Alumni News

A Season of Buffs Giving at CU ��ý��

Anna Tolette — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 21:26:39 +0000

A Season of Buffs Giving at CU ��ý�� Anna Tolette Mon, 03/09/2026 - 15:26

April Driver

Darla Thompson (Soc’92) is eager to support her alma mater. As a Forever Buffs Advisory Board member and Homecoming volunteer, she has long enjoyed participating in university happenings. After moving back to Colorado in 2021, she started volunteering to read student scholarship applications and became inspired to contribute even more.

Last March, during CU ��ý��’s annual giving day, Buffs All In, she donated to the university, citing her belief in the power of collective generosity.

“When so many people come together, even small gifts add up to something meaningful,” she said.

Thompson chose to contribute to scholarship funds to help make a CU ��ý�� education more accessible to students.

The Buffs All In campaign runs throughout the month of March, allowing for the creation of a network of CU donors who can see their collective giving in real time, further emphasizing the value of their gifts.

In past years, Buffs have chosen to amplify their giving through challenge gifts, which unlock additional funds when the challenge reaches a milestone, such as a donor quota or collective giving threshold.

Scott (Econ’79) and Linda Flanders offer a $25,000 challenge each year for the College of Arts and Sciences. “Liberal arts schools are often underfunded compared to business and technology degrees,” he said. “My CU education positioned me for success in business and helped me relate to many different people over a long and varied career.”

The Flanders were inspired after attending an event where a donor matched all gifts received during the dinner, prompting them to give unexpectedly. Now, they create their own challenge during Buffs All In to support the college that shaped Scott’s future.

His advice to Buffs?

“Give what you can. It’ll make you feel good.”

This March, join thousands of Buffs making a difference. Every gift — big or small — supports student success and the programs that can make a real difference. Be all in.

Make a gift or learn more

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Photos courtesy CU ��ý�� Advancement Marketing and Communications

Buffs All In unlocks potential at the university.

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Kara Goucher Is Running at Life

Anna Tolette — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 21:17:56 +0000

Kara Goucher Is Running at Life Anna Tolette Mon, 03/09/2026 - 15:17

Tori Peglar

During the most thrilling three minutes of the 2024 Paris Olympics, NBC Sports broadcaster Kara Goucher (Psych’01) called the race.

It was the much-hyped men’s 1500-meter event, and reigning Olympic gold medalist Jakob Ingebrigsten of Norway seized the lead, followed closely by Kenya’s Timothy Cheriot and Great Britain’s John Kerr. For the first three laps, all eyes followed these three men, each of whom medaled in the event at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

But earlier in the race, Goucher speculated that if American Cole Hocker jockeyed into a better position, he could upend the outcome. It seemed unlikely. Yet during the fourth and final lap, Hocker’s legs flew into overdrive, his orange shoes a blur as he overtook the leaders, clinching gold. American Yared Nuguse finished close behind for bronze.

This moment marked the first time in 112 years that two Americans shared the Olympic podium for the 1500. Goucher drew on her experience as a two-time Olympian and world-class marathoner to make the history-defying call.

“I really understand runners’ strengths and weaknesses, like who needs the race to go out quickly from the gun and who can wait and have an incredible sprint finish,” she said. “I can see things that other people can’t see.”

Since 2021, Goucher has used this superpower as an NBC Sports distance running commentator. She also co-hosts the wildly popular running podcast Nobody Asked Us with former Olympian Des Linden. She began running at an early age, developing a passion for the sport that led to an incredibly successful career both on and off the track. Along the way, she’s learned invaluable lessons about the power of tenacity and integrity to overcome the hurdles she’s faced.

The Road to Running

When Goucher was 4 years old, a drunk driver killed her father as he headed to work in New York City. Afterward, she and her family moved to Duluth, Minnesota, to live near her grandparents. It was her grandpa, a lifelong runner, who introduced her to the sport. As he used to tell it, Goucher fell near the start of their first race together, but she eagerly stood up, and they finished together.

“Running was so freeing,” said Goucher, who is arrestingly humble and kind. “I didn’t have to think about what came next.”

In high school, she dominated races, and at the 1993 Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in San Diego, she met her future husband, Adam Goucher (Comm’98). Coincidentally, they both ran for CU under coach Mark Wetmore, sweeping NCAA titles. In 2001, they married.

Soon after, Nike invited them to join a new team of professional runners — the Oregon Project — coached by famed marathoner Alberto Salazar. They leapt at the opportunity.

What followed was an astonishing streak of victories that transformed Goucher into one of the world’s best and most recognizable runners. Nike plastered promotional ads of her everywhere.

“There’s a picture of me standing next to a cardboard cutout of Kara when I was a junior or senior at a high school national meet,” remembered pro runner and Olympian Emma Coburn (Mktg’13). “I was so proud just to stand next to her, because Kara was a Nike athlete.”

When Goucher finished third in the 10,000-meter race at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, she became the first American woman to medal in an international distance track event in 14 years. A month later, she ran the fastest half marathon by an American woman at the Great North Run in England, beating Paula Radcliffe, the world’s best marathoner at the time.

Afterward, Goucher had a realization. If she could beat Radcliffe at the half marathon, what would happen if she ran a marathon? Five weeks later, she rode on the press truck at the 2007 New York City Marathon as Radcliffe ran the event.

“Watching Paula made me afraid of how much it would hurt, and I wanted to know if I could be that tough,” said Goucher.

Radcliffe mentored her for the 2008 New York City Marathon, where Goucher proudly finished third.

“I was a marathoner,” she said. “I was stronger than I knew.”

But there was something else. The race course winds through all five boroughs of New York, including Queens, where Goucher was born and lived before her dad died.

“In reflection, I felt closer to my dad,” she said. “I never really knew him, but to run through the streets where he lived was a very healing experience.”

Leaving the Oregon Project

As she launched into the world of elite marathoners, there was another item on her bucket list — parenthood. She and Salazar plotted the timing of her pregnancy around races, yet Nike suspended her pay when she was six months pregnant.

“It broke my heart,” said Goucher, who ran the 2011 Boston Marathon with a newborn on the sidelines and without Nike pay. “I truly considered Nike a family.”

Other things at the Oregon Project didn’t feel right, either — syringes in a training condo refrigerator; topical testosterone medicine; Salazar’s unwanted sexual advances and comments.

For a long time, she dismissed them as one-offs. However, a trip to South Korea for the 2011 World Championships marked a final straw. Goucher said it started with Salazar propositioning her on the plane ride and continued with her throwing out blue pills he dispensed to her and her teammates. Salazar said they were B12 vitamins, but she couldn’t be sure. After finishing a disappointing 13th in the 10,000, Goucher and her husband headed to the airport, sharing the same thought.

It was time to leave the Oregon Project.

Kara’s Milestones

1984: Runs her first race, a one-mile course in Minnesota.

2000: Receives the Honda Sports Award as the nation’s best female collegiate cross-country runner.

2000: Becomes the NCAA outdoor champion in the 3000m and 5000m, the NCAA cross-country champion and a 5000m Olympic trials finalist.

2001: Graduates from CU ��ý�� and marries Olympian and Buff Adam Goucher.

2004: Joins The Oregon Project, a Nike-sponsored elite running group.

2007: Clinches a silver medal in the 10,000m at the World Championships in Japan.

2008: Places third in the New York City Marathon as the fastest American woman to run the race.

2009: Becomes the first American woman in 16 years to podium at the Boston Marathon.

2010: Gives birth to her son Colton Mirko Goucher.

2012: Takes 11th place in the marathon at the London Summer Olympics.

2021: Travels to the Tokyo Summer Olympics as an NBC Sports commentator, calling distance races.

2023: Launches her running podcast Nobody Asked Us with runner Des Linden.

2023: Book The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike’s Elite Running Team reaches No. 4 on the The New York Times Best Seller list.

2024: Returns to the Summer Olympics in Paris to call distance races for NBC Sports.

Back to ��ý��

After placing 11th in the marathon during the 2012 London Olympics, Goucher returned to CU ��ý�� to finish her racing career where it began — with Buffs coaches Wetmore and Heather Burroughs (Bio’99).

“It was the happiest time in my career,” said Goucher, who trained with Jenny Simpson (PolSci’09), Shalaya Kipp (IntPhys’14; MS’17) and Coburn. “Everyone wanted me to do well.”

Even with the Oregon Project behind them, the Gouchers felt they should share with authorities their suspicion that Salazar was promoting doping.

Goucher was worried about repercussions. But she decided to speak up, especially about Salazar’s sexual assaults.

“What I kept thinking about were my nieces who were being raised how I was — to treat people with kindness — and it was the same kind of thing that could happen to them,” Goucher said.

The Gouchers joined former athletes and coaches in testifying against Salazar in a trial that resulted in a four-year ban from athletics. Shortly after, he received an effective life ban from coaching after a SafeSport investigation found him guilty of four violations involving emotional and sexual abuse.

“People say I’m brave,” Goucher said. “I’m not. I hate fighting. At the end of the day, I’m just telling the truth.”

After Salazar’s widely publicized sanctions, Goucher wanted to address misinformation about her in the media. She shared her story in the book The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping and Deception on Nike’s Elite Running Team. Released in 2023 and co-authored by Mary Pilon, it made The New York Times Best Seller list.

These days, Goucher runs daily, although it’s more arduous since she was diagnosed with focal dystonia. A neurological condition, it causes involuntary muscle contractions, which means her left leg, in particular, doesn’t always move as it should.

Her persistence to push through it has inspired her husband, Adam, to slowly get back to running.

“Besides being the most amazing, thoughtful, caring woman, mother and wife, she’s a warrior,” Adam Goucher said. “It amazes me what she does despite all that ails her. She’s like, ‘I’m going to do it.’”

Goucher approaches her condition with the same tenacity and grace she has used to overcome all other adversity in her life, and she’s modeling that to her son, Colt, already a standout high school runner.

“My grandpa taught me to not be afraid of pain and hard work, but to always have integrity,” she said. “Because what’s the point of victory if you don’t have integrity?”

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Photos by Glenn Asakawa

Kara Goucher overcame numerous hurdles to become a two-time Olympian, NBC Sports broadcaster and New York Times bestselling author.

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Celebrating 150 Years of CU People

Anna Tolette — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 21:16:07 +0000

Celebrating 150 Years of CU People Anna Tolette Mon, 03/09/2026 - 15:16

Julia MacLean

Over 150 years, CU ��ý�� has been shaped by the vision, courage and tenacity of many students, faculty, staff and alumni. These Buffs have spurred change for the university and left an imprint on the legacy that propels it forward.

Joseph Sewall

1877 — Became CU’s first president

A 19th-century American physician, scientist and educator, Joseph Sewall served as CU ��ý��’s first president from 1877 to 1887. Before he arrived in Colorado, he trained in medicine and natural science and taught as a professor of chemistry at Illinois State Normal University. When CU opened on Sept. 5, 1877, there was only a single building — Old Main — which contained classrooms, a library, a chapel and the living quarters for the Sewall family.

Today, Sewall is remembered as the man “in at the birth” of CU, who directed its first steps and helped lay the foundation for what the university would become. In 1935, the university built Sewall Hall in his honor, which is the oldest continuously used residence hall on campus.

Mary Rippon in 1882.

Mary Rippon

1878 — Appointed CU’s first female professor

Mary Rippon’s distinguished career at CU ��ý�� spanned over 30 years. Besides making history as the first female professor at CU, she is also believed to be one of the first women in the United States to teach at a state university. Beloved by students, Rippon taught language and literature, eventually earning a position as head of the Department of Germanic Languages and Literature. She is honored today by the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre on CU’s campus. Rippon also lived a fascinating hidden life — in 1888, she secretly married a CU student, Will Housel, and gave birth to their daughter, Miriam Housel. She concealed this truth for decades to retain her position and support her family.

Lucile Berkeley Buchanan Jones (Ger’1918)

1918 — Graduated from CU

Lucile Berkeley Buchanan Jones was an educator and the first known Black woman to graduate from CU ��ý��. Born to parents who had been enslaved, she grew up in the Barnum subdivision of Denver, where her family became the area’s first Black property owners. Before attending CU, she broke barriers by becoming the first Black graduate to earn a two-year teaching degree from what is now the University of Northern Colorado. In 1918, she earned a bachelor’s degree in German from CU — however, due to racial prejudice, she was not allowed to walk across the stage at commencement or appear in the yearbook. Her diploma was handed to her off-stage, an act that led her to vow that she would never return to campus. Nearly 100 years after her graduation, CU formally recognized Buchanan’s achievement, and during the 2018 commencement ceremony, a diploma was symbolically accepted on her behalf by CMDI associate professor Polly McLean.

George Norlin

1919 — Appointed president of CU

George Norlin joined CU as a classics professor in 1899, became acting president in 1917 and began serving as permanent president in 1919, where he remained until 1939. Under his transformative leadership, CU underwent a dramatic period of expansion, despite the Great Depression: the student body more than tripled, several university buildings were constructed and architect Charles Klauder redesigned the campus in the Tuscan vernacular style. Norlin left a lasting moral and cultural legacy at the university. He is famous for resisting pressure from the legislature (influenced by the Ku Klux Klan), refusing to dismiss all Catholic and Jewish faculty. He also wrote The Norlin Charge, first read at the 1935 commencement ceremony, which remains a part of CU tradition today.

Byron White (Econ’38)

1935 — Earned the Buffaloes national attention

Byron “Whizzer” White is among the most celebrated student-athletes in the history of Colorado Buffaloes football. His senior year, he led the Buffaloes through a successful season, earning national attention and helping elevate the profile of the program. He was later inducted into the Buffaloes’ Athletic Hall of Fame in recognition of his elite play and impact on CU athletics. After his athletic career, White distinguished himself in public service, eventually serving as a justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Peggy Coppom (A&S ex’46) and Betty Hoover (A&S ex’46)

1940 — Began cheering on the Buffs

The “CU Twins” earned legendary status on campus through decades of unwavering devotion to CU athletics. The sisters first began cheering for the Buffs as ��ý�� High School students. They were loyal season ticket holders for CU football (beginning in the late 1950s) and basketball (late 1970s). Wearing matching goldenrod CU sweatshirts and waving pom-poms, Peggy and Betty became a fixture in the stands and remain one of the most iconic fan duos in school history. After Betty’s death in 2020, Peggy’s dedication to CU has remained as strong as ever. In recognition of her lifelong commitment, Peggy was honored with the 2025 Chancellor’s Impact Award.

David Bolen (Mktg; MBA’50)

1948 — Competed in the Olympic Games

After David Bolen served in the Army Air Force for two years during World War II, CU ��ý�� track and field coach Frank Potts recruited him to the university. He then earned All-America honors. At 25, Bolen became the first CU student to qualify for the 1948 U.S. Olympic Team, where he placed fourth in the 400m race at the London games. After graduating, Bolen began a distinguished diplomatic career, serving as U.S. Ambassador to Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland beginning in 1974, and to East Germany beginning in 1977. He also was the first Black ambassador to a nation behind the Iron Curtain.

Billy Kidd

1964 — Won an Olympic alpine skiing medal

In February 1964, at the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, Billy Kidd became the first U.S. man to win an Olympic alpine skiing medal, a silver in the slalom. Over the next several years, he captured gold in the combined event at the 1970 World Championships in Val Gardena and became the first American man to win a world alpine title. He then went professional, claiming the pro world championship that same year. After graduating from CU, Kidd remained in Colorado and became the long-time director of skiing at Steamboat Ski Resort in 1970. Beyond instruction, he helped initiate ski-based outreach and inclusion efforts, supporting Special Olympics athletes, wounded veterans and Native American youth through ski camps and mentorship programs.

“Ralph”

1966 — Folsom Field debut

The first official Ralphie mascot, “Ralph” was the live buffalo that launched one of the most beloved traditions at the CU ��ý��. In 1965, CU freshman Bill Lowery was determined to bring a live buffalo to Buffs football games instead of a costumed mascot. With the help of his rancher father, he successfully brought a buffalo calf from northeastern Colorado to ��ý��. Ralph made her debut at Folsom Field on Oct. 1, 1966, charging onto the field with Lowery and a few of his fellow students flailing alongside her in cowboy boots.

Juan Espinosa (Jour’74)

1972 — Launched the newspaper El Diario de la Gente

As a CU ��ý�� student, Espinosa launched the bilingual newspaper El Diario de la Gente in 1972 as a member of the United Mexican American Students, a campus group aimed at bringing cultural awareness to ��ý��’s Chicano community. The Vietnam War veteran later moved to Pueblo, Colorado, where he co-founded the alternative community newspaper La Cucaracha and worked for 22 years at The Pueblo Chieftain.

Tom Cech

1989 — Awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

A distinguished professor of chemistry at CU ��ý��, Thomas Cech is a renowned biochemist whose work has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of molecular biology. After earning his doctorate degree in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 1975 and completing postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he joined the faculty of CU ��ý�� in 1978. In 1982, he and his research group made a groundbreaking discovery that RNA molecules, specifically from the pond organism Tetrahymena thermophila, could splice themselves, acting as enzymes in cellular reactions without proteins. In recognition of this paradigm-shifting work, Cech was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1989. Cech continues to lead research and education at CU ��ý�� as the founding director of the BioFrontiers Institute.

Ceal Barry

2018 — Inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame

As head coach for over 22 seasons, Ceal Barry left an undeniable mark on CU ��ý��’s women’s basketball. In her time as coach, she accumulated a record of 427-242, the most wins by any head coach in CU sports history. Under her leadership, the program flourished. She had 13 seasons with 20 or more wins, 12 NCAA Tournament appearances and three trips to the Elite Eight. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 in recognition of her impact and achievements. After stepping down as coach, Barry served for 15 years in CU Athletics administration, including a year as interim athletic director in 2013. The university unveiled Ceal Barry Plaza in her honor in January 2026.

Joe Neguse (Econ, PolSci’05; Law’09)

2018 — Elected to Congress

At CU ��ý�� Joe Neguse was involved in student government, served as co-student body president under the “tri-executive” system and worked on issues like diversity, affordability and higher-education finance. After graduating, he went on to serve on the CU Board of Regents, co-founded a nonprofit aimed at youth civic engagement and worked in Colorado politics. In 2018, Neguse was elected to represent Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first Black Coloradan elected to Congress. During his time in office, he has focused on priorities like public-lands protection, affordable higher education, consumer protection and government accountability.

Wei Wu (MMus’13)

2019 — Awarded a Grammy Award

A bass singer from Beijing, Wei Wu has built a remarkable career in opera, earning international acclaim. Upon arriving in the U.S. in 2007, he auditioned for graduate work at CU ��ý��’s College of Music, officially enrolling in 2008. During his time at CU, he honed and perfected the vocal technique, diction and stage presence that became instrumental to his professional success. Wu received his big break after performing the role of Kôbun Chino Otogawa in the world premiere of “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs” at Santa Fe Opera. The recording won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording.

David Ellsworth (Art’71; MFA’73)

2021 — Honored with the Smithsonian Visionary Award

David Ellsworth helped elevate wood turning from a utilitarian craft to fine art. While studying sculpture at CU ��ý��, he developed his signature approach, “blind turning,” a method using a set of bent tools that enables woodturners to hollow out wood into elegant, thin-walled vessels. Ellsworth taught his strategies at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and Anderson Ranch Arts Center, going on to found his own Ellsworth School of Woodturning. In 2021, he was honored with the Smithsonian Visionary Award by the Smithsonian Institution in recognition of his “ground-breaking, innovative and transformative career in wood art.”

Sarah Gillis (AeroEngr’17)

2024 — Played the violin in space

Sarah Gillis made history on Sept. 13, 2024 when she became the first person to play the violin in space, performing “Rey’s Theme” from Star Wars: The Force Awakens aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft more than 870 miles above Earth. Her crewmates captured her performance, which took place in zero gravity conditions during the Polaris Dawn mission, and sent to Earth via Starlink. Gillis first developed an interest in space in high school and went on to study aerospace engineering at CU ��ý��. After internships and work at SpaceX, she joined the Polaris Dawn crew as a mission specialist, where she became the youngest astronaut to participate in a spacewalk.

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Photo credits: In order of appearance: Courtesy Carnegie Library for Local History/Museum of ��ý�� Collection (Mary Rippon); CU Heritage Center (Joseph Sewall); CU Heritage Center (George Norlin); Glenn Asakawa (Peggy Coppom and Betty Hoover); Courtesy the Buchanan Archives (Lucile Berkeley Buchanan Jones); Courtesy Tom Cech; Glenn Asakawa (Tom Cech); Polaris Dawn crew (Sarah Gillis); Soloman Howard (Wei Wu); Courtesy Juan Espinosa; CU Heritage Center (David Bolen); CU Heritage Center (Byron White); CU Athletics (Ceal Barry); Courtesy Joe Neguse; Roshni Gorur/Courtesy of Anderson Ranch (David Ellsworth); Courtesy Billy Kidd; Coloradan archives (Ralphie)

CU ��ý�� has been shaped by the vision, courage and tenacity of many students, faculty, staff and alumni since 1876.

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Reisher Scholars Program To Begin at CU ��ý�� This Fall

Anna Tolette — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 21:04:02 +0000

Reisher Scholars Program To Begin at CU ��ý�� This Fall Anna Tolette Mon, 03/09/2026 - 15:04

Emily Wirtz

This fall, CU ��ý�� will begin offering Reisher Scholarships, thanks to a new $4.2 million partnership with The Denver Foundation and the Reisher Family Foundation to launch the program over the next three years. With this milestone, the university joins one of the largest scholarship programs in Colorado.

The Reisher Scholars Program supports Colorado students after their first year by helping them fund the remainder of their undergraduate degrees. Each selected student may qualify for up to $22,000 per year to cover their cost of attendance, as well as access to free mental health support.

“This investment directly addresses students’ real challenges to help them stay on track, graduate and thrive,” said Chancellor Justin Schwartz. “The Reisher Scholars Program strengthens CU ��ý��’s commitment to student success and ensures that more Buffs can finish college ready to achieve their next steps.”

Margaret and Roger Reisher (Acct’50) started the Reisher Scholars Program at The Denver Foundation in 2001 because, as first-generation college students, they wanted other students to have the opportunity to earn a college degree.

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Happy 150th CU ��ý��

Anna Tolette — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 21:00:31 +0000

Happy 150th CU ��ý�� Anna Tolette Mon, 03/09/2026 - 15:00 Maria Kuntz

In 1882, CU ��ý�� graduated its first six alumni in a small ceremony at Old Main — a lone building on the vast prairie lands of eastern ��ý�� County. Today, you are among the 320,000 “cherished sons and daughters,” as President George Norlin would call the 1935 graduates, along with all future generations of Buffs.

Norlin also said, “The university consists of all who come into and go forth from her halls, who are touched by her influence and who carry on her spirit. Wherever you go, the university goes with you. Wherever you are at work, there is the university at work.”

Forever Buffs, you are the university. Your accomplishments, your deeds, your community impact — that’s you and the university at work in the world.

To celebrate CU ��ý��’s 150th anniversary, each Coloradan this year is designed to be a collector’s edition, starting with this volume, highlighting a handful of spectacular Buffs who’ve impacted the university and the world since 1876.

While we can’t feature everyone here, we encourage you to send us the names of outstanding Buffs we can feature online, in Class Notes or at events this year.

As for the rest of the issue, we’re covering cyborg jellyfish, Olympians, free speech and state-wide economic impact. Enjoy reading about the limitless reach of Forever Buffs like you.

Happy 150th anniversary, CU ��ý��!

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To celebrate CU ��ý��’s 150th anniversary, each Coloradan this year is designed to be a collector’s edition, starting with this volume, dedicated to a handful of spectacular Buffs who’ve impacted the university and the world since 1876.

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In Memoriam

Anna Tolette — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 18:33:12 +0000

In Memoriam Anna Tolette Mon, 11/10/2025 - 11:33

1940s

Shirley Sterling McKeever (Nurs ex’44)

Elisabeth Boatright Baxter (A&S ex’46)

Elizabeth Winchester Isaacs (A&S ex’46)

Chester L. Karrass (MechEngr’47; Bus’48)

William P. Taylor (MechEngr’47)

William K. Jann Sr. (MechEngr’49)

1950s

Caroline Steik Brehmer (Edu’50)

Anne Reynolds Conkling (Chem, Math’50)

Mabel Fulker Korbitz (Edu’50)

John M. Shepherd (Mktg’50)

Jane Waters Carlson (Engl’51)

Mary Brown Christopher (A&S’51)

Julia Meiklejohn Johnson (Engl’51; MCommDisor’67)

James H. Peacock (ArchEngr’51)

Joan Hubbell Shull (Bus’51)

Robert W. Throckmorton (Soc’51)

Laura Berger Bacon (Soc’52)

Charles F. Bogard (MechEngr’52)

Earl T. George Jr. (CivEngr’52)

Elizabeth Davis Holcomb (HomeEcon’52)

Charles W. Oertli (ElEngr’52)

Paula Lundell Wiseman (Anth’52)

Edie Keena Boulter (BusEdu’53)

James P. Kelly (ChemEngr’53)

David C. Knowlton (Law’53)

Judith Alberson Lutz (Edu’53)

Victor R. Meline Jr. (CivEngr’53)

Raymond Pollock (Phys’53)

Harvey D. Prace (MechEngr’54)

Marilyn Munson Ross (Soc’54)

Cynthia Skelton Weberg (Chem’54; MA’57)

Golda Clarkin Boeck (Fin’55)

Marcia Dumas-Fabian (PolSci’55)

Billie J. Kennedy (Acct’55)

Jo Hancock Martin (Edu’55)

Wayne P. Moellenberg (Chem’55)

Ruth Demaree Peck (Mus’55)

Terry Brown Rostamo (DistSt’55)

Marcia Toll Saunders (Law’55)

Janet Laxson Blanchard (Edu’56)

Susan Scott Foulk (HomeEcon’56)

Margaret Hirst Holdredge (Chem’56)

Bruce E. Lawrenson (MechEngr’56)

Joseph T. Mattson (ChemEngr’56)

James E. Tebay (EngrPhys’56)

James F. Walsh (MEdu’56)

Mary Boyle Boncelet (A&S’57)

John H. Drabing (DistSt’57)

Dianne Donahue Garrison (A&S’57)

Lee T. Johnson (Edu’57)

John S. Krebs (MechEngr’57; PhDGeog’73)

Nancy B. Miller (A&S’57)

William C. Peterson (PE’57)

Ann Leavitt Reno (A&S’57)

Kenneth G. Tallman (MechEngr’57)

R. Lee VanDeren (Fin’57)

Jane Weaver (Edu’57)

Karl A. Yost (A&S’57)

Robert S. Brooks (Engl’58)

John W. Dean (MechEngr’58; MS’58)

Robert B. Foster (MechEngr, Mgmt’58)

Charles W. Joslin (PE’58)

Nancy L. Morgan (A&S’58)

Robert Redford (A&S ex’58, HonDocHum’87)

Jane Hester Strauss (A&S’58)

Charles C. VanValin (MChem’58)

Gordon R. Bopp (ChemEngr’59; MS’61)

Neil R. Carroll (Mktg’59)

Violace T. Durnell (MechEngr, Mgmt’59)

Anne Price Goodnight (A&S ex’59)

Robert H. Hughes (A&S’59; MA’63; PhDSoc’71)

Edward R. Miller (Mgmt’59; MBA’59)

Jean Nott Misiaszek (MusEdu’59; MA’64)

Gerald C. Skelton (Phil’59)

Benedict N. Smith II (Hist’59)

Timothy D. Walker (Hist’59; MA’67)

1960s

Robert H. Butcher (Geol’60; MS’62)

Charles F. Donelan (Mgmt’60; MechEngr’60)

Barbara Kedro Heidbreder (Advert’60)

Michael D. High (AeroEngr’60)

Ann Gragg Lowdermilk (Math’60)

Dale C. Miller (MechEngr’60)

J. Lauren Andree (A&S ex’61)

Linda Haynie Gilmore (Acct’61)

Dwight L. Johnson (Mgmt’61)

Phyllis Miller O’Connor (Hist’61)

Paul W. Reimers (Mgmt’61)

Gordon N. Saunders (A&S’61; MHist’68)

Diane Kline Schroeder (HomeEcon’61)

Robert K. Wilson (PE’61)

Thomas M. Conley (Econ’62)

Gilbert J. Gross (ChemEngr’62)

Ralph A. Heck (A&S’62)

Alan R. Hoffman (Phys’62)

Raymond A. Miles (Mgmt’62)

Leo A. Noll (MA&S’62; PhDChem’76)

James C. O’Connor (Mgmt’62)

Bertil O. Olson (CivEngr’62)

Harvey B. Sperling (A&S’62)

Thomas F. Valleau Jr. (A&S’62)

Gary E. Walvoord (Art’62)

Randall L. Weeks (Law’62)

James F. Ellis (A&S’63)

John M. Hart (Mgmt’63)

Roger D. Jennings (PhDPsych’63)

Dianne Van Horn Moss (Bus’63)

Joann Mahaney O’Neill (Edu’63)

Reed D. Riner (ArtHist’63; MAnth’71; PhD’77)

Donald M. Sackschewsky (MMath’63)

Joel B. Short (Hist’63; Law’66)

William J. Ballas (Math’64; Law’69)

Gayle Gowdy Hamer (A&S’64)

Samuel J. Kiteley (Mus’64)

Peter C. Lev (Phil’64)

George R. Tyrrell (ElEngr’64)

Mary Roberts Arris (MA&S’65)

William R. Beckwith (A&S’65)

John L. Cheney (Fin’65)

John M. Hammerick Jr. (A&S’65)

Donna Perrella Knudson (PolSci’65)

Burnell G. West (PhDPhys’65)

Donald G. White (ElEngr’65)

Michael R. Chase (Bus’66)

Vaughn E. Huckfeldt (Math’66)

George L. Kiteley (MusEdu’66; MMus’68)

John H. McLean III (Geog’66)

Claudia Baidas Schwartz (PolSci’66)

Claude L. Fox (MA&S’67; PhDPhil’75)

Jack C. Hanley (Mgmt’67)

Gary G. Lager (ElEngr’67)

Warren B. Lange (MElEngr’67)

Douglas H. Marshall (Art’67)

Pepe J. Mendez (A&S’67; Law’70)

Bonnie Thompson Witkowsky (Edu’67)

Francis J. Garlitz (Phys’68)

Howard P. Herbst (PolSci’68)

Judith Walker Pippin (A&S’68)

Fred T. Seely (MechEngr’68)

Richard I. Yates (MEdu’68)

Joan Martin Betz (Hist’69)

Vincent V. Butler (DistSt’69)

Garneth Ludka Harris (Edu’69)

Charles B. Holzer (ApMath’69; MCompSci’71)

Erat S. Joseph (PhDCivEngr’69)

Eugene Harold “Jay” Knutson (IntlBus’69)

James F. Lathrop (PhDMath’69)

Lynn Edy Whitman (MEdu’69)

1970s

Ellen Bernstein Blickenstaff (Edu’70)

William E. Collins Sr. (Bus’70)

Derek E. Faison (Mktg’70)

David L. Gershon (Fin’70)

David W. Hardy (Econ’70)

Diana Krushnic Hopkins (PolSci’70)

Richard A. Lathrop (Jour’70)

Edythe S. Miller (PhDEcon’70)

Judith M. Axelrad (Anth’71)

Joseph M. Conncannon (MChemEngr’71)

Phil C. Klingsmith (Engl’71)

Kathryn Manning Gorman (Ital’72)

James R. Hermanson (Chem’72)

James H. Horsburgh (OrgMgmt’72; MBusEdu’73)

Robert L. Mathis (PhDBus’72)

Karin A. Pearson (Fren’72)

Alan K. Wong (ElEngr’72)

Eugene M. Baker (Psych’73; MA’75; PhD’77)

Michael L. Conkling (Mktg’73)

Robert B. Dallenbach (PhDEdu’73)

John L. Green (MElEngr’73)

Mike L. Mitchell (MChem’73)

Margaret K. Moschenross (MEdu’73)

Michael L. Fischler (PhDEdu’74)

Roberta Weinstein (MComm’74)

Robert W. Becker (MElEngr’75)

Luther K. Branting (Phil’75)

John Dakin (Hist’75; Jour’79)

Richard E. Poley (Psych’75; MAcct’78)

Myra Cohen Monfort Runyan (Law’75)

Bert Carollo (MCDBio’76)

Greg J. Hoiland (Acct’76)

Robert A. Shapiro (MCDBio’76)

David H. Williams (Soc’76)

Steven B. Wyatt (Mktg’76)

Dorsett W. Jordan (EngrPhys’77)

Michael R. Moore (Econ’77)

John C. Wolta Jr. (Phil’77)

Dale T. Dudley (EPOBio’78)

Sharon Nelson Fitzgerald (Soc’78; Law’82)

Patricia A. Gallegos (MComm’78)

Wilma L. Jones (DEdu’79)

1980s

Linda Neldner Sheridan (Mus’80)

Carol Skinner (Comm’80)

Randy K. Wilson (EPOBio’80; MBA’84)

Scott D. Hall (CivEngr’81)

Charles S. Ladd (ElEngr, Fin’81)

Ralph D. Rempel (CivEngr’81)

Nancy J. Simon (MCDBio’81)

John M. Verner (ElEngr’81)

Charles K. Albright (MechEngr’82)

Elizabeth A. MacDonald (Law’82)

Karen McCune-Barca (Anth’83)

Nancy A. Coderre (Econ’84)

Michael S. Fox (Econ’84)

Mary I. Goetze (PhDMus’85)

Nancy Kenny Rudolph (MBA’85)

Matthew Nitta (Hist’86)

Marjorie L. N. Sloan (Law’86)

Andrew T. Alexander (Psych’87)

Randall R. Ballweg (Acct’87)

Ammon A. Apple (PhDMus’89)

Chad C. Cerinich (OrgMgmt’89)

Adele G. Platter (PhDSoc’89)

1990s

Hua P. Chou (MCompSci’90)

Anthony A. Taylor (Ling’90; MBaSci’96)

Thomas E. Valeski (MBA’90)

Rose Nelson (Psych’91)

Donald F. Miller (Psych’92)

Joseph E. Berta (PhDPsych’94)

Hal S. Riker (Psych’94)

David M. Uhlir (MBA’94)

Charles R. Baily (Phys’95; PhD’11)

Samuel E. Bolton (Anth’95)

Sandra Ross Kruse (Mktg’96)

Kelly McLean Mudgett (MCommDisor’96)

Teresa Nettleton Hollingsworth (EPOBio’97)

2000s

Kathleen M. Beltrame (Psych’04)

Adam G.R. Gilmer (Arch’05)

Bradley J. Hager (Psych’05)

Brendan J. Kelly (Mgmt’05)

Stephen R. Blum (Fin’06)

Charles M. McGee (Fin’06)

Jacob R. Ellington (Econ’07)

Tyler D. Decker (Astro’09)

Alexander S. Newell (Mktg’09)

2010s

Braden I. Bingham (MechEngr’14)

Wylee M. Price (IntlAf’17)

Ian W. Sharp (StComm’17)

2020s

Christopher B. Greiter (Biochem ex’26)

Faculty, Staff and Friends

Ralph “Chris” Christoffersen, Friend

Frederick “Fred” Mathewson Denny, Religious Studies

Allen L. Kenney, Friend

Marie G. Kindgren, Electrical Engineering

Forever Buffs who have passed away.

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Honoring Outstanding Buffs

Anna Tolette — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 18:25:17 +0000

Honoring Outstanding Buffs Anna Tolette Mon, 11/10/2025 - 11:25

April Driver

CU ��ý��’s Alumni Awards celebrate the university’s most inspiring leaders and changemakers.

Dave Sheanin guides individuals with disabilities in triathlons.

Dave Sheanin (MBA’99), receiving the Alumni Recognition Award this spring, is among the next slate of standout Forever Buffs.

A longtime coach for the University of Colorado Triathlon Team, Sheanin helped lead the team to seven consecutive combined and 15 individual national championships. In 2021, he was named the USA Triathlon Community Impact Coach of the Year. Whether working with elite athletes or teaching beginners to swim, his inspiration comes from the students.

“I fell in love with the students’ spirit and enthusiasm,” said Sheanin. “I love seeing young people reach their potential.”

Outside of the university, he volunteers with Athletes in Tandem, guiding individuals with disabilities in triathlon competitions.

“Helping athletes with disabilities experience the same racecourse as the elite competitors has been one of the most meaningful parts of my journey,” he said.

Even with his many contributions and successes, he remains humble.

“I feel like I get back more than I give,” he said. “I’m built to want to make an impact; that’s the kind of life I want to lead.”

Sheanin’s story joins the larger history of alumni impact across generations. Eight other outstanding alumni, faculty, staff and students will be recognized at the Alumni Awards Ceremony as part of Alumni Weekend, April 10–13, 2026. (The event previously was held during Homecoming Weekend.)

The winners include Susan Taylor Mayne (Chem’82) for the George Norlin Award, Russell L. Moore and David Martinez for the Robert L. Stearns Award, Dave Sheanin (MBA’99) for the Alumni Recognition Award, Stephen Kissler (ApMath’14; MA’14) for the Kalpana Chawla Outstanding Recent Graduate Award, Dale Farrand (AeroEngr’93) for the Leanne Skupa-Lee Award, and Camden Dempsey (Fin, Mktg’25) and Aaditya Pore (AeroEngr, CompSci’25) for the Forever Buffs Student Award.

Award honorees represent the breadth of Buffs excellence, and, for many, CU is at the heart of their stories.

Learn more at colorado.edu/alumni/awards.

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Photo courtesy Dave Sheanin

CU ��ý��’s 2026 Alumni Awards celebrated outstanding alumni, faculty, staff and students.

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Blazin’ Joe: Brewing a Sustainable Startup

Anna Tolette — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 18:20:32 +0000

Blazin’ Joe: Brewing a Sustainable Startup Anna Tolette Mon, 11/10/2025 - 11:20

Julia MacLean

Maddie Cataldo and Maya Nefs with their Blazin' Joe firelogs

In 2019, when freshman Maddie Cataldo (Mgmt’23) showed up to her first CU ��ý�� club hockey practice, she didn’t know anyone. But a spontaneous locker room conversation about skydiving ignited a friendship.

Maya Nefs (Mgmt’23), then a sophomore and fellow Leeds School of Business student, didn’t hesitate: “What are you doing next week? Let’s go.”

They went, tumbling into the air over Longmont, Colorado.

Years later, that same adventurous spirit fuels their company, Blazin’ Joe, which transforms coffee waste into sustainable firewood alternatives. Their business started in a college oven and now operates out of Nefs’ garage in Golden, Colorado.

Cataldo and Nefs’ journey as business partners is rooted in their shared CU experiences: business classes, a love for the outdoors and hockey.

“Being teammates really helped us work together,” Cataldo said. “We’re both super competitive, and there’s a level of bluntness that’s good and healthy to have. You could yell at each other on the ice and grab a beer right after.”

They’re also candid about the challenges of going into business together.

“I wouldn’t say it’s super easy going into business with a close friend,” Cataldo said. “We have a contract that tells us we need to spend a certain number of hours not talking about Blazin’ Joe, but just hanging out.”

Nefs added: “We’ll go play tennis or grab a happy hour drink. One of the most important aspects of the business is keeping our friendship healthy.”

It’s a priority that pays off personally and professionally.

“I wouldn’t be doing this with anyone else,” Nefs said. “Maddie has such a positive attitude, and I definitely find myself aspiring to carry the same positivity.”

The idea for Blazin’ Joe began in Cataldo’s senior capstone course, the New Venture Launch, taught through the business school’s Deming Center for Entrepreneurship. Her class project pitch centered on a fire log made from used coffee grounds, which was inspired by her father’s entrepreneurial research in biofuels.

Blazin' Joe firelogs

“I remember using the oven in my college house 24/7 to dry coffee grounds,” said Cataldo. “My roommates were awesome because the house always smelled like coffee — even our clothes.”

Cataldo’s professor, Brad Werner, saw something unique in her.

“She wasn’t just presenting a business idea — she was sharing something she truly believed in,” Werner said. “I look for students who demonstrate genuine customer obsession — not just talking about their product, but showing they truly understand their customers’ pain points.”

Cataldo’s team won the pitch at the end of the capstone class, impressing Werner with their compelling presentation, and walking away with first-place recognition.

After graduation, Cataldo tried running the business alone until Nefs stepped in.

“She was thinking of putting it on pause,” Nefs said. “I told her, ‘Don’t do that. I’ll work on it with you.’ The company had so much potential, and people were buying the product; it just needed two people behind it.”

Today, Blazin’ Joe makes fire logs and fire starters from coffee chaff — the light, flaky skin of the coffee bean discarded during roasting. It burns clean, hot and efficiently, without the toxic chemicals found in traditional fire-related products.

“We started out using coffee grounds,” Cataldo said, “but realized drying them used too much energy. Chaff was the game-changer: it’s dry, burns well and it’s a huge waste stream in the industry.”

They now collect chaff from local Colorado roasters like Sweet Bloom Coffee, Otis Craft Collective and Copper Door Coffee Roasters. They use about four pounds of chaff per log, Cataldo said, and grind it down and press it to shape in Nefs’ garage.

“I’m grateful for the setup,” Nefs said. “We’re not paying rent on a space, and for a small startup, that’s critical. We’re growing sustainably, on our own terms.”

Since launching into retail in January, Blazin’ Joe has found traction in farmers markets and local stores like McGuckin Hardware and Lucky’s Market. In May, they also won the Next Cycle Colorado Pitch, which supports companies repurposing waste streams in Colorado.

Cataldo is eager to grow the business more.

“Our ultimate goal is to work towards making the coffee industry circular,” she said. “We’d love to partner with bigger roasters on a larger scale and repurpose as much waste as possible.”

Submit feedback to the editor

Photos courtesy Graham Gardner (Sparrow Creative)

Maddie Cataldo and Maya Nefs turned a shared love of adventure and entrepreneurship into Blazin’ Joe, a sustainable startup that transforms coffee waste into firelogs and fire starters.

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Dan Carlin Is the Ultimate Time Traveler

Anna Tolette — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 18:19:22 +0000

Dan Carlin Is the Ultimate Time Traveler Anna Tolette Mon, 11/10/2025 - 11:19

Tori Peglar

Dan Carlin (Hist’89) is 4 minutes and 41 seconds into an episode of his Hardcore History podcast when he pauses to catch his breath. Alexander the Great has just watched his father, King Phillip II, get assassinated. It’s a milestone moment that Carlin likens to the 9/11 attacks, where anyone watching knew in those terrifying moments that everything would change.

Beyond the walls of his podcasting studio, Carlin’s millions of listeners wait expectantly at the edge of their proverbial seats. Was Alexander a victim, innocently watching the assassination of his royal father in the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon? Or was Alexander a traitor who orchestrated his father’s death to seize the throne? Carlin’s audience ponders this question as they drive through their neighborhoods, prepare dinner in their kitchens, and jog through parks, all while listening to Carlin.

“Dan Carlin is one of the world’s greatest storytellers, and anyone who has spent any time listening to his audio, even for a few minutes, understands that this is the case,” said Clint Kisker, an entrepreneur and former president of MWM Interactive, an entertainment company that has collaborated with Carlin.

A trailblazer in the podcasting space, Carlin was part of the early crowd of people in 2005 to tell stories about history via the Internet in an audio format. In the 20 years since, more than 100 million people have tuned into his tremendously popular shows. In Common Sense, Carlin, a self-described politically independent pragmatist, looks at events shaping the world. Hardcore History delves into riveting historic moments, and Hardcore History: Addendum features interviews and material that don’t make it into the main program.

For Carlin, who’s disarmingly gregarious and humble, a knowledge of history and its cast of characters is essential for understanding the present moment. Moreover, he said it enables us to see how groups of human beings tend to behave, especially under pressure.

“Life, as someone once said to me, is like living inside a television soap opera,” Carlin recalled. “If you don’t go back and watch the previous episodes, you’ll never understand what’s going on — or why — in the story currently.”

Path to Podcasting

In his 20s, Carlin worked in broadcast television in Los Angeles before moving to Oregon and becoming a television reporter, then a radio show host. But when the tech version of the Gold Rush began in the late 1990s, he and five friends formed a startup. The goal was to launch a novel product — amateur content made by the public and hosted on a platform. It would have been something like what YouTube turned out to be. After he left the startup, what Carlin eventually produced was a podcast, but it wasn’t recognized as such yet.

In 2004, the term “podcast” first appeared in print when Guardian reporter Ben Hammerstein used it to describe a new type of audio blogging that could be played on an Apple iPod. The origins of the word? A mash-up of “iPod” and “broadcast.”

Plunging into new territory, Carlin launched his Common Sense podcast in 2005, followed by Hardcore History a year later. The Hardcore History format is unique, even by today’s standards.

“Podcasters doing true crime or sports entertainment are all folks who took an existing medium and adapted it to meet their needs,” Kisker said. “Dan created a medium. There was no prior ‘Dan Carlin.’ It wasn’t a thing.”

Each of Carlin’s Hardcore History episodes is an extraordinarily deep dive into a slice of history — and because he spends an inordinate amount of time researching, he only releases one to two episodes a year. Each one runs between three and five hours.

Carlin’s show takes on a conversational dimension as he doesn’t prepare a written script — his storytelling style is all improv. Episodes include the famous World War II battles that shaped modern naval warfare, the Atlantic slave trade, the Asia-Pacific War of 1937–45 and the Viking sea kings of the 10th and 11th centuries.

“Every show is on a subject I’ve been really interested in, so I have a foundation,” Carlin said. “Then I start reading, so I’m trying to update my knowledge — what’s true, how history has evolved and become clarified over time.”

But Carlin doesn’t just regurgitate important dates on his podcasts. He uses empathy to slingshot his listeners back in time, making people like Alexander the Great fallibly human and their decisions topically relevant. In doing so, his audience stands on the sidelines of pivotal historic moments, cheering and jeering on characters they once knew only by name but now feel a personal connection to.

“Empathy for historical personalities is vital if we want to try to see them more as three-dimensional figures rather than two-dimensional ones,” Carlin said. “Put yourself into the shoes of President Harry Truman having to make the decision about dropping atomic bombs in the Second World War. How could you even begin to assess such an event without trying to imagine yourself in his position?”

Having an empathetic understanding of the human experience is essential to help us navigate our complex world, said William Wei, one of Carlin’s CU ��ý�� history professors and a former Colorado state historian.

“As historians have demonstrated since time immemorial, history functions as humanity’s collective memory and the means for understanding the consequences of human choices,” Wei said.

Empathy for historical personalities is vital if we want to try to see them more as three-dimensional figures rather than two-dimensional ones.

Dan's Favorite Episodes

“Blueprint for Armageddon”

A six-part exploration of World War I that immerses listeners in the human experience, chaos and unprecedented scale of the first modern global war.

“Supernova in the East”

A six-part chronicle of Japan’s rise and ruin in World War II, tracing how cultural pride, militarism and desperation led to one of history’s most ferocious conflicts.

“Ghosts of the Ostfront”

A look at the Eastern Front of World War II, where Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union waged a merciless fight for survival.

“The Destroyer of Worlds”

An exploration of the birth of the nuclear age and the uneasy moment when humanity gained the power to erase itself.

“Death Throes of the Republic”

A retelling of Rome’s unraveling — from civic virtue to corruption and civil war — as a republic gives way to empire.

History functions as humanity’s collective memory and the means for understanding the consequences of human choices.

At Home in Hollywood

Carlin grew up on the edges of Hollywood’s golden spotlight. His mother earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in the 1968 film Faces. His father, Ed Carlin, was a movie producer. Carlin spent his childhood in two towns at opposite ends of the San Fernando Valley — first Toluca Lake, then Calabasas. Back then, Toluca Lake was home to celebrities like Bob Hope, Bette Davis and Frank Sinatra. Yet Carlin describes both towns as Brady Bunch-type communities filled with camera operators, production folks and just regular people.

“Neither area was what it is now,” Carlin said. “Next door lived a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force. Bob Hope lived in town, but we never saw him. It didn’t feel glitzy.”

Even so, it wasn’t a big leap for Carlin to get highly involved in his high school’s improv program and plunge deeply into theater classes for a brief stint at California State University, Northridge. And when he decided to finish his studies out of state, CU ��ý�� felt like the right fit.

“My dad really liked CU. He said it reminded him of UCLA in the 1950s when he was a student,” Carlin recalled. “It’s like [Coach] Bill McCartney said, ‘If you get the recruits to town, they’ll come.’”

��ý�� Backstory

When Carlin arrived on campus, Coach McCartney was in his fifth season coaching the Colorado Buffaloes, finishing second in the Big 8. It was CU’s best conference record in 25 years. But you were more likely to find Carlin protesting CIA recruitment on campus and CU’s investments in South Africa’s apartheid than standing in line for football tickets. Clad in his Ecuadorian sweater purchased near the Alfred Packer Grill, Carlin pursued his passion for history, with an emphasis on military history. One of his courses was “Sociology of Peacemaking,” which he joked was “a CU way of talking about the military.”

“When I decided to transfer to CU, none of my theater classes transferred,” said Carlin, who initially thought that it was all a wasted effort. “But the great thing is, I’ve used the theater and history stuff every single day in my work.”

Carlin remembered the history department had a pamphlet printed on green paper titled something along the lines of, “What to Tell Your Parents About Choosing History as a Major.” None of the professions he pursued after graduation — journalism, broadcasting and podcasting — appeared on the pamphlet. Carlin addressed this discrepancy in 2020 when he served as CU’s first virtual graduation speaker.

“CU gave me the skills to put myself in a position to be offered these gigs,” he told the graduates. “And [it gave me] the knowledge, not the specific knowledge about how to do those jobs — after all, I didn’t study journalism, broadcasting or podcasting in school — but CU gave me the lifelong ability to know how to keep learning.”

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Illustrations by María Jesús Contreras

CU gave me the lifelong ability to know how to keep learning.

Dan Carlin has pioneered long-form, deeply researched history podcasts like "Hardcore History" to make pivotal historical events relatable.

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In Memoriam

Anna Tolette — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 20:50:45 +0000

In Memoriam Anna Tolette Mon, 07/07/2025 - 14:50

1940s

Audrey J. Oliver (CompSciAp’45)

Harriet McPhail Hampton (Mktg’46)

Mary K. Ohman (A&S’47)

Joanne Sinden Hagerman (MBioChem’48)

M. B. Harris (Acct’48)

Donna J. Kilgore (DistSt’48)

Nathan B. Meiches (ElEngr’48)

Patricia St. Clair Ostwald (Art’48)

Yvonne Goodier Charles (Art, Chem’49)

1950s

Irving Barrack (Chem’50)

Alex Ferkovich Jr. (ElEngr’50)

Ann Reynolds Hendricks (Btny’50)

William Hobbs (Bus’50; Law’50)

Mary Beeley Phillips (Edu’50)

Barbara Templeton Buckley (Mktg’51)

William A. Merrick (Mktg’51)

Albert L. Yunko Jr. (A&S’51)

Teddy R. Barnhart Jr. (ChemEngr’52)

Felma Gleue Doane (A&S’52)

Wilminor C. Gardner (Fin’52)

Paul E. Hammond (Geol’52)

Joseph L. Campbell Jr. (MChemEngr’53)

Donald A. Melbye (Law’53)

Patricia Work Stermitz (A&S’53)

Gail Van Hine Young (Geol’53)

Ernest P. Moore (ElEngr’54)

Ronald A. Piotraschke (PE’54)

Billie B. Jensen (Hist’55; MA’59; PhD’62)

Marcia Saunders (Law’55)

Eric W. Schmidt (Mgmt’55)

Robert L. Weber (Geol’55)

Ervin J. Dunham (Mus’56)

Russell M. Holdredge (Acct, MechEngr’56; MMechEngr’59)

Herbert T. Miller (ElEngr’56)

Richard T. Putney (Psych’56)

Cle Cervi Symons (Jour’56)

George R. Baumli (CivEngr’57)

Bertram H. Benedick (PolSci’57)

Ellen TeSelle Boal (Mus’57)

Margaret Clarke Bowyer (DistSt’57)

Lyle R. Bratton (Law’57)

James W. Buckel (CivEngr’57)

Gretchen Purdum Coffey (Edu’57; Thtr’57)

Carole J. Cooke (Art’57)

Gary C. Curtin (Geol’57; MS’65)

Donald W. Harmon (Psych’57)

Howard T. Johnson (AeroEngr’57)

Bonnie Reese Musgrove (A&S’57)

Susie Wright Rowland (A&S’57)

Kenneth A. Baker (LatAmerSt’58; MPolSci’63; Law’64)

Wilson W. Coleman (Fin’58)

Robert W. Heller (MechEngr’58)

Raymond P. Lamb (A&S’58)

Margery Dryden Lincoln (HomeEcon’58)

William P. Mytton (Hist’58; Fin’60)

Mary W. Wilson (A&S’58)

Judith Paynter Wolf (A&S’58)

Fred A. Avi (MechEngr’59)

Harold D. Hampton (Geol’59; MHist’61)

John R. Kochan (ElEngr’59)

Erwin A. Reschke (MMgmt’59)

Roxy L. Root (Mgmt, AeroEngr’59)

Robert D. Smith (ElEngr’59)

Ann Dubuisson Sturgill (Engl’59)

1960s

Mark P. Addison (Geog’60)

Linda J. Baumann (Mus’60)

Charlotte Blakeborough (MEdu’60)

Charles G. Brown Jr. (Geol’60)

Robert B. Bruner (PolSci’60; MBA’63)

Robert H. Butcher (Geol’60; MS’62)

Richard W. Dowell (MEngl’60)

David L. Greene (Anth’60; MA’62; PhD’65)

Donald L. Loose (MechEngr’60)

Nancy Johnson Lucke (A&S’60)

Karl L. Marks (Law’60)

Elisabeth B. Brown (A&S’61; MA&S’80)

DeWitt C. Hackett (ApMath’61)

Deborah Hansen Beresford (Art’61)

Larry F. Schofield (A&S’61)

Dale N. Amend (MechEngr’62)

Nancy C. Baggs (MMath’62)

Thelma Hartnagle Bishopp (Ger’62; MA’67; PhDEdu’82)

George H. Chronis (ElEngr’62)

Evelyn P. Griggs (Advert’62)

Shirley M. Hughes (Edu’62)

Morton Schreiber (Hist’62)

Rawley D. Smith (Mgmt’62)

Judith M. Witmer (Edu’62)

Edward S. Wrasmann (Chem’62)

Alexandra H. Cramer (Mus’63)

Thurmon L. Deloney (ElEngr’63)

Nick C. Graham (A&S’63)

Ann E. Kastler (Edu’63)

Hildegard R. Kuse (PhDEdu’63)

Thomas D. Merrell Jr. (EngrPhys’63)

Patricia F. Richardson (Edu’63)

Joel B. Short (Hist’63; Law’66)

Clinton W. Baccus (Mgmt’64)

Louise R. Beale (A&S’64)

Marilynn K. Camerlo (Hist’64)

Halcyon Dahms Enssle (Engl’64)

Diana Files Roeseler (Anth’64)

Lynn Fuller Rundstrom (DistSt’64)

Julius M. Kunz (ElEngr’64)

Dewayne L. Misterek (MCivEngr’64)

Dennis V. Seabourn (Phys’64)

Lewis Smith Jr. (MMgmt’64)

Robert L. Leutwiler (Fin, MechEngr’65)

John R. Parmater (CivEngr’65)

Sandra Cook Peterson (A&S’65)

Nicholas G. Benigsen (A&S’66)

Kathryn E. Berg (A&S’66)

Carol Priest Chotard (MMus’66; DocMus’71)

Susan DeSmet (Art’66)

John L. Gelber (ElEngr’66)

Jerry L. Hansen (MechEngr’66)

Thomas A. Larimer (CivEngr’66)

Gayla McRae Lindquist (A&S’66; MEdu’74)

Charles H. Reddien (ElEngr’66)

Jerry G. Rutledge (A&S’66)

Susan A. Winchester (A&S’66; MRuss’68; PhDSlav’72)

Julian Garcia (Acct’67)

John A. Hurt (A&S’67)

Debra Cohen Romans (PolSci’67)

Donald E. Welsh (A&S’67)

Bonnie J. Witkowsky (Edu’67)

Ronald J. Beaton (PolSci’68, Fin’72)

Earl E. Hasz (MMath’68; PhDEdu’70)

Ernest H. Henninger (Math’68; Phys’68)

Judith Walker Pippin (A&S’68)

John A. Purvis (Law’68)

Carl F. Randall (Acct’68)

Carroll Stanley Senn (Mgmt’68)

James E. Soule (Mktg’68)

E. T. Hunt Talmage III (Engl’68)

Richard A. Wildau (Psych’68; MA’72)

Bart E. Bortles (Mktg’69)

Michael J. Collins (A&S’69; MCommDisor’71; PhD’74)

Alice Fechheimer Martin (Soc’69)

Pamela Noaecker Howard (DistSt’69)

Michael A. Imhoff (PhDChem’69)

David N. Larson (Fin’69)

Charles T. Miller III (A&S’69)

Marcia M. Peteranetz (MMusEdu’69)

Robert L. Saviteer (Engl’69)

Paul Turner III (Stat’69)

1970s

Walter B. Currier (A&S’70)

Joseph A. Dodson III (ApMath’70; MBA’74)

Lowell M. McBride (ElEngr’70; MBA’72)

Stanley W. Sadava (PhDPsych’70)

Barbara A.C. Smith (Soc’70)

John V. Smith (MA&S’70)

James M. Armstrong (Fin’71)

David C. DiRito (Psych’72; MA’89)

Michael Goldfogel (DistSt’72)

Judith Taddonio Vineyard (Psych’72)

Richard L. Wolf (MCommThtr’72)

June Robison Wright (MEdu’72)

Eugene M. Baker IV (Psych’73; MA’75; PhD’77)

Larry P. Gough (PhDBio’73)

Dennis R. Strout (ElEngr’73)

John S. Behnke (Mktg’74)

Daniel J. Boynton (Mktg’74)

John S. Bunting (MAcct’74)

Nancy F. Carter (PhDEdu’74)

Judith A. Hakes (PhDEdu’74)

Jonathan Holden (PhDEngl’74)

Jeffrey E. Trundy (MRec’74)

Luther K. Branting (Phil’75)

William K. Childers (EPOBio’75)

Mary Brockway (MEdu’76)

Mary A. Brooks (MEdu’76)

Antonia K. Johnson (Psych’76)

Gregory R. Mueller (Mktg’76)

Francis I. Frazier (Mus’77)

Elisabeth L. Hallgren (PhDHist’77)

Richard E. Heapes (EnvDes’77)

Arthur L. Shearin (Mus’77)

Karen Lehr Benner (MEdu’78)

Leslie S. Burnau (MEdu’78)

Janet L. Robinson (Acct’78)

Rodney J. Rothlisberger (DMus’78)

Gigi Maloney York (Art’78)

1980s

Jan L. Johnson (Advert’80)

Brian R. Vogt (Class’81)

Helen E.S. Browne (Acct’82)

Scott Bradford Weaver (Fin’82)

Gerald A. Ligrani (PE’86)

David L. Alles (EBio’87)

William D. Baylis (Hist’88)

Carrie L. Shrallow Dussault (IntlAf’88)

1990s

Hua P. Chou (MCompSci’90)

Peter W. Strickholm (MMus’90)

Herbert K. Wilson (Econ’90; MBA, MTeleComm’00)

Judith M. Falco (Art, ArtHist’91)

Kevin A. Pierce (Geog’91)

Lisa A. Weaver (Art’91)

J. Kurt Marrs (MCDBio’92)

Darcy A. Wendland (EPOBio’93)

Heather Eversley Jovel (Law’97)

Darrel T. Davis (Law’98)

Jeffrey F. Johnson (CompSci’98)

2000s

Shannon L. Meadors-Oscar (IntlAf’01)

Emory J. Zeiger (PhDThtr’01)

Clark L. Branscum (Comm’03)

Brenda F. Mitchell (Soc’05)

Sarah E. Steinwand (Mktg’05)

Andrew P. Decoursey (Anth’06)

Alison E. MacDonald (Mktg’07)

Sara Bernardi Martinez (Dance’09)

2010s

Elizabeth R. Stewart (Mktg’12)

Jarrod S. Hanson (PhDEdu’13)

Christopher W. A. Black (IntPhys’18)

2020s

Elizabeth A. Vossler (Jour’20)

Draden E. Hoover (Fin’22)

Ari Pargman (ExplSt’29)

Megan P. Trussel (Film’29)

Faculty, Staff and Friends

Charlotte Corbridge, Staff, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Sandra A. Figgins, Buffalo Belles

Russell Hayes, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Jan Mycielski, Professor Emeritus, Department of Mathematics

Frieda “Fritz” Satterley, Staff, Alumni Association and CU Foundation

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Forever Buffs who have passed away.

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Celebrating 150 Years of CU People

Joseph Sewall

Mary Rippon

Lucile Berkeley Buchanan Jones (Ger’1918)

George Norlin

Byron White (Econ’38)

Peggy Coppom (A&S ex’46) and Betty Hoover (A&S ex’46)

David Bolen (Mktg; MBA’50)

Billy Kidd

“Ralph”

Juan Espinosa (Jour’74)

Tom Cech

Ceal Barry

Joe Neguse (Econ, PolSci’05; Law’09)

Wei Wu (MMus’13)

David Ellsworth (Art’71; MFA’73)

Sarah Gillis (AeroEngr’17)

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Honoring Outstanding Buffs

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Blazin’ Joe: Brewing a Sustainable Startup

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Dan Carlin Is the Ultimate Time Traveler

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