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Celebrating twenty-six years in 2026, the department's annual Communication Day is a celebration of the many ways communication enriches our daily lives, advances our professional goals, and feeds our democracy. To celebrate communication-in-action, we invite community experts onto our campus, where we ask local practitioners to share their knowledge with our students, staff, and faculty, hence merging traditional classroom spaces with embodied and experiential learning. Our Department’s mission is “To cultivate the knowledge and ability to use communication to create a more equitable and humane world,” so we ask our guest speakers to frame their work within larger issues of communication ethics and civic responsibility.
2026 Robley Rhine Inaugural Lecture and Awards Ceremony
Tuesday, April 7th, 11:00 am - 1:15 pm
Title: Queer/Local/Rhetoric: Engaging the Queer Past with the Queer Memory Project of Northern Colorado
Speaker: DR. THOMAS R. DUNN (he/him) is an award-winning public address scholar, rhetorical critic, higher ed leader, and a tenured Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. He also serves as the Interim Director of CSU’s Joe Blake Center for Engaged Humanities. Dr. Dunn’s research examines the intersection of rhetoric, politics, and LGBT and queer culture with a focus on public memory. He is the author of two books on this subject: The Pink Scar: How Nazi Persecution Shaped the Struggle for LGBTQ Rights (Penn State University Press, 2025) and Queerly Remembered: Rhetorics for Representing the GLBTQ Past (University of South Carolina Press, 2016). Dunn's research also extends into community-engaged scholarship with the creation of the Queer Memory Project of Northern Colorado–an educational and community partnership that discovers, preserves, and shares the region’s LGBTQ+ past.
About the series: Robley Rhine (1930-2009) was a founder of the Department of Communication at the University of Colorado Denver. The Lecture Series celebrates the legacy of Dr. Rhine’s pioneering work on oral persuasion and discourse and marks a new departmental tradition honoring the vitality of rhetorical scholarship in contemporary contexts.
Faculty Research Panel to Follow the Lecture
Venue: Lawrence Street Center Terrace Room - Refreshments will be served!
1350 Lawrence Street, 2nd Floor
Registration required to particpate via Zoom:
https://ucdenver.zoom.us/meeting/register/vYehElosSFmpiILJx0T5eQ
Meet the COMM Faculty Panel
Lacy Lowrey
Moderator
Lacy Lowrey is an instructor in the Department of Communication here at CU Denver. Her Master's thesis, an analysis of Sarah Silverman's standup special Jesus is Magic, along with other publications focused on Margaret Cho and Amy Schumer, highlights her academic interest in the ways women use humor as a rhetorical device to spotlight problematic social issues and enact change. In addition to writing about standup comedy, Lowrey performed as a comedian for 10 years.
Soumia Bardhan
Panelist
"Borders of Belonging: Rhetoric, Religion, and the Democratic "We""
This talk examines how rhetoric shapes the boundaries of democratic belonging in a moment of global democratic crisis, tracing how appeals to religion and culture travel across borders through digital platforms and transnational networks to expand or contract the democratic "we".
Benjamin Boyce
Panelist
Ben will talk about the CU-Denver prison education program, and he will share ways for students to get involved, plus he will detail a project he is currently working on with a team of incarcerated students studying how media can be used in prison classrooms to help students understand theory.
Patrick Dodge
Panelist
Patrick will present on "Communication to Make a Difference: A Community-Based Approach." He will share a community-based, purpose-driven research project developed in partnership with the OCA Colorado, that addresses a critical real-world challenge: language and generational barriers in emergency medical care. Grounded in exigent, on-the-ground needs, the project highlights how communication strategies can move from theory into practice to create meaningful, community-centered impact.
Stephen Hartnett
Panelist
Stephen will talk about his project “Tracking International Disinformation through the Great Spy Balloon Freakout. ”
This presentation addresses how, in February 2023, an aerial surveillance craft launched by China wandered across the United States sucking up data on military installations while spawning an explosion of international disinformation so alarming that scholars are calling it the Great Spy Balloon Freakout.
2025-26 Award Recipients
Sonja K. Foss Academic Excellence Award - Molly Bellou Larson
Molly Bellou Larson is a communications professional based in Colorado. While earning her B.A. in Communications from the University of Colorado Denver (UCD), Larson also completed a minor in Digital Design and earned a certificate in Digital Studies. She was inducted into the National Communication Association's honor society, Lambda Pi Eta, in 2025. Larson currently works as a copywriter for the Business School at UCD and has had articles on a variety of topics published in the college’s newsroom. After graduation, she plans to earn a Master’s of Library and Information Science and pursue a career in Digital Archiving.
Sonja K. Foss Academic Excellence Award - Alexa Smith
Alexa Smith is a Communications student at the University of Colorado Denver. Originally from Albany, New York, she developed a passion for media production in high school, where she contributed to broadcasting a variety of school events. Since moving to Denver in 2024, Alexa has continued to expand her experience in the field, pursuing a Digital Studies Certificate while assisting in the production of Metropolitan State University of Denver sports broadcasts for the RMAC Network. She credits her growth and opportunities to the support of her family and the mentorship of her teachers and professors. She is excited to continue developing her skills and building a career in media and communications.
Robley Rhine Student Leadership Award - Guadalupe Maldonado
Guadalupe Maldonado is a Communication major at the University of Colorado Denver, graduating in Spring 2026. She has been actively involved in the department as a Communication Student Ambassador, supporting student outreach, classroom presentations, and engagement initiatives. In addition, she has gained experience through internships in public relations and communication, where she has developed skills in media monitoring, digital content creation, and strategic communication. She is passionate about using communication to connect communities and create inclusive, engaging environments.
Friend of the Department Award - Chloe Dechiro
Chloe Dechiro is an Internship Advisor at the University of Colorado Denver, where she supports students in Engineering and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with career development and internship access. A passionate advocate for equity and inclusion, Chloe brings years of experience in higher education, student services, and workforce development. As a first-generation college graduate and neurodivergent professional, she is dedicated to fostering inclusive environments where all individuals—especially those from underrepresented backgrounds—can thrive. Her work is grounded in mentorship, education, and dismantling barriers to success, including those faced by neurodiverse professionals in the workplace.
Friend of the Department Award - Joan Fishburn
Associate Director of Industry Partnerships & Employer Connections, University of Colorado Denver | Career Development & Immersive Learning, Division of Strategic Enrollment & Student Success
Joan has worked for CU for 18 years, most of which has been in career services and alumni relations. In her current employer relations role, Joan engages with local and national employers to provide opportunities for CU Denver students to connect, opening pathways to internships and full-time positions.
Barbara J. Walkosz Distinguished Alumni Award - Jessica Godo
Jessica is a proud double alum of the University of Colorado Denver. She is the Manager of Board Operations for the University of Colorado Foundation supporting the Board of Directors, and the CU trustees program. Prior to joining the CU Foundation, Jessica was the Business Operations Program Manager for Student Affairs at CU Denver. Jessica is a CU Denver Alumni Board President Emerita where she served the board for seven years. She also just joined the CU Heritage Society through planned giving to benefit the CU Denver Communication department.