A
Stater
VOL. 54, NO. 3 • FALL 2014
Published by Adams State University adams state university • alamosa, co 81101 719-587-7011 • 800-824-6494 www.adams.edu • e-mail: alumni@adams.edu online edition: www.adams.edu/alumni/astater/ EDITOR & DESIGNER Julie Waechter
ASSOCIATE EDITORS Gaylene Horning ’94 • Linda Relyea ’96, ’10
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS ASU Sports Information • Kellicia Morse ’14 Mike Skinner • Kyle Terwillegar/USTFCCA • James Trujillo ‘02
PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY Dr. David Svaldi
BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR ADAMS STATE UNIVERSITY Arnold Salazar ’76 Chair Tim Walters ’73 Vice Chair Paul Farley • Mary Griffin • Liane “Buffie” McFadyen ’91, ’93 Kathleen Rogers • LeRoy Salazar • Val Vigil ’71 • Randy Wright ’84 Dr. Rob Benson Faculty Trustee Kaylee Gomez Student Trustee
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD Lori Lee Laske ’91, ’01 Executive Director of Alumni & Donor Relations Kasey Russell ’03 President Liz Tabeling-Garcia ’96, ’06 Vice President Holly Felmlee ’76, ‘92 Secretary Toney Cantu ’70 • D. Mike Garcia ’73, ’77 • Phil Lopez ’04 Lynn Michalke ’77 • Karen Rubidoux Miller ’94 Robert Oringdulph ’71 • Sandy Ortega ’74 Chris Page ’02, ’03 • Brian Rossbert ’02 • Rich Scanga ’75 Jeremy Wilder ’96 • Delzia Worley ’97
ADAMS STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION BOARD Duane Bussey ’82 President Dr. John McDaniel Vice President Jeni Jack-Goodwin ’85 Secretary Ron Howard ’98 Treasurer Russell Achatz ’85 • Tim Bachicha ’92 • Greg Bervig ’81 Keith Cerny • Genevieve Cooper • Bill Fassett • Valerie Finnegan Dale Hettinger ’64 • Charles “Chuck” Houser ’62 • Randy Jackson ’98 Philip Lopez ’04 • Dorothy Lucero ’61 • Cathy Mullens ’82 Chuck Owsley ’68 • Michelle Roepke Rich Scanga ’75 • Ray Skeff • Donn Vigil
FOUNDATION HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS Stephen Bokat ’68 • Marguerite Salazar ’75, ’76 • Michael Ware ’69
FOUNDATION EMERITUS BOARD MEMBERS Sharon Carter • Harold Kelloff • Izora Southway ’66 J. Byron Uhrich • R. Paul Wagner
FOUNDATION EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Dr. David Svaldi ASU President Tammy Lopez ’91, ’00 Executive Director of the Foundation Kathleen Rogers Trustee Liaison
president’s letter: synergy through partnerships Wes Moore, author of the New York Times best seller The Other Wes Moore, recently lectured on campus, saying, “None of us get to where we are without the help of others.” (See story page 12.) Governor and former legislator Billy Adams did not found the Adams State Normal School all by himself—citizens of Alamosa and the San Luis Valley had to “pitch in” everything from potatoes to hogs to raise operating funds so the school could open in 1925. David Svaldi Throughout ASU’s 90-year history, hard work by teams of passionate individuals has kept us going, sometimes barely getting by, sometimes thriving, but always moving ahead. As we look toward a future for ASU that does not include me, it has become obvious that ASU will need to continue to form partnerships with both public and private entities to leverage resources to best serve ASU students. While I will be sleeping in and lying on the coach rereading some of my favorite books, my successor and current teammates will be working on partnerships to sustain ASU. We have an excellent relationship with the Colorado State University system, and in the near future individual CSU agriculture courses will help to enrich ASU’s agri-business curriculum. Our partnership with PEBC and the Boettcher Foundation (see story page 7) will continue to thrive, bringing new resources for STEM instruction to schools in the San Luis Valley and rural districts throughout southern Colorado. Just within the last three years, enrollment in our Boettcher Teacher Residency Program has more than doubled. Over the last five years, ASU has worked with the Southern Colorado Higher Education Consortium, comprised of all ten southern Colorado colleges and universities, to increase college attendance by Southern Colorado high school graduates. Statistics gathered last fall show the first such increase for southern Colorado students! Because of this partnership, plans are underway to bring new CISCO telepresence technology to ASU and to eventually provide compatible technology in SLV school districts. We are also working with Unmanned Aircraft Systems regarding a potential curriculum to train UAS operators. The goal is to develop a four-year curriculum using resources provided by private companies, with assistance from the University of Colorado. We live in a time of scarce resources; state funding for higher education will likely continue to be a challenge. ASU will need to compete for funds with corrections, Medicaid, transportation, K-12, and other state services. We can leverage our current and future resources by partnering with public and private organizations for the good of our students.
GRIZZLY CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jeff Owsley ’86 President • Ron DeSautell ’76 Vice President Dave Barrows • Keith Cerny • Jeni Jack-Goodwin ’85 Ericha Loosbrock • Joe Martinez ’99 • Ted Morrison ’69 Dennis Ortiz ’79 • Steve Valdez ’87
ADAMS STATE UNIVERSITY MISSION STATEMENT
ASU’s mission is to educate, serve, and inspire our diverse populations in the pursuit of their lifelong dreams and ambitions. VISION STATEMENT
To become the university community of choice for diverse and historically underserved groups and all who value quality education and inclusivity.
the cover About 200 campus and community runners enjoyed the Autumn Colors 5K Fun Run, a new Autumn@Adams event. The week-long celebration explored the theme Great Expression/Gran Expresión. Read more starting on page 14. To watch the Autumn Colors 5K Fun Run, visit: adams.edu/a/33