Recent News
2017
December
Biology student places third in national poster contest
A senior biology major at Colorado State University-Pueblo recently placed third in a national student poster competition for her research presentation on the prevalence of West Nile Virus (WNV) antibodies and blood mercury levels in song birds from the Colorado Fountain Creek Region. Pueblo native Alyssa Torres placed third in the Best Undergraduate Student Poster competition at the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) North America 38th Annual Meeting last month in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She received a certificate and cash award for her efforts.
New passport program opens access across the Colorado State University System
Students from each campus in the Colorado State University System can now take advantage of events and programs happening in Fort Collins, Pueblo, and online. The CSU System Passport Program, opens up signature events at each of the three System institutions, CSU Fort Collins, CSU-Pueblo, and CSU-Global Campus, to students enrolled at any of the campuses.
November
Film Premiere about 1974 death of CU Activists
Colorado State University-Pueblo will premiere a film produced by award-winning filmmaker Nicole Patrice Esquibel that answers the question, “Who was Neva Romero and what did she live and die for?” The new documentary film, Jamas Olvidados, which translates to ‘never forgotten,’ tells the story of Neva Romero, 21, and five other activists killed in two car bombs within a 48-hour period in May 1974 in Boulder, Colorado. Jamas Olvidados will premiere at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 28 in the Hasan School of Business Auditorium. A reception for Esquibel will be held at 6 p.m. and a showing will follow at 7 p.m. The viewing is free and open to the public and made possible by the sponsorship of CSU-Pueblo’s Colorado Chicano Movement Archives. Some of Esquibel’s research for the film was conducted through the local archives.
2017 Math Day Competition Results
The Department of Mathematics and Physics at Colorado State University-Pueblo has announced the results from the 40th Annual Math Day Swanson and Math Bowl competitions, held on campus Thursday, Nov. 16. More than 200 students from 18 high schools participated in Math Day activities, including Antonito, Coronado, Cripple Creek/Victor, Crowley County, D70-Online, Doherty, Ellicott, Liberty, Pine Creek, Pueblo Centennial, Pueblo County, Pueblo East, Pueblo West, Rocky Ford, Rye, South, Swallows Charter, and Swink. In addition to participating in the competitions, students were able to visit biology, chemistry, engineering, physics, and physiology laboratories and demonstrations.
Winners of 2017 Juried Student Art Show
Colorado State University-Pueblo recently announced the winners of the 2017 annual Juried Student Art Show. Thirty-six students participated in the event which featured artwork in categories of ceramics, sculpture, photography, oil paint, pencil and pastels, mixed media, pencil, and acrylic. The winners were selected for Best of Show, first, second, and third place, first and second Honorable Mention, People’s Choice, and the President’s Purchase Award. Daisy McGowan, director of the Gallery of Contemporary Art at University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, served as juror for the exhibition.
Art class seeks community design projects
The Advanced Graphic Design class/workshop in the Art Department at Colorado State University-Pueblo is seeking proposals from non-profit organizations for dynamic graphic design projects to be completed during the Spring 2018 semester. Not all jobs can be accepted but after review, Professor of Art Maya Avina will determine by the end of February if the project is appropriate for the workshop. After selection, the client works initially with a student business manager, then with the designers under advisement of the instructor. For priority selection, proposals should be submitted by mid-January.
CIS students are competitive in Cyber Security contest
Colorado State University-Pueblo students dominated this past weekend at the Fall 2017 National Cyber League (NCL) nationwide online cyber security competition with Computer Information Systems (CIS) major Ryan Garbars, a junior from Golden, scoring #1 in the nation out of 2,423 cyber security competitors from 68 institutions. Hasan School of Business CIS students Alex Marcks, senior from Pueblo, scored in the top 100 at number 54 followed by top 5-10% percentile scores from CIS students Josh Greer, senior from Fountain, Austin Tapia, freshman from Pueblo, and Hunter Stevens, sophomore from Aurora. The NCL had a pre-qualifying cyber game (to place students into one of three brackets -- Bronze, Silver, Gold) and Faculty, Coaches, Mentors and non-attached students (Pewter) to have individuals and team compete on similar competency levels. CSU-Pueblo NCL Coach and Associate Professor Computer Information Systems Dr. Roberto Mejias scored among the top 1.5%, ranking #12 of 854 professors.
Athletics Director to Retire, Search Process Begins
Colorado State University-Pueblo President Timothy Mottet has announced the start of a national search for a new Director of Athletics following an announcement by current Athletics Director Joe Folda that he would retire at the close of the 2017-18 academic year. Mottet has appointed Karl Spiecker, vice president of finance and administration, to chair a national search with the assistance of search consultant Kurt Patberg, Ph.D., senior vice president of Athletics Staffing & Consultants. Dr. Patberg is a former commissioner both of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (6+ years) and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (3 years). He has successfully conducted 18 NCAA Division II athletic director/commissioner searches including 11 NCAA Division II AD searches over the past 34 months. “We are seeking a dynamic, bold, and innovative leader who engages across the campus and creates processes and systems that develop both staff and athletes to their fullest potential,” said Mottet. “For more than 30 years, Joe has admirably led both Pack athletes and coaches, and I couldn’t be more appreciative for his service and commitment to this institution.” Search committee members are being finalized this week in order for an initial meeting to occur before the Thanksgiving break. Folda will continue to lead Pack Athletics until April 30. According to the search schedule, the position will be posted by the end of November with review of applications to begin in late January and video and on-campus interviews scheduled for February and March.
Forensics team competes at Trapper Rendezvous, Ward Champion in Persuasion
The Colorado State University-Pueblo Forensics Team traveled to Powell, Wyo., this past weekend to compete in the 48th annual Trapper Rendezvous at Northwest College. The squad of three students competed in six different events, bringing home several trophies for their efforts. Jacob Ward, sophomore from Trinidad, took first place in Persuasive Speaking for the second year in a row with his speech about removing limits on free speech on college campuses throughout the United States. Ward also took fourth place in Informative Speaking with his speech on federal versus state ownership of public land.
100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Grant awarded to CSU to establish Institute of Ecotourism Studies in Todos Santos, Mexico
One of eight recipients of a 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund grant, Colorado State University-Pueblo, the Colorado State University Todos Santos Center, and Autonomous University of Baja California Sur (UABCS) will collaborate to establish an Institute of Ecotourism Studies in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Each year, the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund grant sponsored by MetLife Foundation facilitates eight new higher education partnerships between the United States, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Colombia that offer new exchange and training opportunities to students who traditionally lack access to or are underrepresented in international exchange programs. This bi-national effort includes collaboration between Fort Collins and Pueblo campuses led by CSU-Pueblo Assistant Professor of Recreation & Outdoor Leadership Dr. Daniel Bowan, Kim Kita, director of special projects & partnerships at Colorado State University, and Dr. Plácido Roberto Cruz Chávez, professor at Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur. The Institute will utilize the foundation laid by the CSU Todos Santos Center, established in 2015 as a regional hub for engagement, collaboration, and exchange of ideas throughout Baja California Sur. The Institute of Ecotourism Studies will highlight the significance of ecotourism in the Baja California Sur region and in Colorado by providing education around the role and impacts of tourism on local cultures and communities. With a primary focus on undergraduate education, the Institute also will include research and community engagement. The grant will support workforce development in the ecotourism industry throughout the Baja region, as well as student development and community workforce enhancement.
Physical Education Program for Homeschooled Children is Win-Win
A program offered this fall through the Exercise Science Health Promotion and Recreation department at Colorado State University-Pueblo is helping homeschooled children ages 3-17 keep fit while providing critical clinical field experience to teacher education students. Twice a week, CSU-Pueblo teacher education students in the Methods of Elementary and Secondary Physical Education class greet 90 children and their parents in Massari Arena who have come from as far as Canon City and Williamsburg to experience a spectrum of sports and physical activities from bowling and climbing to basketball and yoga. Instructor Karen Marley said the course prepares the prospective teachers to maximize student learning, to utilize resources, and plan, implement, and then revise lesson plans.
Intl pharmacology expert to present Mechoulam lecture at 2018 ICR Conference
An internationally recognized authority on endocannabinoid pharmacology will present the second annual Mechoulam Lecture as part of the 2018 Institute of Cannabis Research (ICR) Conference, April 26-28, at Colorado State University-Pueblo. Dr. Vincenzo Di Marzo, a prolific researcher in pharmacology, biochemistry and neuroscience, will present the Mechoulam Lecture on April 28, 2018. According to CSU-Pueblo Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Rick Kreminski, along with authoring hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific articles and editing several books, Di Marzo is co-inventor on more than a dozen patents for the possible use of cannabinoids in the treatment of diseases such as various cancers, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, and muscular dystrophy. DiMarzo serves as director of the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry of the National Research Council (ICB-CNR) in Pozzuoli, Italy, and coordinator of the Endocannabinoid Research Group in the Naples area; he also holds a Canada Excellence Research Chair at the Université Laval in Quebec. A 2007 recipient of the International Cannabinoid Research Society’s Mechoulam Award, for his outstanding contribution to research on the cannabinoid system, Di Marzo was named in 2010 by Thomson Reuters as the top scientist of the decade for pharmacology and toxicology. A prolific author, Di Marzo is among the most-cited researchers in the world, with more than 60,000 citations.
October
Dept. of Mathematics and Physics Hosts 40th Math Day
Students from area high schools will compete individually and as teams as part of the 40th annual Math Day sponsored by Colorado State University - Pueblo's Department of Mathematics and Physics. The Nov. 16 competition will include a Math Bowl, where three-member teams compete tournament style and a Swanson Competition, where individuals solve written math problems. In addition to the two main event features, Math Day participants will receive tours of the CSU-Pueblo campus and visit Chemistry and Biology laboratory facilities where students will perform experiments. Physics and Engineering laboratories also will include demonstrations. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. with competition to follow at 9:15 a.m. An awards ceremony will follow the day’s competition at 3 p.m. in Life Sciences 105. More than 8,000 students have participated in Math Day since its inception with a significant upturn in female participants over the years. Swink High School has competed in 39 of the 40 Math Days, missing just the inaugural year.
Monster Concert, 8th annual Keyboard Fest
With Halloween creeping up, it is a fitting occasion for Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Monster Concert, featuring five grand pianos performing at once beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4. The Monster Concert is part of the Music Department’s eighth annual Pueblo Keyboard Arts Festival, Nov. 2-4, which also features solo and ensemble concerts, master classes, and a young artist competition. All Festival events are free and open to the public in Hoag Recital Hall. The Festival will conclude with Saturday night’s Monster Concert, a compilation of CSU-Pueblo’s piano faculty, students, and alumni, piano teachers and their students from Southern Colorado, the CSU-Pueblo Orchestra, and guests from the Pueblo Symphony. Musicians will be traveling and attending from all across the state.
Chemistry professor earns ACS diversity award
Colorado State University-Pueblo Chemistry Professor Dr. Sandra Bonetti was honored this week as the 2017 recipient of the Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences for the Rocky Mountain Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Bonetti was selected by the ACS Committee on Minority Affairs to receive the award at the ACS Rocky Mountain Regional Meeting to be held in Loveland, CO this weekend. In addition to a $1000 award to continue her efforts, Bonetti had her meeting expenses covered, including transportation, accommodations, registration, and two tickets to the award dinner/event. The Stanley C. Israel Regional Award recognizes individuals and/or institutions who have advanced diversity in the chemical sciences and significantly stimulated or fostered activities that promote inclusiveness within the region. Nominees may come from academia, industry, government, or independent entities, and also may be organizations. Nominees must have created and fostered ongoing programs or activities that result in increased numbers of persons from diverse and underrepresented minority groups, persons with disabilities, or women who participate in the chemical enterprise.
Veterans week activities November 6-11
Veteran’s Week activities November 6-11 at Colorado State University-Pueblo will include the fourth annual Home of Heroes Veterans Day Concert, a Veterans Art Exhibit, Veterans Resource Fair, presentation and training about post-traumatic stress disorder, Stolen Valor Act presentation and book signing, as well as a Purple Heart Ceremony that will unveil parking spots specifically for these heroes.
Nursing Career Fair
Colorado State University-Pueblo will host more than 10 local, regional, and state businesses offering employment opportunities to nursing students and CSU-Pueblo alumni at the First Nursing Career Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 13 on the second floor of the CSU-Pueblo Technology Building.
Halloween celebrated with variety of events
Colorado State University-Pueblo will celebrate the Halloween season with a variety of spooktacular events in the coming week that are educational, healthy, and scary.
Online Sociology degrees earn top ten ranking
Colorado State University-Pueblo was recently ranked among the nation’s top 10 Best Online Colleges for Sociology by Online Colleges.com, a resource for people who want reliable information about online colleges and degree programs. The lone institution included from Colorado, CSU-Pueblo’s sociology programs were ranked eighth. Students at CSU-Pueblo can earn two different online sociology degrees. As well as the standard Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree plan, CSU - Pueblo offers a second Bachelor of Arts program that studies sociology and criminology side by side. Both programs include training in cultural theory and research methods. Elective courses dominate the latter semesters of the degree plan in both programs. Students seeking sociology/criminology degrees are expected to replace some standard sociology electives with those that include criminal justice concepts.
CSU-Pueblo to engage high school students in building scholarships before college
Colorado State University-Pueblo will build upon its long-standing commitment to provide opportunity and access to higher education through a new partnership with Raise.me, a platform that offers high school students the chance to earn scholarships on their path to college. Through Raise.me, CSU-Pueblo is creating opportunities for students to earn scholarship dollars during their high school career and learn about the kinds of behaviors that will empower them to be successful students in high school, college, and beyond. Founded in 2012 as a social enterprise focused on expanding access to higher education, Raise.me is supporting students in 1 out of every 2 high schools in all 50 states to discover new colleges and earn scholarships. Of these students, 40 percent are low-income and 35 percent would be the first in their families to attend college.
Phi Theta Kappa among two new scholarships for transfer students
Transfer students who are considering entering Colorado State University-Pueblo in Spring, Summer or Fall 2018 may benefit from two new pilot scholarships seeking to close the gap in financial aid for this student segment, the Phi Theta Kappa scholarship and the Southern Colorado Partnership scholarship. Together with the existing CSU-Pueblo Destination Pueblo scholarship, qualified transfer students could earn up to $4000 a year. According to Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Chrissy Holliday, the scholarships were created after a two-year analysis of transfer student financial aid revealed that the average student had a gap for which no aid or loans were available to help fund their education.
Engineering student to spend spring semester in Italy on scholarship
Wyatt Farris, a junior engineering major and Italian minor from Carbondale, Colo., will continue his studies in engineering this spring at the Univesità degli Studi di Bergamo in northern Italy as the recipient of the prestigious Praxair-SIAD scholarship. Farris was selected by a scholarship committee consisting of representatives from Praxair, SIAD, the University of Bergamo, and CSU-Pueblo. A Math Learning Center tutor, Farris has a 4.0 cumulative grade point average. During his period of study in Bergamo, Farris will take courses in Engineering and Italian and will participate in weekend excursions to various European destinations.
Su Teatro Reading/Performance
Colorado State University-Pueblo will host a reading of Ask a Mexican at 2:30 p.m. on October 25 in General Classroom Building 111 by Su Teatro, a Chicano/Latino cultural and performing arts center based in Denver. In addition to the reading, CSU-Pueblo, in collaboration with AARP and Su Teatro, will host a performance of “I Don’t Speak English Only!” at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 25 at the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center. This performance is in the Mexican “tent show” tradition: a style prevalent in the 1920-30s in small towns across the Southwestern United States and Mexico. The show imagines a world where all diversity is prohibited.
Administrative changes to include new Provost, Cannabis Research Director
Colorado State University-Pueblo President Timothy Mottet has announced the start of a national search for a new Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs as well as related administrative appointments that follow the recent departure of Institute of Cannabis Research (ICR) Director Wendy MacColl. On January 1, Dr. Rick Kreminski will make a transition from Provost, a position he has held since 2015 (following service as interim provost 2012-2013), to Executive Director of Research and Sponsored Programs as well as serve as the Director of the ICR. According to Mottet, this move is critical due to the role that research plays in economic development for the region and generating additional revenue for the University as well as the growing importance of the ICR. Kreminski will remain a member of the Cabinet. Mottet has appointed Dr. William Folkestad, Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, as chair of a national search for a new Provost that will begin immediately with the formation of a search committee. Beginning in January, Dr. Bruce Raymond, dean of the Hasan School of Business, will serve as interim Provost during the Spring 2018 semester. Also throughout the Spring 2018 semester, HSB Professor of Marketing and Department Chair Dr. Abhay Shah will assume the duties of HSB Interim Dean. Shah joined the University faculty in 1988.
ALL Pueblo Reads Author Conversation Oct. 20
As part of its ongoing public lecture series, The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at Colorado State University-Pueblo, in partnership with the Pueblo City County Library District (PCCLD), will host the 2017 PCCLD All Pueblo Reads author of Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel next week. Emily St. John Mandel is the author of four novels, most recently Station Eleven, which was a finalist for a National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award and won the 2015 Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Toronto Book Award, and the Morning News Tournament of Books. It has been translated into 27 languages. A previous novel, The Singer's Gun, was the 2014 winner of the Prix Mystere de la Critique in France. Her short fiction and essays have been anthologized in numerous collections, including Best American Mystery Stories 2013. She is a staff writer for The Millions. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter. St. John Mandel will present a “conversation,” hosted by the Executive Director of the CTL Dr. Donna Souder Hodge, at 2 p.m. on Friday, October 20 in Hoag Recital Hall on the CSU-Pueblo campus. The event is free and open to the public.
Human Trafficking workshop at Springs Tower Location
Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Department of Sociology and the Division of Extended Studies, in partnership with the Center of Social and Economic Justice and CSU – Pueblo Women’s Studies Program, will host a Human Trafficking Prevention Workshop from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Nov. 3 at its Tower Location in Colorado Springs. The workshop will be held in Room 208 of the Tower Location at 2864 Circle Drive. The workshop provides a brief introduction to human trafficking prevention and awareness, including laws and legislation related to human trafficking, observation skills for identifying potential victims of human trafficking, approaches to victim care, safe and effective methods for talking to potential victims, and how to properly report potential instances of human trafficking.
Royalty crowned at halftime of Homecoming game
Chianna Schoenthaler was crowned the 2017 Homecoming Royal during the 2017 Homecoming activities at Colorado State University-Pueblo, Oct. 5 to Oct. 8. Schoenthaler, Strasburg, Colo., a senior Mass Communications major, was presented with a crown and cape during halftime of the ThunderWolves 63-17 victory over Adams State in the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl. The Homecoming Royal is chosen based on four criteria: academics, interview, campus and community involvement, and student votes. Other royalty candidates included: •Ashley Jones, 1st Attendant, senior, nursing, Parker, CO •Demetrius Marrow, 1st Attendant, sophomore, mass communications, Colorado Springs, CO •Katie Cunningham, senior, exercise science, health promotion, and recreation, Aurora, CO •Irie Marquez, freshman, psychology, Denver, CO •Gabrielle Segura, sophomore, athletic training, Kingwood, TX
Mountainfilm on Tour Comes to campus on Nov. 9
Colorado State University-Pueblo's Department of Mass Communications and Center for New Media will host next month Mountainfilm on Tour, featuring inspirational, visually stunning, thought-provoking documentary shorts. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 9 in the General Classroom Building 111 on the CSU-Pueblo campus. The event is free and open to the public. Mountainfilm travels year-round and worldwide with a selection of current and best-loved films from the annual festival in Telluride. Each show is emceed by a Mountainfilm presenter who guides the audience through the program, often sharing personal stories from his or her interactions with the filmmaker or the film's subjects.
Ballet Folklorico de la Ciudad de Mexico to perform on Oct. 18
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Colorado State University-Pueblo will host a performance of the internationally renowned Ballet Folklorico de la Ciudad de Mexico at 7 p.m. on October 18 in Hoag Recital Hall. Tickets to the event will be free to CSU-Pueblo faculty, staff, and students, $8 for the general public, and $5 for students in grades K-12. Tickets are available at the door or online at http://www.cvent.com/d/ctq9k1. Their appearance is made possible through Student Affairs/Student Engagement and Leadership, and the offices of the President, Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, External Affairs, and Diversity and Inclusion. The troupe was initiated in 1987 by the Government of the State of Mexico/Mexican Institute of Culture to rejuvenate and bring awareness to dance in Mexico. The troupe has represented the country at international conventions and events for the Mexican embassies in more than 40 countries.
Professor Jordan Steel Earns National Award for Teaching Biology
A Colorado State University-Pueblo faculty member has been named the recipient of the 2017 National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) Four-Year College & University Biology Teaching Award. Dr. Jordan Steel, assistant professor of biology, will receive the award as part of the 2017 NABT Professional Development Conference, November 9-12, in St. Louis, Mo. The award recognizes creativity and innovation in undergraduate biology teaching and includes a $500 honorarium, a recognition plaque, and the opportunity to present a 30-minute session about his teaching at the conference. The National Association of Biology Teachers is the “leader in life science education.” Since its inception in 1938, thousands of educators have joined NABT to share experiences and expertise with colleagues from around the world, keep up with trends and developments in the field, and grow professionally.
Tower Location in Colorado Springs Hosts Open House, Safe Street event
Colorado State University–Pueblo’s Tower location in Colorado Springs, through the Division of Extended Studies, will host its semi-annual community – wide Open House from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Friday, October 27 at the Tower, 2864 S. Circle Drive. The event is open to the public at no charge. This event brings together a variety of student services and academic departments from the University to provide current and new students with access to many of the University’s services, including: admissions, financial aid, degree offerings in the Colorado Springs area, external degree programs, construction management, high school programming, teacher continuing-education programs, and much more.
September
Bartley Blvd extension to open, completes full circle
From its inception as a campus in the mid 1960s, the Colorado State University-Pueblo campus was intended to be encircled by a ring road that would allow access from any direction into the interior road system and parking lots. More than 50 years later, the University will celebrate the opening of the final piece of road connecting Bartley Boulevard, Desert Flower Blvd., and Walking Stick Blvd. The University will commemorate the opening of the last 1200 linear feet of roadway to kick off Homecoming activities at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 4 near the water towers on campus. The brief ceremony will include CSU-Pueblo President Tim Mottet, Associate Vice President for Facilities Management Craig Cason, and CSU-Pueblo Foundation Board Trustee and the Village Green at Walking Stick resident Barbara Vidmar.
Online MBA seeing early success, offers courses every eight weeks
Enrollment in the new online Master of Business Administration degree offered through the Hasan School of Business (HSB) at Colorado State University-Pueblo has exceeded expectations since its inception in early February, according to HSB Dean Dr. Bruce Raymond. Raymond said the online MBA is one of the least expensive MBA programs in the nation and one of only a few fully online MBAs accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in Colorado. The program provides a degree program taught by HSB faculty for significantly less than the average total cost for an MBA degree.
2nd Annual Give Day to be part of Homecoming activities
The Colorado State University-Pueblo Foundation will host the 2nd annual #LoveCSUPueblo Give Day as part of Homecoming Week activities on Thursday, Oct. 5. Give Day will be a concentrated crowdfunding effort, allowing donors to support one or more of 22 different campus-wide initiatives. CSU-Pueblo has implemented a crowdfunding platform to raise money for CSU-Pueblo students, academic programs and departments, athletic programs, and student organizations. The goal of the day is to have 200 individuals donate to CSU-Pueblo within a 24-hour timeframe. The crowdfunding method allows individual projects an opportunity to increase visibility and be funded by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people.
Hasan School of Business and US Bank to host economic update October 10
The Malik and Seeme Hasan School of Business (HSB) at Colorado State University-Pueblo and US Bank will co-sponsor the Pueblo Economic Forum at 11:30 a.m. on October 10 at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center. Dr. Michael Wakefield, professor of management at HSB, along with Norman Alvis CFA, Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager at US Bank, will be co-presenters. Admission is free to the public. Lunch will be provided.
LGBT History Month being celebrated with various activities
CSU–Pueblo celebrates LGBT History Month with events throughout October for faculty, staff, students, and community. The activities will include a movie and safe zone training as well as a kick off game night event during which participants test their knowledge and educate themselves on the LGBTQ+ community.
CSU-Pueblo to celebrate Year of the ThunderWolves Homecoming October 4-8
Former and current students of Southern Colorado Junior College, Pueblo Junior College, Southern Colorado State College, the University of Southern Colorado, and Colorado State University – Pueblo, along with the parents of current students, are invited to Year of the ThunderWolves Homecoming activities, Oct. 4-8, a series of events planned by the CSU-Pueblo Alumni Association and the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership (SEAL). The events kick off for alumni on Wednesday with a Donuts and Coffee Break at 8 a.m. in the Library and Academic Resources Center Lobby and concludes with the Alumni/Family Brunch at 10 a.m. on Sunday in the General Classroom Building foyer. Activities are scheduled for various alumni groups including Baseball, Marching Band/Music, President’s Leadership Program, Volleyball, Mass Communications, Art, Forensic/Debate, Enactus. Engineering, and SEAL (see schedule in release).
Colorado State University–Pueblo student veterans sponsor Memorial March Oct. 7
Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Student Veterans of America (SVA) will host the inaugural Bataan Memorial March beginning at 9:04 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7, beginning at Fountain Plaza. Participants can complete either a 5k walk/run or a 13.1-mile march with members of SVA. Participants also will meet E.J. Snyder, a decorated Army combat veteran known for his appearances on the TV show Naked and Afraid, as he will serve as grand marshal of the event. Snyder has 25 years of military service, serving Ranger positions in Infantry and Airborne units. Snyder will speak on leadership at a discussion beginning at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 6, in Hoag Recital Hall that is free to all CSU-Pueblo students with ID or $10 per person for non-students. A question and answer session will follow his presentation.
Colorado State University–Pueblo Teacher Education Program distributes jump ropes
The Teacher Education Program at Colorado State University-Pueblo is partnering with the Modern Woodmen of America (MWA) with hopes of improving the health and well-being of children in Southern Colorado by getting a jump rope in the hands of every child in grades one through five. The Teacher Education program is coordinating the distribution effort as a service to partner schools in order to build even more cohesive relationships and to promote a healthy lifestyle for students.
Colorado State University–Pueblo debate competes in Missouri, Starkey Coach of Year
The Colorado State University-Pueblo forensics team traveled to its first invitational of the year, the Georgia B. Bowman Invitational at William Jewell College in Liberty, MO. At the awards ceremony, CSU-Pueblo Director of Forensics Kathryn Starkey received the Coach of the Year honor from William Jewell College Director of Debate Kyle Dennis. The annual award pays tribute to coaches who focus on service to the Forensics Community.
Colorado State University-Pueblo history professors attract national media attention
Colorado State University-Pueblo faculty members Dr. Jonathan Rees and Dr. Fawn Amber Montoya are in the national spotlight this month with Rees writing about classroom technology in the national higher education publication Inside Higher Ed, while Montoya will debut this weekend on C-SPAN 3 teaching a class on the Ludlow Massacre.
CSU–Pueblo undergraduate engineering program ranks among nation’s top 75
Colorado State University-Pueblo’s undergraduate engineering program was ranked among the nation’s top 75 by U.S. News and World Report, moving up more than 20 spots from last year’s rankings. The undergraduate rankings include schools that do not offer a doctoral degree in engineering. CSU-Pueblo tied for 74th up from 97th in the 2017 rankings. The U.S. Air Force Academy was the only other Colorado school in this list at #5. U.S. News has separate rankings for undergraduate engineering programs at colleges that offer doctoral degrees in engineering and for engineering programs at colleges where the terminal degree in engineering is a bachelor's or master's degree. “We are pleased to receive this recognition from our peers, and we are proud of the contributions we make to Pueblo and southern Colorado,” said Dr. Jane Fraser, chair of engineering. “Our graduates are employed in local companies and in companies throughout Colorado, the U.S., and around the world.”
Veterans Upward Bound Program at CSU-Pueblo renewed for five years with $1.3 million
Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) program has been awarded a five-year grant of more than $1.3 million from the U.S. Department of Education to improve college access and preparing veterans for success in postsecondary studies. For the 2017-18 year, the CSU-Pueblo grant will total more than $260,000. CSU-Pueblo has offered an Upward Bound program since 2002, equipping veterans with critical skills necessary to thrive and succeed in postsecondary education, as well as supporting them through any require remedial coursework. Services are provided annually to 125 eligible U.S. military veterans who have expressed the interest and commitment necessary exploring higher education, preparing and excelling in college. The services focus on year-round academic and social support, college preparation, financial literacy, connecting participants with veteran resources, mentoring, college/career exploration, assistance with the application process and community experiences.
CSU-Pueblo fall enrollment shows increases in Pueblo County, online, down overall
Colorado State University-Pueblo officials today announced 2017 Fall enrollment figures, which showed an increase in online students and greater diversity and higher index scores, but a decline overall. CSU-Pueblo President Timothy Mottet said administrators had projected an overall decline based on national trends for regional comprehensive universities as well as the University’s demographics and enrollment trends with feeder high schools and community colleges. Overall headcount enrollment is 4,053 (3819 undergraduates and 234 graduate students), compared to 4242 in 2016, a decline of 4.5 percent. The overall student population included increases in non-resident students, with notable jumps from New Mexico, Illinois, and Florida. The 2017 Fall student population represents 39 states and 33 countries.
School of Business to honor Keith Swerdfeger with Lifetime Business Achievement Award
Keith Swerdfeger, owner of one of the largest underground utility companies in Colorado, will be honored with the third Lifetime Business Achievement Award from the Malik and Seeme Hasan School of Business (HSB) at Colorado State University-Pueblo on October 21, according to HSB Dean Dr. Bruce C. Raymond. A dessert reception and cash bar will open at 7 p.m. in the White Gallery on the third floor of the Helen T. White Gallery Building of the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center with the presentation to follow in the Arts Center Theater at 8 p.m. The event is open to the public at no charge.
CSU-Pueblo President Named Top 30 Technologists, Transformers, and Trailblazers
Colorado State University-Pueblo President Dr. Timothy Mottet was named one of the 2017 Top 30 Technologists, Transformers and Trailblazers by The Center for Digital Education (CDE) -- 30 education and technology leaders across America who are transforming the education landscape through the use of digital tools. The 2017 winners were selected based on their efforts to improve education through effective implementation of technology-rich solutions; their impact on student outcomes; and their overall initiative, creativity and leadership skills.
CSU-Pueblo on track to save $650,000 in first year of $12.5 million Johnson Controls Performance Infrastructure contract
Johnson Controls will continue a 20-year relationship with Colorado State University-Pueblo (CSU-Pueblo) through a recent contract that enhances sustainability efforts through an improved infrastructure and a reduction in energy demands across the 278-acre campus, without capital expenditures. The university is on track to save $650,000 in the first year of the $12.5 million contract. The project addresses deferred maintenance, upgrades to existing equipment and systems and energy improvements over the next several years. Major elements include HVAC improvements, peak-shaving generators with distributed energy storage (battery storage), lighting improvements, water savings improvements, utility rate change and reduction. Engineers from the Colorado Energy Office provided collaborative guidance and consultative review of the Investment Grade Audit.
Colorado State University–Pueblo sorority to focus on alcohol awareness September 20
Colorado State University- Pueblo’s Alpha Sigma Alpha will host an alcohol awareness and drunk driving prevention program for students beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 20 in front of the Library and Academic Resources Center (LARC). Alpha Sigma Alpha member and event coordinator Stephanie Friesen organized this event in order to make more students aware of the dangers of drinking and driving and how important it is to drink responsibly.
August
Colorado State University System gift brings ThunderTron to CSU-Pueblo ThunderBowl
The Colorado State University System has provided a significant gift between its sister schools as it funded the transfer of a video display board from Hughes Stadium in Fort Collins to the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl at Colorado State University-Pueblo. Fans will get a chance to see the three-story video board when the #12 ranked ThunderWolves take on #16 Colorado Mines at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31.
CSU-Pueblo Foundation hosts ribbon cutting at Thunder Village commercial complex
The Colorado State University-Pueblo Foundation will hold a ribbon cutting at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, August 28 to mark the opening of Thunder Village, a 10,000-square-foot, $2.4 million commercial complex located just south of the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl. Thunder Village is a commercial development financed and managed by the CSU-Pueblo Foundation that will house three businesses and provide commercial services near the Belmont campus. No donor funds were used in transactions regarding the Thunder Village project. As the property manager, CSU-Pueblo will benefit from the rent collected from the occupants of Thunder Village.
Colorado State University–Pueblo music chair composes Strange Fruit opera
The Colorado State University–Pueblo Department of Music will soon bring to life an opera composed by one of its own, Dr. David Volk, associate professor and chair of music. The opera is based on the 1944 best-selling novel, Strange Fruit, by Lillian Smith, but the opera is nearly 30 years in the making. An open dress rehearsal, free to the public, will be presented at 7 p.m. on Saturday, August 26 in Hoag Recital Hall to be followed by performances at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 1, 8 p.m. on Saturday, September 2, and 7 p.m. on Sunday, September 2. All performances will be in Hoag Recital Hall. Tickets for these performances are $10 per person in advance and $15 per person at the door. For ticket information and reservations, call (719) 549-2552.
Colorado State University-Pueblo sponsors alumni, student events at Colorado State Fair
Colorado State University-Pueblo will sponsor events for alumni and area students as part of the 11-day Colorado State Fair, Aug. 25 - Sept. 4. CSU-Pueblo will sponsor Back to School Fridays at the Colorado State Fair, August 25 and Sept. 1, offering free admission to students K-12 from Pueblo County schools and the surrounding areas on those two days along with a free ThunderHill ticket to the Sept. 30 Band Day football contest versus Colorado Mesa, a free drink from Loaf N Jug, and half price carnival band. Rev 89 will broadcast from the Carnival area on those days, and the CSU-Pueblo presence will be visible through flags, banners, advertising, and giveaway items. Award-winning student operated radio station, Rev 89.5 FM, will broadcast live from the Colorado State Fair outside the Carnival Midway Entrance by the Small Animal Building on Aug. 25, 26, 27 as well as Sept. 1-3.
Retired NASA Engineer looks at Global Warming Controversy at CSU-Pueblo
A retired engineer from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will provide an objective look at the climate change controversy during a presentation at Colorado State University-Pueblo later this month. Hal Doiron, Ph.D., is a retired NASA engineer and chairman of the Right Climate Stuff Research Team. This team is primarily composed of NASA retirees who have been joined by several retired industry and university researchers to perform an objective assessment of the Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) controversy. In the 2010-2011-time period, Dr. James Hansen, also of NASA, was being widely quoted about an impending climate disaster, and NASA retirees from the manned space program were concerned that this prediction was without physical evidence to support the conclusion. It was feared that such unsupervised public declarations might damage the reputation of NASA as an objective science agency. Doiron will discuss how our current climate variations compare with historical variations at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29 in Life Sciences 103 on the CSU-Pueblo campus.
Colorado State University–Pueblo welcomes faculty, students to Fall 2017 Semester
Back to school events at CSU–Pueblo begin with a convocation week for faculty and staff in advance of the move in by new students on August 16. Fall classes begin on Monday, Aug. 21. New CSU-Pueblo President Timothy Mottet, who arrived July 1, will open the week with an address, “Writing our Story Together,” at 9 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 14 in Hoag Recital Hall. Fall 2017 Convocation will be held August 14-18 and will include a full week of college meetings, specialty workshops, and academic advising planned for faculty and staff. Additionally, the events provide information regarding the resources that are available to support the growth and development of the students. Faculty and staff will have an opportunity to take in a variety of workshops throughout the week, including sexual harassment, Starfish Instructor Training & Kuali Training, Recognizing Concerning & Disruptive Behavior on a College Campus, veterans’ issues, as well as updates on advising, DARS training, Advisor Training and Policy Updates.
Colorado State University–Pueblo hosts new freshmen at Discover Downtown Aug. 16
For the second straight year, Colorado State University-Pueblo has joined with a variety of community businesses and organizations to host nearly 700 freshmen and their parents at a Discover Downtown event. This year’s event, 4-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 16, is co-sponsored by CSU-Pueblo, Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo, Pueblo Downtown Association, Pueblo Parks and Recreation, the Pueblo Arts Alliance, El Pueblo History Museum, Professional Bull Riders, and the Greater Pueblo Chamber and Latino Chamber.
Colorado State University-Pueblo named top Colorado school for economic mobility
A national company specializing in career outcomes has named Colorado State University-Pueblo as the top Colorado school for helping students move up the economic ladder. Zippia recently ranked the top schools by state in terms of which ones have the largest percentage of students who enter in a low income bracket and wind up in a much higher earning position. The Zippia ranking aligns with the 2015 Brookings Institute report, which ranked CSU-Pueblo second among all four year institutions in the state of Colorado in terms of the value-added benefits it provides its students. The Brookings report, Beyond College Rankings: A Value-Added Approach to Assessing Two and Four-year Schools, used government and private data sources to analyze the value of colleges based on the economic success of its graduates by measuring income, occupations, and loan repayment rates.
July
Colorado State University-Pueblo Alumni Association announces board, officers
The Colorado State University-Pueblo Alumni Association has announced its members and officers for the 2017-18 academic year, which began July 1. The Alumni Association enhances the relationship among alumni, the university, and the community. Carol Rickman, a 1983 biology graduate, will serve as board president. Rickman is retired as a medical technologist at St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center. She also is known as the “mother” of Tundra, the University’s live mascot. Joining Rickman on the executive committee are: Brett Holland, A10, agent, State Farm Insurance, vice-president; Sommer Street, A99, assistant director of External Affairs at CSU-Pueblo, treasurer; and Mark Gregory, A89, agent, State Farm Insurance, at-large.
Colorado State University-Pueblo comes to agreement in lawsuit with former student
Colorado State University-Pueblo and Mr. Grant Neal have come to a satisfactory resolution in the legal matter involving the two parties. Neither party admits to any wrong doing, and both parties look forward to moving on from this matter.
Colorado State University – Pueblo Biology Professor part of Bird Collision Research
Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Claire Varian Ramos recently collaborated with 60 other researchers on a study of bird/window collisions conducted in part on the CSU-Pueblo campus. The study, recently published in the journal Biological Conservation, revealed that bird-window collisions are a major cause of mortality for migrating birds and that collision mortality may be reduced or eliminated by constructing buildings with smaller amounts of sheet glass and retrofitting windows in existing buildings with frit patterns on glass surfaces, which may make windows more visible to birds. Researchers estimate that nearly 1 billion birds die annually in North America after colliding with windows in the exterior walls of buildings. Numerous bird species are affected by bird-building collisions, including species important in conservation that are declining through their ranges.
Colorado State University-Pueblo Library has new art installations through AIPP
The Library and Academic Resources Center (LARC) at Colorado State University-Pueblo has two new pieces of artwork thanks to the required Art in Public Places (AIPP) statute for state-funded buildings. Wise Bear by Tony Pachak and Unity in Diversity by Lynn Chapman were selected through a project jury process administered for the State through Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) from applications submitted by local artists. The two paintings, installed on the second floored of LARC, were purchased with funds associated with the renovation of CSU-Pueblo's Modular Data Center. Due to the nature of that building and the budget, the committee elected to purchase existing artworks from Pueblo-based artists and hang those works in a location accessible to the public. Permanent plaques recognizing the artists’ contributions and the AIPP program also will be installed near the paintings.
Colorado State University-Pueblo Names Director of Institute of Cannabis Research
Colorado State University-Pueblo officials have announced the hiring of Wendy MacColl, director of eLearning at Pikes Peak Community College (PPCC), as the permanent director of the Institute of Cannabis Research (ICR) beginning Monday, July 17. She replaces Jen Mullen, who retired June 30 after serving as interim managing director since Nov. 1, 2016. MacColl will provide oversight of all ICR research and programming, including the international conference and the research journal, in conjunction with the institute’s steering committee. She also will manage the research grant review and funding process and will be responsible for the overall ICR budget revenue and expenses.
CSU–Pueblo confers degrees for 642 students in Fall 16 and Spring 17
Colorado State University-Pueblo recently confirmed degrees for 642 students, earned during the Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 semesters. Of these graduates, 99 graduated Cum Laude (CL) earning a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.5. Sixty three (63) students graduated Magna Cum Laude (MC) earning a minimum GPA of 3.75, and forty six (46) students graduated Summa Cum Laude (SC) earning a minimum 3.9 GPA out of a possible 4.0. These students were eligible to participate in the Commencement Ceremony that took place Saturday, May 6, at the Southwest Motors Events Center. A listing of Summer 2017 graduates will be released in September.
Colorado State University–Pueblo Greek organization earns national awards
Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Alpha Zeta Chapter Alpha Psi Lambda was among those recognized at Alpha Psi Lambda Fraternity's National House of Delegates held in Houston, Texas last month. Alpha Zeta Chapter Alpha Psi Lambda won Chapter of the Year and Denver native Fredlina Atencio, associate member educator, earned an award for Outstanding Campus Leadership. CSU-Pueblo became the first Alpha Psi Lambda National fraternity accepted by the El Cuartelejo colony of Alpha Psi Lambda in both Colorado and in the Southwest on November 15, 2015. Alpha Psi Lambda is a co-educational, and Latino-oriented extramural fraternity with 31 chapters and four colonies. Alpha Psi Lambda National, Inc. announced that as of June 24, 2017, the CSU-Pueblo fraternity had been named an official chapter.
June
Top CSU–Pueblo graduate earns prestigious history scholarship
Heather Riganti of Colorado Springs, 2017 recipient of Colorado State University-Pueblo’s top student honor, spent six days in New York City June 4-9 as one of 15 recipients of the Gilder Lehrman History Scholar Award. Riganti, recipient of the 2017 Threlkeld Prize for Excellence in April, graduated summa cum laude (4.0 GPA) in May with degrees in history (secondary education emphasis) and psychology and a minor in sociology. The Gilder Lehrman History Scholar Award is awarded to 15 juniors or seniors who meet the standards of academic excellences in American History and are pillars in their communities. In the fall, Riganti will teach 11th grade American history and 9th grade government courses at Kendrick High School in the Muscogee County School District in Columbus, Georgia.
Upward Bound Program at CSU-Pueblo renewed for five years with $2 million +
Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Upward Bound (UB) program has been awarded a five-year grant of more than $2 million from the U.S. Department of Education to continue facilitating education and preparing youth for success in postsecondary studies. For the 2017-18 year, the CSU-Pueblo grant will total just over $403,000. CSU-Pueblo has offered an Upward Bound program since 1968, equipping participants with critical skills necessary to thrive and succeed in postsecondary education. Services are provided annually to 90 eligible secondary school youths who demonstrate the motivation and commitment necessary for graduating high school and excelling in college.
CSU-Pueblo student selected for 2017 Hispanic College Quiz Show
A Colorado State University-Pueblo senior has been selected as one of 12 participants in the 2017 State Farm Hispanic College Quiz (HCQ) show series, through which students from Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) member institutions compete for scholarships by answering questions on Latino history in a game show format. The series, sponsored by State Farm and produced by Central City Productions in partnership with the HACU, consists of four half-hour quiz shows on Hispanic/Latino history that offer a $3000 scholarship to the winners of each show, totaling four awards during the series.
CSU-Pueblo Forensics Team hosts third Rocky Mountain Cooperative June 25-July 1
The Colorado State University-Pueblo Forensics Team will host its 3rd and largest Rocky Mountain Debate Cooperative (RMC) on campus June 25-July 1. Participants will learn about National Parliamentary Debate Association (NPDA) style from some of the best debate coaches in the country. This year, coaches hail from Arkansas State University, Colorado College, CSU-Pueblo, Concordia University-Irvine, University of Colorado, Boulder, University of Nevada, Reno, and the University of Utah. The RMC will host students representing 14 different institutions for the intensive five-day camp. During the duration of the camp, students will hear 15 different lectures, participate in almost a dozen practice debates, and compete in a tournament to crown a camp champion.
CSU-Pueblo Bass Fishing Club helps local teen qualify for Junior World Fishing Championship
Thanks to encouragement and mentoring from Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Bass Club Team President Tyler Hassler, local teen angler Dillon Robertshaw won the Bass Federation's Youth Bass Fishing State Championship last weekend at Lake Pueblo Reservoir. Robertshaw and Hassler will travel in August to South Carolina to compete in the Junior World Championships.
CSU-Pueblo announces memorial service, scholarship for beloved biology professor
Colorado State University-Pueblo has announced details for memorial services and a scholarship established for Biology Professor Dr. Dan Caprioglio, who died in a bicycle accident June 9 on Colorado Highway 47. A campus memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 22 in Hoag Recital Hall to be followed by a reception in Hoag Hall Foyer. A second service will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 6 at Christ the King Parish, 1708 Horseshoe Drive. His wife, Helen, assistant provost for assessment, has established a scholarship for undergraduate research in Dan’s honor with the CSU-Pueblo Foundation to carry on Dan's legacy and benefit undergraduate research for CSU-Pueblo students.
CSU-Pueblo Music Department hosts music, adventure camp
The Music Department at Colorado State University-Pueblo will host its annual Southern Colorado Music Adventure Camp for kids July 10-15 in Hoag Recital Hall. The camp allows students ages 6-18 to work with prominent music faculty to advance their musical careers as well as enjoy the great Colorado outdoors. Complete information as well as an application is available at https://www.csupueblo.edu/music/festivals/southern-colorado-adventure-music-camp.html
CSU-Pueblo School of Nursing hosts 5k in partnership with the NAMI on June 25
The School of Nursing at Colorado State University–Pueblo will host a community 5k in partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) on Sunday, June 25 at the CSU-Pueblo ThunderBowl to spread awareness of suicide and suicide prevention within the Pueblo community. The “Run for Life 5K” seeks to target and combat the high suicide rate amongst teens and youth within the Pueblo community by raising awareness, and with the funds raised, implementing ideas that will diminish the occurrences.
May
Colorado State University–Pueblo announces 2017 Spring Dean’s List
The following 1095 students have been named to the 2017 Spring Semester Dean’s List at Colorado State University-Pueblo. The list recognizes undergraduate degree-seeking students who have completed 12 or more credit hours with a minimum grade-point-average of 3.5. Those 378 students whose names appear with an asterisk (*) earned a perfect 4.0 grade-point-average. The students are listed by country, state, and town.
CSU-Pueblo to interview three finalists for ICR Director
CSU-Pueblo will interview three finalists in early June for the permanent position of director of the Institute of Cannabis Research. Interviews will take place during the week of June 5, with the new director to begin work on July 1.
CSU-Pueblo music professor conducts/teaches in China
A Colorado State University-Pueblo music professor has spent the last year in East Asia, conducting and assisting bands and symphony orchestras made up of musicians from primary school age to professional. Dr. Alan W. Mills, associate professor and director of bands, is serving a one-year residency in the Culture and Art Education Center of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, located in Chengdu. As a visiting adjunct professor, he is conducting the University Symphony Orchestra and teaching classes in Classical Western Music and Jazz History. This fall, he will return for his 10th year at CSU-Pueblo as conductor of the Wind Ensemble, director of the University Band and ThunderWolves Marching Band, as well as instructor of music education classes.
CSU–Pueblo names 2017-2018 President Leadership Program Class
Twenty students have been named to the 2017-2018 freshman class of the President’s Leadership Program (PLP) at Colorado State University – Pueblo. The students were selected by a committee of campus and community board members and students from the PLP program. Currently in its 18th year, the PLP program is one of 11 higher education institutions to participate in the Colorado Leadership Alliance, a consortium of comprehensive leadership education programs at undergraduate institutions across Colorado. Through shared resources and collaborative efforts, CLA aims to develop the next generation of Colorado's leaders. The PLP develops and trains emerging leaders at CSU-Pueblo through an academic leadership program focused on academics, service and experiential learning. PLP students also earn a minor in leadership studies.
CSU-Pueblo Student Recreation Center hosts Multi-Sport and Adventure Day Camps
The Student Recreation Center (SRC) at Colorado State University-Pueblo again will offer a Multi-Sport & Adventure Camp this summer for kids entering grades K-5 and 6-8. Camps will be held at the SRC at CSU-Pueblo from 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Half day sessions also are available from 7:30 a.m.-noon or noon-5:30 p.m. Participants will enjoy a variety of sports and adventure activities with an emphasis on FUN, learning, and participation. Six sessions will be offered throughout the summer during the following weeks: June 5-9, June 12-16, June 19-23, June 26-30, July 10-14, and July 17-21.
CSU-Pueblo offers Summer Transportation Institute, June 12-23
Secondary school students can investigate the transportation industry as a possible career choice as part of a two-week, non-residential National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) at Colorado State University - Pueblo in June. CSU – Pueblo civil engineering technology faculty will conduct the Institute from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. June 12 to 23 for students in grades 6 through 8 attending public or private schools in Colorado. Students interested in the program are encouraged to apply immediately. Space in the program is limited to a maximum of 20 students, who will receive a full scholarship, covering tuition, daily transportation to and from School (in Pueblo County), stationery, laboratory usage and supplies, field trips, and meals during the two-week course being sponsored by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and financed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
CSU-Pueblo nursing students co-sponsor community baby shower
New and expectant mothers can arm themselves with knowledge necessary to raise a happy, healthy, and safe child at the 7th annual Community Baby Shower presented by the Pueblo Early Childhood Council and the Colorado State University-Pueblo Nursing Department. The free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 6 at the Praise Assembly of God Church in Pueblo, 2000 Troy Avenue.
Colorado State University-Pueblo MERIT programs earn state “model” status
Two departments at Colorado State University-Pueblo have completed a successful five-year program supported by a Title III grant through the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition and earned a model program designation from the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) . The grant sought to improve the number of English as a Second Language endorsements among teachers and create a communications vehicle through which educators and their school districts could share best practices. Natalie Brown, project director of MERIT (Magnifying Educational Results in Teaching), said the CDE described Project MERIT as a "model program" for its Culturally & Linguistically Diverse endorsement program that exceeded all of the goals outlined in its grant proposal. The program is coordinated through the English/Foreign Languages and Teacher Education departments.
2017 Smithsonian Interns Announced at Colorado State University-Pueblo
Colorado State University-Pueblo will send six students to Washington, D.C. May 31-July 1 to intern in the nation’s capital through a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution. The six internships include housing covered by the university and a small stipend for expenses through an agreement that is the only one of its kind between the Smithsonian-at-large and a university in the state of Colorado. Some positions may be paid, and students also may earn up to three hours of internship credit for completing the experience. The interns will learn and work at a variety of Smithsonian facilities, including the Office of Protection Services, Digital Archives Management, Freer Gallery of Art, Traveling Exhibition Services, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
CSU-Pueblo announces results of 23rd annual design contest
For the 23rd year, the College of Education, Engineering, and Professional Studies at Colorado State University-Pueblo announces the competition results of its annual design contest. Nearly 250 middle and high school students created seven engineering design projects on April 8 on the CSU-Pueblo campus. In the high school competition, Pueblo West and Pueblo County’s School of Engineering and Biomedical Sciences tied for first, while Pueblo’s Connect Charter School and Pueblo School of Arts and Sciences placed first and second in the middle school category.
CSU-Pueblo Ballet Folklorico returns from Texas with numerous top three awards
Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Ballet Folklorico brought home a number of top three finishes from the fifth annual Competencia Folklórica de Tejas in Corpus Christi, Texas. Twenty-one dance groups, including 176 dance entries from among 604 dancers from the U.S. and Mexico participated in the event at the American Bank Center's Selena Auditorium, hosted by Alcorta's Compania de Danza Folklorica of Corpus Christi. The competition was sponsored by the prestigious Association of National Folkloric Groups.
April
CSU-Pueblo honors outstanding faculty and staff at luncheon
Outstanding faculty and staff leaders at Colorado State University – Pueblo were honored at a recognition luncheon held on Wednesday, April 19. Field Experience Coordinator in the Teacher Education Program Jeremiah Blaha was recognized as the 2017 Outstanding Professional Employee, while Extended Studies Administrative Assistant Juanita Sanchez was named the Outstanding Classified Employee. Claire Ramos, assistant professor of biology, earned the top faculty honor for Faculty Excellence in Teaching. The Library Information Management Team earned the Outstanding Team Award. Also honored at the luncheon were recent retirees of the University and individuals who achieved a service milestone for employment during the past academic year from five to 35 years. A moment of silence also was observed for staff members and students who passed away within the last academic year.
CSU–Pueblo honors Riganti with Threlkeld Prize as top senior
A veteran and Fort Carson community volunteer has been named the 2017 recipient of the Threlkeld Prize for Excellence at Colorado State University-Pueblo. As the Threlkeld recipient, Heather Riganti, Colorado Springs, will receive the first diploma of the ceremony when she graduates with a bachelor’s degree in history (secondary education emphasis) and psychology and a minor in sociology on Saturday, May 6 at the Southwest Motors Events Center at the Colorado State Fair. Named for the late Budge Threlkeld, a former administrator and professor, the award is presented to a graduating senior who demonstrates excellence in academic and co-curricular activities as well as in service to the University and to the community. Riganti was selected from four finalists for the Prize, and the winner was honored at the Student Involvement and Leadership Awards ceremony at CSU-Pueblo on Wednesday, April 19 in Hoag Recital Hall.
CSU-Pueblo recognizes Holocaust Remembrance Day
Colorado State University-Pueblo will sponsor a day of activities, including a memorial service, personal testimony, lectures, and a display on Monday, April 24 in recognition of Holocaust Remembrance Day. Throughout the day, an educational display about the Holocaust will featured in the Library and Academic Resources Center (LARC), and PRIZM members will distribute identification cards. All events are open to the public at no charge and will be held in the LARC Auditorium 109, unless otherwise noted.
CSU-Pueblo Mass Comm Department to Honor Commencement Speaker
The Department of Mass Communications and Center for New Media (MCCNM) at Colorado State University-Pueblo has honored Jeff Hullinger, the 2017 CSU-Pueblo commencement speaker, with its Distinguished Alumni Award. Hullinger is an Emmy-Award winning Atlanta broadcaster and 1980 graduate of CSU-Pueblo’s mass communications program. The department’s Distinguished Alumni Award has been awarded to just 45 alumni of the department out of more than 1,500 graduates of the program. The award is given in honor of individuals’ distinguished careers in mass communications from the local to national level, with small or large organizations. This year’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipient was announced at the annual mass communications scholarship/awards banquet on April 13 at the Pueblo Country Club. A reception honoring Hullinger as the award recipient will be co-hosted by MCCNM and the CSU-Pueblo Alumni Association at 4 p.m. on May 5, when Hullinger returns to Pueblo to given the commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 6 at the Colorado State Fair Events Center.
New major in Wildlife and Natural Resources
With seed funding from the Colorado State University System and collaboration with CSU in Fort Collins, Colorado State University-Pueblo will offer a new bachelor’s degree this fall in Wildlife and Natural Resources (WANR) with Aquatic and Terrestrial emphases that will lead to professional certifications with the American Fisheries Society or The Wildlife Society. The WANR degree is one of five new programs recently approved by the CSU System Board of Governors to be implemented over the next few years. The four other programs will be a Doctor of Nursing Practice, master’s degrees in social work and athletic training, and a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. The WANR degree will be the first to be offered after earning approval last week by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.
Dr. Timothy Mottet announced as next President of CSU-Pueblo
Dr. Timothy Mottet will become the 15th president of Colorado State University - Pueblo, bringing with him a varied leadership career in academia and in private industry, and a focus on building an innovative, results-driven community of learning. The CSU System Board of Governors announced the selection of Mottet to succeed the current president of CSU-Pueblo, Lesley Di Mare, when she retires June 30.
CSU-Pueblo announces 12 Kane and Gersick Foundation Scholars for fall
Colorado State University-Pueblo has announced 12 local students who will receive full-ride scholarships through the CSU-Pueblo Foundation. Eight high-achieving students will receive the Kane Family Foundation Scholarship, and four have earned the Jennie and Albert Gersick Family Foundation Scholarship. Students were selected based on their high school academic record, written submissions, and a competitive two-tier interview process. Both the Kane and Gersick Scholarships cover the recipients’ tuition, book expenses, and mandatory fees in pursuit of a four-year bachelor’s degree. The 2017 CSU-Pueblo Gersick Scholars are: Alex Autobee (Pueblo West), Mikayla Hoffman (Pueblo West), Elena Pinckard (Pueblo County SEBS), and Cailey Sweckard (Pueblo South). The 2017 Kane Scholars are: Alexander Daugherty (Pueblo West), Dara Harris (Pueblo South), Mark Hedrick (Pueblo County SEBS), Alexandria (Lexie) Hernandez (Pueblo West High School), Tezla Neighbours (Pueblo Centennial), Cara Siegel (Pueblo Centennial), Amber Vaught (Pueblo West), and Raena Vigil (Pueblo East).
CSU-Pueblo Announces Top Four Students for Threlkeld Prize for Excellence
Colorado State University-Pueblo has selected four students as candidates for the prestigious Threlkeld Prize for Excellence. The finalists were selected from a pool of candidates compiled from nominations by CSU-Pueblo faculty and staff from various University departments. The winner of the Threlkeld Prize for excellence will be announced at the Student Involvement and Leadership Awards ceremony at beginning at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19 in Hoag Recital Hall. Named for the late Budge Threlkeld, a former administrator and professor, the award is presented to a graduating senior who demonstrates excellence in academic and co-curricular activities as well as in service to the University and to the community. The Threlkeld winner will receive a stipend as well as the first diploma during Commencement Ceremonies on Saturday, May 6 at the Colorado State Fair Events Center.
CSU-Pueblo hosts new CDHE Executive Director Hunter Reed
As part of a state-wide tour of higher education institutions, new Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) Executive Director Dr. Kim Hunter Reed will be in Pueblo Thursday, April 20 to visit Pueblo Community College and Colorado State University-Pueblo. During her campus visits, Reed plans to meet with presidents, students, faculty, administrators and community members. She will tour the campuses and hold roundtable discussions on higher education issues and trends.
Adult Entrepreneurs vie for prizes
Student and adult entrepreneurs will vie for prizes this weekend as part of the fourth annual entrepreneurship competition formerly known as the Pueblo Entrepreneurship Competition. The event has a new name, the SOCO Entrepreneurship Competition, but has kept the same idea of inspiring and developing new entrepreneurs in the Pueblo community. Coordinated by Colorado State University – Pueblo’s Hasan School of Business Healy Center, Junior Achievement, and supported by local sponsors such as Bank of the San Juans and Little Caesars, this competition gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to change an idea into reality. The student competition will be held on Friday, April 14 in Hoag Recital Hall on the CSU-Pueblo campus, with the adult competition on Saturday, April 15 at the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center, 210 North Santa Fe Avenue. This year’s competitions will see Diana Hall, a winner from the 2013 Adult competition, as the featured speaker for the adult competition beginning at 6:45 p.m. on April 15. Entrepreneurs Jake Jabbs and Mike Zavislan will speak at the student competition at 4:30 p.m. on April 14. The event features local celebrities and business leaders as judges and emcees for each competition.
CSU-Pueblo SOCO Reading series offers poetry event
Colorado State University-Pueblo will host an afternoon of poetry featuring CantoMundo poets Carolina Ebeid and J. Michael Martinez at 3 p.m. on Friday, April 14 in General Classroom Building 213. The reading is free with light refreshments and authors' books for sale. The event is brought to by P4, the Office of Student Activities, the SoCo Reading Series.
CSU-Pueblo students earn top engineering ACEC scholarships
Engineering students from Colorado State University-Pueblo have earned two of the top scholarships offered by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Colorado. The awards were presented at a scholarship reception Thursday, March 30 at the Lakewood Country Club, where students had the opportunity to meet and network with ACEC Colorado-member firm principals and employees, as well as to learn more about consulting engineering. The ACEC Colorado Scholarship Committee awarded $37,500 in scholarships to students in engineering programs for the 2017-18 academic year. The following CSU-Pueblo students will earn $11,000 in scholarships from the $37,500 total. Jordan Becker - $6000 Leonard Rick Memorial Scholarship, a junior civil engineering technology major from Fountain Caleb Johnson - $5000, William Russell Stoneman Scholarship, a junior civil engineering technology major from Castle Rock
CSU-Pueblo hosts forum on cannabis and homelessness April 12
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ (CHASS) Center for Social and Economic Justice and the Cannabis Policy Initiative at Colorado State University-Pueblo will host a presentation on trends in homelessness by Dr. Donald Burnes, founder and board chair of The Burnes Center on Poverty and Homelessness at the University of Denver. The discussion, “Cannabis and Homelessness: Fact vs. Fiction,” will begin at noon on April 12 in Psychology 205.The event is free and open to the public. Participants are invited to bring their lunch with them to the forum. The mission of the Burnes Center at DU is to inform policymakers and practitioners about issues related to homelessness, to impact policies and practices, and to transform the lives of people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
CSU–Pueblo hosts Rocky Mountain Mathematical conference
Colorado State University-Pueblo will host speakers, student activities, book sales, and more as part of the 100th anniversary meeting of the Rocky Mountain Section of the Mathematics Association of America (MAA), April 21-22. Keynote addresses will cover topics such as how math is used to create better and more realistic blockbuster movies like Star Wars, Avatar, and Frozen, and how math aids in facial recognition. The weekend's agenda will include a Friday Pre-Conference Workshop (Active Learning Bootcamp) and a Friday evening banquet at Pueblo Community College. Other happenings include a return of Student Jeopardy, door prizes from generous vendors, a 100th anniversary scavenger hunt, and special networking opportunities. A complete schedule of events may be found at: http://sections.maa.org/rockymt/maa2017/maa2017.html
CSU-Pueblo to host summer Maestro program July 10-August 11
This summer, students can experience an innovative model of instruction during a month-long residential program for which they can earn up to 15 credit hours from Colorado State University-Pueblo. CSU-Pueblo will offer the “MAESTRO” Summer Program from July 10-August 11 for a maximum of 40 students interested in earning college credit while participating in a unique, hands-on curriculum and exploring the Southwest during day-long Saturday excursions. The cost of the 30-day program is $2900 per person, which covers room, board, tuition, books, and all off-campus trips to historical and industrial sites in Southern Colorado. Students may earn General Education credits in computer information systems, English, history, and elective credits in Outdoor Pursuits as part of the program. Acceptance to CSU-Pueblo and an enrollment deposit for the fall 2017 semester at CSU-Pueblo are required prior to registering for the MAESTRO Summer Program. The priority deadline for enrollment is June 15, 2017. Financial aid may be used to cover the total cost of the program.
March
Colorado State University – Pueblo Forensics earn respect, recognition at nationals
The Colorado State University-Pueblo Forensics Team competed in two national tournaments over the last few weeks, including the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence it hosted on the CSU-Pueblo campus. In that tournament, 50 teams vied for the national title. During preliminary rounds, Eliana Taylor, senior from Longmont, and Max Groznik, sophomore from Portland, OR, were seeded 5th seed heading into the elimination rounds. After a 3-0 win over McKendree University in elimination round one, the team lost their next two rounds to the University of Utah and Parliamentary Debate at Berkeley. The team finished 19th overall, securing CSU-Pueblo’s best finish at the NPTE National Tournament. Two days after the conclusion of the NPTE, the Forensics Team competed in the National Parliamentary Debate Association National Championship held at Colorado College. Groznik and Taylor earned individual honors.
Colorado State University – Pueblo receives $35,000 for Boundless Opportunity
The Colorado State University-Pueblo Foundation has received a $35,000 scholarship grant from the Daniels Foundation - Boundless Opportunity Scholarship (BOS). The Boundless Opportunity Scholarship grant will be spread over two years and will benefit those motivated junior and senior non-traditional students who recognize the power of education to create a better life for themselves and their families.
Colorado State University – Pueblo Political Science Club hosts immigration forum
Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Political Science Club will host an open forum on immigration as part of its year end dinner and student awards on Wednesday, April 26. A panel of experts will address the topic from their occupational views beginning at 6 p.m. in the General Classroom Building 110. Panelists will include CSU-Pueblo Political Science Professor Gayle Berardi, who will provide an academic perspective of immigration in the United States; Steve Turza, a retired U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent, who will discuss immigration in the context of law enforcement; and Amber Blasingame, an Immigration Attorney at Hanes & Bartels LLC, who will explicate the topic of immigration under the purview of law. Former U. S. Congressman Tom Tancredo, also a former member of the Colorado House of Representatives, will detail immigration from a state and national government perspective.
The AIM department and Automotive Booster Club host fundraiser events at CSU-Pueblo
The Automotive Booster Club (ABC) and the department of Automotive Industry Management (AIM) at Colorado State University Pueblo will host the 12th Annual James G. Ward Memorial Fundraiser Golf Tournament at 9 a.m. on Friday, April 14 at Walking Stick Golf Course and the 8th Annual Sefcovic Memorial Auto Show 10 a.m., April 15 in the campus parking lot east of the Technology Building. The golf tournament has an entry fee of $90 per player or $360 per team, which includes 18 holes, golf cart, lunch, and entry for awards. Registration deadline for the tournament is April 7. Contact Lucas Marler at 720.789.4831 or luke_marler@yahoo.com for more information. Entry forms with payments can be mailed to Automotive Booster Club Attn: CSU Pueblo AIM Department, T263, Bonforte Blvd., Pueblo CO, 81001. Businesses or AIM enthusiasts may sponsor one of the 18 holes for $100 each. Monetary donations and products for raffle are also greatly appreciated by the ABC members. The AIM Auto Show is free and open to the public. Auto registration before April 7 will be $10 and from April 8 to April 15 will be $15 (only one category per car). Entry forms with payments can be mailed to CSU-Pueblo AIM Attn: Car Show, 2200 Bonforte Blvd. Pueblo, CO 81001. Vendors are also welcome to set up at the event (no food vendors) $20 per booth and pre-registration is required.
Finalists announced in CSU-Pueblo president search
In the search for Colorado State University-Pueblo’s next president, four finalists will visit campus to meet with stakeholders from across the university community. The campus visits are scheduled March 27 – April 4, with each candidate visiting for two days during that timeframe.
Institute of Cannabis Research Announces International Conference Lineup
The Institute of Cannabis Research (ICR) at Colorado State University-Pueblo has released the preliminary program for its international, multidisciplinary cannabis research conference set for April 28-30, on the CSU-Pueblo campus. The conference is open to the public with a registration fee of $350 per person.
Colorado State University-Pueblo hosts “Let’s Move” Day for Pueblo youth April 8
Students and faculty in the Exercise Science, Health Promotion, and Recreation Department at Colorado State University-Pueblo will host a day dedicated to promoting active, healthy lifestyles for children in kindergarten through 8th grade. The event is free of charge. As part of the national “Let’s Move” campaign, CSU-Pueblo will lead a day of free activities, demonstrations, and access to health-related vendors from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 8 on the CSU-Pueblo campus. The event will be held at Massari Arena beginning with registration at 8:30 a.m. A full range of activities and demonstrations will be featured between 9 a.m. and noon including but not limited to rock wall climbing, bouncy house, yoga, and other sport activities, as well as booths by several health-related vendors. The first 300 participants will receive a free t-shirt and goodie bag.
CSU-Pueblo Foundation Gains Two Scholarship Funds Benefitting Southern Colorado Students
The Colorado State University-Pueblo Foundation recently received funds to establish two scholarships to benefit students attending the university from southern Colorado. The Jennie & Albert Gersick Foundation will fund four full-tuition and fee scholarships for students of Pueblo County. The Foundation also received a scholarship from the family of James J. Vigil, which established an endowed scholarship for nursing students from southern Colorado.
CSU-Pueblo Center for Teaching and Learning hosts Carl Hart
As part of its ongoing public lecture series, The Center for Teaching and Learning at Colorado State University-Pueblo will host a Columbia University professor of psychology who advocates the use of science in the formation of drug policy. Dr. Carl Hart is chair of the Department of Psychology at Columbia University and the Dirk Ziff Professor of Psychology in the Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry. He was the first tenured African American professor of sciences at Columbia University and has won numerous awards, including Columbia University’s Presidential Teaching Award and the Humanitarian Award from Mothers Against Teen Violence. Hart will present “Federal Marijuana Policies and Racial Discrimination” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 27 in Hoag Recital Hall on the CSU-Pueblo campus. The event is free and open to the public.
CSU-Pueblo Hosts National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence March 19-21
The Colorado State University-Pueblo Forensics Team will host the 2017 National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence (NPTE) March 19-21. During the tournament, the top 50 teams from 23 different colleges representing 12 states will compete to be crowned the national champion. CSU-Pueblo’s own Eliana Taylor, senior from Longmont, and Max Groznik, sophomore from Portland, OR, will be among those vying for the title. Throughout the season, which runs September – February, teams compete at invitational tournaments, earning points based on their competitive success both in preliminary and elimination rounds. On January 1, teams that had accumulated 18 points after the first semester earned a First Round Bid to the NPTE, which was followed by the Second Round Bids on February 1. At-Large Bids were distributed on February 27 to bring the total to 50 teams.
Konciljas, Occhiatos, and Mullen to be honored at CSU-Pueblo President’s Gala
Jim and Joe Koncilja, Mike and Joyce Occhiato, and Jennifer Mullen will be honored as part of the Colorado State University-Pueblo 2017 President’s Gala, A Tuscan Tribute, on Saturday, May 20 at the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center. Proceeds from the Gala directly benefit future generations of CSU-Pueblo students through scholarships and programs. This will be the final gala for CSU-Pueblo President Lesley Di Mare, who will retire from the University on June 30. The 2017 President’s Gala will begin at 6 p.m. with cocktails in the foyer and paseo of the Arts and Conference Center. Tickets for the 2017 President’s Gala are $125 per person or $1,500 for a corporate table of 8. Information on tickets, sponsorships, and corporate tables is available through the CSU-Pueblo Foundation, 719.549.2380, or at www.csupueblogala.com.
February
CSU-Pueblo hosts second SoCo reading series event of Spring
Colorado State University-Pueblo will host a special matinee reading for the SoCo Reading Series, featuring award-winning poets Nicky Beer and Wayne Miller at 3 p.m. on Friday, March 10 Library and Academic Resources Center 108.
CSU–Pueblo hosts employers this week at annual Career Fair
Colorado State University-Pueblo will host more than 70 local, regional, state, and national employers expected to offer employment to new college graduates at the annual Spring Career Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1 in the Student Recreation Center.
CSU-Pueblo hosts the 5th Annual Bea Spade Memorial Lecture Series
The Colorado State University-Pueblo History Program along with the History Club and Alpha Theta Kappa Honor Society presents Dr. Matthew Pinsker from Dickinson College as the speaker for the fifth annual Bea Spade Memorial Lecture Series, March 14-15. The series honors the memory of CSU-Pueblo Historian Beatrice Spade, who passed away in the summer of 2012, and celebrates the study of history at CSU-Pueblo. Additional sponsors include the University Library, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Associated Students’ Government.
CSU-Pueblo to recognize donors to Chicano Movement Archives
Colorado State University-Pueblo will recognize two families who recently contributed to the Chicano Movement Archives in the University Library as part of an author visit next week at the Rawlings Library. The CSU-Pueblo Archives will honor the sister and family of Una Jaakola and Juan and Deborah Mora Espinosa at a reception at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23 in the InfoZone of the Rawlings Library, 100 E Abriendo. Una Jaakola was a member of the Los Seis de Boulder, a group of Chicano leaders who died in car bombings in 1974. The family has donated her artifacts and letters to the Archives. The second gift is a set of 26 teaching murals entitled Los Tres Mil Dias De La Revolucion (The 3000 days of the Revolution), which were published in Morales, Mexico in the 1960s. The Espinosas have donated the illustrated paper murals from the collection to the University Archives.
Jazz Concert with award-winning saxophonist
Colorado State University-Pueblo will host a first-ever musical collaboration with sister institution CSU-Ft. Collins as the CSU-Ft. Collins Jazz Ensemble and Director Peter Sommer will team with CSU-Pueblo Jazz Ensemble I and Director Ryan Van Gilder for a free concert at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8 in Hoag Recital Hall. The concert also will feature Grammy award-winning baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan Smulyan is a four-time winner of the Down Beat Critic’s and Reader’s Poll’s and a multiple winner of numerous other official polls including the Jazz Journalists Award for Baritone Saxophonist of the Year. He is a six-time GRAMMY award winner for his work with B.B. King, Lovano, Holland and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.
CSU-Pueblo hosts Embracing Compassion Lives of the Dalai Lama exhibition
Colorado State University-Pueblo is hosting the first public United States showing of the artwork included in the Embracing Compassion - Lives of the Dalai Lama exhibition in the Fine Arts Gallery through March 3. The exhibit will continue to travel across the U.S. and internationally. This unique series of 16 Thangkas (commissioned by the current Dalai Lama depicts the lineage of the Dalai Lamas in each of their incarnations, up to the Fourteenth, Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. The exhibition is free and open to the public. The Fine Arts Gallery is open from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Art/Music Building of the CSU-Pueblo campus. A lecture on Buddhism and a guided meditation will be held in the gallery beginning at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 2.
CSU-Pueblo Forensics Teams Takes second at Missouri Classic
While the Colorado State University-Pueblo Forensics Team is gearing up to host a national tournament on campus March 19-21, it found time to grab second place at the Missouri Classic, held at the University of Missouri on February 11-12. The tournament was one of the largest competitions of the season, featuring 13 different colleges from states across the country. Senior Eliana Taylor, Longmont, and sophomore Max Groznik, Portland OR, finished 4-3 in their preliminary rounds, with wins against Missouri Western State University, Carleton College, Texas Tech University, and William Jewell College. The team won four straight elimination rounds to find themselves in the final round of competition, debating the topic, “The United States Federal Government should impose term limits for congressional members.” Defending the negative side of the topic, the team lost on a 2-1 decision to Washburn University in what Forensics Coach Kathryn Starkey calls “the team’s best performance of the season.”
Native Voices exhibit includes full schedule of events at CSU-Pueblo
Colorado State University-Pueblo will host a variety of events in March and April in association with the Native Voices: Native Peoples’ Concepts of Health and Illness exhibit on display in the Library and Academic Resources Center (LARC) through April 13. Event topics will include healing across native cultures, the elemental foundations of medicine practices, women doctors on the Colorado frontier, and the Dakota Access Pipeline. The final event will be an interactive petroglyph exhibit for children.
CSU- Pueblo to Host Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame Exhibit at Pueblo West Library
The Women's Studies program at Colorado State University-Pueblo in conjunction with Pueblo West Library will host a portrait exhibition from the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in celebration of Women's History Month in March. The exhibition celebrates and informs the university and Pueblo communities about the enduring contributions of extraordinary Colorado women. The Women’s Hall of Fame exhibit will run from March 1-17. At 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1, Betty Heid, chair of the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame, will open the exhibition at a small launch held at Pueblo West Library. She will speak about the Women's Hall of Fame. Other brief comments will be made by other representatives, including Marina Cunin Borer, chair of CSU-Pueblo’s Women's Studies program and Frank Vidana from the Pueblo West Library. The event is free and open to the public.
CSU-Pueblo to honor outstanding teachers at March 2 event
Outstanding educators from Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Teacher Education program will be honored at the inaugural Alumni Educator Hall of Fame induction and Alumni Teacher of the Year Awards on Thursday, March 2 at El Pueblo Museum, 301 N. Union Ave. The event is co-sponsored by the Teacher Education Program and the Office of Alumni Relations. The cost is $10 per person, payable at the door. Check in begins at 5:30 p.m. following by dinner at 6 p.m. and the awards presentation. According to CSU-Pueblo Student Teaching and Field Experience Director Jeremiah Blaha, the department wanted to celebrate alumni who have made outstanding achievements in the educational field, particularly in Colorado. The Hall of Fame is reserved for alumni who have demonstrated 15+ years of outstanding achievement in the field of education. A wall containing photographs and short biographies will be dedicated in the coming months. The Alumni Teacher of the Year awards aim to recognize recent graduates who are making an impact on the youth of Colorado.
Emmy Award Winning Alum to Present Commencement Address
An Emmy-Award winning Atlanta broadcaster and 1980 graduate of Colorado State University-Pueblo will share his insights with graduates in May. Jeff Hullinger will present the Commencement Address during the spring ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 6 at the Colorado State Fair Southwest Motors Events Center. Hullinger currently co-anchors the 5, 6, 10 and 11 p.m. weeknight news on 11Alive WXIA-TV NBC in Atlanta, Ga., and also anchors the weeknight sports segments. He is a 19-time Emmy winner, two-time Edward R. Murrow winner, and a past recipient of Georgia Sportscaster of the Year as voted by his peers with the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. Hullinger has been inducted into the Southeast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Silver Circle for 2015.
CSU-Pueblo hosts 900+ students for Science Olympiad on March 4
On March 4, Colorado State University-Pueblo will host more than 900 students from across Colorado and approximately 150 students, faculty, staff, and community professionals in a science competition featuring 35 separate categories from forensics and robotics to flight. According to contest organizer Abby Davidson, director of the Colorado Southern Regional Science Olympiad, 60 teams of up to 15 student competitors from middle schools and high schools throughout Colorado will take part in the Southern Regional Science Olympiad from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 4 with winners advancing to the state competition at Colorado School of Mines in April. An awards ceremony will follow the competition (4-5:30 p.m.) at Pueblo Centennial High School. Winners of the state competition will move on to the national competition in Dayton, Ohio in May.
CSU-Pueblo to host guest keyboard artist Tamir Hendelman
Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Music Department will host keyboard artist Tamir Hendelman, who will present a performance/lecture as well as session for students on business approaches for professional performing musicians. Hendelman will perform at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17 in Hoag Recital Hall. The event is free and open to the public. Born in Tel Aviv, Hendelman began keyboard studies at age six, moving to the U.S. in 1984 and winning Yamaha’s national keyboard competition two years later. Concerts in Japan and the Kennedy Center followed. He was a soloist with the Henry Mancini Orchestra in 1999. Since 2000 he has toured the U.S., Japan, and Europe with his trio and as a member of the Jeff Hamilton Trio and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.
CSU-Pueblo SOCO Reading series offers first event of spring
Colorado State University-Pueblo will host authors Idris Goodwin and Nico Wilkinson in celebration of Black History Month and the release of the new limited-edition chapbook, The Inauguration, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 15 in General Classroom Building 213 as part of the Southern Colorado Reading Series. Refreshments will be provided, and the authors’ book will be on sale. The event is made possible with the support of the Black Student Union, Department of English and Foreign Languages, and Student Engagement and Leadership. Students also are invited to sign up for the open mic portion of the program and be prepared to read one piece for three minutes before the featured readers.
CSU-Pueblo to Host Dan+Shay as Spring Concert April 27
Country Music Recording Artists Dan + Shay will bring their Obsessed Tour to Pueblo as the Spring Concert for Colorado State University-Pueblo on Thursday, April 27 at the Southwest Motors Events Center. Doors will open at 6 p.m. with the concert to follow at 7 p.m. Because the concert is funded primarily through Student Fees, the first 500 CSU-Pueblo students will receive one free ticket and can purchase additional tickets for $10 each by visiting the Library and Academic Resources Center 267. Tickets for the general public are $25 each. Tickets may be purchased now by visiting www.altitudetickets.com.
Thunder Village Groundbreaking
The Colorado State University-Pueblo Foundation recently broke ground on a 10,000-square-foot, $2.4 million commercial complex that it hopes will begin to address the decades-long requests for commercial services near the Belmont campus. According to CSU-Pueblo Foundation CEO/President Todd Kelly, the purchase of the land and construction of the Thunder Village complex, located at 2200 Rawlings Blvd., will be paid by the CSU-Pueblo Foundation, which will manage the building’s tenants and parking lot. The complex was designed by Architect Gary Anzuini and will be erected by Arc Valley Construction. The first tenant to inhabit Thunder Village will be Thunder Zone Pizza, which was represented at the groundbreaking and hopes to open by June of 2017. All businesses will operate independently of the Foundation, which will serve solely as property manager.
January
CSU-Pueblo to host lunch forum for Legal Banking for Legal Cannabis
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS) Center for Social and Economic Justice at CSU-Pueblo will host a lunch forum on a bold new initiative for legal cannabis in Colorado: Safe Harbor Private Banking. Participants are welcome to bring their lunch to the forum. The event is free and open to the public and is part of the Center’s Cannabis Policy Initiative, which seeks to provide a forum for cannabis policy discussions that will complement and promote the efforts of the Center. Sundie Seefried, CEO and president of Partner Colorado Credit Union in Denver, will lead a discussion of how she designed and built a full-scope cannabis banking program at noon on Feb. 15 in the General Classroom Building 231. Seefried has served in the credit union industry since 1983 and as CEO since 2001. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Regis University.
CSU-Pueblo to host activities for African American History Month
Numerous events will be held at CSU-Pueblo throughout February to commemorate important people and events in African-American history. Included in the month-long celebration will be an interactive tunnel of oppression, a film, lecture, and training session. All events are sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI). The annual February celebration grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Woodson choose that week to honor the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.
CSU-Pueblo Department of Nursing becomes School of Nursing
CSU-Pueblo President Lesley Di Mare announced that the Department of Nursing, effective immediately, will become the School of Nursing housed within the College of Education, Engineering and Professional Studies in order to bring additional visibility to more than five decades of service to health care in the region. The announcement was made during the Nursing Convocation, a formal event held annually to welcome undergraduate and graduate nursing students and the nursing community at large to a new year. The CSU-Pueblo Department of Nursing has been educating professional nurses to meet the health care needs of diverse populations since 1964. Over the past 50+ years, the department has accomplished numerous milestones and has become an integral part of the Pueblo community. CSU-Pueblo has conferred more than 2500 bachelor’s degrees and 150 master’s degrees over the last five decades.
CSU-Pueblo announces Fall 2016 Dean's List
The following 1016 students have been named to the 2016 Fall Semester Dean’s List at Colorado State University-Pueblo. The list recognizes undergraduate degree-seeking students who have completed 12 or more credit hours with a minimum grade-point-average of 3.5. Those 326 students whose names appear with an asterisk (*) earned a perfect 4.0 grade-point-average. The students are listed by country, state, and town.
CSU-Pueblo among Top 50 schools best for Latino students
Colorado State University-Pueblo was recognized in the 2016 Nov/Dec issue of Latino Leaders Magazine among the top 50 schools for Latino students. Research conducted by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) was used as well as private institutional statistics and reports from U.S. News and World Report among other agencies to calculate which institutions of higher education do the best job of serving the Latino. CSU-Pueblo was the only Colorado institution included in the listing.
Grammy Award-winning vocal group to open Spring semester
The Music Department at CSU-Pueblo will open the Spring 2017 Semester with a Grammy Award-winning vocal group dedicated to mining the expressive potential of the human voice. Their appearance is possible in part by the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership. A Roomful of Teeth will entertain attendees beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19 in Hoag Recital Hall. Through study with masters from singing traditions the world over, Roomful of Teeth, an eight-voice ensemble, continually expands its vocabulary of singing techniques and, through an ongoing commissioning process, forges a new repertoire without borders.
