The dedication and commitment of our students, staff, and faculty to the College truly astounds me each and every year. Again, the accomplishments of our awardees are impressive and they deserve our appreciation and acknowledgment. As we continue to navigate through uncertain waters, I am honored to serve as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and to have all of you as my colleagues. Here is to another great year and a summer with some relaxation and reflection.
Pamela Jansma
Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Undergraduate and Graduate Student Awards
Amy Elizabeth Vermette, Public Health, Fall 2021
Amy Vermette graduated from CU Denver with a BA in Public Health in the Fall of 2021 as a first-generation student. In addition to receiving the Outstanding CLAS Undergraduate award she also received the Outstanding Undergraduate in Public Health Award. Her professional background includes multiple years in childcare and early education. She is currently working as a Public Health Investigator in the childcare section for the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment.
Tobias Orion Tegrotenhuis, English, Spring 2022
Tobias (Toby) Tegrotenhuis is a first-generation Filipino American graduate from Lakewood, Colorado. They majored in English with a focus in poetry and a minor in communications. During their time at CU Denver, Toby wrote and copy edited for the student newspaper The Sentry and read on the staff of national literary journal Copper Nickel, as well as worked as a student assistant with the CLAS Dean's Office for four academic years. Their poetry has been published in The Allegheny Review, Glass Mountain, Collision, and elsewhere. Toby's creative work draws from their experiences as a queer Asian American poet; they are assembling a chapbook manuscript along those themes, in fulfillment of departmental honors and for potential future publication.
Souha Tifour, Mathematical & Statistical Sciences, Fall 2021
To migrate to a new country, speak a new language, be emotionally independent and financially responsible at a young age are just a few examples of the hardships I've gone through to get to the point where I am today. To think I've come from that point to where now I've graduated with a BS in Mathematics and been recognized with the Outstanding CLAS Award for my hard work and academic success are a few examples of my proud accomplishments. Gaining a sense of accomplishment and feeling proud of it has been always the driving force behind striving to accomplish more goals. Fortunately, through the wonderful resources at CU Denver that helped me to discover my passion for statistics, I became clearer about my goals and future plans. First, my current goals are to earn two statistical programming certificates and get a job in the domain of statistics. Furthermore, there are many areas where statistics is applied such as in business, public health, biology, and academia. In the next 5 years, my goal is to have as many as possible experiences in each field and see which area of statistics I enjoy the most. Then, be a biostatistician, data scientist, or community college math teacher.
Theresa Hoa Nguyen, Integrative Biology, Spring 2022
Theresa Nguyen is first-generation student graduating magna cum laude with a degree in Integrative Biology with a double minor in Chemistry and Business. Her experiences as a daughter of Vietnamese immigrants have exposed her to the vulnerabilities that underserved populations face, especially in healthcare. Her interest includes healthcare equity, teaching, and working with low-income populations.
During her time at CU Denver, she worked closely with the Sun Valley Youth Center, a safe haven for kids located in the poorest zip code in Colorado. She and her two best friends taught a Healthy Lifestyles Course and developed a Cycling Program amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, so the kids would have a healthy, and safe, outlet during quarantine. Theresa is currently applying to medical school and is ecstatic to use all she has learned from CU Denver in this next chapter of her life.
Gabriella Mayne, Anthropology, Fall 2021
Gabriella received her master's degree in Anthropology in Fall 2021, focusing on maternal/infant health. Her research is an intercampus/interdisciplinary collaboration exploring the relationship between maternal stress, preterm birth and the neuroactive steroid allopregnanolone. Using a novel assay she developed with CU Anschutz, Gabriella will continue this research as a PhD student in Health & Behavioral Sciences at CU Denver. Gabriella won "Best New Investigator" award for her recent publication, "Understanding and Reducing Persistent Racial Disparities in Preterm Birth: A Model of Stress Induced Developmental Plasticity," at the annual Society for Reproductive Investigation conference in March. Inspired by her experience as a mother, she published an auto-ethnographic digital story, "After Birth," sharing her personal motivations for this research. She presented her award-winning 3-Minute Thesis, "Birth: What's Love Got To Do With It?" for the National Council of Graduate Schools in February, after winning 1st/2nd place in five separate qualifying competitions. Presently, Gabriella is developing a second assay to quantify neuropeptides in pregnancy with iC42 lab on CU Anschutz, and she is investigating maternal stress and metabolic biomarkers in preterm birth in The Hurt Lab.
Meghan Renee Cosgrove, Communication, Spring 2022
Meghan Cosgrove came to CU Denver by way of Disney World and Colorado State University. She began her academic journey by participating in the Disney College Program where she learned dreams really do come true, but hers were in the classroom. After returning home to Colorado, she earned her BA in Communication Studies from CSU and attended CU Denver to earn her MA in Communication. Throughout her time as an MA student, she has served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for both our traditional on-campus students and incarcerated students through the College-in-Prison program. She co-authored a health communication publication with Dr. Lisa Keranen and is working towards a second publication under the guidance of Dr. Stephen Hartnett exploring incarcerated individuals' use of art as rehabilitation in an otherwise punitive environment. After graduation, Meghan will return to Colorado State University to earn her PhD in Communication Studies where she plans to explore the intersections of civic engagement, communication activism, relational and organizational communication, and social justice. She knows of no greater joy than being of service to others and hopes to fulfill this commitment to herself and her community by advocating for and amplifying the voices of marginalized communities.
Ian S. Arriaga Mackenzie, Mathematical & Statistical Sciences, Fall 2021
Ian Arriaga MacKenzie graduated from the 5 year BS Mathematics and MS Statistics program in 2021. During his time at CU Denver, he was an outstanding and passionate researcher developing and applying methods to improve the utility and equity of genetic summary data, especially for diverse ancestral populations. His hard work resulted in a first author publication in the American Journal of Human Genetics for which he was awarded the coveted 2021 American Journal of Human Genetics Cotterman Award for outstanding contributions to the field of human genetics by a trainee. This award most often goes to post-doctoral fellows and thus to receive this award as a MS student was quite an achievement. In addition to outstanding research, Ian is a supportive peer mentor always encouraging and helping others to achieve their research goals. He is currently enrolled in the Biostatistics PhD program at the CU Anschutz campus.
Drew Horton, Mathematical & Statistical Sciences, Spring 2022
Drew Horton is not what some may consider a stereotypical mathematician. She entered her first college math course, college algebra, believing that she "hated" mathematics. Thinking that because she was not the first person to raise her hand, or the quickest to understand a concept, that she was not a "math person". Building a supportive community around her helped her find her sense of belonging in math.
In her current and future work she strives to make mathematics a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive place. One of her biggest accomplishments in this regard has been playing a role in founding the CU Denver chapter of the Association for Women in Math, through which she developed a program for mentoring undergraduate students in STEM. She plans to continue with her PhD at CU Denver and then go into academia after she graduates.
Wenjuan Zhang, Mathematical & Statistical Sciences, Fall 2021
Wenjuan Zhang is a PhD student in Applied Mathematics who graduated in the summer of 2021. She was an international student and it was her first experience studying abroad. With her hard work, she quickly adapted to the culture and made progress at an amazing pace. Not only did she make fruitful achievements in her research, but also she was passionate about teaching, which earned her the "Excellence in Teaching Achievement Award" in the spring of 2021. Currently, she is working as a biostatistician at MSD based in Shanghai, China. Whether it is designing clinical trials at an early stage or analyzing results to assess the efficacy and safety profile of drugs, she believes she is doing something for all of humanity. With this strong belief, her goal is to join the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to help regulate the food and drug market in China in the future.
Margaret K. Tanner, Integrative Biology, Spring 2022
I am a PhD student in Dr. Benjamin Greenwood's Behavioral Exercise Neuroscience Lab. In 2013, I received a B.S. in Animal Sciences, Behavior and Well-Being at Purdue University. As an undergraduate, I participated in research with a focus on improving on-farm animal management practices to reduce animal stress and enhance welfare. I joined the Greenwood Lab in 2016 and began researching the ability of exercise to enable stress resilience. One of my current projects is investigating the neural circuits controlling voluntary exercise behavior. Another project is looking at exercise-induced stress resilience in both sexes. After I graduate from CU Denver, I will continue working for Dr. Greenwood as a postdoctoral researcher and will begin researching the neural mechanisms underlying the stress resilient effects of exercise.
Faculty Awards
Kyoung Nan Kim, Chemistry
Dr. Kyoung Nan Kim, professor of chemistry at University of Colorado Denver obtained her PhD in chemistry at University of Notre Dame. Her graduate research focused on building DNA nanostructure (origami) as a powerful building block to create nanoelectronic or nanomagnetic circuits that is biocompatible.
Her career continued at the University of Colorado Denver as a full-time instructor. She has taught all areas of chemistry courses from intro-level chemistry up to organic chemistry, biochemistry, bioinorganic chemistry and instrumental chemistry. Her dedication was rewarded in Spring 2021 with the National Society of Leadership and Success excellent teaching award. In Spring 2022, she received the Instructional, Research, Clinical Faculty excellence in teaching award from CLAS.
Her interest is focused on designing and testing new teaching technology in her courses by collecting and analyzing data from students' progress and learning accomplishment.
Jean Naomi Scandlyn, Health and Behavioral Sciences
Jean Scandlyn received her doctorate in anthropology from Columbia University in 1993 and specializes in medical anthropology. She is clinical professor in the Departments of Health and Behavioral Sciences and Anthropology and is an affiliate in the Colorado School of Public Health. In addition to teaching undergraduate courses in public health and anthropology she teaches social science theory and qualitative research methods in the doctoral program in health and behavioral sciences.
She has completed several long-term ethnographic research projects, the most recent looking at the effects of multiple deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan on soldiers and the community in Colorado Springs. She has recently published work on the dissemination of information on climate change on public health department websites in the US and developed the CHASMS model of disasters and social vulnerability with Dr. Deborah Thomas. Teaching courses and working individually with students while supervising internships or research are her passions. She will retire at the end of the spring semester 2023 and looks forward to more time for research and writing.
Adam Spiegler, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
Adam Spiegler is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Denver where he also serves as Director of the Undergraduate Program in the Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences as well as the undergraduate advisor for the department. In addition to his work at CU Denver, he has spent the past 13 summers working as a Quantitative Methods instructor at the Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government where he works in the Master in Public Administration Program. Prior to working at CU Denver, he was the coordinator of the elementary mathematics program at Loyola University Chicago from 2007–2018.
As a member of the Calculus Consortium for Higher Education, he is a co-author of five undergraduate mathematics textbooks: from college algebra to multivariable calculus. He loves working with students and teachers from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds at many different levels (from middle school up to mid-career). He has co-organized nationwide workshops to help prepare middle school teachers with curriculum changes relating to the implementation of Common Core Standards in Mathematics. He completed his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Arizona and studied mathematics and economics as an undergraduate at Binghamton University. In addition to his love of teaching mathematics, he has worked as an actuary for Insurance Services Office, Inc. in New York City. When not doing mathematics, he is traveling, hiking, or camping in the Rockies.
Sasha Breger Bush, Political Science
Sasha is an international political economist and an Associate Professor of Political Science. She teaches and researches about global finance, food and agriculture, drugs, and international studies teaching and pedagogy. Sasha uses a wide variety of evidence-based teaching practices in her classroom—including scaffolding, metacognition, student choice and autonomy, and peer-to-peer instruction—and has developed her own pedagogical approach she calls the "democratic classroom". She also regularly runs high-impact, student-directed courses, and deploys experiential and service-based approaches.
Sasha's new co-authored book (with Roni Kay O'Dell) is a unique resource for global politics students: Global Politics: A Toolkit for Learners draws on her research and classroom experience to create a learner-centered, heavily scaffolded approach that emphasizes critical thinking, intellectual independence, and diverse perspectives on global politics drawn from primary source readings. Moving forward, Sasha plans to continue tinkering and innovating in her courses, and providing students with real-time experience with democratic processes and opportunities to refine democratic skill sets. She is also eagerly working on a variety of new courses and curricula designed to help students think critically about current events and provide opportunities to work alongside community partners.
Michael J. Greene, Integrative Biology
I have worked at CU Denver since 2003 during which I have taught over 2,500 students in courses such as Human Physiology, General Biology, and Biological Research Workshop among others. I have completed CU Denver's Inclusive Pedagogy Academy and I serve on Integrative Biology's Teaching Effectiveness Committee. I have also mentored dozens of undergraduate and graduate students in research. I conduct research on how ant colonies are able to collectively organize their behavior. I have a focus on equity in my courses and have been able to reduce equity gaps in all of my courses while also maintaining rigor, flexibility for students, and the development of scientific skills.
I am also a human being: I am a husband and a father of a teenaged daughter. I love to garden and I keep hens. I enjoy fly fishing, reading, and I am an avid collector of vinyl records. I own a 1965 Airstream Caravel travel trailer and enjoy camping. I am a drummer in the band Paper Knees (www.paperknees.com).
Jefferson Knight, Chemistry
Jeff Knight was born in Morehead City, North Carolina and completed his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He earned a PhD in Pharmacology from Yale University in 2006, where he was an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. After that, he worked as a postdoctoral research associate at CU Boulder before joining the CU Denver faculty in 2010. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry where he teaches biochemistry courses, directs the BS Biochemistry program, and manages a research group that studies how proteins interact with lipid membranes to control insulin secretion.
In 2018, Dr. Knight was awarded the Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, which recognizes outstanding young faculty in the chemical sciences from non-PhD-granting departments nationwide. In addition to his lab's ongoing research, Dr. Knight has published 3 journal articles in the field of Chemistry and Biophysics education since 2021. He currently serves on the Education Committee of the Biophysical Society and is a founding member of the Biophysical Society's PUI Network.
Brian Buma, Integrative Biology
Dr. Brian Buma is an ecologist working at the intersection of climate change, natural disasters, species migration, and conservation. His work has taken him around the world and into a variety of study systems, though mostly of the high latitude and high elevation types. Having published over 60 peer reviewed papers, a popular science book, and numerous magazine articles sharing his science with the world, he continues to push the field of ecology in a variety of ways.
Buma is also a National Geographic Explorer, having been supported on expeditions to Cape Horn, Alaska, and Greenland, where his work is used to tell stories about the natural world and inspire positive change.
Andrew Friedson, Economics
Dr. Friedson is an Associate Professor of Economics and holds a courtesy appointment in the department of Health Systems Management and Policy at the Colorado School of Public Health. He is an empirical economist with research interests in policy surrounding the health insurance and health care markets. Recent research has also focused on the social and policy determinants of risky health behaviors such as contagion behaviors during COVID-19.
His research has been published in leading economics field journals such as the Journal of Public Economics, Journal of Health Economics and the Journal of Urban Economics as well as in leading policy and medical journals such as the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management and the JAMA Health Forum.
Dr. Friedson's work has been covered in outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and The Economist. Currently, Professor Friedson is writing a textbook in health economics for the Cambridge University Press.
Audrey E. Hendricks, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
Dr. Audrey Hendricks is an Associate Professor of Statistics in the Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences at CU Denver with additional appointments at the Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Hendricks is internationally recognized for her collaborative and interdisciplinary research, which bridges the areas of data science and ‘omics to understand the complex nature of human health and disease. She has published over 50 peer-reviewed research articles with 17 in the past 3 years and is currently principal investigator or co-investigator on 6 National Institute of Health grants bringing in several million dollars annually.
Dr. Hendricks's efforts in Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) span four main areas: (1) Statistical method development to increase diversity and inclusion in who is studied and who leads the studies in genomics research, (2) building diverse and inclusive training pipelines and networks, (3) inclusive mentoring of trainees from all backgrounds, and (4) supporting student JEDI research. This has resulted in awards for both herself and her outstanding trainees. In 2020, she received a 5 year 2 million dollar R35 Genomic Innovator Award from the National Human Genome Research Institute, focusing on developing methods and user-friendly software to increase the utility and equity of publicly available genetic data. In 2021, Ian Arriaga-MacKenzie, as a BS/MS statistics student, won the prestigious American Journal of Human Genetics Cotterman Award. Dr. Hendricks is committed to removing barriers to learning and student research experiences in order to truly support trainees from all backgrounds in achieving their unique goals. She is proud to have a dynamic and collaborative research group with amazing trainees of all levels from HS to undergraduate, graduate, and beyond.
Candan Duran-Aydintug, Sociology
I graduated from Bosphorus University in Istanbul, Turkey with a double major in Psychology and Biology. Subsequently, I earned an MS degree in Psychology and a Ph.D. degree in Sociology at Washington State University, specializing in social psychology, sociology of the family, research methods, sociology of childhood and adolescence and inequalities. After working two years at the University of Alabama, I joined the Sociology Faculty at the University of Colorado Denver in 1993. Under my leadership, our department became the first department on campus to offer a completely online BA degree. Since my first day on campus, I have been engaged in service activities at different levels and have been acknowledged several times for my teaching. I am married and my only son has graduated from the University of Colorado. I will be retiring in August 2022.
Stephen G. Hartke, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
Stephen G. Hartke is a tenure-track faculty member in the Department of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences. He received his B.S. from the University of Dayton and his Ph.D. from Rutgers University. He was a postdoc at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and was a faculty member at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln before coming to the University of Colorado Denver.
Stephen was the Associate Chair for the Department of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences from Summer 2018 through Summer 2021. Among other responsibilities, Stephen oversaw the practical aspects of the department's teaching mission, including scheduling courses and assigning instructors, hiring part-time instructors, communicating to instructors teaching policies, helping instructors deal with uncommon situations and responding to student concerns.
Bassem Ahmed Hassan, Political Science
Bassem Hassan is an Associate Professor C/T in the Political Science Department. He teaches courses on different aspects of international relations and Middle East politics. He has a BA in Communication from Cairo University, and a Ph.D. in International Studies from the University of Denver. He is the recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award (campus award winner) from the University of Colorado and the International Student and Scholar Award from the University of Denver.
He feels fortunate to be part of CU's Political Science Department where he has had the privilege of learning and working with colleagues who do amazing work with and on behalf of misrepresented and marginalized groups, such as Glenn Morris' work with indigenous peoples, Tony Robinson's work with houseless people in Denver, Minsun Ji and Jim Walsh with immigrants and immigrant workers and Steve Thomas with incarcerated persons. His greatest source of inspiration on diversity, equity and inclusion has been his BIPOC students, including DACA students, and students with disability. He is especially grateful to the students in his PSCI 4216 International Politics: Human Rights course (Spring 2021) for sharing many personal experiences about what they faced growing up in different American cities.
For someone who came to the US for the first time as a graduate student, the stories he heard about the daily racism and discrimination the students encountered were both eye-opening and humbling. These stories made him realize the number and types of challenges our BIPOC students and students with disability face in their daily lives, including the time they spend on our campus. He hopes that this learning experience will make him a better teacher and enable him to better engage with our BIPOC students, students who belong to other marginalized groups, and our student body in general.
Audrey E. Hendricks, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
Dr. Audrey Hendricks is an Associate Professor of Statistics in the Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences at CU Denver with additional appointments at the Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Hendricks is internationally recognized for her collaborative and interdisciplinary research, which bridges the areas of data science and ‘omics to understand the complex nature of human health and disease. She has published over 50 peer-reviewed research articles with 17 in the past 3 years and is currently principal investigator or co-investigator on 6 National Institute of Health grants bringing in several million dollars annually.
Dr. Hendricks's efforts in Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) span four main areas: (1) Statistical method development to increase diversity and inclusion in who is studied and who leads the studies in genomics research, (2) building diverse and inclusive training pipelines and networks, (3) inclusive mentoring of trainees from all backgrounds, and (4) supporting student JEDI research. This has resulted in awards for both herself and her outstanding trainees. In 2020, she received a 5 year 2 million dollar R35 Genomic Innovator Award from the National Human Genome Research Institute, focusing on developing methods and user-friendly software to increase the utility and equity of publicly available genetic data. In 2021, Ian Arriaga-MacKenzie, as a BS/MS statistics student, won the prestigious American Journal of Human Genetics Cotterman Award. Dr. Hendricks is committed to removing barriers to learning and student research experiences in order to truly support trainees from all backgrounds in achieving their unique goals. She is proud to have a dynamic and collaborative research group with amazing trainees of all levels from HS to undergraduate, graduate, and beyond.
Staff Awards
Jennifer Ambrose, FAST Lab
Jenn Ambrose first stepped onto the CU Denver downtown campus in Fall 2019 as a student returning to higher education from a decade-long stint of guiding throughout Southeast Alaska in the summers and performing salmon research along the Oregon coast in the winters. Her fieldwork and remote expeditions fostered her love of maps and pursuit of spatial technology education in a GIS program run out of the Facility for Advanced Spatial Technology, also known as the FAST Lab.
Transitioning from student to geospatial consultant to Assistant Lab coordinator, she was asked to join the FAST Lab's full-time, permanent team just over a year ago, bringing with her a work ethic, creativity, and strategic mindset honed by a decade in the field. Since then, she has supported an incredible team of geospatial consultants survive and thrive through the ebbs and flows of the pandemic, fostered collaboration across departments to focus and realize the mission of the FAST Lab, and stepped up to IT and administrative responsibilities to keep the lab's support of 19 geospatial classes consistent and steadfast. From here she aims to explore incorporating aerial data collection into the FAST Lab's repertoire, gearing FAST Lab resources towards Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusivity initiatives, and continuing her pursuit of keeping life interesting and the curiosity flowing.
Timothy Arthur Bond, CLAS Academic Advising
Tim earned his Bachelors of Science in Mathematics from Augusta University and his Masters of Science in Academic Advising from Kansas State University. Tim joined the CU Denver CLAS Advising team in 2016 and has worked as a professional Academic Advisor for over 30 years at colleges and universities in Georgia, South Carolina and Colorado. Over the years, he has participated in NACADA, the Global Community for Academic Advising, and has served on professional committees on campus as well as nationally.
Erin Golden, Denver Metro Regional Science & Engineering Fair
Dr. Erin Golden is the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities and Director of the Denver Metro Regional Science & Engineering Fair. In both roles she helps emerging scholars access training, funding, and mentorship opportunities and embrace the unique perspectives they bring to the world of research. Dr. Golden completed her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University in 2015 and her post-doctoral fellowship at CU Anschutz in 2019. She is co-founder of Project Bridge Colorado, an initiative that seeks to bridge the communication gap between scientists and their communities. Erin is driven by the understanding that researchers are stewards of information and have a responsibility to actively engage the public as partners, advocates, and educators.
Jaimie Carrington, Undergraduate Recruitment, Retention & Student Success
Jaimie is a transplant from Texas but has been growing roots in Colorado since joining the CLAS advising team in 2016. Born and raised in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Master of Education in Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is currently the Program Director for Undergraduate Recruitment, Retention and Student Success and a member of the CLAS Office of Inclusive Excellence in STEM. Most recently, she has helped promote special enrollment programs like Project Graduate which is a university-wide coordinated effort to invite students who stopped out during the pandemic back to class. She also spearheads the newly revamped Puksta Scholars program which includes a renewable $5000 scholarship for students interested in civic engagement.
Retiring Faculty and Staff
Teresa Cooney, Sociology
Teresa Cooney has been Professor and Chair of Sociology since arriving at CU Denver in 2013. Terri is a family sociologist and social gerontologist, who received her Ph.D. from Penn State in 1988, followed by a post-doc in demography at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her career has involved faculty positions at the University of Delaware (for 8 years) and the University of Missouri (for 16 years). At Mizzou she also served as a department chair, directed the Office of Post-doctoral Education, and administered various international fellowship programs in the Graduate School. Terri has co-authored one book and nearly 70 refereed articles and chapters, and was named a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America in 2010. Her post-retirement plan is to engage in many activities that do not involve sitting at a desk in front of a computer screen—this includes gardening, hiking, biking, playing tennis, skiing and doing volunteer work with hospice, as well as working on other end-of-life and palliative care issues in the community.
Robert Damrauer, Chemistry
"In higher education, there are very few people like Bob," said Doris Kimbrough, professor of chemistry. "He mentors students and faculty; he can work across departments, colleges, administrative disciplines, and even universities and national agencies; and he has an institutional and historical knowledge useful for shaping policy."
When he began at CU Denver, Damrauer worked in tandem with CU Boulder and Denis Williams to build labs and grow the faculty. Lennie worked as an adjunct for the department, and she helped facilitate a culture at the young university that was welcoming and supportive of female faculty members. The pair also grew their own family during their first two years in Denver with sons Niels (named after Danish physicist Niels Bohr) and Craig King (named after Martin Luther King, Jr.). Read More...
Candan Duran-Aydintug, Sociology
I graduated from Bosphorus University in Istanbul, Turkey with a double major in Psychology and Biology. Subsequently, I earned an MS degree in Psychology and a Ph.D. degree in Sociology at Washington State University, specializing in social psychology, sociology of the family, research methods, sociology of childhood and adolescence and inequalities. After working two years at the University of Alabama, I joined the Sociology Faculty at the University of Colorado Denver in 1993. Under my leadership, our department became the first department on campus to offer a completely online BA degree. Since my first day on campus, I have been engaged in service activities at different levels and have been acknowledged several times for my teaching. I am married and my only son has graduated from the University of Colorado. I will be retiring in August 2022.
Rachel M. Gallegos, Sociology
I began my career by serving in the United States Air Force for 5 years (1986-1991), as an Information Management Specialist. I was hired at the University of Colorado at Denver in April 1992 as an Administrative Assistant in the combined Sociology & Anthropology Departments. The departments separated in 1993 and I continued working in the Sociology Department. I have seen a lot of changes in 30 years, including working for 5 different Department Chairs. I have enjoyed the many wonderful people that I have been able to meet and work with…staff, faculty & students…and have made some life-long friendships that I will always cherish. I'm looking forward to not having to wake up to an alarm clock every week day, and choosing what I want to do every day. I like to stay active, so I will continue to work part-time at the Denver Performing Arts Complex and Red Rocks Amphitheater. I plan to use the extra money to travel as much as possible.
Cheri Jones, Integrative Biology
Cheri Jones earned her Ph.D. in Zoology at the University of Florida and worked as Curator of Mammals at museums in Jackson, Mississippi, and Denver, Colorado, from 1990-2003. She authored or co-authored 27 peer-reviewed articles and three book reviews. She joined the Department of Integrative Biology in 2003, where she taught General Biology I and II lectures and labs, Principles of Ecology, Vertebrate Biology., and Applied Environmental Biology. Dr. Jones developed new classes in Mammalogy and Parasitology and served as an Academic Advisor for biology majors and minors from 2015 until her retirement. She is looking forward to more time gardening and traveling.
Coral Scherma, Academic Advising
Coral earned her Master's in Adult Education with an emphasis in TESOL. As an ESL professional, she taught adult learners ranging from university students to refugees and undocumented immigrants in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Pacific Northwest, and New Mexico. She was an Academic Advisor at the Community College of Denver and CU Denver for ten years. Coral lives in Denver and is figuring out what this stage of life looks like--with time to breathe, read and hike more, and do art. Currently she is exploring the temperate rainforest on the Oregon Coast and plotting more hiking and travel adventures all the time.
Samuel Walker, Philosophy
After majoring in music and philosophy at Oberlin College, and not having a clear career plan, I decided to follow the big money into the lucrative field of teaching philosophy. After completing my Ph.D. at CU Boulder and teaching at several institutions, I found a real home at CU Denver. (What could be better, I got to stay in Colorado!)
I have had the most rewarding teaching experiences of my life here on both the CU Denver campus and at ICB in Beijing. It's been a great ride! And I have been very lucky. I love my department, my college, and my wonderful students at CU Denver. I will miss everyone in the CU Denver community.
Not long after finishing my Ph.D., I took a break from philosophy to learn guitar building. As an extreme introvert, after 26 years of teaching (and talking) at CU Denver, I'm looking forward to building some guitars.
Kuan-Yi Rose Chang, CLAS Dean's Office
Rose Chang started out her career at CU Boulder in July 1996. She joined CU Denver and the CLAS Dean's Office in August 2007 and will officially retire on July 1, 2022. Her future plans include enjoying the sunshine and beaches of Southern California.
