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
W INTER 2 02 1 | RED MAGAZINE
29
