Metropolitan Denver Magazine - Fall 2016

FALL 2016

> Shattering the status quo

hail to the chief...

> O pe ni ng d o or s

METROPOLITAN STATE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER

roadrunner

> Brea king down bias

Make my mark on the world Impact my community Be relevant Get a good job

MAKE YOUR MARK Make your mark by supporting our students and programs. Your gift to MSU Denver will help our students realize their wildest, most colorful dreams.

Develop my talents Explore my passions

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

Photo by Sara Hertwig

Learn new things

FALL 2016

VOL. 4 NO.2 MSUDENVER.EDU/MAGAZINE

METROPOLITAN DENVER MAGAZINE

NEW FRIENDS Students went on a journey of helping and healing in Bhopal, India. Along the way they made memories and new friends.

Photo by Connie Dines.

08 16 20 OPENING DOORS

President Stephen Jordan, Ph.D., announces June 2017 retirement, leaves legacy of transformational leadership and increased opportunities for nontraditional students.

It’s human nature to react to stress, conflict or danger by either running away or toward a situation, also known as “fight or flight.” Why do some people resist the urge to run away from danger?

02 THE FIRST WORD

14 BREAKING DOWN BIAS

03 IN YOUR WORDS

22 HIGH PRESSURE

President Jordan will retire from MSU Denver on June 30, 2017, leaving behind an impressive list of accomplishments.

Roadrunners from the 1970s tell us how MSU Denver changed their lives.

04 NEWS ON THE COVER President Jordan will retire from MSU Denver after 12 transformative years on June 30, 2017. Photo by Mark Woolcott.

LIFE SAVERS

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

Assistant Professor Rosemarie Allen’s research shines a light on the preschool-to-prison pipeline for students of color.

Tornadoes and thunder are real-world teaching tools in Associate Professor Sam Ng’s Observations of Severe Weather class.

24 HELPING AND HEALING IN

BHOPAL A group of health care students witness firsthand how western medicine and eastern therapies are combatting the world’s worst industrial disaster.

SHATTERING THE STATUS QUO

Equity Assistance Center wins $8.5 million DOE grant to ensure that all students get a fair shake.

26 A GIFT, FOR LIFE

After her devastating loss, alumna Sandra Sandoval wanted to help others transform their lives.

28 PEOPLE IN MEMORY 30 THE FINAL WORD

Professor Kenn Bisio’s journey through 40 years of journalism.

32 PEOPLE

MSU Denver alumni share news and notes.

the

FIRSTWORD PASSING THE TORCH As some of you may have heard already, I announced my decision to retire from MSU Denver effective June 30, 2017.

After considerable thought, my wife Ruthie and I reached a place where we felt the time was right to give the Board of Trustees notice of our intention to retire. This was a tough decision, but I truly believe that after many years of working to advance the University, it is time for someone else to come in with new energy and an expanded vision.

It has been a special honor to serve as president of this great University for the past 11 years, and to enjoy a 38-year career in higher education. When I first arrived on campus in 2005, I had this big vision – to transform MSU Denver into the preeminent urban university in the nation. I quoted American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham: “Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work.”

With support from alumni and friends like you, we have made great progress toward our goal.

We went from a college to a university, designed and launched five master’s programs, constructed buildings that support student learning outcomes and became a sought-after partner in the community.

We also increased opportunities for nontraditional students and students of color, as well as supporting underrepresented groups and closing the attainment gap. This fall, students of color make up 39.5 percent of MSU Denver’s overall student population, and nearly 32 percent of our students are the first in their families to go to college. Our first-time freshman retention rate has risen from 56 percent 10 years ago to 72 percent this fall for our students who participated in the First Year Success Program. With a 24 percent Latino population, I have no doubt that we’ll reach our goal of achieving Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) status by 2018.

Metropolitan Denver Magazine is published three times a year by the Metropolitan State University of Denver Office of Marketing and Communications. © 2016 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.

02

FALL 2016

These are just a few of the many things we’ve accomplished together. As I think this issue of Metropolitan Denver Magazine attests, we continue to exceed expectations and I have no doubt that the University will remain on the path to preeminence after I retire in June.

So you are aware, a national search for my successor is already underway. Our Board of Trustees, under the leadership of Chair Michelle Lucero, is working with AGB Search to find the best possible candidates. Former Board Chair Rob Cohen will lead the search committee that will include a broad representation of faculty, staff, students, trustees and alumni as well as foundation and community members.

All that said, my work is not done yet. During this academic year, I will focus on completing four major initiatives: achieving HSI status, seeking further funding for and opening the AES Building, successfully completing our re-accreditation process through the Higher Learning Commission and updating our approach to shared governance.

I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your support over the past 11 years. A university is ultimately measured by the lives and work of its graduates. By that standard, MSU Denver is already the preeminent urban university in the nation.

With gratitude,

Stephen M. Jordan, Ph.D. President

PUBLISHER AND EXECUTIVE EDITOR CATHY LUCAS | EDITOR STEPHANIE BROOKS | ART DIRECTOR CRAIG KORN | EDITORIAL ASSISTANT RACHEL BRUNER (CLASS OF 2017) | COPY EDITORS DAN VACCARO, CARA DEGETTE AND BRUCE GOLDBERG | CONTRIBUTORS SARA BEETS | KENN BISIO | CARRIE DINES | CARA DEGETTE | SARA HERTWIG | JAMIE HURST | BRUCE GOLDBERG | DOUG MCPHERSON | ADAM MILLION | MEGHANNE SHIPE | DAN VACCARO | LYNNE WINTER | MARK WOOLCOTT | KIP WOTKYNS | EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD ROBERT AMEND, PROFESSOR OF JOURNALISM AND TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION | GREG GEISSLER, DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS AND PRIVATE GRANTS | DEBORA GILLIARD, PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT | BRIAN GUNTHER, SCHOOL OF EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY & PROGRAM COORDINATOR | JAMIE HURST, DIRECTOR OF ANNUAL GIVING | JULIE LUCAS, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF INTEGRATED MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS | SAM NG, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF METEOROLOGY

YOUR

In

Words

Alumni from the 1970s reflect on how Metropolitan State University of Denver transformed their lives for the better.

The integral part that MSU Denver played in my life can’t be overstated.

It prepared me for a distinguished career in higher education administration for over 30 years.

Much of my professional development came from the extracurricular activities I was involved in around the college. It was a time when student participation and activism in college governance may have been at its zenith.

My experience in student government at the college as chief justice of the Student Court taught me how to work with a diversity of people, to resolve conflict and be an agent for change and improvement – lifelong skills needed in any profession.

I was also very fortunate to have had the professional mentorship of many individuals. In particular, Kenneth Curtis, Andy Breckel and Martha Valdez were all instrumental in my seeking a career in student personnel services.

After MSU Denver, I completed a master’s degree in public administration at the University of Colorado. I worked at Front Range Community College, retiring as dean of instructional services after more than 30 years. For more than two decades, I was a senior arbitrator for the Denver/Boulder Better Business Bureau.

The friends, colleagues, education and experiences at MSU Denver will never leave my memory. It is something for which I am forever indebted.

Craig Bowman B.A. English ‘70 MSU Denver made a real difference in my life.

I was a first-generation college student. I think my parents imagined it was like enrolling in first grade – walk through the door with your birth certificate and immunization card, and you’re good to go.

My parents had no experience with colleges, entrance exams or financial aid. My high school advisors compounded the problem, providing information to those whose parents had gone to college, while trying to steer the rest of us in other directions. Never mind the National Merit letter of commendation I received; my high school counselor was suggesting beauty school, or maybe a couple of years of community college.

After completing all of my high school graduation requirements, and frustrated at the lack of encouragement, I left in the middle of my senior year.

My school district did not award my diploma until spring, and made some noise about considering me truant for a semester. Some of my teachers and classmates thought I had dropped out. Imagine all of the jaws dropping when I showed up at the senior awards ceremony as a highly decorated retired military officer, I had been awarded a fullride scholarship by the Disabled American Veterans.

I had completed a term of classes as a provisional student at MSU Denver.

I loved the energy, enthusiasm, real-world approach and the rare opportunity to learn in small classes,

instead of lectures in crowded auditoriums.

I earned my Bachelor of Arts in biology with honors at the age of 20. Later, I got a Master of Science in public health from the University of Colorado, advanced through a wonderful career and retired from the Environmental Protection Agency.

All of it began with my college experience at MSU Denver.

Debbie Kova B.A. biology ’77

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!

Sharing your story has never been easier: 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.

THANK YOU TO OUR ROADRUNNERS ATHLETICS SPONSORS

TM

Hotel Partners Boulder Broker Inn Hilton Garden Inn Denver Cherry Creek Holiday Inn Denver Cherry Creek

Holiday Inn Denver Lakewood Radisson Denver Southeast SpringHill Suites Denver Downtown

FALL 2016

03

News

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

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS EARNS INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION AND LAUNCHES MBA PROGRAM In February, AACSB International — The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business announced that MSU Denver had earned accredita-

Party of the year On June 4, MSU Denver wrapped up its 50th anniversary year with one final celebration – the Summer Soirée – that honored MSU Denver’s history and supported undergraduate student scholarships. The event brought together alumni, friends, faculty, staff and numerous community supporters including Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock, Rosemary Rodriguez, state director for Senator Michael Bennet, Elbra Wedgeworth, chief government and community relations officer at Denver Health, Doug Price, president and CEO of Rocky Mountain PBS, Rowena Alegria, senior adviser for Mayor Hancock, Linda Childears, president and CEO of the Daniels Fund, Rita and Navin Dimond, founders of Stonebridge Properties, Cheryl Haggstrom, executive vice president of Community First Foundation and Marilee Utter, president, Citiventure Associates.

The University’s mariachi band, Los Correcaminos, welcomed guests as they arrived on campus, while pedicabs provided campus tours before dinner. Hospitality, Tourism and Events students prepared delectable appetizers, while inside the giant tent a jazz ensemble from MSU Denver set the stage for the evening with its vibrant playlist. The audience was also treated to two stirring speeches from scholarship recipients.

04

FALL 2016

tion for its College of Business. Fewer than 5 percent of the world’s business programs have earned AACSB accreditation, which is a hallmark of excellence in business education. In addition to achieving accreditation, the College of Business will offer a Master of Business Administration degree beginning in spring 2017.

Achieving accreditation entails a process of rigorous internal review, engagement

with

an

AACSB-

assigned mentor and peer review.

During the multiyear process, the institution focuses on developing and implementing a plan to align with AACSB’s

accreditation

standards.

These standards require excellence in areas relating to strategic management and innovation; student, faculty and staff as active participants; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement.

A+ in English MSU Denver ranked No. 1 for English majors among Colorado colleges

by Zippia.com, a website developed by marketing, engineering and technology experts that uses data to help guide career decisions.

Zippia.com used data from the National Center For Education Statistics and College Scorecard from ED.gov to understand which English departments offer the best career opportunities. This gave MSU Denver the distinction of being the “Best College For English” in Colorado.

The English Department received top marks for being the most affordable English degree in the state, while being the fifth-most exclusive out of

MAJOR SELLING POINT For the second year in a row, MSU Denver’s

all of the institutions of higher learning in Colorado.

Center for Professional Selling has sealed

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

the deal, earning the University a spot on

The University celebrated its newest graduates at Spring

the Sales Education Foundation’s list of “Top

Universities

for

Professional

Sales

Education.” MSU Denver is the only Colorado university to earn this distinction, and one

Commencement on May 14 at the Denver Coliseum with a record 27 ASSET students. The spring graduating class included 593 students of color, led by 326 Latino students. To accommodate continued growth in the number of MSU Denver graduates – more than 1,900 undergraduates and 130 master’s students participated – ceremonies

of fewer than 124 internationally.

were held in the morning and the afternoon. Graduates’ ages ranged

The list honors university sales-

from 20-year-old psychology major Bianca Gonzalez to 66-year-old

education programs that excel in

human services major Lt. L. Hollis, both of whom are first-generation

preparing students for careers

college students. Consistent with national higher-education trends,

in professional selling and help

women continued to outpace men, representing 58 percent of the

to elevate the sales profession.

MSU

Denver’s

Professional

Center

Selling

was

acknowledged as a notable emerging program by SEF in 2013 and 2014.

for

graduates. Transfer students comprised 69 percent, and veterans comprised 6 percent of the graduating class.

Thirty-nine percent of graduates are first-generation students, 54 percent are Pell-eligible and 27 percent secured STEM-focused degrees. One hundred and thirty-nine students pursued teacher licensure. The top five majors of the spring class, in order, were criminal justice and criminology, biology, psychology, accounting and management

FALL 2016

05

News

WHITE HOUSE TASK FORCE STOPS BY MSU DENVER In May, the White House Task Force on New Americans reached out to MSU Denver to host a regional gathering of city, state and federal government leaders, and representatives from nonprofit and advocacy organizations at the University’s SpringHill Suites Denver Downtown hotel. Launched in 2014 under the direction of President Barack Obama, the Task Force on New Americans is an interagency effort to better integrate immigrants and refugees into American communities.

Felicia Escobar, special assistant

to

President

Obama for Immigration

MSU Denver named a Diversity Champion

Policy at the White House, opened the meeting by introducing the goals of both the task force and the

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine recognized MSU Denver as one of 10 Diversity Champion colleges and universities in the nation.

Diversity Champions exemplify an unyielding commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout their campus communities, across academic programs, and at the highest administrative levels.

Selected institutions ranked in the top tier of the 92 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award recipients for 2015. The HEED Award is presented annually by INSIGHT Into Diversity to recognize colleges and universities that are dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive campus environment.

MSU Denver was recognized with the HEED Award in both 2014 and 2015. The award is the only one of its kind, honoring institutions with the highest level of commitment to creating a diverse atmosphere through initiatives, programs and outreach; student recruitment, retention and completion; and hiring practices for faculty and staff.

regional gatherings, which are being held in 10 cities across the country. There are 16 federal departments and White House offices currently working with local, city and state agencies to ensure deliberate community integration for all new Americans.

FÉLICITATIONS: ANN WILLIAMS RECOGNIZED BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT FOR SERVICE On May 6, in a ceremony hosted by the Department of Modern Languages,

Ann

Williams

was

inducted into the Ordre des Palmes Académiques – the French Order of Academic Palms – a distinction from the French government that was created by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1808. The award, bestowed upon Williams by Colorado’s Honorary Consul of France Jeffrey Richards, recognizes those who “rendered eminent service to French education and have contributed actively to the prestige of French culture.”

06

FALL 2016

‘An outspoken conscience that has moved us forward’ After more than 20 years at MSU Denver, Vice President of Academic Affairs Luis Torres, Ph.D., retired in June. In April, Torres received the National Association of Chicana and

PASS IT ON

Chicano Studies’ prestigious 2016 Scholar Award, which recognizes life achievement contributions of scholars to Chicana and Chicano Studies.

In May, the Nursing Department received the official report for the first cohort of students to go through MSU Denver’s Traditional Nursing Program and their

Torres’ many contributions to MSU Denver over the years include his work in service of the University’s implementation of an affordable tuition rate for undocumented students

pass rate on the National Council

in 2012 – a move that helped pave the way for the passage of Colorado’s ASSET legislation

Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses.

in 2013. His efforts began a

The results were impressive. The class

decade earlier following the

achieved a 96 percent pass rate, more

defeat of the ASSET bill’s

than 10 percent better than the national average of 83 percent. To remain approved by the Colorado State Board of Nursing, the program must maintain a

initial iteration in 2003.

Today, nearly 400 undocumented students attend

75 percent pass rate. National

MSU Denver, of which 359 are

accreditation requires the program to

ASSET students – roughly half

stay at or above the national average.

of the state’s ASSET students.

AN INDUSTRIOUS DESIGNER In April, senior Adam Fiala presented several of his original works to 100 industrial design students, faculty and industry members from across the western United States as part of the Industrial Designers Society of America 2016 West District Design Conference. Fiala learned he would represent the University at the regional conference after he was declared MSU Denver’s Student Merit Award winner.

Among the speakers at the conference were Michael Paterson, senior industrial designer with GoPro; Mike Neustedter, executive director of Paradox Sports; and Lisa Abendroth, professor of communication design at MSU Denver.

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

OPENING

O

DOORS

O

PRESIDENT STEPHEN JORDAN, PH.D., ANNOUNCES JUNE 2017 RETIREMENT, LEAVES LEGACY OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND INCREASED OPPORTUNITIES FOR NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS. STORY DAN VACCARO | PHOTOS MARK WOOLCOTT AND MSU DENVER

On a sunny day in September 2005, the newly appointed president of then-Metropolitan State College of Denver delivered his first Welcome Back address to the campus community.

The speech made one thing very clear – Stephen Jordan wasn’t afraid to dream big.

He laid out a plan to transform the institution into “the preeminent urban baccalaureate college in the nation.”

“Eyebrows were definitely raised,” said Chief of Staff Cathy Lucas, who was present in 9th Street Park that day. “The idea of growing what was then seen exclusively as a local commuter college into a nationally recognized university was not something people could imagine.”

Jordan spent the next 11 years turning raised eyebrows into raised expectations, and detractors into believers.

FALL 2016

09

Through the HSI initiative and the ASSET program, Jordan has opened doors for thousands of Colorado students who might otherwise not have the opportunity to attend college.

The AES initiative includes $60 million for construction

In 2005, the first-time retention rate for

of a new building and the creation of Colorado’s only

students was 55 percent. This past fall that

Institute for Advanced Manufacturing Sciences.

rate climbed to 72 percent.

The Regency Athletic Complex turned a blighted area into a community treasure.

10

FALL 2016

Under his watch, the humble local college grew into a full-fledged university – Metropolitan State University of Denver. Five master’s degrees were created and launched. New buildings seemed to spring up overnight. Innovative partnerships became the talk of the state and nation. And countless doors were opened for the nontraditional, scrappy students who have long called MSU Denver home.

Through it all, Jordan’s vision of preeminence remained the guiding light.

In his 2016 Welcome Back address in September, Jordan announced another unexpected plan – his decision to retire after 12 years at the helm of MSU Denver. He set his retirement date for June 2017, and emphasized that he would continue to work tirelessly on the major initiatives he’d set in motion.

“I truly believe that after a while, when you’ve made tremendous change in advancing the University, it’s time for someone else to come in with a new energy and an expanded vision,” he said. “It is time for a change.”

Open doors

On a brisk winter morning, Jordan strides down the long walkway toward the Student Success Building. He always moves fast, but the chill seems to put even more bounce in his step.

During Jordan’s tenure, Metro State College blossomed into Metropolitan State University of Denver and added five new master’s degree programs.

“Ruthie is my

He stops at the entryway to hold the door for a young woman. She smiles and thanks him as she passes.

sounding board, my

Another student follows a few steps behind. Jordan holds the door for him as well.

editor and my confidant,”

It is a simple moment of common courtesy. But to anyone who has followed Jordan’s career, there is symbolic resonance in the gesture.

said Jordan.

Jordan has opened the doors of higher education for innumerable students during his time at MSU Denver, especially those who might not otherwise have had the opportunity to attend college.

He might be best remembered for the courageous stand he took on behalf of undocumented students, working with the MSU Denver Board of Trustees to create a special tuition rate that provided easier access to education. That bold move is widely recognized as heralding the passage of Colorado’s ASSET bill.

“People don’t really know the tremendous public pressure we faced in making that decision,” said former Board Chair Robert Cohen. “There was hate mail and worse, but with Steve’s steady leadership and laser focus, we drew our line in the sand. We were committed to supporting underrepresented students and closing the attainment gap at any cost.”

Jordan and MSU Denver received national recognition for that stance. In 2014, Jordan was honored with the Latin American Educational Foundation’s Sol Trujillo National Lifetime Leadership Award and the Anti-Defamation League’s Civil Rights Award. This year, the board received the prestigious John W. Nason Award for Board Service. The University also was selected to host the White House Task Force on New Americans this past June.

Beyond that singular achievement, Jordan’s arrival on the Auraria Campus marked a new era at MSU Denver, one in which the University made major advances in student retention and graduation. In 2005, the first-time retention rate for students was a meager 55 percent. This past fall, that rate climbed to 72 percent.

The Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center is one of four new buildings added to campus under Jordan’s leadership.

FALL 2016

11

O

Jordan also spearheaded initiatives developed specifically to recruit and support students of color, including the goal of achieving Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) status by 2018. To be considered an HSI, 25 percent of a university’s full-time equivalent enrollment needs to be from Hispanic backgrounds. Since 2007, the number of MSU Denver undergraduate students who identify as Latino jumped from 12.5 percent to 24 percent (including ASSET students).

“Our faculty and staff

This year, students of color make up 39.5 percent of MSU Denver’s overall student population, and nearly 32 percent of students are the first in their families to go to college.

the mission of the

But Jordan hasn’t just opened metaphoric doors. He’s opened literal doors as well. The last five years have seen ribbons cut on the Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center, Student Success Building and Regency Athletic Complex. The Aerospace and Engineering Sciences Building will open in summer 2017.

University. They believe

“We’ve invested $190 million in facilities in the last decade,” said Jordan.

“That has not only helped reduce the projected space shortage on campus by 73 percent, but provided better amenities for our students and faculty.

That is a significant impact.”

Jordan adds that these facilities have transformed MSU Denver’s corner of the Auraria Campus while also supporting the educational priorities of the University – training students for upwardly mobile careers in Colorado’s largest industries.

Howdy, partner

The economic crisis of 2008 forced colleges and universities across the country to rethink their long-term strategies. MSU Denver was no exception.

“We were at our board retreat,” recalled Jordan, “and we realized that things would never go back to the good old days when the state funded education at 75 percent. So, we started to talk about new models for funding and landed on public-private partnerships.”

Since that time, Jordan has forged several such partnerships, the most high profile being the Aerospace and Engineering Sciences (AES) initiative.

In meetings with industry leaders, Jordan kept hearing how aerospace and advanced manufacturing companies in Colorado couldn’t find sufficient local talent to support their growth. Recognizing an opportunity, he spoke with faculty from six different disciplines, and continued talking with leaders in the field to understand industry needs. Work soon began on a program to train the most skilled, workforce-ready aerospace and advanced manufacturing graduates in the nation.

With support from industry leaders, the faculty developed a firstof-its-kind curriculum that fostered advantageous connections between aerospace sciences; civil, electrical and mechanical engineering technology; and computer information systems and computer science.

The AES initiative also included plans for the construction of a $60 million building and the creation of Colorado’s only Institute for Advanced Manufacturing Sciences. The project cost was split evenly 12

FALL 2016

are so committed to

that we can do things that no other school can or will.”

—Stephen Jordan

between state capital development funding, University allocation of carefully saved construction dollars and private donations.

“Ruthie is my sounding board, my editor and my confidant. So many of her ideas and initiatives have made a lasting impact on this University.”

“We were ahead of most colleges and universities in the state and the nation in that we weren’t thinking about public-private partnerships strictly in terms of housing,” said Jordan. “We wanted to use our partnerships to grow and sustain academic programs. That was a novel approach.”

With its chief Roadrunner headed for retirement, MSU Denver faces the daunting prospect of finding a new leader.

The road ahead

Jordan isn’t done just yet. For the next year, he will focus on tying up some of the high-level projects he has put into place: achieving HSI status, opening the AES Building, ensuring re-accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission and updating the University’s approach to shared governance.

While he is proud of his accomplishments at MSU Denver, he is quick to point out that there is more work to be done, and that his success was never a solo venture.

“The real credit goes to the people on the front line,” he said. “Our faculty and staff are so committed to the mission of the University. They believe that we can do things that no other school can or will. They believe that our students, many of whom would not be accepted at other universities, can thrive if they just get the right opportunity.”

Jordan also credits his wife Ruthie for keeping him at the top of his game.

But Board Chair Michelle Lucero sounds a note of optimism.

“We will miss Dr. Jordan dearly,” said Lucero, “but we also feel that with the foundation he put in place, and his leadership on so many successful projects, including the development of our strategic plan, we are ready to build on his work to move the University forward.”

Lucero adds that a process is already in place to find Jordan’s successor.

AGB Search has been hired to lead the search, which will begin with an assessment of what qualities and characteristics the community hopes to find in its next president.

Jordan, too, is confident the board will find the right leader for MSU Denver.

He says that candidates will be excited to be part of the work happening at the University. And when that new leader arrives she or he will find a community ready and willing to carry the mission forward.

“When I arrived and laid out the vision of preeminence, people didn’t think we were capable of making it happen. But there has been a huge culture shift since then. It took time, but today everyone understands the vision.

Once that belief is built into a culture, it tends to remain there long beyond any one person or leader. Our people know who we are. They know what we are capable of achieving.”

B R E A K I N G

D O W N

B I A S ASSISTANT

PROFESSOR ROSEMARIE ALLEN’S RESEARCH SHINES A LIGHT ON THE PRESCHOOL-TOPRISON PIPELINE FOR STUDENTS OF COLOR. STORY CARA DEGETTE | PHOTO SARA BEETS

Remember elementary school? Recess was the highlight of your day and a trip to the principal’s office was terrifying. What if they called your mom?!

As a child, Rosemarie Allen was in the principal’s office more often than she was in the classroom.

“I was suspended from school from the time I started kindergarten … at least five to seven times a year,” she told Chalkbeat in March 2016. “I was expelled from three schools. It was the strangest thing because I knew instinctively I wasn’t bad and I couldn’t figure out why I kept getting in trouble.”

• Black girls represent 20 percent of female preschool enrollment, but 54 percent of female preschool children receiving one or more out-of-school suspensions.

Today Allen is an assistant professor of early childhood education in MSU Denver’s School of Education where she works to prevent the practice of exclusionary discipline. Such practices have resulted in a disproportionate number of young children of color being suspended, including from preschool programs as early as 17 months old.

“Teachers bring certain cultural biases to the classroom that often conflict with the culture of the students,” Allen said. “My goal as a professor is to help future educators recognize those biases and to understand the implications on their teaching practices.”

Allen developed an online course as part of her doctoral internship with President Barack Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative. The course was designed to create more educational opportunities for boys and young men of color to help decrease the disproportionate suspension rate for students of color.

“The latest data shows they totally get disengaged before they even get to kindergarten,” Allen said. “Our early childhood teachers come into the system with great hearts for kids, but they may not be aware of biases they have, especially for children of color.”

And she’s not alone.

In 2016, the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights released a study showing that black public preschool students continue to be suspended at high rates. Among the findings: • Black preschool children are 3.6 times as likely to receive one or more out-of-school suspensions as white preschool children.

• Black boys represent 19 percent of male preschool enrollment, but 45 percent of male preschool children receiving one or more out-of-school suspensions.

Allen says it’s important to keep in mind a certain data lag in the recently released figures. With the work being done to address the disparities, she is hopeful for “great strides” when the next report is conducted in 2018.

“What we have seen around the country are states putting policies in place – including several states that have banned preschool suspensions altogether,” Allen says.

In May, the Denver Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity awarded Allen Citizen of the Year. Kappa Alpha Psi is a predominantly African-American membership fraternity that sponsors programs providing community service, social welfare and academic scholarships.

In her acceptance speech, Allen underscored the need to address racial inequities in early childhood programs.

“Did you know that our young black boys are kicked out of programs as early as 17 months old?” she asked the crowd. “And once that happens, they are on a downward trajectory.

And without intervention, they are 10 times more likely to end up in a juvenile justice system.

“We must break and dismantle the preschoolto-prison pipeline.”

On June 25, Allen delivered a TEDx Talk to a crowd of 2,800 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Denver Performing Arts Complex downtown. Allen called the experience “amazing, absolutely incredible.”

In a preview to the TEDx Talk, Allen was interviewed by TEDxMileHigh on ways people can improve their own cultural awareness. One way, she said, is to develop “personal, authentic relationships with people that we perceive as different from us.”

“One of the most important things we can do to become culturally competent is to be intentionally aware,” she said. “We have to be aware of our biases by facing them head on.

When biased thoughts and behaviors crop up in our lives we should wonder why. ... I always say, ‘Aware is halfway there.’ Being mindful about being aware is key.”

FALL 2016

15

LIFE SAVERS

STORY DOUG MCPHERSON

I

t was Sept. 14, 2001. Hazy smoke still hovered above the heartbroken city of New York. And blood still stained its paved and dusty streets.

Brian Bagwell (B.S. human services ’92), who had just earned his doctorate of psychology, walked among the hellish wreckage speaking with the responders who raked the ruins for survivors. He listened to them with the singular goal of helping them process the horror that surrounded them.

Bagwell, an associate professor in MSU Denver’s Department of Human Services, could have easily been there when the planes tore through the towers. That year he was living in New Jersey, working as a volunteer firefighter in one of the departments called into service on that awful day.

But as it happened, on the eve of the attack Bagwell had traveled back to his native Denver with his son to attend the Broncos season kickoff game.

“When I saw what happened, we headed back to New York immediately,” Bagwell says.

Bagwell and his son rented a car (all planes had been grounded) and made the cross-country drive.

WHEN THE UNIMAGINABLE HAPPENS, MSU DENVER ALUMNI RESPOND WITH RESOLVE AND PROFESSIONALISM TO HELP HUMANS IN NEED.

“The whole area was a crime scene. Smoke was everywhere and the smell was horrific,” Bagwell said. “I remember seeing [the movie actress] Susan Sarandon serving food in a makeshift restaurant – a lot of actors and celebrities were helping – it was surreal. I remember seeing a set of venetian blinds, and a shirt was hanging off of them – I was saying to myself, ‘That was somebody’s shirt.’ I saw a driver’s license, a birthday card, and I remember looking up and seeing a large piece of cardboard and spraypainted on it was the word morgue.”

After spending weeks at ground zero, Bagwell said a feeling of purpose began to form in his mind. “It all started to make sense – why I had decided to get a doctorate in psychology. It was this – helping people who needed it.”

SERVING PEOPLE As it turns out, Bagwell is a good person to talk about public service – he’s also a 20-year veteran of the Aurora Fire Department. After a decade there, he decided to go back to school to study human services, and graduated from MSU Denver in 1992. He went on to get his master’s degree and a doctorate while continuing his work as a firefighter. He also began teaching as an affiliate faculty member at MSU Denver in the early 1990s and has taught an untold number of alumni who’ve opted for careers in public service.

“I thought I was coming to take a few classes and it wound up being a springboard to doctoral-level education,” Bagwell said. “These days, I feel like my career has come full circle. Instead of continuing to work as a first responder, I’m training the next generation of first responders.”

What’s more, he’s been instrumental in adding new curricula and programs to ensure students are getting the instruction and experience they need to be effective once they graduate.

FALL 2016

17

A prime example is the University’s Fire and Emergency Response Administration Program, which builds on existing community colleges’ curricula and meets a growing national demand for college degrees among people in the field of fire science. Bagwell has been shepherding the program into existence for the last seven years, and this past September, the Higher Learning Commission gave FERA formal approval as a stand-alone major and minor at MSU Denver.

The program is already attracting a lot of interest and some classes within FERA have well over 30 students.

One of those students is Susan Owens, a former paramedic who wanted to return to school for the bachelor’s degree she never had time to earn. After an exhausting search, she nearly gave up before discovering FERA. “It felt right from the outset, and it’s helped me figure out what I want to be when I grow up,” said Owens, who plans to become an arson investigator. “I really appreciate the hands-on learning.

When you actually do something with your own hands, it’s hard to forget.”

Bagwell said every class requires a service-learning component so students learn through serving the community as well.

Another alumnus, Robert Shaughnessy ( B.S. human services ‘16), said he didn’t know he wanted to be a firefighter. But he’s always been drawn to helping people – from his days of learning basic first aid as a Boy Scout, to his work as a lifeguard and later as a hospital emergency medical technician.

“I more or less stumbled into the human services office here without a plan,” Shaughnessy said of the day he signed up for the FERA Program. “I’d been looking at programs and trying to figure out what to do next. I met with Brian [Bagwell] and he asked me if I’d ever considered the fire service. The next thing I knew he was helping me put a degree plan together, figuring out how I could transfer credits. He’s mentored me every step of the way and that’s made a huge impact on who I’ve become.”

Shaughnessy graduated in May, and is currently looking for a position at a fire academy while continuing to work as an EMT. He said the program prepared him for what he will face every day in fire service and the skills he’ll need to be a leader in the field.

Bagwell is pleased with how FERA has turned out. “I know of nothing like it in the state at the bachelor’s-degree level,” he said. “Dr. Jordan [Stephen Jordan, MSU Denver’s president] talks about our preeminence in the public service area and that’s true. We’re getting folks from all around the state. It will become one of the flagship programs in the public safety realm.”

18

FALL 2016

GOING PROFESSIONAL Most of MSU Denver’s first responders graduate from the College of Professional Studies, which includes the Human Services Department where FERA resides.

Bagwell said the Human Services Department offers “a huge blanket” of offerings in public service. “There are so many areas and directions it can grow and continue like in fire service, law enforcement, homeland security and emergency medical services. We also attract people who are already working in those fields who are looking for an opportunity to move up. There is this huge need out there and we’re helping to fill it.”

One area where the College of Professional Studies excels – and has excelled for decades – is in criminal justice and criminology.

One alumnus, Doug Abraham (criminal justice administration ’92), currently serves as chief of police for the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Abraham, a 29-year veteran of Aurora Police Department who finished as division chief of patrol operations, has come face to face with hundreds of tragedies, including the Aurora movie theater shooting in 2012.

“In that situation, the event was controlling us, we weren’t controlling it,” Abraham said. “Of course we had a lot of immediate concerns, the safety of our students, because James Holmes [the shooter] was a former [Anschutz] student. We didn’t know if he had booby-trapped part of the campus like he did his apartment. There were a lot of things I wanted to tell people but there was a gag order. Everything was tangled up with a lot of turmoil.”

Abraham said his MSU Denver education played a major role in not only handling that emergency, but many others throughout his career.

“As I look back on my education I realize that I let that guide me in my day-to-day work and how I make decisions,” he said. “Many of the classes were very high-level classes that stimulated my thinking.”

He recalled a media relations class and how that helped him in an emergency domestic dispute that became a hostage situation in an apartment building. “The call was becoming a tactical nightmare because we couldn’t warn the other residents – it was before we had reverse 911. I decided to have the media report about the danger so the others who lived there knew what was going on and it all worked out okay. No one got hurt and the man went to jail. The media got its story and we got our man.”

PHOTO SARA HERTWIG

SELF-CARE 101 Abraham added that another area of academics where MSU Denver benefits students entering public service is selfcare and stress reduction.

Nancy Rich, an affiliate professor in the Human Services Department at MSU Denver who trains future workers in the helping professions, teaches a class on trauma resilience.

The course covers catastrophes to terrorism, in which she stresses preparedness, intervention during the crisis and mitigation afterwards.

Rich said there are many tactics to function well in highstress jobs and to prevent stress and pressure.

“For students going into human services, I think self-care is a vital skill to have,” Rich said. “I think the most important skills are empathy and the ability to separate oneself from the pain of others while still being compassionate.”

Abraham agrees. “This is so important and so needed,” he said. “We have to get police, fire and emergency medical people out of the macho mode. We know stress impacts first responders, but a lot of them say to themselves that, ‘If it bothers me, there’s something wrong with me.’ But that’s backwards; if it doesn’t bother them then that’s a problem. They need to acknowledge that they’re human and then take advantage of all the resources that are available and get the help they need.”

“I think the most important skills are empathy and the ability to separate oneself from the pain of others while still being compassionate.”

— Nancy Rich

THE

EQUITY ASSISTANCE CENTER WINS $8.5 MILLION DOE GRANT TO ENSURE THAT ALL STUDENTS GET A FAIR SHAKE.

Perry Evenstad agreed and said males of color are disproportionately suspended or expelled even at the preschool level. “We want to spot underlying issues of race early on and identify how issues of race play out in our schools today,” she said.

On average, Perry Evenstad said the EAC handles about 120 issues annually, and starting this year, the center’s service territory will grow from serving six states to 16 states, commonwealths and territories.

STORY DOUG MCPHERSON

O

ne school district needed training on cultural sensitivity for its front office staff. Another wanted a climate assessment to try and understand the achievement gap among its Latino students. One statewide charter school hoped to create an institute on interacting equitably with families and students experiencing poverty.

Where did they turn for help?

The Equity Assistance Center at MSU Denver.

Housed at the University since 2011, the EAC grew out of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and helps solve educational equity issues related to race, gender, national origin, economic status and religious harassment in schools. The center’s work has impacted the lives of thousands of underserved children in Colorado and throughout the western United States.

That work has not gone unnoticed. This fall the U.S. Department of Education awarded the EAC a grant worth $8.5 million to continue its efforts through 2021.

Jan Perry Evenstad, Ph.D., EAC director, said the center is mostly about offering training “to help to build kinder and gentler schools who are accepting of everyone.

“Schools request our services on problems related to equitable education and we help them solve those problems. It’s one of the real tangible ways MSU Denver is transforming its community and making education more accessible.”

In Colorado, for example, the EAC helped the Adams 14 School District improve its schools’ culture after a federal investigation found the district had created a difficult environment for Hispanic students and teachers. And in Colorado Springs, the center recently reviewed Falcon 49 School District’s policies to ensure compliance with federal laws around gender and sexual orientation.

Percy Morehouse, Jr., Ph.D., executive director of equal opportunity and assistant to the president at MSU Denver, said some of the grant money will go to assist and train K-12 school districts with disproportionate suspension, expulsions and disparate achievement gaps.

In addition to serving Colorado, the EAC will also assist: New Mexico, Utah, Montana, California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth Northern Mariana Islands.

“With the expanded geography, the staff will begin meeting the needs of new populations; they’re eager to rise to the challenge,” said Marilyn Chipman, Ph.D., educational equity coordinator for the EAC. To stay up on the many developments in the educational arena, Chipman said EAC staff attend national and international conferences, and network extensively with colleagues.

President Jordan said the grant illustrates how the federal government has “raised the stakes” in improving equity outreach.

“It significantly increased the scope of services we’ll provide and the geographic area where we’ll offer those services,” Jordan said.

“One of the key reasons MSU Denver won this grant is because we responded with great partnerships. I am so proud of all the MSU Denver employees who were involved in this amazing effort.”

Britt Jung, a group leader at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C., said research has shown that despite major progress in some areas, many students, especially students of color, continue to lack the opportunity of a quality education.

“We know our new grantees will provide all students with improved access to educational resources so that they may have the opportunity to succeed in school, careers and in life,” Jung said.

TORNADOES AND THUNDER ARE REALWORLD TEACHING TOOLS IN SAM NG’S OBSERVATIONS OF SEVERE WEATHER CLASS. STORY MEGHANNE SHIPE | PHOTOS COURTESY OF SAM NG Observations of Severe Weather, taught by Associate Professor Sam Ng, Ph.D., is cool for all the right reasons.

How’s this for a typical class session: Students pile into a van and hit the road for a week or longer to observe bad weather with their own eyes.

For credit!

The brainchild of Ng and his colleague, MSU Denver alumnus Scott Landolt (B.S. meteorology ‘99), this remarkable course is a must for students with a major or minor in meteorology. There have even been a handful of exceptions made for interested students outside the discipline.

Ng launched the course in 2012, and since then has traveled with students to eight states to catch up with some of the country’s greatest storm systems.

Students must be prepared to spend up to 14 days on the road, though typical fieldwork generally runs about eight days, Ng said.

This is not “storm chasing,” according to Ng. In the parlance of the industry, this truly is “storm observation.” Students typically get no closer than a half-mile from a stationary storm, and safety is a priority.

“We always have an exit strategy,” he said, “because we want an out plan, at least one or two.”

But that’s close enough to provide some eye-popping instruction in severe weather. Each day, students use handheld weather meters to measure the wind, temperature, humidity and pressure. They track changes in the environment and also document the current weather with pictures and video.

Toward the middle of the course, the students begin to evaluate the day’s weather outlook and make forecasts. The class culminates with a final report based on their notes, observations and photographs.

Ng relishes the reactions he gets from the students. “It’s not just one memory; it’s the look on their face when they experience the storms first hand,” he said.

“It’s watching their jaws drop as they witness something cool and feeling their excitement from observing a storm up close for the first time.”

22

FALL 2016

H I G H

P R E S S U R E

H E L P I N G A N D H E A L I N G I N B H O P A L A GROUP OF HEALTH CARE STUDENTS WITNESS FIRSTHAND HOW WESTERN MEDICINE AND EASTERN THERAPIES ARE COMBATTING THE WORLD’S WORST INDUSTRIAL DISASTER STORY ADAM MILLION | PHOTO CONNIE DINES

24

FALL 2016

Imagine a noxious cloud snaking through Denver, sweeping south out of downtown through neighborhoods, past businesses and parks, all the way to Highlands Ranch. In its wake, people gasp for air, and their eyes and lungs burn. They run, seeking fresh air.

Thousands succumb on roadsides; others choke to death in their homes. Everything is poisoned: the air, the land, the water, the people.

Gina Sferrazza, an IHC senior, with the head herbalist at the Sambhavna Clinic in Bhopal. Sferrazza is passionate about gardening and herbalism, and spent her volunteer service time working in the gardens.

Each day, the students attended lectures, observed the clinic staff working together and engaged in various hands-on service learning projects – some helped in the garden with the herbs, some worked to create medicines from the herbs and some worked in the clinic’s library where documents on the history of the disaster and research conducted at the clinic are stored.

“We got amazing lectures by the medical staff who also showed us how they work with patients,” said Emily Matuszewicz, assistant professor of integrative health care. “In our world, conventional medicine and what we would call alternative medicine exist pretty separately. “[At the clinic] it was truly integrated, using their indigenous Aryuvedic medicine. It’s such a different view of the human being.”

POISONED WATER, 30 YEARS ON Today, children are still being born with mental and physical problems due to a poisoned water supply and illegal dumping. In some cases, children developed the disorders after drinking contaminated breast milk or water. Visiting the Chingari Rehabilitation Centre, which collaborates with the Sambhavna Clinic, was a profound experience for the students.

In the early morning hours of Dec. 2, 1984, deadly methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in the middle of Bhopal, a city in central India. Thousands never saw the sunrise that day, and the final death toll from the disaster is estimated at between 15,000 and 20,000.

Another 500,000 people were sickened.

More than three decades later, the impact of that disaster still lingers. And for 14 MSU Denver students and two of their professors, a January 2016 trip to Bhopal was inspiring, perhaps even life-changing.

The students, from MSU Denver’s Integrative Health Care Program, spent 10 days at Bhopal’s Sambhavna Clinic as part of a service-learning study abroad project.

The clinic includes a multisensory room, filled with lights, colored objects and textures, as well as physical rehabilitation and special education space. The students interacted with some of the children and took pictures with them, bringing joy to a difficult situation.

Mariah Master (B.S. integrative health care ’17) recalled a young girl sitting on the floor in the sensory room, who reached up and grabbed each of the students, one-by-one, to give them a huge hug, pulling them close to her.

The whole experience brought about a rush of different emotions for the students. For Master, she was overcome with inspiration and a strong sense of activism.

TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING

The clinic’s guiding principles are “first, do no harm” to the patients, and that “therapies do not contribute to the toxic load of the body.”

The Bhopal project was the brainchild of Carol Jensen, professor of integrative health care, who in the fall of 2014 began researching the possibility of taking students to Bhopal and the Sambhavna Clinic.

Sambhavna pairs traditional western medicine with yoga therapy and Ayurvedic medicine, one of the world’s oldest holistic (whole-body) healing systems.

That led to development of a yearlong curriculum to address the impact of the disaster, participate in the ongoing integrative care of those affected and explore opportunities for social change.

The preparatory class in fall 2015 – Integrative Health Care: India – covered the disaster’s background and directed students to create the health education materials that Sambhavna Clinic volunteers could use in the community.

The students created or purchased both written and visual materials, including posters that show yoga postures, a model breast to help women check for breast cancer and mannequins and models with removable organs. One student even created 3D-printed models depicting stages of fetal development.

“The health educators were so happy about the materials we brought,” said Master. “I know they will continue using them to better educate the community.”

The students held fundraisers to offset their travel expenses and the cost of the educational materials. With help from their professors and the community, they raised more than $25,000 through private donations. They made a presentation about the disaster at Ignite Denver and organized the Illuminate Bhopal Gala, which attracted 100 people.

“Fundraising was rewarding because I gained great skills along the way,” said Mallory O’Connell (B.S. integrative health care ’16). “But most importantly, it brought me closer to many of the other students, all of whom I consider family now.”

The group returned to the United States two days before the 2016 spring semester started. Many of the students participated in a follow-up course called Creating Change in Integrative Health.

Locally, many students have started working with the Rocky Flats Downwinders community organization, which is studying the health implications of the now-closed plant, which manufactured nuclear triggers, on those who lived downwind of the area.

Master now says she plans to join the Peace Corps after graduation and would like to travel back to Bhopal either during her breaks or after her service.

“I hadn’t even thought about [Peace Corps] before India,” she said. “Afterward, though, it just made sense. This experience opened my eyes. I was on a path to become a naturopathic doctor.

“But after this experience, I decided that if I want that, it would be there later. I want to volunteer, serve and travel right now.”

AFTER HER DEVASTATING LOSS, ALUMNA SANDRA SANDOVAL WANTED TO HELP OTHERS TRANSFORM THEIR LIVES. STORY LYNNE WINTER | PHOTO SARA BEETS The numbers from the Centers for Disease Control are staggering: •Half of Americans will experience major depression in their lifetimes.

•Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. •Men are four times more likely to succeed at suicide than women.

While the numbers provide facts, they don’t tell the whole story of how suicide’s affects reverberate like ripples on a pond, creating waves that either drown people in grief or inspire action.

Alumna Sandra Sandoval (B.A. anthropology ’02) decided to take action by turning her family’s private pain into a gift for a future student.

DENVER ROOTS Born and raised in Denver, Sandoval grew up in a modest, working-class household. Her father worked long hours and multiple jobs in order to take care of his family. He strongly encouraged Sandoval to pursue her education, telling her that life is better and that more opportunities are available with a college degree. Sadly, Sandoval’s father died from cancer during her freshman year of college and did not get to see her successfully complete her education.

A first-generation college student, Sandoval was unsure what direction she wanted to go with her studies when she enrolled at MSU Denver. She decided on a combination of subjects that complemented her strengths: a major in anthropology and a double minor in mechanical engineering and math. In 2002, Sandoval graduated with honors and found success and happiness in the field of electrical manufacturing.

In addition to her academic and professional life, Sandoval had a busy and full personal life.

She married her high school sweetheart, and they decided to start a family. They became the proud parents of a baby girl.

26

FALL 2016

UNIMAGINABLE PAIN From an outsider’s perspective, everything appeared to be going well; however, the outward appearance of success masked turmoil at home.

In addition to undiagnosed mental health issues, Sandoval’s husband had preexisting conditions that caused his physical health to suffer. His attempts to self-medicate his pain developed into an addiction, which threw the family into chaos. Aware that her husband needed more help than she could provide, Sandoval encouraged him to seek professional help. He resisted, convinced that neither his depression nor his addiction were problems that warranted treatment.

Last year, Sandoval’s husband became overwhelmed by his attempts to manage his chronic emotional and physical pain.

Feeling that the struggles he faced were insurmountable, he committed suicide.

Shocked and shattered after her husband’s death, Sandoval, her daughter and extended family wanted to focus on finding peace and move forward.

UNENDING OPTIMISM In founding the Life Matters Annual Scholarship, she wants to encourage those who are struggling with addiction and depression to get help.

“You only get one chance at living,” she said.

“You can be happy, and there are many people who are willing to help. If my husband knew how many people needed him, or if he had just reached out to one person, we could have helped or found someone to help. You have to take that first step and reach out. Nothing stays the same.

A year from now. A month from now. Everything changes. It can, and will, get better.”

Sandoval is optimistic that students will benefit from her message of hope. She hopes that the student who receives the Life Matters Annual Scholarship that she funded will take the opportunity to celebrate all that life has to offer. “Life is beautiful and I want to ensure other individuals are embracing life’s splendor,” she said. “Life is a gift, and no matter the struggle, it’s always worth living.”

You can share in Sandra Sandoval’s vision by giving to the Life Matters Annual Scholarship. Contact Allyssa Joseph at ajoseph9@msudenver.edu or 303-556-6934.

UNLIKELY DONOR Sandoval had never given to MSU Denver before but she was inspired by a simple email that arrived on Dec. 1, 2015. It was Roadrunner Tuesday – MSU Denver Foundation’s campaign to raise $5,050 in one day, in honor of the University’s 50th anniversary – and she made a gift for the entire amount.

While no one from Advancement had talked to her prior to Roadrunner Tuesday, Sandoval recognized the impact she could make. Allyssa Joseph, assistant director of annual giving, called Sandoval to thank her and invite her to lunch.

Sandoval shared her story and then committed an additional $1,000 per year to support the scholarship.

Working with alumni association and foundation staff, she established the Life Matters Annual Scholarship to support a student in need, with the hopes that he or she will embrace the wonder of living. “I wanted to give an opportunity to a deserving student and help them in accomplishing their goal of getting a degree,” said Sandoval.

M E N T A L

H E A L T H

R E S O U R C E S

If you or a loved one suffer from mental illness or addiction there is hope – and help.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline If you or a loved one need immediate help, call 24/7: 1-800-273-8255 www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org National Alliance on Mental Illness www.nami.org MSU Denver Counseling Center www.msudenver.edu/counsel

A G I F T, F O R L I F E

Alumna Sandra Sandoval turned tragedy into action by establishing the Life Matters Annual Scholarship for students in need at MSU Denver.

People In Memory 1960s

Earl Shopmier III (A.A.S. science and mathematics ’69) June 2015

2000s

Brian Lehner (B.S. aviation management ’03) February 2016 Tony Lyons (B.A. behavioral sciences ’09) October 2015

1970s

Ronald Arterburn (B.A. psychology ’74) March 2016

Michael J. Samu (B.A. psychology ’05) April 2015

Sheryl (Ross) Flyr (B.S. computer information systems ’78) May 2016

Marc Smith (B.A. journalism and technical communication ’00) January 2016

1980s

Faculty and Staff

Peggy Goodness (B.S. health professions ’86) January 2016 Matthew Nelson (B.A. English ’87) February 2016 Joan Smith (B.S. computer information systems ’89) December 2015 Richard “Rick” Sullivan (B.S. marketing management ’81) January 2016 Miryam Wiley (B.A. journalism and technical communication ’89) March 2016

1990s

Ruth Berglin (B.A. English ’92) December 2015 Pamela Hoffarth (B.A. English ’91) September 2015 Michelle Ryan (B.F.A. art ’96) February 2016

28

FALL 2016

Phyllis Baldwin taught in the Department of Hospitality, Tourism and Events. She died in July 2013 at the age of 74.

After her time at MSU Denver, Baldwin followed her true passion as a licensed professional counselor. She maintained her own private practice as well as serving as a staff member at several Denver area behavioral health clinics. In her free time, she loved creative writing, fly-fishing, spending time in the mountains and traveling.

Jim Bryant was chair of the Department of Human Performance and Sport in the University’s early years. He died in April 2016.

Bryant was one of the University’s original faculty members. In addition to teaching in what was then called the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Bryant coached basketball for four years.

He helped found the Colorado Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, an organization in which he served as president, and the

North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS). Bryant also wrote and co-authored several books on tennis, handball and the history of sport.

Patricia Duckworth taught accounting and was the chair of MSU Denver’s Accounting Department until her retirement in 1987. She died in May 2016 at the age of 92.

Duckworth was one of the University’s original faculty members, joining the then-brand new Business School in 1966.

Under Duckworth’s leadership, the University’s accounting major was approved by the Colorado Board of Accountancy, allowing graduates to sit for Certified Public Accountant exams, and she was a driving force in developing the finance major. Duckworth received the Distinguished Service Award in 1981. Prior to her time at MSU Denver, Duckworth taught accounting at Colorado State University and the University of Colorado Denver. A strong leader in the advancement of women in the accounting profession, she was the fifth woman to pass the Certified Public Accountant exam in Colorado, the first woman elected to the board of directors of the Colorado Society of CPAs, one of the first women in Colorado to earn a degree in accounting from the University of Colorado, and one of the first women hired as a staff auditor by the Denver office of the Deloitte Haskin & Sells accounting firm.

She served as national director of the American Women’s Society of Certified Public Accountants and was an active member of the Colorado Society of CPAs, the American Society of Women

Accountants and the American Accounting Association, among other notable organizations.

Larry Hollenbeck served as the University’s fixed asset accountant since April 2010. He died in June 2016.

During his tenure, Hollenbeck was able to make process improvements that served as an example to other institutions of higher education. While his contributions to the job were numerous, his contributions to the spirit of the campus were far greater. He was always happy to share a story or take time to help another in need. His legacy will continue, and his memory will be shared in the hearts of all those who knew and loved him.

Patrick “Pat” Quentin Kiley Sr. worked for Martin Marietta as a computer programmer and taught computer science at Metropolitan State College in the 1960s. He was asked by students to start the school’s basketball program and to serve as its first head coach.

He accepted the offer without hesitation. Kiley died in August 2015. He was 83 years old.

Van Kistler taught engineering. He died in January 2016.

Denise McGuire was a counselor at MSU Denver. She died in March 2015 at the age of 50.

Robert Vernon Thompson became dean of students at what is now MSU Denver in 1967. He later became vice president of Student Affairs and retired in 1987. He died May 2016 at the age of 92.

Jon Walter taught drama and English at MSU Denver. He died in March 2015 at the age of 76.

Outside of his career at MSU Denver, Walter was a playwright in summer theater and worked with various sculpture and ceramic mediums. An

accomplished woodworker, he made two appearances on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson with his one-of-a-kind creations. Walter’s hobbies included fly-fishing and playing piano, banjo, drums and guitar, which he learned by ear.

Correction

As Mark Twain once famously noted, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” Such is also the case for MSU Denver Accounting Professor Russ Bean, Ph.D. We humbly apologize for reporting that Bean was deceased in the spring 2016 issue of Metropolitan Denver Magazine.

He is, in fact, very much alive and taking the error in good humor.

msudenver.edu/magazine

Available online.

the

FINAL WORD 40 years of journalism in 20 photos Award-winning photojournalist and professor Kenn Bisio captured history unfolding one shutter click at a time.

STORY KIP WOTKYNS | PHOTO KENN BISIO Henri Cartier-Bresson, long regarded as the father of modern photojournalism, believed that photography is the sum of peculiar experience that filters into a millisecond when the shutter fires. For photojournalist and MSU Denver Professor Kenn Bisio, each click shows the unvarnished truth of that moment in time. “In order to capture the ‘critical moment’ that illuminates the human condition, students gotta get past the machine,” because powerful photographs can change the course of history.

His exhibit - 40 Years of Journalism in 20 Photos – included photos from Bisio’s 41-year career, each with an accompanying personal narrative.

30

FALL 2016

Man With The Taped Eyes The Soviet Union was collapsing. The Cold War was winding down. The United States was victorious. Kenn Bisio, on assignment for Time magazine, captured the image that told the story.

He reports: “I’m in Russia again. I was assigned

by Time to go to St. Petersburg with David Aikman, senior foreign correspondent, along with reporter Lauralee Farrer. We were walking down Nevsky Prospekt, the main drag in St. Petersburg, looking for a place to have dinner.

“We came to a big intersection and had to take a stairway down to an underground walkway to cross the intersection.

“As we walked down the stairway, I saw the posters on the wall and just stopped. It was as if a voice said, Wait. I stood in front of a wall with posters and watched Lauralee and David walk toward the steps on the far side of the walkway.

“It was dark. There was only one light bulb where I was standing. It was the end of the workday, and it was very crowded with people hustling to get home.

“Off to my right I heard, among all the noise of the pedestrians, a clicking sound coming from the stairway. I couldn’t see what

his favorite. “It’s a self-portrait,” he said. Until he made this image, he said, he was the man with the taped eyes.

Bisio, who teaches photojournalism and social documentary at MSU Denver, is a worldrenowned photojournalist. In his classes, Bisio stresses a deep knowledge and understanding of the camera and its functions, “before an aesthetic decision can be made.” When the moment arrives to professionally document an image, the journalist must act instantaneously and instinctively, Bisio said. It’s not just the pressing of a shutter or even being in the right place and time. It’s realizing when an image has the power to change the course of history.

Critics are apt to argue that in the age of Photoshop it’s easy to alter an image so it conveys more emotion. It can be improved so it conforms more with the photographer’s vision. That’s a lie, according to Bisio. The photojournalist, who studied with the great Ansel Adams, believes that Photoshop was made for “cheaters.”

In his classes, students are allowed to “set the blacks,” but not to crop or manipulate the image in any way. Otherwise they risk an “F” or even expulsion. Bisio believes photojournalists must adhere to a strict foundation of ethics that places truth and honesty above all else.

the noise was. But I knew it was coming toward me.

“The clicking noise was the tap of a white cane, feeling each step on the stairway. Then, this man in a black trench coat stops in front of me.

He turns slightly to his left. And there he is. His eyes are taped shut with white tape.

“As he raised his left arm to fix the cuff on his coat, I bang off six frames on a new roll of film.

I know I don’t have the picture because I use a Leica rangefinder and through the rangefinder you can see the moment, as you hear the click of the shutter. There are too

“Fortunately, I realize if I slow my shutter to one second and stop down the aperture, the slow shutter will blur the people walking between the man and me. I set the shutter at one second, stop down, suck in a deep breath to hold steady and fire the shutter. That one second was an eternity. The shutter closes, then the man walks away.”

He is currently serving his third term as faculty trustee on the MSU Denver Board of Trustees.

He won the celebrated Colorado Society of Professional Journalists’ Educator of the Year award on May 15, 2015. His images have been published in Sports Illustrated, National Geographic, Time magazine and The Denver Post. He has photos in the NFL Hall of Fame.

His photographs have been displayed in exhibits in America, Europe, Russia and the Far East. He is represented by the Geraint Smith Gallery in Taos, New Mexico, where his exhibit – 40 Years of Journalism in 20 Photos – first debuted.

Bisio says of all the images he has ever made, from all assignments he has ever taken, this is

You can see all 20 photos online at msudenver. edu/magazine.

many people. There are at least 10 people in front of me blocking the man with the taped eyes.

People Alumni News + Notes 1989

Kraig Rahman (B.S. aviation and aerospace science ’89) is a pharmacist for Rite Aid in Pacific Grove, California. Rahman has been a pharmacist for more than 20 years.

1996

Christina (Selin) Sigala (B.S. human services ’96 )is an affiliate professor in the Chicana/o Studies Department at MSU Denver and a part-time social worker at Annunciation Catholic School in Denver.

Sigala has worked at MSU Denver since 2002 in various roles, including visiting and affiliate professor, professor, student academic advisor and interim associate director of Women’s Studies and Services. She has written several diversity initiative grants and has chaired many MSU Denver community events through the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Sigala was appointed by Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock to become a member of the Denver Women’s Commission, where she was on the policy and legislative committee. She was also a member of the Mayor’s Diversity Awards committee for the 2012-13 academic year.

2002

Diana (Jones) Pabon (B.S. accounting ’02), has returned as a full-time student of human nutrition and dietetics at MSU Denver.

Nathan Whitney (B.A. hospitality, tourism and events ’02) is a licensed Realtor for the K Company Realty in Florida, specializing in beach and waterfront properties. The company is also in Colorado, where Whitney will pursue another realty license.

2003

Constance Aguillard (B.S. finance ’03 and accounting ’05) works for Denver Public Schools at Barnum Elementary School in the Denver Math Fellows program, where she helps at-risk second through fifth grade students develop math skills. Aguillard, who was chosen out of 1,000 applicants for the position, credits MSU Denver’s Early Childhood Education Licensure program and her experience as a DPS paraprofessional for helping her land the job.

32

FALL 2016

Jim Lambert (B.S. human services ’03) is a mental health case manager for the Department of Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Health Care System in Denver. Lambert works closely with staff members of the hospital’s psychiatric emergency service in its mental health clinic. He helps veterans and their families meet basic needs such as employment, housing, food, clothing, transportation and financial assistance, dental services, mental health care, Social Security and VA benefits, Medicare, Medicaid, assisted living and legal advocacy. Lambert also recently started his own photography business, JRL Photography.

2004

Brian Carroll (B.A. English ’04) is a business development associate for the University of Chicago Press, one of the oldest academic publishers in the U.S. He completed his doctorate in English at the University of Texas at Arlington in 2015, a few months after his daughter was born.

Michael Duran (B.A. political science ’04) is a high school social studies teacher for Selma City Schools in Selma, Alabama.

After graduating from MSU Denver, Duran attended graduate school for strategy and defence within the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at Australian National University.

2006

Lynn Cordova (B.A. Chicano studies ’06) is a policy analyst for the Colorado House of Representatives. After graduating from MSU Denver, Cordova received her master’s in public administration and then moved to New York, where she worked for an organization that trains immigrants to run for office.

While working for that organization, Cordova and her team hosted three conferences at the White House.

2007

Al Gunderson (B.A. human performance and sport ’07) is a chiropractor for Sturgis Chiropractic in South Dakota. Gunderson worked as a sports conditioning specialist and in cardiac rehab before attending chiropractic school at National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, Illinois.

Gunderson credits MSU Denver’s exercise science curriculum in helping him get through his anatomy and physiology graduate courses, as well as helping him serve his patients.

Ethan Sahker (B.A. psychology ’07) is a graduate research assistant for the Iowa Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation and technical writer for the Iowa Department of Public Health as part of the Consortium’s program evaluation projects. Sahker received his Master of Arts in psychology from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in counseling psychology at the University of Iowa. He publishes and presents research annually, and has won awards from the American Psychological Association and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

2009

Brooke Layman (IDP ’09) is a senior consultant for McGhee Productivity Solutions in Denver. Layman travels nationwide to promote wellness strategies for participants at company Take Back Your Life! seminars.

2010

Meranda Vieyra-Blass (B.A. Chicano studies ’10) is founder and legal marketing consultant of Denver Legal Marketing LLC. Vieyra-Blass founded the company to help attorneys with legal marketing strategies related to recognition, promotion and visibility. Her business has an expansive marketing service list, including LinkedIn seminars and professional marketing coaching. Vieyra-Blass won Law Week Colorado’s Outstanding Legal Professional award in 2014 and 2016.

2011

Amanda Agazio (B.A. biology ’11) is pursuing a doctorate in immunology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Agazio is studying the roll of evolutionary conserved natural antibodies in B cell homeostasis. She worked as a research assistant for two years prior to graduate school, and has published four peer-reviewed journal articles on her work with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Matt Hoffman (B.S. teacher education ’11) is a product development supervisor for Australian Laboratory Services in Houston. After graduating from MSU Denver, Hoffman was hired as a field engineer at Weatherford Laboratories where he was promoted twice, first to a design and project engineer and then to senior engineer. While working for Weatherford Laboratories, Hoffman developed a new product line for the measurement of pressurized drill core samples, and was awarded two U.S. utility patents.

Shane Smithee (B.S. biology ’11) is a post doctoral fellow in poliovirus research for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. He recently received a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Nebraska.

2014

Alix Gorshow (B.S. marketing ’14) is a marketing writer for Transamerica in Denver. Gorshow credits MSU Denver’s Spring Career Fair for helping her get an internship at the company, from which she worked her way up to her current position. She also manages the company’s partnership with the local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, for which she won an award, and was part of a team that won a global award for work in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Carmen Mittler (B.S. biology ’14) is the director of client operations at Wilson-Bennett Technology Inc. in Cabot, Arkansas.

WBT works with universities, colleges and nonprofit organizations nationwide, providing clients with phonathon services with a focus on educational and nonprofit fundraising. Before beginning her career at WBT in 2015, Mittler worked at MSU Denver as the Reach-a-Roadrunner call center manager and phonathon program coordinator.

SHARE YOUR NEWS

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

Fall 2016 |

Register Today! www.msudenver.edu/learnon

Explore a new hobby or delve deeper into one that you already love!

Personal Enrichment

Career Advancement

Career Workshops

Alumni get their first class FREE!

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

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

instagram.com/msu_denver

Ad