University of Denver Autumn 2025

FROM THE CHANCELLOR

A Season of Pride At the University of Denver, fall is a season unlike any other. Students return to campus, and classrooms come alive with new ideas and opportunities. The leaves turn along Evans Avenue and the energy of community is felt everywhere—from late-night study sessions in Anderson Academic Commons to the packed stands

Senior Vice Chancellor of University Relations Brad Bohlander Associate Vice Chancellor of Communications & Issues Management Shira Good Director of External Communications Gretchen Pressley Director of Creative & Brand Management Amy Miller Managing Editors Autumn 2025 | Volume 26 | Issue 1 University of Denver Magazine

in Magness Arena as DU Hockey begins another exciting season. Each autumn reminds us of who we are as a university: a place of learning, discovery, and pride. This fall, we also welcome Elizabeth “Elo” Loboa as DU’s new provost and executive vice chancellor. Elo brings decades of academic leadership as well as a personal journey that reflects the transformative power of education. From commuting long hours between work and community

Joy Hamilton Kristin Hoerth Art Director Nicole Waldrip Project Manager Abigail Girard Senior Editor Heather Hein Contributing Editors Matt Meyer Jefferson Geiger Contributing Writers

college in California, to becoming the first female engineering dean at the University of Missouri, to serving as provost at Southern Methodist University, Elo has consistently broken new ground. She is deeply committed to mentoring, to interdisciplinary collaboration, and to advancing DU’s 4D Experience. We are fortunate to have her guiding our academic enterprise at this pivotal moment. Even as we look ahead, we also honor those whose legacies have shaped DU. Mark Rodgers, our campus architect for more than 30 years, has retired after a career spent ensuring DU’s built environment inspires generations of students. From the reimagining of Anderson Academic Commons, ranked among the top collegiate libraries in the U.S., to the renovations of beautiful University Hall, Mark’s work has left a lasting mark on our campus. Finally, we celebrate the groundbreaking research of DU’s Institute for Human-Animal Connection, which will soon mark its 20th anniversary. Their work is unlocking the profound ways service dogs help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder reclaim their lives. It’s research that exemplifies DU’s mission to advance knowledge that changes lives and communities. Together, these stories remind us that DU’s strength lies in people: those who lead, those who build, and those who discover. This fall, these are just some of the things to be proud of, and I invite you to join me in celebrating all that we are and all that we can become.

Emma Atkinson Janette Ballard Jordyn Reiland Connor Mokrzycki (BA ’22, MS ’25)

Nika Anschuetz Anna Filippova Contributing Designers Seth McClain Taylor Capek (MS ’15)

Photographer Dave Pavlina Multimedia Producer Carri Wilbanks Associate Multimedia Producer Katie Polson Distribution Coordinator William Colner

Printed on 100% PCW recycled paper

The University of Denver Magazine is published three times a year (fall, spring and summer) by the University of Denver Division of University Relations, 2199 S. University Blvd., Denver, CO 80208-4816. The University of Denver (Colorado Seminary) is an equal opportunity institution.

Jeremy Haefner Chancellor

magazine.du.edu • dumag@du.edu • 303.871.2711

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2025