In Memory of Dr. Candan Duran-Aydintug

The University of Colorado Denver suffered a great loss this summer with the passing of Dr. Candan Duran-Aydintug. Candan was Associate Professor (Emeritus) in the Department of Sociology, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS). 

Dr. Duran-Aydintug joined the Sociology Department in 1993, after serving two years as an Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama. Her research was grounded in family sociology and focused on parents and children in the aftermath of divorce as well as the challenges facing LGBTQIA+ populations. She taught a wide range of courses to both graduate and undergraduate students and served as a beloved mentor and advisor to scores of students. She retired from her tenure-track position in 2022, but she continued to teach her signature courses as an Associate Professor Emerita and Lecturer in Sociology.

Dr. Duran-Aydintug served CU Denver and CLAS in a number of important roles. After earning tenure, she chaired the Department of Sociology from 1998 - 2006. Her abiding passion for helping others and fighting for equity and inclusivity led her to serve on the CU Denver Faculty Council, the Minority Affairs Committee, the CLAS Budget and Planning Committee, act as CLAS Faculty Council chair and CU Succeed liaison, and participate in networking and mentoring programs for junior faculty and students.

But she is most remembered for her informal role as mentor and friend to so many colleagues and students. Professor Carlos Reali, a CU Denver graduate (Master of Arts in Sociology, Master of Arts in Political Science) and current Senior Instructor in the Department of Sociology, remembers that Candan was:

"More than one of my former professors and then a colleague, she was always a mentor, a friend, chosen family. She was a very empowered and resilient person. She truly cared for her students and was able to make many people's lives a better one, including mine. I will forever be indebted to her for her guidance, help, and support."

Generations of CU Denver students had the pleasure of experiencing Dr. Duran-Aydintug's matchless dedication to instruction and learning. Teaching courses such as sociological theory and research methods to graduate and undergraduate students alike, including those from the School of Education and Human Development (SEHD), Candan spent countless hours ensuring her students possessed the foundations to make meaningful contributions to their fields as well as society. She supervised research for numerous undergraduate and graduate students in the Sociology MA program and the Master of Social Science (MSS) and Master of Humanities (MH) programs. She often organized sessions with and accompanied students to professional conferences, including the American Sociological Association (ASA) and the Pacific Sociological Association (PSA).

A former student, Shannon Bucci, shared this memory:

"Candan was one of my favorite people in this entire world. She wasn't just my teacher and mentor. Over the last couple of years, we became very close friends. We were so much alike and perfectly aligned on everything (except for her visceral hatred of raw celery), and she taught me so much in such a short time and supported me in everything I did. While it kills me I didn't get more time with her, I'm so grateful I got to share this life with her for a little while. She once told me she wasn't just my mentor for right now; she would be my mentor forever-and she was not wrong. I'll miss her every day for the rest of my life, but she will always, always be with me."

Dr. Duran-Aydintug's bright spirit, rich sense of humor, and unbridled dedication to arming students with the tools and knowledge to address society's inequities will be profoundly missed, but not soon forgotten by the many faculty, staff, students, and friends whose lives she enriched. Condolences, memories, and photos can be left in the memory book at this remembrance link to share with her son, Baris, and husband, Kemal Aydintug.