The Maverick Magazine: Spring 2023

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42 Class notes

Photo:

at

Theatre in the Moss Performing Arts Center.

State of the University

Mavericks,

At the beginning of my tenure as president of CMU, I worked to cast a vision for a Human Scale University. Since that time, all of you have helped me work to define exactly what that means. Today, we know a Human Scale University exists when the campus community is a model of the world we want to create. This working definition may leave you wondering: how do we know what kind of world we want to create? The answer to this question is found in our values.

Late last year, the campus community engaged in a process called Forming the Future. This initiative started with a conversation around identifying our university values. During the course of the fall, CMU identified the values as Love, Courage, Humility, Dignity, Resilience, Curiosity and Power. These fundamental, first-principles are our north star and provide a map for knowing what kind of world to make. This future world, based on our values, comes into focus when people embody these values day-to-day in what we choose to do and how we treat one another. For example, the cover story of this edition includes three students who not only embrace the values, but are using them to make the future better right before our eyes. Be sure to read about how Andy Smith, Erica Schroeder and Izzy Burns are making CMU’s values come to life.

Beyond our students, every semester on the Colorado Mesa University campus I also encounter alumni doing incredible things, from publishing an original story to landing a career working for the U.S Department of Agriculture. I learn about students who are accomplishing incredible feats, like contributing to The Maverick Innovation Center’s first technology transfer and commercialization project that is bringing to market a faculty/student collaboration that includes a graffiti removal patent. I was also excited to learn about research CMU faculty are working on, such as a cross-collaboration project that has been selected to compete in a global competition with the goal of solving a very complex problem — rainforest preservation. These stories are all included in this edition of Maverick

incredible work that’s being done at what is surely a Human Scale University in the making.

Best,

President John Marshall

Board of Trustees

Lori Buck, Vice Chair • Ron Davis

Charles Dukes • David Foster

Tim Fry, Treasurer • Alison Griffin, Chair

Kasia Iwaniczko MacLeod, Secretary

Daniel Ramos • Gary Reiff

Alex Sánchez • Joyce Sekharan

Tim Casey, FacultyTrustee

Evan Piper, Student Trustee

Editor

Katlin Birdsall

Art Director

Jeremy Smith

Graphic Design

Lisa Smith

Copy Editor

Laura Bradley • Kelsey Coleman

Videographer and Photographer

Bronson Henriques

Online Maverick

Andrea Keck • Kendra Dardis

Director of Alumni Relations

Jared Meier

Western Colorado Healthcare Leader Appointed to Colorado Mesa University Board of Trustees

Last December, Governor Jared Polis appointed Dr. Joyce Sekharan of Grand Junction, Colorado, to serve on the Colorado Mesa University Board of Trustees.

Dr. Sekharan is a general and trauma surgeon, breast cancer program director for St. Mary’s Medical Center and chief medical director at Advance Skincare and Laser Center in Grand Junction. She earned her doctorate in 1996 from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and completed her residency in general surgery at the University of Florida – Jacksonville. She currently serves on the Caprock Academy Board of Directors and has for five years. She has an interest in education and the unique value it brings to the greater Grand Junction community.

“I’m elated to join the Colorado Mesa University Board of Trustees and am honored to represent western Colorado and the healthcare industry. I look forward to being an active member with an eye for how CMU can continue to meet regional needs by producing more medical practitioners in areas where we need them the most,” said Dr. Sekharan. •

Students Produce and Stream State-Wide Candidate forum

In partnership with The Daily Sentinel and Colorado Public Radio, CMU hosted the final candidate forum in Colorado’s closely watched US Senate and Gubernatorial races on October 25, 2022. The Gubernatorial Forum featured Governor Jared Polis (D) and CU Regent Heidi Ganahl (R). Immediately following, the forum featured US Senator Michael Bennet (D) and Joe O’Dea (R).

The two live streams were completely produced by CMU faculty and students, and two students, Halima Behroz and Jason Hunter, also participated in the question panel in both forums. •

UNIVERSITY JOURNAL

(Top) President John Marshall with students and faculty who produced the 2022 Candidate Forum. (Middle) Student panelist Halima Behroz with US Senator Michael Bennet (D). (Bottom) Governor Jared Polis (D), President John Marshall, panelists and CU Regent Heidi Ganahl (R) during the forum.

approved by the Colorado Mesa University Board of Trustees in May 2022, is proving to be an early success in helping students overcome financial barriers as well as meet regional workforce needs.

The affordability initiative lowered the cost of tuition for career and technical education courses for Western Colorado Community College students and their families by nearly 40% starting Fall 2022. Since its launch, a few standout highlights include WCCC doubling enrollment

WCCC also saw growth in other high-demand fields, including Transportation Services, the Western Colorado Peace Officers Academy, also known as the POST academy, and welding program. By adopting the Learn for Less initiative, WCCC students pay $197 per credit hour compared to the $321.45 they paid in 2021-2022. With this tuition cut, students can take more credits, more frequently while businesses benefit

Business Closet Now Open

The Business Closet, a student-led initiative, provides second-hand business attire free of charge to CMU and WCCC students. Located in Dominguez Hall 101C, the ribbon cutting ceremony was held this past fall in conjunction with CMU Career Services and the Palisade, Grand Junction, Fruita Area and Western Colorado Latino Chambers of Commerce.

“The outpouring of donations during our Fill the Rack Drive was incredible. The boxes began filling up with blazers, high heels, full suits and dresses before the shoestrings were even cut,” said Career Services Director Sadye Saad. “We have the most amazing community! It’s not just clothes — they are giving

Mavericks take Second at Triathlon Nationals

All seven Colorado Mesa University triathletes turned in all-America winning performance as the Mavericks matched their best finish as a team — taking second in the NCAA Division II portion of the Women’s Collegiate Triathlon National Championships this past November.

The Mavericks were also the only school to have all seven athletes earn CTCA All-American honors and have now finished in the top four at each of the last four national championships. They were fourth in 2019 and 2021 and placed second out of five teams in 2018. •

Mavericks Women’s Triathlon Team

our students the opportunity to

The founding sponsors — Cigna,

Business Closet Ribbon Cutting on September 1, 2022.

Hockey Raises $100,000 in last six years for Cancer Patients

Last November, CMU Hockey raised more than $21,000 through their annual Pink the Rink charity game against Northern Arizona University. The team then presented the St. Mary’s Cancer Assistance Fund with a check during a packed game in December. This was the largest amount ever raised in a single Pink the Rink game, shattering the previous record of $14,000.

The sixth annual Pink the Rink fundraiser brings the grand total to more than $100,000. The funds are used to support local cancer patients during one of the toughest times in their life. •

CMU Hockey Team raises more than $21,000 to benefit local cancer patients at this year’s Pink the Rink.

Professor of Biology Thomas Walla, PhD, leads 25-person team competing in a global competition with a $10 million prize

BY MADELYNN FELLET

Later this spring, Colorado Mesa University Professor of Biology Thomas Walla, PhD, will travel to Singapore alongside his team to compete in the semifinals of a global competition. XPRIZE Rainforest is a five-year competition with the goal to enhance the world’s understanding of the rainforest ecosystem in order to protect it and includes a $10 million prize.

as a way to allow CMU to expand their biology program and to build and strengthen outside connections.

The competition’s goal is to enhance the world’s understanding of the rainforest ecosystem in order to protect it.

Learn more about XPRIZE at xprize.org/prizes/rainforest

The XPRIZE Rainforest project started with more than 300 teams from around the globe all interested in competing. Around 60 teams went on to register and now only 15 teams remain, three of which are based in the U.S. One of those semifinalists is Team Waponi!, which is led by Walla and based in Grand Junction, Colorado.

According to Walla, the core purpose of the XPRIZE Foundation is to draw attention to and create solutions for problems from around the world through global competitions that entice some of the world’s most brilliant minds to participate.

In this specific competition, teams are tasked with developing a method of measuring the value of rainforests, which XPRIZE could then use to get others to invest in rainforest preservation technologies, practices and policies. Walla also sees the competition

Walla has been with CMU for more than 20 years and takes pride in involving students in his projects in order to enhance their life experiences and help them build a deeper appreciation for the world that surrounds them.

“The best part of this project is being able to involve CMU students, and take their college experience to a whole new level by solving world problems,” said Walla, whose love for tropical ecology dates back to his first trip to Ecuador in 1991.

Since then he has returned over 10 times leading tropical field biology courses to give his students the opportunity to live and work in the field alongside other professional biologists.

Team Waponi!

The Waorani are an indigenous group living in the Ecuadorian Amazon in the area where members of Team Waponi! work to better understand the rainforest. The term “Waponi” is derived from their language and means a variety of things, all good and positive.

Hello! = Waponi!

• Locations of Team Waponi! members: Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, Colorado; University of Nevada Reno, Reno, Nevada; John Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona; Yanayacu Biological Station, Cosanga, Ecuador; Shiripuno Research Center, Ecuadorian Amazon Basin; National University of Singapore, Singapore.

Nice job! = Waponi!

Yes! = Waponi!

I’m doing well = Waponi

Hexacopter delivery of Limelight

Acoustic Ecology

Data Collection

• Ambient sound recording device with microphone

• Mini SD card

• Battery Image

Data Collection

• Insect photography device

• LED lights

• Mirrors

• Conveyor belt

• Mini SD card

• Battery

Above: The Limelight, a device that collects auditory and visual data of diverse species in the rainforest, will be delivered by drone, attach itself to a tree and collect samples. Collected data is sent to a neural network system that will identify and categorize species into a list.

Data Processing

• AI/ML identification of species and morphospecies

• Species diversity patterns and insights

• Indigenous integration: cross-reference species of cultural importance

Walla is one of 25 individuals who make up Team Waponi!, which includes scientists from various U.S. universities and countries. Together, the team has developed a solution they call Limelight, which is a device that collects both auditory and visual data of diverse species that live in the rainforest. The device will be delivered into the rainforest via drone, attach itself to a tree and collect samples at different heights of the rainforest. Inside the device is a microphone and camera which will be used to locate and collect data on insects, mammals, birds and frogs. The device then sends all collected data to a neural network system that will in turn

identify and categorize the species into an extensive list.

Walla has recruited the help of other faculty members from across campus. The long list includes biology faculty members Johanna Varner, PhD, and Denita Weeks, PhD, and computer science faculty members Sherine Antoun, PhD, and Karl Castleton. CMU students have also gotten involved in this project, whether it’s taking pictures of insects or designing the understory exploratory vessel — the project is a true example of interdisciplinary work at CMU.

— continued on page 10

Right: Tom Walla, professor of biology, holding a prototype of the Limelight. Below right: One version of the Limelight hanging from a tree in the rainforest.

Above: CMU students build databases of images and acoustics from the rainforest to help machines learn algorithms for species identification. This process will meet the XPRIZE goal of identifing the largest number of plant and animal species to help develop insights that will promote the health and conservation of the forests. Top right: Engineering student, Angel Torres

Last fall, Angel Torres, an engineering student, joined Team Waponi!

“Dr. Walla approached me at the beginning of the fall semester to weld an early design of the tree-hugger. After going over some design changes, I agreed to join the team and take on the tree-hugger portion of the project.”

When it came to designing the structure, it was a team effort.

“We began with identifying the need and goals of the project. We then assessed possible solutions and created a rough design and prototype for the most promising solution,” said Torres. “This process has resulted in seven different iterations for most of the parts. We are currently in the prototyping phase and expect to go through many more iterations and testing before the design is acceptable.”

Angel Torres, Team Waponi! engineering student

A few months ago, Walla traveled to Singapore to observe the terrain in advance of the semifinals. He recognized key differences in tree species between the Amazon and Singapore rainforests and even joked that the team would now need to strengthen their Limelight device to withstand the native monkeys, something they hadn’t taken into consideration before. With a few key observations, Walla returned to the U.S. ready to perfect the device.

Team Waponi! will present their device and compete in Singapore for a finalist position in May 2023. •

Above: Team Waponi! members Wilmer Sambana, Tod Swanson, PhD, Tom Walla*, PhD, Lora Richards, PhD, and Lee Dyer, PhD. Members not pictured include Eric Fortune, PhD, Harold Greeney, PhD, Garth Paine, PhD, Ari Griele, Christopher Jeffrey, PhD, Jarol Fernando Vaca, Julie Allen, PhD, Diana Chavez Vargas, David Navarette, PhD, Johanna Varner*, PhD, Denita Weeks*, PhD, Karl Castleton*, Sherine Antoun*, PhD, Casey Philbin, PhD, Pavan Turaga, PhD, Ankita Shukla, PhD, Matthias Hoffmann-Kuhnt, PhD, and Thaddeus Schrader. Learn more about Team Waponi! at teamwaponi/wixsite.com.

*Colorado Mesa University faculty

We are currently in the prototyping phase and expect to go through many more iterations and testing before the design is acceptable.

Honoring Mr. Mav

University and friends celebrate the life and legacy of alumnus Doug Sortor

BY HEATHER PORTENIER

Anyone who knew Doug Sortor would tell you nobody exemplified true Maverick spirit quite like him. His Maverick spirit started back when he attended CMU, playing tight end for the football team and graduating in 1980 with a bachelor’s in psychology. He continued to support the Mavericks throughout his adulthood. When Sortor unexpectedly passed away in August 2022, it left a huge hole in the hearts of many.

The previous year, he was awarded CMU’s Distinguished Alumni award. According to friends, it was one of the highlights of Sortor’s life. College football teammate and longtime friend, Brad Brehmer, said of his acceptance speech, “He brought the house down. There’s never been anyone I’ve known to be a stronger cheerleader for the university than Doug.”

As the owner of Grand Junction’s Blue Moon Bar and Grille, Brehmer dedicated a Mr. Mav wall in Sortor’s honor. Sortor frequented the establishment after games to congregate and show team spirit. Regularly in the stands with his wife, Sharon, decked out in Mav gear and waving a big banner at a football game, Sortor was also working behind the scenes to support the university. He founded the Football Alumni Association Chapter, which helps raise funds for players’ scholarships. He also previously served as the president of the CMU Alumni Association Board.

So it made perfect sense for CMU to name the building Doug Sortor Hall, which houses the Alumni Association and Foundation after Mr. Mav last fall.

“Doug displayed Maverick spirit in absolutely everything he did. Anyone who met him instantly knew he was quite possibly

been extremely honored and humbled to have a hall at CMU named after him.”

A UPS employee for 30 years, Sortor eventually landed at STRiVE post-retirement and described himself as their champion.

“Doug recreated himself. We all do that at some point in our lives, but he took it a step further,” said Brehmer.

The Football Alumni Association Chapter is currently raising endowment funds in Sortor’s honor. When people pass through his hall, read the plaque, they will hopefully understand unconditional school spirit.

“The dedication ceremony was a beautiful tribute to an extraordinary man,” Martsolf said. •

Doug Sortor and his wife, Sharon, at the Homecoming Victory Dinner.

Dynamic Duo

Alumni

BY SUZANNE BRONSON

The first thing you notice about Jeff and Kristy Emerson is that they laugh. A lot.

“There is a lot of laughter. That’s for sure,” said Jeff. Kristy quickly reaffirms that fact and then states, “We’ve had two fights in the last 15 years. One was over what pizza to order, and one was over directions.”

With this generous nature, it’s no wonder that both are in the healthcare field.

The two met on a blind date after being persuaded by two separate, mutual CMU friends to give it a try. Both Jeff and Kristy were enjoying their alone time and weren’t really looking for a relationship but that changed after their first encounter. They had their first date in January 2008, were engaged in August and married by November. Their first holidays together were as a married couple.

Their successful marriage is only matched by their successful careers. Jeff is a 1996 mass communication and broadcasting graduate. His pathway to the healthcare field began with Rocky Mountain

Medical Center.

Kristy received her bachelor’s degree in human performance and wellness from CMU in 2001. After completing her master’s in public health and working in local public health for 13 years, Kristy earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at CMU and went on to work at St. Mary’s Medical Center and St. Mary’s Family Medicine.

“Can I brag on my wife for a second?” interjects Jeff. “There was a time when she was a CMU faculty member, an alumna and a student in the nursing program all at once.”

Although she continues to teach for the Department of Kinesiology, Kristy’s impressive

challenging her students to focus their course content into realworld situations.

Their children, Calvin and Parker, regard the college campus as their backyard.

“Both of them began life with Little Mavs,” said Kristy, about CMU’s on-site childcare facility.

The family’s schedule is around many of the Maverick’s sporting events and you will often see them in the stands.

The second thing you notice about Jeff and Kristy is the positive dynamic between the two of them, which they bring to all aspects of their personal and professional life. •

Jeff and Kristy Emerson are both accomplished healthcare professionals who were brought together by CMU

Jeff and Kristy Emerson with their children, Calvin and Parker, at Stocker Stadium enjoying a CMU football game .

Monumental Film

According to the National Park Service, the Colorado National Monument welcomes more than 730,000 guests each year. Now, those who stop at the Visitor Center theater will have the opportunity to learn about the park’s rich history from a 20-minute film produced in collaboration with CMU Mass Communication students and Emmy Award-winning video editor/photographer and

BY HANNAH ODNEAL

CMU students and faculty

collaborate with National Park Services on Colorado National Monument 20-minute historical video

Instructor of Video Production Greg Mikolai.

The film, Heart of Time, illustrates the geologic events that shaped the beautiful rock monoliths and canyons, and commemorates the people, plants and wildlife that have inhabited it.

“The new Visitor Center video for the Colorado National Monument provided CMU students with real-world

opportunities for work on a professional project. This experience benefits students through hands-on application of classroom instruction,” said Mikolai. “They also benefited by experiencing the unique challenges of a video of this scope, such as dealing with weather and atmospheric conditions; traversing and setup in difficult terrain; and of course, delays created by a pandemic.”

— continued on page 14

Beginning in 2017 and wrapping up this past fall, the project took longer than anyone could have expected with the pandemic and regional wildfires being only two of the things that slowed the timeline.

“It took us awhile to get our script finalized. We wanted to be sure we included the Ute history and perspectives in this film. There were a number of conversations going back and forth to make sure we got that right,” said former National Park Service Chief of Interpretation, Education and Community Outreach for Colorado National Monument Arlene Jackson, who retired this past fall. “Then there were challenges with the atmosphere. We filmed in 4KHD, which meant even a little bit of dust or smoke in the air would affect the image quality. In order to capture the three-dimensional sense of the canyons, we wanted to use drone footage. It took us months to get the Washington, D.C. approval and it was a good thing we got that as the rules

have now changed. We would not be able to do those shots now.”

The film was specifically designed for viewing in the Visitor Center theater space and Jackson said it really “pops” in there. It is also available for viewing on the Colorado National Monument website.

“I loved working with the CMU students. We started out by involving them in the design phase and they helped throughout the process. I especially enjoyed hiking with them into some of the areas of the monument where we were filming. They were so professional and at the same time seemed to really enjoy themselves,” Jackson said.

“The youth of our country are the next stewards of the National Park Service and all the areas we protect. To involve them in a project like this is so critical to their understanding of what that stewardship can look like and mean.”

The project was completed last October, Jackson’s last month of duty.

“With the film finished, I feel like it is a celebration each time we hit the start button for a new group of visitors to watch it,” Jackson said.

That celebration will continue as part of her legacy, while she enjoys her retirement.

“I would like to send a huge thank you to Greg Mikolai for all the work and passion he put into this film. Without him, this film would not have happened. He involved his students each step of the way and ensured that we got what we wanted from the film,” said Jackson. “Also, a big thank you to Colorado National Monument Association for funding this film. Due to the generosity of the members of the association, the Grand Junction Rotary and the community we were able to make this long dreamed of project a reality.” •

I loved working with the CMU studentS. They were so professional and at the same time seemed to really enjoy themselves.

Arlene Jackson, Former National Park Service Chief of Interpretation, Education and Community Outreach for Colorado National Monument

Arlene Jackson

COURAGE HUMILITY CURIOSITY POWER RESILIENCE DIGNITY LOVE COURAGE HUMILITY CURIOSITY POWER RESILIENCE

COURAGE HUMILITY CURIOSITY POWER RESILIENCE DIGNITY LOVE COURAGE HUMILITY CURIOSITY POWER RESILIENCE

HUMILITY CURIOSITY POWER RESILIENCE DIGNITY LOVE COURAGE HUMILITY CURIOSITY POWER RESILIENCE DIGNITY

CURIOSITY POWER RESILIENCE DIGNITY LOVE COURAGE HUMILITY CURIOSITY POWER RESILIENCE DIGNITY LOVE COURAGE

RESILIENCE DIGNITY LOVE COURAGE HUMILITY CURIOSITY POWER RESILIENCE DIGNITY LOVE COURAGE HUMILITY CURIOSITY

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LOVE DIGNITY

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A CAMPUS OF LIVING VALUES

Love, courage, humility, curiosity, power, resilience and dignity are the foundation for CMU’s path forward

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BY DAVID LUDLAM

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The Forming the Future Initiative is CMU’s strategic planning process and roadmap for how CMU advances the mission of the university. The effort started in 2022 with a campus-wide conversation about values. Love, courage, humility, curiosity, power, resiliency and dignity are the resulting values that were selected by the campus community to guide CMU in the years to come.

Vice President for Academic Affairs Cher Hendricks, PhD, is helping to facilitate the initiative. Hendricks was among the 34 strategic steering committee members who voted to affirm the values and was pleased by the impact observed so far.

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“We forget taking time to slow down and focus on values is precisely what allows us to see these principles we share are already alive and well all around us,” said Hendricks. “By first defining CMU’s values we are able to celebrate students who strive for and exemplify these values in their everyday lives.”

Cher Hendricks, PhD

IZZY BURNS, ANDY SMITH AND ERICA SCHROEDER

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When CMU student-athlete Izzy Burns isn’t competing for a beach volleyball championship, she brings music to the world. Burns’ lyrics and melodies often exemplify CMU’s values. Critics once said

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Vice President for Academic Affairs

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health-related limitations would keep her from pursuing a passion for singing. But recent music milestones, reached by her hard work and perseverance, demonstrate that resilience is a value alive and well in her life.

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Andy Smith is a CMU Maverick who is bravely battling cancer. His daily efforts to heal have shown CMU students, faculty and the larger community what true courage looks like. When faced with the most sobering challenges life can offer, Smith brings dignity to daily interactions with people. He exemplifies the campus values of courage and dignity as he shows others a viable pathway to walk when facing difficult obstacles.

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Wrestling requires physical power to win. When she isn’t on the mat grappling for CMU’s Women’s Wrestling Team, Erika Schroeder uses a different kind of power — one she finds in her spiritual life. Schroeder defines love through her faith, which in turn allows her to approach the world in a different way using her voice and music to encourage others to love and care for one another.

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All three students are emblematic of CMU’s living values. Students like them help the campus community define what it means to be a Maverick, and to be part of a campus united in values.

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Burns, Smith and Schroeder are living out love, dignity, courage, humility, resilience, curiosity and power — the values that are foundational to CMU’s Forming the Future strategic planning initiative.

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RESILIENCE

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The resonance of Izzy Burns’ voice is obvious to anyone who hears her sing. Less obvious to her fans is the fact that she Izzy Burns

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has overcome more than 20 airway surgeries occurring near her harmonious vocal cords. Many aspiring musicians would struggle to overcome a single such surgery, but Burns has never been deterred. Before releasing original songs on major streaming services like Spotify in 2022, Burns recovered from the latest tracheotomy procedure that throughout the years have been a constant in her life — medical reminders that breathing isn’t something to be taken for granted. Burns’ music isn’t just art. It’s a way to help focus on keeping her airways clear, breathing strong and perspective optimistic.

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Pursuing a career in music and showbusiness isn’t easy for anyone. Under any circumstance, competition is high and technology has expanded the number of artists looking to enter the market. Burns has taken on challenges that some might believe would make the effort even more difficult. She doesn’t see it that way.

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“My health-related challenges are not challenges at all,” said Burns. “In fact, my surgeries and all the people who said I couldn’t do ‘this’ or wouldn’t be able to do ‘that’ just drove me harder and faster and further towards my dreams.”

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As CMU continues to define and explore the first principle value of resilience, Burns is serving as one of the many examples of students who are living out resiliency in their everyday lives.

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Underserved populations and students who are first in their family to attend college are also examples of how resiliency is alive and well and is a very real part of the campus community. The ability to overcome adversity, and pursue her dreams, makes Burns a Maverick and helps others on their pathway to becoming one.

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Andy Smith

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more about why the video was being made.

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which serve as reminders that students can traverse the world and navigate life best when courage and dignity lead the way.

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are doing it in the first place,” said Marshall. “Establishing how we tackle our mission as a university by defining our values first has always been the way forward in my mind.”

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LOVE AND POWER

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“When I learned that the video was something that aligned with my own values in terms of encouraging love, it was a way for me to help bring the idea to life here on campus, so I decided to give it a try.”

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Like Hendricks, Marshall also has observed that when an individual or community invests time to define and understand values, the values are then discovered to be all around in plain sight.

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Erica Schroeder is familiar with physical power. As a standout on the Women’s Wrestling Team, she understands what it means to bear physical strength. As a NWCA All-American, she placed second at regionals and earned a spot at the national tournament. On the mat the way she grapples with opponents is obvious. Off the mat, Schroeder exerts power in a different way and for a different purpose.

The song was well liked on social media attracting a response from Plain White T’s guitarist Tim Lopez who commented on the post along with CMU President John Marshall. Marshall encouraged Lopez and Schroeder to sing the song together. The collaboration between Schroeder and Lopez is something CMU is exploring this spring.

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“As we have worked to define our values, and as people have started speaking about love, dignity, courage, humility, resilience, curiosity and power, we began to notice that these things are actually already inside us and being shared every day on campus,” he said. “Sometimes it just takes focusing to notice.”

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Much of her time and life are devoted to her personal faith. Her beliefs encourage an offering of love to people and to serving others. One way she serves is through her gift of singing and playing the guitar within her faith community.

Schroeder believes the connection between love and power is important when it comes to the two being foundational CMU values. For Schroeder, power is only powerful when it’s practiced through values and motivated by love.

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FORMING THE FUTURE

Burns, Smith and Schroeder serve as high profile examples of how CMU’s university values are alive and well on campus. There are many more everyday ways, both large and small, that the CMU community works together to live out these campus values in order to build a Human Scale University and, by extension, the world CMU would like to create. •

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In October 2022, Schroeder collaborated on a campus music video called Campus of Love . The song was a parody cover from the Grammy-nominated band, The Plain White T’s, and their song Rhythm of Love . The video co-starred CMU’s Rowdy mascot, who offered free hugs to anyone on campus as Schroeder sang and performed the song in various high profile locations around campus. The project resulted in Rowdy receiving hundreds of hugs from students, faculty and staff.

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Hear Izzy Burns’ music at izzyburnsmusic.com. Watch Andy Smith in Making Mavericks at coloradomesa.edu/ maverick-network.

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“At first I was reluctant because I had never done anything like it before,” said Schroeder. “I’m used to being on the wrestling mat but being in a music video that was something new.”

CMU’s unique, values first approach to the strategic plan isn’t accidental. In 2021 when President Marshall assumed the role of president, he began his tenure by sharing a vision for campus. The vision was based on CMU being a Human Scale University. This concept included an idea that CMU should be a model of the world that students and the campus community want to create. In order to build this, Marshall contended a strategic planning conversation “has to begin with values.”

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Schroeder’s initial hesitancy was tempered by a willingness to join the project when she learned

“When it comes to the Forming the Future Initiative, and our path forward, we cannot describe what we are going to do in the future if we haven’t determined why we

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Find the Campus of Love video with Erica Schroeder on CMU’s YouTube channel — youtube.com/ ColoradoMesaU

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As we prepare students for careers as performers, teachers and professionals in the performing arts industry, CMU is creating a vibrant educational setting where students evolve into multi-faceted artists and entertainers who succeed in an ever-changing, competitive profession.

We cannot do this alone. Your support is needed to help us reach our vision of excellence.

As a member of the Bravo Club or Friends of Music at Mesa, you enable us to bring you and our community higher quality performances and to offer students more opportunities to perform and perfect their craft.

Learn more and join at SupportingCMU.org/giving/performing-arts

coloradomesa.edu/arts

FRIENDS OF

MUSIC AT MESA MEMBERSHIP

JOIN THE FRIENDS OF MUSIC AT MESA

BRAVO CLUB MEMBERSHIP

JOIN THE BRAVO CLUB

All memberships include an invitation to the Bravo Club Behind-the-Scenes series sponsored by Drs. Bob and Louise Sammons. The series is an opportunity to join with other theatre lovers for a VIP wine and hors d’oeuvre reception before the first Saturday of each main season production.

Where Sand meets Sandstone

One alumnus’ journey from a speech impediment to center stage

BY KELSEY COLEMAN

Ayoung boy born on the shores of Hilo, Hawaii, has grown up to be one of the most successful singer/songwriters on the islands as well as in the nation. Yet, his journey from the sand to the stage has not been one absent of adversity.

At just four years old, Kalani Pe’a was diagnosed with a speech impediment. It was the art of singing and his desire to study music that transformed him into one of America’s most beloved artists.

“Music saved my life. It was my medicine,” said Pe’a.

When he came back to visit his alma mater in Fall 2022, Pe’a told his story to a room full of performing-arts-loving supporters. During the meet and greet, the 39-year-old spoke about his mother and how her devotion to music and the betterment of her son gave him the confidence he needed to keep going. He then paid it forward singing with CMU choirs and Mesa Outloud! as well as members of the Grand Valley Children’s Choir. There was also a guest appearance from CMU alumnus Doug Simons.

Through the years, Pe’a’s music and his story of perseverance has touched the hearts of his fellow Mavericks and the larger community alike. So much so, that when CMU breaks ground on the new performing arts facility in March, the recording studio will be dedicated to Kalani Pe’a and his legacy.

“Being a student at CMU was amazing, to learn from my peers and professors. I believe in the

music department and the program and I believe in the education. I’m using my degree today!”

The three-time Grammy Award-winning artist shares the Native Hawaiian culture with the world while simultaneously preserving it. He does this by writing and producing original songs in the Hawaiian language and through education. He is a role model for the LGBTQ+ community, for others looking to go into the industry and for those who love the color purple. Yes, purple. Pe’a is known as “The Purple King.”

For Pe’a, music allowed him to use his talents to do what he loves while completely being his vibrant, boisterous self. And for Mavericks that follow, they’ll have a new theatre to help overcome their own struggles by harnessing the power of the arts. •

Revolutionizing REMOVAL

Maverick Innovation Center receives patent for graffiti removal with help from numerous faculty and students

BY MADELYNN FELLET

The Maverick Innovation Center is home to many entrepreneurial ideas and inventions including an autosafety device that prevents gas nozzle spills, a refillable dry-erase marker system and the Shin-Bar which reduces shin splints. One of the projects developed in the Maverick Innovation Center recently received a patent for graffiti removal.

“The Removal of Paint from Porous, Smooth, and Mineralogically Fragile Surfaces” or better known as The Graffiti Removal Project, originally began in 2008 when now-retired Instructor of Chemistry Andrew Wolff, PhD, was a chief chemist at Benetech, Inc. It was there he conducted experiments with gelatinized starch, utilizing it as an adhesive to keep coal and coal dust fixated on opentop railroad boxcars. During

these experiments, he noticed when the solution dried it was effective at removing paint from the cars. While he didn’t pursue the idea further at the time, he held onto it for the next 10 years until he was an instructor at CMU.

“In the spring of 2018, there was a graffiti incident on the National Monument,” said Wolff. “That annoyed me so I brushed off my previous learning and … I took the proof-of-concept to the department chair and we agreed that it would be an excellent opportunity for undergraduate research.”

As part of their undergraduate research, students Sara Clark, Ali Lange, James Peake and Yasmin Shashova, assisted Wolff in developing the ideal starch solution. These students ran trials on various solutions involving numerous starches and emulsifiers, which ultimately proved successful.

Surprisingly the removal process is fairly simple. A 3-9% starch solution is applied to the painted area, the solution is allowed to dry and later the

Now-retired Instructor of Chemistry Andrew Wolff, PhD, (top) and Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Chris Penick (bottom).

Top: Students, Sara Clark, Yasmin Shashova and Ali Lange (seated), underneath the Fifth Street railroad bridge generating the starch solution to apply to graffiti.

Middle: Sara Clark applying the solution to graffiti.

Bottom: Mahmoud Elgayar, a CMU engineering and business student, modeling the applicator device used for easy application of the starch solution in off-grid locations.

lifted paint is brushed off with compressed air or with a power washer. Depending on the starch solution percentage and surface type, the process may be repeated with multiple coats until the paint is completely gone.

“The chemicals involved, starch and water, are, to say the least, biodegradable. So, it is an ecologically friendly composition that actually removes graffiti from rocks without damaging the rock,” said Wolff.

Throughout the years, Maverick Innovation Center Director Tom Benton has overseen a number of student- and facultyled projects and has been instrumental in guiding this patent application to completion.

“We hope to finish an applicator in the future with the help of engineering students. Then practice applications in the Colorado National Monument or other public grounds to help them remove graffiti in an environmentally friendly way,” said Benton. “Given more success in paint removal in the ‘wild’ this project has the potential to become a licensable product for CMU or a business students can run.”

To assist with application of the solution, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Chris Penick instructed three teams of students to develop a way to transport and apply the solution to surfaces not easily accessible.

“Current, traditional methods for dealing with graffiti on rock

their classmates prior work.

In furthering the project, current CMU student Zackary Nehm is working on applying for a second patent to protect certain aspects of the original invention.

“The second patent is to protect the range of pH values that the solution was said to work at,” said Nehm. “I ran tests to provide evidence that the solution would work at pH’s ranging from 7–12.”

This patented solution and future technology applications will revolutionize keeping national parks pristine thanks in part to numerous CMU faculty and students. •

Go Do. Go Be. Go FLY.

to a better future

BY KELSEY COLEMAN

At a large high school in Texas sat Ana Carbajal Barahona. She was filling out college applications, like millions of students do each year, when she clicked “no” on the question asking if she was a U.S. citizen. The moments that followed haunted Carbajal Barahona for years, and it wasn’t until she found her Mavily that she could finally say a certain acronym out loud: DACA.

Shortly after her first birthday, she migrated with her family

A DACA student’s story about the winding, daunting and hopeful journey

from Mexico City to Houston. Growing up, Carbajal Barahona said she lived a carefree life, that is until she turned 15 years old and received information that would forever change the way she navigated the world.

At 15, Carbajal Barahona went through the lengthy and daunting process to become a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival recipient, also known as DACA. It’s a national immigration policy meant to protect eligible undocumented immigrants from deportation who came to the United States as children. Because of her status, Carbajal Barahona’s path to college was a winding one.

“When I was filling out college applications, I had all these questions because when you hit ‘no, I’m not a citizen’, four other pop-ups come up with a bunch of language no one really understands. My parents couldn’t answer them and my high school counselors embarrassed me in front of everyone,” said Carbajal Barahona. “It was a big road block. I thought, if I can’t answer these questions and fill out these applications, then I can’t go to college.”

It wasn’t only the process of applying to a university that was a challenge, but also how she would pay for it. Being a DACA recipient, she couldn’t receive any federal funding or take out a loan. But with her family’s support and her dream of being the first in her family to go to college, she persevered.

“My mom always says, ‘Go do. Go be. Go fly.’ That’s kind of her motto for life. So it’s like go do what you want to do, go be who you want to be, go fly… like go be something for yourself.”

And that’s what Carbajal Barahona did.

“I heard about CMU and thought the school sounded amazing! So I packed three suitcases, hopped on a plane and came here,” she said.

As of June 2022, there were nearly 600,000 DACA recipients in the U.S. and just greater than 13,000 in the state of Colorado. So even though Carbajal Barahona wasn’t alone, she felt like it for a while. Being a DACA student wasn’t something she felt she could share with others. And after the fear and embarrassment she endured from her high school counselors, she wasn’t sure how others would react.

“My first roommate, she was the first person I ever told that I was

DACA. When I was a freshman, it was still such an emotionally charged thing that I just didn’t understand. I just cried every time I talked about it.”

Carbajal Barahona can talk about it now, and says she owes it to her fellow Mavericks for helping her find the strength to do, to be, to fly.

“It was a lot of just finding people I could trust and that I could lean on.”

Carbajal Barahona is in her fourth year at CMU with one year to go until graduation. She’s studying public accounting and is an Admissions Office ambassador helping others find their wings at CMU. •

Ana Carbajal Barahona

Colorado Athletics Captain

Q&A with Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) new Commissioner and alumnus Michael Krueger

BY JARED MEIER

Michael Krueger always loved sports, but as many student-athletes know the playing days eventually end. As a young college student trying to decide his future, Kruger was split between pursuing a degree in criminal justice or teacher education. It was in an entry-level Methods of Teaching class that the professor and men’s basketball coach, Doug Schakel, took Krueger under his wing. Their kinship, as well as Schakel knowing Krueger’s goals led to Krueger being appointed as a student coach for the men’s basketball program. That experience shaped Krueger’s future like he couldn’t have imagined.

What was your path to becoming the new CHSAA

After my experience as a student assistant coach for the Maverick’s basketball team, I knew I wanted to coach. So I accepted a coaching position at Grand Junction High School and was an assistant coach there for five years. A head coaching and teaching position then opened at Palisade High School, so I made the move. I was afforded some amazing opportunities at Palisade. One year I was the head softball, basketball and baseball coach. I eventually became the school’s athletic director and after many great years, I moved on to become the district athletic director for Aurora Public Schools. Then sort of serendipitously, I had the opportunity to get involved with the USA Olympic and Para-Olympic committee where I was the director of education with USA football for four years. Seeing things from the Olympic perspective was incredible and that experience along with the outstanding people I worked with made me much more qualified for the CHSAA role.

Michael Krueger

Q: What motivated you to take the commissioner role and what do you view as some of the best opportunities for improving the athletic landscape statewide?

A: CHSAA is a 365-school membership that affords great opportunities for student-athletes to compete. I think coming out of COVID, people sort of got used to working in silos. I felt like I could help improve communication and collaboration among the CHSAA network. My immediate focus was to reunify the membership by getting out and meeting with athletic directors, assistant principals and principals. With their input and our own persistent scanning of the landscape, we are hyper-focused on making decisions that keep the well-being of our schools, coaches and student-athletes at the forefront.

Q: There’s obviously growing concerns with the shortage of sporting officials, so what is CHSAA doing to improve this trend?

A: The sports official shortage is one of our highest priorities. Officials are our partners — educationally based athletics and contests simply don’t exist without them. The shortage is not a new thing, but it’s going in a direction that’s very concerning. Coming in, we had just lost longtime associate commissioner and officiating legend Tom Robinson, so right away we hired an assistant commissioner who oversees sports officials with an intentional focus on recruitment and retention in an effort to build upon and continue Tom’s amazing work. Together, we launched the “You look good in stripes” recruitment campaign and are working to eliminate barriers of entry like testing and equipment costs through grant funding. We’re also doing extensive research to determine how to make Colorado one of the most desirable places to officiate in terms of pay, hospitality at the schools and even legislation protecting them from any sort of inappropriate behavior or assault. We know there’s not any easy or quick answers to fixing these issues, but we’re very committed to this ongoing effort.

Q: As you know, we are proud of the strong athletic prowess here at CMU, and Colorado student-athletes make up a good share of CMU roster spots. What are your thoughts on the pathway for student-athletes from high school to college?

A: Well first off, I really love to see Colorado athletes stay in state to compete at the collegiate level. I truly believe we have incredibly

strong programs in this state and our kids can compete with anyone in the nation. I see a concerted effort by our Colorado colleges and universities to keep Colorado kids here, and I’ve especially noticed that by CMU. The NCAA transfer portal is of course making things very interesting. The trickle-down effect is we are seeing more of that mentality at the high school level, and as most know there isn’t a transfer portal for them, so we are working to grow the awareness of the policies in place and the potential options available.

Q: Having been in the role for almost a year now, what do you see as the main priorities for CHSAA moving forward?

A: The leadership before me did a very good job so I want to continue building on that foundation. Financially, the organization was left in a good place but there’s opportunities to strengthen it, so we’ll continue to review existing agreements and look to expand promotions for our athletes and personnel. Another top priority is expanding our athlete health and wellness policies. This spring we have a partnership meeting with the Korey Stringer Institute, which was established by the wife of the late Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman who passed away from exertional heat stroke. Supporting our school communities is another big opportunity. We will continue to work hard at uniting the CHSAA school membership around our shared vision and purpose. Lastly, we’ll work very closely with the Colorado Athletic Directors Association to make sure we’re supporting their endeavors and lean on those relationships to improve policies and sporting events. •

Michael Krueger handing out awards at the state cross country meet.

Recap

Layout and design by Kendall Bessette, CMU visual design student

Events

Building Social Capital

New Springboard Fellowship program connects first-generation students and community mentors to ease transition from college to life after

BY DENNIS TAYLOR

From a young age, Adrianna Castro has been a kid who dreamed big, relentlessly sharing grandiose, pie-in-the-sky concepts with her parents, who — as good parents will — often punctuated their approving nods with a bit of tough love.

“They’d always say, ‘OK, well, you can’t always just have these brilliant ideas, then not do anything with them. You have to bring them to life’,” remembers Castro, the daughter of a schoolteacher and a police officer. “So, from the time I was a little girl, I’ve always liked the idea of having a vision then acting on that vision.”

As a first-generation college student who graduates in May, Castro currently is embracing what might be the opportunity of her young lifetime at Colorado Mesa University through the new Springboard Fellowship. This program is designed to help first-generation students build social capital, cultivate professional networks and transition confidently into life after college.

The fellowship, a collaboration between CMU and Fort Lewis College, might be helping Castro kick open an entryway to the management side of the construction industry, and perhaps put a few more cracks in the glass ceiling that still hovers over women.

“This is still predominately a male-dominated field. Right now, I’m the only female project manager (PM) at any construction company in the Grand Junction area, and the first they’ve ever had,” said Martie Swann, an employee of FCI Constructors Inc. since April 2022. “I also was a PM for 10 years in Phoenix, where female PMs are a bit more common.”

Swann was recruited by CMU as a mentor for the Springboard Fellowship, gave Castro a paid internship and assigned her to gain hands-on experience at one of FCI’s major jobsites.

“We’re building two identical group homes for people in need of additional care at the Grand Junction Regional Center, a state project,” Castro said. “It’s really a good feeling, knowing I’m building something that will help others in the future.”

Each day is a new learning experience for Castro, who had no previous background in the construction industry prior to enrolling at CMU.

“When I started looking for a college, I thought I wanted to do architecture,” said Castro, whose older sister is a CMU alumna. “Colorado Mesa didn’t offer that degree program, so I did a little detour into construction management, did well in those classes, and really enjoyed it.”

Swann assigned Castro, her intern and mentee, to work 16 hours each week as a go-between for the architect and the project engineer, handling requests for information (RFIs) whenever the original plan is altered and discrepancies need to be resolved.

“There’s a process in place to track any changes in a project, and for costs that go with those changes,” she said. “We have to issue a formal question to the architect, then get a formal response, before we can incorporate those changes. That’s what Adrianna is learning to do.”

A secondary part of Castro’s job is to process Change Order requests, notifying the owner of additional costs associated with any decision and requesting approval for those monies before the project can move forward.

“There’s a lot of paperwork involved, and some people don’t enjoy that part, but I’m having fun. I really like going to work every day,” Castro said.

Castro’s fellowship also includes conferences and professional-development workshops in Grand Junction, Denver and Washington, D.C.

“I applied for this fellowship because I wanted a mentor to answer questions about things you can’t learn in a classroom,” she said. “I’m now seeing how some of my education comes in to play in a real-world situation, which naturally raises more questions that I need answered. Martie has been able to do that for me.”

Castro plans to go directly into the workforce after graduation. Swann says a position could be waiting if she chooses to work for FCI. •

Top: Adrianna Castro, CMU Construction Management major, and Martie Swann, project manager with FCI Constructors, Inc.

Bottom: Springboard fellows Brooke Potts, Cesar Camacho, Emily Jimenez, Alexis Tapia and Adrianna Castro with CMU Trustee Charles Dukes (far left) and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (third from right) at the state Capitol this past February as part of the Springboard Fellowship program.

Built by Mavericks

WCCC students’ designs selected for Habitat for Humanity home

BY DENNIS TAYLOR LAYOUT AND DESIGN BY KENDALL BESSETTE, CMU VISUAL DESIGN STUDENT

AGrand Junction man went back to school at age 36 to upgrade his own employment prospects, and wound up making a small slice of life better for a local family in need along the way.

A design by Michael Ramsden became the blueprint for a Habitat for Humanity home to be built this spring with the help of CMU and WCCC students, faculty and staff volunteers.

Ramsden, who recently graduated with an Architectural Drafting credential, combined newly-acquired skills in computeraided designs (CAD) with 10 years of his own experience in the construction industry to design a unique floorplan for what soon will become a new home for a local family.

Ramsden and WCCC classmate Chloe Miller submitted winning designs for a project called “Built by Mavericks,” a competition that also awarded both students $500.

“We just decided that the $500 was probably more important

to the family than it was to us,” Ramsden said, after he and his wife decided to donate the $500 prize to the family.

Prior to enrolling at WCCC, Ramsden’s post-high school education consisted of one year of college, plus a five-year apprenticeship in fire-prevention sprinkler design. But returning to school has always been a consideration, he said, and the tipping point came last summer while he was working full-time installing a sprinkler system at a hospital in Vail – two and a half hours from his home.

“I was at that jobsite for more than a year, and finally told myself, ‘I can’t keep doing this’,” said Ramsden, who unsuccessfully lobbied his bosses about becoming a system designer (less travel, better pay), rather than an onsite installer.

“I think they considered me more valuable out in the field,” he said of the Denver-based company that was employing him at the time. “I knew I had to change something, and decided to sign up at WCCC, which had the kind of classes I was looking for.”

Two semesters studying with Michael Mahoney, WCCC technical instructor of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), included the computer-aided design training Ramsden used to create his Habitat for Humanity blueprint.

“The classes were interesting, and also had an interesting mix of students, basically high schoolage kids on up. One gentleman in class was in his late 60s,” he said. “I’m sure it was quite a challenge for Mr. Mahoney to teach such a wide-ranging group of students, but he was great.”

Ramsden says he felt proud, but not altogether surprised, that his design was selected for the Habitat home. A decade of construction experience, along with strict guidelines (square footage, cost-efficiency, etc.) provided by Habitat for Humanity, made his task easier.

“I definitely realized that there were students in the class who could operate the software better and do more-detailed work, but I also felt like nobody in the room had my construction background,” said Ramsden,

who had never previously designed a house.

And Mahoney provided additional insight when he took the class to visit a Habitat for

far, is keeping me very busy,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll be able balance everything and contribute to the project when the time comes.”

awareness around the need for affordable homeownership opportunities in our community, while providing real-life and hands-on experience for the students,” Cole said. “We hope this collaboration will continue to grow, and we look forward to involving a younger generation in getting one step closer to closing the affordable-housing gap.” •

Humanity home that was under construction to learn more about the organization’s rigid design requirements.

Ramsden is now a full-time designer of fire-prevention sprinkler systems for a new company (a job Mahoney helped him find) but hopes to personally pound a few nails during the construction process.

I’m going to try to get out there and volunteer if I can find time away from my job, which, so

When the job is completed, Ramsden expects to feel fulfilled each time he drives past the home he helped create for a family in need.

Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Mesa County Laurel Cole expressed optimism that Habitat’s relationship with the WCCC and CMU communities will continue.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with our local students to help increase

We are thrilled to be partnering with our local students to help increase awareness around the need for affordable homeownership opportunities in our community, while providing real-life and hands-on experience for the students. Laurel cole, executive director of habitat for humanity of mesa county

Meaningful Movement

Master of Occupational Therapy Program first cohort is positively impacting the community as they learn new profession

BY HANNAH ODNEAL

Colorado Mesa University’s new Master of Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program enrolled its first cohort of future therapists in Spring 2022, and they have been actively learning in the lecture halls and hands-on learning labs in the St. Mary’s Medical Education Center ever since.

“One of the things that makes our program unique is we do not look at students as if they are students. We look at them as novice practitioners from the very start of the program, and they’re learning how to think and act and speak like a professional occupational therapist,” said Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy Carla Wilhite, PhD.

Occupational therapists work with their patients to promote and maintain health, and maximize independence through the therapeutic use of meaningful everyday activities. It is a healthcare profession that focuses on helping people regain, develop or master everyday skills to live fulfilling lives.

“We want students in the program to learn how to be independent practitioners. There are not a lot of guidelines for how to practice in some of our rural and frontier counties, so we need to develop a graduate who feels capable and prepared to advocate, practice and be creative in designing solutions for people to live as fully and productively as they want to,” Wilhite said.

Students learn through a combination of didactic coursework, lecture and hands-on practice.

It’s a great time to be part of this new program and help us shape the future of it.

Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy Carla Wilhite, PhD

Occupational therapy practitioners work in various settings including schools, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, psychiatric facilities and community health programs.

“We believe in bringing community and going into the community as part of the learning experience,” Wilhite said. “So, we have great in-house learning facilities like our sensory gym and our Activities of Daily Learning classroom that is outfitted with a kitchen, bathroom and living area but more importantly we go where the people are.”

In her own private practice, Wilhite specializes in environmental modifications, assistive and adaptive equipment for agricultural work tasks and seating issues for people with spinal cord injuries from operating agricultural machinery.

The second year of the program’s coursework focuses on the entrepreneurial aspect of defining a niche and building relationships to create a successful business with the largest positive impact in the community.

MSOT student Nathan Fahrnbach earned his undergraduate degree at CMU and served internship hours at a local physical therapy specialty center and was inspired by the occupational therapists he shadowed and worked with.

“I saw what a lasting impact they were having on people’s lives and thought about how cool and rewarding that must be. I decided then to push myself to get into this program,” Fahrnbach said. “It has been fun, and I have felt really supported by the faculty and everybody in the class. It’s really nice having a small class with only 15 people in it. We all bounce ideas back and forth. We get to go out every week to our fieldwork sites and that work is definitely demanding, but it is also really fun because we are putting what we have learned into practice.”

Fahrnbach’s favorite part of the program so far has been modifying electric toy cars for kids with disabilities as part of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering’s Go Baby Go annual event.

“It was super cool because their whole families were with them too. We gave the kids the ability to explore on their own and gave the parents the remote controls so that they can redirect them, so they are not running into the walls. It was a fun experience for us and for the families!”

The MSOT program shares the St. Mary’s Medical Education Center with the Physician Assistant Studies Program and the Physical Therapy Program.

“It’s a great time to be part of this new program and help us shape the future of it,” Wilhite said. •

I saw what a lasting impact they were having on people’s lives and thought about how cool and rewarding that must be. Master of Occupational Therapy student Nathan Fahrnbach

Above, left: St. Mary’s Medical Education Center. Above right: One of the in-house learning facilities is an Activities of Daily Learning classroom outfitted with a kitchen, bathroom and living area. Bottom left: Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy Carla Wilhite, PhD, and Master of Occupational Therapy student Nathan Fahrnbach.

ALUMNI PULSE

Dear CMU Alumni and Friends,

Happy Spring! As the warmer weather returns and brings with it the wonderful signs of life, we are fast approaching another milestone of CMU’s birthday!

The wonderful thing about birthday parties, is that you get an opportunity to gather with friends and family to celebrate and honor that person. In this case, we get an opportunity to celebrate and honor all of the Mavericks that have attended this university since 1925.

A great way to help CMU celebrate is to nominate a fellow maverick for Distinguished Alumni, Who’s Who Young Alumni and our newest award, the Maverick Spirit.

We believe it’s important to commemorate all that we’ve built and we can’t do that without your help. It is time to recognize those mighty Mavericks among us doing great things and embodying all that it means to be a Maverick.

We are also all about supporting the years ahead and all the future Mavericks that will one day call CMU home. With the launch of “High Five a Mav,” formerly known as the “One for All, All for Mavs” campaign, we hope to instill a stronger culture of Mavericks giving back. We couldn’t be more pleased to announce a wonderful partnership with Alpine Bank for this endeavor. Alpine Bank has graciously

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

BOARD of Directors

James Arrieta

Katy Basinger

EmmyLou Blanco

Kelly Britton

Brandon Cummings

Tyler Dahl

Billy Diaz

Jeff Emerson

Kyle Harriman

Jennifer Holdren

Dutch Jonson

Larry Manchester

Heather Root

Jerry Sheetz

Katie Sweet

offered to match up to $10,000 donated to the High Five a Mav campaign. Half of the money raised goes back to current students in immediate scholarships, and the remaining half becomes part of the Alumni Association’s endowment for future scholarships.

With so much to look forward to and celebrate, we hope that you’ll continue to join us at all the wonderful spring events we have coming up. Maverick Days is your chance to celebrate CMU’s birthday on campus as well as take in some great activities such as the spring concert, various sporting events and the annual Maverick Stampede Rodeo. If you fancy a baseball game, a 5K, or just miss the good ole Grand Junction spring, make sure to check out the full Maverick Days line up April 7-16.

Go Mavs!

Alumni Association Board President

Brett Armour

2 022-2023

Dusti Reimer, President Troy Nesheim, President Elect Jennifer Pacheco, Maverick Relations

Gussie Boyd, Secretary/Treasurer

Michael Mankoff, Past President

Winning group at the Grand Valley Young Alumni Golf Tournament: Dane Anger, ’22, Troy Dangler, Derek Irick, ’19, and Isaac Petersilie, ’21.

Members of the 2012-13 NCAA Elite 8 women’s basketball team were honored with a 10 year reunion during Basketball Alumni Night on February 18. (L to R: Asst. Coach Michael Wells, Asst. Coach Karli Knudsen, Effo Baker, Sharaya Cowan, Christen Lopez, Taylor Rock, Leanndra Gilbert, Head Coach Taylor Wagner, Erika Musante, Danielle Rinaldo, Tawni Middleton and Team Manager Zach.)

It was all smiles at the annual Mavs Take Over the Mountain event at Powderhorn Mountain Resort on February 11.

Family of the late Doug Sortor in front of a mural honoring him at the Blue Moon in downtown Grand Junction.

Amie Buniger, ’03, showing her daughter, Abie, around campus before Abie began taking classes as a concurrent student.

Maddie McBride, ’16, singing the National Anthem before the CMU Hockey game on January 28.

The judging team for the annual Homecoming Community Spirit Contest stops for a quick pose at Alpine Bank.

CLASS NOTES: ALUMNI THROUGH THE YEARS

FLASHBACK

1950s

Vernon Rettig, ‘53

Vernon is enjoying retirement, although if you ask him, he is still working too much on his 152-acre corn and soybean farm in Iowa. He also plants and grows 9,000 Christmas trees and sells more than 500 annually. While at CMU, he graduated first in his class of 100 students. After earning an agricultural degree, he worked at a John Deere factory in Iowa. There he helped design cotton and corn pickers as well as grain drills. Today, he farms alongside his youngest son, Mark, who is an engineer for Caterpillar Equipment. He has a daughter, Nancy, who has taught English in Kobe, Japan, for more than 30 years.

1980s

Lois Langehaug, ‘84

Lois is a 4th grade teacher in Rangely, Colorado. She has three children and 11 grandchildren. A highlight in her career so far is winning the Yuba County Educators Who Make a Difference award in 2006. During her free time, you’ll find Lois lifting weights or riding her bike.

1990s

Michelle Mountfort, ‘94

Michelle holds an undergraduate degree in psychology with a minor in biology. After graduating, she began her impressive healthcare journey in Montrose as an assistant nurse manager. She then served at the Grand Junction VA Hospital for 12 years and is now the associate director for patient care services/ nurse executive at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. She is a graduate of the Veteran’s Health 18/19 Leadership Development Institute as well as a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute Program. Additionally, she was inducted into the Honors Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau in 2008.

2000s

Zac Lemon, ‘04

Zac is the head football coach at Eaton High School and last fall they won the state championship for the third straight year when they defeated his high school alma mater Delta High School. Zac is in his 19th year of teaching where he has primarily taught high school and college-level biology courses. In the fall of 2021, he completed a master’s degree in education and principal licensure. He and his wife, Amy (Allen), also an alumna, have

1971

been married for 15 years and have an 11-year-old daughter, Lucy. Amy works in administration for the Greeley school district. Being in education for so long, Zac and Amy always encourage students to look at CMU for their college destination.

Landon Wareham, ‘04

Landon founded and has operated Valley Restoration in Montrose for the last nine years. The company now has 24 employees and offers mitigation services to homeowners who are dealing with fire or water damage, asbestos and much more. His wife, Casey, is also an alumna and they have two high-school-aged kids. They enjoy raising their family in Montrose and are active in the community. Landon is the high school baseball coach and Casey is in real estate and helps coach soccer as well as other sports.

2010s

Kristin Bentley, ‘13

Kristin is the procedure center manager at Community Hospital in Grand Junction, which provides endoscopy, advanced vascular access and outpatient infusions services. She has obtained certifications in gastroenterology nursing and was recently honored with a Nightingale Luminary Award for the western Colorado region. Kristin credits her amazing faculty for helping her realize

Colorado Mesa University held a bike race across the Colorado National Monument called the Annual Mesa College Bicycle Ordeal in the early 1970s.

VISION BECOMES REALITY

Tawny Espinoza, ‘01 & ‘03

BY KRISTEN LUMMIS

Tawny Espinoza is a parent and corporate executive who understands how difficult it can be to find work-life balance. She is a two-degree graduate of CMU earning a bachelor’s in human performance and wellness and master’s of business administration, who also finds time in her increasingly busy life to volunteer at CMU with the triathlon team and previously served on the alumni board.

As the vice president of business development at Community Hospital in Grand Junction, Espinoza has been able to channel her experience

as a working mom into an effort to help other working parents by establishing an on-site childcare center at the hospital.

“As a working mom, I’ve struggled to figure out the balance, and I know childcare is a challenge,” Espinoza said. “Having also worked in human resources, I knew that we needed to do something to help our employees be their best selves.”

Recognizing that healthcare employees have demanding jobs and need to show up for patients and provide the absolute best care that they can, Espinoza wanted to help employees reduce stress by providing additional childcare options.

“We know healthcare, we don’t know childcare,” said Espinoza.

But after exploring potential solutions with other local providers — and discovering that the Grand Valley is approximately 4,000 childcare slots short — it became apparent that the most feasible and efficient option would be to open an on-site childcare facility.

Community Hospital’s childcare facility broke ground on November 4, 2022, and plans to open in late summer 2023. The 7,500 square-foot facility will have 100 childcare slots for children ages 6 weeks to 6 years. An experienced childcare operator will oversee the facility, which will be open to Community Hospital employees as well as the public.

Espinoza believes that the childcare center is a natural fit for an institution that serves the community.

“What does it take to be a healthy community?” she asks. “Healthcare is just one component. We take care of each other so that we can take care of the community.” •

her passion for nursing. She and her husband, Joe, have a daughter who is in her first year at CMU and a 14-year-old son.

Robby Tabuchi, ‘13

After eight years working for the University of Wyoming, Robby joined the CMU Foundation last January as the donor development research director. He uses his degrees in math and statistics by analyzing prospect data and maintaining an ever-growing constituent database of alumni and donors. He’s thankful to be reconnected with his alma mater and although he’s working in a remote capacity, he’ll travel back to campus once a quarter where he enjoys catching up with old college friends, especially those that served with him in the Admissions Office Ambassador Program. His wife, Mikala, just finished her pharmacy degree and they are looking to relocate to the Boise, Idaho. When Robby has a day off, you can normally find him throwing a fishing line in a nearby stream or lake.

Adam Martin, ‘14

Adam is living in Sheridan, Wyoming, and just got married last August. He’s been working for the local recreation district and coaches high school and club-level swimming. One area he’s most passionate about is helping at-risk high school students graduate on time. One of his main takeaways from his time at CMU is the power of grit. In his words, “recognizing your potential and working to achieve it is something all too rare today.” His CMU teammates share in the same philosophy and are finding success in their careers as well. Since great minds think alike, it’s no wonder that the groomsmen in Adams’s wedding were all teammates in addition to his brother.

Michael Donnelly, ‘15

Michael is returning to Michigan Technological University for his second stint on the football coaching staff. After graduating from CMU, he was a graduate assistant for Michigan Tech from 2015-2017. He then returned to CMU as an assistant football coach between 2018-2020. During that time, he was proud to

LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR Laci Mease, ‘01

BY KATLIN BIRDSALL

Laci Mease’s entrepreneurial roots are deep. Her parents are entrepreneurs and so are her grandparents, who started the Fruita Super Service in the 1950s. Growing up she always knew she wanted to be her own boss one day.

When she started taking business courses at Mesa State College, she knew she was on the right path.

“When I went to CMU, I thought about teaching but I just fell into the business program and I loved it,” Mease said. “It just fit who I wanted to be and my goals.”

After graduating with a bachelor’s in business management in 2001, she and her husband, Jesse, who are high school sweethearts, started Monument Powder Coating. After more than 20 years their business is thriving and they just recently built a new 10,000-square-foot facility in Fruita, Colorado.

Mease’s entrepreneurial appetite wasn’t satisfied with one successful business. A few years ago, she and Jesse bought Maxi-Sweep, a swimming pool vacuum cleaner company that manufactures large commercial vacuums.

“Having our own businesses allows flexibility and lets me stay home and raise my kids, which is a core value of our family,” said Mease, who homeschooled all three of their children, Izzy, 20, Orrin, 17, and Roland, 13.

Mease and Jesse also stayed busy being the 4-H swine superintendents for the last decade. Not only running the entire pig program for Mesa County but raising 25 sows and 400 piglets a year on their pig farm in Loma.

Now that her children are getting older, she has been brought full circle back to CMU. Izzy is taking online courses through CMU while living in Syracuse, New York, with her husband, who is in the Army. Roland is a competitive swimmer, so Mease spends many evenings and weekends on CMU’s campus at the Olympicsized natatorium.

“I’m really grateful and glad to be back at the college. I didn’t know how much I missed this place,” said Mease. •

help coach two all-Americans. For the last three years, he coached at Muskingum University in Cambridge, Ohio. In his return to Michigan Tech, he’ll serve as the defensive backs and pass game coordinator.

Cheyenne Fergerstrom, ‘15

After working in various public relations (PR), marketing and communications roles, Cheyenne launched her own company in 2021 called Akahai Marketing, which means modest in Hawaiian. Cheyenne attributes the CMU alumni network for helping build her career. She’s proud to be paying

that forward by hiring CMU alumni as contractors in her PR firm. So far in her young career, she’s worked with CMU’s Residence Life, Jefferson County Economic Development, P2 Consulting and has contracted with various clients to run social media and influencer campaigns. Today, she’s playing a big role to support Advance Colorado, which trains the next conservative leadership in the state. Her husband, Jake, is an alumnus and product manager for an innovative door lock company called Allegion. They both work remotely from their home in south Denver.

Dawn Knight, ‘18

Dawn is an intensive care unit manager at Community Hospital in Grand Junction. She remembers her time in nursing school as one of the hardest experiences of her life but also one of the most fulfilling. She loved her cohort and the amazing educators that poured into their development. She credits them for helping her become a strong, safe, kind and reliable nurse during the difficult times of the pandemic.

Recently, Dawn and her husband celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary and they stay busy

keeping up with their high-school and middle-school-aged sons.

2020s

Virginia Bryant, ‘20

Virginia is an administrative assistant for human resources and physician relations at Community Hospital. She originally moved to the Grand Valley from Houston to swim at CMU and fell in love with the area. She met her husband while attending CMU, and they married in Palisade last year. They bought a home in Grand Junction shortly after. Virginia learned resilience at CMU. She remembers having wonderful support from Dr. O’Roark and Dr. Jackson, who encouraged growth in every assignment. Without a doubt, her legacy at CMU is heavily involved with the time she spent on the varsity swim team, recording two Rocky Mountain Conference Championships. Today she employs that same work ethic in her career and enjoys using many of the skills she took away from the classroom and competition to enrich her work environment.

Sonya Lopez, ‘20

Sonya became a business owner last July after purchasing a staffing company called Labor Etc. Just prior to that she completed her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science in May. She has been the assistant women’s basketball coach for Fruita Monument High School since the pandemic. Some of Sonya’s many passions include employee recruiting and weightlifting.

Beau Flores, ‘21

Beau recently took a trip to South Korea. He always wanted to teach English in South Korea, but that opportunity never materialized so he took a leisure trip there to experience it firsthand. He was particularly amazed by the differences from our western culture, and would encourage others to visit a foreign country. In his career, he’s working for a public relations firm, The 76 Group. He works throughout Colorado to assist community efforts and bring them to fruition. Being from Hawaii, he misses his family and tries to visit as often as possible, but he’s thankful to have family closer now that his sister just started college at CMU.

BE NOBLE

Michael Pietrack, ‘01

BY KRISTEN LUMMIS

When Michael Pietrack was growing up, his father would tell him a story about a little bee. At the end of the story, his dad would close with the words “be noble.”

Pietrack grew up, attended CMU, playing baseball and majoring in English. He also participated in theater and fell in love with Shakespeare.

In 2010, Pietrack sat down to write his father a short poem, elaborating on the theme of “be noble.”

“When I showed it to him, his eyes got wide,” said Pietrack. “’Let’s expand on this’, he said.”

And expand they did. By the end of 2010, the story was 15,000 words or

father but found time to record the story on a CD and give it to his dad.

Pietrack and his wife had two more children, his business prospered, and the story lay in a drawer. When COVID-19 hit, Pietrack and his dad went on a road trip and listened to the recording. They decided to pick the project back up.

During the next two years, the story grew to 31,000 words and 14 chapters and morphed into what Pietrack calls “an epic fable.”

And now, in 2023, the story has been published as Legacy

According to Pietrack, Legacy is a genre unto itself.

“Each chapter is a fable, written in iambic pentameter with rhymed couplets, similar to Shakespeare,” he said.

Legacy crosses easily defined categories because in Pietrack’s telling it is not a children’s book, yet children will enjoy reading it, and adults and teens will enjoy it on their own. The book is interactive with a QR code at the back of each chapter that links to Pietrack’s website for “behind the scenes” animation and interviews. Catrina Odom, a 2021 CMU graduate, created the intricate illustrations.

Pietrack has also recorded an audio book, performing each of the twenty voices found in Legacy — a true testament to his love for theater which was nurtured at CMU. •

BY HEATHER PORTENIER

Byron Williams had never left Las Vegas, Nevada, before attending Colorado Mesa University from 19982002. Now he is a world traveler.

He graduated with a bachelor’s in public relations and a minor in Spanish. He also has a master’s degree in international service from American University School of

International Service, focusing on U.S. foreign policy and national security.

Currently, he works for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the human resources sector, managing three programs, which develop experienced supervisors and another that strengthens the skills of international employees.

Williams’ love of language eventually led him to U.S. Peace Corps service for 27 months in the African enclave of Lesotho, where he co-managed a youth center that focused on HIV/ AIDS education.

“My favorite place that I have lived is Mohale’s Hoek, Lesotho, because of the familial nature of the community,” he said, later serving for the Peace Corps in New York City.

In Williams’ line of work, he gets the most satisfaction from sharing his life experiences and showing people how

“I really value being a part of people coming to see themselves as important members of communities and societies in whatever way they choose to define that.”

Married with three young sons, Williams doesn’t have much time to dedicate to his hobbies of cycling, practicing Wing Chung or reading about foreign policy and national security. He is also a member of the first African American intercollegiate fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha in Washington, D.C.

Up next for Williams is securing employment abroad through another federal agency.

“I feel I have made an impact domestically and would like my family to experience living abroad. To me, there is nothing like learning from and about another culture’s history, language, food and relation to global development than on that culture’s soil.” •

New Arrivals

Benjamin, ‘18, and Megan Tarasiewicz.

Layla Grace was born on August 29, 2022, to proud parents Marc, ‘19, and Lydia, ‘18, Brandt.

Carrasco, ‘18, and Raevyn Moxley, ‘20.

Avery was born October 16, 2022, to proud parents Cinthya Luna Ramos, ’22, and Dominick English, ‘22.

Anna Jean was born on November 17, 2022, to proud parents Shane, ‘15, and Victoria Niksic.

STRANGER THINGS THAN POLI SCI

Ali Vaisvil, ‘09

BY HEATHER PORTENIER

One advantage to double majoring in college is having multiple career options.

Alice Vaisvil (who goes by Ali) graduated from Colorado

Mesa University in 2009 with bachelor’s degrees in political science and theatre.

Using her political science degree to obtain management positions after graduation, in 2014 she eventually ended up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to pursue an exciting path in the film industry. Affectionately known as “Tamalewood,” Vaisvil said New Mexico’s film industry is booming more than people realize.

Vaisvil has worked on more than 50 television shows and features, mostly as a production assistant, props assistant and background actor. She’s worked on Stranger Things, Outer Range, Roswell, Big Sky, Deputy, Big Sky and Better Call Saul productions just to name a few.

Her theater experiences in high school and education at CMU taught her fundamental crew skills, set building, costuming, props, production assistance, stage lighting, makeup and improv.

experience to apply to the film union,” she said.

While Vaisvil prefers to work crew as a props or production assistant, she is often cast as a background actor due to her unique look. Recently, Vaisvil took a firearms class and hopes to become a set armorer.

She’s not the only star in the family — her rescue bull terrier mix, Ruby, appeared on Stranger Things when working as a production assistant. Vaisvil has had many other memorable moments.

“Working background on News of the World; getting to work with Tom Hanks was an incredible experience!” she said. “Another favorite memory was working with Christopher Nolan on the upcoming film Openheimer.”

When not making productions, she is spoiling Ruby with hiking and camping adventures and practicing photography. •

Kayla Rauschert married Kyle Harriman, ‘12, on May 30, 2022, in

Emily Gray, ‘21, married Caleb LaBelle on June 12, 2022, in Littleton, CO.

Cole Sundermann, ‘19, and Lauren Mason, ‘21, married on June 18, 2022, in Paonia, CO.

Dan Spitznagle and Julia Kranstover, ‘15, married on August 20, 2022, in Snowbird, UT.

Corey Ostrander, ’16, and Trysta Ball, ‘18, married on October 8, 2022, in Mack, CO.

Brayden and Megan Knierim married on December 30, 2022, in Laporte, CO.

Casey Brown has taken an unusual career path for a physics major — a testament to just how versatile a degree from this small but growing program at CMU can really be.

“My original goal was to work for NASA but at the time of my graduation NASA’s budget was going away while oil and gas was heading into a boom,” Brown said. “So, my first job was in oil and gas, and it was a good opportunity for me. Thanks

Darah Galvin, ‘21

Darah fondly remembers her early days on campus as a high school student attending the annual Math Extravaganza contest. She enjoyed it so much that she stayed involved with it as a college student. While in college, she began as the receptionist for Bray Real Estate. After years of hard work and commitment to the organization, Darah has taken on other roles with the organization and just recently was promoted to the director of operations. Darah has also been active in the Mesa County Young Professionals Network. During her time off, she enjoys playing

ability to confidently speak up in any

were being discussed.”

Brown’s tenure at Halliburton included instructing global courses on torque and drag, a subject he and two colleagues, John McCormick and Ana Nunez, published a technical paper on. Titled “Improving the Decision-Making Process between Drilling and Completion Using RealTime Torque and Drag Modeling”, the paper was published by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)

and presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition in Amsterdam in October 2014.

After earning his graduate degree from Rice University, Brown left Halliburton to manage a private equity merger of oil and gas companies.

“I put that MBA to the test. It was challenging and I love a good challenge,” Brown said. “Just because you major in physics doesn’t mean you have to be ratholed in some New Mexico dungeon studying UFOs. I enjoy science, interacting with people and working with financial predictions and things like that. It’s great to get to combine all three into my everyday work.”

Today, Brown continues to put his multi-faceted background to good use serving Evolve Houston as executive director and president. The non-profit organization’s mission is to make clean air and clean transportation a reality in the city of Houston, Texas.

Brown credits the small class sizes and opportunities for hands on learning at CMU with his initial success and confidence to progress so successfully in the energy industry. •

the classic game Dungeons and Dragons. Being an avid tabletop gamer, Darah is generally the lead storyteller and referee.

In Memoriam

Melvin Barbee, ‘69; George Captain, ‘66; Phyllis Carpenter, ‘77; Jacquelinea Castleton, ‘93; Kay Fiegel, ‘73; Nicholas Hudson, ‘77; Russell MacDonald, ‘10; Charles Mathis, ‘00; Gaydra McCallister, ‘66; William Miller, ‘83; Eleanor Muender, ‘52; Mary Oberling, ‘91; Shelly Ortego, ‘93; Samuel Overdorf, ‘70; Jerold Paquette, ‘65; Mary Pearson, ‘88; Randall Reizenstein, ‘86; Lester Scott,

‘80; Lionel Smock, ‘53; Doug Sortor, ‘80; James Steinberg, ‘95; Mary Thomas, ‘69; Dorothy Ulibarri, ‘89; Frank Van Horn, ‘61; Robert Weisert, ‘04; Richard Weisgerber, ‘96; Stephen White, ‘07; Martha Younger, ‘81

RESILIENCE DIGNITY LOVE COURAGE HUMILITY CURIOSITY POWER RESILIENCE DIGNITY LOVE COURAGE HUMILITY CURIOSITY POWER

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1100 North Avenue • Grand Junction, CO 81501-3122

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View more events at coloradomesa.edu/calendar

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View all athletic events at CMUmavericks.com/calendar.aspx.

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APRIL

MAY

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Sponsored by

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APRIL 7–16 | MAVERICK DAYS

MAY 1 | JAZZ FESTIVAL

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Annual springtime, weeklong celebration anchored by CMU’s birthday! Festivities will include Day of Giving, a 5K run, Unity Fest and more. Details at coloradomesa.edu/maverick-days

Featuring JB Scott and Lisa Kelly. Purchase tickets at coloradomesa.edu/tickets

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APRIL 12 | GRAND VALLEY JOB FAIR

MAY 1 | COLLEGE DECISION DAY

Help us celebrate those who’ve decided to attend CMU in the Fall!

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Join CMU Career Services and the Mesa County Workforce Center at Lincoln Park in Grand Junction, Colorado, from 10am-2pm. More than 100 employers will be in attendance.

MAY 4 | CMU MARIACHI

Feel the passion and soul of Mexico come alive through music! Purchase tickets at coloradomesa.edu/tickets

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APRIL 13–22 | A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

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One of William Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a timeless story that blends reality and fantasy. Purchase tickets at coloradomesa.edu/tickets

MAY 7 | PRISCILLA HALLBERG, VIOLIN, AND ARTHUR HOULE, PIANO

Celebrate Johannes Brahms’ 190th birthday with his third violin sonata at 3pm. Purchase tickets at coloradomesa.edu/tickets

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APRIL 28 | STUDENT SHOWCASE

MAY 20 | COMMENCEMENT

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This yearly event celebrates the creativity, research, innovation and artistic performances of students. For details, visit coloradomesa.edu/showcase

Congratulations, 2023 graduates! Details at coloradomesa.edu/commencement

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