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UN I V E R S I T Y O F D E N V E R 0 8 . 2 0 1 0

CAMPUS | NEIGHBORHOOD LIFE | RESEARCH ARTS | EVENTS | PEOPLE

Inside
• Investing tips
• Korbel dean
• KKK research
• Living City Block
• B ed and breakfast
• Alumni job help
Wayne Armstrong

Holy guacamole! Bar president

Paul Chan (BA English
’81), general counsel for
For graduate student Terrie Taziri, just studying public art wasn’t enough. She the University of Denver,
is the new president of the
decided to create and install it — and she did so with a giant avocado on the
Colorado Bar Association
DU campus in July. Taziri, a master’s student studying visual art and design (CBA). He began his
term July 1. Chan, who
in DU’s University College, created the 8-by-4 Styrofoam avocado for her is the first Asian Pacific
American to lead the
capstone project, intending to study how the sculpture changed or enhanced 17,777-member CBA in its
113 years, says part of his
the environment around it. “It’s a lot harder than I thought it was going to be,” initiative as president is to
integrate new technology
she says. “It’s 115 pounds; it weighs about the same as I do and is hard to grab in communicating with Bar
members. Chan is the past
onto.” The avocado was first in the Humanities Garden before it moved onto
president of the Denver Bar
the grass between Penrose Library and the Driscoll University Center. Read Association and the National
Asian Pacific American Bar
more at Taziri’s blog, http://ttaziri.wordpress.com. Association.
 Graduate researchers speed up book completion

iStockphoto
When Galen Smith took a work-study job at Penrose Library’s research center, he thought
it would pay some bills and help him become a better researcher.
It did that and considerably more.
For starters, it helped him earn a research assistant position with George DeMartino, as-
Simple tips for
sociate professor and chair of the Global Finance, Trade and Economic Integration department any investor
at DU’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies. • Don’t overcomplicate. If you
Smith and his fellow research assistant Emma Ekdahl — both sophomore international can’t explain your investment
studies majors at Korbel — got the chance to work for DeMartino on his book The Economist’s strategy, you might be in
Oath, which is expected to be published in November by Oxford University Press. DeMartino trouble.
credits them both with helping finish the book an entire year ahead of schedule. • Dare to be dull. If you are a
The book builds the case that economists — like other professionals — should adhere to a smaller investor, consider CDs
code of professional standards. DeMartino says he came to rely on Smith and Ekdahl to research and money markets.
numerous fields, such as medicine and law, because the students were finding quality sources • Buy low and sell high—not the
faster than he could. other way around.
“I came to have more confidence in their searches than in my own,” DeMartino says. • Avoid just buying what’s hot
Smith says his training came from the research center; he’s worked there for two years. and trendy. Remember the
The fact that Ekdahl’s native language is Swedish also played a key role. She researched Swedish saying “Don’t put all your eggs
economist unions and the ethical codes they have developed, information that was only available in one basket.”
in Swedish and which was used for a chapter in the book. • Keep in mind that something
—Kristal Griffith can always go wrong.
• Keep your emotions in check;
don’t let them lead you to a
quick and wrong decision.
Ambassador to head International School
Tips from Allan Roth, DU adjunct professor and
Christopher Hill, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, has been named dean of the University of Den- author of How a Second Grader Beats Wall Street:
ver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies. His appointment begins Sept. 1. Golden Rules Any Investor Can Learn (Wiley, 2009).
Hill has served as the U.S. ambassador to
Iraq since 2009; prior, he was assistant secretary
of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. He also
served as ambassador to the Republic of Korea.
He has worked in the Senior Foreign Service for
more than 30 years.
“If one considers his tremendous experience
[ ]
UN I V E R S I T Y O F D E N V E R

and great success as a Foreign Service officer and

diplomat, it’s apparent that this is just the sort of w w w. d u . e d u / t o d a y
career for which we are educating our students Volume 33, Number 11
at the Korbel School,” says Chancellor Robert
Courtesy of the U.S. Department of State

Coombe. “He’s going to be a great dean.” Vice Chancellor for University

Communications
In 2005, Hill was selected to lead the U.S. Carol Farnsworth
delegation to the Six-Party Talks on the North Ko- Editorial Director
rean nuclear issue. He served as U.S. ambassador Chelsey Baker-Hauck (BA ’96)
to Poland (2000–04), ambassador to the Repub- Managing Editor
lic of Macedonia (1996–99) and special envoy Kathryn Mayer (BA ’07, MLS ’10)
to Kosovo (1998–99). He also served as special Art Director
assistant to the president and senior director for Craig Korn, VeggieGraphics
southeast European affairs in the National Security Council. Community News is published monthly by the
Earlier in his Foreign Service career, Hill served tours in Belgrade, Warsaw, Seoul and Tirana University of Denver, University Communications,
2199 S. University Blvd., Denver, CO 80208-4816.
and worked on the State Department’s policy planning staff and in the department’s Operation The University of Denver is an EEO/AA institution.
Center. While on a fellowship with the American Political Science Association he served as a staff
member for Congressman Stephen Solarz working on Eastern European issues. He also served
as the State Department’s senior country officer for Poland.
Contact Community News at 303-871-4312
Hill received the State Department’s Distinguished Service Award for his contributions as a or tips@du.edu
member of the U.S. negotiating team in the Bosnia peace settlement and was a recipient of the To receive an e-mail notice upon the
Robert S. Frasure Award for Peace Negotiations for his work on the Kosovo crisis. publication of Community News, contact us
—Kim DeVigil with your name and e-mail address.

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What’s in a name?
DU professor’s paper leads to name change in the Lone Star State

A cademic papers often provide important information for

University of Denver file photo

those in academia. That part is expected.
But when studies and papers seep outside the walls of
universities and beyond academic publications and journals,
that’s when they can make a difference to everyday people. A
recent paper by Sturm College of Law Professor Tom Russell
(pictured) is doing just that, stirring up a Texas-sized brouhaha
in the Lone Star State.
Russell, who teaches law and holds a doctoral degree in
history, began studying issues of race and segregation at the
University of Texas when he was a law professor at the school’s
Austin campus in the 1990s. He continued his research over the
past decade and this year published a paper, “‘Keep the Negroes
Out of Most Classes Where There Are a Large Number of Girls’:
The Unseen Power of the Ku Klux Klan and Standardized Testing
at The University of Texas, 1899–1999.”
Appearing first on academic sites, the paper revealed that
a dormitory at the University of Texas law school is named in
honor of a long-dead professor, William Stewart Simkins, who
was an unapologetic and active member of the Ku Klux Klan in
the early part of the 20th century. Simkins, the paper reports,
preached on campus about the virtues of the Klan and bragged
of night rides with the terrorist organization and of beating an
African-American with a barrel stave.
News of a dorm named for a Klansman spread quickly from
academic sites to mainstream news organizations. Russell’s
paper led to the creation of a 21-member panel at the University
of Texas that studied the issue and held two well-attended public
forums while considering renaming the dorm.
On July 15, the University of Texas Board of Regents voted unanimously to remove Simkins’ name from the dorm and held a media
event to take down the sign that bore his name.
For Russell, the attention has drawn some criticism — including some not-so-veiled threats on at least one blog — and invited
scrutiny of his work. But the professor says he is happy to have sparked some thought and debate. Getting scholars engaged in a public
discussion is something Russell says universities should encourage.
“The paper is available on the Web to anyone who wants to read and criticize it. The conversation about race, law and history has
taken place in meetings, in the news, and through social networking [sites]. Smart universities that do not want their faculty’s work to
drop unnoticed into the sea like a pebble should support their faculty by promoting their scholarship, and the authors need to take very
active roles.”
Russell says some people objected to renaming the dorm because it could lead to a slippery slope. Should an institution remove the
names of Confederate Civil War participants, since they fought for slave states? Should the names of some of the country’s founders who
owned slaves, such as Thomas Jefferson, be banished from public buildings? Russell says there is a difference between those who lived
within the laws of their times, no matter how odious those laws must have been, and those who acted illegally and dishonorably.
“I want people to understand that Professor Simkins was a criminal and a terrorist. This separates him from Confederate soldiers
who fought with honor; slaveholders who had the support of law and the constitution; and even garden-variety racists who may have
had pernicious views but who acted within the law,” Russell says.
At the board meeting, Regent Prentice Gary said, “I believe we acted appropriately and further, on a positive note, took advantage
of this opportunity to restate the university’s position regarding the importance of diversity and inclusiveness.”
On July 16, a day after the final decision to rename the dorm Creekside Residence Hall, CNN’s daily online column naming the day’s
“Most Intriguing People” selected Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, South African President Nelson Mandela and Tom Russell.
—Chase Squires
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 Students involved in Denver’s Living City Block
With the guidance of their professors, five DU students are developing tactile ways people
can learn about what it’ll take to have a “Living City Block.”
The mission of Living City Block, a Denver nonprofit organization, is to create sustainable
living in cities. The sustainability has to be replicable, scalable and economically viable.
DU students created interactive viewing stands focusing on the five key areas of a
sustainable block: water, energy efficiency, energy renewal, transportation and community.
“It’s quite a challenge and learning opportunity for our students to create an experience,”
says Laleh Mehran, associate professor of electronic media arts design (eMAD). “We wanted
to create something interesting, not just dictate facts.”
The students created the stands in last quarter’s Site Specific Design and Interactive Art
class, which was taught by Mehran and electronic media professor Chris Coleman. They have
volunteered to work on the project on their own time until it’s complete.
Laleh Mehran

“It’s been great to get real-world experience with a client,” says Andrew Edwards, a first-
year eMAD graduate student.
Llewellyn Wells, president and founder of Living City Block, says he’s worked with the group as if they were a hired art house.
“I was so pleasantly surprised,” Wells says. “They are such a creative group; they came up with things that we would never have thought to do
on our own.”
In addition to Edwards, the student group includes Katrina Glover, who just earned a digital media studies undergraduate degree; Marcus
deThouars, a computer science and digital media studies major; Jen Schneider, an electronic media art design major; and Jeff Neil, a computer science
major.
Mehran says it’s been a great way for the students to learn while impacting the community.
Their work certainly has impressed Wells.
“Their work is just as good if not better than a professional shop would have been,” Wells says.
The pilot project for Living City Block is taking place in Denver’s LoDo district between 15th and 16th streets and between Wynkoop and
Wazee.
The courses received support through a public good grant from the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning at DU.
>>www.dulcbteam.blogspot.com
—Kristal Griffith

DU garners another strong finish in NCAA Directors’ Cup

Rich Clarkson and Associates

The University of Denver capped the 2009–10 athletic season with a No. 65
finish in the NCAA Division I Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup.
The Pioneers sent eight teams as well as individuals from four sports programs
to NCAA postseason competition to finish with 306.8 points. DU also finished
first among Front Range schools for the third consecutive season, followed by
Colorado (No. 69), Air Force (No. 96), Colorado State (No. 123), Wyoming
(No. 163) and Northern Colorado (No. 195).
“We are once again honored to represent the Front Range, Sun Belt
Conference and I-AAA as the highest-ranked institution,” says Peg Bradley-
Doppes, DU’s vice chancellor for athletics and recreation and Ritchie Center
operations.
DU was the highest ranked institution in the Sun Belt Conference, outdistancing
No. 79 Middle Tennessee by more than 89 points. In addition, the Pioneers were
the highest ranked I-AAA school for the third consecutive season, topping No. 67
St. John’s by more than 10 points. I-AAA schools do not participate in football.
The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between
the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and USA Today. Points
are awarded based on each institution’s finish in up to 20 sports — 10 women’s
and 10 men’s.
The Pioneers earned 100 points for their 21st NCAA skiing championship,
59.3 points for gymnastics, 47.5 for women’s golf and 25 points each for hockey,
men’s lacrosse, women’s soccer and men’s tennis.
—Media Relations Staff

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 Royal treatment
Alums help overnighters travel back in time

J ust as the castles of yore protected their inhabitants from enemies, Castle Marne protects its guests from the hectic, technology-
tweaked pace of modern life. There are no cell phones ringing here, no televisions blaring, no computer cursors blinking, begging
you to type out what’s on your mind.
There’s a grandfather clock softly chiming the hours, aging photos and knickknacks inviting your unhurried perusal, thick walls
blocking out the noise of the traffic outside, and a jigsaw puzzle in the sunlit tower where guests can while away an afternoon matching
colors and shapes — no high-speed connection or
electrical outlet needed.
“We wanted to take the house back to the
way it was and really create a storied experience
for folks who come to stay,” says Jim Peiker (BSBA
’57), who bought the dilapidated 1889 building
in Denver’s City Park West neighborhood in 1988
and spent five months turning it into a bed and
breakfast focused on the way things used to be.
Peiker and his wife, Diane (Carpenter) (BA
’57), run the B&B with their daughter, Melissa,
son-in-law, Louie, and three grandchildren, ages
11, 14 and 15. Jim and Diane live in a carriage
house right behind the castle; Melissa, Louie and
the grandkids live six blocks away.
“Everybody cooks, everybody cleans,
everybody does all of the jobs,” Peiker says. “It’s a
three-generation family business.”
The inn has stayed in the DU family as well:
The Peikers regularly host DU-related visitors,
from job candidates to prospective students to
parents and grandparents of current students. In
addition to their overnight guests the family also
hosts weddings, birthday parties and tea parties
in its historic mansion.
It was in another American recession that the
Peikers first hatched the dream of owning their
own bed and breakfast.
“My daughter and I were both out of work
— this was ’87, ’88 — quite literally we were
standing in the unemployment line,” Peiker says.
“We looked at each other and said, ‘There’s got to
be something better than this.’”
Wayne Armstrong

They looked into restaurants, bars and copy

centers, but they kept coming back to the bed-
and-breakfast concept. And once they discovered
the Castle Marne — which they glimpsed from across the street while checking out another B&B that was for sale — they were hooked.
It took six months to pull the financing together and almost as long to renovate the place, but the Peikers imbued the castle with an old-
timey charm that keeps visitors coming back.
For Jim Peiker, the real magic of the Castle Marne is the community it creates. Strangers around a breakfast table often become
friends, he says, and the couple has seen many of the same faces coming back to stay, year after year.
“I joke about the whole concept of six degrees of separation; around here we only have about three,” Peiker says. “It’s fascinating
the way that everything fits together.”
>>www.castlemarne.com
—Greg Glasgow
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[Events]
August
Around campus
13 Summer Commencement. 8:30 a.m. Carnegie Green.
27 Korbel Dinner. Featuring speaker Condoleezza Rice. 6:30
p.m. cocktail reception; 7:30 p.m. dinner. Hyatt Regency at
Colorado Convention Center. $150 for individual tickets.
For more information, contact yvette.peterson@du.edu or
(303) 871-2882.
Arts
1 Rafael Mendez Brass Institute. Alan Hood, host. Through
Aug. 7. Newman Center. www.mendezbrassinstitute.com
8 Carillon Concert. 4 p.m. Williams Carillon, Ritchie Center.
Free.
25 American Carnage Tour: Slayer and Megadeth with
Testament. 7 p.m. Magness Arena. $39.50–$49.50.
Exhibit
1 “Artists on the Move” present “A Woman’s World”
at the Women’s College. Through Sept. 30. Chambers
Center. Open 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Monday–Friday.
Sports
15 Women’s soccer vs. Nebraska. Noon. Ciber Field. $5.
21 Men’s soccer vs. Creighton. 7 p.m. Ciber Field. $5.
For ticketing and other information, including a full listing of campus events,
visit www.du.edu/calendar.
Students get training and hands-on
experience with collections
The University of Denver Museum of Anthropology received a
$6,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to
organize some of its collections from the Franktown and Kenton Caves.
Along the way, DU students will learn about museum curatorship.
DU anthropologists have studied the Franktown Caves in southeast
Colorado and Kenton Caves in northwest Oklahoma for decades. The
DU Museum of Anthropology houses more than 6,000 objects from
both sites.
“The artifacts provide a rare and comprehensive view into the
material culture and life of the people who created them,” says Brooke
Rohde, curator of collections at the museum. Objects from Franktown
Cave are more than 5,000 years old. Archaeologists speculate that
people occupied the Kenton Caves from 1,000–8,000 years ago.
The grant will pay to organize 640 objects from the two collections
to make them more accessible. The items include sandals woven from
yucca fibers and braided rabbit cords.
—Kristal Griffith
Alumni turn to University for job help
Mary Reiter (MA education ’78) was looking for a part-time,
challenging position doing rewarding work.
The retired Denver Public Schools teacher contacted DU’s Office of
Alumni Relations for advice. Two months later, she landed her ideal job
doing community organizing. The position was the result of a connection
made by Cindy Hyman, DU’s associate director of alumni career
programs.
“A company had called me initially looking for an intern, but I thought
that the position sounded very challenging,” Hyman says. “I thought of Mary
and asked them if they would consider a retired DU alumna instead.”
She made the introductions, and Reiter took it from there.
“I did my homework, researched the company and went into the
interview with a plan for how I could do the job,” Reiter says. She started
her position with DaVita, a leading provider of kidney dialysis, in May.
Hyman was hired last fall in response to the growing number of DU
alumni who are turning to the University for help navigating the challenging
job market. She works as a liaison for DU graduates, connecting them to
career resources.
“I can give a litany of advice and ideas about where to go for help.
I serve as a coordinator to send them in the right direction and get them
where they need to be.”
Alumni from the Sturm College of Law and graduate students from
the Daniels College of Business have lifetime access to their respective
schools’ career centers. Graduate alumni of the Josef Korbel School of
International Studies can use Korbel’s career services for one year following
graduation.
All other DU graduates can take advantage of DU’s central Career
Center for one year following graduation at no charge. After that, one-on-
one career counseling services are available for $25 for the first hour and
$75 an hour thereafter. Discounted packages are available.
“This is a wonderful deal compared to the general market,” Hyman
says. “If people had to hire a resumé writer and an interview coach on their
own, it would get very expensive.”
Alumni also can access DU’s job boards and online career resources
at no charge.
Hyman says most positions are found through personal connections.
“When you apply to ads through Monster, you’ll get lots of rejection
letters because companies are getting huge volumes of applications,” she
says. “The best way to move your resumé out of that giant pile is through
personal contact.”
Hyman has been working with the Career Center to develop DU’s
new Professional Network, an online database that allows alumni in similar
fields to make connections. The network is organized like a job board,
so users can search for fellow alumni with specific types of expertise. “All
contact is done via e-mail so it’s very unobtrusive,” she says. “Our alumni
are very willing to serve as resources.”
—Jordan Ames