Dr. Colette Carter, Colorado State University Pueblo Faculty of 28 years, Announces Retirement

Pueblo— Colorado State University Pueblo assistant professor of history and political science, Colette Carter, Ph.D., has announced her plans for retirement following the Spring 2022 semester. In honor of her retirement, a gathering will be held on Thursday, April 28, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Center for Integrated Health and Human Inquiry, room 202.

 "I want to congratulate Dr. Carter on her well-deserved retirement following a significant career that positively impacted not only her students but also her colleagues, CSU Pueblo and the community," said Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs Mohamed Abdelrahman.

Carter served as the Department of History, Political Science, Philosophy and Geography chair from 2013 to 2016. She has been essential to the department's functions by developing internship programs for the political science and history majors, reorganizing the political science curriculum, creating courses, and working to develop program assessment plans.

During her time at the university, Carter has served on various committees, including the Honors Program Advisory Committee; the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Personnel Committee; the Disciplinary Board, and search committees. The impact of her committee work extended beyond the campus. She worked to receive funding from the National Human Services and Urban Development Grant to fund a community center for the east side of Pueblo and another to provide leadership training to the local community.

"Of course, the list is not everything. It doesn't capture the time she put into these things," said Coordinator of the Political Science Program Joel Johnson. "I remember in my first years at CSU Pueblo how struck I was by how much students gravitated to Dr. Carter. They came to her with questions not only about academics but also about life. They looked up to her, and they valued her as a mentor."

Carter's dedication to the department was also expressed through her commitment to students. According to Johnson, she worked to advise students beyond their 4-year academic planning and to place students in their desired jobs or graduate programs.  

"The first thing one notices about Professor Colette Carter is her passion. She does nothing by half-measures," said the current chair of the Department of History, Political Science, Philosophy and Geography, Grant Weller. "When I first interviewed for the department chair position, during my one-on-one time with her, Professor Carter laid out what she demanded: absolute dedication to the students of CSU Pueblo. In the six years since then, she has never failed to model that principle."

Carter began her career at the University of Southern Colorado, now CSU Pueblo, in 1994 as an assistant professor. Before coming to Colorado, Carter taught at institutions such as Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. In 1991, Carter earned her doctorate in political science from the University of Washington, where she taught for eight years.

"I will personally miss Dr. Carter's unwavering honesty and strength in the face of numerous changes and challenges throughout her time at the university," said Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Leticia Steffen. "I'm grateful to Dr. Carter for her phenomenal service and steadfast support to her department, her college, and the university."

For more information on the retirement celebration in honor of Carter, contact Lorraine Blasé at (719)549-2156 or at lorraine.blase@csupueblo.edu.