College of Arts and Sciences

Difficult Dialogue focuses on extremism, antisemitism

Rachel Sauer — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 22:18:47 +0000

Difficult Dialogue focuses on extremism, antisemitism Rachel Sauer Mon, 11/11/2024 - 15:18

ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder’s Center for Humanities & the Arts welcomes German delegation for latest in Difficult Dialogue Series

Late last month, a delegation from Germany joined scholars from the University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder to discuss extremism, antisemitism and misinformation.

The discussion was organized by the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder Center for Humanties & the Arts (CHA) in collaboration with the Boulder Council for International Visitors and with support from the U.S. State Department. It was the latest of the CHA’s Difficult Dialogue Series.

The six visiting delegates, representing various regions in Germany, asked not to be photographed or quoted but engaged in a structured discussion facilitated by CHA Director Jennifer Ho. Topics spanned antisemitism, media literacy and the global effects of extremism, reflecting the delegates’ interest in the CHA’s approach to fostering meaningful discussions around divisive issues.

The Difficult Dialogue series is designed to emphasize open-mindedness, respectful listening and personal storytelling. This approach enables participants to confront challenging topics and seek mutual understanding without pressure to agree.

During last month’s discussion, participants shared their perspectives on democracy, racial inequities and the historical issues that influence the present-day political landscape, such as what is happening in Gaza. The U.S. and German participants exchanged experiences and strategies for navigating division, demonstrating the CHA’s commitment to conversations that resonate across borders.

Through the Difficult Dialogue series, the CHA aims to connect people from diverse backgrounds, emphasizing that discussing challenging topics is essential to problem-solving and cultural understanding. By hosting this German delegation, the CHA continues to affirm its dedication to promoting respectful dialogue rooted in the humanities, the center stated.

The next event in the Difficult Dialogue series is scheduled for Nov. 13 and is titled “Is that a fact?!” The session will focus on how to find facts in a world filled with misinformation. This community conversation is co-hosted with ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Chautauqua and open to the public and will be held at 6 p.m. at the Chautauqua Community House Rocky Mountain Climbers Club room.

For more information, visit Chautauqua’s website: www.chautauqua.com/event/difficult-dialogue-is-that-a-fact/

The University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder’s Center for Humanities & the Arts (CHA) is known internationally for its Difficult Dialogue series, which fosters meaningful conversations about complex issues.

Did you enjoy this article? Subcribe to our newsletter. Passionate about humanities and the arts? Show your support.

ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder’s Center for Humanities & the Arts welcomes German delegation for latest in Difficult Dialogue Series.

Traditional

White

Paul Sutter honored as 2024 Professor of Distinction

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 21:28:50 +0000

Paul Sutter honored as 2024 Professor of Distinction Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 10/18/2024 - 15:28

College of Arts and Sciences leadership and peers recognize history professor’s service, teaching and research with the award

Paul Sutter, a University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder professor of history, has been named the 2024 College Professor of Distinction by the College of Arts and Sciences in recognition of his exceptional service, teaching and research.

The college presents this prestigious award annually to current faculty members who are scholars and artists of national and international renown and who are recognized by their college peers as teachers and colleagues of exceptional talent. Honorees hold this title for the remainder of their careers in the College of Arts and Sciences at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder.

“Being named a Professor of Distinction is a career honor, and I am deeply appreciative of my wonderful colleagues in the History Department who nominated me for this award, and those around campus who supported my nomination,” Sutter notes.

Sutter’s research focus is U.S. and global environmental history. He is the author of Driven Wild: How the Fight against Automobiles Launched the Modern Wilderness Movement (2002) and Let Us Now Praise Famous Gullies: Providence Canyon and the Soils of the South (2015).

ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder Professor Paul Sutter is the author of many accalimed essays and books, including Driven Wild: How the Fight against Automobiles Launched the Modern Wilderness Movement and Let Us Now Praise Famous Gullies: Providence Canyon and the Soils of the South.

In Driven Wild, Sutter details an aspect of his longtime intellectual fascination with wilderness and U.S. environmental history: “Historians had long studied the centrality of the wilderness idea in American history, from its importation as a filter for viewing the colonial landscape to its role as a shibboleth of the postwar environmental movement, and I was fascinated by the same questions that preoccupied many of these scholars: How was it that a nation founded upon an antipathy for the wilderness had come to cherish and protect it? What had produced this intellectual and cultural sea change?”

In addition, Sutter is the co-author of The Art of Managing Longleaf: A Personal History of the Stoddard Neel Approach (with Leon Neel and Albert Way, 2010), and the co-editor of Environmental History and the American South: A Reader (with Christopher Manganiello, 2009) and Coastal Nature, Coastal Culture: Environmental Histories of the Georgia Coast (with Paul Pressly, 2018).

His current book project, Pulling the Teeth of the Tropics: Environment, Disease, Race, and the U.S. Sanitary Program in Panama, 1904-1914, is an environmental and public health history of the construction of the Panama Canal.

In addition to his books, Sutter has also written a number of influential essays on environmental historiography, including a state-of-the-field essay in the Journal of American History (June 2013), and he is the series editor for Weyerhaeuser Environmental Books, published by the University of Washington Press. He has received major fellowships from the Smithsonian Institution, the Huntington Library, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Library of Medicine/National Institutes of Health, the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, and the National Humanities Center.

Sutter earned his BA in American studies from Hamilton College and his PhD from the University of Kansas. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Virginia from 1997 to 2000 and a member of the History Department at the University of Georgia from 2000 to 2009. He joined ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder as an associate professor of history in 2009 and was named professor in 2016.

Sutter served as Department of History chair from 2017-2021. He is a faculty affiliate in the Department of Environmental Studies and in the Center of the American West, and he has just joined the Advisory Board of the Ted Scripps Fellowships in Environmental Journalism.

Did you enjoy this article? Subcribe to our newsletter. Passionate about history? Show your support.

College of Arts and Sciences leadership and peers recognize history professor’s service, teaching and research with the award.

Traditional

White

Family raises funds for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation by pairing with ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Buffalo Bicycle Classic

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 14:49:14 +0000

Family raises funds for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation by pairing with ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Buffalo Bicycle Classic Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/16/2024 - 08:49

Bradley Worrell

They ride for 5-year-old Cora Beaver, who was diagnosed with the illness shortly after birth

When David Beaver and his 9-year-old daughter, Brenna, crossed the finish line of the Buffalo Bicycle Classic in September, they were met with the sounds of cowbells ringing and family members loudly cheering.

It was Brenna’s first time to do the 10-mile Little Buff ride, so it was special in that respect, but beyond that, every Buffalo Bicycle Classic ride for the past five years has felt especially rewarding for the Beaver family, which has spearheaded efforts to field a group of riders for Team Cora Force to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Cora is the name of David and Brittany Beaver’s youngest daughter, age 5, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in 2019, just two weeks after her birth.

Cora (left) and Brittany Beaver (Photo: Beaver family)

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare inherited disorder that can cause severe damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs. CF affects the cells that produce mucus, sweat and digestive juices, which are normally thin and slippery. However, in people with CF, a defective gene causes the secretions to become sticky and thick, plugging up tubes, ducts and passageways—especially in the lungs and pancreas.

In years past, many children born with CF did not survive into adulthood. And while there is no cure for the disease, lifespans for children today with CF have increased greatly, thanks to medical advances and disease management efforts, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Brittany Beaver says receiving Cora’s diagnosis was tough on her entire family.

“Our faith has gotten us through all the hard moments. Also, staying connected to our family and community and the CF Foundation has been instrumental in helping us through the ups and downs of the disease,” she says.

Raising money for a cure

Beaver says it was her father-in-law, Dave Beaver, who spearheaded Team Cora Force as a fundraiser, driven by a passion to raise money to find a cure for his granddaughter.

“In 2019, he rallied literally everyone he knew—and continues to do so—to ride for Cora. He sends emails, has meetings and sends out texts often to remind people and invite them,” she says.

In other parts of the country, the CF Foundation has its own organized rides to raise funds to find a cure for CF, but Beaver says the Rocky Mountain chapter discontinued its annual ride around the time of COVID. So, Dave Beaver organized a group of his friends to ride in the Buffalo Bicycle Classic, with donations riders raise benefiting the CF Foundation, she says.

“My mother-in-law (Doreen Beaver) actually worked at the university for 30-plus years, so we have strong roots at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ, and that’s why we wanted to do the ride there,” Beaver says. “Plus, it’s a great ride, we love the area, and because of the location it was easy for (the riders) to be able to attend.”

Cora Beaver on her scooter at the Buffalo Bicycle Classic (Photo: Beaver family)

Organizers of the Buffalo Bicycle Classic have allowed the CF Foundation to have a booth at the event every year, which Beaver says has been a great way raise awareness about CF, efforts to find a cure and Team Cora Force.

As for the riders on Team Cora Force, Beaver says they are easy to spot, thanks to their distinctive purple and gold bike jerseys with the words “Breathe In” on one side and “Breathe Out” on the other. She says riders participate in all levels of the Buff ride, from the 10-mile Little Buff to the 100-mile Front Range Century and everything in between.

Ridership on Team Cora Force has grown every year, currently averaging between 35 and 40 participants, according to Beaver.

“Our goal is always to raise about $40,000 a year with our team for the CF Foundation,” she says. “I don’t know what our exact number is for this year, because we leave it open where people can continue to donate after the ride, but we always raise quite a bit of money for the CF Foundation under Team Cora Force. All gifts are tax deductible, because it’s a nonprofit, and people donate whatever they feel comfortable giving.”

Beaver estimates Team Cora Force has generated about $200,000 since it first started its fundraising efforts. And while she acknowledges the goal is ambitious, she says she would love to see the group raise $1 million in total for the CF Foundation by the time Cora is ready to attend college.

“We love raising money for the CF Foundation, which is just a remarkable organization,” she says. “They do so much, not just to help find a cure, but they do much more for us families. With CF, it’s just a very difficult disease and it affects our everyday lives a lot, so we’re grateful for everything they do to help us. I don’t think that our experience as parents of a little one with CF would have gone as well as it has without the CF Foundation; they’ve been truly remarkable.”

Beaver says that, for their part, riders have remarked how satisfying it’s been for them to arrive at the finish line to find Cora and other Beaver family members congratulating them.

“It’s always really sweet, because Cora is often at the finish line with her little cowbells, cheering them on,” she says. “It’s not uncommon for riders to have a few tears in their eyes at the end, knowing they did this hard ride to raise money for the CF Foundation, and seeing Cora there to welcome them.”

Top image: David Beaver (left) and daughter Brenna at the Buffalo Bicycle Classic (Photo: Beaver family)

Did you enjoy this article? Subcribe to our newsletter. Passionate about the Buffalo Bicycle Classic? Show your support.

They ride for 5-year-old Cora Beaver, who was diagnosed with the illness shortly after birth.

Traditional

White

Financial adviser to share tips on achieving fiscal health

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 20:56:32 +0000

Financial adviser to share tips on achieving fiscal health Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/11/2024 - 14:56

‘Let's ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Well: Building a Secure Financial Future: Strategies for Saving, Investing and Achieving Financial Independence’ is scheduled for Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. via Zoom

A University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder finance expert will lead an online workshop on how to build a secure financial future this month.

Diane Hirschhorn is a is a lecturer of finance in the Leeds School of Business with more than 20 years of wealth-management experience as a financial advisor.

The College of Arts and Sciences event, titled “Let's ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Well: Building a Secure Financial Future: Strategies for Saving, Investing and Achieving Financial Independence,” with Diane Hirschhorn, is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sept. 25 via Zoom. Attendance is free, but registration is required at this link.

Hirschhorn is a is a lecturer of finance in the Leeds School of Business. She has more than 20 years of wealth-management experience as a financial advisor, providing complete wealth management strategies to clients.

Prior to lecturing at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder, she was a managing director at First Republic Bank. Previously, she worked for Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs. During her career as a wealth advisor, she has received several industry awards. At ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder, she is the recipient of a Marinus Smith Award, which recognizes faculty and staff members who have had “a particularly positive impact on our students.”

Hirschhorn received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Cornell University and an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA. She is also a Certified Private Wealth Advisor.

In the talk this month, she will focus on three areas:

Financial independence.
Earning more interest on your bank account: tips on how to optimize savings and earn higher interest.
Setting a retirement goal: guiding participants on how to establish clear and achievable retirement goals through some very simple math.

Learn to build a secure financial future

What: Let's ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Well: “Building a Secure Financial Future: Strategies for Saving, Investing, and Achieving Financial Independence,” with Diane Hirschhorn

When: Wednesday, Sept. 25, 1 p.m.

Where: Zoom, registration is required.

The hour-long session will revisit important strategies to optimize savings and earn higher interest on your bank account.

The session will conclude with a practical framework to help you decide whether to focus on paying down debt or investing for growth.

The workshop is sponsored by Be Well, the college’s wellness initiative. Let’s ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Well is the initiative’s regular series of expert presentations. The workshop is co-sponsored by the college’s Office for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

Did you enjoy this article? Subcribe to our newsletter. Passionate about arts and sciences? Show your support.

‘Let's ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Well: Building a Secure Financial Future: Strategies for Saving, Investing and Achieving Financial Independence’ is scheduled for Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. via Zoom.

Traditional

White

Bringing multitudes to life

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 17:52:48 +0000

Bringing multitudes to life Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/28/2024 - 11:52

From Oprah to Wakanda, ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder alum Aba Arthur has charted a career in which the most impressive thing isn’t necessarily the glow of Hollywood, but the joy of finding her voice in a new world that hasn’t been universally welcoming

Listen to The Ampersand

From a fairly young age, Aba Arthur watched movies and TV with a critical eye. If something happened in a show that she didn’t agree with, well, she just marched right upstairs and rewrote the scene.

That early confidence in her storytelling, in her writing, in her ability to breathe life into a character who previously only existed on a page in her journal has supported her through a career whose highlights include major Hollywood films, books and one-woman shows.

Arthur, who currently plays the character Samara in the show Bad Monkey on Hulu, also appeared in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the 2023 film adaptation of The Color Purple musical.

Despite her success—the kind that justifies a certain confidence—she still sometimes finds herself in her car, staring out the window and breathing deep. It’s when she reminds herself “who I am, where I’m going. My words are valuable. I have something to say that matters, and I’m going to kill it.”

Arthur, a 2005 University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder graduate in theater and dance, recently joined host Erika Randall, associate dean for student success in the College of Arts and Sciences, on The Ampersand, the college podcast. Randall—who also is a dancer, professor, mother, filmmaker and writer—joins guests in exploring stories about “ANDing” as a “full sensory verb” that describes experience and possibility.

Their discussion roamed from the red carpet to the couch with a bag of Cheeto Puffs, with stops in between for mentorship, nostalgia, the joy of making art and what it was like stepping off the flight from Ghana to ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ.

Aba Arthur (right) on the set of The Color Purple with Oprah Winfrey (left). (Photo: Aba Arthur)

Arthur: I have such a vivid memory of getting off the plane. I'm coming from Ghana and I'm coming to ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Springs, ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ. So, I had only seen on TV or in pictures these guys, and they wear jeans, and they have these big hats. But I didn't know anything about them, so they felt like fictional characters. And I remember so well getting off the plane at the airport and I saw these guys, which I later learned the term was "cowboy."

Randall: In their Wranglers.

Arthur: Yeah:

Randall: In the hats.

Arthur: And the boots. And I remember getting off the plane and just being like, something just happened. Because these people are not where I just came from, and now there are a lot of them. And I've been watching them. So, this is so cool. I've stepped into something new. I think that is the first big memory that I have, period.

Randall: Changed your life. That's incredible. You arrive in the Springs, all the things happen. Next moment, where's the next postcard to yourself that says, ah, Aba, here we go?

Erika Randall (left) and Aba Arthur (right) discussing Hollywood and mentorship and the joy of making art. (Photo: Timothy Grassley)

Arthur: Oof. Oof. It’s a tough one. My first experience with racism. A young boy in my school told me that my skin was dirty. Yeah. I went back to class, and I was crying. My teacher asked me what happened, and I told her, and then she disciplined me. I had to sit in the corner, and I had to face the wall, because she said I was being a distraction. My crying was distracting the class. Yes, this is a true story.

So, I had to sit in a corner of the room and face the wall. And I remember so vividly at some point they were just continuing with class. And I was like, what? I don’t know how old I am. Let’s pick an age.

Randall: Say, 8 or 9?

Arthur: I don’t know, 8? (Laughs)

Randall: All on the Wikipedia page I’m building for you. Age 8.

Arthur: This is still elementary school, though—too young.

Randall: Too young to hear that, to feel that, to be put in a corner.

Arthur: And I’m listening to the class continue. She’s teaching, and I’m in the corner of the room. And so, at some point I turned around and I’m watching them, and they’re just having class. Everybody’s just continuing on like everything is normal. And that was a strong memory.

Randall: Is that memory as yet in a film? Because I’m watching that movie.

Arthur: It’s just going to take a second. Probably. That’s a tough one for me. It’s going to take me a second to work through that. Because I have to watch that scene, if they’re going to do it.

Randall: And hearing that story, sharing that story, is a critical action of undoing racism. And the work that you choose, you are writing critical stories about undoing racism. You are ANDing with political science the way that you’re in theater and political science. But your body politic is your body showing up as representation. Does that feel true for you?

Arthur: Yes, I love ampersands. And multihyphenate is a term that it took me a while to sink into. So, for me, it was always “&.” This & this & this. And I’m equally all of them.

Randall: And with that is engaging those identities to then bring forth new character into worlds. I’m listening to you and I’m watching your reel, and I don’t think you need confidence. Do you need confidence?

Arthur: No.

Randall: No.

Aba Arthur on the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. (Photos: Aba Arthur)

Arthur: I have a lot of it. (laughs)

Randall: Where did this come from, and can we bottle it?

Arthur: I wish. It comes from so many things. It comes from being the fourth-born child of a very high-achieving family. It comes from being the new kid a lot. You have to know who you are when you’re the new kid.

Randall: And in Hollywood, you’re the new kid in every room for a minute.

Arthur: Yes.

Randall: Are you not the new kid yet?

Arthur: I’m always the new kid, yeah. I’m the new kid a lot. And so, I didn’t realize at the time—another one of those life-changing things you don’t understand—as we were moving, I didn’t realize the effect that would have on my life in the future. The positive effect it would have on my life in the future. Because when you’re a kid, it’s hard. That stuff is difficult. And I didn’t want to be the new kid and I didn’t want to have to find that confidence. But I always felt like if I come in the room and I am as wonderful and as great as I am, the people that are supposed to be in my life will come to me.

Randall: You are a galaxy. Yeah.

Arthur: I really appreciate that. And I’m going to walk with that, because I feel like you have to protect your own peace and your own space. And coming into new environments over and over and over again, if you don’t know who you are, then you’ll get lost. And you’ll go with the trends and you’ll do what other people say, because it feels better to be a part than to be an outsider.

Randall: So be the new kid.

Arthur: I excel at being the new kid now. I excel because I’m coming in as who I am. So, rock with me or not.

Randall: That’s right. That’s right. Were you a journaler?

I excel at being the new kid now. I excel because I’m coming in as who I am. So, rock with me or not.”

Arthur: Uh-huh. Oh, my gosh.

Randall: Are you going to burn those or publish them?

Arthur: I have them all, yeah. You know why I have them?

Randall: I want to know.

Arthur: So, I would watch television and the audacity of myself as a child. I think about it now, I’m like, wow!

Randall: I love it.

Arthur: I would watch television, and I would be like, hmm, I don’t like the way that ended. And then I would go upstairs and I would rewrite it.

Randall: You would actually script it?

Arthur: Yes, I would rewrite it. I would write it like, hmm, “So, Chad walked in, and he saw Sarah, and then he walked over and kissed her.” But in the show, maybe he didn’t walk over and kiss her first. Maybe they just talked for a while. So, I just would rewrite it the way I wanted to see it. And I would do that a lot. I would write myself into the shows.

Click the button below to hear the entire episode.

Listen to The Ampersand

Top image: Photos courtesy Aba Arthur

Did you enjoy this article? Subcribe to our newsletter. Passionate about arts and sciences? Show your support.

Traditional

White

Finding ‘Better Days’ through art

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 15:23:47 +0000

Finding ‘Better Days’ through art Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/20/2024 - 09:23

Rachel Sauer

New ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Art Museum exhibit highlights the ways in which art meets challenging times and finds the sometimes-elusive silver lining

It began not with the more known Confederate battle flag—the infamous stars and bars—but with the lesser-known Confederate flag of truce, a white linen towel waved on April 9, 1865, by Confederate troops when Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House, ending the U.S. Civil War.

In 2019, textile and social practice artist Sonya Clark made the flag of truce the focal point of her work Monumental Cloth, The Flag We Should Know, recreating the “cloth that brokered peace and represented the promise of reconciliation.” The University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Art Museum recently acquired Clark’s 2022 print, Confederate, surrender, which reconstructs the historical artifact.

"From Me, All Things Proceed and to Me, They Must Return," by Hollis Sigler (1991) is part of the "Better Days" exhibition now open at the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Art Museum.

It was this interpretation of a lesser-known symbol that got curators and staff at the museum thinking: “(Clark) is taking this ongoing moment in history and, in many ways, elevating it with an act of repair,” says Hope Saska, acting director, chief curator and director of academic engagement in the museum. “That started us thinking about how do artists take these times that may be challenging and then use art to respond?”

The fruit of those discussions is “Better Days,” an exhibition on view beginning today and open through Oct. 26, highlighting how artists “respond to times of uncertainty” with “work that can help make sense of the world.” In the works in the exhibit, drawn from the museum’s collection, “some [artists] imagine a better world, encouraging viewers to find silver linings, while others reveal hidden aspects of conflict, sparking conversation… Collectively, they offer ways to contend with a complex world, urging viewers to celebrate our shared humanity, witness injustice and work to repair division and inequity.”

These themes are especially timely as the U.S. presidential race speeds toward election day and as events worldwide seem to create tumult and fracture rather than hope and healing, Saska says.

“In some of these artworks (in the exhibit), artists are taking stands about racial injustice and political and social conflict, or they’re making artworks related to the AIDS crisis,” she explains. “For the museum, in the climate we have today, taking on these topics kind of feels risky sometimes. We were thinking about all of these things as we curated the exhibit, so hopefully it is thought-provoking even in its challenging aspects. Our goal is that what people really get out of it is positive and reparative. We want them to come away with hope.”

If you go

What: "Better Days" exhibition

When: Aug. 20-Oct. 26; reopening February 2025. Opening celebration from 4-6 p.m. Sept. 12.

Where: ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Art Museum

More information

Daniella Fairley, a junior who is studying art history and ethnic studies with a minor in creative technology and design, completed an eight-week Art Buffs Collective internship with the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Art Museum during the summer. As part of the internship, Fairley helped curate and create “Better Days.”

“I felt like this exhibit shows the perseverance of the human spirit and how we cope with tragedy,” Fairley says. “In seeing a lot of these art works and learning how they were made, what they represent, their stories, I feel like it's important to show how humans struggle and how we still live through it. Art connects us more than we think, and I hope that people can feel that connection or thread when looking at this show.”

Lead museum attendant Bella Mahlerbe, a student in the bachelor’s-accelerated master’s in art history, also provided curatorial labor for the exhibit. Malherbe worked with fellow Lead museum attendant Riley Ramsay to create a visitor feedback wall where visitors can share responses to the exhibition.

Top image: "Party Picture," by Laurie Simmons (1985) is part of the "Better Days" exhibition now open at the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Art Museum.

Did you enjoy this article? Subcribe to our newsletter. Passionate about the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Art Museum? Show your support.

New ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Art Museum exhibit highlights the ways in which art meets challenging times and finds the sometimes-elusive silver lining.

Traditional

White

Remembering ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ’s brave one from the Red Scare

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 20:16:09 +0000

Remembering ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ’s brave one from the Red Scare Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/08/2024 - 14:16

Bradley Worrell

Caught up in anti-communist hysteria following World War II, former ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder student Dalton Trumbo today is recognized as a fierce proponent of free speech, with a fountain outside the University Memorial Center named in his honor

This summer marks the 75th anniversary of a secret FBI file becoming public—one that named well-known Hollywood figures, including screenwriter and former University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder student Dalton Trumbo (A&S ex’28), as members of the Communist Party.

Although Trumbo and several of his Hollywood colleagues had been accused of being communists and forced to testify before Congress’ House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) two years prior, the existence of the FBI file had been secret until its release during the espionage trial of Judith Coplon, an analyst with the U.S. Department of Justice. The file, based on information from confidential informants, named not only Hollywood writers, directors and actors, but also academics from universities across the United States. Its release set off a period of paranoia known as the second Red Scare.

The 1949 release of the formerly secret FBI report represented a continuation of a long-term investigation by the HUAC, which was first formed in 1938 to investigate individuals for subversive activities, particularly those related to the Communist Party. Widely publicized congressional hearings beginning in 1947 and focusing on the film industry ensnared several screenwriters and directors, the so-called Hollywood 10, which included Trumbo.

Bronson Hilliard, senior director, academic communications, for the Office of Strategic Relations and Communications at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder, wrote an editorial encouraging the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ regents to rename of the UMC fountain in honor of Dalton Trumbo.

Once Hollywood’s premier screenwriter, the author of such classics as “A Man to Remember,” “30 Seconds Over Tokyo” and “The Brave One,” Trumbo was forced into the shadows after being blacklisted. He continued to write scripts under pen names for years before escaping the blacklist in the early 1960s, finally able to take credit for such famous screenplays as “Exodus” and “Spartacus.”

Seeking to recognize Trumbo for his fierce defense of the First Amendment, as well as his talents as a lauded screenwriter, a group of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ students including Lewis Cardinal and Kristina Baumli petitioned the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Board of Regents in 1993 to name the fountain in front of the UMC in honor of Trumbo.

As the entertainment editor of the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Daily at the time, Bronson Hilliard wrote an editorial encouraging the regents to rename of the fountain. Hilliard, who has a 40-year association with the university, first as a student and then working in various editorial and communications roles with the university, now serves as the senior director, academic communications, for the Office of Strategic Relations and Communications at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder.

In a recent interview with ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Arts and Sciences Magazine, Hilliard reflected on his admiration for Trumbo, his desire to see the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ regents recognize Trumbo, his recollections of meeting actor Kirk Douglas and notable entertainment figures who attended the fountain dedication ceremony, and his thoughts on why Trumbo’s legacy remains important today. His responses were lightly edited and condensed for space.

Question: Do you think it’s fair to call Trumbo the most prominent former ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ student to find big success in Hollywood?

Hilliard: It would have to be Trumbo and Robert Redford together. Trumbo was certainly the first. All through the 1940s, it’s safe to say Trumbo was not only the best screenwriter in Hollywood, but he was the highest paid and he was one of the most prolific. He was the kind of guy who could write a screenplay in a very short amount of time, which made him in high demand. He was also a great re-writer of screen scripts. He was a feisty guy, but he was a brilliant writer.

Question: In 1947, Trumbo and other members of the Hollywood 10 got called before Congress for hearings on the supposed communist infiltration of Hollywood. Others in the entertainment industry cooperated with Congress; why do you think Trumbo and his compatriots refused to do so, even when faced with going to prison?

Hilliard: Some named names, and some didn’t. Trumbo wouldn’t have it. Trumbo, his value was, he’s not going to turn his back on his friends. He was loyal to his friends. I don’t think he was loyal to the Communist Party, although he was a member at one point. But Trumbo was not going to turn his back on his friends, so he basically told the committee they could stick it. …

The fountain court outside the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder University Memorial Center was renamed in honor of Dalton Trumbo in 1993. (Photo: Glenn Asakawa/ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder)

Trumbo and the other Hollywood 10 had a code of honor with each other. They had a certain set of values they believed in as writers and as creative people. That’s what I admired him for, even though I didn’t agree with them (the Hollywood 10) about everything.

One of my other heroes is (actor and director) John Huston. He formed a group called the Committee in Support of the First Amendment. In his biography, Huston talked about the fact he didn’t agree with or like all of these guys—he thought some of them were very doctrinaire—but he thought they had a right to believe what they wanted to under the First Amendment without going to prison. He believed they had the right to believe whatever they believed, even though some of them were a pain in the ass.

Question: While Congress grilled the Hollywood 10 about their supposed communist sympathies, it was actually the Hollywood studio heads who had them blacklisted, correct?

Hilliard: Yes, and there’s an interesting story there. Most of the major film studio executives in the 1940s were Jewish, and they had to go the extra mile to show that they were true Americans, because of antisemitism and anti-immigration sentiments, which were alive and well then as now.

Some of the Hollywood studio heads held out for as long as they could to try to persuade Congress to back down a little bit. And then finally it was, ‘OK, let us handle this.’ And they handled it by creating the blacklist. …

This debate is an essential American debate, and it rises up at different times. And the rise of digital media culture has resurrected a whole new set of discussions about what are the limits of free speech. What are the limits of free expression? When does expression become conduct or does expression become conduct?

The blacklist raised the question for the first time on a large scale in American history.

Question: How did Trumbo overcome being blacklisted?

Hilliard: Kirk Douglas always said he broke the blacklist by crediting “Spartacus” to Trumbo. I actually think that’s not true; I think (director) Otto Preminger did it first with “Exodus.”

But a lot of Hollywood careers never recovered. And that’s also true of academics. A lot of academics were purged at that same time and were not able to return to academia. It was tragic. And none of these people represented a threat to the United States.

Blacklist history

Former ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder Department of Physics faculty member Frank Oppenheimer was called before the HUAC in 1949 and eventually forced to resign his position at the University of Minnesota. Learn more about how ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder supported him in joining the physics faculty.

Trumbo was luckier than others. He took his family to Mexico and worked there, and he ghost wrote low-budget films and was able to eke out a living during the blacklist.

Question: When the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ regents officially dedicated the fountain to Trumbo in 1993, you were there?

Hilliard: I was. On the day of the event, I met Kirk Douglas in the basement of the UMC over by the bowling alley. He was coming out of the bathroom, and some people were escorting him. I had been off doing some little task, and I literally just sort of bumped into him in the UMC.

I was introduced to him by one of the organizers of the event, and he actually called me by my first name—someone had apparently mentioned me to him. He said, ‘Bronson, it’s such a pleasure to meet you.’ He looked me right in the eye and he said, ‘Thank you so much for your efforts in advocating for this.’

Dalton Trumbo was renowned for writing in the bathtub. (Photo: Mitzi Trumbo)

And he said something very funny about Trumbo. A reporter asked him what Trumbo would think about all this. And he said, ‘Well, Trumbo would completely love this. He would be holding court with reporters, and he would immediately refer to it as ‘my fountain.’ …

And incidentally, Dalton Trumbo’s widow, Cleo, was there, and his son, Christopher, and one of his daughters. So was Ring Lardner Jr., who wrote the screenplay for “M.A.S.H.” the movie and also was blacklisted, and Jean Rouverol Butler, who was a screenwriter and who was married to (screenwriter) Hugo Butler—the couple were close friends and associates with members of the Hollywood 10.

But it was a magical day. Everybody got up and made speeches about Trumbo, about the importance of free speech, about the need to be vigilant about free speech and about the role Trumbo had played, along with the Hollywood 10, in defying congressional inquisitors.

I was greatly moved by the whole thing.

Question: Hollywood recognized Trumbo in 2015 with the film “Trumbo,” which examined his life and the sacrifices he made for his beliefs. What did you think of the film?

Hilliard: I loved it. I thought (actor) Bryan Cranston did a great job, based upon the two biographies of Trumbo that I’ve read. Cranston really captured both the idealism of Trumbo and the idea of Trumbo as a businessman. He was a wheeler dealer. He knew the Hollywood system and how to make money. The film captured the way he was hustling to write screenplays for the low-budget film company (after he was blacklisted).

Trumbo was this great coming together of the practical and the ideal. He knew the ins and outs of the business of Hollywood … but he also had a tremendous set of principles and ideals that undergirded it all. It was great to see those two qualities embodied in a single person.

Dalton Trumbo, seen here in his mugshot, served 10 months in the federal correctional institution in Ashland, Kentucky, in 1950; he was convicted of contempt of Congress. (Photo: Federal Bureau of Prisons)

Trumbo is truly one of my heroes. In fact, in my office, I have a picture of him on my bookshelf, so he’s with me every day.

What are your thoughts on how Trumbo is viewed today, in retrospect?

Hilliard: He’s a reminder that it takes a really tough and resilient person to carry forward your beliefs to the point of profound personal disadvantage. … I think today we have a lot of people who are keyboard warriors, and they want to get on social media and get outraged, but they don’t put any personal principles on the line to do that.

Trumbo was willing to go to jail and to endure not only personal sacrifice for himself, but his entire family. That was an ordeal for the Trumbo family to support him while he was in jail and to make ends meet. And then he had to rebuild his career.

But that’s what’s to love about the people who are willing to put their lives and their careers on the line for what they believe in and who are not willing to sell out their friends. Those are people worth admiring.

And the sad thing is, I don’t think people think about Dalton Trumbo today. I think they should. I think every activist, of any persuasion, ought to know the life of Dalton Trumbo.

And I think we could all, as Americans, use a dose of the fortitude that Trumbo had, and the combining of the practical and the ideal the way he did to me is just amazing. We could use more of that practical mindedness. Trumbo accepted the consequences of his politics and his idealism—and he set about trying to have a great life anyway. And he did it. That’s more than admirable.

Top image: Dalton Trumbo speaks before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in Washington, D.C. Oct. 28, 1947. (Photo: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)

Traditional

White

Standout grad eyes career at nexus of biomedical, preclinical research

Anonymous — Tue, 07 May 2024 21:12:14 +0000

Standout grad eyes career at nexus of biomedical, preclinical research Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/07/2024 - 15:12

College’s outstanding undergraduate of spring 2024 focused his honors thesis on sex-based differences in sleep

As an undergraduate researcher, Grant Mannino has helped advance scientific understanding of sleep, perhaps to the detriment of his own volume of sleep.

Mannino is graduating this week with a double major in psychology and neuroscience, summa cum laude. He has been designated as the spring 2024 outstanding undergraduate of the College of Arts and Sciences.

While pursuing his degree, he has contributed more than 1,500 hours of undergraduate research, co-authored two peer-reviewed manuscripts, is first author of a manuscript under review, and has contributed to four other manuscripts and a book chapter.

Mannino, who went to high school in the Denver metro area, recently answered five questions from this magazine. Those queries and his responses appear below:

Question: If you were to briefly summarize the results of your honors thesis to a lay audience, what would you say?

College of Arts and Sciences Dean Glen Krutz (left) talks with Grant Mannino, the college's spring 2024 outstanding graduate, about his research and future plans. (Photo: Kylie Clarke)

Mannino: Essentially, sleep is being increasingly recognized as an important mediator of disease and has thus gained more attention as an outcome measure in studies of various subdisciplines of biomedical research (e.g., neuroscience). In my thesis, I found significant biological sex differences in the sleep of male and female mice (267 total) commonly used in research.

Specifically, female mice slept less than their male counterparts. Historically, however, female animals are underrepresented in biomedical research and underlying sex differences—as previously described—are rarely taken into account in data analyses.

In accordance with the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) initiative to improve rigor and reproducibility in biomedical research, I used these data to demonstrate that investigators should account for underlying sex differences when interpreting sleep in the context of disease models.

Question: When did you realize that you wanted to pursue a career in science?

Mannino: I’ve always had some natural interest in medicine but didn’t realize that I wanted to pursue a career in science until I joined a laboratory here at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ. Biomedical research provides this unique intersection between medicine and preclinical research that I really enjoy.

Simply spending as much time as I have in my lab has just solidified my desire to pursue a career in science.

Question: I understand that you mentor other undergraduate students; what motivates you to do this, and how do you find the time?

Mannino: I’ve had the opportunity to work in a big lab that often hosts students from summer programs and internships from various institutions/backgrounds. Once I had established proficiency in certain research techniques, I sought to serve as a peer mentor for newer/rotating students with the goal of helping them with their projects while building relationships and enriching their experience in the lab.

Question: You are hoping to pursue an MD/PhD; what is your hope for your career beyond that?

Mannino: Up to this point, I’ve largely been on the discovery side of research, where I’ve been interpreting results and disseminating findings. Whether I end up going the MD/PhD route or just doing a PhD, I’d definitely love to end up more on the implementation side of research. This way, I could potentially see some of the novel interventions/strategies that I’m familiar with actually improve the life of patients.

Question: Is there anything about your time at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder that was especially meaningful to you?

Mannino: The relationships I’ve been able to develop at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ have been (by far) the most meaningful to me. I feel extremely lucky to have spent the past few years working for two professors (Dr. Rachel Rowe and Dr. Mark Opp) who are both amazing people, mentors and scientists.

I’ve also been fortunate enough to build relationships across different areas of the same community with my friends, classmates, research colleagues and professors. I think that the culmination of all these relationships has shaped my undergraduate experience in the most meaningful way.

Top image: College of Arts and Sciences Dean Glen Krutz and Grant Mannino (Photo: Kylie Clarke)

Did you enjoy this article? Subcribe to our newsletter. Passionate about arts and sciences? Show your support.

College’s outstanding undergraduate of spring 2024 focused his honors thesis on sex-based differences in sleep.

Traditional

White

ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder student took a long, winding road to graduation

Anonymous — Thu, 02 May 2024 18:10:49 +0000

ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder student took a long, winding road to graduation Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/02/2024 - 12:10

Bradley Worrell

Student who was just a few credits shy of graduating in 1997 will walk in May commencement ceremony thanks to Finish What You Started program

Marcos Castillo is a big believer in second chances.

Part of that comes from his years of experience working for Catholic Charities of Denver, where he has provided assistance to the Mile High City’s homeless populations and ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ’s immigrant communities.

Perhaps just as importantly, Castillo knows the value of second chances in his own life and career, which has not followed a straight path.

So close to finishing

Marcos Castillo credits a return to his Catholic faith with getting his life back on track, including a renewed focus on completing college. He will walk with other graduating seniors on May 9 during ceremonies at Folsom Field on the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder campus.

In 1997, Castillo was on a trajectory to success. He was a senior at the University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder, finishing his degree in political science and international business. Fate seemed to further smile on him when he was selected for an internship with the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ International Trade Office, which was then in the early stages of establishing trade relationships with chambers of commerce in Mexico. That internship led to an offer of full-time employment working as a contract trade consultant in Mexico and the United States.

“When the job opened, I took it, thinking I was almost done with school, and I could use the money. Plus, I just didn’t want to pass up the opportunity,” he says.

Castillo worked in that job for about 10 years, and by all accounts he was successful at it, before ultimately deciding to return home to Denver. Finishing college was never far from his mind, he says, so he enrolled again. Unfortunately, at that same time he was struggling with depression and battling alcohol addiction.

It was a particularly dark period in his life, he admits.

“I bounced around from job to job for several years,” he says. “I didn’t have a sense of direction, quite honestly.”

Things started to change for Castillo not long after he took a job with Catholic Charities.

“It called out to me because, yes, I’m Catholic, and I wanted to return to my faith. And with these personal struggles, I hadn’t been able to find a way to overcome them on my own, until I decided to take my faith seriously. Once I committed to that, it allowed me to focus on my work, and, later on, school.”

An opportunity with ‘Finish What You Started’

While working to help others in his job with Catholic Charities, Castillo in 2022 received some positive news about his own longstanding goal to finish college. That was the year that the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder Division of Continuing Education contacted Castillo to let him know he was eligible for assistance in completing his degree through the Finish What You Started program (see related story below).

Castillo embraces his calling with Catholic Charities work

With the passage of time, Marcos Castillo says he has come to look at his work for Catholic Charities as a calling.

“I’m committed to working for Catholic Charities and doing whatever I can to help those in need,” he says. “Whether it was helping the homeless population, like I did in the beginning, or now working with migrants, it’s something I know how to do and it’s something I’m good at.”

In his current role at Catholic Charities, Castillo spearheads the Temporary Protective Status and Employment Authorization workshops for qualified migrants, potentially allowing them to obtain temporary protective status and a work permit.

Castillo’s job with Catholic Charities is deeply personal. He was born in Mexico City and emigrated to Denver with his parents when he was just 8 and did not speak English. He says he sees his work as important and meaningful.

“I enjoy going to work every day. It’s hard work. Some days it can be emotionally taxing. There is always a lot going on, but I can’t see myself doing anything else,” he says. “This is where I need to be and this is what I need to be doing. So, that’s what my calling means for me.”

Castillo says he was excited about the prospect of returning to college, but also a bit nervous after being away for so long.

In retrospect, he didn’t need to worry.

“Ann Herrmann with Finish What You Started was amazing to work with, from the beginning until the end,” Castillo says. “She explained what forms I had to fill out, she helped explain the assistance I was eligible for, and she helped me narrow down which classes I needed to finish up my degree. Plus, she would just check in with me during the semester to ask how things were going. So, I felt really supported all the way through.”

That ended up being fortuitous, Castillo says, because he struggled in his first attempt to take an online biology course—an option that didn’t even exist during his first time in college. After he expressed his misgivings to Herrmann, she suggested he take the course as an evening class on the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder campus—and everything clicked.

“She gave me the encouragement to try again and get it done,” Castillo says. “Had it not been for that, I don’t know that I would have tried again, because I was really frustrated with myself at the time.”

With that first college class under his belt, Castillo then took an anthropology class called The Human Animal and an Introduction to Western Philosophy class, both of which he says he enjoyed and successfully passed. He was the oldest student in those classes, but both the instructors and the students made him feel welcome, he says.

Officially, Castillo finished his classes in December, but he’ll walk with other seniors during the May 9 commencement at Folsom Field on the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder campus. One regret is that the timing of the event will prevent his mom and younger brother, Tony, from attending, because they already had plans to be in Mexico at the time.

“It’s kind of sad. My mom, more than anyone, really pushed me to finish college,” he says. Still, Castillo says he has already promised to take selfies and livestream part of the event for absent family members.

The long road to finishing college

Even before re-enrolling at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder, one of the biggest turning points in his life, Castillo’s quest to earn a college degree took a number of twists and turns over the years.

A graduate of Denver East High School, he first enrolled at the University of the Americas Puebla, near Puebla, Mexico, where he studied psychology. All of the coursework was in Spanish, which Castillo says was actually a bit of a challenge because he didn’t learn formal Spanish growing up, so there was a learning curve.

After spending about a year and a half at the university in Puebla, where Castillo admits he struggled academically, he decided to return home to Denver. He enrolled at Community College of Denver, then transferred to University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Denver, where several of his high school friends were studying.

Marcos Castillo (left) with his dad, Juan, his mom, Victoria, and his younger brother, Tony. Castillo says his parents strongly supported his efforts to finish college.

“And then some of us just decided, ‘Let’s go to ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder.’ We transferred over and moved up to Boulder. It was as simple as that,” he says. “My friends finished college, and I got through my senior year. I was so fortunate to have a good group of friends who helped me by serving as an example of how to do this. Had I not had those examples, I don’t know what I would have done.”

Reflecting on his quest to complete his degree, Castillo says, “I’ve done everything in a zig zag; I’ve never done it straight. I’ve taken the most random routes to attend and finish college.

“It’s funny, when I talk with my brother, he’s like, ‘You’ve been doing this for 25 years. You start, then stop, then start again.’ It’s true. When I stop and think about it, school has been a part of my entire adult life.”

Looking to the future

As for what his own future holds, Castillo, who recently turned 50, isn’t sure what comes next. However, after successfully earning his bachelor’s degree, he says he would love to pursue an advanced degree.

“There’s so many things that interest me. I’ve just started to consider what’s possible,” he says. “Religious studies is something I would be interested in. Obviously, something in the liberal arts—something where I could still be helping people. There’s just so much out there you can study.”

For this moment, though, as he prepares for commencement ceremonies next week, Castillo is happy to reflect on the hard work it took to finish his degree and to celebrate his success.

“I’m proud of being a senior graduate,” he says. “And I’m proud of being a part of the community here. I came to Denver when I was really young. I’ve lived here and in Mexico, but I consider Denver my home. And Boulder’s a big part of me, too. And so, I’m proud of staying in ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ and being a part of the community here. I definitely couldn’t see myself doing this anywhere else.”

As for advice he would have for others contemplating finishing their degree, Castillo says, “There’s a lot of ups and downs, but it’s not impossible. And once you get it done, that feeling of accomplishment is unbelievable; it’s something that can’t be taken away.

“And this is from a normal guy who took a long time and finally found his place. I think that if I can do it, a lot of other people can do it, too. So, I think it would be cool if my story could help someone else.”

‘Finish What You Started’ helps former ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ students complete their degrees

Since its inception in spring 2022, the University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder Finish What You Started program has helped 52 students who were a few credits, or even semesters, shy of finishing their undergraduate degree to graduate—with still more students graduating this May.

“It’s rewarding and fulfilling work, for sure,” says Ann Herrmann, program manager and advisor for the grant-funded Finish What You Started (FWYS), which is administered by the Division of Continuing Education.

To be eligible for FWYS, an applicant must be a ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ resident, must have missed at least two semesters and must be working on their first degree. Applicants also must answer questions about income, must attest that they were negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and they must be able to complete their degree by spring 2025, when the grant period ends.

The $3.1 million grant funding was part of a larger pool of money provided to all state colleges by the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Opportunity Scholarship Initiative, which is supported by the American Rescue Plan, a $30 billion federal aid package intended to address the devastation of COVID-19.

FWYS offers students mix of advising and financial assistance. Eligible students have access to semester-over-semester scholarships starting at $1,500, as well as other sources of financial support, depending on individual student need.

“Our goal is to limit out-of-pocket expenses and college loans, if at all possible,” Herrmann says. “Our goal is to maximize the use of this grant money to help them finish their degrees without any additional financial burdens.”

Student support services include one-on-one academic advising and coaching, enrollment support and career advising to help students transition to the workforce after graduation, according to Michelle Pagnani, senior academic coach and lead program specialist for the FWYS program.

“Service offered include a combination of academic skill building and life coaching. Really, life coaching is sort of pulling from a model of positive psychology and motivational interviewing, as well as asking open-ended questions, so students can process their academic experience in light of other things going on in their lives and careers,” Pagnani says. “Lots of conversations are focused on time management and stress management.”

Students enrolled in FWYS program run the gamut in ages, from 20-somethings to those in their 40s, 50s and older. One student who graduated last year was 76 years old.

The Division of Continuing Education hosts a graduation celebration for Finish What You Started graduates on commencement day, and Pagnani and Herrmann say that event highlights how meaningful the program is.

“It’s the most emotionally impactful event I’ve probably ever attended in my career,” Pagnani says.

“For some of these students, we’re their main source of support, so it’s super gratifying to celebrate with them,” Herrmann says. “Many students have said they don’t think they would have finished if not for Michelle’s help.”

Individuals interested in learning more about Finish What You Started can visit the program page or contact a program advisor at fwys@colorado.edu or 303-492-9671.

Student who was just a few credits shy of graduating in 1997 will walk in May commencement ceremony thanks to Finish What You Started program.

Traditional

White

College of Arts and Sciences names 2024 Van Ek Scholars

Anonymous — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 22:16:08 +0000

College of Arts and Sciences names 2024 Van Ek Scholars Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/17/2024 - 16:16

Twenty-three students receive one of college's highest honors, recognized for academic achievement and depth of service

The College of Arts and Sciences has awarded the Jacob Van Ek Scholarship—one of the college’s highest honors—to 23 exceptional undergraduates.

The award is named for Jacob Van Ek (1896-1999), who arrived at ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ as a young assistant professor shortly after earning his doctorate in 1925 at what is now known as Iowa State University. Within three years, he was a full professor and, by 1929, he was dean of the College of Liberal Arts, serving until 1959.

The following students are this year’s Jakob Van Ek Scholar Award recipients:

Emily Aguirre, English/Spanish
Simon Bantugan, Geology
Seleny Banuelas, BFA Ceramics/BA Spanish
Aaron Barrios, Physics/Astronomy/Math
Mariana Bastias, English/Psychology and Neuroscience
Auburn Berry, Integrative Physiology
Blanca Cerda, Neuroscience
Rachel Coppock, Anthropology
Sarah Coronna, Anthropology
Adriana Espinoza, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
Samantha Haygood, Philosophy and Sociology
Lucas Hendricks, Chinese
Taylor Johnson, Philosophy
Emma Judge, Biochemistry
Samantha Lane, Sociology
Isabella (Bella) Malherbe, Art History
Grant Mannino, Psychology and Neuroscience
Miles Moore, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Rumi Natanzi, Ethnic Studies
Callie Noar, Integrative Physiology
Alexandra Plocki, Physics
Hayley Thomas, International Affairs
Grace Tuzizila, Integrative Physiology

Twenty-three students receive one of college's highest honors, recognized for academic achievement and depth of service.

Traditional

White

College of Arts and Sciences

Difficult Dialogue focuses on extremism, antisemitism

Related Articles

Paul Sutter honored as 2024 Professor of Distinction

Related Articles

Family raises funds for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation by pairing with ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Buffalo Bicycle Classic

Related Articles

Financial adviser to share tips on achieving fiscal health

Related Articles

Bringing multitudes to life

Related Articles

Finding ‘Better Days’ through art

Related Articles

Remembering ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ’s brave one from the Red Scare

Related Articles

Standout grad eyes career at nexus of biomedical, preclinical research

Related Articles

ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder student took a long, winding road to graduation

Related Articles

College of Arts and Sciences names 2024 Van Ek Scholars

Related Articles

College of Arts and Sciences

Difficult Dialogue focuses on extremism, antisemitism

Related Articles

Paul Sutter honored as 2024 Professor of Distinction

Related Articles

Family raises funds for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation by pairing with ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Buffalo Bicycle Classic

Related Articles

Financial adviser to share tips on achieving fiscal health

Related Articles

Bringing multitudes to life

Related Articles

Finding ‘Better Days’ through art

Related Articles

Remembering ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ’s brave one from the Red Scare

Related Articles

Standout grad eyes career at nexus of biomedical, preclinical research

Related Articles

ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder student took a long, winding road to graduation

Related Articles

College of Arts and Sciences names 2024 Van Ek Scholars

Related Articles

Family raises funds for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation by pairing with ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Buffalo Bicycle Classic

Remembering ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ’s brave one from the Red Scare

ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Boulder student took a long, winding road to graduation