University of Denver Autumn 2025

The People Who Shape Us Mentorships among students, professors, and alumni are at the heart of the DU experience

AUTUMN 2025

CONTENTS

Features

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Alumni photographers revisit places and moments that framed their DU experience. Campus Through Our Eyes DU researchers explore how animals ease stress, especially for veterans suffering from PTSD. Healing Invisible Wounds Discover how mentorship changes lives at DU through the stories of four inspiring mentor-mentee pairs. The People Who Shape Us

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CONTENTS

Departments INBOX _ _________________ NEWSROOM _ ___________ ARTS & CULTURE ________ ACADEMICS ____________ PUBLIC GOOD ___________ RELEASES _ _____________ DENVER, OUR DENVER ___

4 5 8

10 12 14 16

Class Notes __________________ In Memoriam _________________ Alumni Stories_ _______________ 42 50 52 Forever Crimson & Gold

Digital Exclusives du.edu/magazine

CONNECTIONS THAT COUNT: Learn even more about why mentorship makes a difference at DU and how you can get involved. WHISKEY WITH A PURPOSE: Meet Aspen Bourbon Blend, a new whiskey from alumni-owned business Locke + Co Distilling, aged with aspen trees from Kennedy Mountain Campus.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | 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

December 2

Be a Difference-Maker this Giving Tuesday This Giving Tuesday, you have the power to transform lives. Your gift to DU doesn’t just support education—it fuels dreams, creates opportunities, and builds a brighter future for DU students. And this year, if you support scholarships, your generosity goes twice as far. Thanks to a $10,000 matching gift, every dollar you contribute to the University of Denver Scholarship Fund will be doubled, making an even greater impact on the lives of our students.

Scan the QR code or visit give.du.edu/givingtuesday2025 to donate from now until December 2, and your contribution will count towards Giving Tuesday!

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2025

INBOX

FACT VS. FICTION The Lore of DU Quiz

Letters to the Editor

Closer to the Finish Line

From ghost stories to campus conspiracies, test your knowledge of DU’s most legendary tales. What mode of transportation might non-Coloradans think students use to get to class in the winter? Running Skiing Biking Crab-walking 1 How did workers disassemble Evans Chapel when it was moved to its current location in 1958? With a gigantic wrecking ball By hand, brick by singular brick Using state-of-the-art construction equipment 2

Readers wrote in response to this image published on page 42 of the Spring 2025 issue.

There are at least five members of the Sigma Chi fraternity that I recognize in this photo from 1972. On the right of number “36” is Blair Austin, and on the left of “36” is Rob Crist. I can’t recall the names of the other faces. – Andy Lazarus (BSBA ’74) Among the standing students from left to right, the second student (with a cigar) is George Cramer (BS ’71) from York, Pennsylvania, a member of Phi Kappa Sigma. – Jeff Ward (BS ’70)

true or false: The phrase “Hip, hip, hooray!” was coined by a DU graduate.

3 4

Which of DU’s former chancellors insisted on replacing gravel paths on campus with the beautiful winding red-brick paths that remain today? Chancellor

true or false: The Mary Reed Building, home to administrative offices, is haunted.

5 6 7 8

When was the last time DU won a football game? 2004 2024 1916 1960

We want to hear from you! Email us at dumag@du.edu to share your DU memories, send a letter to the editor, give us feedback, or share a picture you would like to see in the magazine.

true or false: In the year 1919, there was a dynamite blast on DU’s campus.

The Ritchie Center’s magnificent Williams Bell Tower is made of what material? Gold Copper Wood

Concrete

How did you do? Find the answers on page 56 0 DU Dropout

1-2 DU Day One Still figuring out where the library is.

3-4 DU Sophomore-ish

5-6 DU Scholar-ish Could probably give a campus tour.

7 DU PhD You bleed crimson and gold.

8 DU Legend You don’t just know DU—you are DU.

You thought DU was in Boulder, didn’t you?

Knows the fight song ... mostly.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2025

DU Reopens Bookstore Under New Barnes & Noble College Management Newsroom University of Denver

Whether you’re returning to campus for an event or a trip down memory lane, make sure you stop by the new University of Denver Bookstore. The bookstore, which remains at 2050 E. Evans Ave., has reopened under new management from Barnes & Noble College. Not only has the space been revamped, but it also has a new athletic wear provider in Under Armour. “One of the more immediate exciting changes

to the bookstore is the flood of newness,” says Chezra DeLaine, bookstore general manager. “New staff, new campus partners, and new procedures for getting the textbooks on the shelves.” You can now visit the DU Bookstore’s new online portal at du.bncollege.com , where new products are being added daily. Through December, you can use the code PRIDE25 for 10% off your purchase.

Recent Alumna Sidney Barbier Honored With National Inspiration Award

Denver Nordic skier and recent graduate Sidney Barbier (BS ’25) was honored with the 2025 Honda Inspiration Award by the Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards (CWSA). For nearly four decades, the Honda Inspiration Award has recognized a female collegiate athlete who has overcome significant physical or emotional adversity to return and succeed in her chosen sport. Barbier is the first DU student athlete to win this national award. Even being named a finalist was an incredible honor. “I think I’m most grateful that I’ll get to tell my story,” she said in a June interview with Vice Chancellor for Athletics Josh Berlo. “Everyone goes through ... pain and adversity at some point in life, and to tell people that there is hope is the biggest piece for me—to be that inspiration,” she said.

For nearly seven years, Barbier dealt with debilitating health challenges and was eventually diagnosed with nutcracker syndrome in 2024. After several years of “sharp, stabbing, twisty pain that wouldn’t go away,” misdiagnoses, and exploratory surgeries, she underwent a first-of its-kind surgery in the U.S. at the Cleveland Clinic. Barbier graduated in June with bachelor’s degrees in environmental science and music with a minor in physics. Her busy collegiate career included co-authoring a textbook, performing in Lamont’s orchestra and bluegrass ensemble, and competing as a Division I athlete. She will spend the next two years at Universite Grenoble-Alpes in Grenoble, France, earning a master’s degree in Earth, planetary, and environmental science after receiving a Fulbright award.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2025

NEWSROOM

Meet the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awardees

This past spring, the University honored four alumni with Distinguished Alumni Awards. This year’s honorees include individuals whose professional accomplishments and societal contributions demonstrate excellence across education, information technology, financial leadership, service, and student success. Though their paths differ, each shares a deep commitment to giving back and lifting others. Discover how the 2025 honorees’ DU experiences helped shape the lives they lead today.

Maria Alford-Suehnholz pays it forward to DU’s next generation Giving back to DU was ingrained in Maria Alford Suehnholz (BA ’84). “I was brought up with this philosophy of paying it forward,” she says. “My parents did it, my grandparents did it—it goes back generations.”

After earning a degree in mass communications, she built a 30 year IT career while supporting students in the Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science, as an advisory council

Michael Atkins leads with heart in Denver Public Schools Michael Earl Atkins (MA ’16) describes his journey in the

chair and scholarship founder. She recently established an endowment within the Learning Effectiveness Program to support students with learning differences.

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program as a “Karate Kid”

moment. At first, he wasn’t sure how all the pieces would come together—until they did.

“This whole time I was learning who I was as an individual and the values that I needed to embrace to be able to serve a community as a school principal,” Atkins says. Atkins began his

K. Kayon Morgan builds belonging through mentorship K. Kayon Morgan (PhD ’17) lives by a guiding principle: “I lift as I climb.” It has shaped her path as a scholar, leader, and advocate for inclusive excellence. “I do not believe I would be where I am today if it wasn’t for the mentors and coaches in my life,” she says. Now serving as vice president of inclusive excellence and belonging at the University of Hartford, Morgan’s journey to DU began with a recommendation from her husband, who had just completed the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies doctoral program and suggested she do the same.

professional path as a school custodian before becoming a paraprofessional, teacher, assistant principal, principal, and now the director of Black student success for Denver Public Schools. Before earning his Principal Licensure Certificate from the Morgridge College of Education, Atkins viewed school leadership this way: “Give me a room full of teachers, let’s look at some student data, let’s plan, and then let’s go teach.” Now, thanks to learning from and working with his DU faculty mentors, he sees it as deeply personal and more values based. “I don’t know who I would be as a leader, a friend, a son, a father, or a husband, without my experience at DU,” he says.

At the Morgridge College of Education, she found a supportive community of faculty and peers, especially her advisor, Kristina Hesbol.

Today, she pays it forward by mentoring future

education leaders, including current DU students.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2025

NEWSROOM

“Mentorship means that I’m preparing students, friends, and colleagues to be global citizens in a very pluralistic world,” she says. Morgan has this piece of advice for current students: “Don’t do it alone, lean on your village. It is so important to recognize that, in this world, we need each other.” Transformed by DU, Dan S. Whittemore now helps other transform The University of Denver was part of Dan S. Whittemore’s (BSBA ’63, JD ’72) story long before he first stepped foot on campus. His father attended DU on the GI Bill after World War II and chose accounting because “DU had the best program in the West.” That decision proved life-changing for the Whittemore family, transforming their financial future and opening the door for several children, including Dan, to attend the University. “It really was a family-defining experience,” he says. Whittemore earned his undergraduate degree in business and later returned for a law degree. He credits both with shaping his professional success and lifelong connection to the University. Now, Whittemore and his wife, Beth, champion expanded educational opportunities for students at DU. Their contributions have impacted the Sturm College of Law, Daniels College of Business, Graduate School of Social Work, and Lamont School of Music.

To celebrate you, Barnes & Noble is offering 10% off in store and online through December 31. code: pride25 Plus 75% off clearance items, available in-store only! New Look, Same DU Pride The DU Bookstore has entered a new era under the management of Barnes & Noble College.

Grab the latest DU gear at du.bncollege.com . New products added daily!

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2025

ARTS & CULTURE

PhD Poets on the Page DU doctoral students Daniel Eduardo Ruiz and Mary Helen Callier share excerpts from their breakthrough poetry collections.

Some Verses There’s the universe, the multiverse, and the philosophers they try to hide from; the zigzags of grandparents’ marriages, mirages of grandfather clocks; then there’s the rising stock, the livestock, the market both super and not. An old couple lifts a watermelon then drops it in their shopping cart. When later they take turns holding and slicing it, before turning on the TV, the perfection of their form brings the questioning of forms into question,

reversing our launch instead toward those midnight lights in the marketplace where people who have nowhere to go can safely bite the loudest apples.

Nitpicking the Gods After hours in the kitchen,

the unclean oil begs to be scraped off the pan. The crash-test dummy

flung from a model car’s windshield can’t stop laughing just because. Because is the question the gods never loved. Because, like the engine in the chest of a dove, the river runs counter to the plans of the sun. One cloud cuts off another. Hence, squalor. Rain, sun, thunder just because.

Daniel Eduardo Ruiz is a PhD student in English & Literary Arts. A Puerto Rican and Cuban poet and translator, Ruiz published his debut collection, “Reality Checkmate,” with Four Way Books. Follow him on X or Instagram at @danielruizpoet .

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2025

ARTS & CULTURE

REPETITION

Mary Helen Callier is the poetry editor for

I say my mother was born in a blue house in August because the past is

Denver Quarterly and a PhD student in English & Literary Arts. Her recent collection, “When the Horses,” was the winner of the 2023 Alice James Editor’s Choice award. You can follow her on Instagram at @maaaryhelen .

static balm. Because the past is there and is unchanging, I touch the small bright scar like an explosion. History is like this: devotion to the small. A pain grown to eclipse its cause. We walk and the bats dip down by our faces, and the past is as patient as polishing silver in a room where the guests have gone home. These are the necessary forms of corruption. Speech is like this, asking no questions: I carry the bucket of water away from the house and carry my own face away in the water.

Ingredients 1½ cups shortening (or substitute butter) 2 cups sugar ½ cup molasses 2 eggs

AN ALUM’S FAVORITE Holiday Recipe “ This is a gingersnap recipe from my grandma for probably my favorite cookies ever. ”

4 cups flour ½ tsp. salt 4 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. cloves 2 tsp. ginger

Directions Mix all together in the usual manner, form into balls, and roll in sugar. Bake on

Shared by Luke Marran (BSBA ’21), hospitality management major and former president of the DU Cooking Club.

a greased cookie sheet for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2025

ACADEMICS

Meet Elo: 6 Things to Know About DU’s New Provost

By Heather Hein

Elizabeth Loboa brings a passion for holistic student success and a problem-solving approach to leadership to the University of Denver.

Elizabeth Loboa is no stranger to leadership or the transformative power of education. This August, she stepped into her new role as DU’s provost and executive vice chancellor, bringing with her decades of experience helping universities take on challenges and explore new possibilities. Her background speaks volumes: provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Southern Methodist University, dean of the University of Missouri College of Engineering, and leadership and faculty roles at the University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University. But what sets Loboa apart isn’t just her professional track record—it’s her clarity of vision for the future of higher education, her collaborative

style, and her ability to inspire those around her. “It is an incredible honor to join the University of Denver community,” says Loboa, known as “Elo” among friends, family, and colleagues. “The work DU is doing to provide an exceptional and holistic education is deeply inspiring—and it’s shaping the future of higher education. I can’t wait to build on that momentum.” As DU’s new chief academic officer, Loboa is focused on guiding the academic enterprise, supporting faculty, enhancing the student experience, and advancing research that makes a difference. She’s joined DU at a pivotal moment—making this the perfect time to get to know her better.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2025

ACADEMICS

“

[DU] feels like a bit of a best kept secret, and

Here are six things you might not know about our new provost: 1. Higher education transformed her life.

here, and so much great work already happening—from the 4D Experience to the Kennedy Mountain experience to the beauty of campus itself. It feels like a bit of a best kept secret, and I hope to help change that.” 5. Elo’s background in STEM—and appreciation for the liberal arts—makes her a perfect fit for DU. With her engineering background, Loboa approaches complex institutional challenges with analytical rigor and creative problem-solving. “I’m used to working in interdisciplinary, collaborative teams. I see challenges as opportunities to really think outside the box,” she says. She sees DU as uniquely positioned to blend its liberal arts strengths with cutting-edge STEM programs to prepare students for a rapidly evolving world. 6. She has a life beyond the office, and it involves horses. Outside of work, Loboa embraces an active lifestyle with her husband, Todd, and their horses and dog. “We like to be outside and focused on nature. It puts me in a Zen state,” she says. She also enjoys walking, hiking, and exploring Denver’s local dining scene. The nickname Elo comes from her junior college days— she says it was part of a refrain in a catchy ’90s song she can’t quite remember the name of—and has since been a term of endearment used by those around her. I hope to help change that. ”

Born and raised in northern California, Loboa took an unconventional path to higher education. She lived in Modesto and attended Modesto Junior College while working as a legal secretary in San Jose—commuting 90 minutes each way three times a week. Her persistence paid off: She went on to study mechanical engineering at UC Davis and biomedical engineering at Stanford, where she also discovered her passion for research and teaching. “It was pivotal for me to be able to attend a strong four-year college and be exposed to higher education,” she says. 2. She’s a firm believer in mentoring the next generation of leaders. When the University of Missouri approached Loboa about becoming dean of the engineering school, she admits she was intimidated. A quick Google search, however, shifted her perspective. She counted just 12 female engineering deans nationwide. “And I thought, I have to do this. I wanted to help show that engineering is for everyone. So, I went for it,” she says. She went on to serve for five years as the school’s first female dean of engineering. 3. She draws strength from personal experience. Loboa, a mother of five adult children, has long balanced the demands of work and family, often drawing on personal experiences to shape her professional path. Early in her career, when one of her daughters contracted a MRSA bacterial infection at a YMCA camp, she began exploring how smart biomaterials could combat drug-resistant bacteria. Even now, she says, “I’m always wearing two hats: provost hat and mom hat. I have kids still in college, and every decision I make, I think about its impact on students like them.” 4. The people at DU made an impression on her. As she learned more about the University, Loboa says, “It was fulfilling—but maybe not surprising—to see how deeply people care about the University. I mean, they really care.” She sees that passion as one of DU’s greatest strengths. “There’s so much opportunity

Loboa and her husband, Todd, look forward to exploring Colorado’s great outdoors—especially on horseback.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2025

PUBLIC GOOD

A New Vein of Possibility Six DU engineering students, in collaboration with biomedical company B. Braun, have created a device to make catheter insertions faster, safer, and less painful—gaining real-world experience while advancing patient care.

By Anna Filippova

The tourniquet tightens. A gloved hand taps for a vein as the needle hovers in your peripheral vision. For some, it’s a quick pinch; for others, a tense ordeal of multiple jabs and the sting of cold metal. And when it goes wrong, it can leave not just a bad memory but a plum-colored bruise, swelling, or even infection. But a new tool developed by a team of DU engineering students—working with biomedical company B. Braun Medical Inc. and its director of strategy and innovations, Anup Gandhi—aims to make the catheter insertion process faster, easier, and far less painful. Undergraduates Riley Alcala, Emma Clason, Blaine Cullen, Gunnar Johnson, Addis Mulugeta, and Jacob Weiner came together in the fall of 2024 as part of Senior Design, a year-long engineering course that gives seniors an opportunity to collaborate on real-world projects with a variety of industry partners. The team presented their project last May as part of the Senior Design Symposium, where they displayed the prototype of their vein visualization device, called VANTAGE.

Building a prototype—and a team The idea for the device began to take shape when B. Braun asked the team to observe existing near infrared vein visualization devices and, says Clason (BSEE ’25), “make our own device that would be comparable to those on the market but with a new needle tracking capability.” The goal was to create a catheter insertion device that helps nurse practitioners quickly and safely find a patient’s veins and see the needle’s position in real time. It also had to meet hospital safety​​standards​​and be mobile and durable enough to use in a variety of clinical settings. The project was carried out in three phases​.​ The​​fall quarter was spent outlining the project and figuring out what they needed to complete it, says Clason. “We met our sponsor, got on the same page, and broke our product into subsystems to begin product design,” she says. During t​​ he ​w​ inter quarter, they worked in

Team member Addis Mulugeta views an image taken by the VANTAGE device.

From left: Engineering student Gunnar Johnson presents the team’s work at the Senior Design Symposium; the DU Senior Design engineering team; senior Riley Alcala demonstrates the vein visualization device.

their subgroups, splitting off to code separate parts of the project. In the spring, they brought together all of the moving subparts, assembling the prototype based on sponsor recommendations. Aside from the technical skills, Clason says, communication across subsystems was key to making sure “all our parts could be meshed together into one product.” Managing time was challenging, as students worked at their own pace, not following typical class structure. Mulugeta (BSCS ’25) says, “We didn’t have specific rules or directions to follow, like homework. We instead just had a set 27 weeks to produce a project.” Over a seven-month period, the team created structure for themselves while balancing coursework, communicating with their sponsor, applying for jobs after graduation, and all the other things that come with being a senior. It was helpful that Gandhi was flexible and easy to work with, Clason says. “I really appreciated his willingness to take a chance on us. We learned skills and gained experience for the job market that no lecture could compete with.” Rewarding work, real-world impact The students’ hard work culminated in a successful prototype, one that offers a way to see veins more distinctly than existing devices do. VANTAGE allows nurses “to ensure catheter needles don’t pierce veins or deliver medication into surrounding tissues,” says Clason—reducing the risk of infection and ensuring patients are treated safely and effectively.

The final design uses near-infrared technology and machine learning to spot veins, distinguish them from surrounding tissue, and track catheters of different sizes. Two cameras—one for viewing veins and one for tracking the needle—combine their feeds into a single screen, showing veins in color and marking the exact needle tip location in real time during insertion. Clason notes that this makes needle insertion easier for patients with deep veins, scar tissue, excessive hair, or other conditions that make naked-eye vein identification difficult. “Botched insertions are both painful and dangerous, so a device that can be used on all patients to make catheter insertion easier can drastically improve patients’ quality of life during their hospital stay,” she says. For the six students, seeing the prototype come together was deeply rewarding. “We had all the separate moving bits and pieces​,​​​and being able to present it all together was very fulfilling,” says Mulugeta. Beyond the classroom, they’re proud ​t​ hat ​t​ he device could make a real difference. “It’s nice to know we created something that could help people in the medical field and make catheter insertion easier for all patients who need it,” Clason says. While the future of the device rests with B. Braun, the six new alumni are launching careers in fields ranging from electrical and computer engineering to robotics. They have gained a deeper understanding of how multiple disciplines intersect as well as valuable industry connections—and a hope that they have played a part in making life easier for health care professionals and patients alike.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2025

RELEASES

New Books and Music for the Fall Let these stories and sounds take you away.

Behold the Bird in Flight Terri Lewis (BA ’72)

Porthole Joanna Howard (PhD ’04, associate professor of literary arts and director of creative writing)

“Behold the Bird in Flight” is a coming-of-age story and a royal love triangle based on real events in medieval France and England. Terri Lewis imagines the life of Isabelle “Isi” d’Angoulême, a young girl who is betrothed consents to marry her, but only for her money. Hoping for his love, Isi flirts with England’s King John to make to Hugh de Lusignan, a French nobleman who

Hugh jealous. John, though, is so smitten that he abducts Isi and marries her. Now trapped in cold, warring England with a malicious husband, Isi must hide her yearning for Hugh and find her own power. If she fails, she won’t live to return to her beloved. “Behold the Bird in Flight” is set in a period that valued women only for their dowries and childbearing. Isabelle’s story has been mostly erased by men, but the medieval chronicles suggest she was a woman who developed her own power and wielded it.

The latest novel by Joanna Howard, “Porthole,” celebrates the art form of film and filmmaking, and the power dynamics involved. The story is told by Helena, a world renowned art-house director, who feels responsible for the on-set death of her latest muse, leading man and frequent bedmate Corey. Haunted by the accident, Helena unravels and is sent to a luxury retreat where fellow sufferers of psychic exhaustion ferry her to and from meals, rest activities, and spa experiences, all with hilarity and wit. “Porthole” is a portrait of an auteur at the peak of her powers and in the midst of an extravagant meltdown. Filled to the brim with champagne toasts, boathouse romps, brothels, yoga pants, Parisian hotels, dressing room hookups, and red-carpet faux pas, “Porthole” gifts us the world through the eye of the camera lens.

Where Does This Find You Adam Gang (MM ’24, adjunct faculty, Lamont School of Music) While working on his master’s degree in music performance, saxophonist Adam Gang began composing his latest jazz album with help from Lamont professors Remy Le Boeuf and Annie Booth on composition.

“I was just writing a lot of new music, and in August 2023, I got some of my good friends to record the album with me, to play the music. And it came out much better than I would have hoped for,” Gang says. “Where Does This Find You” is an eclectic mix of songs heavily influenced by Middle Eastern music.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2025

RELEASES

Why I Find You Irritating: Navigating Generational Friction at Work reveals a fresh and easily implemented framework for understanding generational perspectives. Chris De Santis (MBA ’78) FROM KNOW-HOW TO HOW-TO Alumni Share Their Expertise Go Girl 2: The Black Woman’s Book of Travel and Adventure includes travel writings, poems, photos, a planning guide, and a resource section. Elaine Lee (JD ’77) Marathon Leadership: 26.2 Essential Lessons for Modern Leaders offers easy to-understand and applicable lessons to help those confronting Preparing Early Career Teachers to Thrive: Sustaining Purpose, Navigating Tensions, and Cultivating Self-Care addresses the post-pandemic crisis of early-career teacher turnover that harms students But…GOD Gave Me a Pencil shares strategies for overcoming literacy challenges and ways the author has helped her children and students navigate their own learning difficulties. Rhonda Richmond (BA ’03, MA ’07, MA ’13) leadership challenges. David Knapp (PhD ’96) and entire school systems. Kristina Valtierra (PhD ’14)

Lullaby of Love: Selected Poems Rebecca Winning (MA ’79) Rebecca Winning takes us on a journey through her midwestern upbringing, relationships, deep connection with the natural world, and meditations on finding meaning in her latest book, “Lullaby of Love: Selected Poems.” Included are previously published poems from her early years, as well as 30 new, unpublished works. The poems offer personal reflections on love, loss, family, marriage, infidelity, divorce, healing, aging, death, and new beginnings. Each poem

crystallizes a point in time that celebrates the mystery and wonder of our everyday lives. Winning explores themes of human frailty and connection, reverence for the natural world, and the intersection of the seen and unseen. Her book is a meditation on finding one’s best self and living in harmony with—and gratitude for—the interconnectedness we all share.

A Colorado Panorama Don Morreale (BA ’72, MA ’10) Don Morreale shares 168 vignettes of Colorado historic figures whose faces grace a wall on the side of the Colorado Convention Center in his most recent book, “A Colorado Panorama.” Morreale was inspired by the photo-based, computer-generated tile mural by CU photography professor Barbara Jo Revelle, and the controversy surrounding it. “Apparently, Denver City Council had a problem with some of the characters the artist had chosen to represent on it,” explains

Morreale. “One in particular irked the Council members—Black Panther Lauren Watson. The Council insisted Revelle remove his image. When she refused and threatened to abandon the project altogether, they backed off, at least partially. The Council withheld money for an interactive touch screen that would have informed viewers of the identities of the faces on the wall. For years, viewers were confronted with a 600-foot-long collection of anonymous faces. Colorado historian Dr. Tom Noel later created a guide that offered one-line descriptions of each figure. I used Dr. Noel’s guide to track down the IDs of each face, and then did my research with the help of local historical societies all over the state.” Featured Coloradans include Butch Cassidy’s cattle-rustling girlfriend, the first Asian American in space, and an Oscar-winning blacklisted Hollywood screenwriter.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2025

GIVING BACK DENVER, OUR DENVER

Staying Power DU’s longtime and recently retired architect Mark Rodgers explains why DU has some of the most breathtaking buildings in Denver—and how it will stay that way into the future.

By Joy Hamilton

Are you a Romanticist, drawn to the Roman arches of University Hall? Or does the Southwestern Mission style of Buchtel Tower speak to you? Maybe you like the Mary Reed Building and are captivated by the pre-WWII collegiate gothic era—or you are a mid-century modernist at home in Centennial Halls. Regardless, DU’s campus is a century long symphony of architectural expression. But designing buildings that inspire and where students learn, grow, and define their futures is no easy task. Just ask Mark Rodgers, DU’s architect for the past 31 years. As he retires after more than three decades of service, we sat down with him to discuss what it takes to maintain DU’s distinctive architectural aesthetic. University architects do exist. Often, they tend to be at large institutions. A lot of times, universities choose to have an architect because they expect to build a lot and want to shift the architectural character of the campus in some way—or because there’s a broader context they value. It depends on who’s leading the institution and whether they want it to stand out, blend in, become more cohesive—or, in some cases, intentionally celebrate a variety of stylistic statements. Many may be surprised to hear that DU has an in-house architect. Is that common?

You say that former Chancellor Dan Ritchie changed the approach to building on campus in the ’90s. How so? Instead of asking, “What style should we do?” Ritchie asked, “What can I do to make a building last?” Think about roofs. It’s not that someone said, “I love copper, it’s pretty,” or that steep roofs look better. The priority is getting rain and snow off the building. A flat roof is, essentially, a bathtub—and eventually, bathtubs leak, especially if you expect to use the same one for hundreds of years. As for walls, what should they be made of? Brick is a solid choice for a number of reasons. It’s low maintenance, doesn’t need to be repainted over and over, and it complements the architectural character of the campus. What makes a great campus building? It’s not just an outside view of a wall or a shape. It has to do with how well it functions. Does it serve the purpose it was built for, or at least the purpose you’re using it for now? Chancellor Haefner talks about the program that we need the buildings to serve. And not just the individual building, but the programmatic synergies that makes sense for the collection with the neighboring buildings. You say DU’s buildings are like children and you can’t possibly choose a favorite, but can you break the rule just this one time? There are buildings that have meant a lot for very personal reasons. My wife is also an architect, and we spent one of our early anniversaries on the floor in a hotel room with drawings for the Fisher Center. And for the groundbreaking, a sandbox was the

centerpiece, and our oldest daughter and son, [Senior Associate Architect] Jane Lofgren’s son Ian, and the Fishers’ grandchildren were placed in the sandbox with construction equipment—and they “broke ground.”

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GIVING BACK DENVER, OUR DENVER

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It’s not just an outside view of a wall or a shape that makes a great campus building. It has to do with how well it functions.

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Probably the most surprising building that far exceeded any expectations was the Anderson Academic Commons. In 1972, Penrose was a monolithic, faceless, characterless box that had some of the most wonderful folks in it. And yet, you walked in and saw miles of bookcases. A lot of orange and purple, mostly orange.

All of a sudden it changed. Now it opens up in the center, there’s light and, when you need to, you can find a cocoon, a quiet place that you can study. In 2023, Princeton Review ranked it as the No. 1 collegiate library in America. And you go, okay, architecture is pretty cool, right?

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Campus Through Our Eyes For this special photo essay, we invited DU alumni to return to campus with camera in hand and memories in mind. Each photographer chose a place or scene that holds personal meaning— whether it’s a favorite spot, a reminder of a defining moment, or simply a glimpse of campus beauty. Together, their photos capture how DU shapes lives and connects our community across generations.

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The Harper Humanities Garden outside Mary Reed is like a little sanctuary. As a freshman, my philosophy class went outside one day to look at the ripples and vortices as the water in the pond flowed down. It was unlike any class experience I’d ever had! After that, I loved to sit in the Humanities Garden and observe the water and urban wildlife, and contemplate the nature of things. Mackenzie Clafin (BA ’25)

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One of my favorite perks of being a DU student was free entry and rentals for public skate sessions timing worked out, I ran across campus to skate in between classes. I miss that midday refresh! The skates were never stacked perfectly, but the chaos was part of the allure. Madeleine Lebovic (MA ’25) at the Joy Burns Arena. When the

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Sturm Hall’s brick facade, looming over Campus Green, is often remembered as “that building that I had class in.” When I came to DU, originally as a chemistry major, I thought much the same. But walking up the stairs after

a communication studies class that I had signed up for to check off a core curriculum requirement, I

realized that I wanted to go down a different academic and professional path. Connor Mokrzycki (BA ’22, MS ’25)

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I’d be lying if I said that hockey wasn’t part of the reason I chose to attend DU. My sophomore year, I reached out to the media team about photographing a game. I remember being up in the press booth feeling like I had made it. Every time I photograph a sports event as the official photographer,

I can’t help but be thankful that Magness was my launching point. Stephanie Tyson (BA ’16)

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During my time at DU, the Korbel School was my second home. Countless hours were spent here studying, collaborating with classmates, and diving deep into the work that shaped my grad school experience. The Sie building was still being completed, and the excitement of a brand new facility as a space to learn and gather elevated our experience. Later that year, Madeleine Albright gave a commencement speech here, which was really a special moment! Rose Groves (MA ’17)

In 1986, I was a doctoral student of poetry and literature, newly married, newly arrived in Denver, newly unmoored. The old English Department offices had bathtubs attached to them. But we were surrounded in this old seminary with stone and wood and the deep mysteries of altars. Of course, I found my way back to the chapel that neighbored us and found not only this window, memory perhaps, but a water lily, too, this day blooming.  Kathryn Winograd (PhD ’89)

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Veteran Ashleigh Williams was paired with her service dog, Montana, through Freedom Service Dogs, a nonprofit partnering with DU’s Institute for Human Animal Connection to study dogs' impact on stress.

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For veterans with PTSD, service dogs offer more than comfort. DU researchers are digging into the science of how these animals change lives. Wounds Healing Invisible

By Nika Anschuetz

For years, the world beyond veteran Ashleigh Williams’ door felt like a war zone—unpredictable, overwhelming, and unsafe, a continuation of the real war she experienced. Williams lived it for four years in the Navy, deployed to Iraq shortly after September 11, 2001. The sights and sounds of the war changed her. As a canine law enforcement officer, Williams walked step by step alongside a specially trained K-9 named Dexter. What was supposed to be a three-month deployment in a U.S. military prison turned into a much longer assignment. Years after returning home, the war was still raging inside her. Invisible wounds like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and addiction had shattered her confidence. They left her barely functioning, stealing pieces of who she was. Simple tasks like going to the grocery store or attending a family gathering felt insurmountable. She isolated herself, sometimes spending days in her house, blinds drawn, dissociating from the world around her. “I was on such high alert. No matter what I did, everything was a struggle,” Williams says. “There were days where I was like, ‘Nope, I’m not doing it.’ It made for a very scared, lost, confused, and messed-up world.”

Williams' first experience with working dogs came in Iraq, with her specially trained K-9, Dexter. 

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“ Montana has given me the

opportunity to live again. I can be a part of the world, a part of the community, and a part of life. ” Ashleigh Williams

that increase heart rate, blood pressure, and energy. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responds more slowly. It releases cortisol, which helps the body sustain energy, control inflammation, and restore balance. To understand the biologic effects of stress and how pets may influence those effects, researchers needed to measure how both the SAM and HPA systems respond during and after stressful events. This involves tracking physiological indicators like heart rate, cortisol levels, and salivary alpha amylase, which reflect the activity of the two systems. Here’s how the stress test went: 44 people who had dogs were randomly selected to participate with or without their pet, going through a 15-minute stress inducer called the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), the gold standard for triggering psychological stress in a lab setting. Researchers measured levels before, immediately after, and 45 minutes later to capture both the reaction and recovery. For 30 minutes, the subjects rested. Then came the instructions. “Write a speech about why you’re the best candidate for your dream job.” Moments later, they had to deliver that speech—on camera—while being silently observed and recorded by a panel of supposed behavioral experts in white lab coats, clipboards in hand. Next came the mental math under pressure. “Start at 2023 and subtract 17. Keep going, out loud, for five minutes.” After the test, they returned to a quiet room to recover. While there was no significant difference in self-reported anxiety, there was a profound

In the two decades since leaving the service, Williams’ journey has been marked by a series of setbacks and victories. Recently, she found a new source of support: a service dog named Montana from Freedom Service Dogs in Englewood, Colorado. The specially trained black Labrador does more than offer comfort. He senses her anxiety before it spirals. He applies pressure when she dissociates. He wakes her from nightmares. In public, he creates space between her and strangers. In private, he reminds her she’s not alone. “Montana has given me the opportunity to live again,” Williams says. “I can be a part of the world, a part of the community, and a part of life.” Williams is one of thousands of veterans living with PTSD who have experienced the life-changing impact of service dogs. It’s so profound that researchers at the Institute for Human-Animal Connection (IHAC) at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) are working to uncover the science behind it. To begin, they started with the basics: Do dogs affect how our bodies respond to stress in everyday situations? The biology of stress When we experience stress, our bodies turn on two important systems to help us respond and adapt to the situation. The sympathoadrenal medullary axis (SAM) is part of the sympathetic nervous system. This is the body’s fight-or-flight response. It reacts quickly to stress, releasing hormones

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difference in heart rate responses between groups. Individuals without a pet present experienced an average heart rate increase of 28.7%, nearly double that of those whose dog was with them (14.6%). Their cortisol levels also rose more sharply—by 51.3%—compared to a 31.1% increase in the dog group. “It’s widely accepted and appreciated that dogs reduce stress,” says Kevin Morris, director of IHAC. “But what we found was more nuanced than that. If you had a dog present, you still had a stress response, but it stayed within a narrower range. The dogs didn’t just reduce their owners’ stress response—they seemed to keep them in a healthy zone of stress response, not too high or too low.”

That balance is something Williams feels every day with Montana. “When I’m walking into a crowded space, I can pause, take a moment, and prepare myself for the challenge of being in public. He doesn’t take away the anxiety or PTSD, but he helps me navigate it. He supports me through grounding techniques and provides pressure therapy. It takes my attention off the anxiety and brings it back to him.” Chronic stress doesn’t just affect mental health. Over time, it’s been linked to serious physical conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, and even cancer. While pets won’t prevent those conditions, they may help keep stress in a healthier, more manageable range.

Williams says Montana, a black Labrador, gives her the freedom to be herself.

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 Kevin Morris (left), executive director of IHAC, and research associate Jaci Gandenberger (below) share a moment with their own loyal companions.

When science meets lived experience

The IHAC team is now taking their research a step further: studying service dogs like Montana who are specifically trained for PTSD support. This is funded in part through grants from the Human Animal Bond Research Institute and the Morris Family Animal Foundation (no relation to Kevin Morris). IHAC is in the process of enrolling 50 veterans, none of whom have had a service dog for PTSD before. To aid in recruitment, IHAC is working with 12 service dog organizations, including Freedom Service Dogs. The research team is tracking the veterans before they get their dogs and again at one-month, six-month, and 12-month check-ins, when both the veterans and the dogs will have their blood drawn. Researchers will work with SomaLogic, a Boulder biotech company, to explore the biological changes the veterans experience when interacting with dogs that are linked to symptom reduction. While Williams is not a part of this study, her experience reflects the kind of transformation researchers hope to better understand. “Montana doesn’t take away the anxiety or PTSD, but he helps me better myself in those situations,” she says. The goal is to identify new biomarkers that reflect how individuals respond to PTSD interventions, specifically by tracking protein changes that correlate with symptom reduction. These findings could also uncover potential new drug targets for treatment. “There is really only one class of drug that’s approved for PTSD, antidepressants like Zoloft,” Morris says. “Sometimes veterans are also prescribed sedatives, but neither approach treats the root of the problem.”

“ For me and Montana, we get the opportunity to use my veteran experience and his service dog experience to build awareness about the incredibleness of service dogs. ” Ashleigh Williams

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