Spring 2010

U N I V E R S I T Y O F

MAGAZINE

N I V E R S I T Y O F
A G A Z I N E
UN I V ER S I T Y O F
MAGAZINE
UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

Can immigration
be reformed?
 Office of the Chancellor
Contents
Features

24 Hope for Healing

DU researcher Dan Linseman is starting to unravel the mystery
Dear Readers: of Lou Gehrig’s disease.
In the world we live in today, new ideas and new information are generated in ways that are not constrained by simple By Lisa Marshall
categories or traditional labels. Our creativity responds to the complexity of our lives as we strive to develop effective solu-
tions to the multidimensional problems and issues of our time. Universities are no exception. Over time they have become 28 Can Immigration Be Reformed?
extraordinarily complex organizations, their curricula and scholarship reflecting our dynamic, ever-changing world. A DU panel of experts thinks so. They’ve drafted an immigration
road map for the nation.
And so it is at DU. When I first came to the University as a faculty member in 1981, I was appointed to what was then By Chase Squires
the Department of Chemistry. Within a few years, our department changed its name to Chemistry and Biochemistry to
reflect the interdisciplinary degrees we had begun offering. In the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, this
was followed by new degree programs in molecular biology, cognitive neuroscience, ecology and conservation biology,
32 In a Class by Themselves
DU instructors get creative with out-of-the-ordinary courses.
environmental chemistry, geographic information science, atmospheric physics, and more. In a similar manner, our School By Kathryn Mayer
of Engineering and Computer Science (which for years offered graduate and undergraduate degrees in electrical, mechani-
cal and computer engineering and computer science) developed new interdisciplinary degree programs in bioengineering,
materials science, mechatronic systems engineering (a combination of electrical, mechanical and software engineering), Departments
nanoscale science engineering, and game development.

The most important and difficult issues of our day often are a subtle blend of science and society, the possible solutions
44 Editor’s Note
requiring an integration of quantitative thinking with social, political, economic and cultural understanding. As a conse-
quence, interdisciplinarity at DU is not limited to science and technology. The boundaries that for so many years have
45 Letters
distinguished our professional schools from one another have begun to fade as the world’s businesses, governments and
nonprofits demand multi-talented individuals with a broad spectrum of abilities.
47 DU Update
8 News Legal institute
Today, we are developing truly integrated degree programs between the Daniels College of Business and the Korbel School 11 Arts Actress Regan Linton
of International Studies, between Daniels and the Sturm College of Law, and between Sturm and Korbel. Additional inter-
13 Academics Spectator to citizen
disciplinary programs link the School of Art and Art History with programs in digital media studies and computer science,
a host of departments in the humanities with the Iliff School of Theology, and the many, many departments and programs 14 History Western painter
that together comprise our approach to international education and internationalization of the University. 16 Sports Performance psychology
There may be no better example, though, than a new focal point developing around the study of aging in America. Our 17 Q&A Women’s College dean
work in this area blends a host of research programs in the molecular life sciences, the Eleanor Roosevelt Institute for 20 People Peter Funt
biomedical research, and bioengineering with social science research and education in the Graduate School of Social Work 23 Essay What’s next?
and the Morgridge College of Education. Also included are the Daniels College of Business and the Sturm College of Law.
The focus on aging is supported by our strong partnership with Denver Health, where we share a number of collaborative 37 Alumni Connections
research programs. Because of this multidisciplinary, collaborative approach, we will be able to directly translate new ideas
and research results into real applications that extend and improve the lives of the aged and their family members.

We certainly do live in interesting times, but one thing remains constant in the face of complexity and change: Here at DU,
we don’t put artificial boundaries around the minds of our students and faculty members. We continue to be more open
minded, more nimble, more entrepreneurial than most other colleges and universities. As a consequence, we graduate men
and women who can lead the change, their lives creating a better world for all of us. That has always been our mission.
On the cover: Pei Gei Xie (front) and other students in a citizenship class in San Francisco
recite the Pledge of Allegiance. In December, DU’s Strategic Issues Program released a
report that lays out 25 recommendations for immigration reform; read the story on page
28. Photo by Paul Chinn/San Francisco Chronicle/Corbis.

This page: Works by Western artist Allen Tupper True (attd. 1899–1900) are on display
at the Denver Art Museum, Denver Public Library and Colorado History Museum
through March 28; read the story on page 14. Timber Jacks (left) courtesy of Melanie
and Dave True.

Office of the Chancellor

Mary Reed Building | 2199 S. University Blvd. | Denver, CO 80208 | 303.871.2111 | Fax 303.871.4101 | www.du.edu/chancellor
2 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 University of Denver Magazine Update 3
 U N I V E R S I T Y O F
Editor’s Note
MAGAZINE
w w w. d u . e d u / m a g a z i n e
U N I V E R S I T Y
Volume O F
10, Number 3
M A G A Z I N E
UN I V ER S I T Y O F
MAGAZINE
UNIVERSITY
It’s not easy to refuse a wolf that wants to lick Publisher
MAGAZINE
Carol Farnsworth
you in the mouth. After the obligatory sniffing,
a thorough face licking is their way of saying, Managing Editor
Chelsey Baker-Hauck (BA ’96)
“Welcome, human.” The animals are large and
Assistant Managing Editor
forceful; to deny them would be taken as an offense.
Greg Glasgow
The dexterity of their tongues is remarkable;
Associate Editor
a wolf can somehow lick you in the mouth and up Tamara Chapman
the nose at the same time. I know. I had the rare
Editor
and wonderful opportunity to interact with wolves Kathryn Mayer (BA ’07)
and wolf dogs—and submit to several enthusiastic
Wayne Armstrong
Editorial Assistants
lickings—while reporting for the profile of alumnus Elizabeth Fritzler • Laura Hathaway (’10) •
Samantha Stewart (BA ’09)
Steve Shaffer you’ll find on page 41.
Shaffer is a longtime volunteer at a wolf Staff Writer
Richard Chapman
sanctuary, and his dedication to volunteerism is a trait he shares with many
Art Director
of his fellow alumni. In the University of Denver Magazine, we strive to share
Craig Korn, VeggieGraphics
as many stories as possible of alumni, students, faculty and staff who are
Contributors
working to improve their communities and their world. Jordan Ames (BA ’02) • Wayne Armstrong •
You’ll find several such stories in this issue. DU folks are working Jim Berscheidt • Janalee Card Chmel (MLS ’97) •
Kim DeVigil • Kristal Griffith • Jeff Haessler •
toward judicial reform (page 8), empowering people through self-expression Kate Johnson • Lisa Marshall • Doug
(page 11), training to be community organizers (page 13), changing lives McPherson • Martin Quigley • Steve Schader •
Bethany Sewell • Chase Squires
through laughter (page 20) and drafting a road map for immigration reform
Editorial Board
(page 28). Don’t miss “Hope for Healing”—a researcher’s inspirational Chelsey Baker-Hauck, editorial director •
journey to help those with Lou Gehrig’s disease—on page 24. Jim Berscheidt, associate vice chancellor
for university communications •
Our readers have noticed the “public good” trend in our coverage. Thomas Douglis (BA ’86) • Carol Farnsworth,
In our summer 2009 survey, we asked several questions about readers’ vice chancellor for university communications •
Jeffrey Howard, executive director of alumni
perceptions of DU. Based on what they read in the magazine, more than 91 relations • Sarah Satterwhite, senior director of
development for research and writing •
percent of respondents said that DU, its students and alumni are making a Amber Scott (MA ’02) • Laura Stevens (BA ’69),
positive impact on the world. That is the message we’ve been trying to send, director of parent relations
and our fabulous, selfless DU community makes it easy by providing an
endless supply of inspiring stories. Printed on 10% PCW recycled paper
If you haven’t already, please share yours. The University of Denver Magazine (USPS 022-177) is
published quarterly—fall, winter, spring and summer—by
the University of Denver, University Communications,
2199 S. University Blvd., Denver, CO 80208-4816. The
University of Denver (Colorado Seminary) is an Equal
Opportunity Institution. Periodicals postage paid at Denver,
CO. Postmaster: Send address changes to University of
Chelsey Baker-Hauck Denver Magazine, University of Denver, University
Advancement, 2190 E. Asbury Ave., Denver, CO 80208-4816.
Managing Editor
4 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010
OF
Family values
Regarding your article “Full House” [win-
ter 2009], I disagree that it is evident or a
foregone conclusion that the gay and les-
bian lifestyle is without long-term societal
impact. The article does not address some
of society’s concerns that the lifestyle is
biologically unhealthy, for example.
There are also cultural and religious
sectors who find the lifestyle abhorrent.
The entire Muslim world and much of the
fundamental Christian community will
never accept it as a choice that God wants
us to make. These beliefs should not be
ignored.
Laws may support gays’ rights to
marry and have families, but society at
large may be affected in different ways for
many more years to come.
Ronald Munoz (MOTM ’02)
Littleton, Colo.
I want to congratulate the University of
Denver Magazine for the wonderful articles
on DU alumna Ellie Schafer and full-time
lecturer Geoffrey Bateman. It was a great
pleasure to read both articles. I am encour-
aged to know that the University is accept-
ing of families from all sexual orientations.
It is time to openly celebrate the lives and
accomplishments of all our University
community. I hope that Colorado and the
country very soon will provide all families
the equal rights and protections we all
deserve.
Mariana Enríquez-Olmos (PhD ’02)
Denver
I am very disturbed, but not sur-
prised, by the intentional disregard in
your winter 2009 edition of the clear
boundary between moral and immoral
sexual behavior.
No matter how many well-written,
well-presented articles you produce,
attempts to normalize that which is
aberrant do not make it natural. The
fact that human
reproduction proceeds
from one male and
one female (even when
done artificially in a
laboratory) says all that needs to be said
about the natural order of the family.
It is not “hate speech” for me to
hold the view I do on this topic; it is my
right as an American citizen. And this
view is the one held by the vast majority
of people in virtually every society
throughout human history (or held
at least until a society goes into moral
decline, thus precipitating its demise).
It is no more hateful than it would be
to say that alcoholics have great value as
human beings but some of their behavior
is propelled by physiological and/or
psychological dysfunction.
Those involved in homosexual
behavior are to be treated with dignity,
as are all human beings. But that does
not mean homosexuality itself must be
accepted as right, predetermined, or inev-
itable—a fact attested to by several former
homosexuals I personally know or have
heard speak, including two who entered
heterosexual marriage and a third in a
heterosexual dating relationship possibly
headed to marriage.
William Brown
Monument, Colo.
I always enjoy your magazine but [the
winter 2009] issue is fantastic. I applaud
your in-depth articles on Ellie Schafer
[“Welcome to the White House”] and the
Lusero family [“Full House”]. It was brave
of you to publish them and they make me
so proud of our school. I am an Obama fan
and this just made me all the happier to
know that the Obamas walk the walk
in addition to talking the talk. It is wonder-
ful to read about the challenges and suc-
cesses of these people.
Jane Ringer (BS ’89, MT ’91)
Englewood, Colo.
Letters
Alumni author
I was pleased to see the article
on author Sandra Dallas
[Connections, winter 2009]. I
had recently read and enjoyed
her book Prayers for Sale. I enjoyed reading
about her background and the fact that she
is a DU graduate. I’m looking forward to
more of her stories.
Freya Vratny Oakes (BSBA ’73)
Aurora, Colo.
There is a surprising gap in the inter-
view with Sandra Dallas which manages
to omit or ignore her long association
with The Denver Post. While author Greg
Glasgow cites her BusinessWeek stint, her
longer association has been as the Western
history book reviewer for the Post—a
worthy and far-sighted appointment by
the late L. Stanton Peckham quite early
in her career.
Sandra has long been the insight-
ful heir to Caroline Bancroft in matters
Denver and the West.
Glenn Giffin (MA ’67, Denver Post book
editor, 1989–99)
Denver
Global warming skeptic
Permit me to share a little political incor-
rectness with the green advocates and
green gripers who commented on the
“Going Green” article [fall 2009].
As a student at DU in the mid-’60s,
I regularly read articles in national pub-
lications regarding the impending peril
of global cooling. Thus, I take a skeptical
view of global warming, which I count a
fraud, an easy rallying-ground for those
with socialist political agendas.
My question is whether there is any
comparable skeptic on the faculty of the
University of Denver—for the sake of
open discourse and diversity, of course.
Were such a hypothetical professor to
dare to write an article debunking global
University of Denver Magazine Letters 5
 warming, breathes there a University of
Denver Magazine editor with the courage
(and accrued emergency savings) to print
said article? Just wondering.
Don Burgess (MA ’67)
Fort Worth, Texas
Homeplace
I just finished reading the essay that Ms.
Baker-Hauck wrote [“Homeplace,” winter
2009]. What a beautiful tribute! It brought
me to tears reading about her grandparents
and the reminiscing of family. The writ-
ing was beautiful and the descriptions of
Oregon were vivid. How lucky she is to
have such wonderful memories. Thank you
for including such a touching essay in your
magazine.
Melissa Richards (MBA candidate)
Parker, Colo.
Issues. Ideas.
Action.
A Celebration of DUing. | 13 May 2010 | TEDxDU.com
6 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010
Ready, aim …
Regarding the DU law clinic article [“DU
law clinic sues feds over Rio Grande head-
waters,” Update, fall 2009], it was disap-
pointing to see that the DU law students
were challenging prairie dog shoots. We
could go over the same ground pro-
shooters have voiced many times, but
instead I’ll give a couple of personal expe-
riences. My dad grew up in west Texas.
Shooting prairie dogs was as much a part
of life in the 1940s as it is today. I grew
up thinking the goal was to eradicate the
troublesome rodent, but nothing could be
further from the truth. I did most of my
prairie dog shooting in the ’70s and ’80s,
rarely traveling to Texas now.
My first experience is of a rancher
who was watering pasture for his cattle
and prairie dogs moved in. In this case
he wanted us to eliminate all the rodents.
After several days we had killed all but two
pairs. Around 2006 I was surprised to learn
that my dad was having the prairie dog lady
transplant prairie dogs onto his farm! The
land is currently in the land bank and not 9 Smoking ban
in cultivation. Prairie dogs will not stay on
cultivated land, as there is not a dependable 12 Helping Haiti
source of food. His reasoning was that a
population of prairie dogs would provide 18 Bar passage rate
for good shooting and create some habitat
for coyotes and hawks.
19 Lacrosse coach
Stephen Johnson (BA ’79) 22 Donor spotlight
Aurora, Colo.
Send letters to the editor to: Chelsey Baker-
Hauck, University of Denver Magazine, 2199 S.
University Blvd., Denver, CO 80208-4816. Or
e-mail du-magazine@du.edu. Include your full
name and mailing address with all submissions.
Letters may be edited for clarity and length.
Courtesy of Lawrence Argent
DU art Professor Lawrence Argent and Scott Rella, a Vail, Colo., based artist, collaborated on “are you listening…,”
an exhibit of seven ice sculptures along Gore Creek Promenade in Vail Village. Argent is well-known in Denver for
I See What You Mean, a giant blue bear sculpture outside the Colorado Convention Center. He is taking a similar
approach in Vail by creating renderings of the human ear that stand more than 6 feet tall. The sculptures are
illuminated at night with energy-efficient LED lighting.
University of Denver Magazine Update 7
 Top News
Justice O’Connor partners with DU institute
DU goes smoke free DU’s
to reform judicial selection
By Doug McPherson Chester M Alter
Under a new policy that went into effect Jan. 1, smoking is
Arboretum

Chase Squires
prohibited nearly everywhere on the University of Denver cam-

Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor has chosen the University of Denver Institute for
the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) as home base to mount a national effort
to reform the way judges are selected.
She will chair the O’Connor Judicial Selection Initiative, made up of judges, business and nonprofit executives, and
lawyers who will try to persuade states to choose judges based on merit rather than direct elections.
O’Connor and IAALS officials see eye-to-eye on the issue and believe electing judges is at best problematic, and at
worst simply wrong. “The United States Supreme Court recently issued two opinions that turn up the heat on judicial elec-
tions,” says Rebecca Love Kourlis, IAALS executive director and a former Colorado Supreme Court justice. “There is more
reason now than ever before for states to consider changing their system.”
The group’s work will focus on making judges more than “politicians in robes,” O’Connor told The New York Times.
O’Connor has fought for reform on the issue
since the 1970s, when as an Arizona state legislator
she helped create a merit selection system for judges.
Last summer Kourlis asked O’Connor if she thought
the time was right to move on the issue nationally.
O’Connor said yes, and since August 2009 Kourlis has
been building the initiative, which was announced in
December.
“[O’Connor] saw fit to connect with DU; she could
have gone anywhere she wanted, but I like to think
she chose IAALS because of our reputation for getting
things done,” Kourlis says. “She’s a can-do kind of per-
son herself.”
Kourlis says that their recommendations include
four steps: nomination of judges by people (not pre-
dominantly lawyers); appointment of judges by a gover-
pus and on University-owned or operated buildings or grounds.
Exceptions include city-owned streets and sidewalks that sur- Acres of land
round or cut through University property, plus two areas near the
Ritchie and Newman centers.
125
The policy makes it clear that DU is committed to the
health of the community, says Katie Dunker, assistant director
Identified trees
of health promotion at the Health and Counseling Center, who 2,000
spearheaded the policy over the past two years.
Dunker emphasizes that the new policy—approved by the Species represented
Board of Trustees—was driven by health concerns. The primary
goal is to reduce involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke on
More than 100
campus, she says.
University officials say the campus community will be asked Groundsworkers
to conform to the new policy just as any other, but they emphasize DU student Trang Luong, a senior marketing major, Fewer than 20
the smoking ban is not an administrative cudgel. Fines and tickets designed a distinctive blue logo to remind students of
will not be issued. Rather, DU will trust smokers to respect the the University’s new smoking policy as the campus Arborists
community returned to DU after the holidays.
policy and the campus community to be sensitive to smokers.
In addition to banning smoking, the new policy bans tobacco 1
product advertisements, prohibits sponsorship of groups or events that promote tobacco use, and outlaws distribution,
Compiled by arboretum director
sale or sampling of tobacco products or merchandise. Martin Quigley
The designated smoking area at the Ritchie Center will vary by event, officials say, so smokers should check with
ushers or staff before going outside to light up. At the Newman Center, the smoking area will be off York Street south
of the loading dock and north of Knudson Hall, says Steve Seifert, executive director of the Newman Center.
—Media Relations Staff
DU professor translated book by 2009 Nobel
Prize winner

Steve Schader
nor; objective evaluation of those judges; and “retention
elections” in which the public votes on whether the
Jeff Haessler

judge remains in his or her position.
“These are steps that keep money out of the pic-
ture and are nonpartisan,” Kourlis says.
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, left, with Rebecca Love Kourlis
IAALS was founded in 2006 to create a more effec-
tive and user-friendly justice system, saying the current
model is fraught with outdated rules, excessive costs and delays, lack of transparency and a politicized judicial selection
process.
IAALS tackles large-scale projects. One such effort was to modernize the rules of civil procedure, which are the road
map of the U.S. legal system. The institute, in collaboration with an American College of Trial Lawyers task force, released
a set of reform recommendations that some states have begun to apply.
IAALS reports that 33 states have elections for judges at some level. Initiative participants have begun meeting and
offering interested states, including Nevada, public education support and policy reform resources.
Dallas Jamison, IAALS director of marketing and communications, says she sees “great synergy” between O’Connor
and IAALS. “Judicial selection has been a core issue at IAALS since our inception, so we believe combining Justice
O’Connor’s passion and expertise with our own track record in this area is a winning combination.”
>>www.du.edu/legalinstitute
Sieglinde Lug, a professor emerita at the University of Denver, helped introduce
the writing of 2009 Nobel literature prize winner Herta Müller to English-speaking
countries.
Lug translated Müller’s 1999 story collection, Nadirs (University of Nebraska Press),
from German to English. Müller, a German author, was awarded the Nobel Prize on
Oct. 8.
“It’s really wonderful that a book that is so powerful will get more attention now,”
Lug says.
Nadirs is based on Müller’s childhood experiences in Romania. She describes a
troubled life where violence and corruption are prevalent under the oppression of the state.
Lug made final revisions to the book while she was teaching a Techniques of Translations course at DU.
She mentions four of her students in the afterword. Since the announcement of the Nobel Prize, Lug has
received e-mails from some of those students.
“The students were quite helpful in making suggestions,” she says. “It is wonderful that they heard about
this.”
Lug taught German, comparative literature and women’s studies at the University of Denver from 1978
to 2005. She acted as the director of the women’s studies program from 1995–99.
—Kristal Griffith

8 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010

 Arts

Daniels students give back with DenverKarma.com

PHAMALY matters
By Kate Johnson

It began as a simple idea batted around by University of Denver MBA students—a Web
site that links young professionals with local nonprofits.
In October, the idea became a reality with the official launch of DenverKarma.com, an
The accident that nearly ended Regan Linton’s life has instead transformed it.
In 2002, when Linton was a junior in college, she was in a car accident that caused an upper-chest-level spinal cord
injury. Though people sometimes find her perspective hard to understand, Linton—who uses a wheelchair for mobility—says the
online network for Denver residents to learn about service opportunities at select nonprofits. injury has “enhanced my life in so many ways. The challenges I’ve experienced have been nothing compared to what I’ve gained.”
The site even allows volunteers to sign up for opportunities that match their interests. Linton, now a master’s student in social work at DU, was encouraged by a friend to join the Physically Handicapped Actors and
The site was created by MBA students (pictured, left to right) Adam Post, Kristin Reid, Musical Artists League (PHAMALY) two years after her accident. The Denver-based nonprofit theater company features actors with
Blair Taylor and Justin Raddatz as part of their coursework at the Daniels College of Business,
physical and/or developmental disabilities.
which asks its students to create a project to raise social or fiscal capital that benefits the
Though Linton had been active in music and theater for most of
community. 
Courtesy of Adam Post

her life, when she went on stage five years ago for her first PHAMALY
The idea was to find one “gap”—an area of the Denver community that would benefit
from additional service and support—and create a project that would raise awareness for it, production, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, it was nerve-
Post says. wracking.
With advice from Amy Venturi, director of community relations for law firm Brownstein “I was rolling on stage, feeling like the biggest idiot in the world,
Hyatt Farber Schreck, and Steve Sander, director of marketing for the city of Denver, the team identified four “community gaps” that affect Denver citizens: health dancing on stage in my wheelchair,” she says. “It was a scary experience,
and well being; homelessness and poverty; arts, culture and recreation; and youth education and mentoring. but after the first few minutes, it was like any other performance.
They sent applications to around 70 Denver nonprofits that provide services that help fill those gaps. Eleven nonprofits—including Big Brothers Big Sisters Everything else melts away.”
of Colorado, the Denver Rescue Mission, the Park People and Colorado Youth At Risk—were selected to participate.  In summer 2009, Linton starred as Aldonza in PHAMALY’s
Each organization has pledged to offer DenverKarma volunteers at least one volunteer opportunity per quarter and may advertise opportunities through production of the musical Man of La Mancha, which garnered stellar
the Web site. reviews and sold out several nights of its four-week run. The role netted
—Jordan Ames
Linton a Denver Post Ovation Award for best actress in a musical.
After that she was featured in PHAMALY’s Vox Phamalia, an original

Do you ever
writing workshop and performance that ran for five shows to sold-out
audiences. 
PHAMALY’s philosophy is to incorporate actors’ disabilities into its
WONDER WHAT YOUR ALMA productions.
MATER HAS BEEN DOING “Disabilities are now a huge creative opportunity for us,” says
SINCE YOU LEFT ? Linton, who also has appeared in PHAMALY productions of The Wiz,
Come to a DU on the Road event and Our Town and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, among others. “We don’t

On the Road
focus on them, but we don’t ignore them, either.”
find out. University representatives
One scene from Man of La Mancha incorporated Linton’s disability
will travel to cities this winter and
to huge effect. When Linton’s character was assaulted in the play, her
spring to provide an update on campus
attackers took her wheelchair and left her stranded. Linton sang her key
developments and the vision and goals solo while pulling herself across the stage with her arms—an intense,
behind them. All DU alumni, friends difficult sight for many viewers.
and parents are invited to enjoy an “You could hear a pin drop. You really felt an audience connection,”

Wayne Armstrong
evening of food and drinks with fellow Linton says.
Pioneers, faculty and staff. The Denver native credits her experiences on stage with turning her
Look for us this winter and spring life around.
as we travel to the following cities: “PHAMALY opened my world again,” she says. “It allowed me to become confident as a person with a disability.”
Aspen, CO Linton’s disability also inspired her to begin a career in social work. After her accident, “it was the first time in my life I’d really
Albuquerque, NM experienced marginalization,” she says. “It really opened my eyes to the social injustice around me—the discrimination that exists,
Minneapolis, MN not just toward people with disabilities.”
Stamford, CT This new awareness led Linton to enroll in the Graduate School of Social Work, where she’s focusing on community work and
Tampa, FL
interning for Yoga for the People, a nonprofit that teaches yoga to underserved populations.
For more information, please visit
When she graduates, Linton wants to integrate social work with the performing arts, using self-expression to empower people
www.alumni.du.edu/DUontheroad
in all kinds of disempowered groups, not just people with disabilities.
or call 1-800-448-3238, Ext. 0
“I want to help people find their personal voice through theater,” she says.
>>www.phamaly.org

10 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 University of Denver Magazine Update 11

 Academics

Rosetta Stone offers online

Sense of community

Jeff Haessler
By Greg Glasgow

language option
The University of Denver always has

DU students still can take traditional foreign language classes such as
Spanish, French, German and Italian, but those looking to delve into more
exotic languages like Pashto, Farsi and Tagalog have another resource: Rosetta
Stone, an online language-learning program that is available for free to all DU
students, faculty and staff through the Penrose Library Web site, www.du.edu/
penrose.
“I was getting a lot of requests from the [Korbel] School of International
Studies to get language CDs because they wanted to learn different languages
from around the world,” says Arts and Humanities Reference Librarian Peggy
Keeran, who purchased Rosetta Stone for DU two years ago. “But they
wouldn’t circulate and it would be too limiting. So I started to look to see if I
could find an online solution.”
That’s when Keeran discovered Rosetta Stone, a “dynamic immersion”
system that combines images and interactivity to teach additional languages in
much the same way people learned their first language. To date, more than
3,700 people have used the program at DU, including graduate students and
researchers who use it before traveling to foreign countries.
Purchased on their own, the Rosetta Stone programs cost more than
$200 per language.
—Greg Glasgow
12 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010
Campus community pitches in for
Haiti
The DU Grilling Society raised more than $1,000 at a fundraiser for Haitian
relief efforts on the Driscoll Lawn on Jan. 19, seven days after the earthquake
that devastated the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Also on Jan. 19, the University
hosted a panel discussion on Haiti and a memorial for earthquake victims. The
panel included Lynn Holland, a DU lecturer; Ed Morgan, who helped found
the Colorado Haiti Project; and Figaro Joseph, a PhD student from Haiti who is
enrolled in DU’s Korbel School of International Studies. DU raised more than
$12,000 in donations, which went directly to the Lambi Fund of Haiti, a non-
profit dedicated to building democracy and sustainable development in Haiti.
—Media Relations Staff
Students turn out for ‘Day On’ to
honor MLK
Nearly 300 University of Denver students—including the men’s lacrosse team
and the Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity—participated in a “Day On” day of service
Jan. 18 in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
“At DU, we have many programs that teach the importance of public service
and service learning, and this is something that, as a student, I value tremendously,”
says senior Javier Ogaz. “Historically, we look to Dr. King as a great figure who
chose to live his life in the service of others.”
Ogaz and a group of students spent the morning painting an entranceway at
the Serenity Learning Center, a school for children and young adults with develop-
mental delays.
Students volunteered for four hours at a variety of community partner sites
across Denver, including the Boys & Girls Club-Owen Branch, Serenity Learning
Center, Sun Valley Youth Center, Urban Peak and Volunteers of America.
In addition, more than 130 students picked up trash in the DU neighbor-
hood.
Following the morning activities, DU provided volunteers with lunch. Students
also participated in a reflection session that encouraged them to think about their
experience and how it helped the group, community and city.
The event was organized by the University’s Student Life division.
— Jordan Ames
Wayne Armstrong
prepared students to become leaders
in business, law and other academic fields. A new
sequence of courses offered through DU’s Center
for Community Engagement and Service Learning
(CCESL) aims to prepare students to become
leaders in their communities as well.
Titled Spectator to Citizen, the three-course
series teaches students to identify problems in their
immediate communities—and how to take steps to
solve the problems they find.
“As lofty as it sounds, we’re hoping to create
stronger, healthier communities,” says CCESL
Associate Director Frank Coyne. “And in order to do
that, we create stronger, more engaged citizens. So
instead of graduating commodities to be swallowed
up by the workforce, we are graduating students Students in the Spectator to Citizen course studied how people in urban settings use art forms like graffiti
who are thinking critically about issues and to express their public voice. As part of the hands-on course, they painted some graffiti of their own.
becoming problem solvers and engaged citizens.”
The first class in the series, Community Organizing, focuses on the basic community organizing principles created by legendary
author and organizer Saul Alinsky. The CCESL staff trained at the Chicago-based Gamaliel Foundation, which once employed Barack
Obama.
“Community organizing is when the community—the people who are living and experiencing problems in their community—get
together and make a plan as to what they need to happen in that community,” says CCESL Associate Director Jenny Whitcher. “They
do that through building relationships and building community with city government officials and others and then dialoguing and
meeting with them one-on-one to talk about how do we work together.”
In the School-Based Civic Engagement class, students focus on education, applying community-organizing concepts to issues in
Denver public schools. Coyne, who teaches the course, hopes that some of the students will go on to participate in Public Achievement,
a separate CCESL program in which DU students serve as mentors to kids in public schools.
“Several students who took my class were really interested in urban education and interested in becoming teachers,” Coyne says,
“so this was a way of testing their ground and getting DU students hands-on experience with the issues facing urban education.”
The final class, Denver Urban Issues and Policy, brings students into the larger Denver community to study issues such as
homelessness, poverty, education and housing. It culminates in a spring break immersion project that lets students spend more time
off campus, interacting directly with local nonprofits and government groups. For their 2009 immersion project, Spectator to Citizen
students worked with Senior Support Services, the African Community Center, the Denver Rescue Mission and youth shelter Urban
Peak.
“What was best about the immersion week was that we were empowered to lead the week in whatever way we wanted,” says junior
Cameron Lewis, who went through the inaugural Spectator to Citizen sequence in the 2008–09 school year. “We were given free rein to
pick the issues that were important to us, and all of the contacting of nonprofit organizations or government officials, that was all left
up to us. For me, personally, that was an experience I had yet to have in college, to be given the power to lead something in that way.”
That’s the whole point, CCESL staffers say—to make students aware that they have the power to make change in their communities.
“Too many people are upset about what’s going on in their communities and doing nothing about it because they don’t think they
can or they don’t have the time,” Whitcher says. “We’re teaching students concrete public skills that they can use, and telling them you
absolutely can do it. Use this, and keep doing it. The hope is in 20 years they’re still doing this kind of work and not only volunteering
at Christmas.”
University of Denver Magazine Update 13
 Courtesy of the Victoria Tupper Kirby Collection
History
True West
By Greg Glasgow

The work of Western artist Allen Tupper True (attd. 1899–1900) ranged from the very small to the very large, and an exhibit
at three different Denver-area art institutions shows just how big his scope truly was.
“Allen True’s West,” running through March 28 at the Denver Art Museum (DAM), the Denver Public Library and the Colorado
History Museum, features illustrations, paintings, murals and more by the Colorado native and DU alumnus who was once among the
best-known Western artists in the country.
The exhibit divides the artist’s work into three categories at three locations: Illustrations, appropriately, are on display at the
library; murals (and studies and photographs of murals) are at the history museum; and True’s fine art paintings are at the DAM.
The exhibit’s three curators all are DU alumni as well: Peter
Hassrick (MA ’69) at the DAM, Alisa Zahller (MA art history
’97) at the Colorado History Museum and Julie Anderies
(MA art history ’06) at the library.
Born in Colorado Springs and raised in various parts of
the American West—including Denver and southern Texas—
True began his art career shortly after leaving DU in 1900.
Impressed with his artistic aptitude, his family sent him to
the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C. After a year
there, True applied and was accepted to Howard Pyle’s school
of illustration in Delaware, where he began creating Western-
themed illustrations for books and publications such as The
Saturday Evening Post and Outing Magazine.
But True’s heart remained in the West, says Hassrick,
director emeritus of the DAM’s Petrie Institute of Western
American Art.
Courtesy of Joan True McKibben

“Even though he was studying in Wilmington, Del.,

he writes his parents on a number of occasions and says,
‘Someday I’ll come back and I’ll make a play for being
the great Western painter,’” Hassrick says. “‘I’ll make our
Western heritage that I’m so proud of the heart of my
creative production.’”
Homesteaders, 1917 Jicarilla Spring, 1913

And while illustrations paid the bills, True started setting his sights a little higher.
“Early on, he begins to get a little frustrated with that printed page thing because it’s so ephemeral,” Hassrick says. “People
would open the page and read it and see his picture and then flip the page, and that would be the last they’d ever see of it. He
wanted something that would endure.”
So True turned first to easel paintings—more than a dozen of which are on display at the DAM as part of the exhibit—and
Courtesy of the Collection of Jan and Frederick Mayer

then to murals, one of the most enduring and public art forms of the first half of the 20th century. He decorated the state capitols
of Colorado, Wyoming and Missouri, the Denver City and County Building, the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Building
and many other structures.
Expanding on the Western motifs that characterized his illustrations and paintings, True developed different concepts for
different spaces. For the Colorado capitol, he created eight pieces that showed the importance of water in the West, from a trio of
gold panners to a modern hydroelectric plant. Colorado National Bank got Indian Memories, a tribute to American Indian life prior
to the arrival of European settlers.
“Illustrations reach a number of people, but the impact of mural work in architectural settings—as public art and the
messages they convey—he believes that to be the most important medium to him,” Zahller says. “He sees them as being a
The Trappers, 1911 permanent fixture that are part of the building that people can see and experience and learn from.”
>>www.history.denverlibrary.org/AllenTruesWest
14 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 University of Denver Magazine Update 15
 Sports Q&A
Psyched up Women’s College Dean Lynn Gangone on
By Kristal Griffith
the future of women’s education
Interview by Kim DeVigil

It’s common for college athletic programs to provide the best coaches, trainers, nutritionists and health science experts to
their student-athletes.
Now, DU student-athletes also have access to a full-time sport and performance psychologist. DU is one of about 12
programs in the country to offer the service to its students. Q What is unique
about the
Women’s College (TWC)
Q With women comprising almost 60 percent of today’s
college students, is there still a need for women’s colleges
or centers?
Steve Portenga is the director of sport psychology for DU’s Division of Athletics and Recreation and an adjunct professor of
of the University of

A
sport and performance psychology in the University’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP). I am often asked about the continued need for a single-gender
Peg Bradley-Doppes, vice chancellor for athletics and recreation, says it’s just part of the personal care DU offers all its Denver?
institution. It’s simply a matter of having an option. When

A
students. TWC is one of 55
“We have a student-centered management philosophy,” Bradley-Doppes says. “Our vision is to actively create, promote and single-gender col-
sustain an environment in which each participant is challenged and supported in pursuit of personal growth in the areas of leges in the United States
sports, wellness and recreational activities.” and the only one in
Portenga has been at DU for several years developing the GSPP sport and performance psychology program. He became a Colorado and the Rocky
full-time staff member in athletics in summer 2009. Mountain region directly
He says sport psychologists work with athletes to serving the women who
help them understand how to translate what they do live and work here. While
in practice to competition. “We work to have a quality this is our centennial year
practice where the student-athletes become consistent,” and it is appropriate that
women’s institutions were founded in the late 1800s, it was because
there was not a place for women in many of the higher education
institutions that are now coed. At the time, women’s colleges not only
filled the gap, they were the only choice. Today, the decision to attend a
women-only college is one of many options that could include histori-
cally black colleges and universities or Hispanic-serving or religious-
focused higher education institutions.
The degree and certificate programs at TWC are presented in an
evening and weekend format to meet the balancing act required of
many women. Additionally, women’s colleges and women’s centers

Wayne Armstrong
Portenga says. “That way during competition their
bodies know how to perform.”
Portenga has been working with athletes for years.
He helped the U.S. track and field team in Berlin as it
trained for the 2012 Olympics.
During a recent practice with DU’s Nordic ski team,
Portenga emphasized why student-athletes should
prepare deliberately.
“You have to commit to the course, focus on the
future, have a target and keep your eyes on it,” he told
Wayne Armstrong
we celebrate and reflect on
the achievements of the
past century, our goal is to
be here for the next 100 years. So the focus of TWC, and my personal
focus, is to lay the foundation for long-term sustainability while we
continue to meet the ever-changing needs of women in a dynamic and
changing world. As more women in our state become business owners,
policy makers, political leaders and philanthropists, our job is to pro-
vide resources to help women achieve their goals.
give students a place to practice leadership, so they can move on to
have an impact in a world largely shaped by men. In mixed settings,
it is difficult for women to bring the whole of who they are to the
table. But conversations among women can address the interplay
among professional, personal, family and relationship issues. Women
still need woman-friendly spaces to find their voice, and the world
needs women’s voices. With women constituting only 18 percent of
the positional leaders across all sectors, there’s still a role for women’s
colleges to prepare the next generation of leaders.

the team. Portenga gave students a handout on which

they could evaluate their preparedness.
Hennie Kashiwa, assistant Nordic skiing coach Q How important are global women’s issues to TWC?
Q What will be your legacy?

A A
DU Sport and Performance Psychologist Steve Portenga works on a team-building exercise with volleyball at DU, and head coach David Stewart have Portenga So many of the challenges faced by women around the world When we built our new building [the Merle Catherine Chambers
players Bri Zimlich, center, and Lyndi Johnson. working on relaxation and visualization techniques with are also challenges faced by women in Colorado. The empower- Center for the Advancement of Women, opened in 2004], we
the team. ment of women and girls globally is the issue for the 21st century, built it with the notion that it would be standing a century from now.
Kashiwa says many of his student-athletes are familiar with sport psychology techniques because they compete on national and education is the key. We have several projects we are working on We intend to live up to the expectation of the structure by continu-
and international levels. However, Kashiwa says, it is important DU offers this service to its student-athletes as well. to expand and continue building our ties internationally to create an ing to educate women who live and work in Colorado and prepare the
“Elite-level programs around the world are beginning to understand the significance of sports psychology, and I think that it array of options for our students as well as expand understanding of next generation of women leaders. Our TWC students and alumnae
is great that we are a part of that high-level, forward-thinking group,” Kashiwa says. global issues for women and girls. This includes our relationship with are amazing women balancing so much to get that degree. I want to
Portenga also works with the coaches to incorporate mental conditioning into their practices. Project Education Sudan and our sponsorship of Ayak Anguei School continue to have a place for them, for their daughters and for their
“We have met a few times one-on-one to go over mental training concepts,” Kashiwa says. “I feel like these meetings have for Girls in southern Sudan. We also recently received a grant from daughters’ daughters.
given me some good new coaching tools for both competition and training.” DU’s Office of Internationalization to create study-abroad opportuni-
Portenga is passionate about helping athletes. When he first moved to Colorado, he planned to attend law school and took ties for Women’s College students that include a community-based Lynn Gangone was named dean of the Women’s College of the University of Denver
up coaching temporarily. He loved coaching so much, he changed his life’s path. He says his goal is to help student-athletes research project in Gulu, Uganda, in partnership with the Women’s and associate clinical professor of higher education in spring 2007. She is a nationally
achieve their dreams. Global Empowerment Fund and Gulu University.
known writer and speaker on gender equality, with expertise in women’s education
“The biggest reward is seeing the giant smile on someone’s face when they’re able to do something in competition that and educational equity, as well as leadership development and career advancement for
women in higher education.
they’ve had to work hard to achieve,” he says.
>> Watch a video interview with Steve Portenga at www.youtube.com/uofdenver

16 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 University of Denver Magazine Update 17

 Pioneers Top 10 DU bar passage hits highest Lacrosse Magazine names DU coach person of the year
Circulating DVDs at rate in years Lacrosse Magazine named DU head men’s lacrosse coach

Penrose Library Leaders at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law were
Bill Tierney its 2009 person of the year.
Tierney arrived at DU during the summer of 2009 after a
beyond pleased when the initial results of the July 2009 Colorado Bar 22-year career as the head men’s lacrosse coach at Princeton,
1. The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) Exam passage rates were released in October. Results moved even where his tenure included six national championships. Tierney
2. N
 o Logo: Brands, Globalization, higher after appeals of the exam results were complete. says he had other job offers throughout the years but chose to
Resistance (2003) In the final tally, released Nov. 17, DU’s passage rate hit 91 come to DU to help grow the sport in the West, which was a
percent—the highest DU passage rate in years. factor in the magazine selecting him for the honor.
3. Crash (2004)
The program saw its passage rate dip below 60 percent a few years “Bill Tierney’s move to Denver was just what lacrosse
4. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) ago in a February exam, so the rate completes a turnaround that law needed as it continues to grow from coast to coast,” Lacrosse
5. Bowling for Columbine (2002) Dean Martin Katz, appointed in February, believes is just the beginning. Magazine editor Paul Krome wrote in the article about the
The law school also is relishing another dose of good news. coach. “The best part of us naming Tierney the Lacrosse Maga-
6. Fargo (1996) The national magazine Super Lawyers’ newest law school rankings, zine person of the year is that he considers the distinction a call
7. Big Fish (2003) issued in November, ranked Sturm 53rd in the country and No. 1 in to action—that’s an encouraging perspective for lacrosse fans
Colorado.
8. Girl With a Pearl Earring (2003) everywhere coming from a six-time NCAA champion and Na-
Achieving the new high in bar passage didn’t come by accident, tional Hall of Fame coach.”

Tim Head, Mile-High Photography

9. Amelie (2001) Katz says. The school has worked for two years on building the passage Tierney is 272–93 as a college head coach. He led the
10. Gattaca (1997) rate by admitting students who have the best chance of succeeding in U.S. national men’s lacrosse team to the 1998 world champion-
law school and passing the bar, and by creating a program dedicated to ship and was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame
passage. in 2002.
Compiled by Access Services Librarian Bethany Sewell
Students are encouraged to devote the two months between >>www.DenverPioneers.com
graduation and the July bar exam to study and test preparation. Off —Media Relations Staff
campus, they are encouraged to avoid full-time work and dedicate
themselves to study. On campus, faculty conduct classes and lectures
multiple times each week, followed by mock exams, writing assignments
and personal coaching.
—Chase Squires

DU athletes score high with

Graduation Success Rate
Ninety-three percent of University of Denver freshmen student-
athletes who entered college in 2002 earned their degrees, according
to the latest NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) data.
DU bested the NCAA Division I overall GSR of 79 percent by
2010 Lacrosse Home Schedule
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Women’s gymnastics, lacrosse, skiing, soccer, swimming and diving, Apr. 9 Bellarmine 7:00pm For your tickets call
tennis and volleyball achieved perfect 100 percent scores. Men’s soccer, Apr. 11 Quinnipiac 11:00am 303.871.2389. Not valid at Ritchie
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—Media Relations Staff

For more DU Lacrosse news go to DenverPioneers.com

18 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 University of Denver Magazine Update 19
 People

‘Camera’ man
By Greg Glasgow
One of the proudest moments in Peter Funt’s career came in 1967, when he interviewed Martin Luther King
Jr. on his DU radio show.
Another came in 2004, after Funt (BA ’69) had taken over for his father, Allen Funt, as host of the hidden-camera
TV series “Candid Camera.” In a segment called “The Green Kid,” Peter Funt visited an elementary school to talk to a
group of second-graders about a new boy with green skin who would soon be joining their class. He asked the kids if
they anticipated any problems.
“Among those I spoke with is a girl who says she knows what this kid
might be in for, because when she came to the area from Turkey she only
spoke Turkish and not much English,” Funt says. “She had a very hard
time making friends and was teased until she learned English and then
things changed for her, so of course she’d like to be this new boy’s friend
so he could get over that hurdle.”
“The Green Kid” played on the air as a 4½-minute segment, but so
many teachers and administrators contacted Funt about the discussion of
National report ranks DU third for undergraduate study abroad
The University of Denver ranks third in the nation among doctoral and research institutions in percentage of undergraduate students studying abroad,
according to the 2009 Open Doors report.
The report, which was released in November by the Institute of International Education (IIE), reflects data from the 2007–08 academic year and shows
DU sent 73.6 percent of its undergraduates to study abroad. Nationally, just over 1 percent of all enrolled undergraduates studied abroad. Only Pepperdine
University and the University of San Diego ranked higher than DU.
The IIE reports the top destination for students in 2007–08 was the United Kingdom, followed by Italy. At DU, Italy is the top destination, followed by
Spain and Australia. 
DU offers more than 150 study-abroad programs in 58 nations. Through
DU’s Cherrington Global Scholars program, students have the opportunity to study
abroad while paying their tuition and fees to the University. DU also helps students
with some additional costs such as transportation and fees for visa applications and
insurance.
According to the 2009 Open Doors report, U.S. students are studying abroad
in record numbers. Study abroad increased by 8.5 percent to a total of 262,416
students in the 2007–08 academic year. The top three major fields of study for

Courtesy of Mark Lopez

tolerance that he turned it into an hourlong DVD for classroom use. It’s students, according to the report, are social sciences, business and management,
currently used in more than 2,500 schools. and humanities.
As it turns out, “Candid Camera” has lots of real-world applications. >>www.opendoors.iienetwork.org
College sociology and psychology classes show selected clips to >>www.du.edu/intl/abroad
demonstrate principles of human behavior, corporations use footage as DU students abroad in Italy —Kristal Griffith

part of their training materials, and the show’s nonprofit arm, Laughter
Courtesy of Kelli Uldall/Carmel Magazine

Therapy, sends free “Candid Camera” DVDs to critically ill people.

At DU, Funt was a mass communications and journalism major,
working on the Clarion and at KVDU. After graduation he worked at
Denver-based KHOW radio and at the ABC Radio Network in New York
before becoming an arts and leisure writer for The New York Times. In the
early ’80s he launched the national cable-TV-industry magazine On Cable. China Rising
In 1987, Funt started co-hosting “Candid Camera” with his father,
who had created the show in the late ’40s. After Allen Funt had a The University of Denver Presents
debilitating stroke in 1993 (he died in 1999), Peter took over hosting duties full-time. The most recent iteration of
“Candid Camera” ended in 2004, but Funt currently is in talks to bring it back to television in 2010.
Despite a glut of hidden-camera shows in recent years, he still sees a need for the original program’s feel-good The next Bridges to the Future event will occur during the spring academic quarter.
ethos. Please visit www.du.edu/bridges for program information.
“There’s a certain purity about ‘Candid Camera,’” he says. “The underlying premise of the show is that people are
essentially wonderful—and worth studying because of that. The sequences we do—even though some certainly apply
a certain element of stress to a person—in most cases the person is not only happy in the end, but a hero, in a way, in Most people in the U.S. know very little about China, yet the country may soon become the No. 2 economy
terms of what their behavior shows. in the world. As a result, China will play a larger role in international affairs and take on other new
“We’ve always come at it from the idea that we believe people are wonderful and we’re out to confirm it. Our responsibilities of a rising world power. But it also is feeling the pain of rapid industrialization and
imitators and other shows, whether it’s Jamie Kennedy or ‘Spy TV’ or ‘Punk’d,’ often seem to come at it from the growing international engagement. Join the discussion as the 2009–10 Bridges to the Future
opposite perspective, which is that people are stupid, and we’re going to find ways to underscore that.” lecture series at DU explores the myths, realities, and
While he waits on the future of “Candid Camera,” Funt, 62, has returned to his journalistic roots, regularly penning challenges for America of China Rising.
op-ed columns for The Boston Globe and other daily newspapers. (A selection of his columns is available on the “Candid
Camera” Web site, www.candidcamera.com.)
“The funny thing is that the process of coming up with an idea for a column or a ‘Candid Camera’ sequence
is essentially the same thing,” he says. “I just live my life with eyes and ears perhaps a little bit wider open than
some people. Whatever bothers me or seems off kilter or in need of parody—or on a serious subject, in need of
examination—in the past I had done a sequence about it. Now I write a column about it.”

20 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 University of Denver Magazine Update 21

 Donor Spotlight Essay
Rosie and Dick Meyer What’s next?
By Janalee Card Chmel
It’s easy to say the University of Denver was an important part of Rosie Meyer’s life.

Recently,
Meyer, who died Oct. 30, 2009, at age 82, earned a psychology degree from DU in 1949. She met I turned 40. While I’ve never been one of those women who gets wound up about aging (everybody’s
her husband, Dick (BA ’51), at DU, her brothers also were alumni and her granddaughter currently is doing it!), I did find myself pondering one nagging little question over and over: What’s next?
Courtesy of Shelly Landaal

studying for a master’s degree at the University. Meyer’s father, Elwood Murray, was a professor in My life had taken me on a path that, considering who I thought I would be when I was in college, surprised me. I had
DU’s speech communication department and was “legendary” in the speech communication field.
not become an actress. I had not become a tortured writer. I had not become a 4-inch-heel-wearing business executive. I had
Like many other DU professors at the time, Murray lived in the Observatory Park area, so Rosie
become a married woman and a mom. At the age of 40, I was working from home as a freelance writer, doing the laundry,
practically grew up on the DU campus, says Scott Lumpkin, associate vice chancellor in University
Advancement.
providing good meals to my family, making sure I was there when the kids were sick and spending summers juggling freelance
Meyer’s dedication to the University was unquestionable, Lumpkin says, and it carried on for her entire life. clients as I took my girls on mountain hikes.
In 2004, when DU was raising money for its new hotel, restaurant and tourism management building, Rosie pledged $1.5 million to the proj- I had become a rather traditional woman.
ect. The kitchen in the school—the “hub” of the building—was named the Richard and Rosalind Meyer Family Kitchen. Over the course of my growth into this life, I went through several
“Dick and Rosie wanted the kitchen named for their family, not just the two of them,” Lumpkin says. “They viewed their philanthropy as an bouts of the independent woman’s fear: Am I a sellout? Am I giving up part
extension of the entire family.” of myself? What about the dreams of success as I had once defined them?
The kitchen was important to the Meyers, in part, because it honored Dick’s achievements in the food service industry. He chaired a food But when I was completely and utterly honest with myself, I knew I
service management company that had contracts with universities in 39 states. Dick Meyer died in 2002. was happy! Like, deep-down, giggle-for-no-reason, roll-around-on-the-floor-
“She was so proud to see the contribution … and especially to see the impact the Meyer Kitchen was having on our ability to educate our stu- with-babies happy! And as my daughters grew they gained independence
dents in a professional facility,” says David Corsun, director of the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management. from me, and I was able to see beyond my daily chores and my freelance
“These were people whose values and ideals fit with the University,” Lumpkin says. “They are the kind of people students should have as
deadlines to start wondering: What’s next?
examples. Dick and Rosie were exactly that—they were generous, moral people who were extremely dedicated to their family and their university.”
A friend and I started a little company called MA! (motherhood with
Meyer also was instrumental in creating two endowed funds in the Department of Human Communication Studies to honor her parents,
Elwood and Emma Murray. The funds were established in 1991 and 2001, respectively.
attitude), dedicated to supporting other moms as they faced the ridiculously
—Kathryn Mayer hard yet rewarding journey of motherhood. I started writing for myself
again—journaling, blogging and rediscovering the creative flame I thought I
had surrendered with my business suits.
And I turned 40. As I’ve said, I don’t care about aging per se. For me,
turning 40 with a great husband and two daughters ages 6 and 8 meant
I was regaining some control over my life. I could again think about my
dreams and goals with a bit more ability to act upon them.
And then … A. Third. Child.
Yes, this was an absolute surprise. And I did not take the news
gracefully. I can probably best illustrate the impact this had on my mental
state with a few snapshots: me collapsed on the bathroom floor; me on the
phone, screaming at my husband, “Yes! I said I’m pregnant!”; me calling
the doctor and begging her to tell me all about false-positive results with
at-home pregnancy tests; me taking two more tests the next day; me sitting
at the bottom of the stairs where the girls couldn’t see me, crying my eyes
out and muttering obscenities.
The thing that surprised me, though, throughout all my tantrums, was
the small light somewhere inside me that just kept bouncing around, sighing
Mother and Baby by Hyacinth Manning
pleasantly, saying, “A baby! Oh my goodness! I get to have another baby!”
As the days turned into weeks, I realized I had a rock-solid answer
to my nagging question, What’s next? In fact, I realized I had many beautiful answers. A new baby smell. Snuggles. Chasing
another naked bottom around the house before bath time. Reading Goodnight Moon. Long walks with a stroller.
I also know myself well enough to anticipate that I will go through a few more tantrums of my own as I surrender
what was a quick glimpse at more independence. But at the same time, I believe the answer I’ve received to my question is
absolutely the one I was supposed to receive.
I am a mother! I can handle what’s next.

Janalee Card Chmel (MLS ’97) is a Denver-based freelance writer. She and her husband welcomed daughter Mae Marie in late January.

22 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 University of Denver Magazine Update 23

 Corbis
DU researcher

Dan Linseman

is starting to

F
or 56-year-old David Virden (BA ’71), it started with a hoarse voice and a weak leg—two
unravel the seemingly benign symptoms that marked the start of a dizzyingly swift downward spiral.
Within a year, the competitive cyclist and father of three would be walking with a cane
and unable to speak. Six months later, he’d require a wheelchair. Soon after, he’d lose his ability
mystery of to swallow and breathe on his own. All this while his sharp mind and “larger than life” spirit
remained intact.
“It was terrible to watch, just awful,” recalls Christine (Godshall) Virden (BA ’71), who bid
Lou Gehrig’s her husband goodbye on Aug. 29, 2008, 22 months after he was diagnosed with amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS).
“He was still the same person on the inside, but nobody knew it on the outside.”
disease. Such stories are par for the course among the roughly 6,000 people diagnosed annually
with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), an insidious illness in which motor neurons in the spinal cord

Hope
By Lisa Marshall and brain self-destruct, leading to paralysis and death within two to five years. With only one
minimally effective drug on the market, a dearth of research funding and relatively little interest
among pharmaceutical companies in finding a cure, ALS historically has been considered a
death sentence. “There’s not much help out there, except helping you die,” says Jody Hubbard,

for
who lost her “soulmate,” Floyd Hubbard, to ALS just 10 months after he was diagnosed. “Hope is
not a word we heard much.”
But in the first-floor lab of DU’s Seeley Mudd Science Building, one professor, a dozen
students and 100 sick white mice are working hard to change that.
Armed with $2.4 million from the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs and a stack of proposals for more grants from various agencies, researcher Dan
Linseman has devoted the last three years to unraveling the mysteries of Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The bulk of his work aims to identify some of the intra-cellular mechanisms by which apoptosis—
or programmed cell death—occurs in ALS, in the hope that drug makers might someday use the
information to develop better treatments. (The only approved drug extends life roughly three
months.)

24 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 25

But well aware of the lack of time patients face, he’s also
looking at more accessible potential remedies, such as antioxidant
compounds in certain nutrients, that could provide relief even
sooner. Meanwhile, he’s also exploring the role that environmen-
tal factors, such as exposure to toxins or rigorous physical strain,
might play in fueling the disease.
“The more we can figure out about what is killing the motor
neurons, the more likely we will be able to mitigate this disease,”
says Linseman, an assistant professor of biological sciences at DU
and a senior researcher with DU’s Eleanor Roosevelt Institute. “I
would never say ‘cure.’ But if we could say to someone, ‘You have
ALS, but you’ve got six to 10 years ahead of you and the first five
won’t be so bad,’ that would be a big advance.”
A
fter eight years of working for the Upjohn
pharmaceutical company (which he left after being
assigned to investigate hair loss remedies), Linseman
returned to school at the University of Michigan to get a PhD
in neuropharmacology. He landed in Colorado in 2000 on a
postdoctoral fellowship with the VA Medical Center, where he
began researching apoptosis, specifically in Parkinson’s disease.
But in 2006, he shifted his focus to ALS.
“Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s have a lot of people working
on them and have tons of funding and a lot of approved therapies
that at least mitigate the symptoms,” says Linseman, a 44-year-old
father of two. Meanwhile, “ALS strikes people in their 50s, in the
prime of their lives, when they are most productive at work and
have their families, and it strips away all of their dignity. It has
one drug that doesn’t work very well, and there isn’t nearly as
much funding.”
In 2008, the National Institutes of Health allocated $43
million to ALS research, down slightly from 2006, when $44
million was granted. That’s compared to $152 million for
Parkinson’s and $169 million for multiple sclerosis, which has
similar rates of incidence (roughly 8,000 new cases annually).
Many family members lament that because ALS patients die
so quickly, there are fewer of them affected by the disease at
any given time (roughly 30,000) so researchers and drug
companies have little incentive to invest in treatments for
them. That means doctors can offer little solace when
delivering the grim news.
“We left the office that day stunned and in a fog, like, ‘Where
do we go from here?’ There aren’t any options,” says Jody
Hubbard of the day her husband got the news. “It’s frustrating.
There’s no money in it, so it doesn’t get much attention in the
research world unless someone takes it to heart.”
In the past decade researchers have pinpointed
mitochondrial oxidative stress as a key culprit in ALS (as
well as many other neurodegenerative diseases). In essence,
mitochondria inside the cell—in the process of making
energy—also produce potentially harmful byproducts called
free radicals that can eat away at cells, doing damage. In a
26 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010
healthy person, a built-in antioxidant called glutathione comes
to the rescue, mopping up those toxic free radicals before they
can wreak havoc. But in the ALS patient, it appears, there isn’t
enough glutathione to do the job.
Starting with this knowledge base, Linseman—in concert
with several undergraduate and graduate students—is working to
move the dial forward, trying to better understand the molecular
mechanisms of oxidative stress and the pathway between it and
motor neuron death.
In a groundbreaking paper in the October 2007 issue of the
Journal of Biological Chemistry, he and his colleagues pinpointed
a family of “good” proteins—called Bcl-2 proteins—as key
in helping usher glutathione into the mitochondria to quell
oxidative stress. His team has since identified another group of
“bad” proteins (a sort of wicked stepsister in the Bcl-2 family
called BH3 proteins) that seem to have the opposite effect,
inhibiting Bcl-2 function, keeping glutathione from doing its
work and thus fueling oxidative stress. During recent laboratory
tests in mice with ALS, Linseman and his students found that
astrocytes (helper cells that neighbor motor neurons) were
riddled with BH3, or “bad” proteins.
“Astrocytes are normally good neighbors to the neurons, but
in ALS they go haywire and secrete toxic substances,” Linseman
explains. He believes BH3 proteins could be to blame, essentially
turning good neighbors into murderers. “If that were true, and
we could figure out the pathways that lead to the increased
expression of these proteins in the astrocytes, we could create
Wayne Armstrong
inhibitors that could block that pathway.”
P
romising stuff, but Linseman concedes it could take years
before this idea leads to a new drug. So while he works
to understand how to get rid of the “bad guys” (the BH3
proteins), he also is exploring ways to reinforce the “good guys”
(glutathione and Bcl-2).
In March, he’ll begin feeding his ALS-afflicted laboratory
mice a dietary supplement derived from whey protein, a
precursor to glutathione, in hopes that it might slow the
progression of the disease. He’ll also be looking at a compound
called kuromanin (from black rice) and callistephin (from
strawberries). Both are powerful antioxidants that seem to
protect neurons from death, even when Bcl-2 is in short
supply. Linseman says he’s not ready to endorse any particular
dietary supplement, and he stresses that the Food and Drug
Administration doesn’t regulate them, as it does drugs. But he’s
hopeful.
“That piece is much more straightforward and has the
potential to come up with a therapeutic option more quickly,” he
says. “I think it will work.”
Aside from looking for new treatments, Linseman is keenly
interested in just what causes ALS. Between 5 and 10 percent of
ALS patients have some family history of the disease, and of those
about 20 percent (or 1 to 2 percent of all ALS cases) are blamed on
“I would never say ‘cure.’
But if we could say to
someone, ‘You have ALS,
but you’ve got six to 10
years ahead of you and
the first five won’t be so
bad,’ that would be a big
advance.”
a mutation of a specific gene called SOD1, or superoxide dismutase.
What about the other 98 percent of ALS sufferers?
Linseman believes environmental exposure may play a role. He
points to research showing that military veterans, dating back to the
Vietnam War, are far more likely to get ALS, and they tend to get
it at an earlier age. One study conducted at the University of Texas
Southwestern Medical Center found that more than three times as
many Gulf War veterans developed ALS as would be expected in the
general population. Another study, published in 2005 by Harvard
DU researcher Dan Linseman and PhD
student Heather Wilkins are investigating
the root causes of ALS.
researchers, found that men with any history of military service in
the last century are at a 60 percent greater risk than men who did
not serve.
“Could it be exposure to heavy metals, pesticides or insec-
ticides?” Linseman asks. There also is a hypothesis that sudden,
significant physical exertion (think basic training) could have an
impact on motor neurons, he says.
“Think about taking a guy like me, a couch potato, and throw-
ing him into a situation where he is physically going to the max all
the time. There is some evidence that could cause delayed damage
to motor neurons.”
Linseman currently is applying to the Department of Defense
for a grant to see if mice with the mutant SOD gene (which causes
ALS) deteriorate more quickly when exposed to certain toxins or
extreme physical exhaustion. The other big question: Could such
environmental factors cause ALS in a healthy mouse?
If so, that could lead to the development of an entirely new
model for studying ALS: Instead of using mice who have the dis-
ease due to a faulty gene when studying new drugs (a practice that
has proved unsuccessful time and again), researchers could study
new drugs in mice that got the disease from something else (like
the vast majority of people who have it).
“We only have one animal model for ALS, and that probably
influences the outcome of clinical trials,” says Heather Wilkins, 23,
a first-year PhD student who is working with Linseman on a paper
for the PBS program “Nova.” She notes that numerous drugs
that showed positive results in the mice with mutated SOD genes
showed no results in humans with the disease. In one case, it even
made the disease worse.
“We don’t have a model for the sporadic form of the disease.
That’s the problem,” Wilkins says.
Lucie Bruijn, chief scientist with the California-based ALS
Association, says that increased funding as a result of the recent
federal economic stimulus plan already has helped fuel a surge
in interest in ALS, with numerous new clinical drug trials and
research projects under way on multiple fronts across the country.
She credits Linseman and others like him for “contributing to a
better understanding of the disease and its treatments.”
“It is an extremely exciting time for ALS, with so many more
scientists who did not work in this area before now working on the
disease,” she says.
Linseman too is optimistic, but when asked how soon his
work may lead to changes for people suffering from the disease, he
is cautious: in his lifetime, for sure. In the next decade, probably.
He wishes it could be faster.
“I can only say to them, ‘Hang in there.’ We’re working on
it,” he says, looking at a computer screen full of e-mails from con-
cerned loved ones, including Hubbard and Virden.
How does that make them feel?
“Hopeful,” Hubbard says. “Finally hopeful.”
>>Watch a video about Dan Linseman and his ALS research at www.youtube.com/
uofdenver
University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 27
 Can immigration
be reformed?
A DU panel of experts thinks so. They’ve drafted an immigration road map for the nation.
By Chase Squires
To navigate new lands, travelers need a map.
To construct skyscrapers, builders need a blue-
print. And to craft effective national immigration
reform policy, a nonpartisan University of Denver
panel may be just what the country needs.
Led by Director Jim Griesemer, DU’s Strategic
Issues Program (SIP) each year sets out to see
whether 20 leaders from varied backgrounds can
examine an issue facing the state of Colorado or
the nation in depth and then develop solutions
through consensus. In 2009 the panel sought to
develop a pragmatic solution to the multitude of
issues entangled with immigration, both legal and
illegal.
The result is the panel’s report, Architecture
for Immigration Reform: Fitting the Pieces of
Public Policy.
“The question of immigration policy remains
one of our most intractable issues,” the report
states. “It has become a Gordian knot that even
bipartisan attempts of recent years have failed to
untie. It is a knot pulled ever tighter on one end by
immigration advocates and on the other by immi-
Cristian Peña Vázquez
gration opponents.”
28 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010
Released in December, the 49-page report lays out recommen-
dations for reform built around a central notion that any new poli-
cies should be “grounded in creating economic and social benefits
to the nation as a whole while maintaining national security.”
Griesemer says developing priorities and a central theme—
the betterment of the country—helped bring focus to an issue
that has been the topic of rancorous debate everywhere from
talk radio to Congress.
“It’s intended to look at the problem in a practical way,”
Griesemer says. “There is no silver bullet that is going to deal
with this problem because it’s so complicated. If you fix one
part and not the other, you’re just going to switch the problems
around.”
The SIP panel was composed of experts in business,
government and education, including beer magnate and former
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Pete Coors (MBA ’70) and
Polly Baca, a former Democratic state senator and a delegate to
the Democratic National Convention. Over a six-month span,
panelists heard from more than 30 speakers—leaders in health
care, venture capital, education, law enforcement, labor and
immigration policy, as well as Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter and
former Colorado governors Richard Lamm and Bill Owens.
“I applaud the University of Denver’s Strategic Issues
Program for its impressive work on the 2009 immigration
panel,” Ritter said after the report was released. “Once again,
DU has tackled one of the most challenging public policy
issues of our day and demonstrated the ability to assemble a
diverse group of stakeholders to develop recommendations in a
thoughtful and bipartisan manner.”
Among the panel’s recommendations are calls for tighter
borders, simplified visa categories, government English language
classes coupled with English language proficiency requirements
for permanent residency, and a mechanism for those here illegally
to register with the government and begin a process for legal
residency.
University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 29
 U.S. Representative Jared Polis, D-Colo., says he supports the
latter recommendation.
“I have long advocated that a pathway for undocumented
immigrants to seek earned legal status and citizenship is essential
to securing the safety of our nation’s borders and businesses,” he
says. “Colorado’s immigrants help boost our labor and consumer
markets, expand the workforce and drive our economy. Real, long-
lasting immigration reform must include a pathway to earned legal
status and citizenship for the millions of immigrants who have
made lives for themselves and their families in the United States.”
The panel also recommended a secure national ID card for
all employees, something Owens, a Republican, said he would
support.
“I’d like to see a verifiable national ID so that we can identify
who among us are citizens, who among us are here legally, and
Meanwhile, Post editorial writer Dan Haley called the
report an “effective blueprint for what bipartisan legislation
might look like.”
“Much of what the panel came up with makes sense,” Haley
wrote. “The border needs to be more secure. Immigrants need to
learn to speak English. And employers, who shouldn’t have to play
immigration cop, need a secure and reliable system to weed out
legal from illegal when hiring.”
Denver author Helen Thorpe is another who thinks the SIP
approach makes sense. Thorpe explored the immigration issue
in her 2009 book Just Like Us: The True Story of Four Mexican Girls
Coming of Age in America, which was named an Oprah Book Club
pick and one of The Washington Post’s top books of 2009.
Thorpe, wife of Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, based
the book on her personal relationships and experiences with four

almost by definition, those who aren’t here legally don’t have a
card,” Owens told the panel in April 2009. “It is possible to make
such a card that is verifiable and very difficult to counterfeit.”
The report was distributed to more than 6,000 policy makers,
business and political leaders and interested organizations, includ-
ing every member of Congress. And it was met with enthusiasm
in regional and national media. Denver Post columnist Tina Griego
wrote, “What this nonpartisan panel has done over many months is
give us a way to talk about how we talk about immigration reform.
It did so by introducing the rational to the irrational, by proposing
an overarching goal.”
Paul Jeffrey
young women originally from Mexico and living in Colorado. The
story follows the girls from high school through college. The girls
had varying degrees of legal status, from illegal immigrant to full
citizenship. Three of them attended and graduated from DU. With rumblings beginning on Capitol Hill late in 2009 that immi- process of benefiting the United States there is also the ability to
“I am often asked at book readings what my recommendations gration could be the next big Congressional issue after health care and provide opportunity to talented people from other countries who
would be for policy change,” Thorpe says. “It’s phenomenal to the economy, the report is well timed to become part of the debate. can contribute to a stronger, more vital American society.
have a resource like the DU report to point people toward—and “If there were a simple answer to the question of immigration, “Immigration policy need not be a win-lose game between
when they want to know what changes I would recommend, that’s the issue would have been resolved long ago,” the report concludes. the nation and prospective immigrants.”
where I send them. “An effective immigration policy is about applying enlightened self-
“I’m delighted to be able to steer people toward a document interest to capture a national opportunity. It is about creating benefit The entire report—as well as a list of panelists, speakers and videotaped recordings
that offers so much helpful advice about how to move forward.” to the United States in a highly competitive global economy. In the of presentations—is online at www.du.edu/issues.

Recommendations
•R
 ecognize global migration as an •E
 mployment-based visas should be
opportunity, not a reality to be ignored. issued after consulting with states and
employers.
• Immigration policy should deliver
economic, social and other benefits to •T
 he annual diversity lottery should be
the United States. eliminated, transferring those visas to the
convertible visa category.
• Immigration priorities should place U.S.
interests first. •T
 he U.S. should continue efforts to
strengthen its borders and fund border
Matt Nager/Redux
•E
 nglish language classes should be
offered, and English proficiency should
be required for permanent residency
status.
•T
 he government should create temporary
work visas for seasonal and short-term
employment.
•A
 fter establishing a secure national
•T
 he total number of employment-based
visas should be increased and then be
managed annually based on economic
conditions.
•T
 he government should create a visa
category for immigrants with superior
education, experience, skills or talents.
•C
 ongress should create a time-limited
provisional legal status program for those
already here illegally.
•F
 amily-based immigration should not
be numerically capped, but should

•G
 oals for immigration should be, in this
order: national security, social vitality,
economic advantage, family unification
and refugee relief.
•F
 ederal laws should define appropriate
roles for state and local government.
•C
 ongress should create a process that
shares implementation of immigration
policy with state and local governments
and prohibits unfunded federal
•R
 eforms should be comprehensive,
comprehensible, simple and transparent.
•T
 he visa system should be simplified to
just eight visa categories.
•C
 ongress should establish an
independent immigration management
protection agencies at effective levels. employment ID card and an electronic be managed through the number of
verification system for employers, a employment and refugee visas issued.
•E
 mployers should be recognized as provisional legal status should be created
allies and be provided tools necessary to for those already here illegally. •L
 imitations should be placed on
support immigration policies. immigration based on family ties,
•F
 ederal, state and local public benefits and for all purposes, “family members”
•A
 n electronic employee eligibility status for illegal immigrants should be limited should include only the spouse,
verification, such as E-Verify, should be to those services currently allowed by law unmarried minor children and parents.
and should not be expanded.
made permanent and its use required.
•A
 secure national ID card should be
required for employment.

Bill Shatto
mandates. commission.

30 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 31

In a
class by
themselves
University teaching and learning has come
a long way in the past few decades—just ask
psychology Professor Emeritus Bernie Spilka.
“When I arrived in 1957, classroom practices
were not only more traditional, but much more
formal,” he says. Male faculty wore jackets and
conservative shirts and ties in the classroom.
The dominant teaching method was lecture
with questions and comments. And expulsions
from a course were common for poor behavior
or improper dress.
But during the 1960s, things started to
change: New, more active faculty with new
ideas were introduced to the University.
“We became more motivated to try different
ideas and methods,” Spilka says. “Simple
lecturing was still present but markedly
32 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010
DU instructors get
creative with
out-of-the-ordinary
courses.
By Kathryn Mayer
Illustrations by Steve Schader
reduced. The ‘old guard’ was retiring and
dying off, and DU changed radically and much
for the better.”
And DU’s progress hasn’t slowed down
since.
Now, many courses are anything but
traditional. Think classes taught via satellite.
Think reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner
of Azkaban for homework, or comparing two
different kinds of sauvignon blanc during class.
All this while some students “dress up” for
class in sweatpants and flip-flops.
Oh, how times have changed.
We asked students and academic
departments around the University about
some of their coolest and most outside-the-box
courses. Here’s a sampling.
Why Do We Fall in Love?
Instructor: Professor Howard Markman, psychology
Lovin’ it with Dr. Love: Markman, commonly referred
to as “Dr. Love,” teaches this course in addition to running a
couples clinic in DU’s psychology department, writing best-
selling books about relationships and appearing on talk shows.
The gist: The class looks at the science of love—falling in
love, staying in love and repairing love—with the aid of state-
of-the-art research from experts.
Tough love, baby: Students come into the undergraduate
core class thinking it will be an easy “A,” but it’s anything
but—there’s a lot of work. It’s an advanced-level psychology
course, after all.
When students teach the teacher: Students have to
end the course with their own research and a presentation on
a subject of their choice. “Early on, students conducted a lot of
research on using the Internet to meet people before I became
acquainted with [the concept],” Markman says.
Best part: As part of a Valentine’s Day assignment,
students can interview their parents about aspects of their
relationship, including their favorite love song. Students can
make a CD of their own favorite song and their parents’, then
write an essay about the similarities between the two.
Wine Festival
Instructor: Eric Lane, director of operations, School of
Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management
The gist: Students have six to eight weeks to plan and
execute two world-class wine events. Students assume various
administrative, sales and marketing, and operational positions
for the remainder of the class. 
A newbie: Fall 2009 was the first time the undergraduate
course was offered. Because the class—and the festival—was
considered a smash success, it will be offered each fall going
forward.
A welcome difference: It’s all about “real-life” work.
Students don’t have to worry about lectures, tests or
writing papers. They are evaluated instead on their personal
contributions, their reflections and the collaborative “bible”
they produce detailing what went into the event.
Why it’s cool: Students get to eat great food, try fine wines
and then participate in really high-class events. They interact
with vendors, campus entities and guests during the course of
the events, Lane says.
The question students are asking: How are we
going to pull this off in such a short time?
University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 33
 Heavy Metal and the
Re-Enchantment of Modern Life
Instructor: Jarl Ahlkvist, lecturer in the arts, humanities
and social sciences
The gist: The undergraduate course uses heavy metal and
culture as a lens through which to examine ways in which
modern life is “disenchanted,” or devoid of mystery, and the
possibilities for “re-enchanting” our individual and collective
experiences, Ahlkvist says.
Welcome to the dark side: Heavy metal’s key themes
and iconography are concerned with the unknown, the deviant
and the taboo. “Heavy metal discusses openly, often in vivid
detail, things that mainstream culture prefers us not to: death,
mutilation, hypocrisy, environmental/nuclear devastation,
suicide, genocide, sexual/violent crime, obsession, abuse and
alienation,” Ahlkvist says.
What the homework looks like: Listening to a range
of heavy metal music, from Black Sabbath to Mastodon;
watching documentary, biographical and concert films;
analyzing album cover artwork and song lyrics; attending
a metal performance; and participating in the virtual
“headbanger” scene online.
If you like this: Try Ahlkvist’s other class, the History of
Progressive Rock.
34 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010
Sustainability and Human Society
Instructor: Lisa Dale, lecturer in the arts, humanities and
social sciences
The gist: It’s considered a “gateway” class designed to
introduce undergraduate students to all facets of sustainability.
It’s all part of DU’s new sustainability minor.
Part of a bigger picture: After completing the
course, students can select sustainability classes that
complement their majors. The last part of the minor is a
capstone, where students work in a group setting to complete
a project.
Join the club: DU is one of a growing number of
universities in the country to offer such a program based on
sustainability.
Get it while it’s hot: “I used to walk into my classes
and students didn’t know what sustainability was,” Dale says.
“Now, it’s the buzz. It’s in the papers, in the news, every day.”
In case you were curious: Sustainability is defined
as meeting the needs of the current generation without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs.
C-SPAN Distance Learning
Instructor: C-SPAN contributor Steve Scully
The gist: The undergraduate class—taught via broadband
stream—offers a chance to learn about the government, the
media and their relationship with each other not from a social
sciences professor or a textbook, but from people in the field.
Why it’s popular: This is the only distance-learning
course of its kind in the country. DU students also connect
with students from Pace University, George Mason University
and the University of the District of Columbia. “DU students
have a front row seat to history,” Scully says.
A chance at fame: Classes often are aired on CSPAN3.
Whom students interact with: Senators Bob Dole and
George McGovern, veteran journalist Helen Thomas, Fox News
correspondent James Rosen and former White House Chief of
Staff Thomas “Mack” McLarty have all been guests. And that’s
just a small sampling.
When politics are funny: Scully is known for lightening
the mood by ending classes with clips of Jon Stewart and
“Saturday Night Live” political skits.
An opportunity unmatched: “At one point a student
asked Newt Gingrich if he would ever consider running for
president,” says Erin Conroy (BA journalism ’06), who took
the class in 2005 and now works for the Associated Press in
New York City. “A journalism major at the time, I remember
recognizing this as a rare opportunity many accomplished
reporters would envy.”
Paranormal Phenomena
Instructor: Chip Reichardt, psychology professor
The gist: By studying ghosts, UFOs and
other fringe occurrences, students learn to
think about alternative explanations for
events.
Why it’s outside-the-box: “Not
many courses in college address paranormal
phenomena, even though people are really
interested in the topic. The reason is that faculty
don’t believe in paranormal phenomena, with good
reason,” Reichardt says. “We need to teach students
how to think, and I use the course for that
purpose.”
A meaningful experience: “The class
talked about the state of the human mind
and how easy it is to come up with false con-
clusions based on limited evidence and pre-
conceived beliefs. It was an elective core class,
but it changed the way I think,” says Jesus
Corral (BA international studies ’07).
What the homework looks like: Writing Dead Sea Scrolls
about angels, ghosts, near-death experiences, UFOs, life after Instructor: Alison Schofield, assistant professor of religious
death and ESP. studies
An expert in the field: Schofield belongs to a select
Introduction to Book Publishing group of scholars who study the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Instructor: Elizabeth Geiser, English lecturer Who’s taking it: Undergraduate and graduate students.
Motto: People still love books. The gist: Students study the Dead Sea Scrolls, a cache of
The gist: The course introduces students to every aspect more than 900 manuscripts dating from B.C. 250 to 68 A.D.
and function of book publishing. that were discovered in caves along the Dead Sea between
Why it’s outside-the-box: Students meet top execu- 1947–56. The scrolls offer a rare window into early Judaism and
tives in each phase of the publishing process. As a final “exam,” Christianity.
they interview a key executive to discuss and examine how a Why it’s popular: Nothing is as intriguing as a conspiracy
particular book from that company actually got published. theory—unless it’s multiple conspiracy theories. “It addressed
What the homework looks like: Creating ads for something that in today’s society has a lot of misconceptions
books; going to Denver’s famous independent bookstore, the and myth-like qualities about it,” says Victoria Jaramillo (BA
Tattered Cover, for book readings and signings; learning to journalism ’08).
proofread and edit; and attending a symposium featuring an Why it’s outside-the-box: In the digital imagery lab,
author and the editor who edited his or her book. students get to examine and manipulate high-resolution images
A world where editors are praised: At a past sym- of the scrolls to see what hidden secrets they can find. “There
posium, best-selling thriller author Stephen White told stu- are only a few schools on the planet with access to these digi-
dents that his editor actually mapped out a room he described tal resources on texts and artifacts that are still under current
in one of his books and told White that if he kept it the way he debate,” Schofield explains.
described, he’d have his character walk right into the wall. Best part: “It involves a lot of hands-on work, allowing stu-
Fun fact: The University of Denver hosts one of two grad- dents the opportunity to read and try to interpret the scrolls for
uate-level publishing institutes in the country. Geiser was the themselves,” Jaramillo says. “This was particularly interesting in
director of the exclusive Denver Publishing Institute for 33 comparison to classes where all the legwork is done for you.”
years. The question students are asking: Who wrote the
scrolls?
University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 35

Topics in Literature: Harry Potter
Instructor: Jenn Zukowski Boughn, University College
lecturer
Who’s taking it: It’s an arts and culture graduate course
offered sporadically through University College (intended for
Muggles).
The gist: Finding out everything you ever wanted to learn
about Harry Potter and understanding the cultural importance
of the work as a modern epic.
Why it’s popular: Students are reading the Harry Potter
series—and getting graduate credit for it. Isn’t that reason
enough?
Students may be surprised to learn: There were
many fantasy novels written about wizards’ schools before J.K.
Rowling’s series, and Rowling alludes to other literature in her
writing.
Young at heart: In addition to reading all seven Harry
Potter books, students must also read books such as Roald
Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The
Hobbit.
What the homework’s like: One assignment is to
complete a folklore scavenger hunt, finding the origins of
folklore (such as turning men into pigs, a grail quest, Merlin,
rats and centaurs) and locating their existence and relevance in
the Harry Potter series.
Popular Poetry: YouTube, Hip-Hop,
Bob Dylan and the Beats
Instructor: David Daniels, lecturer in the University
Writing Program
The gist: The first-year seminar focuses on 20th century
popular poetry and song lyrics.
Why it’s popular: Students can talk about something that
affects their everyday lives—such as hip-hop songs—in an
intellectual way, of course.
36 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010
38 Book bin
45 Pioneer pics
48 Death notices
49 Pop quiz
51 Announcements
Why it’s outside-the-box: The course tackles topics
that aren’t typically taught in academic settings, such as the
role of popular music in forming subcultural identities, or the
role of YouTube in expanding the realm of poetry, Daniels
explains.
Best part: “I was impressed by my students’ ability to
treat rather familiar topics, such as the Black Eyed Peas or Bob
Dylan, in such new, invigorating and intellectually stimulating
ways,” Daniels says.
Forensic Pathology
Instructor: Professor Phillip Danielson (PhD ’96), biological
sciences
The gist: The undergraduate class focuses specifically on
the investigation of sudden, unnatural, unexplained or violent
deaths. Students learn how to determine the cause of death,
the identity of the deceased, the nature and severity of injury,
and the timing of the injury relative to the time of death.
What students are learning: Decomposing bodies,
blood spatter, knife wounds, ligature marks, fingerprints, DNA
charts, skulls and bones are popular conversation topics.
Elementary, my dear Watson: “Long ago, it was
the author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who had a considerable
influence on popularizing the use of scientific crime-detection
DU Archives
methods through his fictional character Sherlock Holmes,”
Danielson says. “It was in the stories of Sherlock Holmes
that the public was introduced to the fields of serology,
fingerprinting and firearm identification long before the A group of five former Denver Tramway conductors pose aboard a car on the University Park line during the last
value of these techniques was recognized and accepted by the night of tramway service in 1950. From left to right: Dewey Flint, Alfred Nelson, John Gorsush, Philip Gilliam and
criminal justice system. More recently, TV shows like ‘CSI’ have Francis Van Derber. When the company extended its South Pearl Street line to reach the then-remote campus
continued this tradition and in the process have attracted a in the late 1890s, DU was nicknamed “Tramway Tech.” If you have Tramway Tech memories or photos you
mass audience to the field.”
would like to share, please let us know.
Grossology 101: A former student said she couldn’t eat
anything during the class. Perhaps it had something to do with
the real human skull that sat on Danielson’s desk.
University of Denver Magazine Connections 37
 The classes
1945
Margaret “Peggy” (Anderson) Ribbing
(BA ’45) of Denver started her teach-
ing career in Lakewood, Colo., where she
instructed up to 46 third-graders at a time.
In 1984 she retired from teaching after 28
years.
1949
San Francisco and a daughter in London.
Robert and Joan enjoy traveling and have
been to Europe, China and Southeast Asia.
Shirley Mott (BS ’50) of Aurora, Colo., was
honored with Kappa Delta’s Order of the
Pearl award in recognition of her contribu-
tions to the sorority. The award is one of the
top two honors conferred by the organiza-
tion, with fewer than a dozen individuals
selected each year.
Denver; Jimmie Lou (Howe) Richardson
(BA ’55) of Keswick, Va.; Carol (Unruh)
1959
Alan Cook (BSBA ’59) of Morro Bay,
Harguth (MA ’80) of Denver; and Richard
Olson (BA ’64) of Centennial, Colo., while
Calif., renewed his contract as show direc-
tor for three major arts and crafts shows on
on an ASD Cultural Exchange trip to Italy. California’s central coast.
The mission of the exchange program is to
promote cultural understanding through
sports. 1961
Margaret Jackson
(BFA ’61) of Sedona,
1957 Ariz., published Patterns
Frank
and Pathways (Book-

1975 Kynewisbok
Swancara Jr. Surge Publishing, 2009),
Spiro Fotopulos (BSBA ’49, JD ’54) of
Aurora, Colo., is mourning the loss of his
1955 (BA ’57) of which features more
Cedaredge, than 40 years of nature

Class notes challenge

wife, Harriet, who died on May 20, 2009.
1950
Robert Lewers (LLB ’50) of Wayne, Pa.,
retired in 1989 as vice president and general
counsel of Sun Refining and Marketing Co.
He and his wife, Joan, have four children
who live in the Philadelphia area, a son in
Alvie Willis (BSBA ’55, MA ’70), center,
of Denver met fellow DU alumni Joanne
(Howard) Kouris-Bell (MSW ’54) of
Colo., photographs. Margaret
climbed worked as a graphic artist at De Anza Col-
Leon Peak on
Colorado’s
lege in Cupertino, Calif., for 26 years.
Class of 1975: A lot can happen in 35 years, and we want to catch up with as many of
Grand Mesa. Frank, who retired from the
U.S. Forest Service, enjoys hiking and ski- 1963 you as we can. Your classmates want to hear from you, too!
What have you been up to? Share career and family news, discuss your travels and
ing, which he credits with keeping him Marlow Ediger
young. (EdD ’63) of North hobbies, or reminisce about your time at DU.
Newton, Kan., You can post your note online at www.du.edu/alumni, e-mail du-magazine@du.edu, or
was reappointed as
mail in the form on page 45. Class of ’75 notes will appear in the fall issue. We’ll randomly
external examiner of
select a prizewinner from all entries received by June 1.

Book bin
PhD theses for Ala-
gappa University in
Karaikudi, India. He

William Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County—the Southern setting for classic novels such as Absalom,
recently published articles in College Student
Journal, American Technical Education Associa-
Absalom!, As I Lay Dying and The Sound and the Fury—is a fictional place, but as fictional places go it’s one of litera- tion Journal, Edutracks, Reading Improvement,
ture’s most enduring locales. MSTA Journal, Connecticut Journal of Science
Education and Education.
Faulkner based Yoknapatawpha on the northeast corner of Mississippi where he lived and worked, and while
the land around Lafayette County (as it’s known in the real world) has changed significantly since Faulkner wrote
about it in the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s, photographer George Stewart (MA librarianship ’67) was able to uncover 1964
some of the area’s hidden treasures for Yoknapatawpha, Images and Voices: A Photographic Study of Faulkner’s Richard Fields (JD ’64) is a semi-retired
County (University of South Carolina Press, 2009). senior partner for Moffatt Thomas Barrett
The book combines 84 black-and-white photographs of Lafayette County and nearby areas with passages Rock & Fields in Boise, Idaho. He also is
a past president of the Idaho State Bar and
from Faulkner’s writing.
the initial chairman of the advisory council
“Attempting to find tangible clues to [Faulkner’s] county can be exciting but also daunting, sometimes tentative and even misleading,” Stewart for the new Concordia University School
writes in his acknowledgements. “I hope, however, that my photographic study is not only about Faulkner’s private Mississippi but also a Faulknerian of Law.
interpretation.”
Stewart’s footnoted commentary on the photos delves into the history of Lafayette County and the relationships between Yoknapatawpha and Badi Foster (BA ’64) of Alexandria, Va.,
was appointed president and CEO of
the real world.
Phelps-Stokes Fund, a foundation that
Beneath a stark image of a cell door in an old Mississippi jail, for instance, is an excerpt from Faulkner’s Sanctuary about a prisoner singing to him- serves the educational needs of African-
self after the sun has set; below that Stewart writes that Faulkner “believed that a jail was ‘the true record’ of a county’s human history. He felt that Americans, Native Americans and the rural
the old Oxford (Jefferson) jail, built in 1871, had been carefully and tastefully constructed.” and urban poor. He previously held several
Yoknapatawpha captures an all-but-vanished American South, from stately antebellum homes to ornate graveyards full of crumbling stones, positions at Harvard University, including
ancient-looking stands of forest to humble church interiors. Stewart, a retired academic librarian who now lives in Georgia, took the photos between chairman of the Hispanic Study Group,
assistant director of the Kennedy Institute
1989 and 1999.
of Politics and visiting professor of Afri-
In his foreword, Robert Hamblin, director of the Center for Faulkner Studies in Cape Girardeau, Mo., writes that he finds Stewart’s book supe- can-American studies. Badi received his
rior to previous volumes that attempted to capture Faulkner’s world in photos. master’s and doctorate degrees in political
“Stewart’s work strikes me as more balanced, more comprehensive, and more consistent with Faulkner’s artistic design and purpose,” he writes. science from Princeton University. He and
“… [T]he black and white photography seems perfectly suited to Faulkner’s somber, tragic vision.” his wife, Juanita, have two sons, Nabil and
—Greg Glasgow
Qasim.
1965
Ronald Cohen (BA ’65, JD ’68) of Den-
ver remains in the private practice of law in
Adams County, Colo., and is now in his 27th
year as judge of the Northglenn Municipal
Court. He enjoys collecting coins and Colt
and Winchester guns, restoring a 1965 Buick
Riviera, and traveling with his wife, Eloise.
1967
Harry MacLean (JD ’67) of Denver published
The Past is Never Dead: The Trial of James Ford
Seale and Mississippi’s Struggle for Redemption
(Basic Civitas Books, 2009). The book weaves
together the trial of ex-Klansman Seale for the
murder of two young black men in 1964 and
Mississippi’s efforts to overcome its past.
1971
Gene Tang (BSBA ’71, MBA ’75) owns 1515
Restaurant in Denver. For the ninth year in a
row, 1515’s wine list received Wine Spectator’s
“Award of Excellence.” In August 2009, Gene
traveled with a select group of sommeliers
from the United States to the Russian River
Pinot Forum. While there, he had the oppor-
tunity to work firsthand with some of the
nation’s top winemakers and growers.
1972
Floyd Esquibel (MA ’72, JD ’75) of Cheyenne,
Wyo., is a democratic member of the Wyo-
ming State Senate. He previously served in the
Wyoming State House of Representatives for
11 years. Floyd has three children and three
grandchildren.
Ralph Turano (JD ’72) is an attorney at the
Colorado State Patrol Academy, where he
teaches a variety of legal courses to recruits, field
troopers and civilian staff and provides legal
consultation to the chief, command staff and
field supervisors. He also provides legal training
and advisory services for the Colorado Bureau
of Investigation. Ralph and his wife, Vicki, have
been married for 38 years and live in Westmin-
ster, Colo. Their son, Brad, teaches Spanish at
Horizon High School in Thornton, Colo.
1973
Richard Dehncke (JD ’73) of Greenwood Vil-
lage, Colo., practices personal injury and wrong-
ful death cases, teaches classes at the National
Institute of Trial Advocacy and was recognized
as a Colorado Super Lawyer. He and his wife,
Kim, have two daughters in college. Last sum-
mer Richard completed a 10-day Outward
Bound sea-kayaking trip in the Puget Sound in
response to a challenge from his daughters.

38 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 University of Denver Magazine Connections 39

 W. “James” Foland (JD ’73) practices
civil trial and workers’ compensation law
at Foland, Wickens, Eisfelder, Roper &
Hofer in Kansas City, Mo. His son, Michael
Foland (BSBA ’08, MS ’08), graduated from
the officer candidate program at Fort Ben-
federal courts and handling complex com-
mercial litigation in trial courts and arbitration
forums in Colorado and other jurisdictions.
1974
consulting firm. He also is a trustee of the
Suburban Hospital Foundation, where he
serves as chair of the finance committee.
1977
management and informatics for develop-
ing enterprises. He also has been appointed
vice chair of the Daniels College of Business
alumni advisory board.
Rescuer Steve Shaffer
Theodore Merriam (JD ’78, LLM ’82) prac-
Earth.
Steve Shaffer has found his heaven on

ning, Ga., and will receive advanced training Steve Marsh (BA ’74) co-authored the book Marla Ottenstein (BA tices tax defense law in Denver with the Mer-
His personal piece of paradise is
in military intelligence at Fort Huachuca, Don’t Die Broke (Agate B2, 2009), with David ’77) of Naples, Fla., riam Law Firm. He and his wife of 27 years,
Reindel and Fran Tarkenton. Steve resides in launched Professional Donna, live in Golden, Colo. The couple has WOLF—a rescue organization and sanctuary
Ariz.
Centennial, Colo. Organizer Florida, a full- two daughters, both of whom are in college. near Fort Collins, Colo., that is home to 30
Wilford Hahn (JD ’73) of Huntington, Ind., range organizing service. captive-bred wolves and wolf dogs.
is a senior partner at Matheny Hahn Den- As a member of the Dennis Wolf (MBA ’78) of Monte Sereno, WOLF’s 180 acres of pine and aspen
man & Nix, where he focuses on estate plan- 1976 National Association of Calif., joined the board of directors for forest are a sanctuary for Shaffer, too. For
ning, commercial litigation, personal injury, Jay Emler (JD ’76) of Lindsborg, Kan., Professional Organizers, BigBand Networks. Dennis serves on the the past decade, Shaffer (BSBA accounting
Social Security, disability and workers’ com- received an MA in security studies, home- she also offers compre- boards of directors for Codexis and Quan- ’72) has been volunteering at the facility—
pensation. In November 2009, Wilford was land security and defense at the Naval hensive home-sales preparation in addition to tum Communication and has served in feeding animals, cleaning and maintaining
recognized by the outgoing president of the Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., in home and office decluttering services. financial management roles at Apple and Sun their enclosures, working to rehabilitate
Indiana State Bar Association with a presi- September 2008. Microsystems.
them, conducting educational outreach
dential citation for his contributions to the
profession of law. David Wexler (BS ’76) of Gaithersburg, 1978 and chairing the nonprofit’s finance and
Md., was elected president of the Washing- John Hale (MBA ’78) of Hagerstown, Md., 1980 accounting committee.
“Steve goes way beyond the average
Harlan Pelz (JD ’73) of Denver is the direc- ton, D.C., Estate Planning Council in June is the principal and founder of MINDWEST David Simmons (BA ’80, JD ’85) of Denver

tor at Fairfield and Woods PC. He has devoted
more than 30 years to litigating in state and
2009. David is a principal at Greenberg,
Wexler & Eig LLC, an insurance and benefits
Strategies, a Washington, D.C., based con-
sulting firm providing communications,
Wayne Armstrong
manages a bilingual immigration law office.
He is an adjunct professor at the Sturm Col-
lege of Law, where he teaches immigration
law in Spanish, and he was named a Colorado
Super Lawyer in 2008 and 2009. David and
volunteer,” says sanctuary founder Frank
Wendland.
Shaffer, a semi-retired CPA and
entrepreneur, even relocated from Littleton,
Colo., to be closer to the sanctuary, where he now volunteers at least three days each week.

Social director Jon Williams

his wife, Neri, have two children, Chester and Working with wolves is emotionally satisfying, Shaffer says, and it lowers his blood pressure
Laura. and blood sugar, too (he has Type II diabetes).
“I don’t even miss DU hockey since I’ve been up here,” Shaffer says, walking slowly toward
Jon Williams (BA psychology ’76) is bringing civility back. 1981 a forested enclosure. He’s greeted by excited yips from Merlin and Luna; a wolf dog named
Arkte peers warily from a brush-shrouded perch high on the hill.
Sixty years ago, Williams’ parents—a pair of professional dancers who had worked with Arthur Joan Rosenthal (BSBA ’81) owns Marigold
Murray and Fred Astaire—founded Jon D. Williams Cotillions, which provided dance instruction and Catering in Cleveland. She earned an MBA “It makes my day when they come up to the fence,” Shaffer says, noting that when they
social-etiquette training to children in the Colorado Springs area. Williams took over the company in the from Cleveland State University. arrive at WOLF, many animals are sick, malnourished and wary of humans. Arkte’s story is
early 1980s and expanded it from six to 50 programs nationwide, including a spring cotillion at DU’s Cable typical, he says: She spent six years confined to a travel kennel because her owner couldn’t
manage her dominant personality.
Center. The Denver-based company now teaches more than 10,000 people a year.
In addition to the cotillion dances for kids in elementary and middle school, JDW Social Education
1982 “They can challenge authority; that’s a big reason people can’t keep them as pets,” Shaffer
Annie (Rosset) says. “They trained me pretty quickly, though.”
Programs also offers social training for high school students, colleges and businesses. Participants learn
Huston (BA ’82) of The Humane Society of the United States considers wolf dogs to be wild animals and
everything from table manners and interview techniques to communication skills and customer relations. Denver co-founded
“The demand is huge,” Williams says. “More businesses are recognizing the role that social skills play advocates for an international ban on their private possession, breeding and sale. Although they
Columbine Design, make notoriously difficult house pets and are illegal in some states, wolf dog puppies are still
Courtesy of Jon Williams

in regard to their employees and how to deal with their clients. More colleges are adding it to their core Landscape Architects
curriculums. It’s added value for young people going out in business. Parents are recognizing it. When you
and Contractors, located
see all the problems we’re dealing with today, whether it’s from the politicians or it’s from our celebrities or in Englewood, Colo.
just general bad behavior, we’re losing our sense of civility.”
Boys come in jackets and ties, girls in dresses and gloves—more because of clammy hands than any H. Gordon Roberts (MSJA ’82) of Catasauqua,
sense of fashion, Williams explains—getting a dose of etiquette while they learn to dance. Pa., passed the 20-year milestone in his position
“We’ll have them do the jitterbug, and in between the jitterbug we’re talking to them about a character scenario—what would you do in as the limited jurisdiction court administrator
for the Lehigh County Courthouse in Allen-
this situation?” Williams says. “And then we’re going to do some salsa. So they’re still thinking that over and they’re having fun, but they’re not
town, Pa. Recently, Gordon traveled to Russia
in a lecture situation. They’re learning things subliminally in the process of having fun.”
with his wife, Valerie, and their three sons. The
Williams says he hears from former students about how the cotillion prepared them for the big events to follow: dating, college and job trip re-created a similar one 33 years earlier
interviews, business meetings.
during which he and Valerie met.
“Social skills are not about how you hold a cup of tea with your pinky stuck out or how to use a fingerbowl; it’s about substance and
character,” he says. “You’re seeing what’s happening on the corporate levels today—quite often character and ethics are missing. Social skills are
the tools that bring out the best in us if we’re good at them.” 1984
>>www.cotillion.com Barbara Meikle (BFA ’84) of Tesuque, N.M.,
— Greg Glasgow owns an art gallery with fellow artist Aleta
Pippin and produces oil paintings in a style
she describes as “expressive impressionism.”
widely available. But many are abused and neglected, winding up chained in backyards or penned
in garages, Shaffer says, noting that thousands of wolf dogs are killed in the U.S. every year.
WOLF has helped rescue more than 7,500 animals since its founding in 1995. “It’s a
place for these animals to go where they won’t be euthanized due to the ignorance of people,”
Shaffer says.
Shaffer shares WOLF’s mission of education as a measure of prevention. “You may
think it’s cool to have a wolf dog as a pet, but you’re not doing the animals any favors,” he
admonishes. “You don’t know what you’re in for.”
He learned firsthand. Shaffer says he became “hooked” on wolves years ago after
“inheriting” Cheyenne, a wolf dog, from his ex.
Cheyenne’s ashes are scattered at WOLF, and Shaffer says that eventually, his will be, too.
“I have a great admiration, love and respect for [wolves],” Shaffer says. “If I could spend all
of my time up here, I would.”
>>www.wolfsanctuary.net
>>See a video of Steve Shaffer and WOLF at www.youtube.com/uofdenver
—Chelsey Baker-Hauck

40 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 University of Denver Magazine Connections 41

 pump up your
pioneer Founders Day Awards 1985
Margaret “Peggy” O’Neill-Jones (MSS ’85)
of Golden, Colo., teaches technical communica- Frequent Flyer Lisa Hogan
spirit this

Wayne Armstrong
The University of Denver will tion and media production at Metropolitan State
celebrate the accomplishments of its College of Denver. She also serves as the Western It’s probably safe to say there are few people who are equally comfortable trying a

spring! community members with the 2010 regional director for the Library of Congress’
case in a courtroom and flying through the air, waiting for someone to catch them by
Teaching With Primary Sources Program.
Founders Day Awards, which will be their ankles.
handed out at a gala reception March 4 But flying through the air as a member of the Westminster-based Imperial Flyers
at the Seawell Grand Ballroom in the 1986 trapeze and circus arts club is nothing new for University of Denver Sturm College of
Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Kathleen Negri (JD ’86) of Denver was selected Law alumna Lisa Hogan (JD ’84).
Mike St. John (BSBA ’81) will as a health and aging policy fellow. The program, She also juggles, holds a

Jeff Haessler
receive the Randolph P. McDonough which will require her to live in Washington,
radio disc jockey license and
D.C., for one year, aims to provide professionals
Award for Service to Alumni. The dabbles in fire-eating.
with the experience and skills necessary to affect
award is named for Randolph policy and ultimately improve the health of older Hogan’s path to the
McDonough, DU alumni director from adults. Kathleen has worked as an elder law attor- trapeze began years ago. After
1934–63; it was first presented in 1986. ney in private practice since 1994. earning a degree in political
St. John’s many DU volunteer activities science at the University of
have included serving as an alumni men- General George Casey Debra Wilcox (JD ’86) of Littleton, Colo., is vice
president and project manager for Bye Energy Oregon, she mulled two career
tor, conducting Ammi Hyde interviews paths. One would send her to
Inc., which pursues clean energy projects for gen-
of prospective students and serving on the Alumni Association Board, the Alumni Admission
eral aviation, including bio-derived aviation fuels Barnum & Bailey Circus School,
Council and the Daniels Executive Advisory Board. and an electric propulsion system for small air- the other to law school.
The Distinguished Service to the University Award will be presented to Tyrone “Ty” craft. She was selected to join forces with 33 busi- Hogan was so serious
Mills, associate director of campus safety. Since coming to DU in 1972 following his discharge ness and community leaders across Colorado in
about performing in the circus,
from the U.S. Army, Mills has dedicated himself to making campus safer. He oversaw installa- the 2009 National Renewable Energy Laboratory
energy executive leadership program. she delayed her entrance
tion of the “blue light” emergency telephones at DU and created the annual “Safe Walk” around
into Sturm to await word
campus and the “Safe Ride” shuttle that provides transportation for people on campus after
from Barnum & Bailey, which
hours. Mills also oversees campus safety training and the Rape Aggression and Defense Class for
students, faculty and staff.
1988 eventually turned her down.
Duncan DeVille (JD ’88) has been appointed
Hogan spent a year in the
Meyer Saltzman (BS ’58) is the recipient of the Community Service Award, first presented adjunct professor of law at Georgetown Univer-
sity. Duncan continues to lead the anti-money mountains working as a disc
in 1973. Founder of the accounting firm Saltzman Hamma Nelson Massaro LLP, Saltzman has
Bookstore

jockey and then started law

www.dubookstore.com

chaired the boards of directors of National Jewish Health and the Caring for Colorado Foundation. laundering/anti-terrorist financing program at
Booz Allen Hamilton in Washington, D.C. school.
Shop for your new He serves on the boards of the Denver Zoological Foundation, where he is vice-chair of finance,
It turned out to be the
spring clothing at and the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. Saltzman also is a member of Colorado Concern, a political
www.dubookstore.com
or call 800-289-3848.
action committee for improving the economy, education and quality of life in Colorado. 1989 right choice. In October, Hogan,
University oF Denver

51, was honored through the DU Law Stars program for alumni professionalism.
The Ammi Hyde Award for Recent Graduate Achievement will go to Nora Heitmann Janet Martin (MBA ’89) is president of Boulder,
Colo., based design firm Communication Arts. “I guess I’ve always been up for anything,” Hogan says between practice swings
(BA ’00). Recipients of this award, first presented in 1993, must have earned a DU
regular store undergraduate degree in the previous 10 years and demonstrated professional achievement. She has served as chair of the Boulder Chamber of from a platform 23 feet above a field in the Denver suburbs.
Hours Commerce board and the Design Futures Council After DU, Hogan began her legal career with the Denver district attorney’s
Heitmann, a new accounts manager for Denver-based Forward Logistics Group, is consistently
Monday–thursday: board of advisers. In 2005, Janet was inducted into office before taking a job with the law firm of Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber and Schreck.
the company’s top-ranked salesperson—a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that she the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame.
8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. After 17 years with the firm, she took a job as vice president of litigation for Level 3
has been working just two days a week after coming back from maternity leave in winter 2008.
Friday: Communications. After helping the firm through a period of tremendous growth, she
Heitmann also has served on DU’s Alumni Council, Founders Day Selection Committee, Alumni
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
saturday:
Advisory Board and Mile High Alumni Chapter. 1990 returned to private practice with Brownstein, seeking a broader range of challenges and
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Former Ambassador Cindy Courville (MA ’80, PhD ’88) will receive the Professional J.J. Fraser (JD ’90) of Golden, Colo., has spent more time in the courtroom.
Achievement Award, first given in 1973. Courville served as the first U.S. ambassador to the 18 years of practice with insurance defense firms, It was during her time with the district attorney’s office that friends lured her
sunday: closed
with 10 years on the defense side and eight years into a loose-knit band of trapeze enthusiasts organized through the downtown YMCA.
African Union from 2006–08. Prior to her appointment, Courville was a special assistant to
on the claimants’ side.
President Bush and senior director for African affairs at the National Security Council. She says it was love at first swing, even when she suffered painful muscle tears on her
The Evans Award—the University’s highest alumni honor—will be presented to General Lynne Sholler (JD ’90) practices employment law second day with the squad. There was no turning back, she says.
George Casey Jr. (MA ’80), who was sworn in as the 36th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army on in Durango, Colo. She enjoys skiing, hiking and “It seems like I have always been leaping off of something, hoping to make a catch
April 10, 2007. He previously served as commander of the Multi-National Force in Iraq, over- whitewater rafting and is working on a legal fic- or not die trying, keeping lots of complex objects up in the air, stumbling and trying to
seeing a coalition of more than 30 countries. First awarded in 1951, the Evans Award, named tion novel. make it look like it was on purpose, getting wrapped up and twisted around and upside
for University Founder John Evans, recognizes alumni who have demonstrated professional down,” she says, “and trying not to let them see me sweat.”
achievement, humanitarian service to the community and continuing interest in the University. —Chase Squires
— University Communications Staff

42 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 University of Denver Magazine Connections 43

BS-004_SpringAd.indd 1 11/20/09 11:28:49 AM
 Quotable notes
1991
Jeffrey Hedberg (MIM ’91) is the chief
executive officer for Multi-Links Telecom-
munications’ subsidiary in Nigeria. Jeffrey
previously held the same position with Cell
Thank you to everyone who responded to the fall issue’s question of the hour: Who was your
C South Africa.
favorite professor and why?
“Professor Arnold Withers, anthropology department. He was my major professor and adviser. 1992
Keir (Maloney)
He went out of his way to create opportunities for his students beyond the classroom.”
Frank Swancara Jr. (BA ’57) Wark (BA ’92)
and her husband,
Cedaredge, Colo.
Matt, welcomed their
son Colby on April
“Jimmy Johnston. A regular guy and wonderful teacher.”
16, 2009. The family
Alan Cook (BSBA ’59) resides in Chester, Vt.
Morro Bay, Calif.
“Peter Adler was without question my favorite professor. He made learning and sitting in a 1994
classroom interesting and fun. He was able to communicate to a classroom of young people in Tod Gilbertson (MSLA ’94) was named
executive director of McKinley Irvin, a large
a way that a lot of other professors could not.”
firm in the Northwest focusing exclusively
Keir (Maloney) Wark (BA ’92) on family law. Tod lives in Sumner, Wash.,
Chester, Vt. with his wife and four children.
“Dr. Toni Linder—her support and encouragement.” Marianne Goodland (MS ’94) of Engle-
Ann Petersen-Smith (PhD ’07) wood, Colo., married Jeffrey Scott on
Aurora, Colo. Sept. 19, 2009. A week prior, she won the
Longs Peak Scottish-Irish Festival harp
competition in Estes Park, Colo.
1996
Richard Levin (JD ’96) of West New York,
N.J., joined SecondMarket as general coun-
Pioneer pics
sel, chief compliance officer and secretary to James Candelaria
the board of directors. Richard previously (JD ’97) poses in front
worked with BIDS Trading L.P., an alterna- of Victoria Falls in
tive trading system owned by 12 leading
Livingstone, Zambia, in
investment banks.
October 2009. James
is the U.S. Department
1997 of Justice’s resident
Janalee (Card) Chmel (MLS ’97) of Den- legal adviser to the
ver had her company MA! (Motherhood country of Zambia. He
With Attitude) profiled in the October 2009
is there to implement
issue of Redbook magazine. MA! offers gift
items and support for moms. Janalee lives in the Women’s Justice and
Denver. Empowerment Initiative,
an agreement between
Patrick Linden (BSBA ’97, MSF ’01, JD the United States and Zambia to provide technical assistance to Zambian prosecutors and judges
’01) of Denver joined Sherman & Howard as
on the prosecution and adjudication of gender-based violent crimes. James is holding the DU
a member in business practice. He represents
volleyball shirt his daughter, Deryn, received at DU’s summer volleyball camp.
sports organizations in their sponsorships,
television, financing and naming rights trans- As you pioneer lands far and wide, be sure to pack your DU gear and strike a pose in front
actions. Patrick also is a licensed player agent of a national monument, the fourth wonder of the world or your hometown hot spot. If we print
with the National Football League Players your submission, you’ll receive some new DU paraphernalia courtesy of the DU Bookstore.
Association. Send your print or high-resolution digital image and a description of the location to: Pioneer
Pics, University of Denver Magazine, 2199 S. University Blvd., Denver, CO 80208-4816, or e-mail
du-magazine@du.edu. Be sure to include your full name, address, degree(s) and year(s) of
graduation.

Pin pals
Like the more than 1,000 students who graduated from DU with her in June 2009, Caitlin Shea (BSBA
Contact us
’09) walked away from the Commencement ceremony with a souvenir: a tiny crimson and gold alumni pin. The Tell us about your Name (include maiden name)
new grads were instructed to carry the pin with them to give to a fellow alumnus, were they ever to run into career and personal DU degree(s) and graduation year(s)
one. accomplishments, awards,
Courtesy of Caitlin Shea

Address
“They said if you ever meet an alumni you give them this pin and it’s really a way of keeping our tradition births, life events or
alive,” Shea says. City
whatever else is keeping
She didn’t know how good her chances were of ever running into a DU alum, but she liked the sense of you busy. Do you support State ZIP code Country
connection the pin represented. Two days after graduation, however, she met Doug Michel (BA ’51) and his
a cause? Do you have Phone Fax
wife, San, in the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Shea and her family were traveling to Canada to embark on an Alaskan graduation cruise,
any hobbies? Did you just E-mail
while the Michels were returning to their home on Maui.
“They started talking to my family, and my graduation from DU came up,” Shea says. “The look on Doug’s face was priceless. He laughed and return from a vacation? Let
Employer Occupation
said, ‘Well, the funny thing about that is that I am a DU alum too!’” us know! Don’t forget to
send a photo. (Include a What have you been up to? (Use a separate sheet if necessary.)
Doug Michel told Shea of his service in World War II and how he came to DU on the GI Bill. Michel also served as president of the DU
Alumni Association from 1976–77. self-addressed, postage-paid
“Caitlin and I compared our experiences at DU and the many changes in the campus and faculty since 1951,” Michel says. “It was then that envelope if you would like
she presented me with ‘the pin.’ I accepted it with thanks and told her I was very touched by the gesture.” your photo returned.)
Shea has kept in touch with the couple, even giving San Michel a coin to throw in the Trevi Fountain in Rome on the Michels’ recent trip Question of the hour: What was your favorite on- or off-campus eatery and why?
to Italy.
“We all value our education at DU so much and most of us had a wonderful experience there, and I love the fact that someone who is
Post your class note online at www.alumni.du.edu, e-mail du-magazine@du.edu or mail your note to: Class Notes,
probably triple my age can still tell me amazing stories about going to college there and enjoying DU,” Shea says. University of Denver Magazine, 2199 S. University Blvd., Denver, CO 80208-4816.
“We all have that common bond. It doesn’t really matter what age you are; it doesn’t really matter what major you were—it’s just neat that
the school in some way touched all our lives.”
—Greg Glasgow

44 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 University of Denver Magazine Connections 45

 1998
David Abdulai (PhD ’98) is the CEO of
the UNISA Graduate School of Business
in Midrand, South Africa. David previously
was dean of the faculty of business and law
at Multimedia University in Kuala Lum-
pur, Malaysia. He has worked as a senior
information officer at Bank for International
Settlements in Switzerland and as a research
consultant for the World Bank.
1999
Michael McTaggart (JD ’99) and his wife,
Ashley, welcomed their first child, Charlotte.
Michael and his family live in Houston.
Chad Rogers (BSBA ’99) of Malibu,
Calif., appeared for a third season on the
Bravo cable channel show “Million Dollar
Listing.” The show profiles three real estate
agents in the Hollywood area.
2001
Buckley (Sizemore) Fricker (JD ’01) of
McLean, Va., owns Buckley’s for Seniors
LLC, which provides non-medical personal
services to senior citizens in the Washington,
D.C., area. In fall 2009, she started teaching
a course about legal, financial and health care
considerations for retirement and the elderly
as an adjunct professor at the local commu-
nity college. Buckley has three children.
Khalid Rosa (BS ’01, MAS ’08) of Denver
received graduate certificates in information
systems security and database administration
from University College. He also is pursuing
a master’s in finance and accounting from
Regis University. In October, Khalid was
promoted from a systems engineer associate
to a data warehouse specialist at TeleTech in
Englewood, Colo.
Sarah (Harms) Sheyno (MRLS ’01) resides
in Whitehall, Pa., where she works as an
environmental, construction and real estate
consultant for Lender Consulting Services
Inc.
Jesse Witt (JD ’01) of Arvada, Colo., relocated
his law firm, the Witt Law Firm, to the Den-
ver Chamber Building. His firm focuses on
Reunion recaps
construction law, appellate practice and general Last April, five alumni from the Class of
litigation. 2001 gathered in the Denver area for a
reunion one year in the making. From left:
2002 Natasha Goskirk (BA ’01) of Oakland,
Calif.; Marcela Priuli (BSBA ’01) of
Sunny Heydorn (JD ’02) and Jayme (Ship)
Ritchie (JD ’04, LLM ’04) created WeeCycle, Denver; Graça Berneck (BSBA ’01) of
a Denver-based nonprofit whose mission is to Brazil; Tanya Williams (BSBA ’01) of
help low-income families with infants and tod-
dlers by providing them with new and gently
Lafayette, Colo.; and Trevor Stiaszny
(BSBA ’01) of Leawood, Kan.
used baby gear free of charge. Since its incep-
tion in late 2008, the organization has donated
more than 600 baby items. Sunny and Jayme
reside in Denver.
In August, six graduates of the Graduate
William Valaika (MS ’02) of Woody Creek, School of Social Work and their wives
Colo., started Habitat Healers, a nonprofit that gathered in Breckenridge to celebrate

Diva Alysia Kline

aims to clean up beaches around the world
while saving sea turtles and introducing recy-
cling. The organization has teamed up with
Global Vision International, and several DU
Alysia Kline (MS finance ’04, MBA ’04) knows what it’s like to be a
43 years of friendship and a combined
264 years of marriage. From left:
Ross Becker (MSW ’68, PhD ’76) of
Visalia, Calif.; Don Reed (MSW ’68) of

Wayne Armstrong
students have joined the cause.
woman in a man’s world. And she’s a competitor—in sports and business— Boulder, Colo.; Larry Willkom (MSW
as co-owner of the women’s outdoor gear and apparel company Outdoor ’68) of Chippewa Falls, Wis.; Cal Rice
Divas. 2003 (MSW ’68) of Centennial, Colo.; Glenn
Kline’s summary of running the business is simple: “It’s fun,” she Benjamin Lieberman (MBA ’03, JD ’03)
Gravelle (MSW ’67, PSYD ’82) of Centennial, Colo.; and Orv McElfresh (MSW ’68) of
explains, “but it takes a tolerance of pain.” opened his own firm, the Law Office of Ben
W. Lieberman PLC, as a solo practitioner in Salt St. Charles, Ill.
The women’s side of the recreation industry has really taken off in the
Lake City concentrating on commercial, per-
past five years, Kline says. “Most companies thought the idea wouldn’t have
sonal injury, domestic and real estate litigation.
worked … but we validated the idea, and now people pay attention.”
Kline’s friends and business partners Michael Callas and Kim Walker Ja Niece Price (JD ’03) of Pocatello, Idaho,
launched Outdoor Divas in 2002 with a 6,000-square-foot space in Boulder, was named Prosecutor of the Year 2009 by the
Colo. Kline worked part time at the store until she finished her business Greater Pocatello Chamber of Commerce and
degree from DU in 2004. She then came on full time as finance director. She the Bannock County prosecutor’s office, where
became co-owner in 2007. she has worked for the past three years.
And that’s when the business really started booming. The company’s
Web site launched in 2005; its Denver location, at 2717 E. Third Ave. in
Cherry Creek, opened in 2006. The 3,100-square-foot store offers products 2004
from about 100 different vendors. Tamara Crouse (MGS ’04) of Clifton, Va.,
was given the 2009 Sol Linowitz Award by the
The store is a one-stop shop for active women. It’s a place to get not
National Security Education Program. She
only essential (and fashionable) clothes, but equipment and gear for an array
received the award in recognition of her com-
of sports. The company’s competitors, Kline says, often focus on either mitment to serving the United States through
clothing or equipment, so Outdoor Divas’ combination of the two makes it her work as an intelligence specialist with the
stand out among other sporting goods and clothing stores. U.S. Navy Reserve and as a foreign affairs offi-
Outdoor Divas—which has 12 employees—carries popular, big-name cer with the U.S. Department of State.
brands like Mountain Hardwear and Patagonia, but its focus is on smaller,
niche brands.
“We’re planning a slow growth so it’s manageable. We’ve proved we can be successful as a regional competitor,” says Kline, adding that 2005
she, Callas and Walker may eventually take the company national. Samantha (House) Greendeer (JD ’05) is an
“We want to encourage women to get out there and have fun,” Kline says. “We think exercising and being healthy is a really important associate with Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C.,
part of your life, so we just try to make this a place where someone can be comfortable, feel good about what they are purchasing and have practicing in the firm’s Madison, Wis., office.
Samantha also serves on the Wisconsin State David Hughes (BSBA ’66) of Santa Barbara, Calif., gathered with approximately 45 other DU
some enjoyment in their lives.” graduates from 1963–68 for a Sigma Alpha Epsilon reunion in October 2009. The reunion took
Bar’s Indian Law Section board of directors.
>> www.outdoordivas.com
She is engaged and has two daughters, Lisa and place at Cherry Creek State Park.
—Kathryn Mayer Alexandria.

46 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 University of Denver Magazine Connections 47


John Hake (JD ’05) of Boulder, Colo., formed
Hake Hart & Lintzenich LLC with James
Hart (JD ’06) and John Lintzenich (JD ’05)
of Denver. The firm focuses on real property,
land use, corporate formation and operation,
transactional work and estate planning.
2006
Stephanie Cegielski (JD ’06) of Highlands
Ranch, Colo., started the Jill Lamb Founda-
tion, a nonprofit organization that assists
families affected by breast cancer and edu-
cates the public on the risks of breast cancer.
Deaths
1930s
George Lof (BSCHE ’35), Englewood, Colo., 10-12-09
Edward Hall Jr. (BA ’36), Santa Fe, N.M., 7-20-09
Muriel Blaser (BA ’38), Pittsford, N.Y., 10-22-09
Lillian Lewis (BA ’38), Chesterfield, Mo., 10-25-09
Dorothy Schutz (BA ’38), Denver, 7-20-09
Ada Boss (BA ’39, MA ’50), Englewood, Colo., 8-16-09
C. Wiles Hallock (BA ’39), Walnut Creek, Calif., 7-13-09
?
She also was appointed to a two-year term
as a Susan G. Komen advocate in science.
Julie Schmidt (JD ’06) and Ryan Behrman
(JD ’06) of Glendale, Colo., were married on 2007 Ann Petersen-Smith (PhD ’07) of Aurora,
In 2008, Stephanie was named a Colorado June 26, 2009. They met as law students at DU. Cody Colo., is an assistant professor at the Univer-
appointee to the United States Election Churchill sity of Colorado Denver College of Nursing.
Assistance Commission Federal Standards Casey Wie- (BSBA ’07)
married
Board. land (BS ’06)
and Eliza- Elizabeth 2008 Which alum applied to Barnum &
Kevin Reinholz (JD ’06) has been working beth (Kwi- Miller Karine Falck- Bailey Circus School?
as a judge advocate for the U.S. Air Force in atkowski) (BA ’02,
MSW ’07)
Pedersen
(BSBA ’08)
Utah for the past two years. In summer 2009, Wieland (BA
Kevin traveled to Japan on assignment for the ’06) wel- on Aug. was featured The answer can be found somewhere
Air Force. comed their 14, 2009, in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Cody in Warren on pages 37–49 of this issue. Send
daughter is an account executive with Northwestern Miller’s latest
Mutual and Elizabeth works for DaVita film, Dynasty, your answer to du-magazine@du.edu
June on Sept. 5, 2009. The couple resides in
Milwaukee. Dialysis. The couple resides in Wheat Ridge, skiing the or University of Denver Magazine,
Colo. slopes in her native country of Norway, 2199 S. University Blvd., Denver, CO
where she resides.
Sarah (Van Essen) Martin (BSBA ’07) of 80208-4816. Be sure to include your
Castle Rock, Colo., started her own business, full name and mailing address. We’ll
2009
Sarah Christine Photography, which was
1960s voted one of the top five wedding photog- Christopher “Mark” Macneill (LLM ’09,
select a winner from the correct
David Ogilvie (BA ’64, JD ’67), Denver, 6-17-09 entries; the winning entry will win a
raphers by Denver TV station KMGH. She MRLS ’09) of Cape Breton Island, Nova
Diantha Pearmain (MSW ’64), Cheyenne, Wyo., 3-8-09 credits DU with giving her the education she Scotia, is a correspondent for the Scots Law prize courtesy of the DU Bookstore.
Richard Genender (BSEE ’65), Boca Raton, Fla., 6-4-09 needed to get her business of the ground. News.
E. “Jean” Schiff (BFA ’66), Denver, 5-18-09
Jane (Stockdale) Grogan (BA ’67), Englewood, Colo., 8-09 Congratulations to C. Russell Nickel
Cherrelyn Ostrom (BA ’68), Denver, 9-9-09
Post your class note online at www.du.edu/alumni, e-mail du-magazine@du.edu or mail in the form (BS ’59, MBA ’61) for winning the
1970s on page 45. winter issue’s pop quiz.
Charles Sellner (JD ’72), Murphy, N.C., 3-7-09
Paula Sperry (MA ’73), Denver, 9-4-09

1940s 1980s
Harry Shade (BA ’41), Lakewood, Colo., 10-11-09 Scott Mercy (BS ’83), Nashville, Tenn., 5-30-00
Leonard Savory (BSCHE ’42), Estes Park, Colo., 8-23-09 Tracy Weldon (JD ’85), Vista, Calif., 4-26-09

Alumni
Evelyn Bartee (BA ’43), Littleton, Colo., 3-31-08 Nancy Johnson (JD ’86), Denver, 3-20-09 Alumni Relations
Michael Reidy (JD ’43), Denver, 4-12-09
William Huber (BSCHE ’44), Lone Tree, Colo., 7-17-08 1990s
John Marks (BA ’46), Princeton, N.J., 4-15-09 Brent Martin (BA ’96, JD ’90), Castle Rock, Colo., 1-16-09
Carroll “Richard” Satriano (attd. 1946–50), Denver, 7-24-09 David Isern (JD ’98), Amarillo, Texas, 7-1-09
Joseph Miller (BA ’48, JD ’66), Littleton, Colo., 3-16-09
Harold Niven Jr. (BA ’48), Chevy Chase, Md., 7-23-09 2000s
S Y M P O S I U M in Boston
William Rentfro (LLB ’48), Denver, 6-21-09 Samuel Spry (attd. 2000–04), Denver, 9-16-09 April 14, 2010
Robert Negri (BSBA ’49, JD ’51), Colorado Springs, Colo., 2-14-09
Faculty and Staff DU is going on the road…
1950s Lee Evans, business professor emeritus, Nederland, Colo., 11-7-09
Abram De Herrera (JD ’50), Tucson, Ariz., 2-9-09
William Doetze (MBA ’50), Milwaukee, 4-2-09
Shirley Good, Denver Research Institute (retired 2001), Littleton, Colo.,
8-6-09 Join alumni and faculty
Norman Early (JD ’50), Denver, 1-25-09 David Murcray (BS ’48, PhD ’63), professor of physics and astronomy,
Russell Farrar (BS ’50), Lakewood, Colo., 8-25-09 Denver, 10-13-09
Sam Etcheverry (BA ’52), Venice, Fla., 8-29-09 for a lifelong learning
Merton Frederick (BA ’53, MSW ’55), Sarasota, Fla., 10-6-08 Friends Learn more and sign up at
James Wallie (BSCE ’53), Cambridge, Mass., 7-28-09 Morley Ballantine, former DU trustee (1988–93), Minneapolis, 10-10-09 www.alumni.du.edu
Theodore “Ted” Hackworth (BSBA ’55), Denver, 11-9-09 Thomas Winker, stone carver, Wheat Ridge, Colo., 9-11-09 experience.
Henry Toll (JD ’55), Denver, 10-15-08 Lucien Wulsin, former DU trustee (1971–89), interim chancellor (1984),
Georgia Imhoff (BS ’56), Englewood, Colo., 9-6-09 Boulder, Colo., 8-23-09
Mackintosh Brown (JD ’57), Denver, 3-31-09
Richard Corbridge (JD ’58), Tulsa, Okla., 5-11-09
Daniel Hoffman (LLB ’58), Greenwood Village, Colo., 9-1-09
Patricia Robb (LLB ’58), Rye, Colo., 7-23-09

48 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 University of Denver Magazine Connections 49

 ANNOUNCEMENTS
Career corner
Create a job search plan.
If you graduated from the Sturm College of Law or received a graduate
degree from the Daniels College of Business, contact them directly; they Get Involved Lifelong Learning

DU Photography Department
Mentoring Join the Pioneer Connections OLLI DU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is a
Q:
provide lifetime services. Those who received a graduate degree from the
I was recently laid off. What steps should I take? Josef Korbel School of International Studies have lifetime access to the Mentoring Program and start mentoring a membership program designed for men and women
DU student today. Contact Cindy Hyman at age 55 and “better” who wish to pursue lifelong

A:
KorbelCareers job database; those who graduated within the last year
Most importantly, retain your sense of self-worth and value. cynthia.hyman@du.edu for details. learning in the company of like-minded peers.
receive full career counseling services from the Korbel Office of Career and
You were probably doing a good job. However, in this economy, Members select the topics to be explored and share
Professional Development. All other DU alumni should start by reviewing Local Chapters Just moved to a new city and
many businesses find themselves in the position of having to cut expenses. their expertise and interests while serving as facili-
the Career Center’s online materials, including DU Careers Online don’t know anyone? Need to expand your profes- tators and learners.
Creating an action plan within the first 24 hours after learning of a layoff
(www.du.edu/studentlife/career). sional network? Want to attend fun events and make >>universitycollege.du.edu/olli
will help set the tone for your job search.
new friends, or reconnect with old ones? Join a local
Finally, don’t wallow in fear about your future. alumni chapter: Atlanta; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; Enrichment Program Noncredit short courses,
File for unemployment with your state. Minneapolis/St. Paul; New York; Phoenix; St. Louis;
While the current national unemployment rate hovers around 10 percent, lectures, seminars and weekend intensives explore
Benefits are not retroactive and the approval process usually takes at least and Washington, D.C. To find out how you can get a wide range of subjects without exams, grades or
the rate for those with a college degree is much lower, at 4.9 percent as of
two weeks. Do not wait until any severance benefits end to file your claim. involved, call the Office of Alumni Relations at 800- admission requirements.
November 2009. With the proper approach, a good attitude and some hard 871-3822 or visit www.du.edu/alumni/chapters. >>universitycollege.du.edu/learning/ep
work, you will find another job.
Notify your contacts that you are seeking a new job and what you are
looking for. Mark Your Calendar Calling All Experts
You should also join a professional network, such as LinkedIn, to expand Cindy Hyman is the associate director of alumni career programs at the University of Newman Center Presents The 2009–10 We’re trying to get to know our alumni better while
your contacts. Denver. She can be reached at chyman@du.edu. Newman Center Presents series continues this developing possibilities for future articles. Please
spring with performances by Ladysmith Black send us your ideas. We would especially like to hear
Mambazo (March 16), the Martha Graham Dance about readers who:
Company (April 20), American Bluegrass Masters • are working (or former) journalists, especially
(May 8) and more. those working in “new media”

Wine Master Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan >>www.du.edu/newmancenter

Founders Day Celebrating 146 years of distinc-

• work in the food and beverage industry
• are working/serving in Iraq or Afghanistan
• were DU Centennial Scholars
tion! The annual Founders Day Gala will be held • served in the Peace Corps
A few years after graduating from DU with a degree in international business, Jennifer on Thursday, March 4, 2010, at the Seawell Grand • served in AmeriCorps
Simonetti-Bryan had a business lunch that changed her life. Ballroom in the Denver Center for the Performing
She was working for Citibank in London, and on the lunch menu was herb-crusted salmon and Arts. Contact Hallie Lorimer at hlorimer@du.edu for
Sancerre—a white wine from the Loire valley in France. details. Alumni Connections
“They served this together, and I was so enthralled with it,” Simonetti-Bryan says. “Salmon is Pioneer Alumni Network Join other Denver
DU on the Road Find out what your alma area alumni for networking events each month.
a very fatty fish, and it coats your tongue in an oil. When you sip the Sancerre, which is extremely mater has been doing since you left. See if DU is >>www.du.edu/alumni
high in acid, it creates this cleansing sensation on your tongue. coming to a city near you.
“I thought, ‘Oh my God, this is really cool.’ It wasn’t that the wine itself was so amazing, it was >>www.du.edu/alumni Homecoming Helpers Thank you to the fol-
just that I had never experienced anything like that before.” lowing restaurants that participated in the 2009
Simonetti-Bryan (BS ’95) started taking a wine class in London shortly thereafter, and she Taste of DU during Homecoming: Little India, Texas
Nostalgia Needed de Brazil, Bombay Clay Oven, Stick-e-Star, Bing
was bitten—hard—by the wine bug. She studied and trained for years, and in the fall of 2008 she
Please share your idea for nostalgic topics we could Energy, Noodles & Company, Jason’s Thai, Spicy
became one of only four women in the United States to earn the title Master of Wine, the highest
cover in the magazine. We’d love to see your old DU Pickle, Pasquini’s, Garbanzos and Jerusalem. Nearly
standard of professional knowledge in the wine industry. photos as well. 300 alumni, parents, students and friends joined
“It’s such an enormous endeavor,” she says. “It’s kind of like a cross between the bar exam and together to celebrate good food and Pioneer pride at
the Olympics. It’s a four-day exam, and it is kind of physical. One of the things you have to do is
James Kriegsmann

the second annual Taste of DU.

you have to identify 36 wines blind. They’ll say, ‘OK, what’s the grape variety and tell us why.’ It’s Pioneer Generations
not enough to be able to guess and get it right.” How many generations of your family have attended
Simonetti-Bryan, 36, now has her own wine consulting firm and is creating a DVD series with DU? If you have stories and photos to share about Stay in Touch
the Teaching Company. She also is one of 10 women in the U.S. to hold the highest credentials of the Wine & Spirits Education Trust and your family’s history with DU, please send them our Online Alumni Directory Update your contact
way! information, find other alumni and “bookmark”
Society of Wine Educators.
your alumni friends and classmates. You may also
But her first wine job was a little less glamorous. She left the banking industry and a six-figure income to work for less than $25,000
a year at the Burgundy Wine Co., a retailer in Greenwich Village. Contact us read class notes and death notices. Online class note
submissions will automatically be included in the
“My family thought I had lost my mind,” she says. “But if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. I figured the money University of Denver Magazine University of Denver Magazine.
will come eventually if I concentrate on what I love and what I want to do.” 2199 S. University Blvd. >>www.du.edu/alumni
— Greg Glasgow Denver, CO 80208-4816
du-magazine@du.edu
303-871-2776
50 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010 University of Denver Magazine Connections 51
 Miscellanea
On the wing

Dedicated on Oct. 30, 2009,

this sculpture—titled Birds of
Happiness—was installed in
Penrose Library in memory of
Stuart James, a DU English
professor from 1957–86. Jean
James, Stuart’s widow, and
their daughter, Barbara James,
commissioned the sculpture
in 1995 from Loveland, Colo.,
based sculptor Dee Clements; it
previously was located outdoors
near Sturm Hall. The idea of a
crane sculpture came from trips
Stuart and Jean had taken to see
the birds in New Mexico, Colorado
and Nebraska, as well as the fact
that cranes mate for life. Birds of
Happiness joins Eagle Catcher, a
bronze sculpture by Western artist
George Carlson, in the northwest
Wayne Armstrong

corner of the library’s third floor.

52 University of Denver Magazine Spring 2010