Metropolitan Denver Magazine - Winter 2015

METROPOLITAN STATE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER

WINTER 2015

> Game On > Heroic Heights > Never Too Late To Learn

When you support MSU Denver scholarships, you make the difference between now and someday for our students who are eager to earn their degrees and enter careers right here in Colorado.

MSU Denver serves more low-income, first-generation college students than any other four-year institution in the state.

And more than 70 percent of MSU Denver graduates stay in Colorado, transforming our communities and our economy.

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The feeling of being helped and being supported even though it’s not coming from family — it’s hard to get something like that in Vietnam. Here, I was so glad there are so many people willing to help. It gives me the urge to give back later.

Jackie “My” Mai (M.P. Acc. candidate, 2016)

MAKE YOUR GIFT TODAY. msudenver.edu/giving | 303-556-8424

Photo | Sara Hertwig

2014 Harry Trueblood Foundation Scholarship Recipient

WINTER 2015 VOL. 3 NO. 1 MSUDENVER.EDU/MAGAZINE

METROPOLITAN DENVER MAGAZINE

POWER COUPLE Learn how John Futrell and April Charmaine are helping youth claim their power. Read the full story on page 14.

Photo by Dave Neligh.

14 20 26 POETRY AND MOTION

NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN

02 THE FIRST WORD

08 GAME ON

April Charmaine and John Futrell use creative expression to help the next generation find its voice.

MSU Denver’s alumni, faculty and students go above and beyond in transforming lives and communities.

03 ASKED AND ANSWERED Alums credit MSU Denver with helping to accelerate their careers.

04 NEWS

MSU Denver continues to have an impact on campus and off.

Older students prove education isn’t just for the young.

Hannah Pennington has never let her disability slow her down — in life or in the Olympics.

10 ENGINEERING A BETTER

WORLD Using a hands-on approach and real-world applications, Aaron Brown helps students become global citizens.

12 HEROIC HEIGHTS

Thanks to Chris Cisneros’ love of flying and nerves of steel, U.S. soldiers are alive today.

SEALING THE DEAL

Students learn how to rise above in business at MSU Denver’s Center for Professional Selling.

16 THE BIG PICTURE

An MSU Denver class helps illuminate a difficult issue.

18 MODEL STUDENT

Irvin Susano knows firsthand the value of role models. So he became one for other students.

30 PEOPLE

MSU Denver alumni share news and notes.

32 THE FINAL WORD

The dean takes a pop quiz on the new School of Education.

ON THE COVER Decorated war hero and MSU Denver alumnus Chris Cisneros (B.S. aviation technology ’01) was one of the inspirations for this issue’s theme of “Above and Beyond.” As a pilot in the 104th Fighter Squadron in Maryland, Cisneros was deployed to the Middle East three times where he faced great danger and saved the lives of U.S. soldiers. Read the full story on page 12.

the

FIRSTWORD

MSU Denver’s alumni, faculty and students go above and beyond in transforming lives and communities.

Metropolitan State University of Denver has a long history of going above and beyond in its service to students and commitment to community. Examples of MSU Denver’s excellence, accessibility, innovation and impressive outcomes continue to raise our profile on the national stage. In the past few months alone, The Wall Street Journal named two of our faculty members among the nation’s 125 most influential professors; Military Times ranked us the top Colorado college for veterans and 32nd in the nation; and MSU Denver was named a STEM Jobs Approved College.

On the funding front, MSU Denver worked closely with state leaders to develop the specific formula for House Bill 1319 (HB 1319), which was passed into law in spring 2014 and is designed to align the state’s higher-education budget with Colorado’s goals for public colleges and universities. We remain steadfast advocates for increased funding to offset students’ tuition costs, while providing wrap-around services to better support underrepresented students. We are grateful to our state leaders for their diligent work to develop a nuanced formula that recognizes each institution’s unique role, and rewards those that best support students’ success.

communities across Colorado and the nation.

Alumni like decorated war hero Chris Cisneros, who saved many lives while risking his own (page 12); faculty like Aaron Brown and his Humanitarian Engineering course and club that are helping to improve peoples’ lives (page 10); and students like those featured in “Never Too Late to Learn” (page 20), who overcame tremendous obstacles to obtain their education.

2015 is poised to be another exceptional year at MSU Denver. Among the highlights: We’ll kickoff a yearlong celebration of the University’s 50th anniversary that will include breaking ground on our truly remarkable Aerospace Engineering and Sciences Building and Center for Advanced Manufacturing. Additionally, the new Regency Athletic Complex at MSU Denver is slated for completion this spring, offering our students and the surrounding community 12 acres of new athletic fields as well as a 23,000-square-foot building that houses a concessions stand, a multipurpose meeting room, intramural sports storage and academic office space.

I hope you’ll join us as we soar to new heights.

While state lawmakers are still finalizing the formula for HB 1319, we are optimistic that it will significantly benefit MSU Denver students.

Our alumni, faculty and students continue to go above and beyond in transforming lives and

Metropolitan Denver Magazine is published three times a year by the Metropolitan State University of Denver Office of Marketing and Communications. © 2015 Metropolitan State University of Denver. All rights reserved.

Address correspondence to: Metropolitan Denver Magazine, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Office of Marketing and Communications, Campus Box 86, PO Box 173362, Denver, CO 80217-3362. Email magazine@msudenver.edu.

The opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the policies and opinions of Metropolitan State University of Denver nor imply endorsement by its officers or by the MSU Denver Alumni Association. Metropolitan State University of Denver does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation or disability in admissions or access to, or treatment or employment in, its educational programs or activities.

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Stephen M. Jordan, Ph.D. President

PUBLISHER CATHY LUCAS | EXECUTIVE EDITOR MARISSA FERRARI | MANAGING EDITOR EMILY PATON DAVIES CREATIVE DIRECTOR SCOTT LARY | ART DIRECTOR CRAIG KORN | PHOTOGRAPHY MANAGER JULIE STRASHEIM | EDITORIAL ASSISTANT/WEB EDITOR BRETT MCPHERSON (B.A. JOURNALISM ’14) | EDITORS CLIFF FOSTER | AMY PHARE | CONTRIBUTORS KURT J. BRIGHTON | JANALEE CARD CHMEL | TREVOR DAVIS (CLASS OF 2015) | ROGER FILLION | DOUG MCPHERSON | DAVE NELIGH | LESLIE PETROVSKI | AMY PHARE | TOM WILMES | MARK WOOLCOTT | EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD CATHY LUCAS, CHIEF OF STAFF AND ASSOCIATE TO THE PRESIDENT FOR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS | ROBERT AMEND, PROFESSOR OF JOURNALISM AND TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION | CHELSEY BAKER-HAUCK, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING | GREG GEISSLER, DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS AND PRIVATE GRANTS | DEBORA GILLIARD, PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT | SAM NG, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF METEOROLOGY | TANIDA RUAMPANT, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH, ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Asked Answered and

Alums credit MSU Denver with helping to accelerate their careers.

We Asked: How did your MSU Denver education prepare you for success following graduation?

You Answered: My education at MSU Denver was based on real-world experience lived by the professionals who taught my classes, not untested theories found in textbooks. I was working full time while finishing my degree, so the combination of relevant course work and a class schedule that accommodated the career I was building was crucial to my success.

MSU Denver gave me a solid

foundation of skills and realworld knowledge that accelerated my career.

I began working as business manager at Greystone Technology Group upon my enrollment at MSU Denver in 2006. By 2014, I was promoted to vice president of business operations. I can’t imagine having achieved so much in such a short amount of time had it not been for the opportunities and experiences MSU Denver allowed me.

Byron Williams, B.S. management ’08 December 18, 1989, I passed my last final exam at Metro State. We didn’t have a fall commencement, so I participated in commencement

the following May. I got my degree in accounting, and thanks to the outstanding education I received, was able to pass the entire CPA exam in a single sitting.

The 25 years have passed so quickly. I am retired now, but I just want to say, the wonderful career I enjoyed and the great retirement I have today are all tied to one thing: that degree I got from Metro State, graduating when I was 42 years old. “Lives Transformed” is the best way to describe my experience at Metro State, because our entire family has benefited and continues to benefit daily from the terrific career I gained thanks to Metro State.

Logene Fowler-Williams, B.S. accounting ’89 (submitted via Facebook)

Share Your Story: Everyone has a story to tell, and we want to hear yours!

Tell us about your favorite MSU Denver class, program or professor. Brag about your accomplishments since leaving the University. Explain how the institution is contributing to your community. Share how MSU Denver helped change the course of your life. Whatever your story of transformation, we want to know!

And now, sharing your story has never been easier: Click on the “Share Your Story” link on our website at msudenver.edu, email us at magazine@msudenver.edu or write to us at Metropolitan Denver Magazine, Metropolitan State University of Denver, P.O. Box 173362, Campus Box 86, Denver, CO 80217.

msudenver.edu/magazine

Available online.

News

MSU Denver continues to have an impact on campus and off.

MSU DENVER MAKES NATIONAL STEM JOBS™ APPROVED COLLEGE LIST

Rocky Mountain BEST As part of its ongoing commitment to promoting education and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), MSU Denver hosted the Rocky Mountain BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology) annual robotics competition in fall 2014 for the fourth consecutive year.

The competition engages middle and high school teams from across Colorado in designing, building and testing a robot. MSU Denver has consistently supported the program to help foster interest in skills needed by Colorado employers for tomorrow’s workforce. Thirty-two teams of nearly 400 students competed this year.

Rocky Mountain BEST is the nonprofit regional hub for the national BEST Robotics competition and supports local schools, teachers and students who participate in BEST activities.

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MSU Denver was one of only 123 schools nationwide to be included on the inaugural STEM Jobs™ Approved College list developed by Victory Media, a creator of digital resources for connecting students interested in education and career resources in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

The 2015 STEM Jobs™ list is the first of its kind to rate universities, colleges, community colleges and trade schools on their responsiveness and relevance to high-demand, high-growth STEM occupations. Surveys were scored on publicly available data and responses to proprietary questions related to three key indicators of success: STEM job alignment, STEM job placement and diversity in schools’ STEM programs.

More than 1,600 institutions participated in the survey.

$175K GRANT FUNDS FAMILY LEARNING PROGRAM In November, MSU Denver began implementing a model intergenerational learning program for families in the community with a three-year, $175,000 grant from Toyota and the National Center for Families Learning. The University was one of five organizations nationwide that received Toyota Family Learning grants in the program’s second year.

The Toyota Family Learning grant will enable MSU Denver to build upon its Family Literacy Program and implement new tactics. Started in 1994, the Family Literacy Program works to break the cycle of poverty and low literacy levels by providing intergenerational, unified services for vulnerable families in the metro area. The program partners with many agencies including Denver Public Schools and the Denver Housing Authority to provide literacy and learning services for families, parents and children.

The content of his character MSU Denver President Stephen Jordan’s “content of character” was celebrated on Jan. 16 when he received a Martin Luther King, Jr. Business Award from Denver’s business community. The award recognizes individuals, companies and organizations committed “to the values of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as evidenced by their exemplary social responsibility.”

Jordan received the award at a luncheon that raises funds to support college scholarships for underrepresented and nontraditional students.

ONE WORLD, ONE WATER CENTER NAMED A “PARTNER IN CHANGE” MSU Denver’s One World, One Water Center (OWOW) received a “Partners in Change” award from The Greenway Foundation in fall 2014, in the “Programming, Events, and Recreation” category. This award, given to just one organization each year, honors a program that “has brought life, fun, learning, entertainment, or exposure to our urban waterways.” The Greenway Foundation has led efforts to reclaim the South Platte River and its tributaries as places of environmental and recreational pride since 1974.

OWOW strives to prepare an educated, empowered, solution-oriented Colorado citizenry to protect and preserve our precious water resources. The center does this by offering an interdisciplinary water studies minor to MSU Denver students in a variety of majors; providing co-curricular enrichment activities to the entire Auraria campus; and enhancing water stewardship on campus and beyond.

News PHOTO GIL C / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

MSW PROGRAM EARNS $1.2M FEDERAL GRANT In October, MSU Denver’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program, in partnership with Colorado State University, received a $1.2 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant will fund $10,000 stipends for MSW students in their concentration year at MSU Denver and CSU who work at community clinics with children, adolescents and youth up to age 26.

An emphasis will be placed on funding work done at clinics serving multicultural populations.

MillerCoors Funds Fellowship MillerCoors has invested $25,000 to create the MillerCoors Endowed Water Stewardship Fellowship for students enrolled in Water Studies courses offered by MSU Denver’s One World, One Water Center for Urban Water Education and Stewardship.

Specifically, the fellowship will support students pursuing capstone projects in water stewardship, with an emphasis on partnerships with water-stewardship professionals.

WALL STREET JOURNAL HONORS FACULTY Senior Lecturer of Marketing Darrin DuberSmith and Professor of Economics Erick Erikson were honored by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) as two of the nation’s 125 most influential professors. Duber-Smith and Erikson were two of only six professors chosen from Colorado. In 2009, WSJ recognized Duber-Smith as an “In-Education Distinguished Professor,” making this his second honor from the newspaper in five years.

WSJ honored the nation’s top professors as part of its 125th anniversary celebration, and specifically recognized faculty who are making a difference in the classroom by teaching students about current events. A list of more than 250 professors was compiled from regions across the country and narrowed to the top 125.

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M S U D e nv e r c ont i n g e nt tou r s Lockheed Martin

TOP COLORADO COLLEGE

A group of lucky MSU Denver students — joined by faculty and staff members including MSU Denver President Stephen Jordan — toured Lockheed Martin’s Space Systems facility on Oct. 3 to mark Manufacturing Day, a national celebration of the manufacturing industry and the vital role it plays in the U.S. economy and daily life.

The MSU Denver group toured various factories and shops on the 5,500-acre campus, which has housed Lockheed Martin since the early 1970s.

Under Jordan’s leadership, MSU Denver is developing publicprivate partnerships that address specific industry clusters, including an innovative interdisciplinary Aerospace and Engineering Sciences (AES) initiative. The AES endeavor will unite programs in aviation and aerospace science; civil, mechanical and electrical engineering technology; industrial design; computer science and computer information systems in a 142,000-square-foot facility slated to open in 2017.

According to Military Times, MSU Denver is the top Colorado college for veterans, and is 32nd in the nation on its “Best for Vets: Colleges 2015” list. Now in its fifth year, the ranking is the most comprehensive schoolby-school assessment of veteran and military students’ success rates.

G.I. Jobs magazine listed MSU Denver in its 2015 guide of top Military Friendly Schools.

Military Advanced Education magazine named MSU Denver the “Top School” in its 2015 guide of colleges and universities.

U.S. Veterans Magazine named MSU Denver to its list of 2014 “Best of the Best” schools for military veterans.

More than 1,000 MSU Denver students — including more than 25 active military personnel and more than 80 faculty and staff — are veterans.

MUSIC PROGRAM EARNS REACCREDITATION, ADDS NEW JAZZ CONCENTRATION MSU Denver’s Department of Music received reaccreditation in October from the National Association of Schools of Music, and also added a new concentration in Jazz and American Improvised Music Performance.

“Unlike a conservatory, our program is unique because all genres of music are used,” said Ron Miles, coordinator of jazz studies and a world-renowned jazz musician. “This program speaks to current music

PHOTO BARRY GUTIERREZ

communities and addresses their interests as students and working musicians.” Courses include a combination of traditional music theory and performance as well as new electives such as songwriting.

WANT MORE? Keep up to date on MSU Denver news at msudenver.edu/newsroom.

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Game on HANNAH PENNINGTON HAS NEVER LET HER DISABILITY SLOW HER DOWN — IN LIFE OR IN THE OLYMPICS.

No matter how lofty the goal, Hannah Pennington (B.S. biology ’14) finds a way to get it done.

Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro? Become a world-class ski racer and compete in three Winter Olympics? Master an entirely different sport and train for the 2016 Olympic Games? Done, done and done.

“There are two consistent things in my life: medical stuff and sports,” Pennington said. “And I don’t give up on either.”

STORY TOM WILMES Pennington, 36, was born with Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy, a congenital condition that tightens her muscles and greatly limits her range of motion, making balance difficult. Not that she’s ever let that get in her way.

She grew up in Northglenn, Colorado, and started skiing at age 6 through a program offered by Children’s Hospital Colorado.

“My parents never felt sorry for me or let me be sad about being disabled,” Pennington said. “They just picked me up when I fell, brushed me off and sent me back on my way.”

“She’s positive about everything and because of that, everything is within reach, no matter the circumstances or challenges,” said Pennington’s

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longtime friend Tanida Ruampant, associate director of communications and outreach for MSU Denver’s Alumni Association.

Pennington joined the ski team while attending Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, and started racing. Her coach recognized her potential and connected her with a member of the U.S. Women’s Disabled Ski Team, who mentored and coached Pennington.

After putting her studies on hold to focus on her training, Pennington made the U.S. Paralympic Ski Team and competed in the 2002 Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City. She raced in the 2006 Paralympic Games in Torino, Italy, and again in the 2010 Games in Vancouver, British Columbia.

“The biggest part of skiing for me was feeling normal — better than normal — because I was just as good or better than everybody else,” Pennington said. “Being able to represent my country as an athlete is incredibly rewarding. It’s been really nice to find the things that I can succeed at.”

But elite ski racing and years of intense training is a lot to ask of any body, especially Pennington’s. She had hip surgery about a year before the Vancouver games and temporarily lost function in her legs due to a virus that attacked her spine. She didn’t know if she would walk again, much less race.

“But when I got back on snow, I was really surprised that my muscle memory took over, despite my lack of strength. My body knew what do,” she said. “I ended up having the best season that I’d had in years.”

She retired from racing after Vancouver and set her sights on her next goal: finishing her degree. Pennington enrolled at MSU Denver and commuted from her home in Winter Park to attend classes. She graduated in May 2014.

“I honestly learned more in the two years of finishing my degree at MSU Denver than I did at any other time,” she said. “I think it’s because of how MSU Denver is structured, not to mention the mentality of the professors.

They’re awesome.”

She’s currently researching graduate programs and hopes to become an ultrasound technician. True to form, she has also taken up a new sport — paddling — and is training to compete in Paracanoe at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.

“I like having goals, both toward my career in medicine and as an athlete,” Pennington said. “It motivates me to be better.”

WATCH Hannah Pennington in action at msudenver.edu/magazine.

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Engineering a better world USING A HANDS-ON APPROACH AND REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS, AARON BROWN HELPS STUDENTS BECOME GLOBAL CITIZENS.

are inexpensive to build, yet have a big impact on people’s quality of life. There’s also been talk of using them to warm tents in Syrian refugee camps.

“Traditionally, engineering has been for the top 10 percent, but the rest of the world can benefit from the skills we have,” said Brown. “Most of the world’s citizens lack simple needs like safe drinking water, adequate sanitation or even enough electricity to power a single light bulb.”

STORY TOM WILMES | PHOTO MARK WOOLCOTT

Aaron Brown helped design the landing mechanism for the Mars Curiosity Rover. He also worked on a mission intended to fix the Hubble Space Telescope.

Despite these interstellar accomplishments, the mechanical engineer feels most fulfilled when he’s working with his students to make life better for folks here on Earth.

“I empower my students to be global citizens through a variety of projects that give them realworld experiences and a different perspective on things,” said Brown, assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology. “It’s a completely different approach than just theoretically learning about engineering in a classroom.”

As evidence of his unique approach, Brown started a Humanitarian Engineering course and club at MSU Denver. He and his students work with communities in need

worldwide to solve specific problems in straightforward, sustainable ways. In the process, students also learn about the more altruistic applications of engineering and the immediate impact that their work can have.

Brown’s hands-on approach resonates with students like Francisco Sanchez, who took Introduction to Mechanical Engineering with Brown and participated in the Costa Rica trip.

During a service trip to Costa Rica last May, Brown’s students used readily available materials to build a hot water heater for a local school that could be easily maintained.

When villagers expressed frustration that monkeys were stealing their eggs, Brown’s group designed a nesting box with a chute that safely transfers chickens’ eggs directly into an enclosure for collection.

“When I first started in engineering school, I wasn’t aware of any social justice or sustainable engineering prospects in the field,” Sanchez said.

“But the way Professor Brown talks about engineering made me realize that there are lots of different applications for engineering and a lot of places engineers can work that fit exactly with what I want from my career and for my future.”

Closer to home, Brown and Humanitarian Club members have installed several simple solar furnaces in homes throughout Denver’s Westwood community. The devices, designed by Brown, pull air into a box containing an array of soda cans; the sun warms the air and it’s then used to heat a room. The devices

READ more about the solar furnace Aaron Brown built from soda cans at msudenver.edu/magazine.

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Heroic heights THANKS TO CHRIS CISNEROS’ LOVE OF FLYING AND NERVES OF STEEL, U.S. SOLDIERS ARE ALIVE TODAY. STORY DOUG MCPHERSON | PHOTO RAYMOND GEOFFROY

His unit deployed in 2007 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom, and in 2010 and 2012 to assist Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He was happy to volunteer for them all.

Chris Cisneros (B.S. aviation technology ’01) spent much of his youth in Southern California with eyes skyward, watching the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds dart through the heavens in their trademark diamond formation.

During the deployments, Cisneros faced plenty of danger, but one mission in 2012 took an especially harrowing turn. He was in his Warthog, flying above special operation forces that had become cornered in an ambush on the ground. Despite a severe thunderstorm, Cisneros found the troops, fought off the enemy and saved all 90 U.S. soldiers that day.

“My parents would take me to air shows at military bases, and I loved the precision of it all and the pilots’ professionalism,” Cisneros said.

His heroism earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor — the highest military award specific to aerial flight.

And he recalls fondly flying to Sioux City, Iowa, to visit his grandmother on holidays, peering out the window seat at the passing circles and squares of land below.

Friend and fellow pilot Michael Brickle (B.S. criminal justice and criminology ‘03) calls Cisneros a natural leader. “Some people are comfortable with the stresses that come with a leadership role. Chris is one of those guys.”

“From a young age, I was always interested in aviation,” said Cisneros, who today is a commercial pilot with United Airlines flying international routes to Rome, London and beyond.

It’s when you learn about his flights with the military, however, that Cisneros’ story takes a dramatic turn — not to mention a heroic one.

During an internship at American Airlines in his senior year, he met pilots who flew part time in the Air National Guard. “I was always very interested in military aviation.

The potential of pursuing an airline career while flying and serving in the military seemed like the best of both worlds, so I applied and was lucky enough to get selected as a pilot at the 104th Fighter Squadron in Maryland, flying an A-10 Warthog,” he said.

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Cisneros is humble about it all. “Compared to the brave men and women on the ground, our job as pilots is easy. They risk it all every day. It’s an honor to support them,” he said.

In an interesting twist, Cisneros got to meet the soldiers he saved that day. “To hear them say, ‘Were you the A-10 that stayed when the weather got bad? You saved our lives,’ will probably always remain the highlight of my career.”

And speaking of careers, his advice to today’s MSU Denver students: “During your career, some people may tell you that you can’t do something. Remember this: Only you set the limits to what you can achieve.”

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Poetry and motion April (Axé) Charmaine (B.A. IDP writing and performance ’02) and John Futrell (B.F.A. painting ’99 and B.A. AfricanAmerican studies ’00) know how to make a statement.

Whether through movement or words, creative expression is the couple’s passion and they go to great lengths to share the love: She directs the dance department at Denver’s East High School and runs Sol Vida Dance studio; he’s published three books of poetry and tours the country as a spoken-word artist known as Panama Soweto.

It seems fitting, therefore, that they met when Charmaine received the MSU Denver Alumni Statement Maker Award.

“It was 2012, and I needed a date,” said Charmaine, who was honored for her work with Denver youth and adults at Sol Vida Dance. “[John] stepped up, and from there we became enamored.” The couple married in 2013.

For Charmaine — who says “every single cent” of her MSU Denver degree has paid off in her work — seeing her students take ownership of the projects she helps them create is her biggest reward. Recently, her students at East High worked on a tribute to Maya Angelou titled “Inspirations From Maya: Our Stories, Our Dances.”

“About two weeks into it, one of my students said, ‘Miss Axé, this is my dream project. I’ve always wanted to make dances about things that I care about.’ So when I see that light turn on, and I can push young people to discover their own artistic voices, that’s a big reward for me,” she said.

APRIL CHARMAINE AND JOHN FUTRELL USE CREATIVE EXPRESSION TO HELP THE NEXT GENERATION FIND ITS VOICE. STORY KURT J. BRIGHTON | PHOTO DAVE NELIGH

Similarly, Futrell is fueled by lighting a creative fire in others. “There is nothing more significant than setting a heart to purpose,” he said. “Poetry has allowed me to heal and, in return, given me the opportunity to help others find their voice.”

When not performing at colleges and other venues nationwide, Futrell works for the Denver Housing Authority conducting job-readiness training for youth, an occupation he attributes in part to his upbringing. “[My grandparents] really pushed public service as an ideology,” said Futrell. His grandmother, Edna Mosley — who was in MSU Denver’s first graduating class in 1969 — served three terms as the first African-American and the first woman on the Aurora City Council.

“From the age of 14, I’ve worked with youth. Now with the Denver Housing Authority, I work with young people who have some kind of barrier: either they’re college dropouts, teen moms, low-income or live in public housing,” he said.

In addition to cementing his belief in public service, Futrell’s background shaped his stage name.

“I got called a lot of different names because nobody thought I was a black kid with two black parents. But Panama is the nickname that stuck,” said Futrell of growing up in a largely Puerto Rican neighborhood in New York.

His work on a second degree at MSU Denver in African-American studies also informed his artistic alias, specifically his research on the 1976 student uprising and subsequent massacre in Soweto, South Africa.

“The importance of that [event] is that children marched, first of all,” he said. “To have that kind of power is something I really admire. So ‘Soweto’ is the part of the stage name I took to represent how I want to be: ‘Panama’ is the perception others have of you; ‘Soweto’ is the thing you aspire to be.”

Both Charmaine and Futrell believe that helping young people claim their power by fearlessly articulating who they are is the most important gift they can give.

“Getting youth to express themselves at their most authentic and grand level really makes a big impact,” Charmaine said. “It empowers them. To me that is the biggest reward: That we can keep spreading love and joy through art.”

SEE more of the couple and WATCH John Futrell give a TEDx Talk as Panama Soweto at msudenver.edu/magazine.

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The big picture AN MSU DENVER CLASS HELPS ILLUMINATE A DIFFICULT ISSUE. PHOTO NICK DELGADO AND MARK HICKOX

MSU Denver Professor Lisa Abendroth and nine of her Communication Design students partnered with Street’s Hope in Denver — which provides resources and restorative services to women affected by sex trafficking and the commercial sex industry — to develop “Celebration of Hope: A Decade of Transforming Lives” to illustrate the organization’s mission and work.

LEARN the meaning of the artwork and how it helped Street’s Hope raise awareness and support at msudenver.edu/magazine.

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Model student IRVIN SUSANO KNOWS FIRSTHAND THE VALUE OF ROLE MODELS. SO HE BECAME ONE FOR OTHER STUDENTS. STORY JANALEE CARD CHMEL | PHOTO MARK WOOLCOTT

Irvin Susano admits that he has faced many challenges, both personal and academic, as he pursues his degree in Hospitality, Tourism and Events at MSU Denver.

“I almost dropped out three times,” he said. “It wasn’t that I wasn’t making good grades. I just felt discouraged. As I progress in college, I see fewer people who look like me.”

Fortunately, Susano has a knack for finding a mentor when he needs one the most. That is, when he’s not too busy mentoring others.

“Irvin picks up stuff like a sponge because he is eager to learn. He doesn’t have many role models who have done what he’s doing, so he’s surrounding himself with people at MSU Denver who can be role models for him. He’s also becoming

quite a leader,” said Dwight T. Gentry, coordinator of the University’s Brother 2 Brother program, which works to retain and graduate young men of color.

Susano serves as a peer leader in the program, helping to identify and recruit students, and offering them academic and social support among other responsibilities.

“I work with the students to help them to graduate,” said Susano.

“Male students of color have lower graduation rates across the country than their peers. I know what they’re facing and I want to help.”

Susano is familiar with adversity.

Throughout his life, he has watched his father work multiple jobs so that Irvin and his three siblings could have a better life.

“Dad worked in the fields for 25 years and never complained,” said Susano. “Now he works at an insulation company and gets paid better, but it’s a tough job. He leaves around 5:45 in the morning and comes home around 7 p.m. He also picks up night jobs when he can.”

With his dad’s work ethic as a model, Susano is hoping to be the first person in his immediate family to graduate from college.

At MSU Denver, he’s doing just that. Susano has a concentration in Restaurant Management, and expects to graduate in fall 2016. His dream: to one day open his own restaurant.

In addition to working with Brother 2 Brother, Susano serves as a leader in MSU Denver’s Supplemental and Academic Instruction program, designed to increase student performance and retention. Susano facilitates out-of-class sessions for freshmen that help them process material assigned by their professors.

Despite the leadership he offers others, Susano confesses that he too needs help on occasion to stay on track.

“The staff at MSU Denver has taught me to not give up,” he said. “I’ve made connections with lots of great people who are watching every step I take. That keeps me motivated to not fail them or myself.”

WATCH an interview with Irvin Susano about his big plans for the future at msudenver.edu/magazine.

“Dad always tells me to be something he couldn’t be,” said Susano. “He wants me to work hard mentally.”

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I

t’s a drab day in early December and students are streaming into the Dazbog Coffee shop in front of MSU Denver’s Student Success Building. Finals week is imminent and caffeine is in demand.

Among those awaiting a java fix are one or two individuals sporting backpacks brimming with textbooks and laptops — and a few more life experiences (and perhaps wrinkles) — than a traditional college-aged student. Then again, there’s nothing traditional about MSU Denver’s older undergraduates, many of whom go to great lengths to obtain their degrees.

Nearly 10 percent of all undergraduates enrolled in U.S. degree-granting institutions are over the age of 40. At MSU Denver, where the average student age is 26, about 1,700 students, or 8 percent of the undergraduate population, are middle-aged or older.

Never too Older students prove education isn’t just for the young.

STORY LESLIE PETROVSKI | PHOTOS DAVE NELIGH

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late to learn Jerry Peterson Class of 2015

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Jean Wilkins B. A. speech communications ’93

Elizabeth Parmelee, who directs MSU Denver’s Center for Individualized Learning, works with many older students, helping them craft a degree based on their interests or assembling their past college credits into Individualized Degree Programs.

“They might have started before the kids were born and then stopped to be stay-at-home parents or maybe they had a career,” she said.

That was the case for Jean Wilkins, who saw college as a vast learning opportunity. “For me, I went back to school to learn,” she said. “I was like a sponge. I wanted to learn about everything. I was also the first in my family to earn a college degree so it was that much more meaningful.”

Behind Wilkins’ desk in the Tivoli Student Union hangs her “Metropolitan State College of Denver” diploma from 1993.

She earned her degree at the age of 40 after seven-and-ahalf years of working full time as the assistant to then-Vice President for Institutional Advancement Harry Gianneschi.

Wilkins credits Gianneschi with encouraging her to obtain a degree and mentoring her while she was a student.

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Today she serves as assistant to MSU Denver’s Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Wellness Braelin Pantel, helping both traditional- and nontraditional-aged students earn their own degrees.

For older students, the trajectory from matriculation to graduation is often not as prescribed as it is for young people, who may be receiving financial support from their families and whose lives are not encumbered by full-time careers and families of their own.

“People don’t understand how hard it is but with Dr. Gianneschi’s encouragement and MSU Denver’s excellent professors, I knew I could succeed,” said Wilkins, who believes the University is a place where all people, regardless of age or background, can thrive. “Now, having an opportunity to assist MSU Denver students working toward their degrees, I can say to them, ‘I know how difficult it can be, but I also know that you can succeed.’”

Nancyjane Chokyi Hall, 72, started college for the first time at “Metro” in 1968, finally earning her degree 46 years later in December 2014, as the senior member of the senior class.

NEARLY 10 PERCENT OF ALL UNDERGRADUATES ENROLLED IN U.S. DEGREE-GRANTING INSTITUTIONS ARE OVER THE AGE OF 40.

AT MSU DENVER, ABOUT 1,700 STUDENTS, OR 8 PERCENT OF THE UNDERGRADUATE POPULATION, ARE MIDDLE-AGED OR OLDER.

She started her college career after her first husband left her and she gave birth to their fourth child. She had taken only a handful of classes before government cutbacks in aid forced her to quit. Then life happened, including three more marriages, another child, Shambhala meditation training, jobs — including one selling jewelry on the beach in Waikiki — and breast cancer. Hall finally returned to MSU Denver in 2009 with the goal of becoming an advocate for people of color, single women and women in poverty.

Her education, she said, has been transformative. “My outlook and strength have gelled. I can walk into a place and say, ‘This is who I am and this is what I want to do.’ It’s about putting yourself in the position of being a player. If you’re not strong enough to get on the playing field, you can’t get on with the game of life.”

In 2009, with just two-and-a-half weeks before the beginning of the semester, Jerry Peterson returned to the first major he started back in the early 1970s at Northern Illinois University — music.

Having worked in multiple careers — as an aircraft welder, Burger King manager, X-ray technician, and waiter in fine restaurants — Peterson, 59, suffered a series of personal crises, including the death of a son in a car accident and his wife’s brain cancer. And he began to take stock.

“My wife said to me, ‘You love music. You love to sing. You like to teach and like kids. What are you doing here?’”

Today, Peterson — whose wife, Heather, conquered cancer while she finished her MSU Denver degree in 2009 and graduated with honors — is on pace to graduate in fall 2015 with his bachelor’s in music and a minor in human services.

He is also working to launch a nonprofit, Music for All Schools and Students, dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of music education.

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“

Van McKellar B. A. Africana Studies ’12

“In the beginning, I wasn’t sure about the divide between the generations … But I saw I could keep up with them, and they

”

saw I wasn’t going to condemn them for everything they said.”

—Van McKellar

“My education,” Peterson said, “has given me a direction to go with my organization. I have a much better idea what to expect when I get off this campus. I’m going to use just about everything.”

Parmelee reports that many older students at MSU Denver are the first in their families to earn degrees. This can compound feelings of insecurity and the confusion associated with higher education bureaucracy. She recalls one older student who was annoyed by the University’s immunization policy. “Where do you get your immunization records from 40 years ago?” Parmelee said. “In those cases, I just advise them to go get a shot.”

Fitting in is also an issue. Peterson, who seems well-liked given the number of hugs and waves coming his way, has taken his share of social hits. He recalls one young woman who looked him up and down and said, “Brothers don’t wear clothes like that anymore.”

He rolls his eyes. “The only reason they talk to me like that is I don’t look my age,” he said. “They think I’m one of them.”

Paula Denton, 55, created her own degree program called “Historiography of Global Cultural Heritage Policy,” an academic porridge of history, art history, political science and English. While she didn’t try to develop friendships with younger students (“I’m old enough to be their grandmother in some cases”), she often got discussions going in class. “I got people to talk,” she said, “because a lot of these kids just sit there and are disengaged when they shouldn’t be.”

Denton graduated in December 2014, festooned with three cords, one each for her membership in history and English honor societies, the third for her Independent Degree Program. Overall, the former legal secretary said students treated her respectfully. “They appreciated my point of view and me being able to get the ball rolling in class,” she said. “I didn’t hang out with them, but they were good to me.”

Van McKellar, 75, brings out framed copies of his diplomas and certificates and lays them on his couch, apologizing for the dust. There’s an associate’s degree in general studies from the Community College of Aurora, certificates in Information Technology and Support and Computer Information Systems, and his MSU Denver degree in Africana Studies (cum laude). As the oldest member of the class of 2012, he sat through commencement full of meds to keep his aches and pains and asthma in check.

“It was a proud day,” he said, “but I was nervous … whether I could sit through the whole thing.”

In his late 60s, by the time he stepped on campus, McKellar had already lived a full life. He dropped out of high school after the 10th grade and enlisted in the Air Force, where he served as an aircraft and missile hydraulic technician.

After six-and-a-half years in the military, as he describes it, he bummed around a bit, got sober and at the age of 27, started preaching the Gospel to hippies in the 1960s as a lay Pentecostal minister.

Good in science and technically adept, McKellar had a long career as a machinist. Along the way, he married three times and had four daughters. When his youngest had to leave high school because of her severe asthma, the by-then retired McKellar homeschooled her, the two of them learning side-by-side, dad brushing up on math by poring over “Math for Dummies” books.

“Since I was a very old man in a church where people had degrees,” he said, “I wanted to relate to them better … I wanted to know more about younger African American people.” So he enrolled at MSU Denver.

Concerned less about his scholastic abilities than how he would fit in, McKellar, arthritis and all, made his way to class, learning to temper his style as a former supervisor to be more deferential to younger professors while remaining open to the ideas of younger students.

“In the beginning, I wasn’t sure about the divide between the generations,” he said. “I’m two or three generations ahead of my fellow students. But I saw I could keep up with them, and they saw I wasn’t going to condemn them for everything they said.”

Though studies show that younger students have stronger six-year graduation rates than nontraditional students, much-older students are remarkably persistent. “They seem to stick it out and get through,” Parmelee said. “If they are not retired, they may only take one or two classes at a time. It’s slow but steady. They just keep coming back and I find that they love it.”

“It’s changed me for the better,” Denton said, mentioning that a graduate degree might be in her future. “I feel like I’m a better citizen. Right now I feel like I have the opportunity to do anything I want.”

WINTER 2015

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THE DEAL STORY ROGER FILLION

A

re the best salespeople born or made? Some people say born. But MSU Denver’s resident marketing

expert Scott Sherwood begs to differ.

“We believe it’s science,” Sherwood said. And he knows more than a thing or two about sales, having spent a 35-year career selling everything from transistors to microchips.

Sherwood is director of MSU Denver’s new Center for Professional Selling — the first in Colorado — which offers an innovative sales education curriculum for both business and non-business students.

It’s the only sales program in Colorado that is a member of the national University Sales Center Alliance — and one of only about three dozen in the nation that belong to the consortium. “While sales programs at universities have more than doubled in recent years, MSU Denver remains the only one of its kind in Colorado and the region,” said Sherwood.

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STUDENTS LEARN HOW TO RISE ABOVE IN BUSINESS AT MSU DENVER’S CENTER FOR PROFESSIONAL SELLING.

Why a sales center — or sales classes at all? More than half of all college graduates land their first job in sales, according to the Sales Education Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to “elevate the sales profession through university education.” And, according to the foundation, sales-education programs report that 92 percent of their graduates (even those with only a minor or significant course work) have secured employment within three months of graduation, compared to the national average of 51 percent.

“Formal sales education can provide students with the knowledge and skills they need for professional success,” said Sherwood.

A 2014 study from the Florida State University Sales Institute found that salespeople hired from college sales programs significantly outperformed other newly hired sales reps. It also found they stick with an employer longer, deliver more effective sales presentations and do a better job of forging personal ties with customers.

The number of universities with sales centers has quadrupled over the past dozen years. When it was founded in 2002, the University Sales Center Alliance had nine members. As of December 2014, the consortium counted 38, including MSU Denver.

“Perhaps the strongest argument for increasing the number of sales education programs is that our economy is suffering in the absence of them,” four faculty members from the DePaul University Marketing Department wrote in a 2012 article in the Harvard Business Review.

“In regions desperate for jobs, good sales positions go unfilled for lack of qualified applicants,” they wrote.

“Many more jobs are filled by people who are unprepared to excel at them.”

So what does MSU Denver’s Center for Professional Selling offer students? The center, housed in the College of Business, provides a unified curriculum and faculty members who are focused on different aspects of salesmanship — unlike sales programs at other universities that offer sales classes but not a

I knew the MSU Denver sales program would help me …

It was a way to give me a comprehensive sales curriculum. The MSU Denver sales center also operates a lab where students conduct mock sales presentations and are videoed. They then review their performances with a faculty member.

“We go through the overall sales process,” said April Schofield, a lecturer in the Marketing Department and a member of the sales center faculty. Students sell actual products and services as part of the curriculum.

leg up on others who have similar resumes.

—Jessica Rose (B.S. marketing ’13)

“We prepare students for success on the job,” Schofield added.

The center’s focus is on business-to-business, or B2B, sales. Personal, face-to-face selling is considered important in B2B sales, given the complexity of the products and the hefty price tags attached to big purchases.

And what does it take to be a good salesperson? “The ability to listen to someone makes all the difference in the world,” Sherwood said. “You have to be able to ask good questions.” Sherwood added it’s important for a salesperson to understand the needs of the customer. That means doing research about the company beforehand.

At MSU Denver, anywhere from 10-20 students are enrolled in advanced selling classes each semester.

“Almost all end up in sales for their first job,” Sherwood said.

The origins of the Center for Professional Selling date back about seven years. “I was teaching a personal sales class and trying to find out more information on current best practices,” Sherwood said. He began to research the topic and saw other universities offering sales centers. The idea for the MSU Denver center was born.

Alumna Jessica Rose (B.S. marketing ’13) knows firsthand the importance of a sales education. Rose earned a sales certificate and, prior to graduation, landed a job with Fastenal Co., a provider of industrial and construction products. Rose works for the Winona, Minnesota-based company in the south metro Denver area, selling local companies a range of products, from nuts and bolts to hard hats and chemicals.

“I knew the MSU Denver sales program would help me,” Rose recalled, crediting it with her success to date.

“It was a way to give me a leg up on others who have similar resumes.”

Among other things, Rose learned the importance of a good handshake — “When someone gives you a not-very-good handshake, you remember that” — and the value of making a “gatekeeper” happy. “When you walk in and are rude to the office assistant, they may or may not give you an appointment,” Rose said.

Rose was promoted to general manager of her sales territory not long after graduating from MSU Denver.

She oversees a sales team, including interns from the University. And she said she uses her sales training to motivate fellow employees.

Moreover, Rose met her prospective employer while at MSU Denver. Fastenal is one of about a half dozen companies partnered with the Center for Professional Selling. Executives from these companies come to the classroom and offer advice on resumes, interviews, sales internships and career opportunities. The companies, in return, get an inside track to recruit students who’ve learned sales techniques and skills.

“I was exposed to Fastenal and given an opportunity,” Rose said. And she’s equally grateful for the education she received at MSU Denver.

“If I ever make a lot of money, I will very quickly donate it to Metro State,” she said. “It’s a very cool school and I feel fortunate I attended.”

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People Alumni News + Notes 1981

2006

Phillip Duran (B.S. finance ’06) is an accounts payable representative for Miller Heiman, Inc. having previously worked as a senior transfer administrator at Trust Company of America. He lives in Parker, Colorado.

Debbie Waddill (B.A. sociology ‘07) is marketing director at DeCino Family Dentistry in Lakewood, Colorado, and is proud to have won the Outstanding Alumni Award just one year after graduation from MSU Denver.

1985

Sean Williford (B.S. criminal justice ’06) is a police officer for the city of Dacono, Colorado, following his graduation from Red Rocks Community College Police Academy in 2010. He married in 2014 and lives with his wife in Johnstown, Colorado.

2008

S. Michael Siegal (B.A. political science ’81) is the author of “Cop Cohen,” a novel about a Jewish police officer, which is based on his own experiences as a Denver police officer.

Frances Crepeau-Hobson (B.A. psychology ’85) is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Colorado-Denver who specializes in hardships and crises experienced by children. She has recently focused her work on the issue of school violence.

1992

John McDonald (B.S. criminal justice ’92) is executive director of Safety, Security and Emergency Planning for Jeffco Public Schools in Colorado. He is an expert on active-shooter training and delivers lectures about safety in educational settings across the country.

1996

Debi Smith-Racanelli (B.S. human services ’96) is a psychologist who recently published the book, “Between Baby Dolls and Boyfriends,” about raising tween girls.

She lives in Denver and works to promote parenting education.

1999

Elias Diggins (B.S. criminal justice ’99) is the interim sheriff for the City and County of Denver. A 20-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, Diggins was appointed to the position in 2014 following allegations of inmate abuse by prison officers.

2007

LaShay Canady (B.S. IDP ’07) is a certified reflexologist and master herbalist who works as a family leader for the Colorado Department of Public Health. She lives in Aurora with her adult daughter who has special needs.

Nathan Hahs (B.A. psychology ’07) is a published author and poet, and a proud parent of two. He recently returned to MSU Denver to study mathematics and physics.

Phil Swanson (B.A. human performance ’07) works as a house leader for Habitat for Humanity in Atlanta, where he lives with his wife. Previously, Swanson worked for City of Refuge and Boulder County K-Life.

Amir Raj Thapa (B.S. environmental science ’07) is an educational consultant for Shanti Griha, a nongovernmental organization in Nepal, where he helped build water systems, medical camps and provided school supplies to children of the indigenous Chepang people. He recently ran with 11 children in their first 5K race in Kathmandu and credits his experience at Auraria Library for the ability to help establish three libraries for the Chepang.

SHARE YOUR NEWS

Email your class note to magazine@msudenver.edu or submit an update online at msudenver.edu/magazine.

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Zachary Dorsey (B.A. hospitality, tourism and events ’08) is an entrepreneur who founded the Q Party Shuttle, Las Vegas’ first exclusively LGBT party bus. Along with other business ventures, he is studying at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas to become a registered dietitian.

Adam Garner (B.A. English ’08) is director of music and liturgy, and a language consultant at Leopolis Molodiy Student Center in L’Viv, Ukraine. He has traveled nationally and internationally for his work and credits linguistics and travel writing courses at MSU Denver for his success.

Richard Martel (B.S. human services ’08) is a state-registered psychotherapist and program manager for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. He formerly served as chairman of the Denver American Indian Commission and is on the planning committee for Denver’s Crime Prevention and Control Commission.

Rachel Williams (B.S. criminal justice and criminology ’08) is a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in Denver where she helps abused and neglected children. She lives with her husband and two of her four granddaughters.

2009

Minda Kochis (B.A. human development ’09) is a licensed elementary school teacher who taught for Denver Public Schools following graduation. She and her husband recently started Digital Mango to design software for educational and business purposes that will be used both in the U.S. and abroad.

David Lamothe (B.A. recreation management ’09) is an outdoor recreation and intramural sports specialist for Auraria Campus Recreation. He has worked for the Denver Transit Construction Group and Regional Transportation District during construction of the new light rail system between Denver and Golden, Colorado, and also performs as a musician with two local bands.

Diane Wright (K-12 art education licensure ’09) is a professional artist and art educator for Cherry Creek Schools in Denver. She credits the licensure program at MSU Denver for her success in working with K-12 students.

2011

Stephanie Francesca Kane (B.A. hospitality, tourism and events ’11) is living on Long Island, New York, where she cares for her parents and works for a 5-acre organic farm and chicken co-op. She enjoys doing Pilates and plans to pursue a master’s degree in environmental sustainability.

2013

Kylee Schuler (B.S. human nutrition ’13) is a volunteer for a sustainable farming organization called Mountain Roots Food Project in Crested Butte, Colorado. She previously worked as a medical assistant at the town’s ski resort and has been a concierge for an upscale bed and breakfast.

2014

Debra Olhoft (B.S. hospitality ’14) is an addiction technician at Arapahoe House substance abuse treatment center in Denver.

She is working toward a primary therapist position there, and a master’s degree at the University of Northern Colorado.

People In Memory 1960s

Edna Mosley (B.A. speech ’69) was the first African-American to serve on the Aurora City Council in Colorado from 1991 to 2003. Prior to that, she was director of community development for the Urban League of Metropolitan Denver and in 1988 she accompanied then-Governor Roy Romer on a trade mission to help expand cultural exchange with China. She was considered a friend and mentor to several Denver mayors including current Mayor Michael Hancock.

Among the many honors Mosley received over her life was the MSU Denver Distinguished Alumna award. In addition to her degree from MSU Denver, Mosley held a doctorate from Colorado State University and was a proud, lifelong member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She died in August 2014.

1970s

Catherine Stone-Kolb (B.S. accounting ’79), January 2013 Leotis Williams (B.S. computer and management science ’75), September 2014

1980s

Susanne Aikman (B.A. art ’81) was a pivotal member of the Denver public broadcasting community. She helped produce numerous series on Colorado Public Television for more than two decades and was also the host of the Sunday morning Alternative Voices Native American music show on Jazz89 KUVO, KVJZ 89.3 FM. She died in June 2014.

1990s

Phil Lucero (B.A. communications multi-major ’92) was a highly respected, freelance producer for 9News from 1998 to 2001 and board member of the Technical Communications Alumni Club. He formed his own production company, Phil Lucero Productions, in 2009 and hired many MSU Denver students and alumni to work for him. He died in August 2014.

2000s

Peter Doran II (M.A. professional accounting ’12), June 2014 Christopher Kranz (B.A. industrial design ’01), July 2014 Robert Mulcahy (B.A. industrial design ’05), June 2014

Drive with ROWDY PRIDE!

Faculty and Staff

Professor Emeritus Melvin E. Capehart was department chair of the Electronics Engineering Technology department from 1978 to 1984 and retired from MSU Denver in 2000. A former student wrote of Capehart, “His teaching style and depth of knowledge was superb.” Capehart died in August 2014.

Professor Emeritus John Hesson was a faculty member in MSU Denver’s Department of Psychology from 1976 until his retirement in 2004.

Hesson earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Temple University in Philadelphia and his Ph.D. at American University in Washington, D.C. He was active in Denver politics and was a well-known member of the Denver Press Club in the ‘80s. He died in August 2012.

Shawn McNary was an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Journalism and Technical Communication. He also was a respected local musician and audio producer, and was involved in the gaming and virtual technology communities. He died in November 2014.

Get your license plates at: msudenver.edu/alumni WINTER 2015

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the

FINALWORD The dean takes a pop quiz on the new School of Education.

STORY DOUG MCPHERSON | PHOTO DAVE NELIGH

T

hink back to when you were an MSU Denver student. Wouldn’t it have been fun to turn the

tables and give your professor a pop quiz? Well, live vicariously through this article. We peppered Elizabeth Hinde, the founding dean of the new School of Education, with questions about herself, the school and teacher education.

MSU Denver established its School of Education

in fall 2014 with a $1.88 million federal grant it received in 2010. The school offers bachelor’s degrees and a master of arts in teaching. Hinde joined MSU Denver in September 2014.

How did your background prepare you for the job? I was the director of teacher preparation at Arizona State University that served nearly 4,000 students. I was mentored by the dean at ASU and I gained a lot of valuable experience there. I’ve also completed the Harvard [University] Management Development Program in higher education. But I’d have to say my most important preparation came from being an elementary school teacher for 20 years.

What’s your vision for the School of Education?

To be one of the premier teacher-preparation programs in the country, so it can positively impact schools in Denver, in Colorado and beyond. University-based teacher preparation is the best hope for preparing teachers for the schools we need.

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What are your thoughts on MSU Denver’s mission of providing an excellent education at an affordable price? That’s one of the things that attracted me to the University. Accessibility to education is one way we achieve excellence as a nation. The heart of teaching is accessibility for all learners and to be affordable means more access.

How is the School of Education going above and beyond in terms of the education it provides students? First, it starts with passion. The faculty here are incredibly passionate and committed to students. And second, our students and faculty are embedded in the schools — they’re out in the community.

What differentiates MSU Denver’s School of Education from other institutions? We’re in the heart of Denver and we understand the needs of urban schools and kids. We also have solid partnerships with 17 school districts and we all have mutual respect for each other. And we’re committed to the needs of schools and students by providing a vision for how schools can be in the future. I also want to say that MSU Denver has a wonderful history and track record in education. Teacher education was one of the original programs when the school opened in 1965, and the University has improved along the way. It takes all the resources of a university to make a strong program, and MSU Denver understands that. We’re primed to become a model of teacher preparation throughout the country.

How is MSU Denver preparing our next generation of educators? Our curriculum and programs are cutting-edge and based on research about what’s best for kids and schools. We’re imparting the skills, knowledge and experiences teachers will need to address schools’ needs.

What skills do educators today need to have?

You’ll find many different kinds of students together in one classroom, so teachers need to be able to reach all of them, and to be able to use technology like never before. Teachers need to be prepared to teach knowing that their students come from a multitude of backgrounds and with knowledge that was not available to school-age children a generation ago. I read recently that today’s second graders will work in jobs that currently don’t exist, so critical-thinking and problem-solving skills are vital since those thinking skills are necessary to face the challenges that the next generation is likely to face — even if we don’t know the specific jobs they might have.

How is the School of Education innovative in its approach to education? The three keys are partnerships with multiple stakeholders, residency models that put University students in schools for their entire senior year and our relevant and rigorous curricula. All three of these are why it’s an exciting time to be here.

We’re in a unique time now for schools and for teacher preparation, and MSU Denver’s School of Education is excited to help lead the way.

REMEMBER WHEN? We’re taking a stroll down memory lane and want you to join us. Send us your MSU Denver memorabilia — photos, articles and artifacts — to be included in the University Archive Project, developed to showcase the University’s history, traditions and stories.

Tell your MSU Denver story by submitting your items to: MSU Denver Alumni Association/University Archive Project Campus Box 11, P.O. Box 173362 Denver, CO 80217 Or scan your items and email them to: universityarchive@msudenver.edu Questions? Contact Gini Mennenga at 303-556-8320.

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit 2965 Denver, CO

Campus Box 86 P.O. Box 173362 Denver, CO 80217

W E ’ R E G E A R I N G U P T O C E L E B R AT E O U R 5 0 TH A N N I V E R S A R Y !

S TAY T U N E D . . .

THE FUN BEGINS THIS SUMMER.