The Peak, Spring 2024

Volume 1 | Issue 1

Spring 2024

Editor

Megan Clancy ’07

Creative Director*

Noel Dolan

Contributing Writers

Julia Fennell ’21

Alexa Gromko

Project Manager

Naomi Rene Trujillo

Interim Vice President for Strategic Communications & Marketing

Stephanie Wurtz

Director of Web & Digital Media

Mark Lee

Karen To

Video Producer

Julia Fuller

This magazine is published by the Colorado College Office of Communications and Marketing with the mission of engaging CC alumni and friends in the advancement of the college and its entire community.

Cover Photo: Student makes a streak plate of bacteria in preparation for cloning the gene for green fluorescent protein in MB201 Laboratory in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genetics. Photo by Mark Lee.

Top row (L-R): Monica Carpenter ’24, Aiden Ingenthrop ’24, Zoraiz Zafar ’24, Sonia Guliak ’25, Dan Johnson (faculty), Karla Prado ’25, Kylee Gosney ’26, Arez Khidr ’25, Isabelle Wagenvoord ’25, Isabella Hageman ’24, Tobin Spiller ’26, Meleah Silverstein ’25, Julia Decker ’26, Kay Fizer ’24, Addi Schwieterman ’24, Olivia Xerras ’24, Anna Amacher ’25, Nova Yu ’24. Front row (L-R): Owen Rask ’24, Jacob McDougall ’24 in Los Angeles for CC’s inaugural Mattel Block. Read the full story on page 18. Photo by Ryan Bañagale, associate professor and chair of Music, and director for the Crown Center for Teaching.

Kieran Blood ’23 (Winter Start) practices acrobatics with his hoop. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III.

LETTER FROM the Editor

It’s been nearly a year since I returned to CC. And while being on campus as a staff member is wildly different than being here as a student (No Block Breaks?! What??), I still feel that same sense of community and home.

Since coming back, I’m continually reminded of how things are very much the same as they were twenty years ago, but also, how the campus and community have grown and improved in all the best ways. It is so exciting to be here, working for this institution at this moment in time. There are so many great things on the horizon for the campus and the entire Tiger community. As we enter into this year of commemorating CC’s 150th anniversary, it is exciting to honor the traditions of this space while also looking forward to all the good that will come in the future.

I could never have imagined when I took this job all the amazing opportunities it would bring. I’ve been able to work on projects with nearly every department on campus, launch The Peak, and even help lead the branding of a CC beer! I’ve reconnected with some wonderful people who were pillars in my time as a student and formed deep friendships with some new and truly incredible individuals. CC people really are the best.

But above all, my favorite part of this job has been connecting with all of you, my fellow alumni. Spending each and every day hearing your stories, learning how you are truly changing the world in big and small ways, makes me proud to be a Tiger.

We’ve focused this issue on innovation because that’s one of the things CC alumni do best. We find ways to think outside the box and make lasting impact. I hope you can find your own connection to the CC experience and spirit in these pages.

Happy reading!

Megan Clancy ’07 Editor, The Peak

LETTER FROM the President

What makes Colorado College distinct? Our motto says it all: “Scientia et Disciplina,” or “Learning through Hard Work.” Any higher education institution can tout these values, but at CC, we live them. We are driven by our desire to think, teach, and do differently. We are committed to providing the finest liberal arts education anywhere to our diverse group of talented students. We are a community of faculty, staff, and students with the courage to learn from one another, question our own perspectives, and challenge the status quo.

None of this is easy—but at CC, we don’t do easy. We know that openness to different perspectives, tolerance of ambiguity, and willingness to risk failure are the building blocks to creativity and innovation. We nurture these skills in and outside of the classroom for all CC students, regardless of major. It comes as no surprise, then, when we hear about CC alumni collaborating with unlikely partners, uncovering hidden solutions, or leading visionary teams.

Our alumni, students, staff, and faculty demonstrate every day the value of a CC education. This issue of The Peak highlights the many ways we are building creative confidence and resilience in today’s students—both so they can succeed in the paths they choose after graduation, and so they are prepared for challenges we can’t even predict today. It also celebrates alumni who are taking innovative approaches in the fields of horticulture, astrobiology, foreign service, and more.

As we look ahead to CC’s 150th anniversary, this is also a time to reflect, celebrate, and prepare for the future. Through Project 2024, our community is brainstorming what it might take to make the Block Plan more relevant and impactful for students today. I hope you enjoy reading about how we have put some of these ideas into action, including a story on the new Half Block course at Mattel on page 18 and other articles featuring academic innovations.

These stories reinforce what we already know about CC—this is a place that produces bold leaders with the courage to think differently. Enjoy!

L. Song Richardson President

INNOVATION AT Colorado College

CC has always done things differently. In these stories, we look at how Tigers continue to push their fields in new ways, in the classroom, on campus, and beyond.

The sun sets behind Pikes Peak, casting a reflection of the sky in the 18kW solar array atop Spencer Center, one of many solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays across campus. Photo by Mark Lee.

ALUM IN ENERGY: Mike Turner ’04

Megan Clancy ’07

SName: Mike Turner

Pronouns: he/him/his

Grad year: 2004

Major: English

Hometown: Denver, CO

Current location: Denver, CO

Current occupation: Director of Strategic Initiatives & Finance at the Colorado Energy Office

ince graduating from CC in 2004, Mike Turner’s career path has been immersed in the world of environmental innovation. He was a clean energy consultant for the United Nations Environmental Programme in Uganda and served as a climate change consultant and the Clean Energy Policy and Program Director for the State of Colorado. Now, Turner is the Director of Strategic Initiatives & Finance (SIFI) at the Colorado Energy Office.

“We evaluate the technologies, policies, and incentives that will help the state achieve ambitious climate targets,” says Turner. “I think innovation is in the stitchwork of all the work I do, as we search for new ways to tackle big issues.”

Colorado is recognized globally for its leadership in climate technology and its role in advancing innovative clean energy technologies. And the

Colorado Energy Office and the SIFI team are at the forefront of this work. In his role at SIFI, Turner works on some of the most innovative clean energy technology and emerging markets.

“I basically get to identify and research the next frontier of clean energy, and then think through all the ways that the state can support the thoughtful development of these markets,” says Turner. “I get to help write energy policies, testify at the capitol, organize coalitions, give presentations and workshops around the state and country, and think about the logistics of big picture initiatives.”

Turner’s team works on emerging markets and technology such as Geothermal, Cannabis, Beneficial Electrification, Hydrogen, Carbon Dioxide Removal, Sustainable Aviation Fuel, and Renewable Energy project software.

Turner at the state capitol during a legislative session for his work with Colorado Energy. Photo provided by Turner.

“We are looking at the innovations that will transition us to a clean energy economy,” he says. “This requires strategic research into new markets and technologies, innovative financing models, pioneering legislation and program development, and market transformation.”

When it comes to challenges in his profession, Turner admits there are a few. At the top of the list are coordinating all the stakeholders and learning to fail quickly.

“Many of the markets we work with require in-depth stakeholder engagement. This means thoughtful engagement with local communities, policy makers, private sector players, financial institutions, and technical experts,” says Turner. “We want to make sure everyone is heard.”

And though the work is tough, Turner knows he has the strong foundation to face these challenges.

“CC helped me critically analyze information quickly, discuss with peers, and then craft a new idea or path forward. The classroom was just the first opportunity to do this, but the mentality carried over to all other aspects of life,” he says. “My CC friends and I were constantly talking, debating, challenging each other, and then being innovative, unconventional, silly. This mindset has stuck with me throughout my professional career.”

Another big challenge of Turner’s job comes with the newness of the field.

“Since we are pioneering new approaches, we have to do our research, pilot programs, and then scale—quickly,” says Turner. “We are often building the plane as we're learning to fly it. We are very calculated in our spending and decision making. But we also have to know when something isn't working and when we have to pivot strategies. It's important to remain nimble and adaptive in this environment.”

Even after 10 years with the Energy Office, Turner’s job still gets more interesting, more challenging, and more rewarding every year. “I never thought a job could be that way,” he says. “I love being on the bleeding edge of clean energy and the transition to a clean energy economy.”

“CC helped me critically analyze information quickly, discuss with peers, and then craft a new idea or path forward. The classroom was just the first opportunity to do this, but the mentality carried over to all other aspects of life,”

And what’s the best part of the job? “It’s my team,” says Turner. “I mean, we're called "SIFI!" We truly have the best energy (pun intended), synergy, ideas, and definitely have the most fun. We get to create and implement. We get to research the newest technologies and investment strategies, and we get to interact with so many different stakeholders around the state and country and world.”

As for the future, Turner has big goals. “I want Colorado to be an international model for clean energy innovation and climate action. We are, in many respects, already. We have first-in-the-nation industrial decarbonization regulations, geothermal electricity generation investments, carbon capture and sequestration goals, hydrogen fuel tax credits. I want to continue to lead this. And then teach the rest of the world.” ❉

Turner with a colleague surveying wind turbines in the field. Photo provided by Turner.

ALUM IN FOREIGN SERVICE: Ashley Ndir ’06

Megan Clancy ’07

Name: Ashley Ndir

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Grad year: 2006

Major: Economics

Hometown: Anchorage, AK & Longmont, CO

Current location: Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire

Current occupation: Senior US Commercial Liaison to the African Development Bank

During her time at CC, Ashley Ndir ’06 constantly worked to build and support her community. She was a member of the Women’s Basketball team and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and served as an Economics FYE Mentor. Since graduating, she has continued her drive to serve and better the world. She is now the Senior Commercial Liaison to the African Development Bank (AfDB).

In her role, Ndir advises U.S. companies on opportunities to engage with the AfDB projects in the 54 countries across the continent. The AfDB is the foremost multilateral development finance institution on the continent and provides financing to African governments and private sector entities across Africa while addressing some of the greatest challenges of our time.

“The United States is the second largest shareholder in the institution and thus we want to see more U.S.

companies engaging with the work the Bank is doing across the continent,” says Ndir.

Ndir sits on the U.S. Executive Director’s team at the AfDB and she represents the Department of Commerce on the Ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire’s leadership team at the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan. In her role as the Commercial Liaison, she works to establish innovative methods to engage the U.S. private sector to do business in African markets. Through this work, Ndir recently launched the Strategic Partnership on Digital Transformation.

“With 70 percent of the population under 30, innovation and digital connectivity are essential to the expanding opportunity and economic growth across the continent,” says Ndir. “We’re focused on leveraging leading U.S. tech companies’ expertise and experience to the expansion of digital infrastructure, emerging technologies such as AI and cloud computing, improving the access to workforce

Ndir, second from left, welcomed an iconic delegation including Lisa Leslie, Chiney Ogwumike, and Chrystal Dunn to Cote d’Ivoire during the African Cup of Nations to leverage sports as a tool for diplomacy.

development programs at national levels, and addressing the regulatory environments at a national and continental level that will permit ethical, inclusive access to technological transformation.”

While there are plenty of challenges in the role, Ndir still finds great passion and excitement in her work. “I absolutely love the interactions I have with people from incredibly diverse backgrounds,” she says.

“Having the opportunity to listen to and engage with visionary thinkers who consistently work to foster a more just world is incredibly motivating.”

Above all, it’s the impact she sees her work having on an individual level that drives her every day.

“My ‘why’ is to see the lives of individuals I deeply care about improved while addressing the individual development challenges on an institutional basis,” Ndir says. “This is why I am so passionate about representing the US at the African Development Bank. I believe the institution is improving social and economic progress across the continent and globally.”

Looking back, Ndir holds a big place in her heart for her time at CC, both personally and professionally. It was while sitting in an accounting lab her senior year that she got to talking with a fellow student about what brought them to CC and their future goals. That conversation not only started her trajectory toward her current career, but it was that other student, Abdou Ndir ’06, who is now her husband and the

Left: Leading the first ever meeting between President Adesina of the African Development Bank and President Ajay Banga of the World Bank.

Below: Ndir as the Senior Commercial Liaison to the African Development Bank hosting a delegation from the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Department of State including the Deputy Secretary of Commerce at the AfDB headquarters in Abidjan.

father of their two children. Professionally, she points to the foundation that her time on campus provided as pivotal in her success.

“Being a diplomat requires the ability to adapt in varying and challenging environments, to learn quickly, to think broadly and critically. These are all aspects that CC challenged us to confront,” she says. “The Block Plan taught us to process information quickly, to ask questions and seek a multitude of perspectives, and to reflect on our own individual values and align our work with these values.”

As for her future goals, Ndir dreams of reaching the Senior Foreign Service as a Minister Counselor for the Department of Commerce. She says, “I desire to serve and represent our country abroad in a manner that builds positive, enduring relationships of trust and collaboration while moving our world to a greater common future.” ❉

Photos provided by Ndir.

ALUM IN WATER: Scott Bryan ’01

Megan Clancy ’07

Name: Scott Bryan

Pronouns: he/him/his

Grad year: 2001

Major: Economics

Hometown: Helena, MT

Current location: Bozeman, MT

Current occupation: Water Innovation

Expert and President of Imagine H2O

During his years at CC, Scott Bryan ’01 spent his time leading ORC trips in the Collegiate Peaks and Canyonlands, firing kilns in the ceramics studio, and convincing leaders in business and sustainability to speak on campus.

“CC gave me the ability to see the big picture, yet still know when and how to drill down," says Bryan.

He points to a specific CC trip, exploring the bowels of Glen Canyon Dam with Professor Mark Smith, as sparking his interest in how water is used now and in the future. And it was this interest in the intersection between business and sustainability that led Bryan to his current role as the CEO of Imagine H2O, a non-profit organization for entrepreneurs building transformative solutions for the future of water.

“Water is the medium through which people are experiencing climate change. And water security is a foundational element of creating resilient communities and economies,” says Bryan. “Ensuring access to safe, reliable, and affordable water sources will play a central role in transitioning to a resilient future.”

Imagine H2O’s water innovation programs provide startups with the resources, insight, and visibility to launch and scale water solutions. It envisions and builds programs with the world’s best water entrepreneurs. Through their startup accelerator, the organization has supported nearly 200 water solutions which have collectively reached over 1 billion people and raised more than $1 billion in earlystage investment.

“Water challenges and solutions are often very localized,” says Bryan. “There’s no silver bullet

solution that can be consistently applied across geographies. Scaling solutions at an accelerated pace can be challenging—which is why Imagine H2O exists.”

Although the challenges in water are vast, Bryan still approaches his work with optimism for future possibilities. “Technology alone will not solve the issue, but innovation can force changes in management and governance,” he says. “Nor can we turn to yesterday’s water solutions. Climate change will force us to decentralize, decarbonize, digitalize, and democratize our water management systems. And, working with colleagues, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders who share our vision gives me energy and hope for our future.”

Bryan recalls that trip with Prof. Smith as a pivotal moment in his time at CC and future profession. “We showed up with a signed letter from Floyd Dominy, the controversial Bureau of Reclamation commissioner credited with building the dam, who had spoken on campus just days prior to our trip. Mark dutifully showed the letter to the dam employees and the gates magically opened. After a brief safety talk, we entered the facility and

descended into the dam’s deepest passages. The walls were vibrating with the sheer force of the entire Colorado passing through the dam’s turbines and I could feel the claustrophobia creeping throughout my body. I think back to that moment in time when the reservoir was at one of its highest storage levels and a signed napkin served as a pre-9/11 security clearance. It was experiences like this that sparked my interest in re-thinking the way we use water in the face of climate change.”

“Ensuring access to safe, reliable, and affordable water sources will play a central role in transitioning to a resilient future.”

Bryan has a lot of big goals for Imagine H2O and his own professional future. And one of those goals is a return to the campus he called home for four years. “I’d love to get back to teach a Half Block on water innovation as I think that CC is the perfect place to cultivate a new generation of water leaders,” he says. ❉

Bryan and Imagine H2O have teamed up with fellow CC alum, Matt Johnson '05, co-founder and CEO of LAIIER, a leak detection startup, to develop the pictured pipe sensor.

Photos provided by Bryan.

Colorado College Awarded Newman Civic Fellowship Campus Innovation Cohort

Julia Fennell ’21

Campus Compact, the largest and oldest higher education association dedicated to higher education civic and community engagement, has selected CC to receive funding as part of the Newman Civic Fellowship Campus Innovation Cohort. This funding will improve the college’s mentorship process and experience for the Newman Civic Fellowship program, coordinated by the Collaborative for Community Engagement (CCE).

Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities dedicated to pursuing the public purposes of higher education, partnered with the Lumina Foundation to create the Newman Civic Fellowship Campus Innovation Cohort. Campus Compact selected six teams across seven Campus Compact member institutions to receive funding to enhance the Newman Civic Fellowship program.

“We will focus on improving the mentor selection process and expectations for the mentor role, starting with the application cycle on our campus.”

The grantees will lead individual work on each respective campus, where they will pursue strategic goals to improve access for historically underrepresented students, develop student professional development opportunities, and improve mentoring processes. The teams will participate as members of a nationwide cohort to collaborate on deepening student civic leadership development in higher education.

CC’s team is headed by Sarah Elsey, Student Engagement Coordinator of the CCE, and supported by Dr. Jordan Travis Radke, Director of the CCE.

“We will focus on improving the mentor selection process and expectations for the mentor role, starting with the application cycle on our campus,” says Elsey. “This opportunity will also allow us to explore funding opportunities for mentor and mentee experiences, including off-campus activities with local leaders.”

Earlier this year, Benjamin Murphy ’25 was named a 2023 Newman Civic Fellow after being nominated by President L. Song Richardson. The Newman Civic Fellowship is a year-long program that supports student problem solvers at Campus Compact member institutions. Campus Compact provides professional development opportunities to develop strategies for social change, and creates a network of student leaders who are working towards making positive change.

Teams fom Raritan Valley Community College, Spelman College, University of North Florida, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Worcester State University also received funding as Campus Innovation Cohorts. ❉

AI Camera Brings New Views to CC Athletics

Jerry Cross, CC Director of Athletics Communications

If you take a peek at the south wall of CC’s Reid Arena, you will notice a compact piece of equipment that has transformed the streaming capabilities for CC volleyball and basketball games. Thanks to a generous donation from Lisa Remey Hastings ’91, CC Trustee and Mark Hastings ’90, the CC Athletic Department purchased and installed a Pixellot Show S3 camera in the arena to help improve the video quality of Tiger games with unmanned, AIautomated equipment.

Pixellot, the leading provider of automated sports video and analytics solutions, unveiled the Pixellot Show S3 in May of 2023. With superior image and audio quality, versatile coverage options, and advanced AI capabilities, it will continue Pixellot’s legacy of setting the standard for automated sports capture, production, and delivery.

“Lisa

I,

never had the thrill of contributing to a Tigers victory,” Hastings says. “Let’s hope the new system can add a few wins. The gift is somewhat ironic given that we graduated from CC prior to the existence of the Internet and mobile phones. However, we are the fortunate benefactors of the growth of the innovation economy over the last thirty-five years and are really excited to bring this technology to Colorado College.”

Coaches can now watch practices without setting up a camera and utilizing a cameraperson, and the game camera has a built-in scorebug, eliminating the need for a director or producer. All practices and games are scheduled through the Pixellot website. It also greatly improves the experience for Tiger fans watching from all over the world on CCTigers.com.

“The Pixellot camera has been a game changer for our program,” says Men’s Basketball Head Coach Jeff Conarroe ’99. “It has created massive efficiencies in our workflow. Not only is it much easier to capture game and practice footage with its scheduling features and artificial intelligence that eliminates manpower when filming, it also enables us to have more staff on the floor. The Pixellot camera is a big step in continuing to build championship culture at CC.”

“The Pixellot camera has been a game changer for our program…It has created massive efficiencies in our workflow.”

Featuring a 12K, three-camera array in one compact and lightweight (7.7 lbs.) unit, the Pixellot captures every detail of the game, providing vivid, sharp video for fans, and a high-quality analysis solution for coaches. Its unique, multiple production modes provide different viewing angles including a broadcast view, a tactical view for analysis, and a fullpitch panoramic view.

The compact design of the camera makes it easy to mount even in hard-to-access locations and, thanks to a single cable that connects all the components, the installation and setup process is fast and cost-effective.

According to Pixellot, CC is the first school in the Rocky Mountain Region to employ the new S3 system. The same equipment will also be installed at Washburn Field for CC lacrosse games this spring. ❉

Above, left: Basketball taking on Southwestern. Above, right: Volleyball taking on Trinity.

played club lacrosse at CC.

with my glaring lack of athleticism,

When Work is Fun: The Mattel Block

Inaugural Course an Innovative Success

Alexa Gromko

“Imagine, if you will, a multi-story Hot Wheels track as you enter the building, complete with multiple loopde-loops,” shares course co-instructor and CC Economics and Business Professor Dan Johnson. “And that’s just the atrium.”

It was a historic first for both CC and the Mattel Company: a cohort of twenty students and two professors embedded for nine days at the iconic toymaker’s headquarters in Los Angeles for a halfcredit/quarter-internship Half Block.

Photo courtesy of Teri Weber, Mattel

“I really did feel like a kid again while immersed in the halls of Mattel,” says Olivia Xerras ’24, an International Political Economy major and Journalism minor who played with Barbies growing up. “We listened to different presentations each morning from different departments, and we toured the facility, everywhere from marketing and finance to the people who put the hair on the Barbie doll’s head.”

“When we got a tour of the Handler Team Center, it was the coolest office space I’ve ever seen,” adds Arez Khidr ’25, a Computer Science and History double major. “This is where the Hot Wheels team works on toys at their desks. They cultivate fun. They encourage play and the space is very open and free flowing.”

Ryan Bañagale co-instructed the course, approaching it through his lens as a CC professor of Music and Director for the Crown Center for Teaching.

“As someone who’s very invested in introducing students to the creative process, I want students to see industries, employers, and organizations that value creativity beyond CC,” Bañagale says. “Some of the ways we think about creativity at CC are also happening at Mattel.”

Each day, the students experienced a curricular module. For Consumer Insights, they learned how Mattel gathers data about children and their patterns of play, and about parents and their patterns of purchasing.

“When does a school ever offer something like this? When do you get to go to a corporation like this especially one as popular as Mattel? I thought it was an amazing opportunity.”

“How do you plan and integrate those insights?” Johnson continues. “We did modules in finance, marketing, brand strategy, and retail partners. We even stocked shelves at a Target store, learning why product placement is so important.”

Mattel also organized a buddy program for the students, pairing each with a recent college graduate who shared not only what working for Mattel is like, but their pathway to employment.

“When does a school ever offer something like this?” asks Khidr. “When do you get to go to a corporation like this especially one as popular as Mattel? I thought it was an amazing opportunity.”

Khidr figured he’d end up in a programming job after graduation, but that’s now changed.

“This course has shaped what I see myself doing after college. They gave us a breakdown of the company. It’s so big and complex, from production to marketing, there are so many roles I didn’t know were needed,” he says. “The marketing and branding really appealed to me as something I could do in the future.”

“It would be a dream to work for them,” adds Xerras. “They want creative, worldly thinkers, which I think the Block Plan cultivates.”

Johnson and Bañagale waded through many CC applicants for this course, which they’re calling a “liberal arts-guided, intensive micro-internship Block.” They specifically selected students from different disciplines and years, paying close attention to diversity and inclusiveness, so the cohort could see the experience through each other’s positionalities.

“I wondered how the Economics students were processing this, or the Psychology students, or History students,” shares Johnson. “We asked the students each day how they might learn from their different eyes, ears, and lenses.” To this end, students engaged in reflective exercises in individual journals provided by CC’s Creativity and Innovation program.

“It would be a dream to work for them…They want creative, worldly thinkers, which I think the Block Plan cultivates.”

“This Mattel Block is a catalyst for what’s possible,” says Bañagale. “Students sometimes get tunnel vision within their major because they focus on the methodologies of that field. We wanted to see how

different disciplines approach making a toy. It invited our students to move in different directions and to realize their degree is much more than its major.”

And for Mattel’s Jesse Ross, Vice President of Talent, the experience was equally impactful.

“It was truly inspiring to collaborate with the talented students from Colorado College. Witnessing their eagerness to learn about how Mattel operates reinforced my belief in the power of diverse thinking,” Ross says. “The exchange of knowledge was not only valuable for them, but also enriched our thinking and processes.”

The objective now, says Bañagale, is figuring out how to further develop this relationship. “The course is unique compared to a field study, a study abroad, or other community-engaged experience. We were fully embedded onsite for nine days. There’s a lot to take in.”

“How soon can we do this again?” Johnson asks. “How many partners might we offer this to? This is something CC would uniquely do well: instructors who know how to do this kind of work, students who spend weeks on one subject—no other institution in the world can do it like we can do it.”

The Half Block culminated with final presentations surrounding Mattel’s upcoming 80th anniversary— exciting ideas to mark the milestone. Ultimately, students were asked how Mattel will face the

Above, left: Owen Rask ’24 and Jacob McDougall ’24 engage in Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots. Photo courtesy of Dan Johnson. Above, right: A giant Hot Wheels car greets visitors at the door of Mattel. Photo courtesy of Teri Weber, Mattel.

future with respect to the past. How do you take a nearly 80-year-old company and face forward, not backward?

“That was a challenge,” adds Khidr. “It was essentially a culmination of everything we learned. But I loved it so much—being put in those pressure situations where you have to show up. I truly came away believing all the employees liked the ideas we proposed and feel we definitely were able to provide some value for Mattel.”

“It was truly inspiring to collaborate with the talented students from Colorado College.”

Bañagale and Johnson say the students were on message, on brand, and on target. They fully achieved the desired learning outcomes.

“They were remarkably thoughtful, insightful, and creative,” says Johnson. “One exec said they were already working on one of the ideas, which showed how much the students were on point. Another said to a fellow exec, ‘are you texting this to <blank> in

the toy development division? Because we need to do this right away!’”

The students also met with alumni, explored L.A., and enjoyed different field experiences during the course.

For a cohort of college students who started their journey during a global pandemic, this Half Block served as an intense space to interact with other students with whom they may not have otherwise had contact. They also came away with new friends.

“To witness a group of 20 students being strangers come together as a cohort and watch them become a close and supportive team was powerful. They’ll continue to cultivate that connectivity with an increased network both on campus and off,” adds Bañagale. “The beauty of the experience is that it is proof of the concept that these sorts of courses will benefit our students and demonstrate the kinds of classes we offer going forward.” ❉

Photos start on the left going clockwise: Barbie Box student Olivia Xerras ‘24. Inside Mattel’s headquarters: We Collaborate and We Execute signage, the Magic 8 Ball display, and the Fisher Price TV. Students in Mattel: Tobin Spiller ’26, Arez Khidr ’25, Aiden Ingenthron ’24, Aditya Yadav ’25, Isabella Hageman ’24, Kay Fizer ’24, Addi Schwieterman ’24, Anna Amacher ’25, Isabelle Wagenvoord ’25. Mattel headquarter photos courtesy of Terri Weber, Mattel.

Computer Science Students Spend Two Weeks Working in National Laboratory

Julia Fennell ’21

Many Computer Science majors at colleges and universities across the world study computational science, but few college students have the opportunity to work hands-on inside a national laboratory as part of their course work. At CC, our students do. Students in the Block 4 Scientific Simulation in Situ course spent two weeks at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, creating career-making connections and working alongside real-life scientists.

Students in the class with Dr. Danielle Ellsworth, CC Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science, worked on a simulation code using the techniques, tools, and motivating questions that are used on large-scale simulation codes, such as climate models and quantum chemistry simulations. They also learned about venture capital and met with Acrew Capital, the venture capital company that supported the class.

“This class was an innovative way to teach problem solving and research skills that are applicable beyond the scope of computer science research,” says Kalie Chang ’26, a Computer Science and Economics double major. “The problems and questions we asked were unique and haven't been solved before, so unlike typical computer science courses, where some of the problems we faced have been solved in the past, we had to work to understand the problem, what may be causing it, and experiment with different code to try and fix it.”

After spending the first week on campus becoming acquainted with the code they would be working on and the supercomputing environment, the class traveled to Livermore, California, to begin their adventure at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), which conducts research in physical and life sciences, engineering, and computing in support of its missions of nuclear deterrence and climate and energy security.

“Even though we were only at the lab for two weeks, we had complete immersion into what computing at the lab would be like,” says Stuart Sessions ’25, a Computer Science major. “This full, complete day taken up by work is what I have been hoping to get from CC's unique class structure, and this has been the first class to actually accomplish that. I feel like I really understand and have lived the life of a computing employee at a national lab.”

Students in the class were at the lab from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the second and third week of the block. During the mornings, students attended

Kalie Chang ’26 and Grace Mun ’25 at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Discovery Lab during their Scientific Simulation in Situ Block 4 class in December 2023. Photo provided by Mira Giles-Pufahl ’25.

presentations from guest lecturers on a variety of topics, including technical and coding skills and professional development. Students also got to tour different facilities and sites on the LLNL campus, including the National Ignition Facility and Additive Manufacturing Lab.

“The opportunity to work at the lab gave me realworld experience that I wouldn't have gotten normally at another college,” says Chang. “The Block Plan was key to making this possible because most schools that run by a semester system can't provide students with the experience of working a 9–5 research job or the experience of making progress within a short time frame like CC can.”

“Most computer science classes in general focus on how to create the software, and not what it might be used for, or the capabilities of software projects,”

says Willa Polman ’25, a Computer Science major and Asian Studies minor. “I think this class served as an example of what a research internship is like, and gave me an opportunity and the confidence to apply to LLNL and other internships this summer.”

“The opportunity to work at the lab gave me real-world experience that I wouldn’t have gotten normally at another college,”

At the end of the block, students presented their work to the class in a research poster session.

Ellsworth became connected with LLNL after interning with Rountree from 2014 through 2016, while she was in graduate school. “If I didn't love teaching so much, I would like to be at LLNL,” Ellsworth says. “I love the people there and the lab works on the most technically challenging and interesting problems in the world.”

Ellsworth thinks of her research interests in terms of how to help computers work together better. Her core technical research work involves power management in high-performance computing.

“Especially in computer science, it is easy to get so focused on the details of a technology or technique or algorithm that any sense of practical application becomes lost,” Ellsworth says. “In all my classes, I try to expose students to connections between why and what is being done at the level of human rather than technical objectives. We should be able to imagine why someone wants the particular program or system the question is asking for and how they might use that program or system.” ❉

Students got to spend time exploring California while not at the lab, including taking a day trip to San Francisco.

Photo provided by Mira Giles-Pufahl ’25.

Dr. Marcia Dobson and Dr. John Riker have taught Contemporary Psychoanalysis: Theory and Practice in Chicago for 15 years. Classes are held at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute and occasionally in Riker and Dobson's apartment with their four dogs, like this class session during Block 7, 2023.

Students Get Inside Look at Real World Psych

Julia Fennell ’21

Since 2007, more than 200 CC students have spent a block in Chicago in the Contemporary Psychoanalysis: Theory and Practice class with Dr. Marcia Dobson, CC Professor of Classics, and Dr. John Riker, CC Professor of Philosophy, meeting distinguished psychoanalysts and experts at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute.

Riker and Dobson met many of these inspiring psychoanalysts in Chicago when Riker was the Kohut Professor at the University of Chicago in 2003.

“We realized it would be too expensive to bring them all to campus and then thought that we would bring our students to Chicago,” Dobson and Riker say. “The course has been successful beyond our dreams. Undergraduate students studying with psychoanalysts at an institute is such an innovative experiment that we were asked to devote an entire psychoanalytic journal to this theme.”

Dobson and Riker continue to co-teach the course on a regular basis, where they arrange for about a dozen Chicago psychoanalysts to be guest teachers. Some psychoanalysts present theoretical papers about their understanding of the nature of human psyche and others share their own case studies with students during the class, helping them understand therapeutic processes.

“This class was magical in every way possible,” says Fargol Yeganeh Fathi ’24, a Psychology major and German minor, who was one of 16 students to take the class during Block 7 in 2023. “I got to see what psychoanalysis as a career looks like in different people with very different personalities.”

While in Chicago, students are encouraged to take in the rich history and culture of the city, particularly its art, theater, and architecture, as the class spends time studying how psychoanalysis can deepen understanding of these arts. These experiences contribute to the overall effectiveness of the class and supplement the academic sessions and expert talks.

Photo provided by Fargol Yeganeh Fathi ’24.

“We often had class with working analysts, sometimes in their homes,” says Tate Gibbons ’23, who also took the 2023 Block 7 course. “Hearing their interpretations and applications of Kohutian concepts helped me understand them comprehensively. I found our discussions of the analyst-analysand relationship particularly interesting.”

“This class was magical in every way possible. I got to see what psychoanalysis as a career looks like in different people with very different personalities.”

From meeting famous psychoanalysts and observing life in a city, to bonding with classmates and professors, this class continues to be a massive success among students, so much so that they encourage classmates to take the course.

“I think this class is innovative in the sense that it offers a unique class structure that focuses on immersion with experts in that field,” says Grace Nguyen ’26, a Neuroscience major who is taking Contemporary Psychoanalysis: Theory and Practice in Block 8 this year. “While typical psychology and neuroscience classes are based in lecture and exams, I feel that this class offers something with much more depth. We will be able to see firsthand

the material of our class being applied to the real world with the guidance of experts, and that for me is truly an innovative way to teach a course. I believe this will heavily benefit my learning as I consider myself a hands-on learner who appreciates any opportunity to take what I learned and apply it to real-world situations.”

“While typical psychology and neuroscience classes are based in lecture and exams, I feel that this class offers something with much more depth.”

Nguyen is especially looking forward to learning from and meeting psychoanalysts at the Chicago Psychoanalysis Institute.

“I am intrigued by getting to see what their profession entails and how they have made a career out of the field, and also to hear them speak about something I’ve always wanted to know more about,” she says. “Overall, I cannot wait to take this class and to see what I will learn!”

Without the Block Plan, this class would likely not happen. Colleagues from other institutions that work with Riker and Dobson have told them that they wish they could reproduce this program but cannot because of their semester or trimester schedule.

Dobson has taught in the CC Classics Department since 1976 and Riker has taught in the CC Philosophy Department since 1968. They taught their first class together at CC in 1976, when they taught Greek History and Philosophy, which they co-taught for almost 20 years and have taught occasionally since then. ❉

Scan the QR Code to read the full story »

Students in the 2023 Block 7 Contemporary Psychoanalysis: Theory and Practice attend a Cubs’ baseball game at Wrigley Field. Photo provided by Fargol Yeganeh Fathi ’24.

History Students Dive into Bias Against Africa with LEGO

Julia Fennell ’21

At CC, students in Dr. Danielle Sanchez’s Global Africa course learn about and discuss preconceived notions and biases in African history, culminating in a LEGO build of the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, Ghana.

This course focuses on how Africa transitioned politically, socially, economically, and culturally from 1960 to present day. Sanchez, Assistant Professor of History, uses popular culture to teach about contemporary issues in Africa, including struggles for gender equality and LGBTQIA+ rights, environmental activism, student movements, and the Cold War.

“The reason why I felt like this was important was because when we think about African history and the consumption of pop culture ideas, people's imaginings of Africa are pretty racist and problematic,” says Sanchez. “When you go and buy LEGO products, a lot of them are based on Western Europe. We spent time talking about biases against Africa and Africans. We broke down how we know what we know about African history and constantly challenged preconceived notions. LEGO is a great way to think about how people place value on specific histories while ignoring others.”

Sanchez is good friends and colleagues with Dr. Trevor Getz, Professor of African and World History at San Francisco State University, who specializes in West African History, Comic Studies, and History Education. Getz and Tony Yeboah, a PhD student in History at Yale, developed the idea to create a LEGO build for the Manhyia Palace and eventually commissioned the creation of a My Own Creation (MOC) design. Getz mentioned the MOC to Sanchez and she immediately knew that she wanted to incorporate the Manhyia Palace build into her Global Africa course.

Getz and Yeboah came to CC during Block 7 in 2023 for a series of events that focused on creativity and African history. Their visit culminated with a marathon building session as students and community members worked towards the goal of completing the Manhyia Palace MOC. Sanchez also had students work on free builds based on other examples of African architecture.

At the time of publication, the LEGO Manhyia Palace is still on display in the Gates Common Room, on the third floor of Palmer Hall. ❉

New Agents of Care Gallery Space Connects Public to Fine Arts Center

Julia Fennell ’21

The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College’s Agents of Care: A Collections Transparency Project exhibition space is strengthening the relationship between the Fine Arts Center (FAC) and the Colorado Springs community by increasing access to FAC collections.

Agents of Care allows FAC guests to learn from and interact directly with the museum team as they work on numerous projects, including conservation, collection-based research, the physical care and storage of museum items, and data management.

“The museum cares for over 17,000 works showcasing the rich history and vibrant contemporary cultures of the Southwest and the Americas,” says Sara Hodge, Head of Collections at the FAC. “We hold these collections in the public trust, for the benefit of communities past, present,

Students in Karen Roybal's SW 273 Art, Power & Resistance visit the newly opened FAC Agents of Care space. Students had the opportunity for hands-on learning with the support of Blair Huff and Sara Hodge from the Museum Department. Photo by Karuna Abe ’20.

The FAC hosted seven separate classes with 121 students in the fall of 2023. Academic departments included History, Art, and Southwest Studies. Since the gallery opened in August 2023, museum staff have shared meaningful 1:1 dialogue with over 1,500 visitors.

and future, so we believe it only natural we invite those communities to be a part of the conversation in how we care for these collections.”

This is different from how most museums traditionally work, but Hodge sees this as progress and a step forward for the community.

“Ordinarily the care and stewardship of museum collections happens behind the scenes without public input or even awareness,” Hodge says. “Agents of Care seeks to completely re-envision what that collections care can be. The Fine Arts Center seeks to engage our communities in dialogue surrounding this practice, inviting them to collaborate with us in the future of our collections stewardship.”

For this exhibition, the FAC took 1,500 square feet of gallery space and transformed it into a public collections workspace.

“Agents of Care is an exhibition space that focuses on the permanent collection stewarded by the Fine Arts Center,” says Blair Huff, Interim Education Manager and Curatorial Assistant at the FAC. “It’s effectively a lens for us to engage with the existing collection in a new way by making visible the FAC’s education- and collections-based work.”

Agents of Care is supported by the Catharine and Bart Holaday Endowment for Interactive Art. ❉

ALUM IN FOOD SERVICE: Matias Gutknecht ’07

Megan Clancy ’07

Matias Gutknecht ’07 and his business partner opened Taco Uprising in Denver in June 2023. The restaurant is a Mexican-inspired taqueria y cocteleria offering breakfast and day tacos, coffee, and agave-forward cocktails and mocktails. But what really sets them apart from many other eateries is the innovative foundation of their mission. Gutknecht’s company is committed to community impact and sustainability, putting purpose before profits.

“We do things differently and aren’t afraid to tackle new challenges while relentlessly pursuing taco perfection,” says Gutknecht. “We love tacos and believe that we can change the world, one meal, and one taco at a time. We’re passionate about people, good food, memorable experiences, sustainability, and community impact.”

Gutknecht has always been in and around the food-service and hospitality industry. Growing up,

Name: Matias Gutknecht

Pronouns: he/him/his

Grad year: 2007

Major: German

Hometown: Denver, CO

Current location: Denver, CO

Current occupation: Entrepreneur/ Restauranteur

he was impressed with how his parents fostered an environment that allowed people to voice their opinions in their business. As Gutknecht got older, entrepreneurship became a passion of his. After graduating from CC, he tried a lot of different things in food and athletics, but it always came back to building teams and creating brands. He wrote the business plan for Taco Uprising while getting his MBA at CU Denver. The focus was to use the business to balance purpose and profit to positively impact the community and the planet.

“The environment and our community are our stakeholders,” Gutknecht says.

The restaurant world has historically centered around wasteful and outdated practices. Gutknecht wants to lead a change in the industry to save our planet. “We can fight climate change, positively impact communities, feed, and bring people together through the shared love of food,” he says.

Taco Uprising embodies the thinking that the planet doesn’t need a few people doing things perfectly but benefits more from the majority of people making incremental changes every year. “That’s how we break the paralysis that most of us feel and start making significant progress toward a better planet for future generations,” says Gutknecht.

The CC grad has spent a lot of time fostering a strong community at his restaurant, something that he leaned the value of during his time on campus. “CC is a very tightknit community which is a direct parallel to what I’m trying to build now,” Gutknecht says. “That mindset is a core component of my experience at CC.”

He also attributes a lot of his inspiration for trying new things to his time on the Block Plan. “It starts with having an idea and there can be tons of iterations along the way,” he says. “It comes from the confidence and willingness to put yourself out there that I witnessed with my peers and faculty.”

Gutknecht understands that a lot of people find themselves in a position of, ‘I’m just one person, what can I do?’ And he knows that this feeling can be

daunting. But he likes to think that one small change can start to add up. One person, one business, does have the ability to make a change. And Taco Uprising has also partnered with other passionate, like-minded businesses that care deeply about sustainability and community impact, like Compost Colorado, We Don’t Waste, Scratch, Deliver Zero, Terracycle, and Eat Denver.

“CC is a very tightknit community which is a direct parallel to what I’m trying to build now.”

“We have such an incredible planet and world. We’re doing a lot of things as human beings that are harming it,” he says. “It’s heart-breaking to think it might not be the same place in a few years. It’s only one small restaurant, but we’re hoping to be a part of a movement to change things.”

Want to be a part of the change and also have some delicious tacos? Visit Taco Uprising at 2849 Welton Street, Denver, CO. ❉

Photos provided by Gutknecht.

ALUM IN HORTICULTURE:

Matt Mouw

’93

Megan Clancy ’07

MName: Matthew Mouw

Pronouns: he/him/his

Grad year: 1993

Major: Biology

Hometown: Des Moines, IA

Current location: Chicago, IL

Current occupation: Chief Technology Officer at Ball Horticultural Company

atthew Mouw ’93 is the Chief Technology Officer at Ball Horticultural Company in Chicago, IL. Ball, a 118-year-old, family-owned, company, delivers flower and vegetable genetics, seeds, and vegetative products to markets around the world. It leads the horticulture industry in the development and production of unique plant genetics. Ten years ago, in order to maintain its leadership position, Ball decided to invest heavily in innovation to support current and future product development.

“I won the lottery when I was asked to lead the Ball Helix Advanced Technology team,” says Mouw. “My mandate was to define our future technology needs, design and build a world-class innovation facility, identify, recruit, and hire a full complement of science capabilities, and oversee the development of a pipeline of advanced technology projects intended to create new unique plant genetics to solve our future grower customer needs and create excitement in the world of flowers.”

Mouw, who graduated from CC with a degree in biology, now leads teams of scientists and technicians at six laboratories around the world focused on plant pathology, tissue culture, synthetic biology and bioinformatics, bioengineering with modern CRISPR tools, cellular and reproductive biology, and molecular marker development and deployment.

“Much of what we do is developing an understanding of what customers need, translating those needs into addressable scientific targets, defining technical approaches to deliver against those targets and executing across a range of scientific disciplines to deliver new product and service innovations to the world,” says Mouw.

In 2017, Ball began plans for its Helix Innovation Center, a facility for which Mouw oversaw design and construction. In this new center, Ball employees engage in many types of biological and computational sciences to drive new product

development. They also partner with plant breeding teams at five remote laboratories located around the world (East and West coasts of the US, Costa Rica, Netherlands, and Thailand) to enable these teams to accomplish their work more efficiently.

“Our mission at Ball Horticultural Company is to color the world,” says Mouw. “We innovate every day to achieve this mission.”

In addition to leading R&D, Mouw sits on the executive committee of the corporation and leads the Ball commercial business in Brazil (Ball do Brasil). His leadership there focuses closely on innovation of new product opportunities and business models for local customers in the southern hemisphere.

“My privilege is being able to work together with brilliant scientists, each with a unique specialty or capability, focused on a common objective: to create the next generation of products, through focused innovation, to color the world,” says Mouw.

“Our mission at Ball Horticultural Company is to color the world. We innovate every day to achieve this mission.”

When asked what the biggest challenge of his job is, Mouw points to the vastness and unlimited nature of the field he works in.

“We operate in a space with many unknowns and uncertainties. We experiment. We fail. We learn. We try again,” says Mouw. “Developing a team mindset that ‘failing-fast is a good thing,’ especially if the learnings from that failure can accelerate another attempt, is a challenge. Also, there are always too many great opportunities for innovation with our limited resources. It’s a challenge to determine what not to do.”

This challenge, he says, is also something his time at CC prepared him to meet. Another foundation for his success? The Block Plan.

“In my professional career, work has rarely presented itself in a Mon-Wed-Fri, Tues-Thurs manner, especially in scientific matters,” says Mouw. “Rather, large complex problems (or opportunities) arise which need to be understood, broken down, prioritized, scenario planned, and then executed against. In a finite time period. I think that spending four years in the Block Plan helped train me to think this way.”

Mouw also attributes a lot of his success to his time at CC and its excellent science curriculum and faculty, as well as classmates and peers who either directly or indirectly pushed him beyond his own academic bounds.

So, what’s next for Mouw?

“I’m sort of at the sweet spot career-wise. Have three decades of different experiences, still in the highly productive contribution category, but making most of my contributions through the team,” he says. “My goal, if not responsibility, is to prepare other leaders in Ball Helix to make the transition from individual to group leader—ultimately to define who takes my chair in the not-too-distant future.” ❉

Molecular Biology suite at Ball Horticultural Co. Innovation Center. Photo by Steve Hall.

ALUM IN ASTROBIOLOGY: Brook Nunn ’98

Megan Clancy ’07

DName: Brook Nunn

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Grad year: 1998

Major: Geology and Chemistry

Hometown: Austin, Texas

Current location: Seattle, Washington

Current occupation: Research Professor at University of Washington, director of UW Environmental Proteomics Resource, and CoLead NASA's Network for Life Detection

uring her years at CC, Brook Nunn ’98 spent her days like many of her fellow students: studying, playing intramural sports, and lots of backpacking. But during this time she was also falling in love with science and academia. So much so that she has since devoted her life to research and professorship.

“I started and became the Director of the Environmental Proteomic Resource Center in order to more easily collaborate with labs that had intriguing questions that could be answered with the technology that my lab had developed,” says Nunn. “Essentially, becoming a resource center allowed others to access our research progress and techniques for use in their investigations through a cost center structure.”

Over the years, in addition to studying ocean microbes, Nunn began to investigate bacteria that live in the Arctic and Antarctic ice structures. Her investigations of extremophiles led Nunn to become a faculty member in the Astrobiology Program at the University of Washington.

“When the pandemic started the University of Washington Astrobiology program had to come up with an innovative way to engage their graduate students over a week-long hyper-focused workshop event,” says Nunn. “I developed a zoom-based simulation of a life detection mission for the graduate students. NASA headquarters got wind of our event and watched the final debate.”

And so began her work with NASA. Nunn was asked to lead NASA's network for life detection. In this

Nunn works in the lab during a field work session in Bermuda. Photo provided by Nunn.

role she coordinates meetings for over 40 research scientists and technology developers for NASA Missions to get them to collaborate and think about what is needed for missions to succeed. She also developed simulated missions to detect life—a novel way to train scientists through intense role-playing, complex, high-level scientific game models.

Nunn points to her time at CC as building a foundation for her innovative thinking. She also sees her education as helping her better understand how she, and others, can learn best.

“Getting hands on research and working closely with professors really helped, but more importantly, CC helped me realize that my brain works well on the Block Plan. It’s harder now that I have so many projects to manage, but I think much of my success is due to the fact that I can really dive into a project, analyze diverse data, and get the research out to the public in a publication.”

Nunn has even taken her enthusiasm for Block Plan teaching and incorporated it into a one-monthlong Crime Scene Investigation Forensic Chemistry course that involves a crime the students must solve through evidence collection, personal interviews, discovery sleuthing, and a wide range of forensic analytical chemistry techniques.

When asked what the biggest challenge is in her work, Nunn says that it’s the pace and volume of change that’s hardest to keep up with. “Since I am curious about so many topics, and my lab does research on a wide range of organisms and in a range of environments, keeping up with the latest research on all those different topics in addition to developing technology that will help us answer those questions can be tricky,” she says. “Sometimes it feels like a losing battle since science moves so fast.”

“Getting hands on research and working closely with professors really helped, but more importantly, CC helped me realize that my brain works well on the Block Plan.”

But it’s also this wide range of interests that keeps Nunn passionate about her work. “I love that I can decide to investigate anything that I think is interesting or that I feel like my lab can offer new perspective on,” she says.

As for her future work, Nunn has three main areas of focus for her lab: developing predictive biomarkers for harmful algal blooms, understanding how corals adapt to climate change and searching for biomarkers for robust species to inform managers for propagation studies, and developing peptide assays for mission-ready mass spectrometry for life detection missions through the analysis of peptides and proteins from a wide range of extremophiles all over earth. ❉

Nunn on a research boat for her work on ocean microbes and arctic bacteria. Photo provided by Nunn.

» READ MORE ABOUT INNOVATION AT CC

Scan the QR code to see this issue’s digitalonly features, including stories about CC's GIS lab, the Block 5 Senior Seminar in Chicago, and alumni features on Elizabeth Bruce ’74, with her work on innovation and creativity, and Nicolai Calabria ’18 working with the Bionic Project to eliminate disability bias in sport.

Photo: Anne Bradford ’26, Alana King ’25, and Dr. Spencer Gang making streak plates of E. coli as part of a molecular cloning project in Molecular Biology 201. Photo by Mark Lee.

Colorado College provides engaging experiences for students in a unique learning environment. Why shouldn’t your gift do the same? CC's Annual Fund now gives you the opportunity to determine which area of the college means the most to you. Show your support and make a personal impact on CC today!

Annual Fund • Antiracism • Financial Aid • Mental Health and Wellness Parents Fund • Student Opportunities • Sustainability

Photo by Mark Reis

SOCIAL JUSTICE

CC’s commitment to antiracism and making the world a more just place has made it a leading institution in producing alumni who change society for the better.

Pikes

Rev. Dr.

Jan. 16, 2023,

The annual

Peak Region’s commemoration of

Martin Luther King, Jr. on

in Robson Arena at CC. After the event, there was a march to Acacia Park. People gathered to recommit to his mission and ignite attendees’ passion for serving the region throughout the year. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III.

Top 3 Stories:

SEPTEMBER 2023

“Alum Fights for Justice and Leads With Hope”

In early 2022, Deksyos Damtew was finishing up his year as CC Student Government Association President, looking forward to graduation, and, like many college seniors, trying to figure out his next steps. He found them with the Equal Justice Initiative.

OCTOBER 2023

“Colorado College Receives its First HEED Award”

CC received the 2023 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award. This is the first time CC has earned this distinction. It is validation for extensive institutional work committed to antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

SEPTEMBER 2023

"Alum Exposes Government Disregard for Everything Downwind”

Mark Shapiro ’86 spent three plus years, and all the funds on one very warped credit card, producing and co-directing Downwind, a film that exposes the U.S. government’s 928 nuclear detonations from 1951–1992 at the Nevada Test Site and the impact of radioactive fallout on countless communities and the environment.

SUSTAINABILITY

As members of the CC community we know the importance and fragility of Mother Earth and we work hard to protect and care for her.

To celebrate Earth Week, the Office of Sustainability and the CC Grounds Crew hosted tree planting activities for students to help with on Arbor Day 2019. Students were invited to help dig holes and plant trees along Cascade Avenue.

Photo by Jennifer Coombes.

Top 3 Stories:

SEPTEMBER 2023

“Alum Takes On Her State in Historic Trial… and Wins!”

The first-ever constitutional climate trial in United States history, led by a group of Montana youth, concluded in June 2023. And the named plaintiff of the trial? CC’s own Rikki Held ’23.

DECEMBER 2023

“CC Students Head to 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference”

Eight CC students traveled to Dubai to attend the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) as part of the Block 4 COP28 in Dubai: Ethnographers of UN Climate Action Efforts course.

NOVEMBER 2023

“Environmental Activist English Major Shines During Summer Internship”

Alex Weinman ’24 took his love of fly fishing and field conservation to Montana during the summer of 2023. There, he interned for Cottonwood Environmental Law Center and became their star social media intern.

THRIVING COMMUNITIES

students, we learn how to better the world and as alumni we find our place and help our community grow.

As

College Welcome + pre-welcome spirit tunnel on Aug. 21, 2023 outside of Robson Arena. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III.

Top 3 Stories:

SEPTEMBER 2023

“Alum Leads Nepalese Women Entrepreneurs into the Digital Era”

In June of 2023, Niyanta Khatri ’17 founded NariDigi, a green economy incubation program, in collaboration with FWEAN NEPAL. Encouraged by the UN’s 2023 initiative, “Leaving No One Behind in the Digital Era Strategy” in Nepal, Khatri reflects on her journey as a Nepalese immigrant in the U.S. tech industry.

DECEMBER 2023

“CC Now Home to its First Black Student-Athlete Group”

In October 2023, Black StudentAthletes (BSA) became the newest group at CC. The group was excitedly received by its initial participants and the number of members has continued to grow ever since.

NOVEMBER 2023

“Tigers Come Together to Expand Warren Village”

A group of CC alumni are doing amazing work in affordable housing for the Denver Metro area. On August 30, 2023, the collection of Tigers from across graduation years came together at the groundbreaking for a third site of Warren Village, a Denver area non-profit that does work around unhoused, low-income single parent families.

THE ARTS

Stories of artistic creation, expression, and creativity on campus and throughout the CC community.

Students dancing as part of the 2023–2024 Fall Semester Dance Workshop titled “The Way We Are” held in Kathryn Mohrman Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Photo by Mila Naumovska ‘26.

Top 3 Stories:

OCTOBER 2023

“CC Mobile Arts Community Adjunct Introduces Students to Artivism”

Students in the CC Mobile Arts Community Artivism adjunct have the opportunity to see the impact that local city and state policies have on arts and culture. Students participate in local community events, as well as visiting the Paseo Project in Taos, New Mexico.

NOVEMBER 2023

“Humanities for All Times Grant Helps Sponsor Visiting Writers Series”

The CC English Department’s annual Visiting Writers Series returns this year with significant support from the Humanities for Our Times Grant. CC received $1,024,000 for its creative practices and social justice project.

OCTOBER 2023

“Southwest Studies Class Experiences New FAC Vision for Teaching”

Students in the Block 2 Art, Power, and Resistance course had the opportunity to learn hands on how culture and identity were expressed through early forms of Indigenous and Southwestern art, using the new Agents of Care exhibition space at the FAC.

ON CAMPUS

Whether it’s in the classroom, on the quad, or away on a field study, there is always something new and interesting going on at CC.

Rachel Jabaily’s BE202 Field Botany class near Blodgett Peak. One of the students holds a cone from a Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III.

Top 3 Stories:

SEPTEMBER 2023

“CC Students Lead Politically Diverse Debate”

Students came together on the CC campus to witness two of their classmates discuss and debate some of the most important topics affecting our country today.

JANUARY 2024

“International Political Economy Major Wins Rangel Fellowship”

Denise Geronimo ’24 was awarded the 2024 Rangel Graduate Fellowship, receiving two years of fully-funded graduate school and five years of guaranteed work in the foreign service, after which she will become a U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Officer.

FEBRUARY 2024

“Message from the President and Board of Trustees about College Leadership”

After nearly three years as President of Colorado College, L. Song Richardson announced that she will step down, effective June 30, 2024. Dr. Manya Whitaker, Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff, will serve as interim president for the next two years, effective July 1, 2024.

TIGER SPORTS

Once a Tiger, always a Tiger. Whether a student-athlete or an athlete alum, Tigers pursue excellence with a champion drive.

RoCCy poses for the camera during halftime in Reid Arena.

Photo by Charlie Lengal.

Top 3 Stories:

SEPTEMBER 2023

“Alum Runs for Women in Sport”

In the fall of 2023, CC alum Robin Hilderman ’20 was living in Glasgow, Scotland, working on her Master’s in Geology at the University of Glasgow and playing on the Senior Scotland Women’s Lacrosse team. She was also training for the UTMB Wildstrubel Ultramarathon in Switzerland.

DECEMBER 2023

“Alum Member of All-Black Women’s Group to Climb Kilimanjaro”

CC alum Zivia Berkowitz ’21 was one of nine women on the Above the Clouds Kilimanjaro 2024 Expedition Team. This group of all-Black women summited Mt. Kilimanjaro’s 19,341 ft. peak on January 10, 2024.

NOVEMBER 2023

“Conarroe Returns to Lead CC Men’s Hoops”

Jeff Conarroe graduated cum laude from CC in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and as a threeyear letter winner in basketball for the Tigers. As a player, they called him Con. Now they call him Coach.

COACHES

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Dingman Wins 600th Career Match

On September 8, 2023, with a 3–2 victory over nationally-ranked Tufts University, the CC Volleyball team handed head coach Sharon Dingman her 600th career victory. Dingman entered her third season as head coach at CC in the fall. She led the Tigers to a 51-15 record in her first two seasons. Last season, the Tigers advanced to the championship match of the SCAC Tournament. Dingman brought 30 years of experience to CC at both the Division I and Division III levels including six seasons at UChicago. Dingman has been named AVCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year and was part of the UAA Coaching Staff of the Year three times.

Palguta Wins 100th Career Game

On October 13, 2023, CC Men’s Soccer Coach Scott Palguta secured his 100th career victory with the team’s win over SCAC rival Southwestern. Palguta served two seasons as assistant coach for the Tigers before being promoted to head coach in 2015. Under his stewardship, the Tigers have posted a 92-35-18 overall record. In 2019, the team captured the program’s first regularseason SCAC championship with an 8-1 mark and an appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament. CC was nationally ranked by the United Soccer Coaches in 2015, 2016, and 2019. Palguta was named Coach of the Year in 2019.

Auguste Wins 100th Career Game

On February 24, 2024, CC Women’s Basketball Coach Katherine Auguste clinched her 100th career victory when the Tigers beat Texas Lutheran University to advance to the SCAC Championship game. Auguste distinguished herself as an assistant coach at both the NCAA Division I and III levels before arriving at CC in May of 2016. Under her stewardship, the Tigers have posted a 100-97 record. They finished the 2023-24 regular season with 20 wins and eight losses, tying the all-time program record. While at CC, Auguste has coached two SCAC Players of the year, McKenzee Gertz ’21 and Zoe Tomlinson ’25.

RETIREMENTS

Legendary Swimming Coach

Anne Goodman James to Retire

CC Swimming and Diving coach

Anne Goodman James has announced her plan to retire at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. Goodman James spent 48 seasons as an NCAA head coach across all three divisions and was named one of the 100 Greatest College Swimming and Diving Coaches of the past century by the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association. During her tenure at CC, both the swimming and diving programs have been contenders for the SCAC team championships. At CC she has coached multiple All-American athletes such as Kate Brush ’23, Olivia Dilorati ’16, and Jordan DeGayner ’12. With Goodman James at the helm, CC earned its first national ranking since the 1970s when the Tigers were listed at No. 18 in 2012. Thank you, Coach! We hope you enjoy your well-deserved retirement.

TIGE R EX ELLENC E CC

Tiger ExCCellence celebrates the history of Colorado College athletics and charts a course for our ambitious future.

Our student-athletes embody a championship culture through their commitment to excellence in athletic competition, the rigorous CC academic environment, and their service to the campus and Colorado Springs communities We believe that collegiate competition can and should be a transformational experience. Providing resources for our student-athletes that support their potential for excellence is at the core of Tiger ExCCellence.

We have a rich history of success and an ambitious vision for our future, which can only be reached with your involvement and support With your commitment to CC athletics and a championship

“culture, our student-athletes can do anything at Colorado College and throughout their lifetimes! Tiger ExCCellence starts here with your support!

If you are interested in joining Tiger ExcCCellence, please contact Matt Kelly at mkelly@coloradocollege.edu

“Having this mindset of ‘I can always be better’ is a standard of championship culture. When each and every member of a team encompasses all of these standards, it’s one of the most valuable and intoxicating experiences you can come by as an athlete. This is what I’ve experienced with Colorado College volleyball, it’s a feeling like no other.”

Georgia Mullins '22, Volleyball

“To me, championship culture is the collective expectation of success shared by the Athletics Department and teams at Colorado College. Accountability within teams promotes this championship culture as our actions are directly responsible for the success of our teams. Being student-athletes, championship culture does not just end in athletics it continues in academics, with the support and collaboration of the greater CC community.”

Sam Rodriguez '22, Cross Country and Track

BLOCK BREAK

A Monumental Adventure: El Cap and Back in a Block Break

Megan Clancy ’07

The two students featured in the story below would first like to address the fact that climbing is an inherently colonial endeavor, rooted in the notion of conquering the land. They acknowledge that the land where the events of this story occurred is the home of the Miwok.

Block Breaks have always been a time to rest, play, and possibly embark on a small adventure. During the first Block Break in the fall of 2023, two CC juniors, Savian Czerny and Wiley Holbrooke, decided to take this third option to the extreme.

Wiley Holbrooke ’25 climbs El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, Sept. 23, 2023. Photo provided by Holbrooke and Czerny.

“It began with a wild idea freshman year,” says Holbrooke. “I told a friend, ‘I think I want to try and climb El Cap in a Block Break.’ And he told me, ‘there’s only one person on this campus who can do that with you.’” Czerny was soon introduced to Holbrooke and planning began.

The idea was based on Nose in a Day (NIAD), the goal of reaching the nose of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley in one day. But could Czerny and Holbrooke get from campus, do the climb, and make it back all in one Block Break?

“The joke was always eighteen hours out, eighteen hours up, eighteen hours back, with about eighteen hours to spare,” says Wiley. And, as with life, it didn’t go exactly to plan.

They set off Wednesday morning at 10:30am, with Czerny doing the majority of the drive due to the fact that Holbrooke was sick. They camped in their car in the middle of Nevada Wednesday night and arrived in Yosemite Thursday evening. The original plan was to do the climb on Friday, but due to Holbrooke’s illness, they gave themselves an extra day.

The duo started their climb at 3:55 on Saturday morning.

“It was our first time ever on the actual rock, and it’s in the dark,” says Czerny.

Czerny was in charge of leading the first half and Holbrooke led the second half. Their goal was twelve hours but they had planned for fourteen.

“We did a good job at mitigating and managing the risk,” says Czerny. “Not just climbing it dangerous because we could climb it dangerous.”

Sitting on a small ledge, three thousand feet up, it hit them. “Oh my god, we’re about to do this.” And, when they saw the famous tree at the top, they knew they had made it.

“I started to cry,” says Holbrooke. And then what did they do?

“Yeah, we FaceTimed our moms,” says Czerny.

From start to finish, it took the pair ten hours, fortynine minutes, and thirty seconds. They had done

it and done it faster than they originally thought possible.

“We just wanted to climb it,” says Czerny. “We had to do it fast because of the time allowed by the Block Break. But we just wanted to climb it.”

Two hours later, they were in the meadow below sharing a charcuterie board with friends and swimming in the river. The perfect end to a perfect day, in their minds.

“It was a really special way to end our time in Yosemite,” adds Czerny.

They started the return drive Saturday and made it back to campus on Sunday night at 10:30pm, for a brief but well-earned rest.

Holbrooke and Czerny send a special thanks to all the people of the amazing climbing community who helped them with prep and gear beforehand and support during the climb. ❉

Wiley Holbrooke '25 and Savian Czerny '25 pose together in Yosemite Valley after their climb of El Cap. Photo provided by Holbrooke and Czerny.

BLONDE ALE

Introducing Tiger Tail Blonde Ale!* The New CC Beer

Megan Clancy ’07

Beer is one of civilization's oldest drinks. And it’s been the beverage of choice during many great moments in the history of the world and at CC. Even the Block Plan was created by a group of professors over a couple of pints. So, it only makes sense that after 150 years, CC not only celebrates with some beer, but actually get a beer of its own!

In honor of our upcoming anniversary, we have collaborated with Goat Patch Brewing Company to rebrand its popular blonde ale as a CC beer. Tiger Tail Blonde Ale!

“Partnering with Colorado College on this special brew for their 150th anniversary is more than crafting a beer; it’s our way of raising a pint to their legacy,”

This clean, crisp, Lager-like Ale is the perfect drink to toast the past and enjoy some quintessential CC moments. Reunions with fellow Tigers or celebrating a win at home. Grab a glass of Tiger Tail.

“This is such an exciting and fun partnership for Colorado College with a high-quality local business,” says Vice President and Director of CC Athletics Lesley Irvine. “Goat Patch aligns with our own values of commitment to community and a competitive spirit. This helps build community, pride, brand, and loyalty in a highly visible way.”

Goat Patch is a Colorado Springs craft brewery built on a foundation of strong values: balanced brews, community engagement, and adventure. Now with 2018 and 2020 GABF medals, a World Beer Cup

medal in 2022, and numerous other recognitions, they are proud to play a part in bringing awardwinning craft beer to their community.

“Partnering with Colorado College on this special brew for their 150th anniversary is more than crafting a beer; it’s our way of raising a pint to their legacy,” says Goat Patch co-owner Cate Baze. “This collaboration embodies our shared dedication to innovation, community, and a celebration of tradition. It’s more than just a drink; it’s a flavorful tribute to the vibrant spirit of CC.”

Tiger Tail will be served in CC’s Robson Arena, the FAC, and at many on-campus events (including Homecoming 2024!). It will also be on tap at Goat Patch Brewery as well as many Colorado Springs restaurants and bars. So next time you’re in town, raise a glass to CC’s past, present, and future with a pint of Tiger Tail.

Cheers! ❉

*The name of the new CC beer was chosen with 52.1% of the votes.

Photo courtesy of Goath Patch Brewing Company.

ALUMNI HUB

TIGER TRAVEL

Uzbekistan: The Silk Road

September 27–October 6, 2024

Travel to Uzbekistan and follow the legendary Silk Road. Led by CC alum John Shors ’91, P’26.

Italy: Tuscan Landscapes

October 19–30, 2024

Dr. Susan Ashley, CC Professor Emerita of History, will lead a special trip in the fall of 2024 to Tuscany, Italy. Explore Florence, Pisa, Siena, Pienza, Monticchiello, Montalcino, and Volpaia.

Expedition to Antarctica

January 28–February 9, 2025

SAVE THE DATE

Colorado Springs

Alumni Garden Party

June 4, 2024

Homecoming 2024

November 1–2, 2024

150th Extravaganza

November 2, 2024

Parent and Family Weekend

February 21–23, 2025

CONNECT WITH OTHER TIGERS

TigerLink is the official alumni networking platform for Colorado College alumni. Connect with fellow alumni in your area, current students, and parents. Join now!

VOLUNTEER

Contact alumni@coloradocollege.edu to find out how you can volunteer!

GET INVOLVED

Learn more about Tiger Travel opportunities »

Join TigerLink »

Experience the White Continent with Eric Leonard, CC Professor Emerita of Geology, who will provide enriching presentations on this untouched wilderness and the history of exploration.

Join the LinkedIn CC Official Alumni Group »

Above: Alumni Natalie Berkman ’15 and Gabrielle Hinton ’15 reconnect at the 2023 Homecoming & Family Weekend. Photo by Karuna Abe ’20.

Block 7 Featured Course: BU110 The Creative Process of Designing Your Life

Department: Economics & Business

Professor: Lora Louise Broady ’83, CC Executive in Residence

“Building a meaningful life doesn’t just happen—it happens on purpose.”

This course explores the creative process as a framework for designing a fulfilling and purposedriven life. Through a combination of theoretical concepts, practical exercises, and reflection, students will develop the mindset, skills, and strategies to navigate the complexities of life and make intentional choices that align with their passions, values, and aspirations.

From Prof. Broady

Empowering students to take a proactive approach to designing a life that reflects who they truly are and what they want to achieve aligns with the CC spirit of educational adventure. It’s about taking agency, shaping your life to align with your personal values, passions, and goals - and making conscious decisions in your career, relationships, health, and personal growth. By taking time to explore personal values, energy sources, influences, perspectives, and goals, students can build their way forward into a meaningful life. Life design is about self-discovery, goal setting, and intentional decision making. Engaging in life design early can help set a strong foundation for creating a purpose-driven life. ❉

READING LIST

Required texts

Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life, Bill Burnett & Dave Evans (2016)

Recommended Texts

• Creativity Unlocked: An Inside-Out Approach to a Life of Joy and Purpose, Chris Lumry (2022)

• Creative Confidence: Unleashing the creative potential within us all, Tom & David Kelley (2014)

• A Powerful Way to Unleash Your Creativity, Tim Hartford (2019)

• “5 Steps to Designing the Life You Want,” Bill Burnett (TedX)

• Design Justice: Community-Led Practices to Build Worlds We Need, S. Costanza-Chock (2020)

• The Start-up of You: Adapt, Take Risks, Grow Your Network, Transform your Career, Reid Hoffman & Ben Casnocha (2022)

Students in Prof. Broady's The Creative Process of Designing Your Life course participating in hands-on exercises. Photo provided by Lora Louise Broady.

TIGER TITLES

Books Published by CC Alumni, Faculty, Staff, and Students Looking for your next favorite read? Pick something from this bookshelf filled with Tiger authors.

» ALUMNI HUB

Title: Seeking the Light, A Quaker Journey for Quakers and Non-Quakers

Author: Linda Seger ’67

Genre: Spirituality

Published: November 2023

Title: Civil War Life at Home

Author: Heather Palmer ’81

Genre: Non-Fiction / History

Published: November 2023

Title: Field Guide to the Birds of Blue Heron Nature Preserve

Author: Gavin Allvine ’27

Genre: Non-Fiction / Nature – Birds

Published: April 2021

Title: Interpreting Science at Museums and Historic Sites

Editor: Karen-Beth G. Scholthof, Ph.D., ’81 (with others)

Forward by former CC President Jill Tiefenthaler

Genre: Non-Fiction / Science—General

Published: September 2023

Title: A Sisterhood on Fire

Author: Sarah Hoeynck ’07

Genre: Historical Fiction

Published: July 2023

Title: Conscious Design

Author: Nathanial White ’05

Genre: Science Fiction

Published: May 2023

Title: Between Two Worlds: An Armenian-American Woman’s Journey Into Wholeness

Author: Jemela Macer ’77

Genre: Memoir

Published: June 2023

Title: A World Apart: Growing Up Stockdale During Vietnam

Author: Sid Stockdale ’77

Genre: Memoir

Published: April 2023

Title: Taking the Field: Soldiers, Nature, and Empire on American Frontiers

Author: Amy Kohout (CC Associate Professor of History)

Genre: Non-Fiction

Published: January 2023

Title: Metamorphoses of Psyche in Psychoanalysis and Ancient Greek Thought

Author: Marcia D-S. Dobson (CC Professor of Classics)

Genre: Non-Fiction

Published: December 2022

Title: Mathematics for Ladies: Poems on Women in Science

Author: Jessy Randall (CC Archivist & Curator of Special Collections)

Genre: Poetry

Published: September 2022

Title: A Novel Obsession

Author: Caitlin Barasch ’15

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Published: March 2022

Title: Writing as a Performing Art

Author: Thomas E. Cronin (CC Professor Emeritus of Political Science and 1991 CC Acting President)

Genre: Non-fiction/Craft

Published: December 2021

Title: The Mike File: A Story of Grief and Hope

Author: Stephen Trimble ’72

Genre: Memoir

Published: September 2021

Title: Becoming Brazilian: How to Work, Live, and Love Like a Brazilian

Author: Thomas Augustin Winter ’84

Genre: Travel Non-Fiction

Published: July 2021

Title: Tomorrow, It’s Only a Vision: The Journey Continues

Author: Jack Walker ’62

Genre: Memoir

Published: June 2021

Title: Little Drops of Water

Author: Gladys Bendure Pfeiffer 1920

Illustrator: Elle Emery Shafer ’12

Genre: Children’s, Nature Fiction

Published: 2021

Title: And Silent Left the Place

Author: Elizabeth Bruce ’74

Genre: Historical Fiction

Published: Second edition: 2021

CLASS NOTES

1960s

SARAH HUMMINGBIRD ’64: Not dead yet! Sarah Hummingbird (Jill Bennett) celebrated her 80th birthday with son Damien Raffa ’89.

1967: Classmates from 1967, along with friends and spouses, reunited in Santa Fe on September 22, 2022, with a special visit to the Los Alamos Manhattan Project laboratories and national museum in a "prequel" to the award-winning Oppenheimer film. Pictured: Shirley Kling Woolley, George Woolley ’68, Barbara Keener, Susan Hills Thomas, Linda Marshal Breytspraak, Judy Sundquist Hautala, Sharon Smith, and Susan Allison Milstein with husbands and partners Wes Thomas, Michael Kelly, Gus Breytspraak and Roger Milstein.

1970s

JAY ENGELN ’74: Jay Engeln was the recipient of the 2023 William Holleman Award for Meritorious Service to the United Soccer Coaches Foundation. Following completion of his term as president of the United Soccer Coaches, the largest soccer coaches association in the world, Engeln took on the challenge of resurrecting the United Soccer Coaches Foundation. Starting with a budget of only $200 in 2001, the Foundation to date has given out over 300 soccer education grants and scholarships to underserved communities totaling over $500,000. The first grant from the Foundation was actually in partnership with CC and the Taos Pueblo Community Center to help address obesity issues amongst Native American youth through the development of youth recreation programs in their communities. Engeln, former CC soccer coach Horst Richardson, and CC soccer alum Alec Rekow ’87, did soccer coaching clinics for parents supporting the implementation of a youth soccer league for the eight New Mexico pueblos located north of Santa Fe.

1976: Friends from CC’s class of 1976 gathered for the 3rd Annual Tiger Fest in Monteagle, TN. Bob and Bonnie Miller hosted John and Amy Nulsen, Mark and Gina Golde, and Nancy Weil for a long weekend of hiking, hanging, eating and drinking, and lots of laughter. The group took turns making dinners while visiting, and John and Amy’s daughter and sonin-law designed the aprons that say Tiger Fest 2023.

1977: A group of 1977 classmates had a blast in early October 2023 when they met near Estes Park, Colorado. Both the elk and the turning aspen cooperated beautifully. Pictured (L-R): Linda Henn, Patti Freudenburg, Anne Woodward White, and Cheryl (Holmes) and Jay Christopher.

ROBERT ZIMMERMAN ’77: Zimmerman received the Society of Allied Weight Engineers Richard Boynton Lifetime Achievement Award. Zimmerman has been a long-time supporter of and contributor to the field of Mass Properties Engineering serving both his past employers and the Society of Allied Weight Engineers members. He is a 40-year mass properties engineer veteran, retired Senior Staff Engineer at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, and recognized Mass Properties Expert by his peers and SAWE. He is an ardent advocate of Mass Properties Engineering as a distinct and influential discipline. He has served the society at the chapter office level and Executive Level for nearly two decades, including as SAWE’s International President for two consecutive terms.

SID STOCKDALE ’77: Stockdale was featured in the most recent issue of the online AARP Magazine. In the article, “Then & Now: Discovering My Mother’s Diary Unlocked Secrets of My Father’s Time as a POW,” Stockdale writes about the recent publication of his memoir and growing up in the home of a POW during the Vietnam War.

DOLORES ATENCIO ’77: Atencio has won the 2023 William L. Keating Outstanding Alumni Award from the DU Strum College of Law. Licensed for 42 years, Atencio developed a diverse career within and outside the legal profession and has been an active member of the law school’s alumni community. She is recognized as the national expert on the history of

Latina lawyers for her numerous works and creation of the Luminarias Study to identify and produce original empirical data on the first Latina lawyers in the U.S., circa 1880-1980. The Hispanic National Bar Association awarded Atencio the 2021 President’s Award and 2018 Latina Commission Primera Abogada Award. In 2014, she received the prestigious Ohtli Award, Mexico’s highest honor bestowed to non-citizens, and was honored as one of four founders of the National Coalition of Bar Associations of Color.

1979: A group of friends from the class of 1979 recently met up in Durango, CO for their 16th post-CC reunion. Pictured (L-R): Debbie Parks Palmisane (Burton, OH), Linda Snow Martin (St. Louis, MO), Nancy Levit (Dixon, NM), Sue Sonnek Strater (Portland, OR), Julie Edelstein Best (Padre Island, TX), Kathy Loeb (Lexington, KY).

1978–1982 KAPPA KAPPA GAMMA: A group of CC Kappa Kappa Gamma alumni from the classes of 1978-1982 reunited in the Santa Ynez Valley in May 2023, catching up and enjoying the beautiful weather and local wineries. Pictured (L-R): Meg Carpenter Dittemore ’82, Cindy Layton Rosenbloom ’81, Alison McQuay ’82, Megan Smith ’81, Robin McQuay ’78, Ellen Osmundson Allenberg ’80, Nancy Harvey Larson ’80, Sue Altenburn Eisaguirre ’81, and Laurie Marvin ’80.

1980s

TRACY CURTS ’81 & TRISH MAJOR ’82: Trish and Tracy celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary with a trip to the Grand Canyon. The couple met and got engaged at CC.

SUE WALTER SIEGEL ’82 & CHARLIE BARKLEY ’82: A reunion of a different sort… Siegel and Barkley missed their 40th class reunion last October for good reason—they were married on October 8, 2022 with many CC friends in attendance! Siegel and Barkley met in the first grade and remained classmates through grade school, high school, and at CC. They finally started dating second semester of their senior year at CC and for several years after graduation before parting ways and marrying other people. Siegel and Barkley reconnected after suffering the deaths of their spouses and now look forward to sharing their lives together (and, hopefully, attending the next reunion). Note: CC graduation and their wedding day weren’t the only times Sue and Charlie walked down the aisle together. They walked side-by-side when they graduated from eighth grade. What a long, strange trip it’s been.

1985: June 2023 saw the reunion of six 1985 CC grads in Santa Fe, NM to celebrate a milestone birthday year. Pictured (L-R): Tracy (Diedrichs) Salgado, Jean (Carpenter) Butcher, Kathy (Purfield) Wollert, Jill (Forsythe) Bellissimo, Marty Geisler, and Jenny Pellerito.

KIM HARRELL ’87: Kim Harrell is currently the Board President of the Colorado Metalsmithing Association having just been reelected for a second 2-year term. She recently won an award for Mastery of Material and Technique at the Summer Art Market in Denver. Kim is an accomplished silversmith and goldsmith whose work is in several private collections and in the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art. She would love to hear from local alumni in the Denver area!

1987 & 1988: Several CC buddies meet up in Genesee, CO!

Top, Left: Pictured (L-R): Julie Bartos ’87, Pam Bercutt, ’87 and Carrie Battilega Luetzow ’87

Top, Right: Pictured (L-R): Pam Bercutt ’87, Liz Schmid ’88 and Colley Moe ’88

JANE (JACOBSON) TOWNSEND ’89: Townsend was recently named Vice President of Advancement at Milkweed Editions, an independent nonprofit press based in Minneapolis. Milkweed‘s mission is to identify, nurture, and publish transformative literature, and build an engaged community around it.

1990s

SARA ST. LAWRENCE BASEHART ’91: Basehart is the 2023 recipient of the Visionary Artist of Taos award from Taos Fall Arts Festival. Her exhibit “Trashformations, The Recycled Works of Sara St. Lawrence Basehart,” recently on display at Encore Gallery in Taos, NM, was the first-ever exhibit of her work.

JEN HOGLIN ’91 & JILL MILLER ’92: Tiger surprise! Hoglin was visiting Amherst College and surprised her former CC teammate, Miller, who is now a professor at Amherst. The two spent the morning enjoying coffee and catching up.

ELENA GARFIELD ’95: Garfield recently had her first piece of written work published in the online publication, Literary Mama. The piece, “A Time to Build," reflects on the challenges of taking time to be in the moment with her children in a world where there are never-ending demands on a mother’s time.

TIMOTHY LANE ’97: On November 29th, 2023, Lane was appointed by Governor Polis to be the Judge for Gilpin County Colorado. The executive order reads, “That Timothy J. Lane be and is hereby appointed Gilpin County Court Judge First Judicial District. Effective immediately to fill a vacancy occasioned by the resignation of the Honorable David Taylor and to hold office in accordance with Article VI, Section 20 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado, for a provisional term of two years and then until the second Tuesday in January following the next general election.”

BRYCE (BJ) HACH ’98: In June 2023, Hach was voted Chair of the Board for the international, Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization, Population Connection. Population Connection raises awareness of population challenges to the sustainability of our environment and advocates for improved global access to family planning and reproductive health care. Bryce also teaches biology, AP environmental science, and systems thinking at North Yarmouth Academy in Yarmouth, Maine, is a Science Ambassador Fellow with the Centers for Diseases Control, and is a member of the Falmouth, ME, Town Council.

2000s

RAEGAN TRUAX ’02: Dr. Raegan Truax recently published “A Period Piece that Endures: 28 Reflections on Sloughing." The piece was co-authored by Alexis Bard Johnson for Performance Research Journal Special Issue “On Blood” (2023). The article looks at Truax’s Sloughing (San Francisco, 2017), a durational performance during which 35 women and genderqueer individuals bleed on plywood boards in public.

ALEXANDER “SANDY” POPE IV ’04: Assoc. Prof. Sandy Pope was named Distinguished Faculty 2023-24 at Salisbury University. As director of SU’s Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement (PACE), Pope oversaw the University’s successful application for the Carnegie Foundation’s Classification for Community Engagement, a prestigious distinction that documents campus efforts that display an “excellent alignment among campus mission, culture, leadership, resources, and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement.” He also helped create SU’s Civic Engagement Across the Curriculum program,

teaching more than 60 colleagues how to design courses for community engagement. Pope also spearheads the SU Maryland Holocaust Educators Network and organizes its Summer Institute for Teachers, and has served on a number of SU committees.

NATE WHITE ’05: Nate won the 2023 Colorado Book Award in Science Fiction/Fantasy. His novel, Conscious Designs, was published in 2022 by Miami University Press. In the book, Eugene, a wealthy paraplegic, must decide whether to preserve his consciousness forever in a digital utopia or suffer the pain tormenting his existence. Yet, the more he learns about digital replication, the more deeply he understands personhood, empathy, and the value of suffering.

MICHAEL ANTHONY FOWLER ’06: In early 2023, Dr. Fowler was selected for two professional distinctions. He was awarded the Distinguished New Faculty Award from the College of Arts and Sciences at East Tennessee State University, where he is Assistant Professor of Art History, and the Emerging Scholar Distinguished Presentation Award from the Midwest Art History Society.

2010s

ELLIOT MAMET ’15, ALEX ARELLANO ’11, & ELLA STREET

’09: These CC alumni joined together at the 2023 Association for Political Theory Conference at Union College, Schenectady, NY. The Association for Political Theory was co-founded by CC Associate Professor of Philosophy, Dennis McEnnerney.

EMMA JOHNSON ’13: The Seattle, weekend-long celebration of the marriage of Emma Johnson ‘13 to Misha Dhar was a CC reunion of sorts. Pictured (L-R): Kris Gurnsey Johnson ’74, April Hearne ‘13, Emma Johnson ‘13, Talia Steiger ‘13, and Pat Kennedy ‘74. CC friendships are made to last and span generations! Misha went to Cal Tech, but he’s pretty wonderful too.

BEN MACKALL ’11, ALEX ROBERTSON ’13, & ED CRAWFORD

’14: Professor Emeritus Eric Leonard of the CC Geology Department has published two papers this year, co-authored by three CC alumni. The first, “Late Pleistocene glaciation in the southernmost Sangre de Cristo Mountains, New Mexico – Chronology and paleoclimate,” was co-authored by Robertson and was published in Volume 9 of Quaternary Science Advances in January 2023. The second, “Chronology and climate of the Last Glacial Maximum and the subsequent deglaciation in the northern Medicine Bow Mountains, Wyoming, USA,” was co-authored by Crawford and Mackall and was published in Volume 12 of Quaternary Science Advances in October 2023.

CORY SCOTT ’13 & DANIEL LEWINSOHN ’23: Assistant Professor Scott of the CC Mathematics and Computer Science Department and his former student, Lewinsohn, published a machine learning paper. The paper, titled “Consensus Label Propagation with Graph Convolutional Networks for Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Cell Type Annotation,” was published in the Journal of Bioinformatics in June 2023.

EMMA HOLMES ’15 & FELIX BRAUN ’15: Emma Holmes ’15 and Felix Braun ’15 were married on May 27, 2023 in Woodland, CA and there was a crew of CC alumni in attendance. A strong showing came from both Wasabi (CC men’s ultimate frisbee) and Big Cats (CC Swim & Dive), among others! Pictured: Back row (L-R): Ian Adams ’16, James Shepard ’15, Sandy Hutchinson ’15, Robin Fassett-Carman ’17, Jed Doane ’14, Ben Joseph ’15, Chris Van Dusen ’15, Erin Holmes ’16. Front row (L-R): Elle Casey ’17, Matt Zelin ’15, Garrett Cry ’16, Felix Braun ’15, Emma (Holmes) Braun ’15, Carey Colbert ’15, Kelsey (Smith) McGillivray ’15, Emily (Houghton) Pearson ’15, Nathaniel Pearson ’13, Kevin Moss ’15, Felix Pronove ’15.

AUDREY WHEELER ’15 & JONAH SEIFER ’16: Audrey and Jonah were happy to bring together a great crew of CC friends to celebrate at their wedding on July 7, 2023 in Estes Park!

In attendance: Sam Elkind ’16, Mira Fisher ’18, Tia Tummino ’16, Beka Adair ’16, Ethan Lavin ’16, Drew Robson ’16, Noah Cutter ’16, Zack Hoppenin ’15, Jessica Badgeley ’15, Caroline Martin ’15, Alison Taylor ’15, Teo Price-Baker ’14, Lizzie Neill ’15, Audrey Wheeler ’15, Jonah Seifer ’16, Kalen Acquisto ’14, Flora Liu ’15, Kayla Fratt ’16, Betsie Hoppenin ’15.

BERYL COULTER ’16 & PATRICK LYNCH ’15: Beryl Coulter ’16 and Patrick Lynch ’15 were married on April 2, 2023 in Los Angeles, CA. Many former Tigers were in attendance: Will Schube ’15, Ian Horne ’16, James Mauk ’11, Kyle Kallman ’15, Teddy Link ’15, Sumner Crosby ’16, Spencer Miller ’19, Jacob Rockwell ’16, Evan Meister ’16, Eric Neumeyer ’16, Sam Kramer ’15, Ella Weil ’15, Jackson Roos ’15, Jenny Collins ’15, Spencer Collins ’15, Bailey Stockdale ’15, Atticus Lynch ’23, Jack Burger ’15, Rebecca Lavietes ’15, Julia Paley ’15, Meaghan de L’Arbre ’08, Michael Lynch ’11, Molly Lynch ’13, Lily Biggar ’16, Hamilton Wallace ’15, Nick Ahrens ’15, Justin White ’15, Michael McMenamy ’81, Patrick Lynch ’15, Beryl Coulter ’16.

GERARDO RAMIREZ ’18, GEORGE FOWLKES ’18, & MICHAEL HASSON ’19: Professor Paul Myrow of the CC Geology Department has published two papers this year, co-authored by three CC alumni: Hasson (presently a graduate student in Geology at Stanford), Ramirez, and Fowlkes. The first, “Structural control of Cambrian paleotopography and patterns of transgression in western Laurentia” was published in the monthly journal Geology, a high-powered, short-format journal for highly topical science, in March 2023. The second, “Revised Paleozoic depositional history of the central Rocky Mountains (Utah and Colorado)” was published in the journal Sedimentary Geology in May 2023. Both papers concern old rocks exposed within Dinosaur National Monument (all formations are older than the age of dinosaurs, Mesozoic). Both papers also have Chinese geoscientist Jitao Chen, who has spent three stints as a Postdoctoral Fellow at CC, as a coauthor as well as co-authors from Yale, Washington University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Museum in Wales, and Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology.

2020s

RONAN FITZGERALD ’23: A family of alumni gathered to celebrate three generations of CC graduates at Ronan’s Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 28, 2023. In attendance: Tom Fitzgerald ’57 and Tim Fitzgerald ’85. ❉

IN MEMORIAM

1940s

ANGELYN K. COUPOUNAS ’46

Dr. Angelyn A. Konugres Coupounas died in her home at The Academy, Boulder, CO on July 27, 2023, with her son at her side. Dr. Coupounas was a well-known CC alumna, having received her undergraduate degree there and later receiving an honorary Doctorate. She was 99.

Dr. Coupounas graduated from CC in 1946 and earned a master’s degree at the Los Angeles County Hospital at the University of Southern California Medical School in 1948 with a focus on blood transfusion medicine. For the next nine years, she directed the Los Angeles County blood bank. With a research fellowship, she attended the University of Cambridge in England and, in 1959, became the world’s first recipient of a PhD in immunohematology.

Dr. Coupounas was a pioneering scientist who led a life of purpose and dedication to science, medicine, family, and community. In 1985, CC recognized Dr. Coupounas with its first Louis Benezet Award for extraordinary achievement that exemplifies the values of a liberal arts and sciences education. In 2007, CC awarded her an Honorary Doctor of Science degree.

She is survived by her son, Demetrios George Coombs Coupounas, his wife Kimberly Riether Coupounas, her grandson George Demetrios Leonidas Coupounas of Longmont, CO and her brother Dr. James Konugres of San Marcos, CA, as well as many beloved nieces and nephews.

MAX MORATH ’48

Max Morath was born October 1, 1926 in Colorado Springs, and died June 19, 2023 in Duluth, MN. He grew up in Colorado Springs, where his first job as a 17-year-old radio announcer at KVOR in the city launched his professional life in media and theatre.

He graduated from CC in 1948 with a B.A. in English, and from the Stanford-NBC Radio and Television Institute in 1951. Jazz and broadcasting jobs in Florida, Dallas, and Phoenix, combined with his appearances as pianist and musical director for melodrama companies in Cripple Creek and Durango, CO led to his lifelong career as an entertainer/spokesman for ragtime and American popular song.

At age 70 Max earned a Master’s degree in American Studies from Columbia University. Max was the initial recipient of the Sedalia, Missouri Scott Joplin award. He has been named as a distinguished alum of CC, and in 2016 he was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame.

Max is survived by daughters Kathryn Annette Morath (Robert Wagner) and Christine Lee Mainthow (Michael Mainthow); son Frederic Loyd Morath and daughter-in-law Paula Sue Morath; Diane Fay Skomars, his wife of 30 years, and her daughter Monette Fay Magrath Macdonald (David Macdonald); grandchildren Jordan Claire Wagner, David Lee and Eric Robert Mainthow, Malia Lynn Morath, Finley Fay Margaret Macdonald; and great-grandson Edward Ke’eluohilohanakahi Kehaoha Jr.

BEVERLY ANN HOWARD ’48

Beverly Ann (Geiger) Howard died peacefully in the care home at which she had resided for the previous month on August 25, 2023, holding the hand of her youngest son, Tim. She died after a long battle resulting from complications from a broken hip.

She was born in South Denver on September 15, 1926, to Robert E. Geiger and Marjorie Elinor (Ord) Geiger.

She was awarded a scholarship to attend CC and matriculated there in the fall of 1944, majoring in Biology with the intention of becoming a veterinarian out of a deep love for animals. However, this never came to fruition as her heart was too tender to perform the more painful tasks a veterinarian must do. Instead, she fulfilled her love for animals by saving, raising, and nurturing innumerable strays and pets throughout her life.

She is survived by her son, Bob Howard (Jennifer); her son, Tim Howard; her daughter-in-law, Dennise Howard; her grandchildren, Elinor Walquist (Scott), Leanne Howard (Derek), Robert J. Howard (Kendra), Joan Barcellos (Nathan), Glynnis Howard, and Gwen Howard; and her great-grandchildren, Elijah Walquist, Everett Walquist, Carter Barcellos, and Jeanne Barcellos, as well as numerous other relatives throughout the United States.

1950s

RUTH E. TEASON ’51

Ruth E. Teason passed away on January 7, 2023 at the age of 93. She worked as the Alumni Records Manager at CC, digitizing the paper records under the direction of Barbara Yallich and J. Juan Reed beginning in 1974 and retiring from the office in 1986. She was a life member of the Women’s Educational Society (WES), CC 50 Year Club Member, and the Aficionados (CC’s Southwest Studies Program). She was a Colorado native, born in Cripple Creek, grew up in Colorado Springs, and loved the mountains, her family, chocolate, and a good cup of tea. She is survived by her children; Susan Langlois ’74, Christopher Wilson, Kerry Wilson ’80 and Matthew Wilson ’84.

WALTER “WALT” N. STONE, MD ’53

Walter Nathan Stone, MD, passed away peacefully on June 21, 2023 in San Francisco, CA. He was 91.

Walt’s professional and personal achievements were grounded in his early education at the University of Chicago Lab School and his undergraduate education at CC. He maintained a lifelong connection to both institutions.

A leader in his professional field, Walt nevertheless had time to delve into many hobbies and interests. In his college years, he was quite the card shark at bridge and poker. He founded the men’s soccer team at CC and played goalie. He also played baseball. He was a champion handball player and avid swimmer. Most importantly, he loved professional sports, especially his Cincinnati Bengals and Reds.

Walt received his MD from Vanderbilt University in 1957. Walt accepted a residency in psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati and then joined the faculty. At the university he focused on the chronically mentally ill and began working with this underserved population individually and in groups. Walt, with his wife Esther Stone, led trainings in group therapy in the United States, Canada, China, Japan, and Australia.

He is survived by his loving wife of 40 years, Esther, his four children from his first marriage, Katherine “Kay” (Peter Hofmann) Stone, Allen Stone, David (Melinda McTaggart-Stone) Stone, Andrew “Andy” (Julie Zaidler) Stone, and the daughters he lovingly gained through his marriage to Esther, Rhona (David Warren) Lyons, and Amy Lyons; and his twelve grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

LT. COL JOHN OLIVER STEWART ’56

John “Misto II” Oliver Stewart passed away peacefully of dementia on January 28, 2023 at the age of 88 in Pocatello, ID.

John was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity at CC and at his graduation ceremony in 1958, he was commissioned a 2nd LT in the Chemical Corps of the United States Army. He served honorably for over 23 years, retiring with the rank of LTC. His three assignments took him to Baumholder, Germany, Saigon, Vietnam, and South Korea. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam.

After retiring from the military, he and his family moved to Phoenix where he settled into his second career at the Department of Civil Defense and Emergency Services for Maricopa County Arizona. John is survived by his wife of 65 years, Judy (Van Epps) Stewart ’58, his sons Charles and Andrew (Pam), and grandsons Sam and Hunter.

ROBERT ALLAN (BOB) EGLY ’56

CC graduate, Robert Allan (Bob) Egly, passed away August 7, 2023 at the age of 92. He graduated from CC in 1956 with a degree in Business Administration and Banking. He is survived by his wife, Wanda Egly.

BOB DIXON ’57

A navy veteran, Bob had a career in sales. This included teaching marketing classes for Purdue University at their Calumet and North Central campuses.

He was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity and active in a number of CC activities. He is survived by his daughter Lou Ann and his partner Bobbie Durant.

ROBERT “ROBIN” ALAN REID ’59

Robert “Robin” Alan Reid born May 26, 1937, passed away on May 15, 2023. Robin was born in Colorado Springs, CO to J. Juan and Margaret Reid.

After graduating from CC, he spent two years as a lieutenant in the army and taught high school history for two years before working for 10 years at Cornell College in Iowa. He then moved to San Diego, CA where he spent the rest of his life. After working a few years for consulting firms and the city of San Diego, he became an independent management consultant.

He was well loved by family and his many friends. He will be missed. He is survived by his sister Judy Finley, Brother John, nephews, Bruce and Drew, and nieces Karen, Laura and Katie.

1960s

PETE PLEASANT ’62

Pete Pleasant, died peacefully surrounded by his family at his home in Craig, CO. He was 84.

Peter was born the son of Sidney and Alice (Schrepferman) Pleasant on April 22, 1939, in Hayden, CO. Following high school, Pete furthered his education and was active on the football team at Mesa College and later at CC, where he earned his bachelor’s. Pete was a proud member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.

Pete married the love of his life, Mary “Madge” Martin in Craig. To this union, two sons, Jeffrey and Danny were born. Pete and Madge celebrated 38 years of love and marriage together before Madge’s passing on July 31, 1999.

In 1961, Pete took over his grandfather’s business, F. M. Pleasant Insurance. He had many loyal clients for over 50 years before retiring in 2012. In his spare time, Pete enjoyed hunting, golfing, and, probably most of all, socializing!

Pete is survived by his two sons, Jeff Pleasant of Grand Junction and Dan (Darcy) Pleasant of Clarks, NE; and one sister, Pamela PleasantFoster of Craig. He is further survived by four grandchildren: Sara Ann Pleasant, Cody Pleasant, Elizabeth Ann Pleasant and Luke Pleasant; and two nieces, Sasha Foster and Ashley (Rudie Piper) Foster-Piper.

ROBERT

“BOB” FERNIE ’63

Dr. Robert W. Fernie III passed away on July 18, 2023 at the Virginia Piper Memory Care Center from a brain disease. Born in Hutchinson, KS on January 30, 1941, to Dr. and Mrs. Robert Fernie II, Bob obtained his undergraduate degree at CC and his doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Arizona State University.

Bob dedicated his entire life to helping other people. He taught psychology at Phoenix College and for many years chaired the Department of Psychology. He was active in the LGBTQ community, including leading the Relationship Discussion Group at the Unitarian Universalist Church for many years and providing HIV/AIDS education in various settings.

He is survived by his husband, Conrad Egge, his children Rob (Amber), Sandra Mullinax (Jim), and Carmen Bastek (Lynnette); and his siblings John Fernie (Kate) and Betsy Hunt, and niece Eliza Fernie ’04.

BEN MELTON ’63

Ben Melton passed away on May 12, 2023 in Bossier City, LA after a long battle with cancer.

Ben was a starting two-way lineman for the CC Tigers for three years, a member of the Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) fraternity, and an honors student. Following graduation, and commissioning through CC ROTC into the US Army, Ben completed Airborne and Ranger schools before deploying to the Republic of Vietnam. After honorably serving his country, he separated from the Army and moved to Shreveport, LA, where he became a successful small businessman and entrepreneur. In 1997, Ben liquidated his businesses, and he and his wife Sue bought a fifth wheel and, living out a lifelong dream, hit the road while maintaining a home in Bossier City, LA.

Ben is survived by his wife of 33 years, Sue, and two grandchildren.

BILL WHALEY ’68

On Feb. 8, 2021, Bill Whaley ’68 died of a heart attack while skiing in Taos Ski Valley with his granddaughter, Lili.

At CC, Whaley took political science classes, secured a spot on the school football team, and joined the Kappa Sigma fraternity. At a beer bust near Gold Camp Road in Colorado Springs, he met Susan Bisbee Reid ’68, who would become his first wife and mother of his son, Fitz.

Whaley spent the next five decades in an on-and-off love affair with Taos, NM starting as a ski bum and parking lot attendant for Taos Ski Valley. He served in a Taos-based National Guard unit. Over the years, he operated numerous businesses there, notably the Plaza Theatre, the monthly news magazine Horse Fly, and the blog Taos Friction.

Known for his brilliant mind and big heart, for giving voice to the unheard, and for championing alternative viewpoints, throughout Whaley’s adventurous life, he endured financial failure and reinvented himself many times over.

He is survived by his son, William Fitzpatrick (Fitz) Whaley, granddaughter, Lili Hart Whaley, and two sisters.

DONALD “CHIP” REMY BELL ’69

Donald Remy Bell, more commonly known as Chip, passed away peacefully on December 18, 2023, at Denver Hospice, where he was surrounded by his loved ones. Chip was born on September 18, 1948, in Evanston, Illinois, to Catharine Remy and Donald Ivan Bell.

Chip graduated from Lake Forest Academy and later earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from CC. He then obtained a doctorate in physiology from the University of Maryland and completed a post-doctorate from the University of California at Davis.

Chip was a Professor in the Center for Cardiovascular Research at Albany Medical College for 35 years. He specialized in the kidney and was an active member of the American Heart Association, the Microcirculatory Society, and the American Physiological Society. Chip also had many hobbies, including rock climbing, skiing, tennis, traveling, and science fiction.

Chip is survived by his sisters, Catharine and Susan Bell, his brothers-in-law, Robert Weiglein and Nawang Sherap, and his niece, Kyla Sherap.

BLAKE WILLIAM WILSON ’69

Blake William Wilson died on April 25, 2023, in California. Blake was born in Santa Barbara, CA on June 7, 1948. He graduated from Laguna Blanca School in 1965 and CC in 1969.

Blake was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, a varsity soccer player, and a proud organizer of the famous demolition derby. He taught math in Oregon for a short period of time and then embarked on a long, distinguished, and very successful business career.

He was a world-class blue-water yachtsman, having competed in dozens of races, and, most importantly, a first-class friend.

Blake is survived by his wife of 43 years, Susanne, two brothers and two sisters, and a host of nieces, nephews, and godchildren.

Vaya con Dios, El Jefe.

1970s

DAVID BYER NASH ’71

David Byer Nash passed away on February 19, 2023. The son of Leonard K. and Ava Byer Nash, he grew up in Lexington, MA. He was a graduate of CC and received his PhD from the University of Michigan. He joined the faculty of the Department of Geology at the University of Cincinnati in 1978, and retired as Professor Emeritus in 2015. He was the founder of the University’s CV Theis Groundwater Observatory at the Great Miami River (now the Theis Environmental Monitoring and Modeling Site, TEMMS).

David is survived by his loving wife Ruth Anne Van Loon, his devoted sons, Nathan Nash (and daughter-in-law Andrea Evans) of Chicago

and Samuel Nash of Cincinnati, his cherished sister Vivian Nash and brother-in-law Jeffrey Sklar of Brookline, MA, his adored nephew Aaron Sklar and niece Shana Sklar and their families, and cousins and in-laws who greatly loved him.

GARY SCHUYLER YOUNG ’74

Gary passed away on May 17, 2023 in Lake Forest Hospital. He was raised in Wilmette, IL. In 1970, Gary graduated from New Trier High School and headed to CC, where he majored in Art.

While in college, Gary spent summers building houses with his brothers and friends, living in tents on the mountainside, and occasionally working a defunct Colorado gold claim.

While Gary’s work was in advertising, he was unwavering in the belief that his real job and true purpose in life was to be a loving husband and supportive, present father to wife, Carole, and their son Andrew.

All who knew him understood Gary’s personal passion for painting. His watercolors earned awards in juried, national competitions, and at Chicago’s Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts, where Gary painted, instructed, and exhibited for years.

He is survived by his wife Carole, their son and daughter-in-law, Andrew and Chelsea, grandson Nolan, along with his brother Tom and sister Margaret. He also left behind numerous brothers and sisters in-law and many nephews and nieces, some of whom liked to lovingly call him “Uncle Coolio."

MARK PAICH ’75

CC alum and long-time CC professor Mark Paich passed away in 2022, after a year-long battle with an unexpected illness. He was 68.

Mark earned his Master’s in Economics from The University of Colorado-Boulder and then his PhD in System Dynamics from MIT in 1995. He was a high-level consultant for such firms as McKinsey & Company and PwC, and formed several boutique consulting companies in his career. Mark also cherished his role as an adjunct/ associate professor at CC in the Department of Economics and Business. He taught intermittently from 1976 until his departure from the school in the early 2000s. For several years, Mark was also a coach and sponsor of CC’s Forensic teams. In 2022, the football squad on which he played in the early 1970s was inducted in CC’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Mark will be sorely missed by his family members (wife Connie, daughter Julia, son Ryan—as well as many others), colleagues, and countless individuals in his extended CC network who so benefitted from his unique expertise during his distinguished life and career.

PHILIP H. PAUL ’76

Phil Paul of San Francisco, CA passed away on June 18, 2023, after a brief but courageous battle with cancer. He was 69.

Phil was born on April 25, 1954. After graduating from Iowa City High in 1972, he went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in physics from CC. Phil then earned a Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Iowa, followed by a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.

After PhD graduation, Phil accepted a position at Stanford and worked for six years as a Senior Research Associate on laser-based imaging diagnostics, where he became the globally recognized expert in planar laser-induced fluorescence imaging in reacting flows. In 1990, Phil became a Senior Scientist at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, CA where he worked for 10 years at the prestigious Combustion Research Facility.

In 2000, Phil was one of the six co-founders of Ekisigent, a biotech company specializing in microfluids where Phil’s role was the Chief Technology Officer.

Phil is survived by his wife Mary and their two fur children, Kitty and Milo; his mother, Dorothy Paul of Iowa City, IA, sisters Liz Paul (Jorge Quero) of Pleasanton, CA, and Marlene Preston (Edward) of Troutville, VA, his niece Sara Quero and fiancé Steven Patterson of Dublin, CA, nephew Nico Quero (Austin) of Alameda, CA, his Aunt Shirley Fischer, as well as extended family, friends, and coworkers who brought him joy throughout his life and helped him become the amazing person that he was.

CAROL POMERANCE CATALDO ’77

Carol Pomerance Cataldo passed away peacefully at her home in Rockport on June 19, 2022 of brain cancer. An exceptional and adventurous woman, she created community and creativity wherever she found herself.

A decidedly adventurous teenager who relished the outdoors, she attended CC where she studied Anthropology, communed with nature, and made lifelong friends among classmates and professors. She then pursued a career in social work and graduated with a MSW from The University of Michigan. She met Jim Cataldo when he was a Ph.D. student at Columbia University, and they later moved to Arlington, MA. Carol continued her career working as a social worker and soon became a mom—first to Simon, then Eva and Anna. Notably, Simon followed Carol’s footsteps (or perhaps more accurately hiking boots) to CC, from which he graduated in 2008.

Carol leaves behind her children Simon, Eva (Berlin), and Anna; sister Ruth Pomerance; grandsons Lev, Hank, Alan, and Charlie; daughterin-law Chessie and son-in-law Gdaly Berlin; former husband and lifelong friend Jim; nephews Aaron and Emilo Prieto; stepmother Molly Pomerance; father-in-law John Cataldo; and many other beloved family members and friends.

DAVID “HAMMER” HANSON ’77

David “Hammer” Hanson passed away at home with family by his side on July 13, 2021. He departed this world far too soon and he

will be greatly missed as a husband, father, brother, teammate, colleague, and friend.

Dave was born in North St. Paul, MN on May 14, 1955. His lifelong love of hockey started early as he grew up across the street from an ice rink and spent many hours there after school and on weekends.

Dave received a full scholarship to play hockey at CC, where he earned a degree in business administration. He was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 1975 before a career-ending knee injury in his final college game.

Dave moved to Alaska in 1977, where he remained a steady force in the recreational hockey community. Dave’s professional career also included 14 years at FedEx, where he retired in 2004.

He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Diane Firmani, and their sons, Chancie and Cooper; as well as Dave’s brothers, John Hanson and Larry Hanson; sister, Kathleen Jeanson; and their spouses.

1980s

KIP FREYTAG ’85

The world lost a shining light on January 29, 2023. Kip Freytag was taken from us by endometrial cancer and those who called her friend, companion sensei, or mentor, lost an amazing soul.

Kip was born in Los Angeles on December 28, 1962. She grew up, went to school, and graduated high school mostly within the confines of the greater LA area, but at that point she wanted more. She left home for CC in 1981 to study political science, but along the way rediscovered German, a language she first heard from her caregiver as a baby. She transferred to UC Berkeley to pursue a degree in Forestry. She returned to school and earned a Master’s degree in Human Physiology followed by a professional degree in Physical Therapy.

She leaves many friends, new and old, literally scattered around the world. Frieder was her husband and true partner in crime, in every way, for the past 36+ years. He says: I’d love to hear your stories, though I can’t promise to reply. ❉

In Loving Memory of Victor Nelson-Cisneros (June 1, 1945 – September 30, 2023)

Victor Nelson-Cisneros (born Victor B. Nelson Jr.), a devoted scholar, educator, and advocate for diversity and inclusion, passed away on September 30, 2023, at the age of 78. He was a beloved son, brother, uncle, and mentor whose impact resonated far beyond the boundaries of his birthplace in Brownsville, TX.

His journey in education began at Trinity Lutheran School and continued at St. Joseph’s Academy where he graduated from high school in 1963. He pursued higher education at Texas Southmost College in Brownsville. His life took an extraordinary turn when he was invited to apply for the position of Assistant Dean at Colorado College, marking the beginning of a distinguished tenure that spanned over thirty years.

During his time at CC, Nelson-Cisneros was known for his candid, compassionate, and direct style. He was instrumental in fostering opportunities for undergraduate students and Ph.D. candidates. His role at the college primarily focused on faculty development and student experience, with particular emphasis on inclusion, representation, and opportunity expansion. In 2006, he was named Associate Dean of the College.

In recognition of his remarkable achievements, CC created the Victor Nelson-Cisneros Leadership Award for Faculty and Staff. The award is given to faculty and staff who exemplify a drive for diversity and inclusion on campus.

In 2020, Nelson-Cisneros received the Grisham Riley Award from the CC Alumni Association, acknowledging his significant impact on the Riley Scholars Program. Through this program, his legacy as a champion of inclusion, representation, and opportunity expansion lives on.

In 2012, Nelson-Cisneros retired after 30 years at CC and returned to his beloved Brownsville, where he enjoyed the embrace of his family and the community he held dear. When he departed this world on September 30, 2023, he was surrounded by his family and the love and warmth that he had shared so generously throughout his remarkable life. ❉

For a century and a half, CC has fostered intellectual curiosity, academic excellence, and a deep appreciation for doing things differently. From its founding in 1874, we have continually evolved, developing a community of diverse minds and innovative thinkers.

Now, we want to commemorate those 150 years. And there are so many ways to get involved. Tell your CC story. Teach a Nano Block. Attend events!

We honor the generations of students, faculty, staff, and alumni who have contributed to the college's enduring legacy of excellence and look forward to the boundless possibilities that lie ahead. Happy 150th, Colorado College!

We look forward to seeing you on November 2 for the 150th Extravaganza. Scan the QR Code to learn more »

Alumni Say…What was your best last block?

My best “last block” was in the spring of 1971 when I was a student in Professor Dennis Showalter’s War and Society Since the Renaissance. By then I was committed to major in History and this course (Blocks 8 & 9), as well as Professor Harvey L. Carter’s History of the Trans-Mississippi West, taken the previous year when I was a sophomore, convinced me I had a future as a professional historian. Showalter was the best lecturer and motivator I have known (including all my graduate-school mentors) and I patterned my teaching style on his method during my forty-three years at the college level. No better way to end a year at CC, and start summer, than after a course with Showalter! The following year (1972) I took Showalter’s summer course, The History of Modern Germany. The History Department at CC was stellar during the early 1970s, and I remain grateful to the entire college, but especially to Showalter and Carter.

Bill Swagerty ’73

Flowering trees in Worner Quad near Cutler Hall.

Photo by Lonnie Timmons III.

After the last official block of 1973, I attended the Environmental Science Institute. In addition to a few days in the classroom, we all boarded a bus, accompanied by a variety of science professors and traveled all over Colorado, each conducting experiments. We visited glaciers, saw pika, and traveled to the Climax Molybdenum Mine to look at re-forestation, the headwaters of the Arkansas River. Each of us had one or more experiments. I measured nitrates in water and also tree rings, which I correlated to rainfall records and to sunspots. I also built a computer database on the school's minicomputer (an HP2000C) that allowed us to tie everyone's experiment measurements to latitude, longitude, altitude, and time and date so we could see trends and correlations. It was a transformational experience of a lifetime! Thank you, CC!

John C. Roberts ’74

Block 9 in May 1981 was the only class Trish Major and I ever had together. We’d become a couple in the spring of 1979. Now, I was about to graduate, while Trish had one year to go. Mid-recession, I had no local job prospects, so we knew I’d have to leave Colorado Springs. My wise roommate had advised me that “Trish is a keeper.” So, I decided to put a ring on it, to use today’s parlance. If that sounds possessive and suspiciously sexist in 2024, I assure you it did in 1981, too. But I wasn’t taking any chances.

Our professor was CC Vice President Max Taylor, who didn’t teach regularly. He had told us to pick up our final exam at 9 a.m. on the last Tuesday, and turn it in by noon, three hours later. Wednesday would be a free day. My plan was to take the ring with me while we wrote our answers, then propose after we finished.

Max surprised us all Tuesday morning with an in-depth, overnight exam, due by noon Wednesday, not Tuesday. Trish and I took our test to Washburn Athletic Field to begin. I don’t know how I had expected to concentrate on academics for three hours, but I sure couldn’t focus for twenty-seven hours! So, I pulled out the ring and asked Trish to marry me. If life was a rom-com, she would have squealed with delight and screamed “Yes!” She was aghast, and said “You can’t ask me that now! We have a final exam to do! I can’t think about that!” So, I went to Max’s office, explained the situation and asked for an extension. He told me that mine was the best excuse he’d ever heard, and we could take as long as we needed.

I have no recollection of what either of us wrote about "Christianity and the Native American," but we passed. And, despite the fact that Trish never actually said yes to my proposal, we recently celebrated our fortieth wedding anniversary. Sentimental me chokes up writing this, just as I did when I proposed, during our wedding, and any other time I think about how lucky I am. Trish read this and just remembers how annoyed she was with me all those years ago. ❉

Tracy Curts ’81

14 E. Cache La Poudre St.

Colorado Springs, CO 80903

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Students dancing as part of the Fall Semester Dance Workshop titled "The Way We Are" held in Kathryn Mohrman Theatre.

Photo by Mila Naumovska '26.