Sociology Newsletter - April 2026

The University of Colorado Denver’s Department of Sociology has partnered with the Alliance for Community and Justice Innovation (ACJI) to offer the Community Care Practitioner microcredential— a practical, evidence-based program for professionals and students interested in community justice, social work, behavioral health, and human services. The microcredential is a 2-course, 4-credit sequence that has you build real-world skills in mental health support, ethics, cultural responsivity, peer support, health boundaries, and self-care. You'll learn to provide non-clinical assistance, foster hope, and model recovery, while adhering to confidentiality and professional guidelines for peer support. The training is based on the most up-to-date, evidence-based knowledge, tools, and strategies, including both theoretical and practical instruction. Participants completing the program become credentialed Community Care Practitioners, receive Credly badges, and earn credits towards graduation. 

Keep on Truckin’ scholarship awardee (2025-26), Derek McCurdy completed the first course with ACJI and shared the following. “I had a wonderful experience taking this course. I would recommend it to any student interested in this field of work. Early in the course I learned what's called "reflexive listening," a technique to display empathy and compassion to a client and at the same time encourage them to make their own best decisions. Shortly after learning this technique, I tried it out with a few friends. Never in my life have people opened up to me so seamlessly, going deeper and deeper into how they were feeling, what was causing them to feel this way, and how they planned to move forward. Another great aspect of the course was that many of the other participants were already case workers, correctional officers and so forth. Overall, the course makes me want to pursue a position in case work even more than I already had.” 

Click here or contact Dr. Keith Guzik for more details.  

Registration for the Fall semester has begun! Priority registration appointments are issued prior to open registration and are based on the number of credits completed. Be sure to find your priority registration appointment in your UCDAccess student portal prior to the semester's class registration period. For best course selection, register as soon as possible after your registration time assignment. 

A few important dates to remember: 

April 1-16 Registration begins for Fall semester via UCDAccess

April 5 Last day to withdraw from a Spring class via UCDAccess

April 6 First day to withdraw from a Spring class with a Late Withdraw Petition Form

April 17 Open Enrollment for Fall 2024 begins

May 6 Last day to withdraw from a Spring class with a Late Withdraw Petition Form

Also, make sure to touch base with our expert Undergraduate Advisor, Dr. Maren Scull, to ensure you are taking the correct classes for your major, minor, or certificate.

Vivent Health is a national non-profit and medical home model clinic for those living with HIV in Colorado. The group offers prevention and harm reduction services in Denver County through its LifePoint and THRIVE Navigation programs. Vivent is currently hiring within its prevention department and will be hiring throughout the summer. These are entry-level roles that require minimal experience. Vivent is looking for individuals who are passionate about public health, interested in harm reduction and sexual health, and willing to learn. The prevention department is an excellent place to begin your career and find your footing in the social workspace. 

Vivent is hiring Prevention Specialists in Denver and Pueblo to conduct confidential and anonymous HIV, HCV, syphilis, and STI testing (where applicable); counseling; and referral (CTR) in accordance with state guidelines. Through Lifepoint (Vivent’s mobile syringe access program) and outreach sites, you will distribute approved education materials and/or safer injection supplies. Daily access to a vehicle is required. $24.00—$24.25/hourly, with public student loan forgiveness and tuition reimbursement available. 

Vivent is also hiring Prevention Navigators in Denver to provide support to people who inject drugs who are interested in initiating an individualized plan to access prevention and treatment services. You will work with internal and external partners to assist clients in overcoming barriers to services (e.g., safe and stable housing, food services, insurance enrollment, employment). This role is outreach focused—about 60% of the time is spent in the community. Daily access to a vehicle is required. $24.00—$25.00/hourly with public student loan forgiveness and tuition reimbursement available.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAPM). The Phoenix Center at Auraria will be hosting a series of events throughout the month to raise awareness around gender violence and support survivors (see Events below). You can also help promote change by volunteering at The Phoenix Center. The Center needs folks for day-to-day projects as well as upcoming SAAPM events. If you’re able to lend a hand, please follow this link.

CU Denver has a 30-year relationship with International College Beijing (ICB). The program is a national model for study abroad programs with China. Studying in China is a wonderful opportunity to explore the world’s most populous country and experience its unique blend of ancient and modern civilization, scenic beauty, and bustling, cosmopolitan nightlife. At ICB, you will take courses with local Chinese students that are taught by CU Denver faculty. The university offers generous scholarships for CUD students studying in Beijing that offset the cost of airfare and tuition. If you want to stand out in the job market, this is an incredible opportunity. Act fast, as Fall applications are due soon! Apply here.

The Sociology Club meets every other Tuesday this semester from 5:30-6:30PM at the Sociology Department Library (Lawrence Street Center 420). Before Spring Break, the Club organized a Harm Reduction Goodie Bag event, where club members assembled over 100(!) goodie bags that they sent to Denver’s Harm Reduction Action Center.  To make this possible, the Club made a presentation to the Student Government Association, which funded the event. After Spring Break, the Club hosted our colleagues at the Phoenix Center for a workshop on interpersonal violence, which covered how to spot abuse and how to build healthy relationships. Thank you Sociology Club and Club officers for your vision and energy in making our community a kinder, safer place. 

The Club has held elections to choose officers for next year. Congratulations go out to Mason Thomas, Destiny Martinez, and Jennifer Martinez Garcia for their selection as Club President, Vice President, and Treasurer, respectively. Thank you for your service and thank you to everyone who participated in the elections! 

On Thursday, April 9 from 5-7PM, in Student Commons 2500, the Sociology Club is holding a public event titled “Who Gets to Belong? Historical Roots and Legal Realities”. The event will feature 4 speakers, including Sociology’s Dr. Edelina Burciaga, and serve as a safe space to empower community members and build empathy by learning about immigrant stories, civil rights, and the legal-historical contexts behind controversies about who belongs in our society. Please join us for this important event. 

The Phoenix Center at Auraria will be hosting a series of events throughout the month to raise awareness around gender violence and support survivors. Come join us to learn about and engage in sexual violence prevention through the following interactive events, workshops, and self-care. 

Lunch & Learn: Faith, Culture, & Supporting Survivors. This Lunch & Learn is a trauma‑informed workshop designed to help advocates, staff, students, and community members better support survivors whose faith or cultural background shapes how they understand abuse, disclosure, and help‑seeking. The session explores common faith‑based barriers to disclosure, offers practical strategies for responding without dismissing or undermining survivors’ beliefs, and provides examples of affirming, culturally sensitive language. Participants will also receive a curated list of faith‑sensitive referral resources. This workshop will be presented on Tuesday, April 7^th, from 12:30-1:45 PM in the Tivoli Multicultural Lounge (Room 261). (Thank you to Sociology’s own Emily Grant for putting this workshop together!). 

Trauma Informed Yoga. The PCA and Auraria Health Center will hold two sessions of trauma informed yoga led by Meko from Healthy Pursuits at MSU Denver on Tuesday, April 8th from 9:15AM-10:15PM and 10:30-11:30AM in Tivoli 444. Mats, bolsters, blankets, and snacks will be provided.

Understanding Incels (virtual training). Join the Phoenix Center on Thursday, April 9^th, from 12:30-1:45PM to learn about the history of incel culture, the demographics of folks who engage in this culture, and how to work toward combatting the ideologies in this culture. This training is designed for staff & faculty​, but students are welcome to sign up here to attend. 

Survivor Night: Planned Parenthood. The Gender Institute for Teaching and Advocacy (GITA) will be hosting a Planned Parenthood event on Tuesday, April 14^th, 3:30P—5:30PM in Central 313 (GITA Library) for the monthly Survivor Night series. Join us for an afternoon of self-care, potting plants, decorating pots, and learning all about how to take care of your plants and tend to your whole self. 

Boxing for Empowerment! Boxing for Empowerment is designed to empower participants by using their voice and movement. This event will be hosted at CU Denver's Lola and Salazar Student Wellness Center on Tuesday, April 21st, from 4-5PM. Sign up here as space is limited! Note that Boxing for Empowerment will require physical movement and standing on your feet. So, dress comfortably and remember to bring your water bottle! 

SAAPM Keynote - Dead Serious: How Death Made Me Laugh at Life. Join us on Monday, April 27^th from 11AM-12:30PM in St. Catejan’s Church to honor CU Denver Alumni and survivor--Sarah Marie Shoulak--as she speaks about her recently released memoir Dead Serious: How Death Made Me Laugh at Life. She will be speaking on her journey with survivorship and sharing how The Phoenix Center supported her as a student in her healing. Attendees will have an opportunity to engage with Sarah in a Q&A session at the end of her talk and receive a free, signed copy of her memoir. Doors for the event will open at 10:30AM. A buffet style brunch will be provided. 

Decorate Your Denim! Party. April 29 is International Denim Day. Everyone knows that! So, get your denim ready at our Decorate Your Denim! Party! You can bring your own denim or grab donated denim at the event and bleach, bedazzle, iron on patches, make accessories, and more! We’re partying on Tuesday, April 28, 11AM-2PM at the CCD Confluence Building Lobby & Courtyard. Food and supplies will be provided.

Consent Turns Me On (CTMO) Carnival. Ready for the BEST EVENT of Spring 2026!? The Consent Turns Me On (CTMO) Carnival is back for Sexual Assault Awareness Month on Wednesday, April 29^th, 10AM-2PM, in Turnhalle 250! The Carnival is a fun, safe space for folks to have fruitful conversations about consent. Engage in activities and games at our on- and off-campus vendor tables for a chance to be entered into a giveaway for 16 amazing items ranging from sex toys to a giant rainbow Peep stuffie. The first 100 folks to complete the passport activity with table vendors will have an opportunity to choose from an AskFirst apparel item or custom CTMO shirt. BeYou Colorado will be providing free STI testing, and there will be a photo booth for folks to take photos in their denim for International Denim Day. Along with the free, carnival-themed food, folks will be able to enjoy live, carnival-themed entertainment! Folks will also have a chance to get their faces painted and take home a balloon animal!

RaCAS is a big deal around here. The Research and Creative Activities Symposium (RaCAS) is an annual event where CU Denver undergraduate and graduate students showcase their scholarship. Each year, over 200 presenters share their research and creative projects and celebrate their achievements with peers, faculty, family, and friends. The 29th Annual RaCAS will take place on Friday, April 24^th, 9AM-2PM at the Lola and Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center.

Good luck to those of you presenting at RaCAS! And if you’re not presenting this year, put this awesome opportunity to build your research profile on your radar for next year! 

“It’s in Denver’s Nature” (Sofi Rami (@artworkofsofirami), Denver Parks and Recreation, South Platte River Trail, Denver, CO

The department is giving a boisterous shout out to MA student, Raisa Melo, on the publication of her recent article, “Demography: Combining the Science With Human Emancipation”, in Sociological Forum, the journal of the Eastern Sociological Society. Drawing on Marxian and Foucauldian perspectives, Melos’s article argues for a reorientation of demographic research toward human agency and emancipation by reframing population research as a critical practice that actively fosters collective agency rather than merely documenting social patterns. Congratulations Raisa on this important milestone in your career! 

On February 27, CU Denver celebrated the legacy of sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois with a program titled, “Homecoming: Embracing Authenticity, Truth, and Purpose in the Pursuit of Liberation”. The event involved more than 90 participants and culminated with a keynote talk by Dr. Brenda J. Allen, professor emerita, nationally recognized leader, and author of the book, Difference Matters. Sociology’s own Senior Instructor Carlos Reali served on the organizing committee for the event and provided introductory remarks for Dr. Allen (see photo). Sociology’s own Associate Professor Dr. Edelina Burciaga participated in a panel titled, “Truth, Heritage, and Healing: Du Bois' Impact on Community Resilience”. Thank you, Carlos and Edelina, for representing our department and helping our campus keep the legacy of Dr. Du Bois alive in our difficult times. 

Our department is shouting out Dr. Jennifer Reich for her continued impactful work examining vaccine hesitancy in the US. Jennifer has been busy lately! Over Spring Break, her guest essay, “Measles Is Roaring Back. We Are Not Ready” was published in the Opinion section of the New York Times. Last Friday, April 3, Dr. Reich appeared on Colorado Matters to discuss with host Ryan Warner the recent outbreak of measles cases in the US. Impressive stuff, Jennifer, and thank you for your tireless work to improve public health through sociological insight!

Paulo Freire (1921—1997) was a Brazilian educator and Marxist philosopher whose work integrated literacy movements, liberation theology, postcolonial education, Marxism, and theories of social justice and learning. Although Pedagogy of the Oppressed is his most famous work, in a later book, The Politics of Education, Freire reflected on the distinction between shrewd people and naïve people. “The naive, in the first instance unconscious of their true position, can through their action come to take the ideology of domination for their own and, in the process, move from naivete to shrewdness. They can also come to renounce their idealistic illusions altogether, forsaking their uncritical adherence to the ruling class. In committing themselves to the oppressed, they begin a new period of apprenticeship. This is not, however, to say that their commitment to the oppressed is thereby finally sealed. It will be severely tested during the course of this new apprenticeship when confronted, in a more serious and profound way than ever before, with the hazardous nature of existence. To pass such a test is not easy. This new apprenticeship will violently break down the elitist concept of existence they had absorbed while being ideologized. The sine qua non the apprenticeship demands is that, first of all, they really experience their own Easter, that they die as elitists so as to be resurrected on the side of the oppressed, that they be born again with the beings who were not allowed to be.”

The Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities (URCA) is your connection to research opportunities at CU Denver. URCA is here to help students jump-start their research careers. Its Education through Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities program, or EURēCA, has research assistantship and grant opportunities that fund undergraduate students for doing research. Explore opportunities on their webpage and schedule an appointment with their office to put your ideas into action. 

The Learning Resources Center (LRC) at CU Denver is committed to student academic success, retention, and graduation by promoting and fostering independent learning and critical thinking skills. The LRC strives to cultivate effective learning strategies, skills, and study habits while empowering students to be lifelong learners in a collaborative, supportive, and inclusive learning environment. The office offers a bevy of services to help students meet their academic and personal goals. These include peer tutoring, a writing center, supplemental learning, individual coaching, study skills workshops, and more. Visit their website for more information and schedule a session! 

Alpha Kappa Delta is continuing its workshop series for sociology graduate students: The Graduate Student Lounge. The AKD Grad Student Lounge is an initiative sponsored by Alpha Kappa Delta to support and foster graduate students’ professionalization, well-being, and peer networking. It meets monthly to discuss various topics of interest to graduate students in sociology and offers a grad-only safe space to share tips, ideas, and recommendations. Graduate students are welcome to sign up to be invited using this link.

Alpha Kappa Delta currently provides funding to AKD student members who present at regional sociology conferences. Awards are up to $500/student, although no more than $1,500 may be awarded per chapter. This is another great reason to join sociology’s honor society. For more information about the chapter, contact Dr. Jenny Vermilya. 

Milo’s Market is CU Denver’s grocery spot. It’s a hub for students, staff, and faculty to access free food and hygiene items. Milo’s Market embodies CU Denver’s belief that every person deserves to live free of food insecurity. All students are allocated various goods each week, whether it's a snack for the day or ingredients for a meal. All you need is your LynxCard and a reusable bag! Milo’s Market is located on the 3rd floor of the Wellness Center. 

The Office of Equity (OE) is dedicated to advancing an inclusive environment free from sexual misconduct and discrimination based on age, color, creed, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, political philosophy, pregnancy or related conditions, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and veteran status. The OE strives to foster a community where all identities are respected, and every individual has equitable access to education and employment opportunities. More information on OE offerings and a link for making an equity report can be found here.

Tina Peters is a former Mesa County Clerk who was convicted and sentenced in 2024 to more than eight years in state prison for her role in permitting unauthorized access to county voting equipment as a part of a scheme to prove fraud in the 2020 presidential election. State audits of Colorado’s paper ballots confirmed the accuracy of Colorado’s elections. Peters has become a cause célèbre for President Trump, who has called on the state to release her. Last week, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that Peters was improperly sentenced and sent her case back to the 21^st Judicial District for a new sentencing hearing. Colorado Public Radio has ongoing coverage of this local case with national implications. 

We all know that skiing in Colorado sucked this winter. There was no snow. But miserable winter recreation is the least of our worries. The Guardian has an interesting read on the researchers studying melting snowpacks in the Western United States and what the lack of precipitation may mean for this year’s fire season. Remember that April 22 is Earth Day! See Earthday.org for more information on how to organize or join an event to make a difference for our planet.

The world’s attention has been riveted on the war that the United States and Israel launched against Iran on February 28. The war has brought about the large-scale destruction of Iran’s military and infrastructure and Iranian retaliation against its Persian Gulf neighbors. The Strait of Hormuz is now part of the everyday vernacular in the US. But less considered has been how the conflict is impacting other countries. The Washington Post has an important piece on how gasoline shortages are causing panic and crime in Asia.