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2 minutes with: ASLA

Ellie Chase — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:56:31 +0000

2 minutes with: ASLA Ellie Chase Thu, 04/09/2026 - 11:56

Ellie Chase

Learn more about ASLA, the student affiliate chapter for landscape architects and plant lovers

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) serves as a gateway for student landscape architecture and environmental design, and meets every Monday from 12-1 pm on the third floor of the ENVD building. They regularly participate in landscaping activities on campus, such as tree planting and ecological research. We’re here with Ella Seevers and Maddie Veasey who are the co-presidents of the Student Affiliate Chapter of ASLA at CU.

Responses edited for length and clarity.

Photo taken by Ella Seevers on her annual trip to Glenwood Springs for rock climbing.

What exactly is landscape architecture?

Seevers: It’s any design that’s outside of architecture or urban planning. A good example would be land bridges or stormwater management. There’s also a whole realm of adaptive reuse, like turning old railroad tracks into parks and trails.

How does ASLA contribute to student life at CU?

Seevers: It’s a good community for extracurriculars in general. It’s a great way to get outside and talk to other plant-loving people!

Top 3 reasons to join?

Veasey: One, it’s a really excellent community, we’re all really close. Two, if you're thinking about going into landscape architecture, this is one of the best professional development opportunities you can have. Three, it brings joy to be thinking about plants, they make us very happy! I personally have 100+ houseplants.

Wait. You have over a 100 houseplants?

Veasey: It started during COVID-19 and I wanted to bring the outside in. I guess I just got one, and then I couldn’t stop! I have to avoid going to the plant store now.

That’s really impressive, speaking as someone who can’t even keep one houseplant alive. Talk to me about why it’s so important to bring so much attention to plant life.

Seevers: You can’t care about something to the point of wanting to protect it if you don’t have a personal connection to it. It’s very important to me that we protect the natural environment.

Last one. Describe the club in one word.

Veasey: Biophilia. Bio means life, and philia means love. It’s basically just a love of nature.

Interested in joining? Join the GroupMe and follow @cu.asla on Instagram for more information!

Ellie Chase is studying journalism at CMDI, with a minor in business. She covers students and student news at the college.

American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) co-presidents Ella Seevers and Maddie Veasey speak on the role of their environmental club at CU.

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2 minutes with: Radio 1190

Jayden Fortner — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 17:09:34 +0000

2 minutes with: Radio 1190 Jayden Fortner Mon, 04/06/2026 - 11:09

Jayden Fortner

Get to know Radio 1190, the student-operated radio station at CU ��ý��

KVCU Radio 1190 is the student-operated radio station at CU ��ý��, producing journalism, amplifying community voices and sharing great music. The station has a new home beneath Carlson Gymnasium. We sat down with Iris Berkeley (Jour'01), the general manager, and Ella Krelovich, a student manager in her final year of studying information science, to learn more about the station.

Ella Krelovich operates the radio station's soundboard in preparation for her live show. Both photos by Hannah Howell.

Responses edited for length and clarity.

Favorite part of Radio 1190?

Krelovich: My favorite moments are probably getting into the DJ booth and teaching people when they say they want to know what it's like to run a show.

Wait, you DJ?

Krelovich: Yes, I'm also managing about 95 DJs. We have about 91 shows on the air right now. It's a crazy jigsaw puzzle to get together, but anyone who comes here and wants a show can have an hour slot once a week.

Fascinating. Are you interested in a radio career?

Krelovich: No, but working with people and figuring out the best way for DJs to operate are transferable skills I can take into my future career. I’d like to do something in user experience design.

What does this club mean to its members?

Berkeley: Even after something like 25 years of being on the air, I still really love getting behind the board and the mic and sharing music with our listeners. Watching these students do this every single day with so much creativity and dedication is just magic.

Speaking of magic—you host a prom?

Krelovich: Yes, Radio Prom is my favorite Radio 1190 event of the year! Last year's event was' 80s-themed, and my favorite memory is seeing everyone all dressed up.

Tell me more about the community.

Krelovich: If you're a playlist nerd or if you just need people to hang out with, this is the place for you. Maybe you haven't found your people yet, but they're here. I mean, this is a place for everyone. We have a punk show that's actually done by a professor.

A professor hosts a punk rock show?

Krelovich: We know him as Bodhi around the station, but his real name is Shane Melnitzer. He’s an alumnus who teaches in the philosophy department.

OK, one last question for you both. What word describes Radio 1190?

Berkeley: Our brand is chaos, and we love it.

Krelovich: You'll never hear the same thing twice—you can hear a pop show followed by a death metal show.

Interested in getting involved? Radio 1190s hosts meetings every night of the week at 6 p.m., along with weekly volunteer meetings. You can also stop by during the day; there is always someone hanging out in the station.

Jayden Fortner is pursuing degrees in journalism and strategic communication at CMDI, with a minor in sports media. She covers students and student news at the college.

Students from every major and interest at CU ��ý�� find a welcome home at Radio 1190.

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2 minutes with: Michael Kerner and Cassidy Davis

Joe Arney — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 19:42:12 +0000

2 minutes with: Michael Kerner and Cassidy Davis Joe Arney Fri, 02/06/2026 - 12:42

Hannah Howell

Michael Kerner (Jour’12) and Cassidy Davis (StratComm’23)

Michael Kerner

For Cassidy Davis, breaking into the sports media world comes down to three words: “Go for no.”

Saying yes to every opportunity is how she’s found herself, just a few years out of college, working in the bright lights of the Super Bowl.

That attitude is how both Davis (StratComm’23) and Michael Kerner (Jour’12) are finding themselves at the big game. They have very different roles, but are both vital to one of the most anticipated media days of the year. Kerner is a manager for on-air graphics with NBC Sports, while Davis is a corporate partnerships coordinator for the Seahawks. They both credited extracurricular clubs at CMDI for playing vital roles in their college journeys.

Responses edited for length and clarity.

What responsibilities will you have for the Super Bowl?
Davis: Leading up to the big game, we've worked in partnership with brands to create memories for our fans and celebrate this season—including big events such as a drone show over the Space Needle, presented by Snoqualmie Casino & Hotel.

Kerner: I help manage and produce the graphics you see onscreen, from the early design stages through final delivery, when we send the graphics to the various trucks, studios and vendors that will air them. Our team started on this work almost a year ago.

Something you’re most looking forward to?
Davis: I am most looking forward to seeing the incredible hard work our team has put in throughout the season come to an incredible conclusion. Every moment has led to this one game, and I am so excited to experience the Super Bowl alongside my teammates.

Cassidy Davis

Thinking back—and Michael, this will be more of a stretch for you—can you share a CMDI class or professor that best prepared you for working on such a big stage?
Davis: Dawn Doty. She was so dedicated to forming personal relationships with each of her students. Dawn was instrumental in getting me to where I am today, both as a student and a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America,

Kerner: For me, it was CU Sports Mag—now Sko Buffs Sports. I knew I wanted to work in sports TV in college, and that club gave me invaluable experience. I got to try every position you’d find in a broadcast studio—running cameras, directing, editing, technical directing—and was on the field during CU football games, filming the action and Ralphie’s runs.

It’s great to hear you both talk about the value extracurricular clubs played in your careers. What about some advice for students dreaming of covering events like this?
Kerner: Be a sponge. Absorb everything and learn as many roles and skills as you can.

Davis: Lean on your passions to set yourself apart from other applicants. You can market yourself in so many different ways based on the experiences you've had throughout your life.

Hannah Howell is a sophomore majoring in media production, with a concentration in documentary film, and a sports media minor.

Two CMDI alumni are leaning on what they learned in college as they prepare for very different roles at the Super Bowl.

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Spring 2025: 2 minutes with Rory Fitzgerald Bledsoe

Jayden Fortner — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 19:23:47 +0000

Spring 2025: 2 minutes with Rory Fitzgerald Bledsoe Jayden Fortner Mon, 02/02/2026 - 12:23

Joe Arney

Rory Fitzgerald Bledsoe
PhD Candidate, Media Studies

Rory Fitzgerald Bledsoe is a PhD candidate in media studies who runs a multimodal art gallery, Space__Space, in East ��ý��. Her first exhibition, “Phones are Heavy,” ran from November through January; “Archive Fever Dream” opens in March.

Why did you want to open a gallery?
This space is public scholarship. I’m interested in creating discourse on cultural issues that transcend the limits of the law. I also ran a gallery in Boston where I gave solo shows to artists who hadn’t had one before, and it’s gratifying to elevate emerging artists and underrepresented ideas.

Was there a gallery you had in mind as you envisioned what Space__Space could look like?
I did an artist/curatorial residency in New York, at Flux Factory, and that has been a big influence on my drive for cultivating experimentation and community.

Something you hope visitors notice as they walk through the gallery?
The work, of course. And maybe the sunset-pink trim. Pink has connotations of being frivolous, but I see it as subversive—a power color. So I put it in the bottom trim around the gallery, where it’s a secret signature that doesn’t get in the way of the work.

Tell me about those sunsets.
I’m used to underground, windowless art spaces in New York and Boston. From the back of Space__Space, you can see mountains, and from the front, you get the sunset. Someday, I want to do a site-specific installation that harnesses sunsets, because they are so spectacular.

Biggest surprise?
Being able to do it. Every time you take the risk of creating something—like in Boston, running Space 121 out of my apartment, I wasn’t sure what would happen. But I’ve started to believe if you build it, when there is a thirst, they will come.

Wait, the gallery in Boston was out of your apartment? What did your landlord say about that?
They never found out. (Laughs) We had openings; we just called them parties.

Last one. A favorite work from your first exhibit?
The brilliant Flora Wilds flew in to install her sculptures, which was a magical collaboration. But I will say everyone who came in had a different favorite, and that is a mark of a resonant and successful show.

A selection of works from Space__Space’s inaugural exhibit, which closed in January. From left, works by Maya Buffett-Davis, a CU ��ý�� graduate student; Ana González Barragán; Devon Narine-Singh; and Flora Wilds. Photos by Kimberly Coffin (CritMedia, StratComm’18).

Joe Arney covers research and general news for the college

Rory Fitzgerald Bledsoe is a PhD candidate in media studies who runs a multimodal art gallery, Space__Space, in East ��ý��.

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Spring 2025: 2 minutes with Max Pollak

Jayden Fortner — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 19:09:57 +0000

Spring 2025: 2 minutes with Max Pollak Jayden Fortner Mon, 02/02/2026 - 12:09

Hannah Stewart

Max Pollak (Advert'10)
Creative Director, Deutsch LA

After years away from ��ý��, Pollak returned to CU for a collaboration between NerdWallet and Travis Hunter. Pollak and his team shot a video where Hunter talked about the “Smartest NIL” campaign and a giveaway where fans could win a collectible cutout piece of Hunter’s contract with the brand. The highlight for Pollak? A selfie with “Heisman” Hunter.

How did you land Travis Hunter? In his Heisman season, no less?
I’m a huge CU fan with season tickets, and it just so happens that NerdWallet already has a partnership with CU. I knew Travis Hunter would be a great brand ambassador, and we even sneaked into the Coach Prime documentary.

As to the Heisman, I thought he should win it and I thought there was a big chance. I’m happy it happened, but I can’t say I predicted it.

You used to be a firefighter. What’s something memorable about that job?
You never want something bad to happen—but there’s [an adrenaline rush] when you hear the bells and sirens.

My best friend—also a volunteer, now with FDNY—and I were driving to a car show when we got the page that his house went up in flames. We had to put out a fire that was going through his house, which we had played in as kids. It makes you sympathize with people.

Best compliment you’ve ever received?
I was at Barchetta recently and my wife was sitting there with our kid, and this guy walked up to me and said, “You have a great spot”—meaning the table in the restaurant. I thought it was weird, but I said, “Yeah, I know.” He was like, “Wow, how confident!” and walked away. I saw my wife was dying laughing, and she told me what he actually said was, “You have a great smile!”

Hannah Stewart graduated from CMDI in 2019 with a degree in communication. She covers student news for the college.

After years away from ��ý��, Max Pollak returned to CU for a collaboration between NerdWallet and Travis Hunter.

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Fall 2024: 2 minutes with Jill Painter Lopez

Ellie Chase — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 19:08:02 +0000

Fall 2024: 2 minutes with Jill Painter Lopez Ellie Chase Mon, 02/02/2026 - 12:08

Joe Arney

Jill Painter Lopez (Jour’94)
Reporter and analyst for CBS/KCAL Los Angeles

Lopez was the only local journalist granted an interview with Caitlin Clark when she accepted the Wooden Award for outstanding collegiate basketball player this spring.

How did you score the interview?
It goes back to my CU journalism days. We were always taught about developing your sources and being aware. I knew the Wooden Award executives and watched the schedule, and so that’s how I got it.

How does interviewing someone like Clark change how you prepare?
I don’t think it did—the research you do for an interview should be the same, whether that’s a 13-year-old golfer or the most polarizing player in basketball.

Your three favorite athlete interviews.
Kobe Bryant, John Elway, Tiger Woods.

Favorite college memory?
The CU-Nebraska game in 1991. I grew up on Broncos football, my family had season tickets, we love football—and I can’t believe I left at halftime because it was below freezing. It ended up in a 19-19 tie.

Favorite place to visit in Colorado?
Fort Collins—not because of Colorado State! It’s where I grew up. I love to get back to ��ý�� every year, but Fort Collins is my favorite.

Best part of your job?
Telling people’s stories. I love to bring out what makes people unique. I’ve been doing it for a long time, and I still love it.

Joe Arney covers research and general news for the college.

Jill Painter Lopez was the only local journalist granted an interview with Caitlin Clark when she accepted the Wooden Award for outstanding collegiate basketball player this spring.

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Fall 2024: 2 minutes with Huck Sorock

Jayden Fortner — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 18:45:09 +0000

Fall 2024: 2 minutes with Huck Sorock Jayden Fortner Mon, 02/02/2026 - 11:45

Joe Arney

Huck Sorock (StratComm’23), Co-founder and CEO of Refr Sports

Refr Sports

As a CMDI student, Sorock created Refr Sports, which digitizes how youth sports leagues schedule, hire and pay referees. He took second prize in CU ��ý��’s 2024 New Venture Challenge.

You want to make life easier for referees. That puts you in pretty small company.
I started reffing in high school, where I saw a lot of problems with the industry, in terms of how you’re scheduled to work and long delays before you get paid.

Tell me about the business.
We’ve basically built a CRM, or customer relationship management, platform for referee assigners—who schedule refs to work youth games—to manage their business, while offering technology to help refs pick up games and get paid faster.

Describe your team.
My co-founder and I complement each other well. While I focus on the front end—raising capital, sales and marketing—he handles the back end with his technical and analytical expertise, managing operations and leading our team of developers.

How did you start a business as a college kid?
I was bred into entrepreneurship. My dad is a serial entrepreneur and when it came to jobs—which he always called “the J-word”—he’d say, “We make those. We don’t get them.”

Best part of your job?
Learning—from doing and from my network. I’m a young entrepreneur. I’d rather learn from someone else’s $50,000 mistake than make that mistake on my own.

Photo by Glenn Asakawa (Jour'86)

Joe Arney covers research and general news for the college.

As a CMDI student, Huck Sorock created Refr Sports, which digitizes how youth sports leagues schedule, hire and pay referees. He took second prize in CU ��ý��’s 2024 New Venture Challenge.

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Fall 2024: 2 minutes with Gregory Bull

Ellie Chase — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 18:43:47 +0000

Fall 2024: 2 minutes with Gregory Bull Ellie Chase Mon, 02/02/2026 - 11:43

Malinda Miller

Gregory Bull (Jour'91)
Associated Press photographer

Bull started covering the U.S.-Mexico border as a newspaper photographer in 1994. In May, he was part of an AP team that won a Pulitzer Prize for how they covered migrants’ journeys into the United States.

Where is this photo set?
Hundreds of asylum seekers were caught between Tijuana and San Diego in 2023, when the pandemic-era health order that allowed the United States to turn away migrants at the border expired.

This picture was taken as migrants started to realize there were not enough donated supplies for everybody. People were frantically but politely pleading for blankets. My hope, as I shot this, was that it might convey that sense of disorder and urgency we were seeing all along the border.

How was the photo made?
A photo like this is more about connecting with people—achieving a level of trust to where you can kind of disappear and wait for those elements you need to convey that feeling of urgency. Technically, you need a wide enough angle of view to allow for a larger “stage.”

What makes it work?
The bars in the wall provide a dependable vertical pattern, so it was a matter of looking for diagonals to break that up. The woman’s hand at right brought this picture together. But design elements aside, I think this picture mostly works because of the look of despair on the face of the woman at center. For me, she embodied the overall emotion people were grappling with.

Malinda Miller graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences with a degree in English in 1992 and Masters in Journalism in 1998.

Gregory Bull started covering the U.S.-Mexico border as a newspaper photographer in 1994. In May, he was part of an AP team that won a Pulitzer Prize for how they covered migrants’ journeys into the United States.

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2 minutes with: Hannah Kijner

Hannah Stewart — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 21:14:12 +0000

2 minutes with: Hannah Kijner Hannah Stewart Wed, 01/21/2026 - 14:14

Hannah Stewart

Hannah Kijner Strategic communication

When Hannah Kijner stepped foot on the CU ��ý�� campus as a first-year student, she never dreamed that by joining a student organization, she’d have the opportunity to network with public relations professionals at a national conference in Washington, D.C.

Now a senior, Kijner has spent the last four years studying public relations at CU ��ý��’s College of Communication, Media, Design and Information.

“I love storytelling, and I didn’t want to stop enjoying writing for fun. Strategic communication is business-y, but it leaves more room for creativity than most majors,” she said.

That passion led her to the school’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, which gave her the chance to represent the college at the national ICON conference, in October. She credited Dawn Doty, then-PRSSA advisor, and the club’s president, Leah Szabo, with encouraging her to be involved.

Kijner was part of a team that collaborated with the PRSSA team from Colorado State University to raise approximately $10,000 toward the trip.

“When students go to conferences, like ICON, a lot of pieces start to click together because they’re practicing professional skills,” said Jolene Fisher, an associate professor in the Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Design and faculty advisor for the group.

We chatted with Kijner about her experience at ICON and what she learned.

Responses edited for length and clarity.

Tell me about how you got involved with PRSSA and the ICON fundraising team.
Last summer, I applied to be one of the summer fundraiser and volunteer coordinators. We did a lot of email outreach to raise money. That’s when I learned it’s all about networking—it’s being kind, following up, seeing who’s in your area and using LinkedIn. And preparing yourself to hear no, a lot.

Over the summer, we raised a little more than $5,000 for each school and also got to attend events like the Gold Pick Awards. That was cool because I got to get to know people from different PR firms in Denver. A lot of those people were also at ICON in the fall—so while the big conference was intimidating at first, I got to see the CSU people that I worked with and other familiar faces.

Favorite part about ICON?
Lauren Graham’s keynote—she's been my idol since I was young. I’ve always loved writing, so she really hit home with me when she talked about universal ideas. I really liked how she talked about prioritizing moments people can connect to.

It was also really cool listening to Kamala Harris' speechwriter, Stephen Kelly. I really loved when he talked about taking your writing to happy hour. You have to remember your audience isn't always the industry, it's people. So, it’s important to make your message clear, concise and understandable for everyone.

Would you say that was your biggest takeaway?
My biggest takeaway is you can make your own connections. If you work hard enough, and you put yourself out there, you’ll have the opportunity. It's all about hard work, dedication and then finding your community, which is everything.

I made a ton of connections at ICON, but my goal was really to make a few very good ones. The professional world can be competitive, but it’s important to have fun at these conferences and take the time to listen to people and make friends.

When you get out of school, a lot of people will have a resume very similar to yours. So what's gonna make you stand out? It’s those people who know you and share those connections.

Hannah Stewart graduated from CMDI in 2019 with a degree in communication. She covers student news for the college.

Ahead of her senior year, Hannah Kijner helped PRSSA raise money to send five strategic communication students to the national ICON conference where they networked and learned from public relations professionals.

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Fall 2025: 2 minutes with Abby Boutrous

Regan Widergren — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 23:33:56 +0000

Fall 2025: 2 minutes with Abby Boutrous Regan Widergren Mon, 11/17/2025 - 16:33

Hannah Stewart

Abby Boutrous (CritMedia’24), Introspection

Abby Boutrous loves connecting with her film subjects. Her film, Introspection, took her to the slopes alongside Jess Cohen (IntPhys’24), and won a Heartland Student Emmy. After living and working in Oregon since graduating, she’ll be moving back to Colorado to work for Moonrise Creative Studio.

Responses edited for length and clarity.

Tell me about Introspection.
A lot of ski films are dudes ripping it in the park; it’s a highlight reel, basically. I’ve been a skier for a long time, and I wanted to dig deeper into the inner thoughts and feelings athletes have while doing bold things.

It seems like it was the best of both worlds, with documentary and the outdoors.
Spending quiet time in nature is the biggest thing I do. I wish I got paid to walk around outside and just be one with nature. I love telling stories about women. I even documented my own path starting in my first year at CU with a health and wellness page, Abundantly.Abby.

What’s the best part of your job?
You get to learn about yourself while learning about others. You’re telling stories and connecting with hundreds of thousands of people.

Why short-form content?
You get 30 seconds to grab someone’s attention. I like the rush of creating impactful stories and a community around them.

Most valuable lesson?
To trust the process. I didn’t go straight into a job after graduation, which was tough. But wherever you are, that’s where you’re meant to be. Things have a way of working out if you put in the effort and gravitate toward what’s driving you.

Hannah Stewart graduated from CMDI in 2019 with a degree in communication. She covers student news for the college.

A regular feature catching up with people in our community who are doing interesting and impactful work. In this issue, a recent alumna who won an Emmy for her short film.

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Fall 2025

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2 minutes

2 minutes with: ASLA

Learn more about ASLA, the student affiliate chapter for landscape architects and plant lovers

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2 minutes with: Radio 1190

Get to know Radio 1190, the student-operated radio station at CU ������ý����

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2 minutes with: Michael Kerner and Cassidy Davis

Michael Kerner (Jour’12) and Cassidy Davis (StratComm’23)

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Spring 2025: 2 minutes with Rory Fitzgerald Bledsoe

Rory Fitzgerald BledsoePhD Candidate, Media Studies

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Spring 2025: 2 minutes with Max Pollak

Max Pollak (Advert'10)Creative Director, Deutsch LA

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Fall 2024: 2 minutes with Jill Painter Lopez

Jill Painter Lopez (Jour’94)Reporter and analyst for CBS/KCAL Los Angeles

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Fall 2024: 2 minutes with Huck Sorock

Huck Sorock (StratComm’23), Co-founder and CEO of Refr Sports

Refr Sports

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Fall 2024: 2 minutes with Gregory Bull

Gregory Bull (Jour'91)Associated Press photographer

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2 minutes with: Hannah Kijner

Hannah Kijner Strategic communication

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Fall 2025: 2 minutes with Abby Boutrous

Abby Boutrous (CritMedia’24), Introspection

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Get to know Radio 1190, the student-operated radio station at CU ��ý��

Rory Fitzgerald Bledsoe
PhD Candidate, Media Studies

Max Pollak (Advert'10)
Creative Director, Deutsch LA

Jill Painter Lopez (Jour’94)
Reporter and analyst for CBS/KCAL Los Angeles

Gregory Bull (Jour'91)
Associated Press photographer