Skip to Content

CU Logo

University of Colorado Denver

Denver

Webmail | UCD Access | Canvas | Search Quick Links

Tools

  • Webmail
  • UCD Access
  • Canvas
  • Campus Directory
  • A-Z Index
  • Campus Map

Resources

  • Events Calendar
  • Newsroom
  • Human Resources
  • Student Services
  • Auraria Library
  • CU Denver Police
  • University Policies

Schools and Colleges

  • College of Architecture and Planning
  • College of Arts & Media
  • Business School
  • School of Education & Human Development
  • College of Engineering, Design and Computing
  • Graduate School
  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • School of Public Affairs

Campus Affiliates

  • CU Anschutz Medical Campus
  • CU Boulder
  • CU Colorado Springs
  • CU Denver
  • CU Online
  • CU System

Search

Other ways to search:

  • University Directory
  • Campus Map
Deans Notes
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Deans Notes

Main menu

  • Home
  • News
  • Spotlight
  • Events
  • Campaign Corner
  • 2021-2022 CLAS Deans Awards
  • Issue Archive

Secondary Menu

  • Faculty & Staff

Mobile menu

  • Home
  • News
  • Spotlight
  • Events
  • Campaign Corner
  • 2021-2022 CLAS Deans Awards
  • Issue Archive
  • Faculty & Staff

Deans Notes - March 2, 2023

  • Share
  • Share via Facebook
  • Share via Twitter
  • Share via LinkedIn
  • Share via E-mail

Letter from Dean Pamlea Jansma

photo of brett kinley

Introducing Brett Kinley, Director of Development for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

He’s been doing a great job for a few months now, but I want to take a minute to formally introduce our Advancement person, ­Brett Kinley, to the college.

Brett is directing the fundraising strategy for CLAS in partnership with me, the CU Denver Advancement Team, associates at the CU system, and other key leaders across campus. With over a decade of experience in non-profit fundraising, his broad experiences are helping us align the philanthropic passions of CU Denver donors with funding opportunities. He looks forward to collaborating with faculty, staff, students, and alumni to accelerate our college’s mission through transformative philanthropy.

Brett is from the suburbs of Chicago and graduated from the University of Kansas, where he got his start in fundraising at the student phone-a-thon. His mission centric approach to development comes from his background in higher education and health care non-profit industries. He moved to Colorado in 2022 with his wife Jamie, their two cats, and pet tortoise (ask him about Darwin the Tortoise, you won’t be sorry). In his free time, he enjoys hiking, running, disc golf, and watching Jayhawk basketball.

CLAS in the News

photo of cameron blevins

Cameron Blevins Talks US Postal Service

News

An in-depth examination of the Postal Service's historic ups and downs with CTT History Associate Professor of History and Interim Director of Digital Initiatives, Cameron Blevins, author of Paper Trails: The U.S. Post and the making of the American West.

Supreme Court takes another Colorado free speech case; Postal Service history
Colorado Public Radio, February 15

photo of carly leonard

Unidentified Aerial Phenomena According to Carly Leonard

News

Psychology Assistant Professor Carly Leonard talks about frequency bias or frequency illusion when it comes to the why it seems like we are seeing more balloons and other unidentified objects in the sky recently.

Connecticut Public Radio (WNPR), February 22

Stefes and Jose on Ukraine

News

Political Science Professor Christoph Stefes, and Associate Professor Betcy Jose, talk about the Russian and Ukrainian conflict one year after the Russian invasion.

It has been one year since Russia invaded Ukraine
9News Denver, February 24

Troy Butler Receives CU Denver OER Champion Award

Spotlight

Associate Professor of Mathematical and Sciences Troy Butler is the University of Colorado Denver recipient of the 22-23 Open Educational Resources (OER) Champion Award. This award recognizes significant achievements of faculty, staff, and students in expanding the use of open educational resources. Butler is being commended for his considerable achievements and impact with course material developed for “Programming for Data Science and Partial Differential Equations.” Specifically he is being acknowledged for: 1) for the use of free cloud-based Jupyter notebooks (e.g. Google Colab) ensuring every student has access to the same content and computing platform, and (2) for the creation transformative materials bringing an experimental mindset into mathematics and statistics curricula previously reserved for physical science disciplines.

Lisa Keränen Gives Inaugural Symposium Lecture in Paris

Spotlight

Lisa Keränen, Associate Professor and Chair of Communication, gave the inaugural lecture at Biocriticism 2023-Through the Microscope, a symposium organized at the Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris. Her talk was entitled “Biocriticism as Inventional Practice: The Case of Global Health Security.” Other speakers in the series include Frédérique Aït-Touati, who will discuss La Trilogie Terrestre (created with Bruno Latour), and the University College London’s Laura Choskey, who is speaking about epigenetics, poetics, and atmosphere.

Student Michelle Rich Participated in Recent National Humanities Center Institute

Spotlight

Last Month Michelle Rich, Graduate student in History and Social Studies Teacher at East High School, had the opportunity to participate in the National Humanities Center’s More than a Slogan: Understanding the Historical Context of Black Lives Matter. This weeklong institute situated the Black Lives Matter movement in the larger historical context for the fight for racial equality.  Common themes among the various presenters were the roots of the Black Lives Matter Movement in Black radical tradition, the emphasis of BLM prioritizing dignity in the struggle for full rights of citizenship, and the expansion of democracy as the basis of the struggle for racial equality. Rich Says, “A major takeaway from this institute is as educators to consider how we encourage our students to create a critical consciousness that posits BLM as a movement in the greater struggle for racial equality despite its many misrepresentations.”

Andrea Velasquez the Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society

Spotlight

Assistant Professor of Economics Andrea Velasquez is a 2023-2024 awardee of The University of Chicago’s Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society. Each year, this award is given to a diverse range of interdisciplinary faculty research projects that address critical issues. The Neubauer Collegium is committed to the idea that by working together people can come to better understand ourselves and the world. Research projects sponsored by the Neubauer Collegium bring together scholars and practitioners whose collaboration is required to address and solve complex challenges.

Nominate Staff Now for the CU Denver Staff Inclusive Excellence Award or CLAS Outstanding Staff Recognition Awards

Spotlight

The CLAS Staff Council invites your nominations for outstanding staff in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) to be recognized for excellence in service and engagement on behalf of the college in the categories listed below. You can find the nomination form and read the details of the eligibility criteria for each award and the nominations review process at the website.  Nominations will be accepted until March 13th, and the winners will be notified by Staff Council by April 7th. Don't hesitate to reach out to clas.staffcouncil@ucdenver.edu with any questions.

The CLAS award categories are:
Outstanding Newcomer
Student Engagement
Community Engagement
CLAS Outstanding Staff Award

In addition, CU Denver is offering a Staff Inclusive Excellence Award to honor a staff member (classified or professional exempt) who demonstrates a long-standing commitment to advance diversity, equity and inclusion at CU Denver. Nominees will be selected...

Events

CLAS Staff and Faculty Forum, March 3

Events

9am – 11 am
Student Commons Building, ACAD 1500
Register for Zoom:
https://ucdenver.zoom.us/j/91205604354

All CLAS Faculty and Staff are invited to an update on the college from Dean Jansma and the Associate/Assistant Deans.

Free CLAS Staff Yoga Class RESCHEDULED, March 9

Events

10:00 am - 10:45am
Rob and Lola Salazar Wellness Center (2nd floor- studio room)

Our yoga instructor had an amazing opportunity come up this week, so the previously scheduled March 2 yoga class has been moved to next week.  Sign up HERE, and if you signed up for this week and need to cancel, you can use the link or email Kadie.goodman@ucdenver.edu. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact CLAS Staff Council clas.staffcouncil@ucdenver.edu

GES Open House, March 23

Events

12:00 – 5:00 pm
Geospatial Analysis & Mapping Laboratory (North Classroom 3rd floor) and the Facility for Advanced Spatial Technology on the 5th floor

Hosted by the Geography and Environmental Sciences Department and located just a few blocks away from the two venues hosting the American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting in Denver this year, the community is invited to come and explore our mapping projects, computing facilities, geography research, and more. Visit our programs in Geography, Environmental Sciences, Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning & Design. Meet CU Denver students, faculty, and Geographers visiting for the AAG meeting. Take a guided tour of our learning and research spaces, including the Geospatial Analysis & Mapping Laboratory (GAMLab) and the Facility for Advanced Spatial Technology (FAST Lab).  After the open house, enjoy a locally brewed beer at The Tivoli. Questions can be directed to Alicia Cowart, Director...

EDI-Oriented Mentoring Using the NCFDD's Web-Based Resources, April 9

Events

Information will be sent with Confirmation Email upon Registration

In this workshop, we explore ways we can approach faculty mentoring from an EDI lens using the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) web-based tools and resources, along with other supplemental materials. This webinar will be available for participation via Zoom only. As the CFDA Faculty Fellow for the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD), Ivan J. Ramírez, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Health & Behavioral Sciences, is developing workshops/webinars that introduce faculty to the NCFDD resources as well as assembling resources that support the university’s 2030 goal to be the first equity-serving institution. This webinar supports the university’s goal to be an equity-serving institution by 2030 and also support CLAS’s DEI Strategic Plan.  

SAVE THE DATE: 26th Annual Research and Creative Activities Symposium, April 28

Spotlight

9:00 am - 3:00 pm
CU Denver Wellness Center

The Research and Creative Activities Symposium (RaCAS) is CU Denver’s annual celebration of research and creative activities, where students from across campus share projects they’ve been working on throughout the year. View posters, oral presentations, and exhibits to learn more about the amazing work our students are doing!

Sign up Now to Volunteer for National History Day in Colorado, April 29

Events

It's never too early to register to judge the National History Day in Colorado State Contest! It takes over 200 judges and volunteers to keep the day running smoothly, and to make the event a positive experience for our incredible students. You do not have to be a historian or even a history expert to judge! We will train you, feed you, and we guarantee you will see some talented kids put together some amazing projects. Find out more information and sign-up at our website.

Follow Us!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Deans Notes

Editor: Tracy Kohm
Marketing, Communication and Outreach Professional
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
tracy.kohm@ucdenver.edu

Academic Resources

  • Academic Calendar
  • Catalog
  • Course Schedules
  • Undergraduate Advising

College Resources

  • Human Resources
  • Deans' Notes
  • Deans' Office
  • Pinnacle Magazine

University Resources

  • Maps & Parking
  • Admissions
  • Registrar
  • Financial Aid
  • A-Z Index

CU in the City logo
  • Contact Us
  • Website Feedback
  • CU System
  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal Notices
  • Accreditation
  • Employment
  • Give Now

© 2021  The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate. All rights reserved.

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. All trademarks are registered property of the University. Used by permission only.

  • Share via Facebook
  • Share via Twitter
  • Share via LinkedIn
  • Share via E-mail
Return to the top of the page