University of Denver Spring 2025

Introducing the STEM Horizons Building

Go “Beyond the Mat” With Women’s Gymnastics

DU IN THE HIGH COUNTRY Exploring our impact across the Rocky Mountains, where passion meets purpose

SPRING 2025

CONTENTS

Features

20 We’re traveling west to shine a light on DU folks making a difference in communities and environments across the Rockies. DU in the High Country

Beyond the Mat: The Forces That Keep DU Gymnastics Turning

34

Committed athletes, coaches, alums and fans work together to power the women’s gymnastics team forward to new heights.

CONTENTS

Departments INBOX _____________ NEWSROOM _______ ARTS & CULTURE ___ PUBLIC GOOD ______ 5 QUESTIONS _______ ACADEMICS ________ GIVING BACK _______ RELEASES _________

4 5 8

10 13 14 16 18

Forever Crimson & Gold

43 52

Class Notes ____________ In Memoriam ___________ Remembering Dan Ritchie _____________ Alumni Stories __________

53 54

Digital Exclusives du.edu/magazine

ALL ACCESS PASS: Behind the Scenes at the Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts

MEMORIAL: Readers Share Memories of Daniel L. Ritchie NAMESAKES: The People That Made DU

ON THE COVER Alumna Alexandra Cortes (BA ’15) illustrates the James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus. “It’s been an honor to illustrate the latest DU contributions, work and research across Colorado’s mountainous regions. This experience not only deepened my connection to the University’s recent endeavors but also served as a powerful reminder that the DU community reaches far beyond just one campus, woven into the diverse landscapes of our state.”

Introducing the STEM Horizons Building

Go “Beyond the Mat” With Women’s Gymnastics

DU IN THE HIGH COUNTRY Exploring our impact across the Rocky Mountains, where passion meets purpose

SPRING 2025

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | SPRING 2025

FROM THE CHANCELLOR

Honoring Values, Embracing Possibility As the days grow longer and spring comes to life across campus, I can’t help but feel a renewed sense of optimism and possibility. Spring isn’t just a season—it’s a celebration of growth, transformation and the enduring values that define the University of Denver:

Senior Vice Chancellor of University Relations Brad Bohlander Associate Vice Chancellor of Communications & Issues Management Shira Good Director of Communications Gretchen Pressley Director of Creative & Brand Management Sp ring 2025 | Volume 25 | I ssue 2 University of Denver Magazine

academic excellence, making a difference and community. Our commitment to academic excellence remains at the heart of all we do. This spring, we are proud to celebrate our students’ and faculty’s groundbreaking research and achievements— and the groundbreaking on the new STEM Horizons building

Amy Miller Art Director

Nicole Waldrip Managing Editor Joy Hamilton Senior Editor Heather Hein Contributing Writers

(p. 16). The 87,000-square foot facility—equipped with advanced labs, incubator spaces and other key resources—is designed to fuel scientific discovery and innovation. It will serve as a hub for students, faculty and community partners to collaborate on addressing the critical challenges of our time, solidifying DU’s status as an R1 research institution. In this issue, you’ll find stories of alumni embracing leadership and making strides in diverse fields across Colorado, such as those featured in “DU in the High Country” (p. 20). As you read about the difference our alumni are making on the Front Range, Western Slope and beyond, we encourage you to deepen your own connections with the University and your communities wherever you are. Community has always been a cornerstone of our University. Whether it’s multidisciplinary collaborations that unite alumni, students and faculty or initiatives that address pressing societal issues, our collective strength lies in our shared purpose. You’ll see this spirit of togetherness in action in this issue’s spotlight on the women’s gymnastics team (p. 34), whose culture exemplifies the power of working toward common goals. As you explore the pages of this magazine, I invite you to consider how these values have shaped your own path. How can you continue to champion excellence, make a difference and embrace community in your life and work? Together, as stewards of DU’s proud traditions, we can forge new opportunities and create a brighter future for all.

Emma Atkinson Janette Ballard Jordyn Reiland Connor Mokrzycki (BA ’22) Contributing Designers Miles Woolen (MA ’20) Alexandra Cortes (BA ’15) Photographer Wayne Armstrong 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.

magazine.du.edu dumag@du.edu • 303.871.7003

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | SPRING 2025

In the 50 years since DU sanctioned its first women’s varsity programs—basketball, field hockey, gymnastics, skiing and tennis—women student-athletes have competed in additional sports, excelled at the Olympic Games, won championships – and most of all, advanced their personal excellence along with that of DU Athletics.

The Pioneer Women’s Athletics Endowment honors every student-athlete who has helped us achieve incredible success and ensures sustained excellence for the next generation of women student-athletes. Your gift today propels the future of Women’s Athletics at DU, guaranteeing that each student athlete has opportunities to thrive both in the classroom and in sport.

Sustaining the Future of Women’s Athletics at DU

I helped lead the charge to bring varsity women’s athletics to DU. Being a part of that effort changed my life, from being a PE teacher to dedicating my life to provide as many girls and women as possible the opportunity to participate in sports. Most importantly, I realized the importance of giving back. I’m proud to be a PIONEER.

— Annie Hoskinson (BA ’75, MBA ’89)

Give today to ensure a future of excellence for Denver women’s athletics

INBOX

Cover photo correction I enjoyed the new edition of the University of Denver Magazine. By way of introduction, I graduated in 1955 and was editor of The Clarion in 1954-55. I would like to clarify the cover picture. It’s not from the ’30s. Behind the wheel is Tom Bottone, Homecoming chair 1954 ... on the running board is Nancy Corpening, Homecoming queen 1954. At The Clarion, I saw all sorts of pictures. The car may be from the ’30s, but the folks in it were my classmates. – David Rothenberg (BA ’55)

Remembering Homecoming ’55 I am sending information regarding the photo on the cover and picture on page 37. The photo was most likely taken for Homecoming 1955. The girls were all members of different sororities. The girl inside the car was Jan Evans Bowen. Most of the girls were from Denver. Tuition was very inexpensive at that time, and the GIs were returning after serving their military time. In 1965, I took my small children to see Lady Bird Johnson (back cover photo). She was presented to the audience before the planting in the old football stadium. Afterwards, she planted some trees in Denver. I enjoyed the issue, and it brought back many memories. – Eleanor Opie Buchanan (BA ’57)

SHARE YOUR Commencement Memories

Welcome to DU This photo is from fall 1993. I believe these were either student senate leaders or SOAR leaders. Dan Booke and Kevin Navarro are in the picture. – Keely Gohl (BSAC ’98)

We want to hear your commencement stories! Who was the speaker? Do you remember what advice they gave? What was going through your mind as you ended your time at DU and entered the next journey in your life? What excited you and what made you anxious? How

did you celebrate and with whom?

Visit du.edu/shareyourstory to share your memories and photos. Select entries will be featured in an upcoming digital exclusive story.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | SPRING 2025

DU breaks ground on state-of-the-art S TEM Horizons building N e w sroom University of Denver

This spring, the University of Denver broke ground on the new STEM Horizons building, an 87,000-square foot facility on the south end of campus that will serve as a hub for the next generation of scientific discovery and multidisciplinary collaboration. The building will provide state-of-the-art lab spaces, incubator space for local companies and opportunities for all students and faculty to further advance DU’s R1 research excellence. The University’s research volume has tripled in the past decade, with faculty making discoveries in foundational science research that have had a tangible impact on clinical sciences. STEM Horizons’ ultramodern facilities and equipment will standardize

and enhance on-campus research, accelerating faculty’s ability to consistently contribute scholarship and solutions to significant 21st century challenges. In line with the 4D Experience, the facility will also ensure that all students, regardless of major, have opportunities to participate in experiential learning. They will be able to connect with the companies renting lab space in the new building, gaining valuable internship and networking

experiences. Read more about STEM Horizons on page 16.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | SPRING 2025

NEWSROOM

University College becomes the College of Professional S tudies On March 11, University College, DU’s highly

with DU. Furthermore, current students said they often felt a need to explain the college’s identity to peers and employers. “It comes down to doing away with some of the confusion to help potential students, current students and our alumni more easily identify with us and who we are as a college,” he says. Though the name has changed, the college’s diverse programming—including undergraduate- and graduate level degree programs, noncredit professionally focused courses, and noncredit enrichment courses— is staying the same. As McGuire says, “This is the direction that this space within higher education is moving, as the types of programming we have traditionally offered become more and more valued and in demand on campuses around the country.” in 1952. It continued to flourish and, after moving around to several off-campus locations, it found its permanent home at the Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts when it opened in 2002. In its first 100 years, Lamont has grown from a modest conservatory into a school of national prominence. Today, its outstanding faculty and alumni enjoy success around the globe in classical music, jazz composition, conducting, recording and production, scholarship and music business.

successful school of professional and continuing studies, officially became the College of Professional Studies. The name change, several years in the making, is the result of a desire to strengthen the college’s identity and name recognition; clarify the college’s mission and purpose; and align with higher education naming conventions. University College was established in 1938, one of several similar programs with the same name at institutions around the U.S.—most of which have updated their names in recent years. Michael McGuire, dean of the College of Professional Studies, explains that research they conducted showed its name recognition was low, and potential students and the wider community struggled to understand its relationship

Lamont S chool of Music turns 1 00

The Lamont School of Music celebrated its 100th anniversary this academic year, marking the milestone with—of course—music. A commemorative concert last fall featured works that premiered in the year of its founding,

performed by current students, faculty and alumni, and three concerts this spring debuted world premiere compositions by faculty. Florence Lamont Hinman (left) founded the school in 1924 as a private academy.

Born in Michigan, she had studied music at the London (Ontario) conservatory and came to Colorado as a teenage tuberculosis patient

and stayed on after her recovery, becoming a nationally known singer and accompanist. The school became a fixture on Denver’s arts scene in the 1920s and 30s. It merged with DU in 1941, with Hinman operating the school out of a mansion at the corner of 9th and Grant streets until she retired

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | SPRING 2025

NEWSROOM

DU honors S crivner and Hummel families w ith Founders Medals

Metrics THAT MATTER

700 The number of students studying abroad in 2024-2025, up 100%

The annual Founders Celebration recognizes the 1864 founding of DU by honoring the people and institutions that have left an indelible mark on the school and its future. At this year’s celebration on March 5, Chancellor Jeremy Haefner presented the Founders Medal, one of the highest honors bestowed by the University, to Mary and Doug Scrivner (JD ’77), a DU trustee,

from the previous year and marking a complete rebound from the pandemic.

Top 100 Five DU online programs made U.S. News & World Report’s top 100, including BSBA (#22) , MBA for veterans (#38) , MS in informational technology (#51) , BA completion (#51) and MBA (#64) . 125 Number of years the student-run newspaper, The Clarion , $52M The total amount of DU research expenditures in 2024. 120 Number of years the Sturm College of Law clinical programs have been providing free legal services to the community. has been keeping campus informed.

Mary & Doug Scrivner

Donald Sturm

and the Hummel Family Foundation in recognition of their transformative leadership and philanthropy in advancing DU’s mission and values. The University also paid tribute to the late Donald L. Sturm (LLB ’58), a long time donor and honorary life trustee who was honored with one of the inaugural Founders Medals in 2016. “Founders Celebration is an opportunity to honor these wonderful recipients and also all the people throughout the years who have made DU what it is today—and will be in the future,” says Val Otten, senior vice chancellor for advancement. Doug and Mary Scrivner met and got married at DU, and have been friends and supporters of the University ever since, including their generous $14 million gift in 2017 to establish the Scrivner Institute of Public Policy in the Josef Korbel School of International Studies. Doug has held a number of leadership roles at DU over the years, including serving on the Board of Trustees and as chair from 2014 to 2018. He has been instrumental in strategic planning and numerous initiatives and served as an adjunct

Carole & Robert C. Hummel

professor in the Sturm College of Law and on the Advisory Board of Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyers at the Institute for Advancing the American Legal System. The Hummel Family Foundation established a scholarship fund in 2017 to help students who may not otherwise go to college fulfill their dreams. The late Dr. Robert “Bob” C. Hummel was co founder of Animal Health International, one of the country’s largest animal health distributors. When he sold his business, he, his wife Carole and their two children created the foundation to establish scholarship funds at five different higher education institutions that have made a positive impact on their lives.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | SPRING 2025

ARTS & CULTURE

Art as Di p lomacy Artists from around the world come to DU to perform— and help bridge the gap between culture and politics.

B y Emma Atkinson

“All good art is political,” said acclaimed author Toni Morrison.

“There could not have been a conference more fitting for me to perform at.” She says she sees cultural diplomacy as a way to bridge the gap between cultures—“to see each other as a global community.” “Musicians have always been at the forefront of change, of social change, and so music has a big part to play and a big role to play,” Siraj says. Connecting communities and affecting change The Sié-Newman cultural diplomacy program is made possible in part by a gift

Historical events are often accompanied by works of art—like Beyoncé’s defiant song “Formation,” which is considered an anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement. The same goes for times of international social and political upheaval, like Ukrainian artists’ murals on bomb-blasted buildings or the graffiti on the Berlin Wall. At the Sié Chéou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy, teaching diplomatic relations is about much more than public policy or political power— it’s also about exploring art and culture as diplomacy. That’s why the Sié Center has partnered with the Newman Center for the Performing Arts to bring to campus international performers whose work is bridging political divides. As part of Sié’s cultural diplomacy program, select artists who are performing as part of the Newman Center Presents series also visit classrooms and give lectures on how their art is facilitating connections across nations and cultures. The program aims to answer the question, “How can we think about critical issues in the world by engaging the wisdom, knowledge and work of artists and performers?” says Marie Berry, director of the Sié Center. “We have this broad spectrum of creative folks that I think oftentimes are overlooked by global politics [and] people that are focused on policy. There’s just so much that we can learn from these folks.” The partnership has produced events like a panel discussion and performance by Small Island, Big Song, a climate change project featuring artists from 16 island nations, and a short intensive course with opera singer Carla Canales, the Biden administration’s envoy for cultural exchange. Last academic year, when Jordanian singer and musician Farah Siraj had a residency at the Newman Center, she agreed to perform and speak about anti-war feminism at the Feminist Peace Summit event at the Korbel

School of International Studies. “It was a musical performance and a musical protest against war and violence,” Siraj says.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | SPRING 2025

ARTS & CULTURE

from the Denver-based Bonfils-Stanton Foundation. The gift funds special programs focused on cultural exchange at DU, in line with the foundation’s mission to support arts and culture in Denver. “I think it’s pretty well-proven at this point that understanding culture is a critical component of how you build relationships, how you build trust, how you build respect for another community,” says Gary Steuer, president and CEO of Bonfils-Stanton. Luke Wachter is the associate director of educational initiatives at

the Newman Center. He says cultural diplomacy is about highlighting the interconnectedness of communities around the world—the intersection of common problems and common solutions. “Art is a powerful force for change,” Wachter says. “And all of these artists bring that idea to their work. Another important part of the power of art to make change in the world is joy, and regardless of the existential threats that people are facing throughout the world, that element of joy is an essential part of humanity’s survival.”

Urban Bush Women

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | SPRING 2025

PUBLIC GOOD

Research Roundu p From studying space dust to solving a decades-old math problem, here’s what DU researchers have been up to lately.

Carbon dust discoveries in space University of Denver astronomers have revealed new insights into how carbon-rich dust—which is crucial for planet formation—forms and expands in space. Led by doctoral student Emma Lieb, the research team, including DU professor and astronomer Jennifer Hoffman, used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to study time-lapse images of the Wolf-Rayet 140 system taken in 2022 and 2023. This system is made up of two stars which orbit each other over an eight year cycle and, as they move past each other, winds collide and create dust. Wolf-Rayet 140 is seen as a meaningful contributor to the “dust budget,” which, as Lieb describes it, is the number one factor to consider when determining how many planets are formed in a galaxy in a certain region of the universe. “We're starting to have the capability to measure these very short time scales of what's going on around us in our neighborhood of the universe,” Hoffman says. “It makes it feel like we’re in a much more dynamic cosmic neighborhood.”

WHY IT MATTERS: This discovery helps researchers better determine how much carbon-rich material there is in the galaxy and, therefore, where and when planets will form. Game-changing device for detecting cancer Detecting malignant cells is a crucial first step in improving health outcomes for the approximately 2 million Americans diagnosed with cancer each year. That's why Dali Sun, associate professor in the Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science, and his fellow researchers are developing a new, miniature elliptical dichroism spectrometer, a device that determines the structure and number of molecules by measuring how they absorb polarized light. Such a device is used to detect cancer cells, a job that has traditionally required the use of a circular dichroism spectrometer, which takes up a lot of space— requiring a table for the machine, a nitrogen tank and a computer—costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, and requires specialized training to operate. The miniature spectrometer uses an

innovative approach that combines structural and absorption analysis and, along with a compact design and a far lower cost (up to 300 times less than a traditional spectrometer), the device is shaping up to be a game changer. WHY IT MATTERS: The new spectrometer will equip a wide range of researchers, students and entrepreneurs with the tools to study cells and molecules quickly and accurately.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | SPRING 2025

PUBLIC GOOD

Unlocking how HIV spreads Virologist and biophysicist Schuyler van Engelenburg is one step closer to understanding how HIV spreads once it enters the human body, thanks to a new grant from the National Institutes of Health. For years, his team has developed new microscopes so they could visualize the virus replication process on a single-molecule basis. “Surprisingly, this has been a

challenging aspect of the viral infection cycle to study, and it's really because it requires a multidisciplinary kind of approach—bringing in aspects of cell biology, virology, biochemistry and, in my laboratory, optical imaging,” he says. Van Engelenburg plans to further develop and utilize specific instruments to better understand the mechanisms of virus transfer. One key part of this process is the envelope glycoprotein (Env), which attaches HIV to the cells it infects and plays a crucial role in fusing the virus with healthy cells. Scientists don’t fully understand how Env gets incorporated into the virus or how it helps the virus spread from one cell to another. WHY IT MATTERS: This research will help others create antiretroviral treatments that specifically target and disrupt the process in the early stages. There are currently no drug treatments that target this stage of assembly. Solving a 70-year-old math problem Associate Professor Mandi Schaeffer Fry will be the first faculty member since the 1880s to be published in the Annals of Mathematics, widely seen as the industry’s most prestigious journal. Schaeffer Fry helped complete a problem that dates back to 1955—mathematician Richard Brauer’s Height Zero Conjecture. Over the years, number crunchers have worked on the problem at universities across the globe, and some found partial solutions; however, the problem was not completed until now.

Fry and her collaborators—University of Kaiserslautern professor Gunter Malle,

University of Valencia professor Gabriel Navarro and Rutgers University professor Pham Huu Tiep—worked around the clock over the course of three months in eight-hour shifts during the summer to find a solution. In 2023, the work was accepted for publication. The problem relates to groups, or collections of things that follow certain rules when combined, kind of like the way numbers follow rules in addition or multiplication. Mathematicians wanted to know if you could look at a table of data about a group and use it to figure out something about smaller pieces of that group, called “defect groups.” These smaller pieces are like mini groups that help us understand the bigger group. Brauer's Height Zero Conjecture was the first conjecture that led to the study of “local-global” problems, which seek to relate properties of groups with those of smaller subgroups, Schaeffer Fry says—“letting us 'zoom in' on the group using just a specific prime number and simplify things." WHY IT MATTERS: Fry and her colleagues proved the conjecture is true, which helps mathematicians understand more about how groups work and makes solving other problems easier.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | SPRING 2025

Giving to DU in return for an annuity is a perfect financial vehicle for me. I want to make sure that money I currently have goes ultimately to DU, but also need secure income, for my lifetime, at a reasonable return. A CGA from DU guarantees me exactly that.

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5 QUESTIONS

N euro p sychologist Kim Gorgens Hel p s Rebuild Lives After TB I s

B y Jordyn Reiland

The DU professor’s work has led to improved outcomes for individuals with traumatic brain injuries, including those in the criminal justice system.

At the intersection of the complex, inner workings of the human brain and the stark realities of the criminal justice system lies the work of Kim Gorgens. A professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology, Gorgens’ research has created life-changing opportunities for those impacted by traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) through a brain injury screening program based on her Colorado Brain Injury Model. Individuals with TBIs are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. A study Gorgens conducted in 2020 found the average prevalence of TBI history among adults in Colorado jails and problem-solving courts is 54%. We sat down with Gorgens to learn more about her passion for teaching and empowering individuals with brain injuries. What’s your favorite part about teaching? There are a few students in every cohort who will have an epiphany moment, and I can never predict who they are. In my neuropsychology class, everyone will rotate through a jail-based setting—either a county jail, probation office, a halfway house—and do a neuropsych evaluation under my supervision. For them to feel genuinely helpful and to see the richness of the clinical work is why I do it. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your research? If you look at the scope of the need, it’s easy to lose sight of the difference that you’re making because of the number of people who want and need service. I get mail every day from people in the criminal legal system all around the country who really need help. So, it’s probably that—it’s just feeling overwhelmed by how many people need help. We have cohorts of 40 to 45 students at a time doing the work and a research team of 15 or 20 students. So, we’re doing our absolute best and working at top capacity, but that system is so broken and needs so much help. There’s so much to do. What’s the most rewarding part of working with individuals with brain injury as they rebuild their lives? We use what we know about someone’s history, their psychological functioning, their cognitive functioning and brain injury history, and we have a conversation with the individual in a way that promotes self-advocacy. We tell

them, ‘Here’s this thing you may not have known about yourself and here’s what we

call it, and here’s what might be helpful, here are some tools or strategies’—and we empower people. For example, it's having conversations like, ‘Your memory is terrible, but here's the way that you're going to address it. You're going to have to carry a pencil, and you have to take notes if you need to remember something that someone tells you.’

What I’ve found in my career is that the change we see in people who are so dehumanized—who have internalized all the messages about themselves as being garbage and disposable and just altogether broken—has been really extraordinary. I want to encourage them to use their voice, to use the tools and ask for what they need. How do you unwind or recharge after working on such intense topics? I kind of joke that, by day, I work with human brains and the cadaver brains in the biology freezer, and, at night, what I love is a zombie movie. Maybe there's a throughline there; we have a few colleagues here who are also horror movie buffs. We get together for pizza and pay-per-view or go to the theater. It’s the least adaptive coping, but if there's a scary movie out there, I'm first in line to see it. What’s one brain myth you’d love to debunk once and for all? We talk about brain injuries like they’re the boogeyman: If you get a concussion, you’re going to have dementia. The truth is, it's so much more complicated than that. A lot of us have vulnerable brains for reasons that are outside of our control—and that may offer a little bit of solace. Our capacity for recovery is truly extraordinary.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | SPRING 2025

ACADEMICS

Where Profit Meets Principle The Business Ethics and Legal Studies minor has surged in popularity, setting business-minded students on a path to ‘not only do well but do good.’

B y Connor Mokrzycki (BA ’22)

“Business can be a force for good,” says Bruce Klaw, chair of the Department of Business Ethics and Legal Studies in the Daniels College of Business. “But in order for that to happen, students have to be aware that there are opportunities to not only do well but do good at the same time.” Since the 2000s, the Business Ethics and Legal Studies (BELS) minor has equipped students across DU with tools to integrate world-class business acumen with ethical decision-making in support of the public good. Over the past two years, the program’s enrollment has jumped by 75%. “It’s been a really solid upward trajectory,” notes Klaw. “I think that speaks to the expansion of available courses and the dedication of the faculty.” And with many students wanting more than just a degree from their college experience, the BELS program equips students to tackle real-life legal and ethical challenges they might face in their careers. Klaw says he sees huge potential for students to move the needle and make a positive impact in the world at large. Curriculum tailored to the future BELS offers 20 classes, from courses in philosophy and ethics, contracts and negotiations, and employment law to forward-thinking courses on ethics and governance of new technologies, climate change and corporate risk management, and international business law. The courses and the cases that students study are tailored to the most pressing issues facing businesses, governments and communities across the country. Students learn not only about the theoretical underpinnings of ethics and legality but also how to apply them to contemporary issues, across a variety of industries. “Students are all going to have to grapple with what new technologies like artificial intelligence are going to mean for their future and for the future of our society,” Klaw says. “These are essential core questions that implicate things like our democracy and what kind of future we want to have.” Beyond the classroom, students put their learning to work in ethics case competitions. These events challenge them to tackle complex ethical dilemmas— from access to industry secrets and conflicts of interest to privacy, discrimination and risk management

across a range of fields. Participants often describe these experiences as transformative, deepening their understanding of how ethical principles can guide practical solutions in business scenarios. A legacy rooted in purpose The emphasis on ethical practices at the Daniels College of Business is part of the legacy of the college’s namesake, Bill Daniels, a pioneer in the cable television industry with a lifelong commitment to ethical business leadership. In 1989, Daniels became one of the first programs in the country to include ethics coursework for all students. The BELS department has expanded on that tradition across multiple

majors. Nearly a third of BELS students come from outside the Daniels College of Business. As Klaw explains, “We show students how things like legal acumen, risk management, sustainability and public policy savvy can all lead to better decisions and outcomes not only for their businesses but for society at large.” For many students, courses leave a lasting impression. “I never would have even considered law as a possible minor or future career, but through taking [Foundations of Business Law], I realized how much I enjoyed it. And the BELS minor does a great job of having a range of topics to choose,” says Aubrey Brashear, a fourth-year hospitality management

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | SPRING 2025

ACADEMICS

student. “It’s made me more aware of my values and wanting to be an ethical employee and perhaps employer in my future career.” Brashear’s favorite classes were White Collar and Corporate Crime and the Ethics Boot Camp. After graduation, she is looking to use the practical takeaways from the program. “A lot of legal situations and lawsuits could have been avoided altogether if an employer or colleague was being ethical and respectful,” she says. She also notes that the courses helped her build confidence

and public speaking skills. Establishing a network of peers in different fields has instilled in her the importance of acting, working and leading ethically. The skills, scenarios and ethical principles that make up the BELS minor are made possible by industry experts, community mentors and alumni who are willing to bring their experiences into the classroom, Klaw says. “We make sure that our alumni will be proud of who we continue to graduate, and we certainly welcome them to come back and share what they have learned in the business world with our students.”

BELS students come together every quarter for an Ethics Boot Camp.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | SPRING 2025

GIVING BACK

DU Builds N e w Future Ready S TEM Facility STEM Horizons will serve as a hub for applied learning and innovative collaboration for students, faculty and the community.

B y Sarah Satterwhite & AJ Gordon

New construction on the DU Campus is ushering in an exciting era of scientific discovery and opportunity. The STEM Horizons building, located near the Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science and scheduled to open in 2027, will provide 87,000 square feet of new and renovated research, laboratory, community partnership, business incubation and hands-on learning space. Accessibility, agility and innovation are hallmarks of DU’s long legacy of internationally renowned science, technology, engineering and mathematics

student will have access to the resources, advanced technologies and collaborative research environment needed for the future of STEM discovery, education and leadership in the Rocky Mountain West. “The STEM Horizons building will create hands on learning programs and open-concept laboratory spaces, allowing students of all backgrounds to explore, observe, apply and innovate STEM concepts and help them translate those experiences directly into their careers, including in science, engineering and innovation,” says Corinne Lengsfeld, senior vice provost for research and graduate education. What’s inside STEM Horizons? → 87,000 square feet of new and renovated research, laboratory, community partnership, business incubation and hands-on learning space. → 5 new undergraduate learning laboratories — 3 lower division and 2 upper division— connected by a covered pavilion. → The new building and on-campus renovations will move DU closer to reaching the $300 per square foot national average Scan for a video about STEM Horizons

(STEM) research. DU’s overall research volume has tripled in the past decade, with faculty contributing scientific solutions to significant

90% of DU faculty members have the highest possible degrees in their fields.

21st century challenges, from climate adaptation in key environments to progress on questions of public health. Paired with crucial renovations to the Boettcher West and Seeley G. Mudd buildings, the new STEM Horizons building ensures that faculty and every DU

for annual external research expenditures per square foot.

→ 23 life science laboratories will be upgraded to provide the high-quality research conditions scientists need to study and advance solutions for significant challenges facing our world. → The STEM Horizons building embodies DU’s commitment to the 4D Experience , providing students in every degree

program with opportunities for applied interdisciplinary learning that prepares them for dynamic careers and lives of purpose.

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GIVING BACK

Investing in innovation The STEM Horizons building is an investment in the agile, visionary research enterprise at DU—promoting collaborative scientific discovery among faculty and innovative opportunities for all students. DU is the only private university in the Rocky Mountain West to boast an R1 designation from the Carnegie Classification

of Institutions for Higher Education, reflecting research volume and excellence.

companies and start-ups across other industries, generating internship and job opportunities for students and entrepreneurial collaboration for faculty. The STEM Horizons building is being financed in part by the University as an element of the campus master plan. The Denver Difference campaign is also bringing together DU’s philanthropic community, alumni and friends in support of this new, vibrant space of discovery on campus. “In STEM Horizons, the DU community has an opportunity to advance the future of scientific innovation with practical applications in health, climate, technology and more,” says Val Otten, senior vice chancellor for advancement. “Philanthropic investments by alumni and donors will more firmly cement DU’s leadership in accessible STEM education and agile, exceptional STEM research in the Rocky Mountain region.”

“The new life sciences complex and renovations of existing buildings will create important opportunities for innovation in the biomedical and other health

related fields and bolster collaboration between our faculty, greatly enhancing NSM’s research and education programs,” says Andrei Kutateladze, dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. "Ultimately,

DU is the only private university in the Rocky Mountain West to boast an R1 designation .

these new and critical investments in STEM will expand our horizons as a top-tier R1 research university in the region, enabling us to attract and retain the brightest faculty and students." This building and the research and education programs it accelerates will anchor a vibrant campus corridor for transformational science and technological development. Part of the new and renovated spaces will include a micro-industrial complex where DU faculty and students will work directly with leading bio-technology

To learn more about how your investment can power DU’s research innovation at STEM Horizons , contact Asha Holsopple, executive director of development, STEM, at 303-871-4750 or asha.holsopple@du.edu .

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RELEASES

DU Books You’ll Love From historical fiction to memoir and research, discover the latest works by DU faculty and alumni.

A Long Way from Rough Creek Ruth Parsons (MSW ’71, PhD ’85), professor emerita in the Graduate School of Social Work

The Applicant Nazli Koca (PhD ’24)

Ruth Parsons grew up on a small farm in the Appalachian Mountains along Rough Creek. Her world was defined by material poverty and rich ties to family and the land. While recognizing the ways she was shaped by the land, the people and the language of that place, she had her eyes set on exploring what was beyond those hills. For Parsons, education was the way out. In her new memoir, “A Long Way from Rough Creek,” Parsons reflects on her years as a student at DU during Woodstock West, teaching from 1978 to 2000 and sailing in the Caribbean for 20 winters, among other adventures. Throughout,

“The Applicant” is the 2024 Colorado Book Award winning novel by Nazli Koca that explores what it means to be an immigrant, woman and emerging writer. Leyla is a Turkish twenty-something living in Berlin who failed her thesis, lost her student visa and sued her German university in an attempt to reverse her failure. What used to be at arm’s reach— writerly ambitions, tight-knit friendships, a place to call home—is now imperiled. While she waits for the German court’s verdict on her future, Leyla begins to parse her unresolved past and untenable present in the pages of her diary. She gives voice to the working class and immigrant struggle to find safety, self expression and happiness.

she found the joy of living without fear, exploring the unknown, taking risks and being open to what’s present and what’s to come.

Fighting for Your Marriage: Positive Steps for Preventing Divorce and Building a Lasting Love Howard Markman, Galena Rhoades and Scott Stanley, professors in the Department of Psychology “Fighting for Your Marriage”

is based on the widely acclaimed PREP approach (Prevention and Relationship Education Program). In their newest book, the authors break down how to avoid divorce using the basics of happy, communicative relationships. Research has found that couples who use these strategies can handle conflict more constructively, protect their happiness and reduce the odds of breaking up. “This [book] is the best wedding present,” says Rhoades.

“Everybody should learn these skills and develop those ground rules for how they want things to go in their marriage, and it will, as we know from research, lead to better experiences together.”

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RELEASES

The Dragon Roars Back: Transformational Leaders and Dynamics of Chinese Foreign Policy Suisheng Zhao, professor and director of the Center for China-U.S. Cooperation at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies In “The Dragon Roars Back,” named one of the best books of 2024 by Foreign Affairs magazine, Suisheng Zhao presents a robust and empirically rich rebuttal of the theory that China’s foreign policy is the natural result of

RadioEd DU’s official research podcast explores groundbreaking research and translates it into meaningful insights for listeners. Denver Coaches’ Show Coaches David Carle (hockey), Melissa Kutcher Rinehart (gymnastics) and more offer discussions and updates throughout the season. Faculty in the Graduate School of Social Work share research, practice and policy innovations to spur social change. Voices of Experience The Daniels College of Business asks business industry leaders to share stories, career advice and perspectives on current issues. Denver Law Review Guests delve into articles written for the “Denver Law Review,” the flagship journal of the Sturm College of Law. YOUR GUIDE TO DU’S Top Podcasts Brave Ideas for Social Change

the global balance of power. Instead, he argues, its position emerges from the idiosyncratic visions of transformational leaders—Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and Xi Jinping—who have charted unique courses of Chinese foreign policy in the quest for security, prosperity and power. Zhao examines how these leaders reshaped the broader political and institutional environment to advance their foreign policy agendas in the path of China’s ascendance.

Beat the Drum for Justice Christopher Cross (JD ’79)

In this historical novel, Christopher Cross delves deep into America’s troubled racial history by tracing the fictional life of Gabriel Adams from the 1850s to the early 1900s. Gabriel journeys alongside key figures like John Brown, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass through pivotal events such as the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction. Cross paints a portrait of the deep-seated racial prejudice and national shame that stem from slavery, the setbacks of Reconstruction and the Supreme Court’s failure to protect civil rights guaranteed by the 14th and 15th Amendments

leading to the era of Jim Crow and segregation.

Landsberg B arbara Sutton King ( B A ’66)

“Landsberg” is set in a small German city by the same name in picturesque Bavaria that is struggling to recover from a devastating war. It’s 1952, and Beth Warren, an unconventional military wife, lands in the middle of this former “Hitler town” and begins to ask questions about the town’s recent past. Not to be distracted by cobblestones and medieval charm, Beth begins to peel back the facade of this fairy-tale town. In the process, she uncovers some unsavory truths about the town, the war, the U.S. military and even her own marriage.

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DU IN THE HIGH COUNTRY We’re headed on a DU-inspired road trip where the air is thinner, but the drive to make a difference is on solid ground. By J oy H a m ilton | I llustrations byA l ex an d ra C ort e s (BA ’15)

Th e U niversity of Denver’s location is a point of pride, and the peaks framing campus are as much of the college experience as cheering on the hockey team and late nights at The Pioneer. Let’s just say, to love DU is to love the Rocky Mountains, and students, faculty and alumni there are shaping the future of Colorado’s high country. Travel with us along the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway to Echo Lake, through winding turns on Red Feather Lakes Road to the Kennedy Mountain Campus, aboard the historic Winter Park Express to Grand County, over Vail Pass to the historic town of Minturn, through Glenwood Canyon to the confluence of the Colorado and Roaring Fork rivers, and across the San Juan Mountains to the Four Corners region. Along the way, you’ll hear stories of people committed to community and place, tackling challenges like climate change, mental health and housing. Ready to hit the road?

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Forecasting the Forests of Tomorrow The Martin Lab is discovering how trees adapt to climate change, one seedling at a time. Mount Blue Sky T r ees are nothing if not resilient. Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir in Colorado’s

“It’s not easy to study because forest dynamics can be measured in centuries,” explains Martin. “And how do you study the whole organism when you’re this big and the tree is 40 meters tall?” Experimenting with seedlings here is fruitful for predicting how climate change will impact forests in the future. Subalpine forests above 10,000 feet like those at the Mount Blue Sky Station have warmed faster than those at lower elevations and have experienced drastic swings in moisture. Light, shade and survival Imagine yourself hiking through heavily wooded forest. While it might be one of Colorado’s signature bluebird days, it can be shady and cool on the forest floor. That’s light exposure—a variable the team studied alongside drought conditions. “We had small gaps where the light is relatively high, and then deeper shade, to see how that interacted with drought stress on the two dominant tree species’ seedlings,” explains Martin. Their findings showed that one season of reduced rainfall disrupts the survival rate of spruce and fir seedlings. However, the silver lining is that shaded areas help reduce drought stress. “They were droughted for two years, but it didn’t just wipe them all out,” says Martin. Their research also had a surprising finding related to the two species, or what Martin calls “species-specific stories.” Spruce prefer sunnier spots, so in the shade, their regeneration has less of a chance to succeed compared to fir. The divergence suggests that the forests of today might look different in the future. “We expect spruce and fir to coexist intimately,” Martin notes, “but you could see drought pushing them in slightly different, more homogenous clusters down the road.” The findings highlight the importance of considering light and moisture conditions when managing forests to ensure seedlings have the right environment to survive. This could have implications for how humans manage forests to adapt in the face of climate change. “We’re not going to avoid it altogether,” says Martin, “but a forest manager could take the research and notice spruce is starting to disappear and clear some understory to encourage regeneration.”

mountains age well into their hundreds, but to reach the sky, they must survive what are like awkward middle school years as seedlings. This precarious stage is what Patrick H. Martin, biologist and professor in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and his lab of graduate and undergraduate researchers are most interested in as the West faces prolonged and severe periods of drought. “Trees can withstand a lot, but these tiny seedlings are often the canary in the coal mine for how things are changing,” says Martin. Fortunately, the University of Denver’s Mount Blue Sky Station—in operation since 1937—is the perfect natural petri dish for a seedling study. The area’s geomorphology is special due to its alpine glaciers formed during the Pleistocene Epoch—popularly known as the Ice Age—that lasted from 2.5 million to 11,700 years ago. Nearby Echo Lake, for instance, was created by a glacier. “It’s one of the best parts of Colorado to see traces of how the glacier shaped the surficial geology,” says Martin. “Also being a 14er, it’s a little island of high elevation and one of the largest continuous areas of alpine ecosystem in the Rockies.” Typically, researchers might drive thousands of miles to reach such an area, but for Martin, it’s just an hour’s drive from his office on campus, a bonus when he accepted the job. But that doesn’t mean the research is a piece of cake.

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