became a full-fledged member of the University’s freshman class.

“The program gave me the exact kind of help I needed,” said Hernandez, who is among the first generation in his family to attend college.

Pathways to Possible is funded by Colorado’s Response, Innovation and Student Equity Fund, a state initiative that allotted millions of federal CARES Act dollars to address K-12 and higher education equity issues caused and exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

MSU Denver received $2.38 million, which provides P2P students with a $1,000 annual stipend, leadership development, campus employment, career counseling and other support.

“We’re seeing an immediate impact for the students,” said P2P Director Eric Silva. “We’re helping them enter college and start off on the right foot.”

“Everybody has to eat.”

INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS

ALYSON McCLARAN

Finding a ‘Pathway to Possible’

After admission, the program keeps students connected with the University and helps them progress toward their degrees.

P2P also offers employment support by building bridges to companies and organizations that can help participants find jobs and thrive in their careers.

“We know that for many underserved students, it isn’t just the path through college that matters, but also the path into their professional careers,” Silva said.

“I really wanted to go to college, but as I looked at the tuition for different schools, it didn’t look like I could afford it.”

— LUIS ANGEL HERNANDEZ

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NEWS

Testing the science in sci-fi When Vincent Piturro, Ph.D., first launched the summertime Science But he emphasized that the science in films doesn’t need to be Fiction Film Series in Denver, his idea was ingeniously simple: Team up accurate. “Film is first and foremost an entertainment medium,” he said. with local experts to explore the intersection where scientific fact meets “So your movie absolutely should be engaging, well-structured and wellcinematic fiction. executed, but it doesn’t need to be accurate.”

Now, the English and Film professor at Metropolitan State University Among the most scientifically precise films in the collection, he noted, of Denver has turned more than a decade’s worth of the popular events is one of the oldest: “2001: A Space Odyssey.” into a unique book: “The Science of Sci-Fi Cinema.” Each chapter features “It’s always fascinating to hear scientists talk about this movie,” he an artistic and a scientific analysis of a particular movie. said. “So many of director Stanley Kubrick’s details — concerning space “We decided to make a permanent record of our favorite travel and survival, and right down to the instructions for the zero-gravity collaborations,” Piturro said. “Putting the book together was a challenge bathroom — were spot-on.”

— herding scientists can be like herding cats — but great fun, and we’re all Piturro said he is most drawn to “near-sci-fi” movies — those set in pleased with the result.” the not-too-distant future — because you Piturro said it’s enlightening to see can recognize yourself in those situations. how films stack up against real-world “Near-sci-fi movies that address science. Spoiler: not too well. ecological themes are often so powerful “Once you start looking at them because the distance between their through a scientific lens, guided by realfictional worlds and what we see on the life scientists, it’s surprising how badly off news is constantly shrinking,” he said. the mark most movies are,” he said.

— VINCENT PITURRO, Ph.D.

Stanley Kubrick’s masterwork “2001: A Space Odyssey” is among the most scientifically accurate films examined in Piturro’s book.

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GETTY IMAGES

“So many of director Stanley Kubrick’s details — concerning space travel and survival — were spot-on.”

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO

Four-star general

CONVERSATION

Crisis in Afghanistan An expert panel gathered Sept. 14 at Metropolitan State University of Denver to discuss the grim situation in Afghanistan since the U.S. military withdrawal and subsequent seizure of power by the Taliban militant group in August.

Panelists at the “Crisis in Afghanistan” town hall detailed the situation on the ground in the country, shared potential resources for those still trying to flee and gave suggestions for how Coloradans can assist with relief efforts.

Metra Mehran, an Afghan refugee and activist, said Afghanistan feels “like a graveyard.” Mehran decried the fact that where women and men previously mingled at schools, universities and workplaces, the Taliban have barred women from working.

The activist added that schools have been destroyed and some residents have been instructed to leave their homes. Taliban militants have also carried out targeted killings.

Mehran was joined by panelists Richard Mac Namee, director of the Cybersecurity Center at MSU Denver; Nike Pulda, an activist volunteer who has helped support evacuation and resettlement of Afghans; and Atim Otii, director of the Denver Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs.

Mac Namee, a former British Army officer who — NIKE PULDA, REFUGEE ADVOCATE served as a Special Operations commander in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2011, is assisting nonprofit No One Left Behind in evacuation efforts. At MSU Denver’s Cybersecurity Center, he and his colleagues are collecting information about at-risk groups in Afghanistan, such as activists and journalists who are still stranded.

“I’d like to think one day we could just hand this (data) over to the government and say, ‘Look, this is the problem; we’ve done our piece, now go and fix it,’” he said.

Pulda, a refugee advocate from Austria, said one way that Americans can make refugees feel welcome is to talk to them as normal people.

“Treat them as your friends,” she said.

“Treat them as your friends.”

The U.S. Senate on Aug. 11 unanimously confirmed Lieutenant General Laura Richardson (pictured) to lead the U.S. Southern Command, making the alumna of Metropolitan State University of Denver the second Army woman to achieve the rank of four-star general.

General Ann Dunwoody first achieved the rank in 2008 and retired in 2012.

Richardson also became the second female four-star general in charge of a combatant command and the first woman to lead the Floridabased post responsible for U.S. military operations in Central America, South America and parts of the Caribbean.

“We draw upon the strength in the Western Hemisphere from partner nations who share our values of freedom, democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law,” Richardson testified at her nomination hearing Aug. 3 before the Senate Armed Forces Committee. “We cannot, however, take these relationships for granted or let our guard down as our competitors vie for influence.”

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced March 6 that President Joe Biden had nominated Richardson for the promotion. A 1986 graduate of MSU Denver’s Psychology program, Richardson took a path to the Army that went through the Auraria Campus and the ROTC. “If you don’t know where you’re going, it will be hard to get there,” Richardson told an audience gathered in March 2019 for the 50th anniversary of the city of Northglenn, her hometown.

On International Women’s Day, March 8, Biden recognized Richardson’s distinguished Army career and “barrier-breaking accomplishments” in a White House ceremony that also included Air Force General Jacqueline Van Ovost, whom the president nominated to lead the U.S. Transportation Command, another unified combatant command.

He described both women as “outstanding and eminently qualified warriors and patriots” when nominating each of them to four-star commands.

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WITH CYBERCRIME SOARING, THE RACE IS ON TO TRAIN A NEW GENERATION OF DIGITAL DEFENDERS.

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RATIONS ARO / ILLUST

BY DAN VACC

BY JONATHA

N CARLSON

THE BAD GUYS —

cybercriminals, in this case — appear to be winning.

Ransomware attacks have risen 62% worldwide since 2019 and by nearly 160% in North America, according to a 2021 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report. Among those was this year’s attack on Colonial Pipeline, which crippled energy infrastructure that delivers about 45% of fuel for the East Coast.

As for the good guys: There simply aren’t enough of them.

Almost a half-million cybersecurity jobs remain unfilled, according to CyberSeek, a project sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Even the Department of Homeland Security is racing to fill more than 2,000 cybersecurity jobs.

As multimillion-dollar ransomware attacks proliferate, where can governments and organizations turn to find the next generation of cyberprofessionals?

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If Richard Mac Namee has his way, the answer will be Metropolitan State University of Denver.

“My colleagues and I are designing education that prepares professionals to hit the ground running,” said Mac Namee, director of the University’s Cybersecurity Center. “What we recognized as we built out our program is that while a four-year degree gives students a good general cybersecurity education, we needed more experiential learning opportunities.”

That real-world practice now includes the Atos Security Operations Center, which launched on campus in August. This fall, international cybersecurity provider Atos is employing four

CERTIFIED FOR SUCCESS

Mac Namee expects the intern program to expand over time, with the long-term goal of developing a formal certificate that interns receive at the end of their experience. Certifications are highly valued in the cybersecurity industry.

To that end, the Cybersecurity Program also worked with the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) to offer multiple professional certifications to its 250 undergraduate and graduate students this fall.

“The combination of these initiatives will allow students to graduate with a great degree, professional certifications validated by a respected source, work experience in the SOC and hands-on skills testing in the cyber range,” Mac Namee said. “They will be wellprepared.”

A RANSOMWARE The initiatives fall under the newly named ATTACK ... AGAIN! Cybersecurity Multi-Use Training Environment or C-MUTE, a fully immersive educational experience that prepares graduates to be top job candidates.

THE POWER GRID To take the Cybersecurity Program to even IS IN JEOPARDY! greater heights, Mac Namee and Streicher hope it can become a National Security Agency Center for Academic Excellence.

Mac Namee said the multistep application process is not easy, but the validation from a national organization would be a big boon for students, helping with professional relationships and opening opportunities for funding.

DIVERSIFYING THE WORKFORCE

paid student interns in the SOC, where they work alongside Atos professionals and learn how to monitor client networks in real time.

This type of hands-on training is especially important in a field that often expects employees to enter the workforce with experience, said Klaus Streicher, a May Cybersecurity graduate, senior cyber range instructor and manager of the Atos SOC Intern Program.

“Students will have a clear pathway to break into the industry,” he said. “Working within these real environments will give our graduates a strong advantage with employers.”

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The University is also partnering with the NSA to help diversify the cybersecurity professional pipeline.

MSU Denver is one of 11 colleges and universities nationwide taking part in the agency’s Cybersecurity Education Diversity Initiative, which increases access to cybersecurity education at Minority-Serving Institutions. Such schools include Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-Serving Institutions such as MSU Denver.

“My colleagues and I are designing education that prepares professionals to hit the ground running.”

The NSA developed the CEDI program to attract a more diverse cybersecurity workforce, including students from a variety of disciplines, said Criminal Justice Professor Jeff London, Ph.D. He is the principal investigator of MSU Denver’s NSA CEDI Subaward and is spearheading the partnership.

As part of the CEDI, MSU Denver received a $149,573 grant that will facilitate partnerships among Mountain West Cybersecurity Consortium, Trinidad State Junior College, the Outcalt Foundation and the Colorado Department of Higher Education. Students in the program benefit from mentorship and internships.

Through CEDI partnerships, more-established MinorityServing Institutions will also provide hands-on support for lessestablished MSIs via training and technical assistance.

“Diversifying the field of industry experts is what MSU Denver is all about,” London said. “We are excited — RICHARD MAC NAMEE, DIRECTOR OF MSU DENVER’S that additional cybersecurity professors and students CYBERSECURITY CENTER from Colorado will be better-equipped to usher in the next generation of cybersecurity experts and industry professionals.” a part-time role as a consultant and technical writer after her Cybersecurity student Maranda Graybeal is also working internship. Today, she supports companies with Department of to increase diversity in the field — for women. This fall, Defense compliance and policy documentation. she co-founded the MSU Denver chapter of Women in Graybeal is also motivated by a Cybersecurity. larger goal, one shared by almost “I was a little nervous to MEANWHILE, AT MSU DENVER... every member of MSU Denver’s get my degree in this field Cybersecurity Program. as a woman,” said Graybeal, 00110101000010 “I want to be one of the good who graduates in December.

010011100101 guys,” she said. “I want to help “But the program opened so 0101101 defend our country and our data. If many doors for me. I want to 01010101 we don’t get more people involved, share that story with other 0111010101 the cybercrimes are only going to women who are considering 00111010 get worse.” this career.”

11010 Graybeal said her student 0001110101010 internship with DevilDog 0100101 Cybersecurity particularly 110111010101 put her mind at ease. The 01010111001 01001010101 consulting firm’s team made A NEW GENERATION her feel welcome from Day OF CYBERWARRIORS IS One and even offered her LEARNING TO DEFEND DATA — AND THEIR COUNTRY.

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Art Immersion ROADRUNNERS PROVIDE SNEAK PEEK INSIDE MEOW WOLF’S MIND-BENDING CONVERGENCE STATION.

FORGET THE HORSEPLAY at Empower Field. The hottest hotpink ticket in town is for the technicolor wonderland known as Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station.

The pizza-slice-shaped building at the nexus of Interstate 25 and Colfax Avenue opened its doors Sept. 17 to much fanfare — and was buoyed by contributions from Metropolitan State University of Denver alumni and students.

The launch further cemented Denver’s status as an experiential-art destination, said Erin Barnes, public relations manager and 2007 MSU Denver English graduate.

“Art is something that provokes thought and stimulates the senses,” she said. “It’s been so rewarding to see both press and visitors tour the exhibit to enjoy it organically. It really makes people’s eyes light up like they’re a kid again, regardless of age.”

Meow Wolf began in 2008 when a collection of artists in Santa Fe transformed an old bowling alley into a live-action rendering of imagination, inviting attendees to open a seemingly innocuous refrigerator and step into a multisensory world. Funding from “Game of Thrones” creator George R.R. Martin turned the experiment into a permanent structure. A second site launched earlier this year: Las Vegas’ meta-supermarket, Omega Mart.

Like its predecessors, the Auraria Campus-adjacent outpost is a behemoth of stimulation that defies succinct description as equal parts mixed-media art installation, Chuck E. Cheese fever dream and day-glo IKEA. If you haven’t been yet, here’s your chance to see the Mile High City’s latest art destination through the eyes of the Roadrunner creatives and artists who had a hand in its opening. >

By Cory Phare / Photos by Alyson McClaran

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Art as healing “Art is for everyone, and we need it now more than ever,” said Cyrena Rosati, a junior in MSU Denver’s Studio Art program who recently concluded an art direction internship at Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station. “It’s helped us get through this whole thing (the Covid-19 pandemic). And now, we have this brand-new experience as we’re hopefully coming out to the other side together.”

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“The art is observing you.”

Choose your adventure

“It’s very similar to a Choose Your Own Adventure book,” said Tori Bohling, a Communication Design student who wrapped up her creative direction internship at Convergence Station in spring. “You change the narrative as you experience it and become part of the story by proxy of the people you’re with there in that moment.

“In a traditional art gallery, you’re observing art. When you’re here, the art is observing you.”

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Surrounded by painting “It reminds me of the Sistine Chapel, where you’re surrounded by painting. You’re really forced to take it all in by being there,” said Ashley Frazier, a 2012 graduate in Studio Art. She and her partner, Michael Sperandeo, contributed an art installation called “Obsolete Obscurity,” which joined the work of more than 110 Colorado artists.

Personal connection Corrina Espinosa, a 2011 Sculpture graduate and featured artist, hopes attendees tap into their own experiences as they immerse themselves in the art and reflect on life: the good, the bad and the ugly.

“I believe immersion and connection are part of the future,” she said.

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Illustration by

RED NOSE STUDIO

Photographs by

ALYSON McCLARAN

CHANG ING CAREERS to

CHANGE LIVES The Great Resignation has prompted many

Americans to leave longtime jobs in search of more meaningful work in mental health counseling.

d

S tor y by

D OUG McPH E R SON

uring the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ree Varcoe did some soul-searching about her career.

She’d spent most of her life working in marketing and communications — a field that, she said, “hasn’t filled my joy basket.” So at the start of 2021, the 56-year-old began taking steps to become a mental health counselor.

“During the pandemic, I often thought about people’s suffering, particularly those living in abusive relationships but who were also homebound,” she said. “I’ve also seen the endless news reports on declines in mental health, and that

also contributed to my desire to change course in life.”

In her search for counseling education, Varcoe discovered Metropolitan State University of Denver’s new master’s degree program in Clinical Behavioral Health with an emphasis in addiction counseling. This fall, she joined 31 other students in the program, half of whom say they also are pursuing more fulfilling careers.

Recent surveys have shown that for many, the pandemic has been a time for reflection and, in many cases, a time to consider reinventing their careers. One year after the pandemic hit, people began leaving their

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jobs in droves — a trend that’s become known as the “Great Resignation” or the “Big Quit.” The U.S. Department of Labor reports that 4.4 million workers — 3% of the workforce — resigned from their jobs in September, the sixth consecutive month in which Americans left their gigs in record numbers.

That trend may continue. An August survey from financial services company Bankrate found that 55% of people in the workforce said they’re likely to look for another job in the next 12 months.

“The Great Resignation is definitely real,” said Annie Butler, Ph.D., chair and professor in the Department of Human Services and Counseling at MSU Denver. “The pandemic absolutely has caused many people to reevaluate their careers, and perhaps change careers, in order to find more meaningful work.”

Butler is researching the Great Resignation and said that to find meaningful work, many people are turning to helping professions such as mental health services.

While prospective students are often motivated Counseling student to study addiction because it has directly affected Chad Keller their lives, Butler noted that the loss of jobs during the pandemic has also created opportunities to consider changing careers.

Reported by the U.S. DEPARTMENT of LABOR Counseling student Chad Keller knows both circumstances well.

“I was laid off and saw my own addiction quickly overwhelm my life,” said Keller, who has worked in database programming for over 20 years. “I entered rehab, which helped me sort out my priorities and sent the value of helping others in a much more personal way to the top of the list of things I wanted to focus on.”

While Keller felt his prior work was meaningful, he said it was more abstract and distant in its impact. Getting his master’s degree will workers RESIGNED from consecutively that Americans QUIT allow him to work directly with people in need of help, which is what their jobs in September in record numbers he said is important to him at this point in his life.

the

BIG QUIT

4.4 million

6 months

“The pandemic absolutely has caused many people to reevaluate their careers, and perhaps change careers, in order to find more meaningful work.”

— ANNIE BUTLER, PH.D., CHAIR AND PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND COUNSELING

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“I hope I can take some of my past experience and combine it with everything I’m learning so I can help people navigate their way to their own purposeful, intentional lives,” he said.

Keller, Varcoe and their classmates will enter the field at a time of great need. A 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that approximately 20.3 million people in the U.S. ages 12 and older had a substance-use disorder involving alcohol or illicit drugs in the past year.

Employment of mental health professionals, including substance-abuse counselors, is projected to grow by 25% between now and 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Butler said the pandemic has made the demand for welltrained professionals even more urgent.

“There is always a need for mental health and addictions support,” she said, “but right now especially people are feeling isolated, hopeless and scared.”

Butler added that the new master’s program at MSU Denver is designed to meet the needs of the moment. It offers students a pathway to dual licensure in mental health counseling and in addictions counseling. In the past, those fields were taught separately, but now students can enter the profession wellequipped to handle a variety of addictions, traumas, emotional struggles and other challenges.

Varcoe certainly believes she’s getting the tools to thrive in her new profession, and she’s enjoying the journey, too.

“I feel in the short time I’ve been back in school that I’m learning so much,” she said. “I hope to have one of my internships at the Veterans Affairs Hospital, as my dad was a veteran.”

Butler said people often find more than just a job in mental health counseling; they find a calling.

“Helping others is an honor,” she said. “And at the end of the day, knowing you may have made a positive impact in the life of someone who is struggling — that is very satisfying.”

“During the pandemic, I often thought about people’s suffering.”

— REE VARCOE, COUNSELING STUDENT

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PORTRAIT

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SKYE-HIGH SUCCESS When Skye Barker Maa enrolled at Metropolitan State University of Denver, she was already “knee-deep A SUCCESSFUL CAREER? ENGLISH in corporate America.” The work wasn’t a passion, but it LIT GRAD SKYE BARKER MAA HAS let her dabble in something she loved: the arts.

“Since I was paying for (school) and already had a A STORY FOR YOU. career, I decided to study something I loved,” she said.

“But it never occurred to me that I would be able to translate the arts into a career.”

Barker Maa earned her English Literature degree in 1995 and continued her promising career in corporate sales. It wasn’t until 2012 that her professional pathway took an unexpected turn — a change that has led to the creation of half a dozen arts-related businesses and a new aviation-themed bar in Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace.

The journey from English Literature to entrepreneurship began when Barker Maa was searching for a music school for her then-3-year-old son.

“I wanted an actual school,” she said. “I wanted him to have this robust experience where he saw kids practicing and performing and he was interacting with other instruments and really experiencing it through all of his senses.”

When she couldn’t find that, she created it herself.

Seven months later, the music school in Barker Maa’s basement supported 15 teachers and nearly 150 students. By 2018, Neighborhood Music & Theatre included a year-round children’s theatre program and had a space in the Stanley Marketplace.

Not even 2020’s global pandemic slowed Barker Maa’s rise. This year, she launched the community theatre program Factory Five Five arts collective. Her other businesses include Factory Fashion Academy and Bizarre Café, an immersive theatre company.

Barker Maa’s latest endeavor is Sky Bar, a Pan Am Airways-themed cocktail lounge at the Stanley Marketplace that’s set to open in February.

Housed in a former aviation manufacturing facility, the bar transports guests back in time to a chic mid-20th-century airport lounge.

Today, Barker Maa sees the arts as a viable career path.

“It requires a level of fearlessness,” she said, “but I would encourage everyone to be a little bit fearless.”

THINK THE ARTS CAN’T LEAD TO

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IO N AT

Take a jog through the nearly 20,000 acres of natural beauty that make up Denver’s park system, and you’ll likely spot a purple recycling dumpster. Those receptacles are the result of the efforts of Ean Thomas Tafoya, who along with his colleagues collected thousands of signatures to have the dumpsters installed. He would go on to lead several successful Denver ballot initiatives.

Tafoya’s work reflects a lifelong commitment to environmental justice by the 2012 Political Science graduate of Metropolitan State University of Denver.

“Putting your hands in the soil is a connection point for me, to my indigenous ancestors and elders,” said Tafoya, also a Native American Studies minor of Apache and Pueblo descent.

“That environmental connection is at the center of everything.”

Connection is a common theme in Tafoya’s journey from campus through three branches of local government; a run for Denver City Council District 9, which includes the Auraria Campus; and leadership in several nonprofits, including the Headwater Protectors, Colorado Latino Forum and Historic Denver.

Now serving as Colorado state director for GreenLatinos, Tafoya builds alliances across the state, including impacted community members, environmental businesses, government employees and other nongovernmental organizations.

Tafoya’s zigzaggy path has also taken him to Washington, D.C., and the White House to work with senators on housing access and water equity. He has met with Sen. Bernie Sanders on environmental justice and followed entrepreneur/politician Andrew Yang as a speaker at the Sunrise Movement demonstration at a Democratic National Committee meeting in San Francisco in 2019.

R NET W RIVE O AL This is all separate from, and in conjunction with, his connection to Denver’s creative community. Tafoya has served as a longtime host DJ on KGNU radio and worked as community L U M N I AWA RD RA engagement director with the Underground Music VE Showcase.

The seemingly indefatigable Tafoya returned to MSU Denver in 2018 to complete a Water Studies certificate from the One World One Water Center, and this year he was recognized as a River Hero by the National River Network. He was also recently honored by his alma mater as a 2021 10 Under 10 Alumni Award winner.

Although the future isn’t fully in focus for the Roadrunner polymath, Tafoya knows it will involve continuing to battle for environmental justice, protecting the water and “getting his hands back in the soil.”

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FROM DENVER TO D.C., ALUMNUS EAN THOMAS TAFOYA FIGHTS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND STAYS CONNECTED.

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PARTY POSITIVE Amber Handby wants people to “party positive” — to have memorable social experiences through dance and music but without drugs or alcohol.

“Intoxicants create an unnecessary filter between people,” said Handby, a 2012 graduate of Metropolitan State University of Denver and one of the University Alumni Association’s 10 Under 10 award winners for 2021. The award recognizes graduates from the past 10 years who are doing exceptional work in their communities.

For Handby and her husband, Mike, that includes producing Sundown Colorado, the state’s first “detox” music festival, which took place Sept. 11 at the RiNo Festival Grounds in Denver. The drug- and alcohol-free event had all the elements of a great party, while also focusing on healing, mindfulness and connection.

The festival is the latest accomplishment for Amber Handby, a marketing professional and singer, and her husband, a DJ and music producer. Since 2013, the two have formed the DJ duo DoubleCrush and co-created Secret Dance Addiction to host virtual and in-person dance parties. Mike Handby also owns Ignight Entertainment, which provides services for weddings and private parties.

Amber Handby attributes much of her success to the Marketing degree she earned from MSU Denver.

“I was already working at that point,” she said, so the combination of online classes and on-campus activities was “really empowering because I was able to self-direct.”

Today, she owns Bang Marketing and manages all of the marketing campaigns for Secret Dance Addiction and Ignight Entertainment.

The couple’s multifaceted talents have culminated in Sundown Colorado, where festivalgoers enjoyed main-stage acts Autograf and Yolanda Be Cool, as well as a silent disco, a meditation tent and a sober bar.

The festival has been described as an event for the “sober-curious,” a movement that encourages a sober lifestyle and, said Amber Handby, redefines what it means to be alive.

“I’m doing what I love, and I want to see more people doing what they love,” she said. “So when you’re sober-curious, I think you’re waking up to your infinite potential.”

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STO RY D O U G M c P H E R S O N

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P H OT O A M A N D A S C H W E N G E L

SEE: DRIVE As a boy in Cameroon, Emile Nkwagoh never dreamed he would become an information technology professional at a leading aerospace company. In fact, he didn’t even use a computer until he was 13 years old.

“I liked the fact that I could use a computer to do research,” he said of that exciting first experience. “I wanted to continue to learn because I wanted to challenge myself.”

But there was one problem: He didn’t have a computer at home or a computer department at his school.

Nkwagoh kept his interest alive nonetheless. And when he moved to Denver in 2015, it didn’t take him long to jump back into the field. After graduating from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early College in northeast Denver, he chose to study Computer Information Systems at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

“I knew I needed to work extra-hard to keep up with my classmates because I had no real background in computers,” he said. “I think starting college with DILIGENCE PROPELS ALUMNUS that mindset put me in a position of advantage in EMILE NKWAGOH FROM COMPUTER understanding computers faster than I expected.”

The hard work paid off.

NOVICE TO IT PROFESSIONAL. During his senior year at MSU Denver, Nkwagoh landed an internship at Sierra Space, a top aerospace firm in Louisville. He did so well there that the company hired him full-time last year. Today, the 2020 graduate is a Tier Two IT support technician who is studying for IT certifications and continuing to learn about information system security, databases, networking and system analysis and design.

Nkwagoh credited MSU Denver for providing him with the foundation he needed to succeed in the IT field. The University helped him put theory into practice, he said, and taught him everyday skills such as teamwork, agility and communication. He said he hopes to someday get his master’s degree at MSU Denver.

His best career advice for students is simple: “Do what you’re passionate about, network with people who are doing what you want to do, and most importantly, take advantage of internship opportunities as soon as you can.”

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ROAD RUNNERS

1979

(B.S. Professional Pilot, ’79) recently retired after 31 years as a flight-crew instructor teaching B-757/767 and international flight procedures with US Airways/American Airlines.

He was based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

MICHAEL WILSON

1982

(BME Music Education, ’82) is a retired educator who spent 31 years teaching orchestra and choir in the Adams 12 Five Star School District at Northglenn Middle School and Horizon High School. He continues to stay active, conducting church choirs in metro Denver.

STEVE BURCHARD

1995

Ph.D. (B.S. Biology and B.S. Chemistry, ’95), JOSHUA ADKINS,

is celebrating 20 years at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and a promotion to the rank of Laboratory Fellow. Adkins worked full time while double-majoring in Chemistry and Biology at MSU Denver, where he said he received a great education from fantastic professors. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Colorado State University. Adkins wants current and future Roadrunner alumni to know that the National Laboratories have internships in various fields — not just the sciences — and that his group often has openings at all career levels.

2002

Since graduating nearly two decades ago, KELLI RANDALL (B.S. Behavioral Science, ’02) has worked in many fields, including

Mindset for success

as a teacher and in the real estate industry, as well as for lawyers, doctors and engineers.

Randall is currently the senior account executive for Outdoor Promotions, where she sells outdoor advertising space.

MSU Denver is one of her clients.

webinar for NAGAP, a professional organization for graduateenrollment-management professionals. She got married in 2019 and welcomed a beautiful baby girl last February.

2015

KATHERINE VALENTIN PASCUAL

(B.A. Individualized Degree Program, ’15) is the marketing and admissions coordinator for the Department of Social Work at MSU Denver, where she was once a student employee. This fall, she will mark her fifth anniversary as a full-time staff member. Since graduating from MSU Denver, Plamp has earned an M.S. in Higher Education Administration from Southern New Hampshire University and co-presented a CAITLIN PLAMP

2018 (Master of Social Work, ’18) has loved her experience as a social worker with the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network for the past year and a half. She works with clients in immigration proceedings at the local detention center and with unaccompanied minors under the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement at a local shelter. Pascual earned her MSW to support and advocate for immigrant communities and now wants to pursue becoming a licensed clinical social worker.

By Lynne Winter

habits and tons of opportunities to study the wrong things.”

When Mike Faulhaber mentors Metropolitan State University of Needing a change, Faulhaber moved to the Mile High City Denver students, he emphasizes the importance of embracing a and registered for classes at MSU Denver. He worked and growth mindset — of aligning actions with goals. It’s an attitude went to school, in addition to serving as a reservist. He was on he wishes he’d had during college. track to get his Business Management degree in spring 2003 “Early on, I had a fixed mindset,” said Faulhaber, a sales when his reserve unit was activated for Operation Iraqi director at Mutual of Omaha and the University’s 2021 AWARD-WINNING ROADRUNNER Freedom. He ultimately graduated in 2004.

Alumni Volunteer of the Year. “When it came to college, IS DEDICATED TO HELPING During the past 15 years, Faulhaber has fostered a I was just trying to earn my degree and check that box.”

OTHERS ALIGN THEIR ACTIONS growth-driven mindset in himself and helped others At 17, Faulhaber saw his plans to enlist in the WITH THEIR INTENTIONS. do the same. Last year, he extended his reach to his Marines and get married fall through. Instead, he Roadrunner family by hosting an Alumni Digital Conversation. He then joined joined the Marine Reserves to help pay for college at the University the College of Business mentor program and the Alumni Advisor Network. of Northern Colorado. But boot camp paused his education after one One of Faulhaber’s favorite volunteer activities is helping Introduction semester. A year later, he resumed classes at UNC. He joined a fraternity to Business students complete an assignment requiring them to speak and the wrestling team, an experience he described as being a “throwing with an alumnus working in the field. To date, he has conducted over dummy for the varsity guys.”

200 interviews.

“I’d already switched majors twice,” he said. “I had horrible study

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IN MEMORY

2019

(B.S. Technical Communications, ’19) is the director of Cika Media Inc., a digital content creation company she established to provide small businesses with affordable social media marketing and management.

Compaore supports entrepreneurs who want to grow their brands by increasing awareness, community engagement and web traffic. She hopes to one day create opportunities for fellow Roadrunners to work with her.

Faculty & Staff

JESSICA COMPAORE

2020

(B.S. Marketing, ’20) is the marketing coordinator for ToolWatch, a cloud-based asset-management software solution that tracks tools, materials and equipment. Her position as the company’s sole marketer involves a wide range of responsibilities, including email, social media and advertising. In June, Center married her best friend, Cory. She spends her free time climbing, running, lifting, bullet-journaling, camping and backpacking.

SERENA CENTER

2021

(B.A. Construction Project Management, ’21) meandered through his educational journey until finding the space and defense industry at MSU Denver. After interning with Lockheed Martin, Porter was offered a full-time position as an operations analyst associate, which he began after graduating this past spring.

JAMES T. PORTER IV

Ph.D. (B.S. Human Services, ’81), a retired MSU Denver faculty member and alumnus, died Aug. 19 at age 70.

A Vietnam veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force, Curry was an established psychologist and licensed clinical social worker in Colorado for over four decades. He was the founder, CEO and clinical director of the Curry Center, a private outpatient mental health clinic offering in-home services to families and children in Denver and Aurora. Curry leaves behind his daughter, son, three grandchildren and all of the hearts he touched during his lifetime.

LARRY T. CURRY,

BARBARA HADDAD RYAN ,

former acting chair of the thenDepartment of Journalism at MSU Denver, died Sept. 30 at age 83. Ryan, a longtime journalist, brought a wealth of real-world experience to the role. After graduating from Swarthmore College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, she covered arts and culture for the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News. She also served as managing director of the Denver Chamber Orchestra, associate vice president of Swarthmore College and national public relations director for the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.

Ph.D., an affiliate MSU Denver faculty member and Community Cabinet member, died unexpectedly NATE HOWARD III,

Sept. 24 at age 58. After earning his bachelor’s in Education from Clark Atlanta University, Howard received a master’s degree in Botany and Plant Biology from the University of Colorado Boulder, followed by a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of Phoenix. In addition to being a Roadrunner, the Colorado native served as an adjunct professor at the Community College of Denver and for 12 years as a beloved teacher, assistant football coach and girls golf coach at Prairie View High School. In 2019, Howard became the president and CEO of Lincoln Hills Cares, a nonprofit that gives Denver students opportunities to do ecology and conservation fieldwork. He was also highly involved in the Vistage Executive Exchange. Described as kind, selfless, generous and dedicated to his community, Howard was a passionate educator and advocate for his students. a former Department of Mathematics affiliate faculty member, died May 3 at age 79. She attended Hiram College, where she majored in philosophy and religion, minored in mathematics and met Jim, her husband of 58 years.

Slotta taught for more than 40 years. In 1991, she was recognized as the Disney Math Teacher of the Year for developing a projectbased learning approach. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction OLIVEANN SLOTTA,

and a doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of Colorado Denver. At MSU Denver, Slotta taught Mathematics for pre-service teachers until the pandemic hit in 2020. She was passionate about community and education, believing a better future was possible. An extraordinary wife, mother and grandmother, Slotta was a continuous source of support for her family.

Alumni & Students DAVID CAUSEY (B.S. Accounting, ’77) died March 16 at age 70.

Originally from Monroe, Louisiana, Causey served in the U.S. Army before launching his career as a tax advisor at Arthur Young. In 1981, he and several co-workers founded the Denver CPA firm Causey Demgen & Moore P.C., where he remained until retiring in 1998. A true baseball fan, Causey was loyal to the Colorado Rockies to the end. He was also a lifelong fan of the Grateful Dead, attending countless shows throughout his life and listening to their music in his final days.

(B.A. English, ’92) died Aug. 10 at age 66 after a three-year battle with Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

Day earned her undergraduate degree at MSU Denver, where she achieved a 4.0 GPA and spoke at Commencement, and a master’s degree in English Literature at the University of Colorado Denver. A gifted musician, she played the BARBARA DAY

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IN MEMORY

(B.S. Aviation Management, ’01) died Aug. 16, which was also his birthday. He was 54. Lewis’ love of airplanes led him to the Aviation program at MSU Denver, followed by a nearly 20-year career at Centennial Airport, where he worked as operations director.

His wife, Thea, was the love of his life, and they were most happy when together at home with their children, Hudson and Holland. A man of few words, Lewis was an exceptionally kind and responsible person with a quirky sense of humor. His family loves him and wishes him peace.

BRIAN LEWIS

(B.S. Electrical Engineering Technology, ’03) died June 7 at age 42.

For 25 years, Lobato was an electrical engineer with the U.S. Department of the Treasury at the Denver Mint. Growing up, he played hockey for Hyland Hills and Team Colorado in national tournaments. Lobato was a football coach for his boys and a chauffeur for his daughter’s dance lessons and loved to play golf with his dad.

JASON LOBATO

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Million-dollar surprise When James A. Patton died March 30, 2020, at will live on at MSU Denver through the James age 70, he left his Colorado assets — estimated A. Patton ’84 Endowment for the Sciences. The at $1.5 million — to Metropolitan State University endowment will fund the Patton Scholars program, of Denver’s science programs. providing underrepresented The unexpected donation is the students with research and largest realized estate gift from an employment opportunities in alumnus in University history. the sciences.

The 1984 Biology graduate had “Scholars will act as contributed to various funds over instructional assistants in the years and served as a member introductory courses or those of the Alumni Board from 2006-10. with high DFW (grades D, F or But he had never hinted at a plan withdrawal) rates, providing AN UNEXPECTED ESTATE GIFT to make such an extraordinary gift students with the extra support ALLOWS ROADRUNNERS TO — one that will transform the lives they need to be successful,” said REIMAGINE THE FUTURE OF of science students for decades Sheryl Zajdowicz, Ph.D., chair of SCIENCE. By Lynne Winter to come. the Department of Biology.

Patton was born Sept. 15, 1949, the greatIn addition to sharing their knowledge, scholars grandson of slaves relocated from Tennessee to will sharpen their leadership skills, expand their eastern Texas. He enlisted in the U.S. Army after scientific skill sets and prepare for the future with high school and served as a member of the Military professional development.

Police Corps in Vietnam, receiving a Bronze Star.

“The program is a transformational opportunity After returning to civilian life, Patton graduated from for students,” said Andrew Bonham, Ph.D., chair of MSU Denver and worked for Coors Brewing Co. in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “Not Golden until he retired in 2008. only will it help them get through college; it will give Patton was a proud Roadrunner, and his memory them a vision for their future.”

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12-string guitar, wrote songs and shared her beautiful voice at church. She also loved knitting and combing wool to spin and dye before weaving it into unique creations. Day ran her yarn shop, Gypsy Wools, for 10 years in Boulder, sharing her love of the fiber arts with the community.

(B.A. Speech Communication, ’95) died peacefully in late 2020 at age 73.

JACQUELINE NOTO

(B.S. Criminal Justice and Criminology, ’17) died peacefully Aug. 10 at age 30, surrounded by friends and family. After graduating from high school, Ruiz attended Texas A&M University before enlisting in the U.S. Marines. She rose rapidly through the ranks to become a sergeant. While earning her degree at MSU Denver, she KANDIS RUIZ

attended officer-candidate school and was accepted into flight school. Ruiz trained to be an Osprey pilot, received her wings last November and achieved the rank of captain.

A loving wife, loyal friend and talented rugby player, Ruiz would do anything for the people she loved and could put a smile on the face of anyone she met.

(B.A. Communications, ’79) died EVAN SASMAN

May 27 at age 68. His early life was changed by a farm accident, which caused one of his arms to be amputated below the elbow.

When his mother visited him in the hospital, she read to him, a tradition Sasman carried on when he became a parent. After losing his job at the Rocky Mountain News in 1985, Sasman and his family moved to Ashland, Wisconsin, where he worked at the Daily Press for 16 years. Over the years, Sasman was involved in many projects, including writing novels and movie scripts,

advocating for People First of the Northwoods, teaching for the Ojibwe tribe and helping the people he loved stay positive.

MSU Denver student ROBERT SMITH died May 24 at age 36.

Raised in Georgia, Smith attended the University of Georgia before relocating to Denver in 2008 and earning his associate degree in Accounting from the Community College of Denver. At the time of his death, he was pursuing his B.S. in Accounting at MSU Denver and working as a freight broker for VersaFreight. Smith was an avid sportsman with an affinity for golf and playing baseball, softball, soccer and kickball. Involved in the community, he organized and coached a coed softball team and volunteered with foster children. Above all, Smith loved his family and friends and was happiest while traveling, listening to music or enjoying a concert.

(B.S. Management, ’77) died June 27 at age 72. Whitcomb graduated from Denver South High School in 1967 and went to work for Denver General Hospital, where he became a radiographic technician and X-ray specialist. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1969-72, he returned to Colorado, started working at St. Joseph’s Hospital and earned his degree. Following the birth of his sons with his wife, Susan, Whitcomb began a 30-plus-year career with the U.S. Postal Service, retiring in 2013. Even after enduring years of health problems following retirement, Whitcomb maintained his sense of optimism and humor.

JAMES WHITCOMB

reconnect

R OA D R U N N E R RESOLUTIONS

The new year is a good time to reconnect with the people and things that matter most. Some people vow to spend more time with family. Others resolve to focus on their health or support the causes that reflect their values.

For the more than 100,000 Roadrunner graduates, the turn of the calendar is also a popular time to reconnect with Metropolitan State University of Denver. Whether you want to relive your favorite memories, build your professional network or get to know like-minded people, the University’s Alumni Association offers countless opportunities to engage.

Here are five ways to reconnect in 2022:

ATTEND AN EVENT

There is always something happening at MSU Denver.

Want to have a beer with faculty members and other alums? Join the Mug Club. Love sports? Check out a Roadrunners game. Live for movies? Join the Social Justice Movie Club. Update your contact information with the Office of Alumni Relations to receive its bimonthly e-newsletter and get info on events.

BUILD YOUR

PROFESSIONAL NETWORK

The Alumni Association offers a range of support to help take your career to the next level. Online skill-building resources, career coaching and industry networking groups are just a few of the many opportunities available to Roadrunners at msudenver.edu/alumni/career-support.

BECOME AN ADMISSIONS

AMBASSADOR

5 ways to reconnect with your alma mater in 2022.

B Y DA N VAC C A R O

JOIN A SHARED-

INTEREST GROUP

Indulge your passions with other Roadrunners.

Check out the alumni book club. Roll with the Road Rider Cycling Club.

Or get an inside look at higher-ed advocacy with the Champions program.

MAKE A GIFT

If you’re looking to make a real difference for today’s students or the program that got you started on the path to success, consider making a gift to MSU Denver at msudenver.edu/giving.

Looking for a fun way to get to know your alma mater and make an impact on the University’s future? As a volunteer Admissions Ambassador, you’ll learn about MSU Denver’s initiatives and programs and speak with potential students about your college experience.

Learn more about these opportunities and others at msudenver.edu/alumni.

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Q&A

ALUMNUS DANIEL STRAWN TALKS ABOUT HIS TRAJECTORY FROM HOMELESSNESS TO

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BY DOUG McPHERSON

ALYSON McCLARAN

PROPELLING ROCKETS TOWARD THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

Aim for the stars Dan Strawn’s story is one of propulsion — from what was bad in his life toward what was good.

Strawn grew up with an abusive stepfather and eventually landed on the streets. Today, the 2014 graduate of Metropolitan State University of Denver is a key player in the fast-accelerating space race as a systems engineer at United Launch Alliance. The Centennial-based spacecraftlaunch service provider is responsible for the new Vulcan Centaur rocket scheduled to launch the Dream Chaser space plane toward the International Space Station next year.

What are your thoughts on the private race to space and why the average person should care about space exploration? It is tremendously exciting to see all of the new missions. We utilize spacebased assets every day and barely even think about it. The weather forecast you watch is built on data supplied by weather-sensing satellites.

Satellites also support global internet access; they have supported the technological revolution we benefit from in our everyday life.

The other reason why space exploration is important is less tangible.

It is to challenge ourselves on our ways of thinking and what is possible.

To me, Carl Sagan (the late author and scientist) captured this sentiment best when he commented on an image of Earth from 3.7 billion miles

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away. He said, “Look again at that dot. That’s us. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark.” To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another and to cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.

What are you working on as part of the Vulcan Centaur rocket project? My areas of focus are flight termination, separation of solid rocket boosters, structural elements such as fuel tanks and rings for attaching to the first stage and payload systems. This includes shells that protect the payload during ascent and mounting and separation hardware.

What’s your advice for young people considering aerospace careers? The industry needs people who are passionate about working in aerospace. You will be marketable and find opportunities. Make contacts; join aerospace peer groups; find mentors in the field to guide you.

Anything else you’d like to share about your career path? I failed algebra in high school. The teacher told me I should consider other options. Do not let one failure or the opinion of small-minded individuals destroy your dreams. If you want it badly enough, you will find a way to make it happen.

EDWARD JACOBS JR.

Roadrunners No. 1 For the first time, the Metropolitan State University of Denver volleyball team this season was ranked No. 1 in the country in NCAA Division II. The Roadrunners finished Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play with a perfect 18-0 record and a 24-2 overall record heading into postseason play. Success is not new for the program, as it is one of just four Division II schools to reach all 20 NCAA Tournaments since 2000. “Each week, we have very specific goals that we want to accomplish from a big-picture perspective from our side of the net,” coach Jenny Glenn said. “And what we do on our side of the net sets us up for success.” Visit roadrunnersathletics. com for the latest on the team’s appearance in the NCAA tournament, which began Dec. 2.

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