Network. Learn. Contribute.
Celebrating twenty-five years in 2025, 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.
2025 Keynote Presentation and Awards Ceremony - The Clash: Generational Communication
Tuesday, April 8th | 12:30 - 1:30 pm
Lawrence Street Center Terrace Room - Refreshments will be served!
1350 Lawrence Street, 2nd Floor
Or on Zoom (registration required): https://ucdenver.zoom.us/meeting/register/YYGnuhIKQZaOVuDAN32cEg
Join us for a fun and lively discussion as we take a look at these, and other questions:
- Do generational language differences create power dynamics in workplaces, schools, and public spaces? Are younger generations at a disadvantage when using informal language, or do older generations struggle to stay relevant?
- Is the increasing informality of communication (texting, emojis, memes) leading to a breakdown in traditional norms of respect and professionalism? Should older generations adjust to this shift, or should younger generations conform to formal standards?
- Can linguistic shifts contribute to greater inclusivity, or do they sometimes create confusion and resistance?
- How do evolving terms for gender, race, and identity impact societal cohesion?
2024-25 Award Recipients
Sonja K. Foss Academic Excellence Award - Yuki Wei
Yu Wei is a dedicated scholar whose research explores feminist discourse within alternative subcultures. As part of an independent study with Professor Sarah Fields, they examined the intersection of gender, culture, and sport through skateboarding communities in Mainland China. Their work, presented at the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) and the North American Society for Sport History (NASSH), employs discourse analysis and comparative approaches to highlight how skateboarding fosters feminist agency and self-expression. Through interdisciplinary research bridging gender studies, cultural theory, and sports history, [Your Name] contributes to broader discussions on identity and inclusion in global contexts.
Robley Rhine Student Leadership Award - Sean Mueller
Sean Mueller is a communication student at the University of Colorado Denver and serves on the University’s Prison Education Program advisory board. While incarcerated, Mueller earned a certificate in strategic communication from UCD and an AA from Adams State University. He co-authored and published "Educating Incarcerated Individuals: An Easy Choice" in Westword and is a longtime contributor to Captured Words/Free Thoughts. Mueller earned Summa Cum Laude honors and is a member of Lambda Pi Eta. Mueller is committed to multiplying the number of people benefiting from higher education in prisons.
Lynx Strong Spirit Award - Ebonie White
Hi, I'm Ebonie White, and I'm currently living in Germany with my family. My husband is a U.S. Army soldier, and we have a six-year-old daughter. I work full-time for the U.S. government, which can be challenging, especially when my husband is deployed. But despite the ups and downs, I've managed to balance work, school, and family life. I have to admit, there have been times when I doubted my ability to finish school. When I was living in Colorado Springs, CO, I was talking to my Academic Advisor, Nora Scanlon, and I was feeling really uncertain about whether I could do it. But she was super supportive and encouraged me to keep going. I'm so glad I listened to her because it's been an incredible journey. I'm really proud of myself for all that I've achieved so far. It hasn't been easy, but it's been worth it. I'm excited to graduate soon and see what the future holds. I'm looking forward to this new chapter and all the opportunities that come with it.
Lael Porter Community Service Award - Gabrielle Dawson
Gabrielle Dawson majors in Communication and is currently enrolled in the BA + MA program at CU Denver. Originally from Maryland, she moved to Denver in 2016 and in 2020 enrolled in college for the first time. Passionate about helping others see the value in higher education, she regularly tells people that she registers for the food bank about how college has improved her life and would love to help with continuing education for disadvantaged students in the future. She wants to help people feel valued and foster community with her degree by making people feel seen, heard, and valued. She is plant based, enjoys running and skydiving in her free time, and loves being here in Denver.
Barbara J. Walkosz Distinguished Alumni Award - Anya Dickson-Arguello
Anya Dickson-Arguello is the current and first appointed Digital Equity Program Manager for The City and County of Denver, working to bridge digital gaps that exist across the city. She is passionate about digital access, education, and user accessibility. She has a background in UX design and QA testing, but being the youngest of five, she jokes she’s always been a community organizer at heart. She sits on the Board of Directors for The 35 Mile Foundation and The Alumni Board for Girls Incorporated. She graduated from CU Denver in 2019 with a Bachelor's of Arts in Communication (go COMM!) and Political Science. Her time at UCD shaped her as a person, and helped her discover her passion for technology, design, and social justice.
2025 Friend of the Department Award - Office of Global Education
The Office of Global Education serves the CU Denver and Anschutz campuses, supporting international learning opportunities across the world. OGE partners with CU faculty members developing faculty-led programs, works with independent learners conducting research or clinical rotations abroad, and manages a robust portfolio of third-party study abroad programs. Members of the OGE team support program development, student advising, course evaluations, risk management, campus outreach, and capturing global stories and images from CU learners. Current team members include:
Nicole Herrin, Program Manager
Erica Van Sciver, Coordinator
Emily Wheeler, Program Manager
Andrew S. Wingfield, Director
Past Communication Days keynote speakers include:
- 2024: Comic-Comm: A Discussion of the Use of Comendy in Communication, moderated by Soumia Bardan, and featuring panelists Lacy Lowrey, Nick Marx, and Nancy Norton.
- 2023: You Can Talk to Me: Advocating for Open Mental Health Conversations, featuring panelists Melissa Doman abd J.R. Kuo.
- 2022: Engaging in DEI Initiatives: Professional Perspectives and Challenges, featuring panelists Erin Fernandez, Tiffany Fixter, Angel McKinley, and Rustin Tonn.
- 2021: Empowerment in Entrepreneurship: Starting your own Business in Communication, featuring panelists Krystal Covington, Anish Parikh, Greg Hollenback, and R. Tony Smith.
- 2020: Cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. All classes moved online as of March 13, 2020.
- 2019: A panel of Communication Alumni, speaking about their school experiences and their professional lives since CU Denver, featuring Rebecca Burris, Sarah Erickson, Alissa Long, Anquanette Murray-Cawthorn, Claire Shannon, and Duy Tran.
- 2018: A panel of Communication Alumni, speaking about life after college, featuring Shontel Lewis, Amanda Parker, and Austin Pride
- 2017: Rinku Sen, President and Executive Director of Race Forward
- 2016: Helene Shugart, Professor, University of Utah
- 2015: Phaedra C. Pezzullo, Associate Professor of Rhetoric & Public Culture, Department of Communication & Culture, Indiana University
- 2014: Charles E. Morris III, Professor, Department of Communication and Rhetorical Communication, Syracuse University
- 2013: Aimee Carrillo-Rowe, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, California State University - Northridge
- 2012: Kirt Wilson, Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Political Communication, Pennsylvania State University
- 2011: Robbie Cox, three-time Sierra Club president, Professor Emeritus, University of North Carolina
- 2010: Judith Tannenbaum, nationally recognized novelist and poet, community activist, and prison educator
- 2009: Garrett Albert Duncan, Chair, Department of Education, Washington University
- 2008: Tim Z. Hernandez, writer and performance artist
- 2007: Bill Hanzlik, CEO, Gold Crown Foundation; former coach, Denver Nuggets; former NBA basketball player
- 2006: Jeff Campbell, Executive Director, Colorado Hip-Hop Coalition
- 2005: John Hickenlooper, Mayor, City of Denver
- 2004: Patricia Calhoun, Editor, Westword
- 2003: Denver Mayoral Forum (included all of the candidates running for mayor: Susan Casey, John Hickenlooper, Don Mares, Phil Perington, Elizabeth Schlosser, Jeremy Stefanek, Penfield Tate, and Ari Zavaras)
- 2002: Guy Burgess, Director, The Conflict Research Consortium, University of Colorado at Boulder
- 2001: Patricia Arneson, Professor, Communication Department, Duquesne University