Featured II

Taking the Bard "Down Under"

Arielle Wiedenbeck — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 18:01:15 +0000

Taking the Bard "Down Under" Arielle Wiedenbeck Tue, 12/09/2025 - 11:01

Gretchen Minekime

Amanda Giguere, Colorado Shakespeare Festival Director of Outreach, recently traveled to Australia as a featured guest of the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative at the University of Melbourne. Giguere was invited to share research about the Shakespeare & Violence Prevention program (a collaboration between the Colorado Shakespeare Festival (CSF), the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, and the Department of Theatre and Dance), and to discuss her new book: Shakespeare & Violence Prevention: A Practical Handbook for Educators (University Press of Colorado, 2025).

During her week in Australia, Giguere delivered an interactive keynote, featuring professional actors from Melbourne, participated in a documentary video series, On Humanities, and conducted training sessions at the University of Melbourne and at Bell Shakespeare (Australia’s leading Shakespeare theatre). While in Sydney, Giguere met with Bell Shakespeare leadership about CSF’s innovative project, and hopes that the work which originated at CU ��ý�� can impact people in Australia.

“I wrote the book about Shakespeare & Violence Prevention so other educators could learn from what we’ve done here in Colorado,” said Giguere. “It’s so inspiring to hear, when I share this work with people outside of Colorado, that it resonates with others in meaningful ways.”

For more information about Giguere’s new book: https://upcolorado.com/university-of-wyoming-press/item/6749-shakespeare-violence-prevention

For more information about the Shakespeare & Violence Prevention program, currently touring Colorado’s K-12 schools: https://cupresents.org/performance/10050/shakespeare/csf-schools/

Amanda Giguere, Colorado Shakespeare Festival Director of Outreach, recently traveled to Australia as a featured guest of the University of Melbourne to share research about the Shakespeare & Violence Prevention program.

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We are Water: How a Colorado Community is Reimagining its Relationship with Water

Arielle Wiedenbeck — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 22:15:47 +0000

We are Water: How a Colorado Community is Reimagining its Relationship with Water Arielle Wiedenbeck Mon, 12/08/2025 - 15:15

Elle Moscinski

For so many of us, when we turn on the faucet to our sink or shower, fresh, potable water comes out. We might take it for granted, and we rely on it deeply for drinking, cooking, washing, and sustaining our daily routines. Maybe we don’t question whether it will run out or, often, where it comes from. Water is one of the most critical resources for life, but for many in the Four Corners – the region where NM, CO, AZ, and UT meet – it is not a guaranteed resource. Access varies widely, and the realities of drought, agriculture and infrastructure shape how communities live.

A new exhibit devoted to water issues recently opened at the Alamosa Public Library in Southwestern Colorado. Tory Nau, program manager of We are Water, facilitated the co-creation of the exhibit with Alamosa community members. We are Water is a National Science Foundation funded education project within the Center for Education, Engagement, and Evaluation (CEEE) at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science (CIRES) and a grant recipient of CU ��ý��’s Office for Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship. The project focuses on place-based education and storytelling to bring together multi-generational audiences to learn and share about water in their community. It encourages people to explore the past, present and future of their water and to bring their own experiences and cultural perspectives to the conversation.

Previously, We are Water used a traveling exhibit to visit rural libraries in the Four Corners Region. Now, the project focuses on co-creating community exhibits that will be permanently installed in communities, like the one in Alamosa. This bilingual exhibit is comprised of two parts, an interactive 3D printed topographic model of the Rio Grande Watershed that features various water locations and an interactive informational wall display. CU ��ý�� students built the exhibit, which showcases the work of local artists Jocelyn Catterson and Ryan Michelle Scavo.

With Alamosa’s permanent exhibit, residents will be able to return and keep learning about water in the San Luis Valley. The We are Water team hopes to raise awareness of water as a more critical, complex subject and to get people thinking about their water sources. For example, aquifers are often depicted online as underground lakes. However, they are actually made up from many pockets of water covered in rocks, sand and gravel and are not constantly accessible bodies of water.

The installation is the result of a collaborative effort between We are Water and local libraries, researchers, artists and Alamosa community members. Creating the exhibit started with a large listening session, supported by the library with hopes of reaching a variety of voices in the community. Participants discussed their questions, concerns and hopes for water in their community.

“Our approach with this project wasn’t to come in and educate people about water policy,” said Nau. “It was more about creating a space for people to come together to connect and share stories, perspectives, and experiences about water.”

The project merges art and science, Western and Indigenous worldviews, university researchers and local libraries and formal and informal education—an approach that creates accessible spaces where community member’s stories are shared and recorded, and people learn together in everyday settings.

“I think [informal learning] is very powerful,” said Nau. “Learning can happen anywhere, and some of the best learning happens outside of a classroom. And, I say that as a teacher.”

Issues of water are complex and critical. Water sustains every living thing, yet water policy is challenging when some communities face shrinking supplies, competing uses or changes caused by invasive species and drought. Some communities in the Four Corners Region do not have access to running water. Additionally, cultural perspectives on water vary. By using storytelling, We are Water’s approach encourages people to share personal experiences, listen to one another’s histories and understand how others see valuable natural resources.

Nau hopes that audiences take away curiosity and awareness about water. She hopes that people will begin to think critically about where their water comes from—the journey from source to tap. She hopes that people will make broader connections to climate change, the needs of their communities and all the ways in which we are connected by water.

A new exhibit from We Are Water at the Alamosa Public Library focuses on place-based education and storytelling to bring together multi-generational audiences to learn and share about water in their community.

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Announcing Fall 2025 Tier 1 and 2 Grant Recipients

Arielle Wiedenbeck — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 22:37:45 +0000

Announcing Fall 2025 Tier 1 and 2 Grant Recipients Arielle Wiedenbeck Wed, 11/19/2025 - 15:37

From an engaging public event on local history in Leadville, CO to addressing environmental and climate hazards in prisons and jails, grantees received more than $47,000 for their community-engaged scholarship projects. See the full list of grantees below.

Tier 1 Fall 2025 Recipients

Chords of Esperanza: Queering Biliteracy, Centering Justicia
Bethy Leonardi, Associate Professor
Program in Educational Foundation, Policies and Practice

Investigating Hurricane Preparedness Among the U.S. Bangladeshi Diaspora
Musabber Ali Chisty, PhD Student
Department of Sociology

Leadville Public Event: Solar Films and Mining History
Hannah Rose Shell, Associate Professor
Department of Art & Art History

Meet a Research Mentor Fair
Steven Denham, High School Programs Manager
CU Science Discovery

Queer Israeli Diasporic Imaginations
Asher Firestone, PhD Student
Department of Ethnic Studies

Tier 2 Fall 2025 Recipients

Achieving Sustainability in the Vineyards II HOA
Gregor MacGregor, Assistant Teaching Professor
Masters of the Environment

Community Advisory Board (CAB) Pilot
Liz Corrado, PhD Student
Department of Environmental Studies

Counterstories and Freedom Dreams of Black Manual Alumni
Kelly Mitchell, PhD Student
Program in Learning Sciences and Human Development

Further Engaging Colorado K-14 Educators in Global Perspectives
Hannah Palustre, Outreach Coordinator
Center for Asian Studies

Indigenous Peoples & the United Nations: Diplomacy in Practice
Kristen Carpenter, Distinguished Professor
American Indian Law Clinic

Partnering with All Roads to Understand NSL Turnaways
Azza Kamal, Teaching Associate Professor
Environmental Design Program

Research-Practice Partnership Examining Social Media and Mental Health
Alicia Sepulveda, Research Associate
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience

Water and Drought Resilience Community Events
Tory Nau, We Are Water Program Manager
CIRES Center for Education, Engagement and Evaulation

From hosting a community event in Leadville, CO to addressing environmental and climate hazards in prisons and jails, grantees received more than $47,000 for their community-engaged scholarship projects.

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Faces of Community-Engaged Scholarship: Gregor MacGregor

Arielle Wiedenbeck — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 19:30:05 +0000

Faces of Community-Engaged Scholarship: Gregor MacGregor Arielle Wiedenbeck Wed, 11/19/2025 - 12:30

Gretchen Minekime

Gregor MacGregor gets bored if he sits behind a desk for too long. His energy seems boundless. That’s key because MacGregor’s interests are vast, and his personal ethos about service transcends the personal and professional.

When were you introduced to the practice of community-engaged scholarship?

I came to Colorado Law—supported by the Army—knowing I wanted to work with water law and farmers. At orientation, I learned about the Acequia Assistance Project, which was directed then by Professor Sarah Krakoff. I volunteered with the project during my first year, and in my second year I became the project's student leader. This was my introduction to engaged scholarship. I was hooked.

You were involved in the Acequia Assistance Project for a long time. What was your work and what was its influence on you?

Law students in the Acequia Project provide pro bono legal services to farmers and landowners in rural Colorado regarding their land and water rights. As a student, I provided approximately 700 hours of service in the San Luis Valley—learning about the law and making connections which I still have today.

One of my cases, which lasted the entirety of law school, was a title search and review for approximately 30 properties on the Montez Ditch in the town of San Luis. We completed our title opinion and showed that our clients owned those water rights and could move ahead with ditch improvements to use the water and beautify downtown. My proudest moment during law school was when our client shook my hand and told me that the work would not have been done without our help. They couldn’t afford to hire attorneys. I saw an impact on real lives, and I’ve been chasing that high ever since.

What came after graduating from Colorado Law?

My time in school influenced my decision to go into water law. I finished my service in the Army as Fort Carson’s water attorney in Colorado Springs, before joining a private firm for about a year. This was during COVID, and my wife was the communications director for a hospital. So, I needed lots of flexibility to care for our young daughters. I ended up leaving the firm, but I volunteered with the Colorado Supreme Court to keep up my chops. Then, Professor Krakoff moved to the Department of the Interior and asked me to come back to Colorado Law to teach and direct the Acequia Project. I deferred a clerkship with the Colorado Supreme Court in Justice Hart’s chambers and came back to CU ��ý��.

In 2022, in its 10th year, the Project received the American Bar Association’s Award for Distinguished Achievement in Environmental Law and Policy. The same year, I expanded my role with the Office for Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship (PACES). I had previously been a grant recipient, but I wanted to learn more about setting up engaged scholarship opportunities. I joined the grants selection committee, and I was selected for the inaugural Community Perspectives faculty cohort. Being part of both exposed me to CU ��ý��’s breadth of expertise and resources. Community Perspectives helped me learn about initiating relationships with community partners, and the program’s focus was Southeast Colorado—a potential new area for my water work and, coincidentally, where I have extended family. I managed to join the second cohort as an alumnus—both continuing my own learning and sharing my experience with the new folks.

What is your current portfolio of engaged scholarship projects?

I now lead the Environment and Natural Resources Policy Specialization in the Masters of the Environment Graduate Program. Among my duties, I advise 50 students in the specialization and directly advise three capstone project teams—most of which are rooted in community engagement. Some of the capstone projects have also received PACES grants.

I also sit on the Water Court Committee of the Colorado Supreme Court, and I just finished a video series featuring each of the water court officials for self-represented litigants. The videos are intended to guide people who need to go through the water court process but who can’t afford legal representation.

And, I’ve doubled down on serving with PACES and expanding engaged scholarship on campus.

Tell us about your new roles with PACES and your goals.

So, I’ve been involved with PACES one way or another since 2016. With Community Perspectives evolving into a direct-funding program, I want to help develop relationships around the state, assist community partners with outlining potential projects, and to identify CU colleagues who can work on those projects. As a faculty fellow for rural community-engaged scholarship, I’ll be connecting people and teaching—my favorite kind of role.

This semester I began serving as the chair of the PACES grants committee. The PACES staff runs a tight ship so our faculty members on the committee can focus on bringing the university’s resources into the community. I want our committee’s members to point people to PACES for support of continuing work or new work because communities, faculty members and students all benefit from working together. Really, to me, the big opportunity is educating students about how community engagement can be a part of their career or simply bringing the value of service forward in their lives.

Why are you dedicated to engaged scholarship?

Gregor and another foreign volunteer portion and shape some of the 1200 rolls provided daily by Hell’s Kitchen.

It comes down to serving. It’s why I joined the military. The idea of having resources and knowledge that I can apply directly to impact the lives of others feels like a call to action. That’s not always the case in academia; the impact is often more indirect. But, when you work in a community that needs something, you see the immediate impact for people. It’s what I’m driven to do.

An Army buddy and I went to Ukraine in 2024 with a food aid organization—a continuation of volunteer work I do here in Colorado. I saw how the money we raised stretched to feed people and replace broken kitchen equipment. We delivered food, medicine, clothes and other supplies to villages outside of Kharkiv that, due to the war, were more isolated and impoverished than before. Even a small amount of work can go a long way.

CU ��ý�� has resources, expertise and students who are willing and able. We can help activate them to a good end, which is what real service is. When I look at the history and mission of CU Bolder, service has to be part of that mission. We are rooted in a place. We can apply our skills and resources to improve our state. It’s a major component of what higher education should and can be.

Parting thoughts?

I hope people will think about how they can contribute to public and community-engaged scholarship. We get wrapped up in other aspects of our jobs, and it can be difficult to see how our expertise can be applied, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. I hope my work already illustrates how it can happen and why it matters. We can make a big difference person-by-person and community-by-community; it’s not always about changing how the world works.

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Members of the Santistevan Ditch and students work to repair a headgate on the Purgatoire River outside of Trinidad.

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Members of the Santistevan Ditch and students work to repair a headgate on the Purgatoire River outside of Trinidad.

CU ��ý�� professor develops more accessible way for families to experience planetarium shows

Arielle Wiedenbeck — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 18:14:15 +0000

CU ��ý�� professor develops more accessible way for families to experience planetarium shows Arielle Wiedenbeck Thu, 10/30/2025 - 12:14

Elle Moscinski

Fiske Planetarium at the ��ý�� has begun hosting special events catering to families with young children who have sensory needs. Dubbed Sensory-Friendly Sundays, those attending will find staff passing out blankets and headphones, kids clutching stuffed animals, interactive exhibits, and a relaxed, welcoming environment. The adapted show format provides an accessible space for kids to learn more about the universe and their place within it.

Professor Ann-Marie Madigan, associate professor of astrophysical and planetary sciences at the ��ý��, is the program’s creator. Her expertise is with gravitational dynamics, including the motions of stars around supermassive black holes, and planets orbiting white dwarfs. Madigan first found inspiration for the program at the World of Wonder Museum in Lafayette, CO. She noticed how beneficial and comfortable their monthly sensory-friendly day was for her young daughter.

“I really appreciated those events, and my daughter really enjoyed them,” said Madigan. “I wondered how to bring something similar to the greater ��ý�� community, and I thought it would be really nice to combine my day job as an astronomer with something I really appreciate in my outside life.”

Sensory-Friendly Sundays first started in fall of 2024 with a grant from the Office of Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship (PACES). Two pilot events were hosted with overwhelming success—immediately exceeding the registration cap of 100 people. This semester, a second more substantial grant is enabling monthly events and a broader audience, reaching children ages 3 to 12.

Typical planetarium shows can sometimes be overwhelming or stressful. The planetarium dome can have loud, startling noises or explosive light displays. Some families may not feel comfortable bringing their kids for fear of the experience being too dysregulating and intense. Sensory-Friendly Sundays are designed to provide a safe space for kids where they can be especially supported and can calm down in a quiet environment.

Fiske’s house rules are more relaxed on Sensory-Friendly Sundays; the planetarium dome always has open doors so families and kids can come and go as needed if they become overwhelmed. Madigan also noted how stressful it can be for parents to worry about their children being disruptive. Often, if parents fear that they won’t be able to stay the entire time, they will not come at all, because they don’t wish to interrupt the show. Having open doors helps to alleviate those worries.

In addition, Sensory-Friendly Sundays offer support through staffing and equipment. The program provides trained onsite support from student volunteers from the Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic, as well as professional therapists. Fiske staff members have been educated about neurodiversity and sensory overwhelm and coached how to engage appropriately with kids who may have special needs. Inside the dome, the lights are not completely dimmed, and the noise level is lowered. There are materials to help kids remain calm and engaged: tables with crafts, a gravity floor, and lots of textured materials meant to be touched, such as a large 3D model of the lunar surface. Noise-cancelling headphones, blankets and stuffed animals are available to check out.

As the program has evolved, so have the activities inside the dome. CU ��ý�� undergraduate Hunter Pratt led a dome activity exploring how light interacts with color and how both animals and astronomers see the universe in different wavelengths.

To run this program effectively, Madigan reached out to the Fiske Planetarium staff, including the director, Professor John Keller. She worked with the Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic and sought feedback from members of the Autism Society of ��ý�� County. It was tough logistically; for example, making sure all the therapists were properly compensated and that there were enough volunteers.

“It was a little scary to open the doors for the first time,” said Madigan. “But, after the first event, everything was more relaxed ... because all we’re doing here is making this space much more available and accessible, for free, for families with kids who have sensory processing disorders, and they really loved it.”

Madigan is delighted that this program will be an ongoing, supportive event for the broader ��ý�� community. So far, her favorite part is getting to see kids run around as their authentic selves and be excited about space. Sensory-Friendly Sundays will hopefully continue to serve families and connect them with astronomy.

“Astronomy is special, because it is so fundamental and meaningful. It’s about what we are doing here and how it all came to be,” shared Madigan. "Kids are fascinated with space, planets and black holes. It feels right to make sure that all kids can actually engage with it.”

Learn more about Sensory Sundays on Fiske’s Planetarium’s website.

Designed in collaboration with the Autism Society of ��ý�� County, Fiske Planetarium hosts a monthly series of free sensory-friendly experiences intended for children with autism spectrum and sensory processing disorders.

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Lights! Camera! Action! Cherry Yogurt!

Arielle Wiedenbeck — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 21:52:36 +0000

Lights! Camera! Action! Cherry Yogurt! Arielle Wiedenbeck Tue, 10/07/2025 - 15:52

Aspiring filmmaker and CU ��ý�� senior Francesca Hiatt’s short film, Cherry Yogurt, relies on subtlety to touch on grief and support, viewed through children’s eyes

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CU ��ý�� student Anastasia Gallegos-Roque receives Newman Civic Fellowship

Arielle Wiedenbeck — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 18:22:13 +0000

CU ��ý�� student Anastasia Gallegos-Roque receives Newman Civic Fellowship Arielle Wiedenbeck Tue, 09/23/2025 - 12:22

Elle Moscinski

Every year, an undergraduate student who demonstrates exemplary leadership is nominated for Campus Compact’s Newman Civic Fellowship, which supports student leaders who show great potential for tackling human rights and social justice issues. This year, ��ý��’s own Anastasia Gallegos-Roque is one of the recipients. She is studying sociology and ethnic studies on a pre-law track with a minor in journalism and multicultural leadership. Gallegos-Roque was nominated by the Center for Leadership and Chancellor Schwartz.

The fellowship is a year-long program that creates a network of student leaders ready to solve societal issues. Only one representative is chosen from each university. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to represent CU ��ý��,” said Gallegos-Roque. During her fellowship, she will participate in workshops about networking, seeking grant funds and how to prepare research proposals. Gallegos-Roque will have the opportunity to ground herself in her leadership skills, soak in expertise and experience, and become a better leader.

Gallegos-Roque has experienced personal challenges during her own journey—such as coming from a single-parent, Hispanic household. “Being a woman in today’s age is very hard,” she shared. “It comes with a whole different set of barriers.” As someone who, at an early age, experienced a lot of unfairness in the world, Gallegos-Roque developed a passion for social justice and standing up for what’s right. The fellowship recognizes Gallegos-Roque’s dedication to social change and promoting multiculturalism and inclusivity. “I think, being a first-gen student and, coming from a very diverse multicultural background, my community doesn’t really have opportunities to go to college or even finish high school. Making my family proud and making myself proud is an honor and a privilege,” she said.

When reflecting on why civic work was important to her, Gallegos-Roque shared that it is teamwork and collaboration that are the most significant. Firstly, she emphasized that experiencing others’ perspectives is crucial for growing as a person. From experiencing a march in Chicago to traveling abroad to India, interacting with communities other than her own gave Gallegos-Roque a sense of her power and her privilege. She noted that one of the most significant parts of her experience in India was seeing little girls whom she worked with smile. They mentioned how their dream was to go to America, and it struck her that their dreams were so different from her own. She realized how privileged she was to grow up in America when other little girls dreamt of growing up and moving there. Experiencing other cultures and livelihoods invokes a certain discomfort, but Gallegos-Roque says that is when you learn the most. It allows you to step outside your world for a moment and grow as a person; to see things in ways that you never would have before.

Secondly, teamwork is critical to social justice issues because you simply cannot do it alone. “It takes a pack, it takes more than one to firmly get an agenda across,” Gallegos-Roque said. She highlighted that she would not have even considered going to India without the support of her friends, who encouraged her to apply to scholarships she did not imagine herself ever getting. The Civic Newman Fellowship itself is founded on the importance of collaboration. Each recognized student from a university can use their voice, but the fellowship brings them together to amplify each other’s voices. Gallegos-Roque will be a part of a network of students who can all support each other to create change.

Gallegos-Roque plans to use the resources and network of support provided by the program to advance change for immigration, housing security, food insecurity and child advocacy. She will participate in a retreat for fellows in the fall and then attend monthly online meetings while being supported by a mentor. Gallegos-Roque will work with Growing Up ��ý��; a nonprofit whose mission is to help young people use their voices to advance progress for equitable and sustainable communities. She will also continue to be a mentor in first-generation and multicultural communities. For prospective students who want to start civic work, she advises to just do it. “There’s no perfect time, so don’t wait for the perfect time. Don’t wait for a comfortable time,” she said. Gallegos-Roque also advises others to recognize the power their own voice can have. “Your voice can be extremely impactful in a community that doesn’t have the option to use their voice or doesn’t feel comfortable using their voice,” she commented.

It is this unwavering fearlessness to speak up--even in moments of great discomfort—and use her voice on behalf of others that earned Gallegos-Roque the nomination.

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PACES to relocate to Outreach and Community Engagement—a new unit within the Office of the Chancellor

Arielle Wiedenbeck — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 17:59:34 +0000

PACES to relocate to Outreach and Community Engagement—a new unit within the Office of the Chancellor Arielle Wiedenbeck Tue, 09/23/2025 - 11:59

Gretchen Minekime

Earlier this month, Chancellor Schwartz accepted the recommendations of the Chancellor’s Task Force on Outreach to create a “hub and spoke” model of coordinated outreach and community engagement to better support the campus’s vast outreach efforts and maximize engagement and partnerships with communities across the state and region.

One of the accepted recommendations calls for the Office for Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship (PACES) to move from the Division of Continuing Education (CE), where the office has been located since its founding, into the newly formed Outreach and Community Engagement unit within the Chancellor’s office. PACES will retain its name and internal structure, and the recommendation specifies there will be no cuts to staff or budget, including to PACES’ grant-making programs. Staff currently housed in the Office of Government and Community Engagement (OGCE) will also join the new unit.

“This move elevates public and community-engaged research, teaching and creative work as true campus-level priorities. It will afford greater coordination between PACES and other units across campus and the CU system—enabling us to better serve our faculty, staff and students doing this important work,” said David Meens, Executive Director of PACES. “On behalf of the PACES team, I want to express our gratitude to the leadership and staff of CE whose partnership and support have been essential to PACES’s success. The division’s dedication to the university's mission, and culture of creativity, warmth and good humor, have made it an outstanding home. We look forward to new opportunities to collaborate, as CE continues to serve the campus in so many critical ways.”

Please watch the PACES newsletter and website for emerging updates and do not hesitate to contact us with questions.

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Benjamin Teitelbaum is New Faculty Director for Strategic Events and Public Discourse

Arielle Wiedenbeck — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 22:28:04 +0000

Benjamin Teitelbaum is New Faculty Director for Strategic Events and Public Discourse Arielle Wiedenbeck Wed, 09/17/2025 - 16:28

Gretchen Minekime

The Office for Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship (PACES) is pleased to announce that Associate Professor Benjamin Teitelbaum will serve as the new faculty director for strategic events and public discourse.

Teitelbaum’s role will first focus primarily on planning the Conference on World Affairs (CWA) alongside members of Strategic Relations and Communications (SRC) and committees of volunteers responsible for developing the conference’s programs.

Read on to learn more about Teitelbaum, what we can expect from CWA 2026 and how you can be involved.

____________________________________________________________________________

What are the responsibilities of the Faculty Director for Strategic Events and Public Discourse?

My job is to provide a voice for faculty and to contribute to the intellectual profile of a series of public-facing events on campus, first and foremost the (CWA).

How is this role an extension of your scholarship?

I am an ethnographer of culture and politics, which is to say that I study political ideas and expressions through face-to-face observations and conversations. During my career this brought me into contact both with a range of politicians and strategists, as well as writers, artists, and musicians who play (I came to think) a much larger role in shaping our political life than they are often given credit for.

Because the work I do ended up not fitting neatly into any academic discipline, and because much of it commented on current events, a lot of my writing appears in public rather than academic forums. CWA embodies much about the way I’ve gone about my work, in other words: it seeks to understand our world by bringing a diverse range of voices into dialogue with each other and the public.

What can our campus community look forward to for CWA 2026?

Though our planning is still in progress, I think you should expect two broad changes: the first is that I want the conference to be built to a greater extent by input from CU ��ý�� faculty. We have an exceptional concentration of expertise and insight in our midst, and I think we can do a better job of mobilizing it for the conference. That’s my priority.

Second, I want us to increase the diversity of our speakers. And I mean “diversity” in all ways: politically, socially, disciplinarily, etc. Part of the story of politics and culture during the past 10 years or so has been the exploding or transformation of establishments. To me, this means that any effort to understand how we got here, and where we might be going, needs to pay more attention to voices at the margins—people who we might have dismissed as irrelevant yesterday, but who could find themselves in positions of exceptional power or insight today.

How can faculty members, staff members and students be involved in CWA?

The best way to get involved is to join one of our six programming subcommittees (Arts, Business, Politics and Media, International Affairs, Human Condition, and Science and Technology). Joining will give you a direct role with identifying topics and speakers to feature at the conference.

Students can also volunteer during the conference itself, such as by being an on-campus guide for visitors.

But I especially want to add that even faculty who can’t volunteer can still submit recommendations for guest speakers.

Volunteer at CWA | Nominate a speaker for CWA

Why is it important for our campus community members to participate in public and community-engaged scholarship?

Part of the motivation could be purely selfish—you will learn more about the things you are studying and care about if you open yourself up to the ideas, experiences and wisdom of more people. Some scholars or professionals are used to doing that within their professional networks, but there is more to be gained by expanding. Another motivation comes from responsibility: the public, in various ways, supports our work and research, and one hopes that our aspirations in some way align with those of our wider community. For that reason, I think we ought to consider enhanced communication, and even collaboration and coordination, with the public impacted by our work.

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Consider getting involved with CWA in the planning stages or during conference week. You can submit ideas for topics and speakers, request a classroom visit, volunteer on a program committee and more.

Learn more about the Office for Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship and how it supports the work of CU ��ý�� faculty, staff and students.

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SCENIC Expands Rural Impact at Trinidad Water Festival

Arielle Wiedenbeck — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 13:00:00 +0000

SCENIC Expands Rural Impact at Trinidad Water Festival Arielle Wiedenbeck Thu, 08/28/2025 - 07:00

Arielle Wiedenbeck

Last May, CU ��ý��’s Science‑Engineering Inquiry Collaborative in Rural Colorado (SCENIC) program brought its hands‑on, inquiry‑based science programming to the Trinidad Water Festival. Led by Associate Research Professor Daniel Knight, CU ��ý�� students created an erosion‑focused activity that allowed K‑12 participants to learn about flooding.

The SCENIC program connects CU ��ý�� faculty members and students with rural high schools across Colorado to develop locally relevant science projects. This year’s participation in the water festival was made possible through Knight’s involvement in the PACES 2024 Community Perspectives Tour, where he connected with Linda Perry, a festival organizer.

The Trinidad Water Festival, hosted annually by Trinidad State College, drew more than 1,300 students and teacher attendees this year, with most from schools in Las Animas County and nearby communities in Colorado and New Mexico. Organized with the help of a handful of event leads and about 15 volunteers, the festival included activities from a diverse range of participants including the US Forest Service, a local fly tier and even a Teddy Roosevelt impersonator.

An example of a miniature homestead built by an elementary school participant.

To align with the festival’s focus on water, the SCENIC team adapted an existing module from their Soil Quality Inquiry programming into an “erosion challenge.” Using soil, rocks and legos, K-12 participants designed miniature homesteads and tested how they held up under simulated flood conditions. The activity encouraged students to think critically about how environmental engineering plays a role in protecting communities — especially Trinidad, which is prone to flash flooding due to its location along the Purgatory River.

Percy Smith, a PhD candidate specializing in engineering ethics education, led the activity alongside two other students from the Hannigan Air Quality and Technology Lab, Gabriela Cortes and Julia Harper.

“I hadn’t worked with elementary school kids in a science context before,” Smith said. “They had these really cool projects, and they were all very excited. A couple of them said it was their favorite [activity].”

Reflecting on the experience, Smith emphasized the importance of transferring knowledge beyond the university. “To be able to take [CU ��ý��] students into communities and say, ‘OK, now you have to explain this concept not just to me, but also to the students who don’t have any background,’ it makes your understanding stronger and builds awareness of the work you’re doing.”

Bob Philibin, a longtime recruiter for the festival, said involving college students enriches the experience for everyone involved. “I hung out with them for one of their sessions, and the [CU ��ý�� students] were totally engaged,” he said. “They looked like they were having a really good time…that’s what we want.”

For SCENIC, the water festival helped deepen community ties. Knight said the team was able to establish a new relationship with a teacher in Yuma and is continuing to explore expansion into additional rural regions, such as Gunnison. He also hopes to return to the Water Festival next year.

For Smith, these experiences serve as an important reminder that “these are the people that are impacted by the work we’re doing.”

The SCENIC program is funded in part by the Office for Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship. Learn more about the Community Perspectives program.

Engineering students with the Science Engineering Inquiry Collaborative in Rural Colorado (SCENIC) program developed a hands-on “erosion challenge” for K-12 students to learn about the effects of flash flooding on infrastructure.

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Julia Harper sets up SCENIC's "erosion challenge" at the 2025 Trinidad Water Festival in Trinidad, CO.

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CU ��ý�� undergraduate Julia Harper sets up SCENIC's "erosion challenge" at the 2025 Water Festival in Trinidad, CO

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