Professional Documents
Culture Documents
STATE UNIVERSITY
OF DENVER
SPRING 2013
Transformations
Where Hope Starts
The New U
A Glass ... Full
Fund
Annual
nter
Call Ce
SPRING 2013
VOL.1 NO.1
MSUDENVER.EDU/MAGAZINE
METROPOLITAN
DENVER MAGAZINE
LOOKING AHEAD
MSU Denver alumni Kevin Kutch and
Mary Ellen Buxton gaze out of the
window of their studio in Brooklyn,
New York. They're looking forward
to brighter days ahead as they
rebuild after Hurricane Sandy. Photo
by Matt Slaby.
12 16 20
A GLASS ... FULL
THE NEW U
07 THE COACH
10 THE TRANSFORMATION
03 THE CONVERSATION
04 THE NEWS
26 THE PEOPLE
08 THE INTERVIEW
09 THE FLOOD
ON THE COVER
Sonia Gutierrez is one of the students who benefited from MSU Denver's
tuition rate for undocumented students. Photo by Dave Neligh.
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01
the
FIRSTWORD
MSU Denver
introduces
a magazine on
a mission.
02
SPRING2013
PUBLISHER CATHERINE LUCAS | EXECUTIVE EDITOR CHELSEY BAKER-HAUCK | MANAGING EDITOR MICHAEL PEARSON
| EDITORIAL ASSISTANT REEANNA LYNN HERNANDEZ (CLASS OF 2014) | CREATIVE DIRECTOR SCOTT LARY | ART
DIRECTOR MATTHEW DUNN, BETTERWEATHER INC. | CONTRIBUTORS | SETH BACA (CLASS OF 2013) | LINDSEY DAY | CLIFF
FOSTER | LARRY GETLEN | DOUG MCPHERSON | IVAN MORENO (B.A. JOURNALISM '05) | DAVE NELIGH | DAN PATTERSON | LESLIE
PETROVSKI | EVAN SEMN | MATT SLABY | JULIE STRASHEIM | EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD | CATHERINE LUCAS, CHIEF OF
STAFF AND ASSOCIATE TO THE PRESIDENT FOR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS | CHELSEY BAKER-HAUCK, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
| GREG GEISSLER, ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT | MARK JASTORFF, DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS | DEBORA GILLIARD,
PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT | KEN PHILLIPS, CHAIR AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN | SAM NG, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF
METEOROLOGY
Conversation
the
You Answered:
Im a current student at MSU Denver and Ive been there for two
and a half years. Im interested in
talking about how the teachers in
the art department have become my
inspiration to achieve my dream as
an artist. Danee Castillo
Still a student, just landed a great
internship with a grassroots org
that is so inspirational for our state
and local communities.
Holly Smith
Available online.
msudenver.edu/magazine
News
the
MAKING A MARK
On April 29, 2013, Gov. John Hickenlooper signed Senate Bill 33, the ASSET Bill,
which qualifies undocumented students for in-state tuition at all of Colorado's
public colleges and universities. The bill is "the first step toward national immigration
reform," Hickenlooper said at the signing ceremony in MSU Denver's Student
Success Building. He lauded the Universityan early backer of the legislationas
"one of the most innovative schools in the nation." (See Page 20 for more.)
SPRING2013
a University of Colorado-Boulder
grad and $39,143 for a University
of Denver grad.
When you combine that earnings
potential with our tuition rate
which is the lowest tuition among
the states largest universitiesyou
can see the educational value we
offer, says MSU Denver President
Stephen Jordan.
MSU Denver Staff
FUTURE FUELS
Because the environment is ever
changing, MSU Denver believes the
fuel it uses should be, too. Thats why
the University is entering the arena
of biofuel production in an effort to
provide clean, sustainable energy
for the campus.
When designing a new magazine for MSU Denver, local firm Betterweather found
inspiration in the Universitys mission and its accessible and inclusive urban
environment. Betterweather creative principal Matt Dunn explains that the new
Metropolitan Denver Magazine logo is, of course, an M, representing the schools
name and location in the heart of Denver. But it also incorporates a greater-than
symbol as a reference to the aspirations of MSU Denver students, and an equal sign
SPRING2013
05
the
NEWS
Applause, please
When is a hotel more than a hotel? When its a
classroom as well. Thats the claim to fame of MSU
Denvers Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center (HLC),
which recently received a 2013 citation for Best
Innovation in a Campus Building by Denvers
alternative weekly news magazine Westword. The
hotel also received the LoDo Districts New Business
Award in March 2013.
Innovation wins
Notable quotable
You can go anywhere in this world within 16 hours. If you take the
premise that great cities are created through connectivity, then
you realize Denver connected to the rest of the world is going to
elevate this city on a global scale. All of us are competing against
the world. Recognize that when you send me your resume for a job,
just as quickly as you send it to me a young person in Beijing can
send it to me.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, to students in the Current Social Issues course taught by
sociology Associate Professor Sheldon Steinhauser.
06
SPRING2013
PEDAL
POWER
WANT MORE?
Keep up to date on
MSU Denver news at
www.msudenver.edu/
newsroom.
Four-for-four represents an
academic quadrafecta: four out of
four seniors who will graduate on
time this spring.
VISIT www.msudenver.edu/
magazine for a slideshow of
the Roadrunners national
championship run and stories
about mens basketball alumni
Chris Roper, Mick Alcock and
Doug Stepelton.
SPRING2013
07
BY LESLIE PETROVSKI
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
08
SPRING2013
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
MSU Denver
President
Stephen Jordan
charts higher eds
changing course.
VISIT www.msudenver.edu/
magazine for an expanded
version of the interview with
President Jordan, including
discussion about retention and
graduation rates, diversity,
online education, and credit for
prior learning.
AN MSU DENVER
STUDENT HELPS A LOST
COMMUNITY RECLAIM
ITS HISTORY.
STORY MINDY SINK | PHOTO EVAN SEMN
SPRING2013
09
THE
TRANS
STORY DOUG MCPHERSON | PHOTO SETH BACA
LEARN MORE
Matt Kailey blogs about transgender and
transsexual issues at www.tranifesto.com.
Read an interview with Kailey about his Transgender
Studies course at www.msudenver.edu/magazine.
Kailey also is striking a chord with MSU Denver
students. Last fall he approached the University about
offering a new course called Transgender Studies to
help students better understand that population. The
course was approved, and Kailey taught it this spring.
Steve Willichdirector for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and
Transgender Student Services at Aurariais a fan of
the course and says the definition of diversity needs
to be expanded beyond race and ethnicity to include
information and education about sexual orientation
and gender identity and expression.
Vice President Joe Biden has called transgender
discrimination the civil rights issue of our time, Willich
says. Our students will be working with trans
individuals when they graduate, and we all need to be
aware of the broad diversity of identities in our
communities and have knowledge on how to treat
everyone with respect and dignity.
So whats next for Kailey? A series of short e-books.
His first one is already outMy Child is Transgender:
10 Tips for Parents of Adult Trans Children, 30-pages
and 99 cents at Amazon.com.
For future e-books, he plans to target human resource
departments, employers, medical professionals, sales
professionals, therapists and educators.
That is a lot of books, Kailey says with a laugh. I have
to get at it.
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11
glass
a
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13
15
new
THE
16
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What exactly will that era look like? A 26-page strategic plan offers some clues.
In a year that saw the University change its name and
transform its public face with capital projects that
included the Student Success Building and the Hotel
and Hospitality Learning Center, a group of MSU
Denver faculty, staff and administrators shaped a
document that will drive the institution philosophically for the next five years. Adopted by the Board
of Trustees in April 2012, the aptly named 201217
strategic plan, A Time of Transformation, articulates
an ambitious vision for the University.
The strategic plan provides a broad template for
the future that allows for innovation, creativity and
growth, Jordan explains. I am confident that it will
move us further down the path to preeminence.
The plans first page paints a portrait of what the
University hopes to look like in 2017. The institution
it describes offers an exemplary education characterized by real-world experiences, high standards
-Stephen Jordan
MSU Denver President
THIS PLAN IS
GOING TO HELP
REALIZE THE
POTENTIAL
OF THIS
OUTSTANDING
URBAN
UNIVERSITY.
-Rob Cohen
Board of Trustees Chair
SETTING HIGH
EXPECTATIONS
18
SPRING2013
PUTTING THE
PLAN INTO ACTION
EMBRACING THE
LAND-GRANT
MISSION
IN 2017 ITS
NOT JUST MSU
DENVER THAT
WILL HAVE
GROWN AND
CHANGED, BUT
ALSO THE CITY
OF DENVER.
-Stephen Jordan
MSU Denver President
SPRING2013
19
WHERE
WHEN
THE
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21
SINCE
22
SPRING2013
EACH
STUDENTS LIFE
AND ABILITY TO
CONTRIBUTE
TO LOCAL
COMMUNITIES
IS ENRICHED
BY THE
OPPORTUNITY
TO COMPLETE
HIS OR HER
EDUCATIONAL
GOALS.
-Tanya Broder,
National Immigration Law Center
DALIA QUEZADA
students enrolled at MSU Denver are students of
color, including nearly 20 percent who are Latino.
We have this mantra that we are an institution of
opportunity, Jordan told the legislatures Joint Budget
Committee during a hearing last June. We have
historically served the largest population of lowincome, first-generation and historically under-represented populations, and were very proud of that.
There are economic considerations as well, Jordan
told the committee. A well-educated workforce benefits society and the economy through greater tax
revenues, higher productivity, increased workforce
flexibility, enhanced civic engagement and improved
quality of life. By extending an affordable but unsubsidized tuition rate to students, They would be able
to contribute to our economy in a more meaningful
way.
Gutierrez is making that contribution already. I got
my Social Security numberthose nine numbers that
held me back for so long, she says. And I now have
a work visa that I can use my degree in.
University officials did extensive research before
proceeding with the boards action and looked at
court cases in California and Kansas, where the
states were sued for approving in-state tuition for
undocumented students. Courts had ruled in the
states favor.
The University was prepared for a lawsuit, Jordan
says. We felt wed done a lot of work going into it
and we felt confident in our legal position.
Ultimately, there were no lawsuits. And Jordan says
he was heartened by the number of new students
who enrolled under the special tuition rate, given
the short timeframe between the boards decision
and sign-up dates.
JORDAN
SPRING2013
VICTOR GALVAN
24
LEARN MORE at
www.msudenver.edu/magazine.
Review background on the
Colorado High School/GED
Non-resident Tuition Rate.
ONE GREAT
THING ABOUT
METRO IS
IT DOESNT
DISCRIMINATE.
METRO HAS
REALLY BEEN
AVAILABLE TO
ALL STUDENTS,
AND THATS
WHY ITS SUCH
AN OBVIOUS
OPTION FOR
SO MANY
PEOPLE.
ITS REALLY
INCLUSIVE.
-Victor Galvan, Student
MY BIGGEST
DREAM IS TO
GRADUATE
FROM
COLLEGE.
METRO
PRETTY MUCH
REINFORCED
THE FACT
THAT I WAS
GOING TO BE
ABLE TO DO
THAT.
-Sarahi Romo, Student
People
Bright Shining Lights
the
THANK YOU
TO OUR ROADRUNNERS ATHLETICS SPONSORS
Auraria Campus Bookstore
Hotel VQ
26
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BOBBY LEFEBRE
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27
People
Alumni News + Notes
the
1992
1980
1994
1984
1985
1990
1995
1999
28
SPRING2013
2001
2004
2005
2003
2006
1971
2007
Yolanda Borders (B.S. computer information systems 07) of Arvada, Colo., is a virtual
assistant who advises partners how to create
detailed spreadsheets from website analysis. She also was hired by Intuit (creators of
QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks and Turbo
Tax) to perform customer service consulting.
Zack Gaddy (B.S. computer information systems 07) of San Antonio is creator of Lucky
Dad Media and the website coupondad.net.
The site has grown to more than 1.5 million
page views a month with more than 600,000
visitors.
Christian Snyder (B.A. political science 07) is
director of Colorado Marrow Donor Program
for Bonfils Blood Center. He is a U.S. Navy veteran. Christian resides in Westminster, Colo.
Jennifer Strotman (B.S. biology 07) is a
museum technician at the Smithsonian
Museum of Natural History. She is a U.S.
Army veteran and also has been an invertebrate zookeeper at the Butterfly Pavilion and
a caregiver at Best Friends Animal Society.
Jennifer resides in Brentwood, Md.
2009
2010
This may seem obvious, but the earlier you ask yourself
these questions the better.
VISIT www.msudenver.edu/alumnicareers
for more information about Alumni Career Services at
MSU Denver.
SPRING2013
29
People
In Memory
the
Charles Branch
Ken Phillips
02.11.13
02.22.13
VISIT www.msudenver.edu/
VISIT www.msudenver.edu/
THE
WHOLE
WIDE
WORLD
CAN
BE
YOUR
CLASSROOM.
JOIN MSU DENVER ALUMNI AND FRIENDS
ON THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME.
hat to do after nearly two decades touring with a successful rock band? Thats
48-year-old Tom Payettas jam.
SPRING2013
31
Then a glimmer of hope: In her seventh week at the hospital, doctors thought the baby was stabilized enough to
return home. But she didnt make it. At only 4 months
old, on Jan. 20, 2007, Gracia died.
SPRING2013
VISIT www.loveofgrace.org to
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit 2965
Chrysalis
Charcoal on paper, detail
Image courtesy of
Sandra Phillips Gallery
Colorado artist Anna Kaye, a former drawing professor at MSU Denver, explores transformation
in a series of landscape drawings that emphasize fire as an impetus for change. As the butterfly
drifts, its large, majestic wings diminish the violence of the distant fire. Its proximity to the
fire also heightens the butterfly's vulnerable attraction to the intense light, Kaye says of
Chrysalis. Whether the butterfly is escaping the fire or moving towards it, Chrysalis presents a
transformation. The fire is a cocoon for the new landscape. Kayes Interwoven, another image
in the series, is part of the MSU Denver collection on display in the Student Success Building.
Denver, CO