VOLUME 27 ISSUE 2
FALL/WINTER 2019
KEEPER OF THE KING
Meet the Regis grad who saved the iconic home and preserved the legacy of Elvis Presley. 20
HEALING THE MINDS OF A NATION Building the field of counseling in Ukraine. 26 THE FUTURE OF THERAPY Regis is going to the dogs. 17
REGIS.EDU
The University hosted a Blessing of the Animals on Oct. 5 in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals. Following a brief service, the pets in attendance were blessed —including lots of dogs, one cat and an iguana.
IN THIS ISSUE
F E AT U R E S
VOLUME 27 ISSUE 2
FALL/WINTER 2019
Regis University Magazine is published biannually by Marketing and Communications for the University community of alumni, benefactors, faculty, staff, students and families. ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Todd Cohen DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Jennifer Forker EDITOR Karen Augé ART DIRECTOR Marcus Knodle EDITORIAL STAFF Matt K. Johnson DESIGN STAFF Nichole Atwood PHOTOGRAPHER Brett Stakelin, RC ’10 CONTRIBUTORS Wendi Hansen Liz Whetstone ON THE COVER: Elvis Presley’s Arabian jumpsuit, one of the King’s many concert-worn jumpsuits on display at the Graceland complex in Memphis, Tenn. The suit is one of Elvis’ many treasured possessions that Regis graduate Jack Soden preserved when he and Priscilla Presley opened Graceland as a public museum in 1982.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS Email: editor@regis.edu Mail: Regis University Magazine, L-27 3333 Regis Blvd., Denver CO 80221-1099 MAKE A GIFT TO REGIS Call: 303.964.3608 Visit: give.regis.edu LEARN ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTS Visit: regis.edu/events Follow us: facebook.com/regisuniversity ADVANCE YOUR EDUCATION Visit: regis.edu/apply Call: 800.944.7667 Email: ruadmissions@regis.edu
Regis University supports a more sustainable environment. Please recycle this magazine when finished reading or using.
2
Fall/Winter 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
WAR AND REMEMBRANCE 14 B y Je n n i f e r Fo rk e r A best-selling author’s search for a World War II subject led him to Regis — and brought a research bounty. THERAPY DOGS 17 By training therapy dogs and using them to help Ranger athletes heal, Regis is proving the usefulness of dogs in the recovery process. KEEPER OF THE KING 20 B y M a t t K . Joh n s o n When Elvis Presley’s home needed saving, Jack Soden stepped in to develop one of America’s most iconic attractions. UKRAINE THERAPIST 26 B y M a t t K . Joh n s o n By training new counselors and applying teaching strategies used at Regis, professor Josh Kreimeyer and his team are developing groundbreaking, trauma-focused clinical counseling services in the war-torn nation of Ukraine.
Sustainable design and use of recycled material helped Regis University, along with Golden Triangle Construction, earn a silver Construction Excellence award for the new Student Center. REGIS.EDU
3
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
DEAR FRIENDS, As the saying goes, you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have. When faculty and staff came to work August 22, 2019, we discovered that being strong was our only option: Regis University had become the victim of a vicious and deliberate cyberattack. As the enormity of the attack and its impact sank in, the excitement and anticipation of students returning to campus for a new semester was replaced by anxiety, frustration, feelings of helplessness, and not a little anger. But our strength never wavered. And care for our students rallied us together — they are our core business, our mission, our heartbeat. We had minutes and hours, not weeks, to determine how we would navigate, communicate and overcome mind-boggling adversity. In those minutes and hours, I witnessed strength, action, caring and collaboration across the campus. Our faculty took steps to reach out to students and create the best possible environments to teach and to learn. A bit of patience helped, too. I have never been more proud of the grit, ingenuity, dedication and resiliency of the Regis community than in the aftermath of the attack. Even as we struggled to begin the fall semester, we saw much to be thankful for. There was the generosity of alumni who contacted us and asked how they could help. We were thankful, too, for the foresight that prompted Regis to be proactive in maintaining a network security policy that helped us prepare for, and provided protection against, such an attack. Without this, our recovery would have been much slower. And we remain thankful for the hidden strengths and inner reserves of resourcefulness that we didn’t even know we possessed. By cutting off our means of network communication, the attack allowed us to re-learn the importance of face-toface human interaction. Now, as we become fully restored electronically, my hope is that on campus and beyond, we all continue direct, personal communication and that our voices and our laughter ring louder than the din of machines. Gratefully,
John P. Fitzgibbons, S.J. President
4
Fall/Winter 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
IN BRIEF
HONORING A CHAMPION OF STUDENTS Regis’ associate vice president for enrollment services, Judi Diaz Bonacquisti, has been recognized as a 2019 Unsung Heroine by the Latinas First Foundation. Bonacquisti was honored for her work creating infrastructure to help underserved students access higher education. Her philosophy, she said, has been to “create systems that … support students in the long-term.”
BELGIAN BREWS BROTHERS In May, Matthew Peetz, director of Regis’ Certificate in Applied Craft Brewing, led alumni and community members on a 10-day trip to Belgium. The group visited some of the world’s most storied breweries, including Trappist monastery breweries and many that are closed to the public.
VALUE OF A JESUIT EDUCATION The personal finance website WalletHub ranked Regis second on its list of the best colleges and universities in Colorado. For its 2020 rankings, WalletHub looked at seven categories, including campus experience and career outcomes.
HAIL TO THE CHIEF In April 2019, Regis welcomed Theresa “Terri” Campbell as the chief of staff for the Office of the President. She brings extensive human resources experience, and, as a former Regis Jesuit High School English teacher, academic expertise as well.
A FOUNDING FORTUNE IN PHILANTHROPY William J. “Bill” Fortune, a Regis graduate and philanthropist, has been named a Founder of the Central and Southern Province of the Society of Jesus. The honor recognized Fortune’s generous, ongoing support of the University and of Regis Jesuit High School, Arrupe Jesuit High School, St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish and the Sacred Heart Retreat Center.
REGIS.EDU
5
ATHLETICS
CARE FOR THE WHOLE PERSON LACROSSE IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF WENDY DONIER’S REGIS LEGACY
I
N APRIL, WENDY DONIER HAD A DAY OFF. She and her Regis women’s lacrosse teammates were in Shawnee, Okla., to play Oklahoma Baptist University. With a day to spare without a game, Donier, the senior co-captain, was considering how her team could spend their time.
Many college students would use the time to catch up on Netflix or scroll through Instagram. Donier had a different idea. “I just called up the local tourist center, and I was like, ‘Hey, do you have anything that you would like us to do?” Donier said. “‘Can you help me find some organization that could use 25 people for the day?’” By the afternoon, Donier and her teammates were bagging groceries, sorting goods and welcoming guests at a community food market for low-income residents. The incident isn’t out of the ordinary for the service-minded Donier, a spring 2019 graduate and Regis’ 2019 nominee for the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Woman of the Year award. Donier made a fitting leader for a team that not only made the Division II national semifinals two years in a row, but that also led D-II women’s lacrosse in team GPA in 2018-19. In nearly every way, Donier stood out during her career at Regis. The fearsome goal-scoring attacker was named to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference First Team in each of her four years on campus, and she garnered three All-Academic First Team awards along the way. She finished with 190 career goals, second most in Regis history. But perhaps most representative of Donier’s character isn’t her success on the field or in the
classroom, but her service to children through Children’s Hospital Colorado, Children’s Hospital Seattle and the Regis psychology department. What Donier may be proudest of during her time at Regis is her relationship with Daisy, a 13 year old who has battled multiple forms of cancer throughout her life. Daisy met Regis women’s lacrosse players through Team Impact, an organization that connects college sports teams — including multiple Regis teams — with children suffering from severe illnesses. The women’s lacrosse program gave Daisy a locker and jersey in the locker room. She came to Rangers games, and the team attended movie nights, craft nights and team parties with her. Donier went above and beyond to develop a particularly special relationship with Daisy, visiting her and her classmates at the Medical Day Treatment school for patients at Children’s Hospital Colorado. She still talks with Daisy via FaceTime weekly. “If we were to put down all of those times with Daisy as ‘service,’ we would have hundreds of hours, but I don’t consider it service,” Donier said. “Most of the team doesn’t consider it service. … She is our friend and our teammate. It’s just different.” Her time with Daisy, like all the service she was involved in, helped Donier take hold of a value that came to define her time at Regis: cura personalis, a Jesuit Catholic term and Regis core value meaning “care for the whole person.” “I’m not just an athlete on campus,” she said. “I tried to be a part of things, so that everything [I was involved in] made up my experience at Regis.” Donier will spend the next two years serving in youth development through the Peace Corps in Thailand, where she studied abroad during her junior year at Regis. She then hopes to become a teacher — bringing the concept of cura personalis to a middle-school classroom. “I didn’t love middle school that much,” she said. “I kind of want to make that experience better for other people and strengthen middle-schoolers as little humans, to learn that they matter a lot and that they can make a difference.” — MKJ
WIN. GRADUATE. LEAD. It’s more than a motto.
It’s a belief. Support your Rangers
REGISRANGERS.COM
REGIS.EDU
7
WHY JESUIT MATTERS
EMBRACING THE GRAY
AMANDA HINE’S WORK BRINGS CLARITY TO SOME OF HEALTHCARE’S MURKIEST ISSUES
A
MANDA HINE IS OFTEN NEEDED ON SOMEONE’S WORST DAY. As a rising
leader and consultant in Denver’s healthcare ethics field, Hine offers her insight on healthcare’s most challenging questions, providing perspective on real-life circumstances such as reproductive issues and end-of-life dilemmas. These cases may involve people who aren’t able to make decisions for themselves or who must consider complex religious or moral factors. “These decisions are so emotional,” Hine said. “They’re so complicated. There’s so much uncertainty that even in cases that seem pretty clear, there’s still so much gray to wrestle with.” That gray area is exactly where Hine thrives. Besides working as an assistant professor of healthcare ethics at Regis, she volunteers as a healthcare ethics consultant for the Boulder Community Health (BCH) system. She also serves on ethics committees for BCH, Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver and the Colorado Healthcare Ethics Forum. In these roles, she provides on-call insight for real situations in which she adheres not only to ethical guidelines, but in the case of working for a faith-based hospital like Saint Joseph, the religious and ethical directives of the Catholic Church. What patients and Church leaders want some-
8
times conflict, Hine says, in issues such as tubal ligation, which some women seek for birth control. Even in these high-pressure environments, Hine sees her work as a privilege. “I don’t think that I could teach without the opportunity to provide service, so I’m so grateful to the University for supporting [me],” she said. “And just to be out there in the community, to help and to live the Jesuit values in what for me feels like a very authentic form … it’s always a joy, even the worst cases.” Although she’s not Catholic herself, Hine attended multiple Jesuit schools. She says the Jesuit values seemed distant to her until she came to Regis, and is now grateful for the chance to imbue those values within her teaching. “I really enjoy the freedom that the Jesuit values allow for people of a lot of different faiths and faith backgrounds to really live as their most moral and most true selves... [The values are] very much how we practice at Regis, and how we teach our students.” Because healthcare ethics is a core requirement across disciplines within the Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions, Hine teaches a wide array of students about navigating ethical decisionmaking when there’s rarely a right answer.
Fall/Winter 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
Often, to understand all sides of an issue, she asks her students to defend the opposite viewpoint from the one they truly believe. “In a lot of ways, it’s integral to unteach some things, almost,” she said. “[Ethics is] very different from other kinds of clinical education, where the goal is to provide knowledge. My goal in ethics classes is to provide some uncertainty.” To teach some of that uncertainty, Hine uses her knowledge and experience from the real world of healthcare ethics to present her students with case studies. “It is often the case that the real-life scenarios are stranger than fiction. A lot of times I have students say, ‘This would never happen.’ [I’ll respond,] ‘Well, this happened on Thursday.’” Using those case studies allows Hine to do the important work of bringing theoretical concepts to life, helping her students be prepared for some of the most difficult moments in their future careers. “The idea of really being able to seek out the Jesuit values in ourselves and in a community is really empowering, especially coming from such a secular background.” — MKJ
CHALLENGE
YOURSELF AND THE STATUS QUO
For the doers, the go-getters and the out-of-the-box thinkers, there’s only one school in Colorado that can handle the drive of a true business student. Regis University’s Anderson College of Business is rooted in fundamentals such as developing innovative communities and preparing the next generation of leaders. Don’t just be a part of the pack. Lead it.
Your future starts here. Explore graduate and undergraduate programs today.
REGIS.EDU/CHALLENGESTATUSQUO
Regis University is regionally accredited by The Higher Learning Commission.
RISING STAR
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE
BRINGING SUSTAINABLE HELP AND HOPE TO COMMUNITIES THAT NEED THEM
CAMPUS UPDATES
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE THE MORE THEY GET BETTER
A
S A LITTLE GIRL, EMMA SMITH WAS SO
AFRAID TO FLY that her parents had to offer a bribe — a pink digital camera — to get her on an airplane. But lately it’s been tough to keep the Regis senior on the ground.
As a Regis student and volunteer with the international aid organization Global Brigades, Smith has been to Greece, Ghana, Panama, Nicaragua and Honduras, all in the past four years. And she’s not finished yet: In May she will travel to Guatemala to work with indigenous Mayan communities. Global Brigades is a nonprofit that partners with universities worldwide, sending students to improve health and economic circumstances for people living in remote West African and Latin American communities. Smith first heard of the organization as a Regis freshman, when she went to a new-student orientation to learn about clubs on campus. Global Brigades has been a part of Regis for more than seven years. After her first trip, to Nicaragua, Smith was hooked. “Once I did it, the experience stuck with me. It solidified that I want to help people.” Last August, she traveled to Greece to help set up a program to begin providing assistance to refugees from the Middle East and North Africa.
A $10.8 MILLION RENOVATION OF THE STUDENT CENTER TOOK SIGNIFICANT STRIDES THIS YEAR, making way for a modern and welcoming facility that meets the long-term needs of the Regis community. Improvements included a new atrium, reception area, plaza, additional seating, a faculty lounge and the introduction of casual retail dining.
Smith and the University’s chapter work in the medical field; other universities’ brigades focus on dental care, legal empowerment, engineering projects, business development and clean-water-delivery systems. The organization’s focus is on providing the tools communities need to improve their own lives, rather than one-time donations or temporary assistance. That holistic approach not only complements Regis’ Jesuit values, but appeals personally to Smith. “I value the sustainability of Global Brigades,” she said. “The idea of going in to a place for a week, and saying ‘Oh, look at all this cool stuff I did,’ and then leaving — that didn’t sit with me very well. I like the holistic model that Global Brigades has. We work together to create empowered communities.” Smith’s time at Regis will end this spring, but her service won’t — she was recently accepted to the Peace Corps. Her posting: Mongolia. “I’ll be in a secondary school working with a counterpart who is native Mongolian, doing public health education.” After her two years in the Peace Corps, Smith plans to pursue a master’s in public health. In other words, she plans to make a career of helping people. “We all deserve health care,” she said. “That’s why we do this.”
10
Fall/Winter 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
DESMET HALL IS ALSO IN THE MIDST OF A $20.5 MILLION EXPANSION, which includes 104 new beds, student lounges, classrooms and an elevator. All existing rooms and bathrooms were updated this summer, and the new wing is set for completion in late summer 2020.
THIS IS REGIS
Although a temporary web page at regisupdates.com kept the Regis community informed, the attack disabled the University’s entire communication system. The impact was profound, felt well beyond computer screens. Phones and copy machines, were disabled. Parking permits and student IDs could not be issued. Graduates could not access transcripts. Faculty could not buy a cup of coffee with a credit card. Nevertheless, the Regis community persevered and benefited from the assistance of neighbors, alumni and sister Jesuit institutions: • Several IT experts from Loyola Chicago and Boston College traveled to Denver to work with Chief Information Officer Jagan Gudur and the ITS team. • A FedEx Office Print & Ship Center near the main campus agreed to stay open all night and brought in additional employees to help Regis staff and administrators print 9,000 class schedules, which then had to be alphabetized by hand.
SURVIVING A CYBERATTACK
LOSING ONLINE COMMUNICATION CHALLENGED THE REGIS COMMUNITY AND REVEALED ITS STRENGTH
I
T WASN’T AS IF MADDIE LABOR HAD NEVER SEEN A PRINTED CLASS SCHEDULE BEFORE
Aug. 26, when she lined up in Claver Hall to pick hers up. And Alexis Martinez certainly had taken notes by hand before. It’s just that neither Labor, a senior biology major, nor Martinez, a junior majoring in health and exercise science, expected they would have to rely completely on such antiquated methods when they returned to the Regis campus for the fall semester. But, then, few could have anticipated the Aug. 22 cyberattack that struck Regis, or the extraordinary resilience and resourcefulness that would be required of students,
staff and faculty to overcome the attack and carry on. As Regis University President John P. Fitzgibbons, S.J., told faculty and staff weeks after the attack, “... none of us could have predicted or understood the impacts and time and steps needed to recover.” Within hours, Regis’ information technology services department took all information systems offline to protect the University and the individuals who use its computer system. Later, a forensic investigation confirmed that the attack was deliberate and likely came from outside the United States.
• Faculty and staff pitched in to work more hours, take on extra duties and innovate solutions. As a result, while online classes were delayed a week, traditional classes on Regis’ campuses started on schedule and systems are now almost fully restored. Students persevered, too. While Martinez used a screen shot from her registration document last spring to find her classes, Labor wasn’t that fortunate. “I went to the wrong class three times.” Yet neither ever considered throwing in the towel on the fall semester. And, while no one would want to endure the cyberattack again, some saw a silver lining. “We were out and about more, solving problems face to face,” Provost Janet Houser, Ph.D., said at a town hall following the attack. “Amongst the challenges were many, many blessings.” — KA
REGIS.EDU
11
RESEARCH
LEARNING FROM STRESS BIOLOGY FACULTY, STUDENTS LEAD GROUNDBREAKING STUDY
T
Campisi and his team expected a significant difference in the employees’ heart rates based on each person’s fitness. However, the only significant difference they found was based on biological sex. Beyond experiencing a higher maximum heart rate than men, women also experienced a greater change in heart rate.
Published in May in the “International Journal on the Biology of Stress,” the study found that in response to stress within a tested work setting, women’s maximum heart rates were approximately 10 percent higher than those of men. The research team believes this is the first study to explore heart rate response in a real work setting through non-invasive methods — and the first to show women’s different response to work stress (compared to men) during a normal job shift, as measured by heart rate.
“That result plays into new questions,” said Campisi, the department chair. “Is the difference in response due to biological factors alone or are there other interacting factors responsible for this effect?”
The study examined 23 employees at the Apple Store in Boulder. The employees, who held various jobs, wore Apple Watches that measured their heart rates during three typical work shifts. The researchers tested each subject’s heart rate according to his or her physical fitness and biological sex.
The study provides a positive sign that wearable devices may be useful for research studies in nonlaboratory settings, Campisi noted.
HE MOST INTERESTING RESULTS ARE OFTEN THE MOST UNEXPECTED. Associate professor Jay Camp-
isi and his team of Regis biology faculty and students learned that firsthand this spring, through a first-ofits-kind study about how men and women respond to stress at work.
12
Fall/Winter 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
The study originated in a graduate-level physiology course taught by Campisi and Bethany Lucas, associate professor of biology. Both contributed to the study along with Regis graduate students Stella Grayson, Halimah Hamidu, Andrew Han, Ajay Varghese and Sandra No.
“It doesn’t require taking blood, doesn’t require going to a doctor, doesn’t require doing anything out of the ordinary, since we can just measure you during your normal day,” he said. — MKJ
THIS IS REGIS
A NEW CHAPTER REFUGEES IN AFRICA EARN REGIS DIPLOMAS
T
HIS SUMMER, REGIS CONFERRED DIPLOMAS TO 28 STUDENTS IN KENYA AND 34
STUDENTS IN MALAWI through the University’s partnership with Jesuit Worldwide Learning (JWL). The students, who live in refugee camps in Kakuma, Kenya, and Dzaleka, Malawi, earned diplomas in liberal studies.
JWL offers a Jesuit education to refugees and other marginalized people worldwide by providing free online classes taught by Jesuit educators. To earn the 45-credit diploma, students completed core classes in liberal studies and additional classes in social work, education or business. Regis University President John P. Fitzgibbons, S.J., spoke at the July 2018 graduation of Jesuit Worldwide Learning students in Malawi.
Regis Provost Janet Houser, Ph.D., oversaw commencement at both sites and handed the diplomas to the graduates.
“Regis University is proud of this outstanding group of students who have overcome obstacles and demonstrated a strong work ethic to earn their diplomas,” Houser said. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to work with Jesuit Worldwide Learning and build leaders who serve the common good across the world.” More than 280 students have earned a Regis diploma through JWL since the program began in 2010. “As our newest Regis graduates, I ask that you not just be satisfied with your diploma,” Houser said at the Kakuma commencement ceremony. “Ask yourself: What am I being called to do with it? Where are my gifts needed?” — MKJ
High-Impact Learning, High-Impact Giving. This year. Every year. “Thank you for making my Regis education possible with your donation. It means so much to me and my family what you are doing.”
ISABELLA FLOREZ ‘22 Scholarship recipient
REGIS.EDU
13
THE LIBERATOR
A HERO’S JOURNEY LEADS AN AUTHOR TO REGIS BY Jennifer Forker ing a division south into Germany while the largest battles raged in the north. In “The Liberator,” Kershaw chronicles in detail the extreme hardships Sparks endured in the final weeks of the war. “Few men in World War II would endure so much loss and unrelenting violence and come out of it physically unscathed,” Kershaw wrote.
AUTHOR ALEX KERSHAW RETURNS TO REGIS’ NORTHWEST DENVER CAMPUS ON APRIL 2 TO TALK ABOUT HIS REGIS COLLABORATION AND HIS BOOK, “THE LIBERATOR: ONE WORLD WAR II SOLDIER’S 500-DAY ODYSSEY,” WHICH SPAWNED AN UPCOMING NETFLIX SERIES.
A
LEX KERSHAW’S INITIAL JOURNEY TO REGIS UNIVERSITY’S CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF
WAR EXPERIENCE BEGAN WITH A SINGLE BLACK-AND-WHITE IMAGE. In the photo, a U.S. Army officer fires his pistol into the air while, in the background, bodies of German SS officers lay piled on the ground. It was April 29, 1945, and U.S. troops were liberating Dachau, the Nazi concentration camp outside Munich. The officer in the photo was warning his men to stop executing the German officers.
It was around 2004, and Kershaw, a bestselling author of nonfiction books about World War II, was searching for the topic of his next book when he found the image. “I was looking at doing a story about the soldiers who liberated the camps,” Kershaw recalled. “I couldn’t find a way to do it.” That startling image eventually led Kershaw to Regis. The officer was Lt. Col. Felix Sparks, who commanded the company that liberated Dachau. After the war, Sparks moved to Colorado to attend law school and spent the rest of his life here, practicing law and serving one term as district attorney in Delta, Colo. He also was appointed to the Colorado Supreme Court. And, after serving as its commander for more than a decade, Sparks retired from the Colorado Army National Guard with the rank of brigadier general. His story, told in Kershaw’s book “The Liberator,” follows Sparks from his first battle on the beaches of Sicily through 500 days of war, ending at the gates of Dachau. Along the way, Sparks’ 45th Infantry Division of the Seventh Army suffered massive casualties. Sparks lost his entire company — 230 men — at the Battle of Anzio in Italy, during some of the most intense combat of WWII. He also took part in the Battle of the Bulge, lead-
14
Fall/Winter 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
“Sparks was serious minded, a soldier’s soldier who led from the front,” said Dan Clayton, founding director of Regis’ Center for the Study of War Experience. “He’s a true American hero, no question.” Clayton also launched an undergraduate class at Regis, called Stories from Wartime, in which veterans and others affected by war share their personal stories. The class is now in its 25th year. Clayton interviewed Sparks for many hours in 2001 for the center’s oral histories collection. The center collects and preserves interviews with veterans and civilians who have been involved with or changed by modern war. Sparks died in 2007 at age 90. Sparks’ story, as told in Kershaw’s book, caught Netflix’s attention: The streaming service is producing a four-part, animated series based on Kershaw’s book that stars Bradley James as Sparks. The series is due to premiere in April 2021. Kershaw was able to listen to Clayton’s audio interviews with Sparks thanks to an introduction from Rick Crandall, the longtime moderator for Stories from Wartime on whose talk radio program Kershaw had appeared. “It was very helpful for me to have Dan hand me the interviews he did with Sparks,” Kershaw said. “It was important for the book.” The collaboration was mutually beneficial: Kershaw has been returning as a Stories from Wartime
guest speaker for more than a decade. And he was so impressed with the center’s work that he donated to it research materials, including hundreds of hours of audio interviews, collected while working on his first eight books (and promised Regis the materials from his ninth book, “The First Wave”). Kershaw said his partnership with Regis made the University the perfect choice to house his research collection. “It’s been a great experience (attending the classes). I’ve always enjoyed the presentations,” Kershaw said. “It’s been a great delight to help support Regis. They were very supportive of me when I was working on ‘The Liberator.’ It was a great collaboration.” Clayton, in turn, is thrilled to receive the research of a distinguished author. “This is a very big deal,” he said. “The center has acquired a really considerable reputation for the work it does collecting the memories of war veterans.” As the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Dachau — and the end of World War II — approaches, Kershaw again returns to Regis to talk with students and the public about the Allied liberation of Europe. And to remember Felix Sparks.
SHARING WAR STORIES
T
HE POPULAR STORIES FROM WARTIME CELEBRATES ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY BY FOCUSING ENTIRELY ON WORLD WAR II — 2020 MARKS 75 YEARS SINCE THE WAR’S END.
The spring semester undergraduate class, which begins Jan. 23, is open to the public, with Dan Clayton, the professor of history and politics who founded the class in 1995, returning to lead the spring session. Clayton, who founded and was director of the Center for the Study of War Experience for 15 years, has taught at the University for more than three decades. The spring semester will be his swan song: Clayton plans to retire in May. “The purpose of Stories is to grow an understanding of the complexities of war and widen perspectives of what ordinary people do in war, and what war does to them,” said Clayton. The classes will be held Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. through April 30 in Room 315 at St. Peter Claver, S.J., Hall on the Northwest Denver Campus. While the entire class schedule is available online at regis.edu/warexperience, here is a sneak peek at some highlights:
JANUARY 23 “World War II: A History of its Causes and Consequences,” a public lecture by Dan Clayton, Ph.D.
FEBRUARY 20 “The Regis Connection to World War II”
MARCH 26 “From Rosie the Riveter to Big Bands: WWII Popular Culture,” a special class held at the Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada, 80003
APRIL 2 “‘The Liberator’: An Evening with Best-Selling WWII Author Alex Kershaw”
APRIL 9 “The Realities of War: An Evening with WWII Veterans”
APRIL 16 “Complexities of Commemoration: How Should We Remember WWII?” a symposium with renowned scholars
REGIS.EDU
15
ZOMBIE PHILOSOPHY DEAN’S BOOK TACKLES ETHICS IN THE WORLD OF THE UNDEAD
The study of philosophy has been known to tax students’ brains. But the subject has never really been associated with eating anyone’s brain. That is, until now. Bryan Hall, Ph.D., dean of the College of Contemporary Liberal Studies, has united zombies and philosophy in his new book, “An Ethical Guidebook to the Zombie Apocalypse: How to Keep Your Brain without Losing Your Heart.” Published this month, it is part graphic novel, part short story collection — and is all about what the study of philosophy can tell us about age-old, moral dilemmas. The difference is that in this book, those dilemmas are zombie-wrought: When your community is attacked by zombies, how do you choose whom to save if you can’t save everyone? Is it OK to sacrifice one victim to an undead horde to save more people? Hall, a former professor of philosophy at St. John’s University in New York, who joined Regis in January, said his hope is that the book will attract people who don’t ordinarily read about philosophy. “It’s hard to get people engaged in philosophy through the ways it’s traditionally been presented,” he said. While the book’s concept may raise eyebrows among the more rigid members of the philosophy community, zombies and philosophy are a natural pairing for Hall. He’s a longtime horror fan and he may be the only scholar of 18th century German philosopher Immanuel Kant to speak at Denver Pop Culture Con, formerly known as Denver ComicCon. Participating in a panel on how pop culture can raise issues rooted in philosophy, Hall said, is another way to bring consideration of ethics and morality to a wider audience. But Hall isn’t after shock value. His goal is to inspire serious examination of how to live ethically, and how moral values guide us in a complex world. How better to get readers’ attention than with zombies? “Philosophy, I think, has tremendous power to do good in the world,” Hall said. Sometimes, though, it needs a little help from zombies. — KA
16
Fall/Winter 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
A cuddle from Norman the Newfoundland helps injured Regis athletes heal.
THE THERAPIST WILL SNIFF YOU NOW REGIS’ THERAPY DOG PROGRAM IS TRANSFORMING THE WAY STUDENTS LEARN AND ATHLETES HEAL
M
ake no bones about it: Regis University is going to the dogs. Tails are wagging from the baseball field to the School of Pharmacy — but the dogs of Regis aren’t merely bringing cuteness to campus. They are providing students and faculty with opportunities to learn, serve the community, and, in the case of one trailblazing program, help athletes heal faster.
STORMIN’ NORMAN One of the most popular and effective members of Regis’ athletic training staff doesn’t have a college degree. He doesn’t truly understand what a sacrifice fly or a layup is. And he slobbers a bit. But somehow, Norman the Newfoundland senses how best to comfort ailing athletes, said Alex Curry, Regis’ head athletic trainer. And when they feel better emotionally, injured athletes are more likely to stick with rehabilitation programs and recover faster, Curry said. REGIS.EDU
17
18
Fall/Winter 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
IMAGES Brett Stakelin
From top left: Nubbin recently graduated from the program and has a job comforting traumatized children in Southern California. | Garrin is Regis’ new pup on campus. | Golden retriever Juliet, the eighth pup trained through Regis’ partnership with Canine Companions for Independence, with, from left to right: Megan Chiu; Assistant Professor in the School of Physical Therapy Shelene Thomas; Elizabeth Moslander; Alexander (Zander) Varde-Gallegos; and Bridget Anthony. | Norman rides the bench during baseball practice. | At right: Maddie Labor, a junior redshirt volleyball player, samples Norman’s healing powers.
Curry got the idea to bring Norman to Regis about two years ago, when she read about how a golden retriever named Remington was making a difference for the University of North Carolina baseball team.
Overall, Curry said, “He’s made an incredible impact. More than any of us would have thought.”
So, she started researching the benefits of a therapy dog working with athletes. She found that dogs helped decrease injured athletes’ use of pain medication and reduced their stress and anxiety. “It was then that I decided to write a proposal for Regis to get one,” Curry said.
CURA CANUM At Regis, humans aren’t the only ones receiving a rigorous education steeped in community service. Thanks to a partnership initiated by School of Physical Therapy Professor Wendy Anemaet, dogs have been getting schooled here, too, since 2012.
Soon afterward, Curry bought the ball of black fur now known as Norman from a Kansas breeder and brought him to the Regis campus in fall 2018.
As a physical therapist, Anemaet had seen firsthand how patients benefited when therapy dogs were part of the treatment prescription. The dogs who assisted
When it comes to helping humans, Norman comes with an impressive pedigree, Curry said. His family tree includes therapy dogs working in hospitals, schools, libraries and other settings. For injured athletes, Norman has transformed their recovery process and given them a safe and comfortable place to heal. “The athletes love having Norman around,” said Curry. “Some come in just to visit or take him out for walks. He has really become a key component of our sports medicine staff.” Norman isn’t the first athletic-program therapy dog on a college campus, but he’s close. He is the only one in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, and one of the few in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II. “I have gotten emails from multiple certified athletic trainers [asking] about the process of getting Norman ‘on staff’ and what benefits we have seen,” Curry said. Regis’ student-athletes aren’t the only ones who have enjoyed having this “Big Man on Campus” around. “We didn’t expect that Norman would become such a campus-wide sensation,” said Curry. “A lot of different people outside of athletics know about him and visit him.” And he’s made a habit of stopping by the library during Dead Week to comfort students as they study for finals.
And, finally, “It’s just great to have dogs in the classroom. This can be a pretty stressful program, so it’s nice to have them around as stress relief.” Given those benefits, it is not surprising that participation in the program has become popular, and competitive, among physical therapy students. “Physical therapy doctoral students can apply to be in the puppy-raising program after their first year,” said Anemaet. “The students who are chosen care for and train the puppy for a year and a half as part of a service project, teaching them basic commands, socializing and exposing them to as many things as possible.” So far, about 70 physical therapy students have helped train dogs, Anemaet said. Her students currently are working with the eighth therapy dog in training: Garrin. In addition, Shelene Thomas, assistant professor in the School of Physical Therapy, is helping an inter-departmental group of students raising puppies.
her patients’ recoveries had been trained by Canine Companions for Independence, a California-based nonprofit that provides assistance dogs to people with disabilities at no cost. “After having such a wonderful experience working with this organization, I knew I had to bring that to Regis,” Anemaet said. She saw several potential benefits to adding therapy dog training to the physical therapy program. First, she said, training the dogs is good, practical experience for students. “For physical therapists, one of the treatment options is to recommend these types of dogs for patients. So it is good for them to understand what goes into training and raising therapy dogs.” And, she said, “Students have gained a chance to take on leadership roles, to work more in the community.”
Of the six pups who’ve completed the training, three are successfully working in their chosen field. One, Éclair, is a companion to a boy who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Anemaet said the national average for dogs to successfully become Canine Companions is around 40 percent — proof of how demanding the program is, and how high the expectations are for therapy dogs. Dogs that graduate from the Canine Companions for Independence program are prepared to serve in one of four capacities: full-service dogs, which work with adults with disabilities; companion dogs, which work with children with disabilities; facility dogs, which comfort humans in courtrooms, schools or other public settings; or dogs that assist the hearing-impaired. As any parent knows, raising little ones, then watching them grow up, succeed and take their place in the world is immensely rewarding. At the same time, Anemaet said, “It’s tough to let them go.” REGIS.EDU
19
THE MAN BEHIND GRACELAND
FORTY YEARS AGO, ELVIS PRESLEY’S ESTATE WAS IN DANGER OF BEING SOLD. REGIS GRADUATE JACK SODEN STEPPED IN TO SAVE THE KING’S LEGACY — AND DEVELOPED AN AMERICAN TREASURE IN THE PROCESS.
BY Matt K. Johnson IMAGES Brett Stakelin
20
Fall/Winter 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
J
ACK SODEN WAS A REGIS GRADUATE WORKING IN FINANCE WHEN PRISCILLA PRESLEY WALKED INTO HIS LIFE. It was
a few years after the 1977 death of Elvis Presley, the American music icon and Priscilla’s ex-husband. Priscilla was a co-executor of Graceland, Elvis’ estate on the outskirts of Memphis, Tenn., where members of Elvis’ family still lived. Graceland was hemorrhaging money, and Priscilla was being advised by myriad voices, including her co-executors, to sell the property. “When I said we can’t do that, [I was told] basically that Elvis in six months would be forgotten,” Priscilla Presley said. “I think those words penetrated so deep into me, [and I said] this is never going to happen. There’s no way Elvis Presley can be forgotten. Certainly, we cannot sell his home that he so dearly loved and said he would never sell.”
Presley held tightly to the idea that she could keep the home and maybe even open it up to visitors. With nearly all voices still telling her to sell, she found a sympathetic ear in an unlikely figure: Soden, a former English major who had never worked in tourism. Nearly four decades after Soden’s and Presley’s vision became reality, Soden stands as the only CEO Graceland has ever had and the only person Presley trusted to protect Elvis’ treasured home. While ushering in more than 20 million visitors since the property opened, Soden has guided Graceland toward its current spot in the pantheon of American music and culture. Soden knows his wild ride might not have happened without optimism, perseverance, good fortune and a stop at a place called Regis University.
REGIS.EDU
21
Graceland’s media room (left) and front foyer.
A DOSE OF JESUIT PHILOSOPHY Soden grew up the son of an investment banker in a Kansas City, Mo., Catholic family. He attended a Jesuit Catholic high school in his hometown alongside his brother, and the pair had a few friends from Kansas City who had gone on to Regis after graduation. To the Soden boys, the idea of going to college in Colorado was an all-too-attractive one. Both brothers settled on Regis, and although Jack planned on going into his father’s investment banking firm, he decided to major in English and minor in sociology. “I’ve had a pretty good experience with the value of liberal arts, being a decent writer and communicator,” Soden said. It was at Regis that Soden met the men who would become his best friends. The group called themselves the “Theta Betas,” rented a house together on Gaylord Street near City Park in Denver and traveled up to the mountains for ski trips. They spent time with friends from nearby schools such as Loretto Heights College, whose nursing program was the foundation for what is now Regis’ Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions. Soden looks back with thankfulness on his time at Regis and the open-minded outlook it gave him.
22
Fall/Winter 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
“You could obviously tell that the Jesuit theology was outside the box,” he said. “As young students, we were invited to think about situational ethics et cetera, as opposed to, ‘This is the Ten Commandments. Read it and don’t forget it.’” While graduating and considering his next steps in the spring of 1968, Soden faced a turbulent world. The Vietnam War and protests against it were in full swing, and Martin Luther King Jr. had recently been assassinated in the midst of the Civil Rights movement. Riots sparked by King’s death were breaking out across the country, and the political world was bracing for a tumultuous election. The future for a new college graduate looked uncertain. “You should’ve seen the view out the windshield in 1968,” Soden said. “Clear to the horizon, it looked like toothpaste that couldn’t possibly get back in the tube.” Despite this bleak outlook, Soden stayed optimistic — in part, he says, because of the foundation in liberal arts and Jesuit values he gained at Regis. “It couldn’t have been a better time [for me] to have had a good dose of Jesuit philosophy and theology. … It was a time in dire need of clear thinking and optimistic thinking, and I think the Regis education had a lot to do with how we got through it.”
Years later, that positivity would pay off. Soden found his way into the finance industry in Kansas City, where his father had worked for years, and tried his hand at being a stockbroker. It didn’t stick.
There was only one problem. Soden had grown up on music from bands like the Beatles, and one day he made a confession to Presley: He wasn’t much of an Elvis fan. To Presley, that wasn’t an issue.
“Sitting on the phone trying to sell a hundred shares of Iowa Power and Light to a little old lady just made me crazy,” he said.
“Any kind of fan, I think they would be too emotionally involved,” Presley said. “I don’t think they could step back and see the bigger picture or make decisions that needed to be made. I needed a voice of reason.”
Still, he persevered in finance and eventually found a foothold with financier Morgan Maxfield — and that’s when his path met Priscilla Presley’s. FROM MANSION TO MONUMENT Presley had been introduced to Maxfield and Soden in Los Angeles, with the hope that they might be willing to support her idea of opening Graceland. “The more time I spent with Jack, the more I liked him,” Presley said. “I just liked his positivity. He had such a bigger outlook than anyone I had talked to before. … It was always optimistic. ‘We can do this.’” Around that time, Maxfield was killed in a private plane crash. That left Soden as Presley’s central voice of hope that Graceland could work as a business. “How tough [could] it be?” Soden remembers saying. “Once again, it was optimism. Now in retrospect, I’ve always laughed that it was easier to be optimistic if you didn’t know enough to be afraid.”
So Presley asked Soden to meet her co-executors, Elvis’ accountant and a representative from the National Bank of Commerce. It wasn’t long before Soden’s optimism won them over, but they were skeptical that an outsider — an English major from the Midwest — could help get Graceland the attraction off the ground. “They told me later that it was an absolutely ridiculous idea on her part [to bring me in],” Soden said. “I was born and raised in Kansas City. I knew nothing about tourism or music. I’d already said I wasn’t an Elvis fan.” With Presley finally having found someone who believed in her vision, she and Soden began touring the homes of other famous figures that were being run as tourist attractions: Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Virginia, the Biltmore mansion in North Carolina and even the Thomas Edison House in New Jersey. Presley’s favorite was Hearst Castle in San Simeon, Calif. The home of publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst was operated in the way she hoped Graceland would be — with everything left as it originally was.
REGIS.EDU
23
With notes in hand from each of these home tours, Soden devised a plan for opening Graceland. He and Presley remember having no idea how many fans would show up the first day. “You’d expect maybe that the diehard fans would be there, but it was the future we didn’t know,” Soden said. “But they came in great numbers and they kept coming.” With a healthy dose of optimism and 14 Dodge vans to shuttle visitors, Graceland opened to a strong crowd on the Monday morning of June 7, 1982. During the following weeks, tours were so well attended that in just over a month, Soden and Presley made back the full $500,000 investment they had secured to open Graceland. Since then, Graceland has become a staple of American culture, with references abounding in songs, television shows, feature films. It has been visited by presidents Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush, musicians Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift, and athletes Peyton Manning and Muhammad Ali. In November 2018, Soden accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Elvis’ behalf at the only house in the nation that receives more yearly visitors than Graceland — the White House. Even foreign dignitaries have made the trip to Graceland, including Prince Albert II of Monaco, Prince William of England and former Costa Rican president Oscar Arias. In 2006, the same year Graceland received National Historic Landmark status, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi made a joint visit with then-President George W. Bush.
“The prime minister, we knew he was a huge Elvis fan, and he was just beside himself,” Soden said. “He was so excited. It’s times like that that would just make you go, ‘Man, I wouldn’t miss this for the world.’” TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS In his 37-plus years at the helm of Graceland, Soden has overseen a dizzying amount of expansion. He and his Elvis Presley Enterprises team bought the strip mall across the street from the property, where businesses had used Elvis’ name and likeness to hawk merchandise of all kinds. Soden also bought back Elvis’ 1958 Convair 880 airplane, named Lisa Marie after Elvis’ and Priscilla’s daughter, to display at Graceland. In the past five years alone, Soden oversaw the $137 million expansion of the Graceland campus, which now includes a 450-room resort hotel, multiple museums, retail space, restaurants and more. The museum space includes Elvis’ vintage cars, a wall covered in his gold records and a collection of the custom suits he wore to perform on various grand stages. None of the expansion at Graceland has happened without Soden’s hand in it. “It’s just kinda interesting to have your CEO as a thought partner in your day-to-day work,” said Christian Ross, Graceland’s public relations and marketing specialist. “You don’t get that probably anywhere. [Even with] something this massive, he’s literally involved in everything here.”
The iconic Jungle Room (or as Elvis called it, the den) served as Graceland’s living room and was the setting for Elvis’ final studio recording sessions.
The statue of Elvis on Beale Street in downtown Memphis pays homage to the city’s most beloved son.
LIGHTNIN’
ROUND with Jack Soden FAVORITE ELVIS SONG: “As Long as I Have You” FAVORITE CELEBRITY EVER HOSTED: Trisha Yearwood FAVORITE SPOT AT REGIS: The lawn between Carroll Hall and DeSmet Hall, where my friends and I would spend hours throwing the Frisbee. Or the “Pink Palace” (Main Hall). There used to be an orphanage for boys in that building, and after my grandfather was orphaned, he lived there for two or three years.
Soden finds time to serve on boards for business and human service organizations, including for multiple hospitals. He and his team also helped attract funding for Memphis’ National Civil Rights Museum. “He’s not ego-driven,” Presley said. “I don’t know if Jack even has an ego, to be honest with you.” Perhaps Soden’s most impressive accomplishment is realizing his vision to preserve the spirit of Elvis more than 40 years after the music legend’s death. Much of the effort to preserve that legacy comes through in the way Soden operates his business.
WEIRDEST QUESTION AT GRACELAND: Is Elvis still alive?
“Elvis was about entertainment. He had a sense of humor. We’d say way back that Graceland ought to be a fun place to work,” Soden said. “And if it’s not, we’re not doing it right.”
FAVORITE ROOM IN THE MANSION: Jungle Room
Presley notes that when she loses perspective on things, Soden is the person she calls to be her voice of reason.
MOST IMPORTANT VALUES: Honesty, integrity, doing the right thing. Without those things, nothing seems to matter. FAVORITE THING ABOUT DENVER: The climate and the view of the mountains. ADVICE TO REGIS STUDENTS: Be optimistic about the future. Being an optimist means you’re always going to win in the end. And come visit Graceland!
“He’s just got that instinctive nature,” Presley said. “God, I couldn’t even think of anyone else I could have hired or [partnered with] to get this done. …He just takes care of business, and that’s what Elvis did.”
REGIS.EDU
25
HEALING THE MINDS OF A NATION BY Matt K. Johnson
A CONFLICT-RAVAGED NATION HAS NEVER HAD PROPER MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING SERVICES. A REGIS PROFESSOR AND HIS TEAM ARE CHANGING THAT — BY GOING WHERE NO ONE IN UKRAINE HAS GONE BEFORE.
26
Fall/Winter 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
Prof. Josh Kreimeyer and a team are taking trauma-focused mental health care to Ukraine, a nation involved in bloody conflict with Russia.
In the woods of northern Ukraine, Josh Kreimeyer held a squishy toy Koosh ball. Kreimeyer, a Regis assistant professor of marriage and family therapy, was leading a mental health retreat for a Ukrainian military veteran and his wife. While using the Koosh ball to facilitate some light mental exercises, Kreimeyer learned something that got his attention. “I found out partway through the retreat the veteran had been held captive and had all of his teeth pulled out with pliers,” Kreimeyer said. “And I’m doing games with a Koosh ball.” It was summer 2019, and this veteran had recently returned from the front lines of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, a deadly struggle between pro-Europe Ukrainians and Russia-backed separatist militias in eastern Ukraine. Together, he and his wife had signed up for the retreat — the first of its kind in the formerly Soviet-controlled nation that has never had clinical mental health counseling services. By developing a multifaceted mental health treatment plan, Kreimeyer and his team are starting the field of trauma-focused counseling in Ukraine from the ground up. “We basically built the field of counseling in Ukraine,” Kreimeyer said. “It didn’t exist before.” Through connections with schools, government officials and a key Ukrainian-American professor, Kreimeyer worked with a small group to develop Ukraine’s first-ever accredited postgraduate degree for trauma-informed clinical counseling. They also started Open Doors, the nation’s first outpatient counseling center that meets American standards of care, with Kreimeyer and his team even building tables and setting up network servers themselves. The center opened in summer 2018 in the capital city of Kyiv.
“In America, even if you don’t use counseling, it’s there. ... Ukrainians don’t have that,” Kreimeyer said. “I think they feel so oppressed, like there’s not an outlet for them, so the gift we bring is huge.” Kreimeyer is doing the work in Ukraine as a volunteer while continuing to teach at Regis. His team, all volunteers, include faculty, alumni and students from Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va., where this year he completed a doctorate program in Counselor Education and Supervision. So far, a considerable amount of funding for these projects has come directly from the team members themselves. They have also received some support from Ukrainian refugees who have relocated to Canada. Olya Zaporozhets, Ph.D., a Regent professor and Ukrainian national, initiated the work in her home country through a partnership between her university and a Christian school in southern Ukraine. She, Kreimeyer and their team initially met with the Ukrainian government in 2016. The first crop of students from the counselor education program earned diplomas in 2017. Zaporozhets estimates that more than 60 students have completed the program, with 23 new students soon to follow. Diplomas are now offered through the nationally prestigious Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv.
The team is working to create a nationwide plan for mental health care, at the request of a vice prime minister of Ukraine.
Kreimeyer, who formerly served as a Russian linguist in the U.S. Army, also developed Ukraine’s first counseling retreats to serve Ukrainian veterans.
Kreimeyer and his team are filling a dire need in the eastern European nation, as the armed Ukrainian-Russian conf lict has escalated during the past decade. Through February 2019, as many as 13,000 people had been killed and 30,000 wounded in Ukraine, according to United Nations estimates.
“I know our desired legacy in Ukraine would be a wave of healing across the nation,” Kreimeyer said. “I want healing to sweep over so that counseling can be accepted as a form of help, just like they view healthcare. Because they desperately need it.” REGIS.EDU
27
CULTURAL CHALLENGES
BRINGING REGIS TO UKRAINE
The challenge of building Ukraine’s counseling field is a steep one, fraught with cultural obstacles that provide clues to why Ukraine has never previously had proper counseling services. Many Ukrainians have difficulty trusting the intentions of counselors, Kreimeyer said. Under Soviet rule, Ukrainians who spoke too freely could be reported by spies, and more recently, Russian forces have used psychological warfare against Ukrainians.
Kreimeyer has used his Regis experience to strengthen his work in other ways.
“That is what psychology meant to most [Ukrainians], that it was something people in white coats did to mess with your head — to get inside and hurt you,” he said. “It was not something that was to help you.”
As a professor, he helped initiate Welcome Home Warrior retreats at Regis’ Colorado Springs Campus. These retreats united his counseling students with military families to provide specialized services in a retreat setting. He models retreats for Ukrainian veterans in the same fashion.
The Ukrainian language provides a hint of how many of the nation’s residents have learned to stuff their emotions. The term “kammenoye litso” (in English transliteration), meaning “stone-faced,” refers to the emotionless facade many Ukrainians have adopted.
So far, he has led several four-day retreats that have proven so effective that Ukrainians are asking for more. He plans to offer three more retreats in June 2020.
“I do believe that it’s probably something that comes with the Communist culture,” Zaporozhets said. “Just the stone wall, having a certain front, not showing emotion, not showing weakness — because emotion may be associated with weakness.”
“This is my passion, bringing students together with meeting a need in the community,” Kreimeyer said. “It’s just such a perfect fit.”
Ukrainians also aren’t accustomed to the cost or the social stigma of counseling. As Ukrainian refugees in Canada continue to provide financial help, Kreimeyer and his team envision a system in which Americans too can support Ukrainian mental health care. Until then, paying for therapy is still a muddy issue. Kreimeyer has also faced the challenge of how best to train counselors who haven’t previously experienced a counseling session as a patient. One of Kreimeyer’s most effective tools is the fishbowl model, which he uses in his classes at Regis. In this interactive method, a student simulates providing therapy to another student, while classmates watch and provide feedback. For the students Kreimeyer has worked with in Ukraine, this real-life method of learning has been revolutionary. “I think a lot of Regis’ Jesuit and Ignatian teaching focuses on the experiential. The first few Ukrainian students that I taught would cry and say thank you,” Kreimeyer said. “They’re so overwhelmed with how powerful that learning model is.”
28
Fall/Winter 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
One of his most meaningful moments from the retreats came with that first Ukrainian veteran whose teeth had been pulled out by his Russian captors. Kreimeyer brought out a special “challenge coin” from Regis’ Military and Veterans Services office that features the seals of the branches of the military, the Regis crest and the American flag. In a special ceremony at the end of the emotional retreat, Kreimeyer gave the veteran the challenge coin in a handshake, bringing the man to tears. “It was just so meaningful,” Kreimeyer said. “I was overwhelmed too, by him and his wife being the first people to step up — in this country where psychology was weaponized — to say, ‘We want some help.’”
PRAYING FOR A SIGN Kreimeyer may never have gone to Ukraine if he hadn’t had a chance encounter with Olya Zaporozhets, his team leader, during an interview for his Ph.D. program with Regent University. Before interviewing for the program, Kreimeyer said he prayed for a sign that would show him whether the program was right for him. Having been a Russian linguist in the U.S. Army, he recognized that Zaporozhets was speaking with a Russian-sounding accent when he entered the building for his interview. He struck up a conversation with her, not knowing that she would be his interviewer that day. “My file had no indication I spoke Russian, yet I still get assigned to this person as my interviewer,” he said. “So I was like, ‘OK, that’s the sign.’” He and Zaporozhets quickly struck up a professional relationship, and with Kreimeyer’s extensive experience in both the military and counseling, he soon joined the leadership team that is making waves in mental health care across the capital city of Kyiv. Since their first steps, Zaporozhets says Kreimeyer’s ability to provide optimism and vision has made him an ideal partner for the project. “He’s not afraid of a challenge,” Zaporozhets said. “He’s not afraid of something new. As a matter of fact, I’m not sure if he’s afraid of anything.”
The veteran was so pleased with the retreat that he and his wife referred several people to Kreimeyer after they returned home. “Josh is able to connect,” Zaporozhets said. “He’s able to dialogue and teach things that may be foreign to the culture, but at the same time, are needed.”
UNITED NATIONS Kreimeyer’s years of work in Ukraine have gained international attention. Earlier this year, his experiences earned him a contract position with the United Nations as a consultant. He teaches psycho-social skills to Ukrainian psychologists who work with people affected by war. One of these trainings took place when he visited Kyiv this fall. Outside of his U.N. work, Kreimeyer and his team created a Ukrainian curriculum in child mental health therapy, which includes sending counseling students to volunteer at a local orphanage. The team also is working on a family therapy curriculum, while developing plans to open other regional counseling centers. They are connecting with funding sources to provide scholarships for counseling students. The work in Ukraine has already been such a success that officials in the European nations of Kosovo and Armenia have asked for the same support for clinical counseling, Kreimeyer said. Given the foundation Kreimeyer and his team have built in Ukraine, that kind of expansion may soon be possible. Kreimeyer doesn’t put limits on the potential benefits of his team’s work. The heart of that mission, Kreimeyer says, is the Ignatian call: “Go forth and set the world on fire.” “I want to get out there,” he said. “I don’t want to sit in my office and just wax theologically and philosophically. I love doing that, but there’s such need in the world. People in Ukraine that I’ve grown to love are so in need.” REGIS.EDU
29
Three convenient ways to shop!
BOOKSTORE REGIS SQUARE
FANZONE CLARKE HALL and online at
RegisStore.com 30
Fall/Winter 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
HANDS-ON HEALING
* * *
WENTY-FIVE
SHORT
T H E
D A T E
* * *
February 15 , 2020 at 6 pm
SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL THERAPY CELEBRATES ITS SUCCESS
T
S A V E
at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science
YEARS
AGO, IRA GORMAN, PT, PH.D.,
WAS ONE OF FEW INSTRUCTORS IN REGIS’ SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL
THERAPY. That wasn’t a problem, though: There were only 36 students. A quarter-century later, that fledgling program has 83 students, chosen from more than 1,600 applicants. The original two-year master’s course was replaced in 2004 by a three-year program that confers a doctor of physical therapy degree.
Today Gorman is the assistant dean and an associate professor in the program that U.S. News & World Report ranks 28th in the nation. The School of Physical Therapy has plenty to celebrate as it marks its 25th anniversary this year. That celebration will include a gathering Feb. 15 at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Gorman attributes much of the program’s success to its faculty, all of whom practice while teaching, the mission of service, and to the flexibility afforded by not being tethered to a large medical school. During the past two years, 95 percent of Regis graduates passed the National Physical Therapy Exam, a crucial step toward licensure, on their first try — well above the national average. An aging population with creaky knees and achy backs — and their desire to remain active — has created growing demand for physical therapy. Fortunately, the Regis program has been in a position to grow along with that demand, Gorman said. In recent decades, physical therapy has become more accessible, thanks to changes in regulations and relaxed insurance requirements. Gorman said the Regis PT school has been at the forefront helping advocate for those policy changes. Physical therapy students spend 38 weeks working alongside licensed physical therapists, including at one of Regis’ 500 contracted clinical sites nationwide. But what sets the Regis School of Physical Therapy apart is its commitment to the Jesuit values of mission and service, Gorman said. That means students become practitioners who understand the whole patient and serve their communities. They learn that service component early on, through participation in outreach that includes participating in Denver’s Project Homeless Connect event. Regis students and faculty travel to work in countries with a need for physical therapy expertise, such as Peru, Nicaragua, Ethiopia and Tanzania. The school is planning an immersion trip to Peru this spring, Gorman said. All of which should equip the Regis School of Physical Therapy, and its graduates, to excel in a growing, changing field for the next 25 years. — KA For info on the 25th anniversary celebration, email igorman@regis.edu.
Plan to attend CSM 2020 in Denver Stay over Saturday night to celebrate with the faculty, staff, students and your fellow Regis School of PT alumni. Join the class of 1996 through the class of 2019 along with DPT graduates and fellowship graduates in a 25th Anniversary Celebration. Food, drink, music and special guests. Stay and ski your favorite area on Sunday! More details and registration information to be sent in Fall 2019.
Please Join Us!
REGIS.EDU
31
WHY DO YOU GIVE SO MUCH OF YOUR TIME TO REGIS?
I feel pretty connected. It’s an easy thing to do when you’re engulfed in a community. Regis does a good job of promoting community. It seems natural. It never seems forced. And part of it is I just enjoy people and helping people. WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT ATTENDING REGIS?
FROM REGIS TO GLAMPING GURU A CONVERSATION WITH RUBEN MARTINEZ, RC ’07, ACB ’10
R
UBEN MARTINEZ TURNED A GUT FEELING INTO A SUCCESSFUL ON-
LINE BUSINESS. In 2011 glamping — glamorous camping — had not yet caught on. Martinez liked adventurous travel with unusual accommodations. He and a business partner noticed an uptick in “glamping” online searches, yet there was no site for hosting the tricked-out yurts, tree houses, cabins and other unique lodgings people sought.
Enter Glamping Hub, an online platform for booking unusual outdoor lodging “where luxury meets simplicity,” as the website explains. Launched in 2014, Glamping Hub was serving up 35,000 accommodations by 2018. The company’s 80 employees are spread among its Seville, Spain, headquarters and a second office in Denver. 32
Martinez, who lives in Denver with his wife and two daughters, is dedicated to Regis, where he played then coached soccer. Involvement in the Anderson College of Business’ first Innovation Challenge three years ago led to co-teaching an MBA entrepreneurial course last year. Then he spearheaded the Magis Factory, which helps startups whose missions include serving the greater good to reach their full potential. Participants receive mentoring, funding access and more. Martinez’s connections also led to funding the Innovation Club at Arrupe Jesuit High School — near Regis — which introduces students to entrepreneurship through Regis and its students. We caught up with Martinez, who graciously shared more about himself and his Regis experience.
Fall/Winter 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
I always enjoyed the small classroom sizes. That was different. At larger universities, you’re a number. It’s easy not to show up. My senior year in a marketing class, someone was missing from class. The professor said, ‘Hey, do you know where this person is?’ and had me call the person and ask, ‘Are you coming to class today?’ ‘Well, I am now,’ the student replied in a playful manner. There’s a sense of accountability at Regis; that was important. Being able to get my master’s while working fulltime, that was important. I enjoyed that flexibility. HOW DID REGIS PREPARE YOU FOR A FUTURE IN ENTREPRENEURIAL BUSINESS?
I had excellent mentors like (Board of Trustees member) Bill Fortune. He’s always been exceptionally supportive. And I recall my first MBA-level finance class, which was brutal. I am not a finance individual. It took me to my limits of comfort and my breaking point. I had to ask for a lot of help. It was an uncomfortable and unsettling kind of class, which is important. It showed this was something you had to buckle up for. It wasn’t going to be handed to you. WHY ARE YOU SO ENGAGED WITH THE REGIS COMMUNITY TODAY?
It started with an invitation to help with the Innovation Challenge in the Anderson College of Business, then led to my teaching with Ken (Sagendorf, director of Innovation, Curriculum and Development). Ken and I agree we’d love for people to take a step back and say, ‘I’d love to be an entrepreneur. I’ll go to Regis.’ No one has that selling point right now, so it’s an opportunity for Regis. Entrepreneurs, we’re very needy people. Regis is set up to provide the tools, resources and support that entrepreneurs need. — JF
ASK REGI
THE BEST ADVICE COLUMN. EVER.
F
I R S T O F F, A Q U I C K D I S C L A I M E R . I’m not a “real”
doctor, nor am I a “professional” therapist. I’m a fox, and a bold one. Prone to taking big chances and making big mistakes. But taking chances has also shaped me into the charmingly beautiful woodland creature I am today.
My next bold venture? For the first time in my young life, I’m offering my completely unsolicited advice services. Ask me anything and I’ll answer it in future issues of the Regis University Magazine. I do reserve the right to answer the questions I’m most familiar with, but I have a great sixth sense about many things. I may even end up being the guru you’ve always been searching for. Or just another clever fox. The first question started while cleverly eavesdropping — foxes have good ears! — on two students sharing a sandwich and coffee in the Student Center. The conversation went a little like this: I recently discovered my roommate supports a political figure who I really dislike. Do I ask to be transferred to another hall or spend an entire academic year
dealing with my roommate constantly talking about this person? I couldn’t respond at the time, but now, some advice: I would try to remain open and cautiously optimistic. College is an adventure full of challenges, and the more you expose yourself to different opinions and alternate viewpoints, the more you’ll develop your own perspective. Good-lookin’ Jesuit foxes like me believe in a healthy dose of honest reflection and contemplation. With that being said, don’t feel pressured to conform to your roommate’s opinion. You are entitled to yours, but I’d say be compassionate and listen. A wise old fox once told me if you have the choice to be kind or right, then choose being kind. If your roomie con-
tinues to talk about it in a way that seems unreasonable, you have the right to graciously let her know it’s bothering you. You may also want to share your opinion, so feel free to ask her if she would be willing to hear it — perhaps over a box of donuts. Mmm, how I love donuts. But I digress. If she says yes, you can engage in a healthy and respectful discussion to clarify where you each stand, and you’ll be able to communicate to her that it’s a sensitive topic for you. If she says no, you can rest easy knowing that you offered. Thanks for letting me listen in on your conversation and offer a little advice. I’m cheering for you. Send Regi the Ranger your questions, quandaries, compliments, fresh donuts and other concerns to editor@regis.edu.
THE GIFT THAT GIVES BACK. Charitable gift annuities and you
H OW I T WO R KS You make a gift of cash or other assets and
Gift of Property
receive payments for your lifetime at a fixed rate based upon your age. The remainder
Remaining Balance
will go to Regis University in support of the programs you love. GIFT ANNUITY
DONOR
Charitable Gift Annuities can provide a number of tax benefits while complementing your retirement and estate planning.
Potential Tax Deductions Fixed Payments
To learn more about annuities and other tax-wise charitable gift options, please contact the Office of Estate and Gift Planning at 1.800.388.2366 or 303.458.3523, or ccall@regis.edu We are not currently offering charitable gift annuities in California, New York or New Jersey.
REGIS.EDU
33
CLASS NOTES BY CLASS
1990s Adswerve, a Google Marketing Platform consultant, named Lucinda Nieto, RC ’97, a director in sales.
2000s David Golda, RHCHP ’00, was named administrator of St. Charles Madras Health in Madras, Ore. AT&T named Jason Porter, ACB ’01, senior vice president for the company’s FirstNet broadband network for public safety. Mark Belton, ACB ’03, county administrator for Charles County, Md., has been elected to the board of directors of the Chesapeake Conservancy. Craig Olin, CCLS ’04, was named medical director of Americares Free Clinic in Stamford, Conn. Mike Reynolds, ACB ’05, a former deputy director of the National Park Service (NPS) and former superintendent of Yosemite National Park, will oversee the NPS’ Intermountain Region. Former Regis women’s soccer standout Kate (Murphy) Avila, RC ’06, was inducted into the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019. Elevate Rapid City, an economic and community development group in Rapid City, S.D., hired Tom Johnson, ACB ’07, as its first permanent president and chief executive officer. AmeriHealth Caritas health care insurance carrier appointed Heidi Chan, ACB ’08, as market president of its North Carolina health plan. David Dickson, ACB ’09, was named chief product officer at Accurate Background workforce screening solutions, based in Irvine, Calif. Peter Barrett, ACB ’09, signed a contract to fight professionally for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
34
Fall/Winter 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
BY CLASS
2010s Outer Cape Health Services in Massachusetts hired Kimberly Irvine, RHCHP ’12, as a family nurse practitioner. Marijuana Business Daily, a cannabis publishing and trade show business based in Lakewood, Colo., named Chris Walsh, ACB ’13, chief executive officer. Lindsay Reeves, ACB ’13, was named director of Early Childhood Programs at Catholic Charities Diocese of Pueblo, Colo. Laura Ragin, ACB ’16, retired from her role as assistant vice chancellor and controller of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Erin Hadcock, ACB ’16, joined accounting firm LeverPoint as a senior accountant. Nate Ternes, RC ’19, brewer for Rails End Beer Co. in Broomfield, Colo., released the Rails End Marzen, his first solo creation beer, in September.
SHARE GOOD NEWS WITH FORMER CLASSMATES AND FELLOW RANGERS!
WE’D LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR CAREER CHANGES, NEW JOBS, WEDDINGS, BIRTHS AND MORE!
SUBMIT YOUR INFORMATION AND JPG IMAGES TO EDITOR@REGIS.EDU AND THESE COULD BE PUBLISHED IN A FUTURE ISSUE OF REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE.
Regis University School of Physical Therapy Professor Andrew Smith blesses the hands of student Haleigh Beck. The Blessing of the Hands ceremony, a tradition in the physical therapy program, signifies that students are beginning full-time clinical work and becoming healers. REGIS.EDU
35
BANKING ON RISK A CONVERSATION WITH SUNDIE SEEFRIED, ACB ’98 REGIS UNIVERSITY | NORTHWEST CAMPUS
plan UPDATE
Make your impact on the future of Regis. Donate today. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT
regis.edu/masterplan
O
Fall/Winter 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
My greatest accomplishment
SUNDIE
was coming out from under
SEEFRIED
WAS
POISED TO RETIRE as president
and CEO of Partner Colorado Credit Union in 2012. At a gathering with some attorney friends, they asked, “Why won’t you bank cannabis clients?” This question-turned-dare challenged Seefried, and the result was a new business venture. Seefried set out to establish a financial institution that eliminated many of the risks of banking within the cannabis industry. Seefried understood the challenges of developing an approved banking service for members of the industry.
the radar and publishing my book, “Navigating Safe Harbor: Cannabis Banking in a Time of Uncertainty.” I had hives the day I turned it in, since it was the window for full transparency into this unique banking system. I wanted to show others this type of banking is possible, and I wanted to conduct business the right way — something my Regis education helped instill in me through its values-based curriculum. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR STUDENTS LOOKING TO TAKE
Through careful research, conversations with the Federal Reserve and connections with U.S. State Department officials, she successfully founded Safe Harbor, a system for legal cannabis businesses to safely bank cash.
A RISK?
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST RISK?
choose to tackle something no
Developing a banking system that no one has done before is the overarching risk I took with Safe Harbor. Specifically, the risk of prosecution was highest when Safe Harbor was first founded. Now, the probability of prosecution is minimized, but I never stop looking over my shoulder. There only needs to be one example of a financial system that went wrong in order to shut down Safe Harbor.
one else wants to, you’re taking
WHAT WERE SOME OF YOUR
to attend an Ivy League school
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
to receive the best education.
ALONG THE WAY?
— LW
STUDENT HOUSING
36
PPORTUNITY CALLED WHEN
Always look for problems that aren’t being solved. Opportunity can throw itself right in your face, and if you’re preoccupied with following others, you might miss the opportunity. If you
a risk that can reap a big reward. HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON REGIS TO PURSUE YOUR GRADUATE DEGREE?
Colleagues recommended Regis to me based on its reputation for quality education. Everything from its reputation of quality education to strong ethics and values appealed to me. One thing I learned is that you don’t have
MY REGIS STORY
HOLISTIC HEALING GRADUATE LEADS CUTTING-EDGE PHYSICAL THERAPY AT HIS CO-FOUNDED CENTER AND LAB IN BOULDER
But for those who have the foresight, Briggs says Revo’s prevention program may be invaluable. Using state-of-theart biomechanics technology, including high-speed motion cameras, force plates, electromyography (EMG) — which records electrical activity of muscle tissue — muscle sequencing and a variety of other advanced techniques, Briggs and his Revo staff acquire data on how an individual’s joints and muscles move and react. With that information, they can fix athletes’ problems before they start. “We can get a movement profile and know that certain types of movements put athletes at high risk,” he said. “Then we can custom design a program to reduce that risk.”
Regis alumni Brian Briggs, left, stands with physical therapists and co-founders of Revo Physiotherapy & Sports Performance Matt Smith and Dane DeLozier. Physical therapist and Regis graduate Candace Cox is at right.
I
NJURY IGNITED BRIAN BRIGGS’ PASSION FOR HEALING. A torn ACL interrupted
his high school soccer career but launched him in the direction of his career, and his calling. “I had to go to physical therapy, and I realized people got to do that for a living,” Briggs said. A few years after completing his bachelor’s degree in athletic training, Briggs decided it was time to become a licensed physical therapist. And he knew exactly the kind of education he wanted. “I was determined to do my doctoral work at a Jesuit university.” He had earned his undergraduate degree at Creighton University, a Jesuit institution in Omaha, Neb. Based on that experience, Briggs was certain a Jesuit physical therapy program would best suit him. “The Jesuit approach is more holistic, incorporating the whole person versus one little piece of health care. I valued that,” he said.
With its highly regarded physical therapy program and its setting near the Rocky Mountains, Regis was the perfect fit for Briggs, who may not play competitive soccer any longer but remains active. He earned his doctor of physical therapy (DPT) degree at Regis in 2011, and just four years later, he and two business partners opened Revo Physiotherapy & Sports Performance in Boulder, a groundbreaking physical therapy center and biomechanics lab. Briggs said Revo’s focus is on preventing injury and helping athletes achieve peak performance, as well as helping injuries heal. “My real passion is preventing injury. If I can prevent people from getting hurt in the first place, that gets me excited,” Briggs said. Prevention can be a tough sell, he acknowledges, since many people don’t think about physical therapy until something hurts.
That program isn’t aimed at changing a runner’s gait or a cyclist’s natural motion. Rather, Briggs said Revo can offer strategies for strengthening or stretching muscles in a way that works with an athlete’s body. He said making a difference for clients is every bit as rewarding as he hoped it would be. “I affect one person and I can see how that benefits their friends and family. It’s very rewarding.” With its highly active, athletic population, Boulder is both an optimal and a tough location to launch a physical therapy practice. There are plenty of athletes, of both the elite and weekend varieties, but competition among physical therapists can be as stiff as a middle-aged back after a marathon. Revo has thrived in Boulder; its original three-man founding crew has grown to a staff of 11, including strength trainers and massage therapists as well as additional physical therapists. What sets Revo apart, Briggs said, is the philosophy that drew him to Regis and to a Jesuit education. “We treat the whole person. That’s why we are successful.”— KA
REGIS.EDU
37
WINTER/SPRING 2020
UPCOMING EVENTS
A LOOK BACK AT
Mark your calendars! Events are added throughout the year. Also check us out online at regis.edu/events for a more in-depth schedule.
ALUMNI WEEKEND 2019
Jan. 11 SCHOOL OF PHARMACY 10TH ANNIVERSARY WHITE COAT CEREMONY
Jan.
26
CREST CLUB CHURCH TOUR
Feb.
1
CREST CLUB DAY OF RECOLLECTION
Feb.
15
SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL THERAPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Join alumni, friends and faculty at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
Mar.
22
CREST CLUB SPRING FLING
April
4
ALUMNI FOR OTHERS EASTER BASKET COLLECTION
April STAY TUNED ALUMNI + FAMILY WEEKEND FALL 2020 38
Fall/Winter 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
17
DAY OF GIVING
May
2-3
COMMENCEMENT
IN MEMORIAM
“ T H O S E W E L O V E D O N ’ T G O A W AY, T H E Y W A L K B E S I D E U S E V E R Y D AY. U N S E E N , U N H E A R D , Y E T A L W AY S N E A R . S T I L L L O V E D , S T I L L M I S S E D , F O R E V E R D E A R . ” ~ ANON ~
SR. MARY ANN COYLE, LHC ‘48
LAWRENCE C. BLACKFORD, RC ‘61
ROSEMARIE (MANCUSO) MORELLI, LHC ‘49
JAMES J. WATERS, RC ‘61
CAROL ANNE (PORTER) POWELL, LHC ‘50
TIM L. FITZGERALD, RC ‘63
PAUL J. VILLANO, RC ‘51
SANDRA LEE (FINI) LOVAS, LHC ‘63
ROSE-MARIE J. CASBURN, LHC ‘52
BRUCE ANDREW SCHILKEN, RC ‘63
PEGGY M. (ALCORN) DOUGHERTY, LHC ‘52
KATHLEEN (LANDRIGAN) TAVEGIE, LHC ‘63
JEANNE MARIE LACERTE, LHC ‘52
EDWARD J. BRAND, RC ‘64
WILLIAM ROBERT MATT, RC ‘52
PATRICK T. DRISCOLL, RC ‘64
LT. COL. JAMES S. VILLOTTI, RC ‘52 SHIRLEY M. (REYNOLDS) MONTAGUE, LHC ‘53 MARY MARLENE (FREUDENSTEIN) SARLO, LHC ‘53 MARY JAQUELINE (VITRY) GROSSART, LHC ‘54 BARBARA M. (LUCERNE) MURPHY, LHC ‘54 JAMES L. KLEINSCHNITZ, RC ‘55 EDWARD S. BARLOCK, RC ’57 MARDELL ROSE (DROTAR) ODOM, LHC ‘57 THOMAS C. BIRDSALL, RC ‘58 ANN ELIZABETH (KENNEDY) DRUCKER, LHC ‘58 RAYMOND L. MORITZ, RC ‘58 VINCENT P. CERRONE, RC ‘59 GEORGE F. COUGHLIN, RC ‘60 JAMES CHARLES MCCORMICK, RC ‘60 HAROLD D. MARCOTTE, RC ‘60 JANE K. (KEYER) SIMILE, LHC ‘60 DR. STEPHEN C. TELATNIK, RC ‘60 JAMES MEREDITH WETZEL, RC ‘60
Dr. Lawrence P. Wegrzyn,
34, family physician, died Oct. 16 after a long struggle with a rare form of cancer. According to Craig Garnett, publisher of the “Uvalde Leader-News,” Wegrzyn continued to treat patients at his Uvalde Family Practice in Uvalde, Texas, through much of his illness. Wegrzyn’s wife, Alexandra Tarski Wegrzyn, said her husband “chose family medicine in the small town we live in because it allowed his work to be in service to others.” She said the two met at Regis, and married a year after graduating in 2007. “We both very much credit Regis with our ability to not only get into graduate programs but also the fact that we thrived in them,” Alexandra Wegrzyn said. In addition to his wife, Wegrzyn is survived by three young daughters, Olivia, Charlotte and Angelina. All three say they plan to attend Regis, Alexandra Wegrzyn said.
MARY ELLEN (BUGAS) LUTTENEGGER, LHC ‘64 PATRICK D. KELLY, RC ‘66 LOUIS JOHN RIPPLE, RC ‘67 MICHAEL JOSEPH SCHLUETER, RC ‘73 JUNE (POORBAUGH) GREINER, LHC ‘77 KATHERINE M. KRAWCHIK, RC ‘77 ARTHUR RAYMOND OLIVER, RC ‘77 MICHAEL J. GRAVINO, RC ‘78 CLAIRE ELIZABETH (MANZ) LAHAN, LHC ‘78 MARY C. (GILBERT) POMERANTZ, RC ‘79 ROBERTA LYNN (GOODHARD) KINNEY, RC ‘84 SCOTT LEWIS SHWAYDER, LHC ‘86 DOLLY ANN (WOLF) CRAIG, ACB ‘87 FREDERICK LAMOND GIVINS, RC ‘91 DONALD RAY WILSON, ACB ‘91 LISA MARIE GERRINGER-O’SULLIVAN, ACB ’97, ‘00 ROBERT LOUIS WINTER, CCLS ’08, 10 AARON M. PHILLIPS, RC ‘18
ACB ANDERSON COLLEGE OF BUSINESS | CCIS COLLEGE OF COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES | CCLS COLLEGE OF CONTEMPORARY LIBERAL STUDIES LHC LORETTO HEIGHTS COLLEGE | RC REGIS COLLEGE | RHCHP RUECKERT-HARTMAN COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS
REGIS.EDU
39
W
40
O
R
D
S
E
A
R
C
H
Y
P
A
R
E
H
T
L
A
C
I
S
Y
H
P
R
X
W
C
F
A
S
E
I
K
C
O
R
E
H
T
P
Y
G
E
M
D
A
C
K
D
G
X
D
Z
L
S
O
A
P
B
B
M
G
H
L
H
L
R
A
E
N
J
C
Z
M
D
T
R
U
E
U
I
D
R
R
Z
K
G
F
G
S
S
P
U
L
L
I
B
R
E
T
R
O
P
Q
Z
E
D
M
A
N
I
Z
U
R
L
L
A
A
H
U
W
D
K
N
L
R
U
H
T
I
G
J
E
U
A
C
R
E
V
E
Y
R
T
M
U
S
Y
G
I
A
A
P
J
L
L
P
R
F
N
Y
Z
E
U
S
S
P
C
I
R
S
M
Y
D
A
P
A
E
A
S
T
C
V
G
M
F
U
X
H
E
C
I
G
R
C
N
T
M
R
L
X
H
A
K
Y
T
B
I
E
H
I
H
K
X
G
I
U
S
W
S
C
D
L
M
B
X
N
F
L
N
T
E
P
E
U
H
O
V
L
J
O
D
C
T
R
Q
J
D
I
A
E
W
R
S
T
O
Q
V
U
C
S
N
H
T
C
A
R
S
M
I
L
J
E
S
I
G
E
R
S
I
C
N
A
R
F
N
H
O
J
T
H
J
Z
T
I
F
R
E
H
T
A
F
P
L
Z
L
F
P
H
A
T
R
G
L
H
P
R
J
P
Q
L
F
E
R
I
S
C
D
L
N
A
N
W
O
B
K
E
E
W
R
E
G
N
A
R
S
W
E
R
G
R
G
R
U
E
C
K
E
R
T
H
A
R
T
M
A
N
O
P
I
G
N
I
W
E
R
B
T
F
A
R
C
D
E
I
L
P
P
A
S
R
E
H
T
O
R
O
F
N
E
M
O
W
D
N
A
N
E
M
RUECKERT HARTMAN
MAGIS
RANGER WEEK
HUMANE WORLD
PORTER BILLUPS
MILE HIGH MFA FATHER FITZ
CLAVER
APPLIED CRAFT BREWING
REGI THE RANGER
CCLS
RUSGA
THE ROCKIES
PHARMACY
PHYSICAL THERAPY
JOHN FRANCIS
MEN AND WOMEN FOR OTHERS
JESUIT
REGIS
WALKERS PUB
ATHLETICS
CURA PERSONALIS
IGNATIAN HERITAGE DAY
CLARKE
Fall/Winter 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
3333 Regis Blvd., Denver, CO 80221-1099
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Denver, CO Permit No. 3092