As a returning student, I’m not straight out of high school. I want to learn with the purpose of bettering myself and being able to have a future doing something I’m passionate about.

For me, learning with purpose means that I want something more than a degree. It’s taken me a while to figure out what I want to do, so now to learn with purpose is not just learning, to get a piece of paper, to say I went to college for four years and I did this. My purpose is to learn for the rest of my life, to have a career and better myself.

I think we should learn something new every day.

I took an anthropology course for an elective and I absolutely loved it. I changed my major from fine arts, but really fell in love with the field after taking Southwestern archaeology here at CU Denver with Professor Tammy Stone, PhD. She was so passionate and taught in a really fun way. I got way more involved in archaeology than I ever thought I would.

So here I am now, getting an emphasis in archaeology and will most likely be getting a master’s degree in archaeology.

Anthropology Assistant Professor Jamie Hodgkins, PhD, has given me this amazing opportunity to join herself and Curtis Marean, PhD, of Arizona State University, who has been at the site since early 2000. The site is called Pinnacle Point and is located in Mossel Bay in South Africa. It’s a modern human site. While there are no human remains there right now, they’ve found a ridiculous amount of artifacts like shell middens and hearths. It was occupied for a really long time.

I’m not sure what kind of archaeology I’m going to do now. I’m really interested in cultural resource management and I’m very interested in Native American studies, so I would really like to get involved in repatriating artifacts.

Guest contributor: Jamie Cottrell, anthropology major

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The College of Arts and Media at the University of Colorado Denver made its mark at South by Southwest (SXSW), a world-renowned creative arts conference, held in Austin, Texas, in March.

Six students enrolled in various CAM programs attended SXSW 2016 as CAM Ambassadors, representing both CAM and CU Denver at an exhibit booth and networking events, as well as promoting the Lynx Summer Camp. About 20,000 people attended the weeklong event.

“It’s the largest conference of its type in the U.S. You have major segments of the entertainment industry and digital technology all in one place,” said Stan Soocher, associate professor of Music & Entertainment Industry Studies.

The students made the trip thanks to a generous donation by Dierdre Wilson, a member of the CAM Dean’s Advisory Council, which is a group of CAM alumni and community leaders who are enmeshed in the local art scene. Wilson’s donation allowed a pair of CU Denver students to explore each SXSW category – music, film and interactive – and then share what they learned with their respective departments.

Fine Arts major Nico van Poollen, said SXSW was a great opportunity to take what he has learned over the last four years and discuss it with a wide range of industry professionals. During the conference, van Poollen met everyone “from students to Disney Imagineers to CEOs who were running large companies and wanted to meet students and young minds,” he said.

As a designer, van Poollen relished a chance to discuss color choice with representatives from Pantone, a leader in graphic arts and color-critical industries. Comcast gave van Poollen and other CU Denver students access to the company’s Social Media Lounge where they enjoyed additional networking opportunities.

CAM Ambassadors

The CAM Ambassadors concept began with the SXSW trip but has already been adopted by two other CAM-related student trips: Art Dubai and the Emerging Creatives Student Summit, the latter being held at the University of Michigan.

“There are so many opportunities at this school to make your major and your experience whatever it is you want it to be,” said Elysia Smith, a senior. “I was able to come into this program as an audition-track student for voice but my actual major is music business and recording arts.”

SXSW started in 1987 as a music event where new and upcoming talent could be discovered. In 1994, as the Internet was revolutionizing the digital world, the conference expanded to include film and interactive symposiums. This has had a diversifying effect, creating opportunities for attendees, including college students, to expand their knowledge about the music business, user interface, performing arts and videography.

Being at SXSW gave our students an immersive experience and put CAM, as well as CU Denver, on a high-profile stage, Soocher said. Only a couple other universities were represented in the tradeshow area.

“For us to have an exhibit there, it really helps us in a national and international branding way,” Soocher said.

The CAM Ambassadors posted a blog where you can read all about their trip, along with other trips the Ambassadors have taken. Read more about their adventures here.

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On April 14 and 15, undergraduate business students from a four-state region took part in the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative’s fifth annual Consortium Case Competition. Ten student teams competed, representing business schools from universities in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

The University of Colorado Denver Business School’s team earned third place. This is the second year that students from the University of Colorado Denver Business School have participated in the event.

Designed exclusively for business schools that are members of the Daniel’s Fund Ethics Consortium, the competition requires teams to provide the best solution to a thought-provoking business ethics issue. The competition is intended to challenge students’ ethical reasoning, improve decision-making and raise awareness of the importance of principle-based ethics.

This year’s Case Competition required participants to play the role of business ethics consultants. Teams assessed a fictional company facing an ethical dilemma, then presented recommendations to a panel of business professionals.

The panel of judges evaluated the students’ presentations based on established criteria, including the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Principles: integrity, trust, accountability, transparency, fairness, respect, rule of law, and viability.

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Four years ago, during their first week at CU Denver, we introduced you to a group of students from the Class of 2016 in an article titled “Why I chose CU Denver (and not any of the other schools that accepted me.)”

Four years later as they prepare to graduate, the same students told us about their unforgettable personal and learning experiences at CU Denver and explained how the school they chose changed their lives.

These students had been accepted at outstanding universities in Colorado and across the country, including University of Chicago, Northwestern University, UCLA, San Diego State University, University of New Mexico, Vanderbilt University, Emory University, Howard University, University of Denver, CU-Boulder, Colorado State University and Colorado School of Mines.

Now, they explain why making CU Denver their first choice was the right choice.

Janet Mensah 

Major: Ethnic Studies

 Standout learning experience? “Honors organic chemistry! This course was so hard and so intense, that when I passed it I knew I could do anything. It taught me to persevere. Knowing I could be relentless in my work ethic raised my threshold for challenges I can handle.”

 Unforgettable personal experience? “When I took a course in African-American history, I learned so much about African-American culture, which gave me a deeper understanding and appreciation of the world and the community I am a part of.”

Biggest surprise? “I was surprised at how much community I found here. It’s not traditional like some other colleges, but you can definitely find your place here and make lifelong friends and connections.”

How did CU Denver change you? “It taught me to appreciate people who are different from me. I learned to interact with people, appreciate their differences and resolve conflict. I learned how to mature in my relationships.”

Was this the right choice? “Yes, but it’s important to remember that college is what you make of it. I did my best to be positive and grab the opportunities on this campus. Now I’m ready to go out and make a lasting impact on the world.”

Filiberto Morales

 Major:  Psychology

 Standout learning experience? “My senior year, I had the opportunity to take a course on the history of Mexico and another course focusing on undocumented immigration. These classes showed me the importance of being an advocate for social justice and inspired me to go on a service trip with a group of students to San Juan, Texas. There, we worked with an organization called LUPE and focused on the social issues surrounding immigration to the United States—by far one of the best experiences of college!”

Unforgettable personal experience? “I was part of another service trip to the skid-row area of downtown Los Angeles. Here, our group worked with the homeless population in addition to doing HIV/AIDS outreach work with surrounding communities. The experience taught me the importance of recognizing our shared humanity, and by doing so, we can tear down the stigmas that plague our society. Truly a wonderful experience that has stayed with me!”

 Biggest surprise? “I was surprised at how important it was to be in the heart of Denver. I had so many opportunities to apply what I learned in the community.”

How did CU Denver change you? “CU Denver made me a more effective student. In my time here, I learned how I personally learn, which is often one of the biggest challenges students have. I feel much more confident in my abilities.”

Was this the right choice? “It sure was! I feel very prepared, and look forward to starting medical school in August. What I learned here has fueled my passion to someday practice.  medicine in an urban underserved community.”

Josh Blair  

Major: Digital Design

 Standout learning experience? “I never liked history, so I wasn’t looking forward to taking a required art history class, but Dr. Maria Buszek was so inspiring that I loved a subject I had always hated. She turned my mindset around, and that gave me more of an open mind for all my classes.”

Unforgettable personal experience? “I did an internship at a motion-design company and they taught me so many skills. Working for them led me to know what I want to do when I graduate.”

Biggest surprise? “Starting college you know you will be challenged academically, but I was surprised by how much I grew socially and emotionally over four years. As an out-of-state student on the Western Undergraduate Exchange, I did not come to college with a core group of friends I grew up with, so I had to make new friends, find my own path and become independent.”

How did CU Denver change you? “My eyes were opened to new perspectives, and I became more steadfast in who I am. I accept who I am as an individual.”

Was this the right choice? “Definitely. I have made lifelong friends and I have found my career. Someday I hope to be a head designer for a nonprofit organization in the LGBT community. I also want to counsel teens struggling with their identities. Maybe I will someday be a professor in the design program. That would allow me to give back to CU Denver because I wouldn’t be where I am today without the Digital Design program.”

Kevin Huang 

Major: Biology

Standout learning experience? “Dr. Kent Nofsinger’s background in the ophthalmology and surgical departments allowed for a unique educational experience within his human anatomy and human pathology courses. His lectures extended far beyond the academic setting, and his descriptive anecdotes provided a rare blend of instructive insight with comedic relief.”

Unforgettable personal experience? “The proximity of the campus to the Pepsi Center and Sports Authority Field at Mile High connected CU Denver to my favorite teams. I will never forget the final 10 seconds of the Broncos-Patriots AFC Championship game this year.”

Biggest surprise? “CU Denver is not a traditional college campus at which students live together in dorms, but I have been surprised at how close-knit the environment still is. You form powerful relationships that will persist with you as you progress through your adult and professional lives.”

How did CU Denver change you? “CU Denver provided ample opportunity to interact with a wide variety of individuals. It empowered me with the experiences to better work with, socialize with, and relate to individuals from all walks of life.”

Was this the right choice? “Yes. I was able to stay close to family during college while obtaining a first-rate preparation for medical school. I am sure the experiences obtained here will remain relevant through the rest of my professional career.”

Iman Mohamed

Major: Ethnic Studies

 Standout learning experience? “I am a first-generation student from Sudan and when I took a course in African-American family, I learned there is history behind the way I was raised. People behave a certain way because they were pushed in that direction and for my family, it was a matter of survival! By understanding my own community, I became more appreciative and understanding of others.”

Unforgettable personal experience? “With the help of wonderful friends and great professors, I learned to love myself as an African-American Muslim woman. I appreciate my strengths, understand my weaknesses and have confidence in my abilities.”

 Biggest surprise? “You can’t be friends with everyone. I am very outgoing, but not everyone has the same desire or friendly intentions. I learned that I can’t understand everything, and that’s okay.”

 How did CU Denver change you? “In high school, I was shy and wouldn’t ask for help from teachers because I didn’t think they believed in me. At CU Denver, I learned to ask because there were so many great professors, advisors and friends who were willing to talk to me. I found an environment where I could trust people to help me.”

 Was this the right choice? “I have no regrets. Someday I hope to lead a group for first-generation students of color in middle and high school to help them transition into college and life. Just like me, they might need help navigating the system.”

Ryan Farmer

Major: 3D Animation

Standout learning experience? “When the professor introduced me to a motion-capture system in one of my classes, I really loved it because he let me try whatever I wanted. I dressed up in the motion-capture suit and animated a cat-like character I created myself. Compared to 3D programs at other schools, ours was very open-ended and allowed me to be a self-starter.” (Watch Ryan’s animation.)

Unforgettable personal experience? “We have guest lecturers from our field and getting to know professionals in the industry made me realize that even though they are famous, they are people just like you and me. If they can do it, I can do it. My goals aren’t unrealistic.”

Biggest surprise? “I came to Denver convinced I would get a degree in the Music Entertainment Industry Studies program and, lo and behold, I discovered that my passion lay elsewhere.”

How did CU Denver change you? “I started here with dreams and goals but I didn’t know how to turn them into reality. Now I have the knowledge and resources to realize my dreams.”

Was this the right choice: “Absolutely. Whatever you want to learn, professors will support you.”

Kara Brown  

Major: Sculpture

 Standout learning experience? “I entered college with no knowledge of fabrication. I didn’t really know how to make things with my hands, and I sure didn’t know about any of the equipment I now use to create sculptures. It has been awesome to learn how to make things, whether it’s creating a sculpture, stitching clothes or making anything with metal.”

Unforgettable personal experience? “During my freshman year, I took a job working in the costume shop of the theater department making costumes for productions. At the time, I was majoring in civil engineering and taking all science classes. But I enjoyed my job so much I had to ask, ‘Why do you love this?’ and I realized it was because I could work with fabric and with my hands. So I changed my major to sculpture. That job changed the course of my life, for sure.”

Biggest surprise? “Recently, I got into fashion design and last winter I had my first fashion show. I like simple shapes and bright colors, clothes you get complimented on without having to be outrageous.”

How did CU Denver change you? “Before I came here, I thought a lot about what other people expected of me and not what I thought was important. At CU Denver, I learned to be myself and trust myself. When I was an engineering major, I learned that I would never be happy working in an office. Through my relationships with students and professors, I learned to develop my own standards for what is important and what will make me happy.”

Was this the right choice? “It was the right choice. It taught me that I want to make art, and if I follow my passion, I will be able to take care of myself.”

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“My dream job? I want to be an architect who influences people,” said Hiba Al-Amoodi. “Philip Johnson—I want to be him. I want people to know my name and point to me as the way to do things.”

It is an ambitious goal for a petite 22-year-old in her fourth year at Dar Al-Hekma University (DAH), a private institution of higher education for women in Jeddah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. But with the help of faculty and peer mentors on opposite sides of the planet, it is a goal she may achieve.

Exchanging ideas

Al-Amoodi is one of eight students and two faculty members from DAH Department of Architecture who visited CU Denver’s College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) this spring. The group came under the auspices of the Fayez International Exchange program, which was created by the generous support of Dr. Zuhair Fayez, an alumnus of CAP and chairman of the largest architecture/engineering/management firm in Saudi Arabia.

The eight senior students were accompanied by two DAH faculty members — Dr. Mona Helmy, Chair of the Architecture Department, and Ms. Sherin Sameh, ARCH lecturer. The women spent a week in Denver participating in educational activities and several events that had been planned, organized and developed by Keith Loftin, CAP professor and director of the Fayez International Exchange Program with the help of CAP staff. The students from DAH also worked on small teams with CU Denver students, engaging in a charette (an intense period of design and planning) that was written and directed by Loftin. The project was supervised by Loftin and DAH faculty members. Their goal was to design a theater for Ubuesque, a Denver theater group.

Dr. Helmy watched with pride as the Saudi students immediately got down to work brainstorming with their American counterparts. Helmy enjoyed observing the “teamwork in action” and believes the experience is good for both the DAH and the CU Denver students because it introduces diversity and new dimensions to the learning process. “When students exchange ideas, it gives them more richness and confidence in their abilities,” Helmy said. “It confirms and manifests the quality of their education and their level as international students.”

Aseel Sahab, a fifth-year student at DAH, added, “It’s interesting how architecture can be a universal language and people around the world can still approach it in different ways. This experience enriched my understanding of the relationship of architecture and culture. We learned that our approach to design reflects the culture and the environment we come from, and indeed having the chance to engage with other students brought up a wider perspective towards design and architecture.”

“We are using architecture as a mechanism for cultural exchange,” said Loftin. “Through the act of working together, students from both sides of the world begin to understand the viewpoints of someone from another culture.”

Final review

By the end of the week, all the students gathered for a design review by faculty and professional architects from the community. The students received rave reviews for what they managed to achieve in just two days of work.

As she answered questions about her project, Nadine Lingawi, a fourth-year student at DAH, confessed that she had come on the trip feeling nervous about working with CU Denver graduate students, but was delighted to find that she comfortably fit in. Even better, she felt her knowledge complemented that of the collaborating students. “Our architecture influences us and yours influences you,” she said.  “But through a collaboration like this, you realize how architecture is a universal language spoken in different dialects. It’s wonderful to know that I have given some ideas to the CU Denver students as well as I have learned from them.”

Traveling to DAH

Within weeks after the women returned to Saudi Arabia, a team of administrators from CU Denver traveled to DAH to discuss how to move the relationship between the two universities forward and inspire future collaboration. The visit was one stop on a two-week trip to visit CU Denver alumni in the region.

The CU Denver group included John Sunnygard, executive director of International Affairs; Andrea Wagner, vice chancellor of Advancement; Noelle DeLage, assistant vice chancellor of Advancement; and Brian DeLevie, associate professor and chair, the Department of Visual Arts in the College of Arts and Media.

The group was impressed by the dedication of both students and faculty at DAH. DeLage described the university as an “inspiring place for women to learn” where architecture students were motivated to show off their work to the visitors from Denver.

“At DAH, they are extremely proud of their students, alumni and accomplishments,” DeLage said. “They have created a place for women to express themselves freely, and they want to inspire current students to accomplish great things and influence the world.”

Making connections

Sunnygard spent time with his counterparts at DAH, discussing possibilities for CU Denver students to travel to Saudi Arabia and future student exchanges with other CU Denver units. DeLevie met with the Head of the Visual Communications program at DAH to discuss opportunities for collaboration. Wagner and DeLage met with the advancement leadership of DAH.

The team also met with Zuhair Fayez, co-founder of DAH, whose philanthropy originally created the exchange program. At the outset, the collaboration between the two universities helped DAH develop curriculum for their undergraduate program. Now, the two schools are exploring future opportunities.

“We are so grateful for the generosity of our alumnus, Zuhair Fayez,” DeLage said. “Through his vision and passion he has opened a world to us that we, as an institution, would not have had otherwise.”

Dr. Fayez hosted a reception at his Jeddah home for the CU Denver delegation, CU alumni, and the Dar Al Hekma students and faculty. Two DAH architecture students who had traveled to Denver shared their insights and expressed appreciation for the opportunity to visit Denver. They discussed forming an all-women architecture firm when they graduate. Their dream enterprise bears an uncanny similarity to the Zuhair Fayez partnership founded by Dr. Fayez and two other Saudi Arabian friends following their graduation from CU’s College of Architecture in the 1970s.

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The future of security might not be fingerprint readers or retina scanners—it could be your gait. That’s just one of the applications that David Attid and Andrew Gale, seniors from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, are considering for the data they are collecting on gait. The team believes that the subtle, unique movements of individuals can be used for personal identification.

Attid and Gale presented their project at the 19th annual Research and Creative Activities Symposium (RaCAS), held April 29 in the Student Commons Building. RaCAS provides a venue for CU Denver and CU Anschutz students to showcase their scholarly activities through presentations, posters, computer simulations, demonstrations, art and even puppetry. Nearly 300 undergraduate and graduate students delivered approximately 180 presentations encompassing a variety disciplines and industries.

“No other event showcases the diverse research, creative and other scholarly activities undertaken by students at CU Denver and CU Anschutz,” said Leo Bruederle, PhD, director of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities and RaCAS. “For many students, this day will remain in their memory as a time at which they were recognized for something they did that was truly excellent.”

Gait for identification

Attid and Gale began exploring gait and its capacity for human identification for their senior project, alongside graduate student Siddhant Kulkarni, under the guidance of Farnoush Banaei-Kashani, head of the Big Data Management and Mining Lab.

The team employs a feature-based identification system that tracks the movement of 15 joints. Attid, Gale and Kulkarni designed the user interface and utilized an established skeleton capture framework. The result is a model that can capture data for individuals’ unique gait movement.

“Gait is unique to an individual,” Gale said. “We are thinking about how we can use that to enhance security. This could be used at a bank or an airport in lieu of credentials.”

Presenting at RaCAS has offered a team an opportunity to get reactions from attendees, as well as ideas on how to expand their research.

“Up until now it’s just been three guys in a room coding away to get the system to work,” Attid said. “It’s great because you see the fresh expressions of anyone who comes by to learn about this.”

Theory behind necrotizing organs

Flap resconstructive surgery, a procedure in which tissue is taken from one area of the body and overlaid on a wound, carries a potentially dangerous side effect. The flap, which must carry its own blood supply due to its size and must be sewn into existing blood vessels, can cause necrosis in the greater organ.

The phenomenon is referred to as vascular steal, which ultimately sees blood being siphoned or stolen away from the organ, leaving it to die. Vascular steal was largely accepted as the rationale for the necrosis, which often lead to amputation.

Phillip Ross, a third-year School of Medicine student, presented a different theory at RaCAS. In a project titled “Head Loss as an Explanation of the Steal Phenomenon in Microvascular Surgery,” Ross proposes that “head loss” may actually be the culprit behind the necrotizing organs.

“Head loss occurs at the junction where two vessels meet,” Ross said. “When blood reaches a juncture where a new vessel has been sewn, it loses momentum that results in a lack of profusion to the end organ.”

Despite strong evidence to support the head loss explanation, Ross would like to take more steps to confirm the finding, including adding variables to a computational model and comparing patient cohorts to see if any statistical difference in the blood flow to organs occurs.

“I don’t consider this matter to be solved. There is still more work to be done,” said Ross. “However I hope this provides a new talking point and can generate a discussion between other scientists and surgeons in an effort to lock down this phenomenon.”

Ross decided to present at RaCAS as he saw the symposium as an opportunity to share his findings and learn from other presenters.

“I knew RaCAS would be another great opportunity to showcase my work and also to see other scientific achievements that a lot of the graduate and undergraduate students have done as well,” Ross said.

Recontextualizing beauty

Brightly colored fabrics, a spray of flower petals and an assortment of eggshells are just a few objects arranged on BFA student Marian Gottlieb’s table. Among the curiosities is something that seemingly does not belong—a squid preserved in a jar of formaldehyde. But Gottlieb, who uses her art to explore the ideas of womanhood, women’s roles and women’s bodies in art, has an explanation for the inclusion.

“The objects symbolize womanhood, fertility and beauty—concepts frequently seen in feminist art,” Gottlieb said. “Preserving something and having something that is a curiosity to be viewed is how women’s bodies been historically viewed.”

Gottlieb’s goal is to find whether there is a way for contemporary artists to reclaim and recontextualize women’s bodies in art. This concept and the ways in which individuals experience and interpret beauty are ideas are central to her senior thesis.

“I am advocating for understanding beauty as an experience of the sublime and portraying beautiful people the way artists have traditionally represented the sublime,” Gottlieb said.

Sharing her art and research at RaCAS has allowed Gottlieb to hone in on key ideas in her thesis through discussing her work with others.

“RaCAS has been a really good way to clarify my ideas behind my thesis for myself,” Gottlieb said. “Doing a pitch about my thesis has helped me narrow down what I want to say.”

Gottlieb’s work will be featured at the CU Denver BFA Thesis Exhibition through May 14 at the RedLine Gallery.

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An already strong relationship between the University of Colorado Denver and the nation of Qatar took a significant step forward last week with the visit of Prime Minister Abdulla Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani.

The main reason for his visit was to celebrate the graduation of his son, Sheikh Nasser Al Thani, who received his B.S. degree in Management and Human Resource Management from the CU Denver Business School. In addition, the Prime Minister spent considerable time learning more about CU Denver’s academic programs and discussing possible partnerships between his nation and the university.

Prime Minister Al Thani spent Friday chatting with CU Denver College of Engineering and Applied Science students at the spring Engineering Senior Design Competition as well as learning about the National Center for Media Forensics (NCMF) in the College of Arts & Media and other academic programs at a luncheon with members of CU Denver’s leadership team. Hosting the luncheon in Larimer Square were CU Denver Chancellor Dorothy Horrell, Provost Roderick Nairn, Vice Chancellor of Advancement Andrea Wagner, and Executive Director of the Office of International Affairs John Sunnygard.

The Qatari delegation’s visit followed a recent trip by Wagner, Sunnygard and Noelle DeLage, assistant vice chancellor of Advancement, to Qatar to visit CU Denver alumni in the Middle East.

The friendly rapport between Prime Minister Al Thani, his team and the CU Denver leaders was clearly evident, as they chatted about everything from academics to partnerships to public infrastructure projects.

At the luncheon, the Prime Minister emphasized his desire to forge even stronger relations with CU Denver, which continues its service-oriented tradition of global impact through research as well as fostering bridges between cultures. “We want to continue our relationship with this university and look at how to enhance and strengthen that relationship,” he said.

‘CU Denver as family’

Horrell said the connection between Qatar and CU Denver is strong – as evidenced by 54 current Qatari students here and more than 300 Qatari alumni from our university – and promises to flourish under the Prime Minister’s ambitious vision for his nation.

“The Qataris clearly look at this institution as family,” the Chancellor said, noting that Prime Minister Al Thani has other family members who are likewise considering attending CU Denver. “He has such focus and vision for his country. And part of that is going to be made possible because of partnerships they have with CU Denver, and looking at our specific program areas that are aligned with their needs.”

Prime Minister Al Thani earned his bachelor’s degree in police sciences, and went on to become Qatar’s commander for special operations brigade in special security forces as well as brigadier general and Minister of State for Interior Affairs before becoming Prime Minister in 2013. He was very interested in the presentation by NCMF Director Catalin Grigoras, PhD, and Associate Director Jeff Smith, MS, particularly in how the center provides training opportunities for law enforcement through cutting-edge forensic media analysis.

Smith said the presentation, which focused on how the NCMF assists the U.S. government and international agencies with security matters, sparked interest. “The Qatari delegation remained very engaged, writing everything down and asking a lot of questions,” he said. “We just wanted to let them know that we’re here and that our programs actively serve the international community.”

The delegation posited the possibility of forming a partnership where Qatari students would come to CU Denver to learn from NCMF, get experience working with U.S. law enforcement and then share that knowledge back home in Qatar. Similar potential partnerships in other CU Denver academic programs were also discussed.

‘Increase partnerships’

“I heard them repeatedly say, ‘enhance, deepen and strengthen,’ in regard to their relationship with us,” Wagner said. “I think we’re in a great position to increase partnerships to the benefit of their students and ours.”

The Prime Minister talked about the major infrastructure efforts underway in Qatar – among them a public transit train project and new stadiums for the 2022 World Cup – and how his nation would be interested in innovations being developed by CU Denver researchers in engineering and architecture.

After Prime Minister Al Thani talked about a particular stadium project and the facility’s potential uses for future generations after the global soccer tournament, Sunnygard told the Prime Minister he would send him details about our Construction Engineering and Management program, along with information about many other CU Denver programs. “It’s a joint program between the College of Engineering and Applied Science and our College of Architecture and Planning, and (handling management and design aspects of major infrastructure projects) is exactly what they do,” Sunnygard said.

At the Engineering Senior Design Competition in North Classroom, the Prime Minister spoke with engineering students whose projects ranged from technology that measures the wear of power cables on a lightrail train system to the design of a new police museum to a current-equalizer device that saves energy and prevents corrosion.

The latter group, in the Department of Electrical Engineering, included a Qatari student who also graduated on Saturday. Mohammed Al-Kuwari said he was honored to chat with the Prime Minister about his project. “When I heard he was coming here I was really thrilled,” Al-Kuwari said. “I never would have expected that.”

Leaders to CU Denver students: Come to Qatar

On Friday evening, the Qatari delegation hosted CU Denver leaders, as well as CU President Bruce Benson and members of the CU Board of Regents, at a dinner in a downtown Denver hotel. From the podium at Saturday’s spring commencement, Qatar Brigadier General Mohamed A. AL Nassr spoke briefly about the burgeoning relationship between Qatar and CU Denver, and the Prime Minister enjoyed a post-graduation reception with his son at the Business School.

At various times during their visit, both the Prime Minister and General Nassr invited CU Denver students to travel to Qatar to learn more about the country and region. CU Denver is pursuing a range of affordable study abroad options for our students to travel to Qatar, according to Sunnygard. “The Gulf Region is immensely important to the U.S. on many levels, but unfortunately, very few American students have had the opportunity to experience the region,” he said. “Qatar’s capital, Doha, is a dynamic, beautiful, welcoming city.”

After Friday’s luncheon, Chancellor Horrell presented a special glass sculpture, crafted by a Denver artist, as a gift of friendship and gratitude to Prime Minister Al Thani. “We think it’s as bright and beautiful as our future together,” she said.

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It’s the question every student gets: What are you going to do after graduation?

Some plan to enter the workforce, others will go on to graduate school, a few will create their own companies—there are as many different answers as there are students.

Students planning to begin their careers will find a welcoming landscape, especially in Colorado. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for Colorado in March 2016 was listed at 2.9 percent—2.1 percent below the national unemployment rate for that same month.

In addition, there are other signs that employers are looking for new talent. Sarah Trzeciak, director of the CU Denver Career Center, has put employers on waitlists for space at the sold-out fall and spring career fairs. The past year showed a record number of employers coming to campus—up to over 200 compared to 130-140 in previous years. Trzeciak believes that this spike can be attributed to a booming economy, expanding companies and CU Denver’s growing reputation.

“I firmly believe that the Learn with Purpose campaign has done a lot to raise awareness of CU Denver graduates in the Denver community,” Trzeciak said. “We have a good economy and a university that is consistently working to define and show what it means to be a CU Denver student and what it means to hire a CU Denver student.“

Despite growing employment opportunities and increasing value of a CU Denver degree, students should be prepared to show employers that they are the right fit.

“It is crucial that students be able to identify their skills, experience, strengths and be able to articulate that to employers in a way that they know what you’re bringing to the table,” Trzeciak said.

Several CU Denver students are already finding themselves poised to find success with new jobs and other opportunities lined up months before graduation. They offered advice on how their peers can find success and make the most of their time on campus.

Riley Rousseau

Bachelor’s in sociology

What’s next?

I’ll be working full time as a personal banker at Wells Fargo. I started with them in November 2014 as a teller, was promoted eight months later to lead teller and then to personal banker in January. It’s a great company to work for since they set up a promotion path and train you really well. A sociology major might seem like a strange fit for a company like Wells Fargo, but the skills they are looking for are data analytics, understanding people, sales, communication—all things we learn in sociology courses.

How CU Denver helped shape my future

Every semester I’ve been at CU Denver, I’ve had at least one class with Associate Professor of Sociology Jennifer Reich. She ignited my passion for sociology and has helped me to see all of the different applications for the major. It is to the point where I sign up for classes just because I know she will be teaching them. One class that has been especially influential is one she is teaching with Sarah Trzeciak. The class has allowed me to really define my career goals and taught me how to talk about the skills I have been learning and how they can be applied at companies like Wells Fargo. It has provided a roadmap I’ll use as I’m planning my future.

Advice for success

Anytime I jump into something I am scared of is when I succeed. Originally, I didn’t want to transfer to CU Denver, but now I am graduating early. I didn’t think I was qualified to work at Wells Fargo, and now I’m one of the top-ranked employees in my area. If you commit to doing a good job, you’ll be successful because you’re doing your best.

Sarah Sarwana

Bachelor’s degree in information systems, master’s in health information technology

What’s next?

Once I finish the 4+1 program this fall, which will let me graduate with my bachelor’s and a master’s in health information technology in less than five years, I will be working for University of Colorado Hospital (UCH). I connected with UCH after I began interning with their IT group during my senior year. I really liked the internship, and was thrilled when they wanted me to continue full time, which I will do as soon as I finish my master’s this fall.

How CU Denver shaped my future

I originally signed up for a health economics class because it sounded cool to me, but ultimately it sparked my interest in the health care field. I found it fascinating because the course took an interdisciplinary approach and related health care through a different lens. It is why I’m on the path that I’m on today.

Advice for success

Anyone starting their college career should get involved. You don’t want to regret not participating in something. Take on the opportunities that come your way, and create a few of your own. CU Denver empowers you to do that.

Adam Gerken

Bachelor’s in political science

What’s next?

This fall I will begin law school at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Going into college I didn’t plan on law school. However, when we would discuss legal implications or laws in my political science courses I was always very interested, so I started thinking about law school my sophomore year. During my junior year I began a law studies minor to make sure the area was really interesting to me, and I enjoyed all of those classes.

How CU Denver shaped my future

I’ve served as president of the Prelaw Society, co-president of Pi Sigma Alpha—the political science honors society and was student assistant for the Department of Economics. However, the University Honors and Leadership Program has been most effective in shaping my thinking. One of the big things stressed in UHL is multidisciplinary learning. That’s something I’ll be taking with me to law school. Many law students think they will just focus on law, but you can apply other fields of study to the legal field to be able to explore topics in new ways.

Advice for success

Anyone looking at CU Denver should consider the University Honors and leadership Program. I think it is the best thing about CU Denver. You get to make friends outside of your major, get a ton of networking opportunities and the honors and leadership classes are fantastic. The senior project also lets you apply your learning and research to real-world problems alongside your peers to make a real change before you even graduate.

The post Where are the jobs? appeared first on CU Denver Today.

An excursion to the beach, a ski trip to the mountains, and a stay at the luxurious Grand Hyatt in Santiago. Claire Ransom enjoyed several occasions of fun and relaxation this summer, but mostly she traveled to Chile to work.

And work she did – eight hours a day, five days a week. Ransom was among the inaugural cohort of 13 CU Denver students participating in the Internship Programs Abroad (IPA), a new global education program sponsored by CU Denver. She applied her knowledge of Spanish and sustainability while serving as the first-ever intern for Gecamin, a company that holds multinational conferences and seminars on sustainable mining practices.

‘Dive into sustainability’

At CU Denver, Ransom is a senior majoring in Spanish and International Studies with minors in Leadership Skills and Sustainability. She works as a student internship specialist at the Experiential Learning Center (ELC). Ransom enjoyed a study abroad trip to Spain two years ago, and she was exploring options for another overseas venture this summer. “Chile sort of caught my eye, and I was looking at programs independent of the university,” she says. “One day I noticed this big poster in (the ELC) advertising the Internship Programs Abroad, and Chile was on the list.”

She relished the chance to study two of her passions – Spanish and sustainability – in a Latin American country she hadn’t been to. The other option was Costa Rica – one of seven countries currently on the IPA roster – but South America was an easy choice. “In Chile, where mining exports make up a third of the economy, you get to dive into sustainability and see what it’s like in-process,” she says. “I’ve learned quite a bit about the mistakes the United States has made as it has developed, and I would like to be a part of making sure that countries in Latin America don’t do the same.”

‘Prepare for changing global society’

Providing life-changing experiences such as this was the idea behind the CU Denver IPA program, according to Diego Garcia, director of the Office of Global Education.

“The types of experiences students have in this program equip them with cross-cultural skills that are necessary to succeed in our interconnected world,” Garcia says. “Students also learn and work alongside international colleagues in a variety of cultural settings, and they build a network of friends as well as prepare for today’s rapidly changing global society.”

Garcia says he expects the IPA to increase to 50 to 70 students a year working abroad. The summer internships last for six weeks, with one session running from mid-May to the end of June and another from the end of June until early August.

Work and independent study

For her unpaid internship, Ransom performed language translation for the resources presented during Gecamin conferences, including research abstracts and handouts. The company gathers leaders in the mining industry for in-depth, research-based discussions about sustainability, maintenance and automation, safety, mineral processing and other topics. Ransom worked on two conferences – the first focusing on ways to improve the handling of tailings, followed by a gathering to discuss safety and accountability measures at mining sites.

She received three credits for her company work and another three credits for an independent study project. Ransom studied how Chile’s environmental policy has changed since 1990, the end of Gen. Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorial rule. She produced a 14-page narrative on the subject, which chronicled, among other advancements, Chile’s establishment of a board of executives that works to improve the mining industry.

 ‘You’re from Colorado?’

Since it was the middle of winter in the Southern Hemisphere, Ransom enjoyed a weekend outing to a ski resort near Santiago. A seasoned snowboarder here in the Rockies, Ransom tried out skis for the first time. “The people in Chile couldn’t believe it,” she says. “They were saying, ‘Wait, you’re from Colorado, and you came here to ski?’”

As with all IPA participants, Ransom stayed with a host a family – a young couple with a 5-year-old daughter. A CU Denver student doing a different internship in Chile also stayed with the family.

The immersive experience allowed Ransom to learn Chilean Spanish, which is a distinct vernacular unto itself. There’s so much to the skinny country to see and learn about, including Patagonia to the south, that Ransom had a hard time leaving.

“Getting on the plane was very difficult,” she says with a chuckle.

The post New program allows students to put skills to work overseas appeared first on CU Denver Today.

CU Denver sophomore Cinamon Romero felt nervous and overwhelmed as she prepared to travel to Spain in summer 2007 — her first international trip alone. She hoped to make new friends while studying abroad in a foreign country, but still, “I was scared,” she remembered. “I didn’t know what to expect, what to pack, or how I would even study in Barcelona.”

Before she even stepped foot on the plane, however, Cinamon met a woman who would change her life—Carmen Vandal, a fellow student. The two met through TRiO, an innovative mentorship program at CU Denver. Their life-long friendship, which has continued long after both graduated, would not only allay Cinamon’s immediate concerns about international travel, but would change both of their futures well beyond her upcoming trip to Spain.

Intervention and inspiration

Cinamon enrolled in college because she “knew it was the right thing to do,” but didn’t know what the next steps were. “I felt totally lost and intimidated,” she said. “In high school, I worked hard, but I didn’t have a dream to be anything. I didn’t even know how to study. Graduating from college, even passing my classes, quickly seemed impossible.”

Early on at CU Denver, Cinamon was invited to join TRiO, a program that helps first-generation students, low-income students, and students with disabilities achieve academic success. TRiO connects them with student mentors who have reached success by overcoming personal and family difficulties. The program also offers advising, tutoring, and social events to connect students with each other — resources that will help them reach their full potential.

“We have created this program to be like a big family,” said Teresa DeHerrera, director of TRiO Student Support Services. “We understand the importance of mentoring and making our office feel like home. This concern and commitment resonates with our students and helps to keep many of them on track in their academic lives.”

It was a former assistant director of TRiO who introduced Cinamon to Carmen because she had recently returned from a semester abroad. “We bonded over Cinamon’s upcoming trip,” Carmen said. “And I remembered my own fears and uncertainties during my first year. It’s easy to feel lost and alone.”

Making a mentor

In Cinamon, Carmen recognized her own struggle during her freshman year of college as a first-generation Hispanic student. Carmen, however, had always known she wanted to be a doctor, and she started her studies at CU Boulder. But after she transferred to CU Denver, Carmen found a smaller, yet more diverse, student population that she felt comfortable with.

Carmen joined the TRiO program, first as a mentee, then as a mentor, where she advocated for other non-traditional students. “Through the TRiO program, I made friends with students from around the world,” Carmen said. “Some of them had been in refugee camps. I could relate to their struggles, and we encouraged each other.”

As a mentor and an aspiring physician, Carmen saw TRiO as an opportunity to develop mentoring skills that would serve her well in the medical profession, and she was able put her passion for helping others to use by mentoring struggling students like Cinamon. “I realized that I could teach and bring students under my wing,” Carmen said. “I had learned how to manage time and prioritize, and how to navigate the academic system, so I wanted to impart that to other students.”

Shared struggles

As her mentor, Carmen helped Cinamon apply for scholarships and got her involved in activities on campus. She connected her with tutors and TRiO workshops on time management and on how to study. But as a friend, Carmen also spurred Cinamon toward success. “We were both on campus all day, every day,” Carmen said. “We weren’t living a ‘normal’ life, but we could support each other. We made deals like, ‘Okay, let’s commit to studying for the next six hours, and then we’ll go out to dinner.’”

For the two friends, even eating out was a result of the connections they made through TRiO. Although Carmen and Cinamon were “broke,” they frequented a sushi restaurant staffed by a fellow TRiO student where they could get discounts on dinner and hang out for hours. “CU Denver is a non-traditional campus,” Carmen said. “Many of the students work. Despite that, or maybe because of that, we worked to make friendships happen by finding small windows of time to study or hang out with friends. We developed these connections because they were worth it.”

A friendship for life

Their close friendship continued as Carmen and Cinamon celebrated each other’s bachelor’s degrees. At Cinamon’s graduation party, as they stood outside discussing Carmen’s application to the School of Medicine at CU Anschutz, Cinamon remembers feeling inspired by her friend’s ambition, and she realized that she also “wanted to go to a ‘special’ school,” but that graduate school felt beyond her grasp.

Carmen, as always, was there to encourage Cinamon, help her with the applications, and advise her on her personal statement. Their joint efforts paid off, and when they found themselves in medical school and grad school at the same time, they continued to talk each other through difficulties. Carmen read Cinamon’s papers, and they discussed ways to balance work, school, and family. When Carmen was in Walsenburg, Colo., during her rural preceptorship in her third year of med school, Cinamon visited her on weekends. A few years later, they were again celebrating each other’s graduations, this time from medical school and grad school.

Since then, the friends have traveled together and Cinamon was a bridesmaid in Carmen’s wedding. Now, as a family medicine resident at Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, Carmen hopes to work with the urban and underserved populations in Denver, and Cinamon, an HIV case management specialist with Rocky Mountain Cares, is working towards her license as a clinical social worker. “We continue to benefit professionally from each other’s experience,” Carmen said. “I rely on Cinamon for advice about the social aspect of my work, and I share my medical experience with her.”

Their professional successes and enduring friendship serve as a testament to their hard work and the help they received from TRiO at CU Denver. “I would not have succeeded without Carmen and TRiO,” Cinamon said. “Both gave me the tools I needed and taught me how to use them.”

The post Success Born Out of the TRiO Program appeared first on CU Denver Today.

Mena Hashim aspires to be an excellent physician, and not just because she excels at organic chemistry. She also credits her life experience as the driving force behind her passion for compassionate medicine. “My family had difficult experiences with doctors when we emigrated to the U.S. as refugees,” Mena explained. “I noticed that patients were treated as identical, and cultural differences were not respected or acknowledged.”

Her family’s struggle to educate physicians about their culture prompted her to switch her pre-med major at the University of Colorado Denver from biology to ethnic studies. “I wanted to do more than study cells under a microscope,” she said. “I wanted to understand the people that will be my patients.”

However, it wasn’t just those difficulties that changed Mena’s approach to her future profession. Her childhood in war-torn in Iraq, and her years as a refugee—first in the Middle East, then in the United States—also influenced her desire to be sensitive to her patients’ background and experiences.

A difficult childhood

Mena was born in Iraq, and she lived through six years of war before her family received permission to leave. They spent seven years as refugees in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan because her mother failed to find stable employment. When Mena’s family emigrated to the United States, they were totally reliant on the assistance of volunteers for everything, from information about how to register as refugees to how to buy groceries.

Although the family found safety in the U.S., financial security eluded them. Mena’s mother took any job she could find with her limited English skills and worked long hours. Inspired by her mother’s example, Mena, too, studied hard and endured disparaging comments about her intelligence as she learned to speak English.

Mena’s hard work paid off, and as she began to excel in high school, teachers encouraged her to push herself academically. She frequently visited the Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) Future Center, a resource center located in 12 Denver high schools that support students with their journey to college by providing college and financial aid advising. Upon graduation from South High School, she received a scholarship from DSF to attend CU Denver.

Scholarship provides direction, connection

Mena’s desire to succeed made her a natural candidate for a scholarship. “Denver Scholarship Foundation Scholars are an inspiration to many,” said Nate Easley, PhD, executive director of DSF. “They exemplify talent, drive, confidence and courage to overcome their challenges and achieve their life’s goals.”

With a full class load and three jobs, Mena draws on all of those qualities, as well her compassion. As a research assistant at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, a peer mentor for TRiO Student Services, and a voting member of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ (CLAS) Academic Standards Committee, she aims to be sensitive toward the people she helps.

When she mentors students or reads their applications for academic exceptions, she views her work as a chance to understand the struggles and viewpoints of other cultures. Similarly, “at the VA hospital, I learn so much from the patients,” Mena said. “Some are elderly, some have lost homes, and I can relate to them through my own experience of moving from place to place.”

Mena also values the opportunities to volunteer at health fairs, and for student clubs at CU Denver, such as the Public Health Club and the Future Doctors Club. “In the past I struggled—to learn English, to understand the college application process—and I often felt isolated from the community,” Mena said. “But Denver Scholarship Foundation provided invaluable connections to mentors, support seminars and tutors. I want to give back in return.”

This desire to connect with a community is a shared value among DSF Scholars. Easley points out, “Having succeeded despite the challenges they face, our Scholars go on to give back to their community as volunteers and donors who are leading the future workforce.”

A survivor’s perspective

For Mena, everything—her coursework, her employment, her volunteer spirit— all contribute to her future as a physician. Combined with her experiences in a war zone and as a refugee, they have given her a survivor’s perspective. Because of the challenges that she has overcome, Mena jokes, “now, finishing a paper at 3 a.m. is no big deal. I keep everything in perspective. It could be so much worse.”

After she graduates, but before she applies to the CU School of Medicine, Mena is looking forward to her first truly voluntary move. She plans to take a year off and travel to Thailand to hike, study and teach yoga, and learn about health care in a Third World country. She hopes that the experience will deepen her gratitude for everything she’s accomplished so far.

“I’m so thankful,” she said. “Without help from volunteers and from Denver Scholarship Foundation, I would have been lost, and I couldn’t have had all of these opportunities.”

The post Denver Scholarship Foundation Scholar uses life experience to understand others appeared first on CU Denver Today.

After six hours of focused thought, discussion and brainstorming, energy still ran high at CU Denver’s annual Undergraduate Experiences Symposium on Oct. 7.

Shortly before the event’s final words, nearly 200 students, staff and faculty members filled Room 2500 in the Student Commons Building. Some chatted about ideas from the day, some walked around the room to review the flip chart pages filled with notes and stuck to the walls, some danced to the pop music coming from ceiling speakers.

Organized by the Office of Undergraduate Experiences (UE), the symposium brings together students, faculty and staff from across the university to explore ways to enhance the undergraduate experience at CU Denver. This year’s symposium focused on success and equity, to address the problem of CU Denver students who do not finish their degrees and to examine the disproportionate number, nationally, of low-income, first-generation and students of color who do not finish their degrees.

“The day was really great,” said student attendee Renee Davis, who is majoring in international studies and voice performance. “It’s good to know the university cares about student success.”

Sharing important ideas

In Room 2500, cheers went up as the event moderator called participants back to action for a final “lightning round” of idea sharing and recording. Attendees around the room stood up one at a time to report the answers that their table came up with to the event’s focal question: What are the appropriate ways for CU Denver to serve student equity and improve overall student success?

Answers included “engaging in genuine conversation,” “creating community connections” and “helping students find the right resources at the right time.”

As the attendees spoke, Chris Chopyak wrote furiously on a large piece of paper on the wall. An author and creative strategist, Chopyak was hired by the university to graphically capture the words, thoughts and priorities generated by the symposium and to translate them into a pictorial document of the event to be used for further work and follow-up.

“It’s great to have the opportunity to have faculty and staff together and so many diverse people in the same room,” said symposium attendee Soyon Bueno, director for Asian American Student Services. “The faculty got insights today into some of the obstacles that students face.”

Working toward real actions

With working tables and break-out sessions like these, the symposium is designed to help attendees generate ideas and proposals that lead to real actions. Over more than a decade, the UE Symposium has generated recommendations, action steps, changes to campus culture, practices and policies.

“Every year, the symposium makes real things happen,” said Jeff Franklin, associate vice chancellor for UE. “It’s not just talking about an interesting topic. It’s about making something real happen that improves the quality of education and helps students be successful.”

Last year, the UE Symposium focused on High-Impact Practices (HIPs), after which the provost approved grant funding to support 70 faculty, staff and students to work on integrating HIPs into courses and programs.

This year, event organizers worked to draw more faculty and diverse university community members, and the symposium drew a record number of attendees, maxing out the event space capacity.

“We’re drawing more and more people into the conversation,” Franklin said. “This is the only event on our campus in which the entire campus—staff, faculty and students—is invited to work together and try to improve the undergraduate experience.”

Committing to student success and equity

When the lightning round concluded, the event keynote speaker, Bridget Burns, returned to the podium. As executive director of the University Innovation Alliance (UIA)—a consortium of 11 large public research universities collaborating to improve student success, especially for low-income students—Burns was brought in to bring national perspective to student success and equity.

“The UIA is a revolutionary event in American higher education,” Franklin said. “Nothing like this collaboration for the greater good has happened in U.S. higher ed before, and Bridget is at the center of that effort.”

After spending this day with them, Burns said it’s clear that CU Denver faculty and staff care deeply about their students.

“You chose to come here today to talk about how to do better for students, even while your email inboxes fill up,” she told them. “Who is in this room is a strong indicator of what’s important to this institution.”

Provost Rod Nairn stepped up to close the event, thanking the event organizers and congratulating the participants.

“After these events, we do follow up,” he said. “I promise you there will be outcomes, like the HIP outcomes from last year. Everybody is leaving here today even more committed to student success and equity.”

Guest Contributor: Amy Ventura

The post Undergraduate Experiences Symposium examines student success and equity appeared first on CU Denver Today.

Ashleigh Adams envisions her brain as a series of folders that she has to open and close in order to access information and memories. Sometimes she has to check a lot of folders before she finds what she’s looking for, and that can take a long time.

That’s how she describes her learning disability. Because of it, the CU Denver graduate student never thought she was college material, yet she is  now well on her way to a master’s degree as part of the first group of students pursuing a degree in counseling with a concentration in higher education and student affairs (HESA) from the School of Education & Human Development (SEHD). The program trains students to serve culturally diverse and underrepresented students in higher education.

Thriving in the new HESA program

“I’m excited to be part of the first student affairs cohort,” said Adams, who grew up in Golden, Colo., and got her bachelor’s degree at Colorado State University. “I’m taking classes right as they’re first offered. The classes are challenging on a personal, reflective level and also motivating because of how impactful it is to have both diversity and inclusivity on campus.”

Adams is chipping away at the HESA degree while working full time and interning 15–25 hours a week in CU Denver’s Experiential Learning Center.

“Ashleigh is a superstar,” said Carlos P. Hipolito-Delgado, PhD, associate professor in the SEHD Counseling program. “Her research projects focus on issues of diversity and inclusion and are performed to the highest standard.”

But Ashleigh wasn’t always a thriving student.

Finding support

“My learning disability was diagnosed when I was five years old, and I’ve received special education assistance all through my life,” Adams said. “There has always been a little voice in my head that told me that because I have a learning disability, I’m stupid and don’t have anything to contribute.”

She said her family support got her through high school and into college, but during her undergraduate years, she struggled with the notion that she didn’t belong in higher education. She often felt alone and isolated, different from the other students and unsure of how or where she could get support.

“I didn’t know I could get help from professors and from the amazing offices at the university,” she said. “I was scared to approach them. I thought they weren’t meant for me.”

Making connections

But when she came to CU Denver and decided to study student affairs, she thought she’d better at least try to practice what she would be preaching and get involved on campus. She started reaching out to professors for help, joined the cross-country team, seized networking opportunities that led to her internship and learned to silence the negative voice in her head.

“Being involved on campus makes a huge difference,” she said. “Being more connected to my school makes me feel more connected to my schoolwork and the meaning behind that work. Everything just clicked for me.”

“I have really seen Ashleigh blossom as a student and future student affairs practitioner,” Hipolito-Delgado said. “She has gone from a student who was reserved and hesitant to participate to an active participant in classes, asking important questions, providing critical insights and pushing her classmates to think more deeply.”

Creating an inclusive campus

Through dealing with her own challenges, Adams recognized that she is passionate about equity in education. She is excited to use her HESA degree to show other students that all those campus offices and programs are meant for them, for everyone.

“The student affairs program is all about making higher education an inclusive environment for all, and that really speaks to me,” she said. “I don’t only want underrepresented students to know they can get an education. Once they get to college, I want them to have opportunities to thrive. That’s my goal, plain and simple.”

She has also recognized that just because her learning disability may give her some weaknesses doesn’t mean she doesn’t have many strengths as well.

“My learning disability is a strength in itself, in that I see the world in a different way,” she said. “I have to do many things in a different way, so I’m constantly problem solving in daily life. That connection in my brain is always flowing, so when something comes up at work, I’m ready to problem solve.”

Fighting for diversity

Adams hopes to finish her HESA degree in December 2017 and is looking forward to starting a career in higher education student affairs. Because she knows that she can get overwhelmed, though, she’s focusing on one thing at a time. For now, she’s loving what she’s learning in the HESA program.

“I’m learning why it’s so important to fight for diversity and inclusion on campuses, because it enriches the learning experience for everyone involved,” she said. “One of my favorite things about CU Denver is how diverse my fellow students and professors are. They’re really what makes the HESA program amazing for me.”

Guest Contributor: Amy Ventura

The post Student with learning disability finds success in graduate school appeared first on CU Denver Today.

A simple goal motivates Kyle Adrian Kenyon: make his community healthier, smarter and more engaged. Kenyon, a bioengineering student, is a dynamo of academic and athletic activism – he mentors fellow students as well as Colorado Rapids youth soccer players – all while dealing with a host of personal challenges.

Kenyon struggled with test-taking anxiety while he earned bachelor’s degrees in biomedical engineering and molecular & cellular biology at the University of Arizona. However, it wasn’t until he arrived at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus as a bioengineering graduate student that he discovered he had a significant learning disability.

“I came here without knowing anyone and, working with Sherry (Holden) and Selim (Ozi) in Disability Resources and Services, I found out I’m dyslexic; I have a reading and writing learning disability,” Kenyon said. “Once diagnosed, I received accommodations and was able to demonstrate my knowledge.” Holden also referred Kenyon to Dominic Martinez, senior director of the CU Anschutz Office of Inclusion and Outreach, to assist him in the application process to the CU School of Medicine (SOM).

‘Finally know what a 4.0 feels like’

The diagnosis gave Kenyon a new perspective on some of his past challenges while opening the door to greater academic success. “I finally know what it feels like to get a 4.0 (GPA),” he said with a smile.

Kenyon is quick to credit others, specifically campus support services, for his achievements. With Martinez’s help, Kenyon, who expects to graduate with a master’s in bioengineering in spring 2017, is applying for the Medical Scientist Training Program in the SOM. “I’d like to combine the clinical, engineering and scientific research fields to be essentially a translational physician, doing bench-to-bedside work.”

Performing a broad assortment of work suits Kenyon well. Besides being a full-time student, he works part-time as both a youth coach and organizer of Colorado Rapids outreach programs at schools in Aurora and Denver. Just as the Rapids professional club is on a roll this season – the team has advanced in the Major League Soccer playoffs – the club’s nonprofit youth-program arm provides after-school exercise for thousands of kids.

“We’re discussing the possibility of doing a public health study, related to the potential benefits of after-school exercise for kids, in collaboration with Elaine Belansky,” Kenyon said. Belansky, PhD, is an associate professor in the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH).

Also, the after-school programs, called Soccer for Success, have shown to help keep kids engaged in school, Kenyon said.

“What I like about the Rapids is the element of trying to make the community better,” he said. He’d like to expand his youth soccer work, as he sees “really big potential” in the development of a relationship with the ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz.

Kenyon played soccer throughout his childhood and at the intramural level in college. He can be seen wearing his Colorado Rapids training jacket around campus.

On the academic front, Kenyon is vice president of the Biomedical Engineering Society, which encompasses students at CU Anschutz and CU Denver. The group holds “pitch nights” where faculty from both campuses explain research projects with the hope of engaging student workers in their labs.

‘Like to build relationships’

In the future, Kenyon would like to hold “Engineering Clinics” where students in the Bioengineering Department (College of Engineering and Applied Science) offer basic engineering tutorials at area middle and high schools. “I like to build relationships and create things that help a great many people, all the while using my skills and knowledge in the most effective manner,” he said.

In just his second semester in the bioengineering graduate program, Kenyon saw his GPA vault to 3.9 (from 3.3). “There’s tangible improvement,” he said. “It’s been helped by those offices (Disability Resources and Inclusion and Outreach), and my new understanding of where my strengths and weaknesses are.”

Martinez said Kenyon has been an impressive mentor to undergraduate pre-health students on both campuses. For example, Kenyon used Microsoft Excel software to develop a GPA calculator that helps students track their progress while preparing for medical school and other graduate-level programs.

Martinez has been able to relate to Kenyon on many levels, including the dyslexia. “I had the same issue; I didn’t find out until graduate school that I was dyslexic,” he said. “The thing about Kyle is he’s risen to the occasion, and he doesn’t make excuses about it. He continues to move forward to be a better student and just to be a better person.”

Kenyon’s strong sense of empathy, balanced with a curious and analytic mind, is a prized characteristic in today’s sometimes impersonal world. His outgoing personality allows him to pivot with ease between a scientific environment – doing research in a lab – and various “soft skill” settings, such as communicating on the soccer field, in the classroom and in the lab.

“I feel I’ve been on a long, meaningful road,” he said. “It’s made me very flexible. Because of the struggles in my life, I feel I can understand and relate to people in many meaningful ways.”

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Every term, students at the University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs and University of Colorado Denver evaluate their courses and instructors using a questionnaire called the Faculty Course Questionnaire (FCQ). A universitywide initiative is underway, in which staff, faculty and students on the three campuses are working together to redesign the FCQ instrument and process.

Fall 2016 pilot

This fall, the FCQ will be piloting new tools and questions with a select group of courses on each campus. Students selected to participate in the pilot courses will be contacted the week of Nov. 14 detailing their involvement. The results and suggestions from these instructors and students will help inform any changes to the current FCQ process in the years ahead.

Current FCQ

The current and past FCQ results and tools can be found online at www.colorado.edu/fcq.

Questions, concerns and feedback

The FCQ Redesign Project website has information including project goals, instructor FAQs and committee members. Further questions can be directed to the committees at fcqredesign@colorado.edu.

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University of Colorado Denver students are giving theater and concertgoers a different view of reality with a new exhibition at the Denver Performing Arts Complex.

The Next Stage Collaborative gallery, a partnership between CU Denver and Denver Arts & Venues, opened recently in the complex’s galleria. The collaborative gives students from the College of Arts & Media (CAM) the chance to show their work in the one of the City and County of Denver’s major cultural hubs. The gallery is on the ground floor, across from the Buell Theater, tucked underneath the staircase to the parking structure.

College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) students designed the Next Stage Collaborative, turning a 900-square-foot vacant retail space into a flexible modern gallery.

Students from CAM will provide artwork, manage the gallery and work as docents who guide visitors through exhibits. The debut installation is from students in the digital design program and features a virtual reality exhibit called “How the Heart Works.” It uses VR headsets to show the inner workings of the heart using 3D modeling and are enhanced by computer-generated sounds, images and graphics.

Also on display are augmented reality artworks. While virtual reality projects use headsets and headphones to create immersive environments, the AR projects ask viewers to enhance two dimensional posters by viewing them through smartphones and tablets loaded with special software. The student project brings posters to life with animation.

CAM professor Michelle Carpenter is one of the faculty members whose students works appear in the Next Stage Collaborative. She believes the space is better suited for digital works than traditional galleries.

“The space offers the opportunity to showcase student and faculty work that pushes the boundaries of traditional design,” Carpenter said. “It is very exciting to be able to shape our classroom projects in a way that push the boundaries of high tech design, knowing that you have a place to showcase this outstanding CU Denver’s student work.”

It’s also an opportunity to connect with DPAC visitors, an audience that’s attuned to the arts but might not know about CU Denver’s programs.

“We consider this a fantastic opportunity to create an awareness and more visibility for our incredible programs at CU in the City,” Carpenter said.

Professor Rick Sommerfeld, M.Arch., said 30 students from CAP’s Colorado Building Workshop were part of the redesign and build out.

“Designing and building the gallery at the Denver Performing Arts Complex provided students an invaluable experience rarely realized in a traditional college setting,” Sommerfeld said. “The project exposed the students to how their theoretical ideas translate into reality, and their work with consultants, subcontractors, building code, budgets and the clients will give them a strong foundation for their future professional careers.”

The Denver Performing Arts Complex is owned by the City and County of Denver, and its Arts & Venues office worked with CU Denver and is funding the project with a grant from its Next Stage Now program. The Next Stage Collaborative is currently open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 7:30 p.m. Additional days and hours may be added, depending on visitor traffic and show schedules.

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In November, CU Denver Today announced a collaborative, university-wide initiative to redesign the faculty course questionnaire (FCQ) instrument and process. The university successfully administered its first of two pilots at the Denver, Boulder and UCCS campuses this past semester.

Pilot background

Administered at the end of each term, The Faculty Course Questionnaire (FCQ) is completed by students, evaluating their courses and instructors. The redesign effort, which was announced to faculty late August, aims to test new tools and questions while also moving FCQs entirely online. (Read more in the November 10 CU Denver Today article about the FCQ redesign.)

Fall 2016 Pilot purpose and next steps

The primary focus of the fall pilot was to experiment with two new evaluation instruments selected by the faculty leading the redesign effort. A secondary focus was to test a new digital platform for administration and to help develop strategies for increasing response rates going forward. On the Denver campus, twelve instructors volunteered to participate, which included approximately 723 enrolled students.

The project’s executive committee, consisting of faculty and staff from the three participating campuses, indicates that each pilot is meant to serve as a learning process, which allows for changes to be made in subsequent pilots.

“Faculty, students, and staff across our campuses have been working to improve the FCQ experience,” says Joanne Addison, chair of the CU Denver Faculty Assembly. “Not only do we hope to provide a better FCQ tool that is rooted in actionable data, we also hope to improve the overall process (e,g., more timely access to results). We appreciate the wide-ranging input offered by faculty and students and are especially grateful to those who have chosen to participate in our pilot.”

Pilot results will be analyzed over the coming months, and a spring semester pilot will commence in January 2017.  Look for an update about these efforts early spring semester.

Questions, concerns and feedback

For questions and concerns, please contact fcqredesign@colorado.edu or visit the FCQ Redesign Project website.

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More than 800 graduates braved bitterly cold weather and a major snowfall to celebrate their academic success at the Colorado Convention Center on Saturday, December 17, 2016.

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The curtain has officially been raised on the Next Stage Collaborative, a new exhibit space for University of Colorado Denver students and faculty to display art and digital projects. The gallery is in the Denver Performing Arts Complex.

Students celebrated the opening with CU Denver Chancellor Dorothy Horrell and officials from the City and County of Denver.

“Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, bring your families, because this is something very, very special,” Horrell said. “I couldn’t be more proud.”

The gallery gives College of Art & Media students and faculty a space to display their work and the opportunity to gain experience managing a gallery. College of Architecture and Planning students worked on the design and construction of the gallery, giving them real-world training.

“It’s remarkable that this used to be an unused retail space, and now it’s a beautiful and flexible modern gallery,” Horrell said.

The university worked with Denver’s Arts & Venues office to plan the project and is receiving funding from a grant from Denver’s Next Stage Now program.

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