Metro State Alumni & Friends

Metro State's impact continues to amaze

2012-01-18T07:45:00.000-08:00

We have a great alumni board meeting last night in the Aviation and Aerospace division. The Board met faculty, had a chance to fly the simulators, take in a demonstration of "battle space" projects and more. Even after almost a year and a half here, I find something new about what our students, faculty and staff are doing here. There is no doubt in my mind that this institution is emerging as a critical part of Colorado's educational and economic engine. And that's saying alot for we are already firmly established as Colorado's quintessential state institution of higher ed. Thanks to all who do so much for our City, state, region and beyond.

Mark

Help us Grow YOUR network!

2011-03-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

Our alumni & friends network is growing fast! We have 217 Twitter followers, 1,444 LinkedIn Group members and 1,840 Facebook fans. That's pretty incredible considering last year this time we had just a few hundred alumni engaged in the Metro State network. Help us grow YOUR network even bigger in the next month. As part of our 45/45/45 Campaign, we are trying to get 4,500 Facebook fans in 45 days to celebrate the 45th Anniversary. Encourage your friends to like our Alumni & Friends Facebook fan page.

Alumnus Ed Coet Publishes First Book: "SLK-Serial Killer"

2011-03-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

In the 35 years since graduating from Metro State, Ed Coet has worked as a career counterintelligence and human intelligence officer, taught kids in an alternative school and a confinement facility, written poetry, married, had children, and, most recently, published his first book. “SLK-Serial Killer” delves into the dark past of Colorado’s most prolific serial killer. The book took more than two years to research and write, was an expensive endeavor that required a lot of travel to meet with SLK, and was time consuming and stressful.

“It had an emotional price attached to it, the extent of which I did not anticipate,” he explained. Now that it’s done, he feels relief. Unfortunately, not long after publishing the book, the stress returned when he discovered that his daughter has a very rare form of cancer (Proliferal T-Cell Lymphoma). The proceeds of “SLK-Serial Killer” will be donated to help her pay off her medical bills.

Metro State recently traded some emails with this poet and author.

Metro State: Who was your favorite professor?
Ed Coets: My favorite professor back then was Professor Reed (now deceased) in the Law Enforcement and Criminology Department. He was a very tough yet kind professor. More than anything else, he was brilliant. You couldn’t possibly make it through one of his classes without becoming a whole lot smarter. It was a privilege to have been one of his students, and I signed up for his classes whenever I had the opportunity to do so. This in no way diminishes the other professors who were also outstanding. It just that Professor Reed was, well, special.

MS: What inspired you to write this book?
EC: My writing experience previously was as a poet and short story fiction writer, and I also wrote a number of non-fiction articles.

MS: Why did you choose this topic?
EC: It was never my intent to write a true crime novel. The SLK story practically fell in my lap, and I just couldn’t ignore it. I was privy to SLK’s life history and, in some measure, to the inner workings of his unique criminal mind. This special and privileged access, coupled with my own experiences, collectively gave me the skills that I needed to undertake this project. In other words, I was well positioned to reveal, in its grand scope, this spectacular true crime story.

MS: What does this book mean to you?
EC: I view it as a “mission accomplished” endeavor. It was simply a story that had to be told. If I didn’t write it someone else, without doubt, would have. The SLK case and story is just that unique and compelling. SLK is the most prolific serial killer in Colorado history according to numerous news reports. His case is so unique in the realm of true crime that professionals and students of criminology, criminal justice, psychology, sociology and other behavioral sciences will probably study this case for many years to come.

MS: How do you feel about publishing the book?
EC: The first thing that comes to my mind is “relief.” For reasons I already noted, it was a relief to finally finish this work and get it published. It was also very satisfying to know that I could complete a project of this magnitude. My only hope now is that “SLK-Serial Killer” will be widely read and that my readers will enjoy my work. After all, I believe, writers should not write for themselves. They should instead write for the benefit and pleasure of others. Writing is an art form and if others don’t appreciate it, then it’s not good. That’s why I never judge my own work. Only the reader can decide how well I write “for them.” In the end it’s all about them – the reader. So far I have had a very good response to this book and I am deeply grateful for that.

MS: When did you find out about your daughter’s illness?
EC: When I started this writing project I had no idea that my daughter would be diagnosed with cancer and how much her medical bills would be crippling to her and her family financially. For that reason this book has taken on new meaning. I hope that it will earn enough royalties to pay down a major portion of her medical bills.

MS: Is there anything I’m not asking you that you want to share with me about this book?
EC: Metro State has a large student population in the fields of criminology, criminal justice, psychology, sociology, and related behavioral sciences. Metro State also has a huge alumni base in these disciplines. It is my hope that they will especially become aware of this book and read it. For everyone else it’s just an interesting and entertaining true crime thriller but for them, and other professionals in these disciplines, “SLK-Serial Killer,” I think, offers a lot to learn from.

To read more about the book or to purchase it, please click here.

Name Change Initiative Town Hall Meeting, Monday, Feb. 21, 7-8p.m.

2011-02-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

In an effort to directly communicate with our diverse alumni community concerning the recent announcement of the Strategic Name Initiative, we invite you to join Dr. Jordan and other leaders from Metro State to talk about the proposed name change and share your views, questions and concerns. This meeting is focused on ‘our’ prospective alumni and how it will affect our existing degrees. We will also address Metro State’s continued commitment to our mission of providing high-quality, affordable and accessible education opportunities.

The discussion also will elaborate on how this name change would help us enhance our mission to ensure continued growth among students of color, increased retention and graduation rates, tuition strategies that ensure access and post-graduate opportunities for our students.

Call Us. Tweet Us. Watch Us. Email Us. Join Us!

Share your views, questions and concerns LIVE during the Town Hall meeting:
Call: Town Hall Call In Number: 1-800-392-9307
Web: Watch the meeting LIVE on-line at http://www.justin.tv/metrostatealumni
Tweet: Tweet a question or comment at http://twitter.com/metrostatealum
Facebook: Post a question or comment on Facebook.
Email: Email us at alumni@mscd.edu

In addition to attending this Town Hall Meeting, we encourage you visit the name change website and to provide your thoughts by completing the name initiative survey: http://www.mscd.edu/namechange/. Please encourage your peers, neighbors and former classmates to complete the survey as well.

Future Alumnus: (soon to be) Alumni Award Winner Phillip Eggers

2011-02-10T09:40:00.000-08:00

Phillip Eggers, Human Services major & minor in Non-profit Management Fall 2011 or Spring 2012

A nationally and locally recognized volunteer for his contributions in helping veterans from all branches of the military from generations since pre-World War II, he saw the needs and addressed them. He started the student organization Student Veterans at Metro State (SVMS) in February 2010 and it continues to gain momentum as an organization where he currently serves as President. Student Veterans at Metro State has engaged many veterans and their first large scale program, PTSD TBI Briefing Taking Off the Pack, was an instant success as other colleges and universities are now requesting information on mirroring this event such as the University of Michigan. Student Veterans at Metro State is now recognized through the national student 501 C(3) organization, Student Veterans of America (SVA). Philip is a U.S. Marine veteran who has faced combat and has received a disability rating from the Veterans Administration as a result of his war time experiences, and from that he is now disabled.

Phillip also currently serves as Treasurer of the student group Human Services Education Organization, a community of like minds whose goal is helping the community through volunteerism and fundraising. Most recently he started participating in the student group, Association for Non-profit Students.

He also has high academic proficiency at Metro State have been excellent as he is on the Provost Honor Roll, and he is also hoping to be on the Presidents Honor Roll after this semester. He has been enrolled at Metro State full-time for 9 consecutive semesters, including summers. He also received a Who’s Who award and has been recognized through Student Support Services as an outstanding student.

Future Alumnus: (soon to be) Alumni Award Winner Adrian Puryear

2011-02-08T14:37:00.000-08:00

Adrian Puryear, English with a minor in Secondary Education Spring 2011

Adrian is a Metro State senior who is paragon of student leadership, academic excellence, and community involvement. She is a person of great integrity who cares immensely for her fellow humans. Her Nominator Stephanie Martin said, “I believe that as an alumna, she will bring honor to the name of Metro State College for decades to come.”

Currently, Adrian is a Writing/Reading Tutor with Student Support Services (SSS), a Federal TRiO program. She is professional and is incredibly caring with her students and is an excellent teacher to all of them. She has found her right path to become a teacher because she is a natural, and very gifted. As a tutor, she has helped many students who might have otherwise slipped through the cracks to not only achieve success at Metro State, but also to feel as though they belong. She asks excellent, critical-thinking level questions of her students, encouraging them to do their own intellectual work and empowering them with the academic skills necessary for success. She not only works on writing and reading skills with her students, but also fosters in them good study habits, time-management skills, and organizational skills. Adrian does an excellent job of establishing rapport, trust, and mutual respect with each of her students. I have come to rely on her to train newly-hired tutors, to present workshops to groups of students, and to act as a sounding board when students are struggling in non-academic areas of their lives.

After graduation from MSCD with a Bachelor’s degree in English with Secondary Education Licensure, Adrian plans to put her outstanding teaching skills to use in the community as a high school English teacher. We admire Adrian’s choice to enter into this noble profession, where she will work long hours for little pay or glory, but make an enormous contribution to the lives of the youth in the Denver-metro area. Adrian will be an excellent teacher and touch the lives of each of her students, but that she will further Metro State’s reputation for providing skilled, well-prepared teachers for our community.

Giving Back: Alumni Award Winner Lisa Moder

2011-02-08T14:34:00.001-08:00

Lisa Moder ('90, electrical engineering technology) has been named the 2010 Test Engineer of the Year by Test and Measurement World (T&MW) magazine. As part of her award, Moder designated Metro State to receive a $10,000 grant, courtesy of National Instruments, the award sponsor.

A senior manufacturing test engineer at Echostar Technologies, Moder’s area of specialty is set-top boxes, the devices that connect a television to an external source of signal. Moder has developed innovative test strategies that trim field failures, boost test throughput, and add to company profits. She has worked on 13 set-top designs in eight years with the company, enabling such innovations as programming one’s television from a phone. Together, the designs are responsible for some 20 million set-top boxes fielded in the United States.

Moder says she selected the College as a beneficiary of her award because she “believes in giving back to those that have helped me in my career.” Moder cites two Metro State professors in particular, Ha Temmermmer and Mel Capeharthart, both now retired, as having “fostered and mentored me throughout my career at Metro State.” Moder was already giving back to the College even before she received the T&MW award, having served on the EET Industry Advisory Board for the past five years. On the board, she works to help the EET Department recruit and retain students.

In receiving this award, Alumna Moder says, “I am excited to receive this award because I have always valued my education and I have always wanted to give back to those that have helped me get to where I am today. I would not be where I am today if it had not been for the influence Metro State and the faculty and staff there. I think the Alumni Association is an important part of college life as it gives past students the opportunity to stay in touch with each other and the life that is happening on campus.”

A Morning, With Memories

2011-02-04T08:34:00.000-08:00

Kick off Homecoming Week’s Carnivale with a morning devoted to 45 years of Metro State memories and history shared by those who’ve lived it, featuring over 30 panelists, including the first graduates, former campus leaders and military veterans, historians, current faculty and staff, as well as former staff and faculty, plus one Dean, three Board of Trustee members, and one Interim President.

The History Subcommittee invites current and former students, faculty, and staff to an unforgettable Morning, with Memories, Monday, February 14, at the Tivoli.

See old friends, hear tales you never knew, and share stories of your own as we commemorate 45 years as Roadrunners.

This FREE Homecoming event begins with “Our First Decade” keynote panel and light breakfast from 7:30-9:15 AM, followed by three breakout panel sessions: “Our Veterans,” The Leadership,” and “Our Alumni Employed at Metro State,” from 9:30-10:45 AM.
All sessions will be videotaped for the Metro State history archives.
Reservations are highly recommended.
RSVP by clicking here.

A Morning, with Memories

7:30-9:15 AM Tivoli 320 A, B, C
7:30 AM Registration and Light Breakfast
7:55 AM Welcome, Dr. Vicki Golich, Provost, introduced by Charlie Branch, Special Assistant to the Provost and Co-Chair, History Subcommittee
Breakfast Keynote Panel “Our First Decade”
Mark Boyko ’71, former student government chief justice; Dr. Sandra Doe, Professor, English; King Harris ’97, former student government member; Doug Holcombe ’69, former student government president; Suzanne Holcombe ’69, first baccalaureate degree; Sandi Jones, former administrative assistant to Keats McKinney; former Human Resources director; Ed Low, former faculty; Sheldon Steinhauser, Associate Professor, Sociology; Dr. Tony Ledesma ‘72, Moderator, Associate Professor, Human Services

9:30-10:45 AM Breakout Session Panels
Tivoli 320 B “The Leadership”
Dr. Frieda Holley, Emeritus Faculty; Dr. Antonio Esquibel, Emeritus Faculty, former Trustee; Margaret Rivera ’80, retired Foundation and Alumni Association Boards member; former assistant to President, Consortium of State Colleges; Dr. Eugene Saxe, Professor, English, former TrusteeDr. Stephen Leonard, Co-Moderator, History Department Chair and Metro State archivist; Dr. Richard Netzel, Co-Moderator, Emeritus Faculty; former Metro State Interim President

Tivoli 320 C “Our Veterans”
Howard Flomberg ’74, retired Affiliate Faculty (Air Force, Viet Nam); Leroy Chavez ’96, Director, Veterans Upward Bound (Army, Operation Desert Storm; Operation Desert Shield); Tesa Johnson Ferrell Jones, Student (Army, Bosnia Brigade); Martha Eaton ’94, Assistant Director, Health Center; Command Master Chief for Operational Health Support Unit San Diego (OHSU SD), Headquarters (Navy, Operation Iraqi Freedom; Operation Enduring Freedom); Alton Clark ’96, Associative Director, Veterans Upward Bound (Army, Berlin Brigade); David Perez '08, Firefighter (Marines, Operation Iraqi Freedom); Dr. Joe Megeath, Moderator, Emeritus Faculty

Tivoli 440 “Our Alumni Employed at Metro State”
Cindy Busch ’07, Manager, Center for Innovation; Dr. Joan Foster ’78, Dean, School of Letters, Arts and Sciences; Meghan Hartvigson ’10, Alumni Engagement Coordinator; Richard Jividen ’00, Director, Creative Services; Michelle Leboo ’95, Associate Director, Scholarship Center; Kate Lutrey ’88, Interim Director, Student Media; Paulette McIntosh ’80, Director, High School Upward Bound; Dr. Hal Nees ’76, Associate Professor, Criminal Justice; Member, Board of Trustees; Kenneth Phillips ‘83, Chair, Industrial Design; Cherrelyn Napue ‘99, Moderator, Associate Vice President, Alumni Relations-Development
Make your reservations by clicking here.

Please support the Anniversary Scholarship Award Fund. For more information, call 303-556-2242

6th Annual PJ Day and Race for Homeless

2011-02-02T16:18:00.000-08:00

The sixth annual PJ Day, whose goal is to raise $1 million for Denver's Road Home, the city's 10-year plan to end homelessness, was launched last Friday when Gov. John Hickenlooper presided at a ceremonial passing of the PJs in Skyline Park. Every year, Hickenlooper has shown up at PJ Day activities in a pair of red pajamas that his mother had made for him; at the kickoff, he gave a copy of the sleepwear to Mayor Bill Vidal.

On Wednesday, February 9th, at 1pm Metro State's Center for Urban Connections presents the Race to End Homelessness, a team bed race event, on the Auraria campus. Enter your team and win great prizes such as hotel stays at the Residence Inn Denver, Omni Interlocken Resort, Renaissance Boulder Flatiron Hotel; tickets to local events; and gift certificates to local restaurants. All you need is five people and some creativity on your team theme.

Teams consist of 4 pusher/runners and 1 rider, who navigate a rolling bed down the driveway by the Auraria athletic fields. At the end of the course, the rider must dismount the bed, put on pajamas (over clothes), button them fully, and get back on the bed, which is then pushed back to the original start line. Participants are highly encouraged to dress creatively. We had a gaggle of nuns and a pile of bedbugs compete last year! The Bed Race is an awareness and fundraising event for Denver's Road Home and the mayor's Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. Team registration costs $50.

The following day will find supporters gathering at the Residence Inn Denver City Center for the PJ Day Party, a dress-in-pajamas fete with comfort food and musical entertainment. Things wrap up Feb. 11 with the INAUGURAL PJ Crawl, a party that progresses from pub to pub in the downtown area.

For more information contact The Center for Urban Connections at 303-352-7129, or go To Register your team.

The Denver Posts article on PJ day festivities:
Davidson: The passing of the PJs - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/lifestyles/ci_17264152#ixzz1CqILYdqL
By Joanne Davidson

Two Receptions during Homecoming Celebrate Alumni Employees

2011-02-02T16:07:00.001-08:00

More than 80% of our Alums stay in the Metro Area. And, out of the 1,757 people working at Metro, 18% are alums. This group highlights the value of a Metro State education through their professionalism and expertise. More clearly they bring a passion that has built over time and represents the history and culture that is Metro State. The Alumni Association wants to recognize the value these alums bring and the impact they have on the students, our future alums. As part of the 45th Anniversary Homecoming celebration we have invited these alums to a reception where they will be recognized with a personalized gift so they will know how important they are to the vision and mission of Metro State. View the invitation for details, and click here to RSVP for either of the receptions!

Metro State Pride: Alumni Award Recipient Shirley Phillips one of 10 family members with Metro State degree

2011-02-02T14:57:00.000-08:00

In the early 1970's, Shirley Phillips (’76, early childhood education) and four of her relatives made a pact to all get a college education. That commitment started a family tradition of Metro State graduations that continues today.

According to Phillips, the reasons the family chose Metro were many. Metro State allowed members the flexibility to work or help out in the family business (at one time Shirley and her husband owned 22 gas stations), while obtaining their degrees. As well, the family appreciated the school's reputation and the high-quality faculty.

“This is one of the top schools in the region,” she explained.

So far 10 members of the extended Phillips clan have earned diplomas from Metro State. Matriarch Shirley Phillips led the way, followed by four of her children—Tracie, Vernoica, Stephanie and Michael—; her cousin Terrell McGary; sisters Maria and Debbie Phillips (Shirley's nieces); Debbie’s daughter Durinda Robinson; and Shirley’s husband’s cousin Aris Strong. In the fall of 2008, Micah McCellan, another young relative, started his education at the college.

In Celebration of Black & Women's History Months: The 20th Annual Bridge Speaker: Pam Grier

2011-02-02T14:45:00.000-08:00

The 20th Annual Bridge Speaker: Pam Grier, March 3, from 11-12:15p.m. at the Tivoli Turnhalle

The Bridge Speaker is an annual event, with 2011 marking the 20th year on our campus. “Bridge” refers to the symbolic bridging of Black History Month in February with Women’s History Month in March. This tradition is an opportunity to share the life experience and leadership of an African-American woman with our entire campus community. The 2011 featured Bridge speaker is actress, author and former Metro student, Pam Grier. As the first Black woman to be featured on the cover of Ms. Magazine in 1975, Grier broke many barriers with her roles in a string of moderately successful women in prison and blaxploitation films such as 1974's Foxy Brown. Her career was revitalized in 1997 after her appearance in Quentin Tarantino's film Jackie Brown. She is one of a few African-American actresses to receive a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress. She has also been nominated for a SAG as well as a Satellite Award for her performance in the iconic film Jackie Brown. She received an Emmy Award nomination for her work in an Animated Program Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child. More recently she appeared in the cable television series The L Word as Kit Porter and occasionally guest-stars in such television series as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (where she is a recurring character). In 2010, Grier began appearing in a recurring role on the hit science fiction series Smallville as the villain Amanda Waller, also known as White Queen, head agent of Checkmate, a covert operations agency. Also in 2010, she penned her memoir with Andrea Cagan, "Foxy: My Life in Three Acts".

Letter from Metro State's Alumni Relations Executive Director, February 2011

2011-02-01T15:45:00.001-08:00

Hello Alumni & Friends,

I hope your new year is off to a great start, and that all is well with you and yours.

We have just reached February, and that turn of the calendar brings us ever closer to Homecoming 2011. You’ll find information and links to this year’s events in the enewsletter we just mailed. Plan now to Carnavale!

Your Alumni Association, staff and board of directors, are working hard to help create a dynamic, engaging and meaningful program for each of our 70,000 graduates. Keep an eye on our website, this newsletter and your mailbox for new opportunities, programs and services.

As always, your ideas, comments and suggestions are encouraged and welcome. Drop me an email at mjastorf@mscd.edu.

It is always a great day to be a Roadrunner!

Mark Jastorff

Distinguished Alumnus: Alumni Award Recipient Michael Miera reconnects Latino youth to the community

2011-02-01T13:41:00.000-08:00

While working for Metro State in 1991, alumnus Michael Miera (’80, bilingual Chicano studies) recognized the community needed a method of reconnecting Latino/a youth. So, he and other activists founded LaRaza Youth Leadership Program, which holds conferences and now hosts more than 1,500 Latino/a youth participants each year. The focus of the program is to teach youth about their history, their communities and how they can make an impact in the world.

Not long after, he helped launch the Excel Program, which sends current Metro State student ambassadors into high schools with a high percentage of students of color. Ambassadors work with the prospective high school students to assist them with the application process and eventually with the transition from high school to college.

After leaving Metro State, Miera continued working for change as a Community Development Representative of the City and County of Denver for Housing and Neighborhood Development. He works with the Brownfields Redevelopment division. Brownfields are real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or perceived presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.

He lives with his wife, Veronica, who has worked for Metro State since 1976, and he is an accomplished Latin dancer. You might also occasionally see him in an El Centro Su Teatro performance, as he is an ardent supporter of that community theater. In addition to receiving this year’s Distinguished Alumnus award, Miera received the Spirit of Tlatelolco Awards with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 for his work with the Chicano Movement.

Work Ethic: Alumni Award Recipient Zander Keig works tirelessly for LGBT community

2011-02-01T13:37:00.000-08:00

Though Zander Keig (’99, Interpersonal Communication) has three degrees and works full time in the Office Operations Supervisor Recruiting at the U.S. Department of Commerce, he still finds time to be an outspoken community advocate, youth mentor and diversity educator for the LGBT community.

Keig is passionate about LGBT issues because he identifies as a trans man and a man “with a transsexual history [who] grew up to be a man.” Zeig is now dedicated to facilitating change through transformative connections.

“There’s no one way to transition,” he says, and so his goal is to provide informal transition coaching services for trans guys around the world – online, face to face and in support groups. A self-described “networking fool,” Keig connects other FTMs (female-to-males) to important resources.

Keig also co-founded the Lou Sullivan Society, which strives to keep the life and spirit of Louis Graydon Sullivan alive in the hearts and minds of transgender, transsexual and gender/queer men by providing information, support, community building, education and advocacy for female to male persons and their loved ones.

It’s hard to believe Keig started out with the U.S. Coast Guard or that he was once an undercover narcotics agent before chucking his day job to go back to school at 30. That move led him to pursue a bachelor’s degree in speech, a master’s in conflict analysis and resolution, a M.T.S. in world religion, tackling a year-long internship with National Conference for Community and Justice and earning certificates in massage therapy and holistic nutrition counseling.

Since 1987, Keig has also been involved with dozens of organizations and events including Lesbian Avengers, Transgender Day of Remembrance, Creating Change and LGBT student associations. He moderates the podcast TransAction, writes the blog Tao of Transition and is an ordained Humanist Celebrant.

Keig feels lucky to have similar support from his family. “I’m married to an amazing woman. I’m also very fortunate to have a very supportive family, especially my father, who has been extremely affirming and supportive of my transition, advocacy work and community organizing.”

To view a short video of Keig, click here. Keig also wrote the book, “Letters for my Brothers.”

Making a Difference: Alumni Award recipient Judge Chris Melonakis helps families

2011-01-27T14:20:00.000-08:00

Each year, the Office of Alumni Relations recognizes outstanding Metro State graduates and students who have made a difference in their communities, exhibited Metro State pride, have a strong work ethic or are distinguished in their communities. This year’s awardees will be honored at the Alumni Recognition/Athletics Hall of Fame Luncheon on Feb. 19, as part of the Homecoming festivities.

Metro State is not the only one to recognize District Judge Chris Melonakis of the Seventeenth Judicial District for his contributions to the community. In 2007, court reporter Julie Richer, nominated Melonakis for the annual Outstanding Judicial Officer in the Colorado Judicial Branch award.

“Judge Melonakis excels in public service,” Richer said, noting that he helped form the Integrated Family Drug Court to combat drug addiction among mothers of young children. The program provides counseling, job training, day care and transportation to help mothers overcome addiction and reunite with their children. The nomination led the Colorado Judicial Branch to recognize Melonakis for exemplary work contributing to the high quality of service provided throughout the state’s 22 judicial districts.

According to Richer, Melonakis also spearheaded an initiative in the Seventeenth Judicial District to prevent and treat fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Each year 40,000 children are born with the effects of alcohol consumption by their mothers at a cost of $4 billion, Richer explained. The program, led by Melonakis, seeks to prevent juvenile delinquency and promote rehabilitative services and public safety.

Melonakis also started a Family Court Pilot Program to study the results when multiple cases involving one family are handled by the same court. According to Richer: “An evaluation of 27 Family Court cases and 28 cases that were not part of the pilot program indicates that the program better responds to families’ needs and reduces by half the length of time children spend in placement outside their homes.”

Congratulations Judge Melonakis!

Terrance Carroll to join Metro State Board of Trustees

2011-01-17T10:54:00.000-08:00

Terrance Carroll to join Metro State Board of Trustees
Check in with our Facebook fan page later this week to view Terrance Carroll's engaging and hilarious speech at the Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast, hosted by Metro State.

Alumnus David Tran reflects on life after Metro State

2011-01-10T12:09:00.001-08:00

Essay by alumnus David Tran ('09, criminal justice and criminology)
From the Office of Career Services newsletter

I graduated in May of 2009 with a Bachelors of Science degree in criminal justice and criminology. During my last semester, I started my career search with appointments at Career Services regarding things like writing my resume. It was during this time that the economy was really turning for the worse, so I was worried about finding work after graduation even though I had job experience and a 3.7 GPA. Graduation came and went, as did the summer and fall semester.

By Christmas of 2009, I had sent out over 40 resumes and filled out more than 60 applications with various agencies and companies simply looking for an entry-level job. Following up with each agency and company was the hardest part. Employers told me that they were getting so many applications and resumes that they didn't know where to start and that I would get a call if I was chosen for an interview.

Finally, as the end of January came around I started getting call-backs from jobs I had applied to three months before. I interviewed with five agencies and companies over the course of 10 days. Out of the five agencies and companies that interviewed me, three offered me a position. I decided to accept the offer that was related to my field of study. The company that I currently work for had over 400 applicants, 20 resumes were chosen, a panel interviewed 10 applicants, three were interviewed for "fit," and I was offered the job ... conditionally. The entire time line from resume submission to securing the job was 65 days. The prep work and applying to the jobs took approximately 11 months.

I'll admit now that my planning was insufficient for finding a career by graduation because the steps I took in my last semester were steps I should have taken earlier. If there was any advice I could offer my fellow grads and soon-to-be grads it's this:

1. Start now and work on it every day
2. Prepare to be rejected
3. Don't give up!
4. Be yourself
5. Be patient

Creating Google Juice: How it can help you

2011-01-10T12:02:00.000-08:00

By Lizzy Scully

When you do a Google search for your name, what comes up? The thesis presentation you did when you graduated from college? An article you wrote a decade ago? What happens if an employer is trying to find out more about you? With the growing popularity of social media sites, this is not uncommon. In fact, it is becoming increasingly normal. Do you want that employer to see something you did that is completely outdated? Probably not. Thus, you really need to consider creating some good “Google Juice” for yourself.

According to Kip Wotkyns, assistant professor of journalism at Metro State, “People check you out if they are at all serious about hiring you. You want to control your brand online. The way to do that is to have lots of Google Juice. All of a sudden, when they look you up, you’re this famous person.”

How can you do this? Easy. Create an online identity, such as a blog, and write regular articles about your area of expertise. You can point your potential employer to this blog, but, more importantly, the more you post and the more you wisely use “tags” to let Google know what you are posting about, the more likely your name will appear in search engine results.

In addition to blogging, join various social media sites, groups, and fan pages. LinkedIn is the number one site for job seekers, but Facebook is another good option. Use your social media sites to network as much as possible. Be sure to be active—comment on other peoples’ posts, answer LinkedIn’s Q&As with thoughtful and thought-provoking comments, and put links from your blog posts to all your social media sites to let people know what you wrote about. Just be careful to not overdo selling yourself. The idea with social media is to offer people something valuable without making them feel like you are trying to advertise your wares. Give without expecting anything in return.

Next, make sure you post regularly to all your social media platforms. The more credible and authentic articles, suggestions, and links to other sites that you post, the more helpful you will be perceived by your “friends” and other group members. As well, the more your name and your articles will rise to the surface in Google searches.

As well, make sure you use some simple analytics software, such as Google Analytics or Statcounter to gauge how many people come to your site, what they like to read, and where they come from. Keep track of this over the long term, and you will really be able to see how people react to what you write. The more favorably people perceive your content, the more likely they will link to that content. Thus, the more likely your content (and you) will rise in a Google Search when a potential employer is searching for you.

“All of these things,” says Wotkyns, “create Google Juice. When you do a search on your name, what should happen is the front page of the Google search results should be full of all the stuff that you did.”

The Hidden Job Market: What is it, and how can it help you?

2011-01-10T11:53:00.001-08:00

The Hidden Job Market
© 2010 by Robert J.F. Sampron, B.A., B.Sc.

Two questions normally arise when discussing the hidden job market. What is the hidden job market? And how do we uncover it?

Very simply, the hidden job market includes all unadvertised job openings. Employers advertise only about 20% of job openings. We may find these jobs advertised in the usual places: newspapers, company, government, or organization career web sites, and job search web sites, like Monster.com.

So, why don’t employers advertise all of their job openings? It is probably because ads are very costly to place. For example, the Denver Post charges $349 for a 30-day, online ad. That listing goes on the web at both Denverpost.com and Yahoo! HotJobs. Yes, that is expensive; however, the cost is small compared to placing a print ad. A two-square-inch “Help Wanted” ad in the Sunday Denver Post costs $1,000. That is for just ONE Sunday. The good news is, for the cost of that print ad, the Post throws in free online listings. That’s expensive!

What does that mean for us? That means 80% of all job openings are out there, hidden from view, ready for the clever job seeker to discover. And, who are those clever job seekers? We are.

So, where do we find the other 80% of job openings? We find them through word-of-mouth and research, through people sharing what they know with other people. Let’s say you saw a good movie last week. You tell your friends about it. Then, they either see it alone or invite others to join them. They, in turn, tell other friends. These days, you may also tell the whole world about your movie experience through social media accounts, like Twitter and Facebook. Positive word-of-mouth for a movie can raise ticket sales; negative word-of mouth-can sink sales. Word-of-mouth is a powerful communication tool.
We can learn about job openings using word-of-mouth through the following resources: friends, family, acquaintances, fraternities and sororities, honors associations, college professors, former business associates and fellow employees, former employers (so, don’t burn bridges when leaving an employer), live and web-based social networks, professional/trade associations, volunteer work, and/or annual conventions and monthly meetings.

We each know many people. Those people know other people. The people they know also know other people, and so on, and so on. With social media, we now know people in the “real” and online worlds. Through word-of-mouth, we can use these real and online networks to learn about job opportunities. It is like a giant game of “telephone,” with one exception: we are transmitting important job information through these social networks. We begin to uncover the hidden job market simply by asking people if they know about openings. It is that simple.

See next Friday's job blog entry for more information by Robert Sampton on how to break into the Hidden Job Market.

The Hidden Job Market, Part II

2011-01-10T11:52:00.001-08:00

The Hidden Job Market
© 2010 by Robert J.F. Sampron, B.A., B.Sc.

Part two…

Last week we began to explore how to uncover the hidden job market through networking. Simple put...

To maximize the effects of word-of-mouth, you need to make contact with as many people as you can. This means expanding your social circles, joining professional associations, attending conventions and events, joining LinkedIn.com, and closing your social media sites.

To expand your social circles, you must become a joiner. By joining organizations, including trade, fraternal, and volunteer organizations, you make new friends, perform needed public outreach, and gain new insights into job opportunities. This means you must shed our introverted ways, as a snake sheds skin, and learn how to make small talk. (Check out the book, The Fine Art of Small Talk, by Debra Fine.)

By becoming members of professional associations in the area, you join formal groups of fellow professionals. They may have jobs, right now, in your profession. They may know about hidden job openings in their companies.

Search for these professional associations on search engine like Google, Bing, Yahoo!, etc. Ask favorite professors about them. Then, get out there and join. Attend the monthly meetings. You will not only make new friends and acquaintances, you will also keep up on new issues surrounding your profession.

Look in local newspapers, like the Sentinel and Community Courier, for group event announcements. There are great volunteer and professional groups everywhere, including Rotary International, Odd fellows, and Toastmasters International. Go to a meeting. See if the group matches your personality. Join and participate. That should quickly increase your social circle.

It is also a good idea to attend events and conventions. Conventions occur weekly throughout the Denver metro area. They make use of our main convention center and area hotel ballrooms. So do other events. See if you can get in, walk around, and talk to the exhibitors and business people. These people want their business problems solved. You may be the solution to their problems.

Another way to attend an event or convention is to work for a staffing agency. Many staffing agencies throughout the area supply workers to conventions and events. While there, in addition to working and making a few dollars in the process, you can talk to attendees and pass around a job-search business card, which is like a miniature resume.

Joining LinkedIn.com is also a must. A relatively new social media web site, LinkedIn may help you build your social networks. In addition to posting a profile, containing a resume, you can link to all the people and organizations in the Word-of-Mouth list. By using the Events application, found under “More” in the LinkedIn menu, you can also learn about upcoming events of interest in the area. However, treat LinkedIn like a very formal business introduction. Though you can connect your LinkedIn profile to other social media, this is not Twitter, Facebook, or a blog. This is a marketing tool. Use it as such.

Another suggestion is close all social media sites. Then, start over using avatar names. Yes, you heard me. Close them and start over. Why? I know it is fun to chat with friends and post all sorts of stuff on Facebook. But, guess what? Potential employers are now checking our social media activity. They do so to get a sense of our “real” personalities. They want to see if we match the personality of their organization.

This is probably not fair because there is no way a social media presence can show the full complexity of our lives. Fair or not, though, this is a new trend in hiring. That is why I suggest you delete your accounts and start over.

Use an avatar name instead. Do not use your real name anywhere on the site. Then, when a prospective employer searches for your name, that employer will not find you… except, that is, for your LinkedIn accounts. That is exactly what we want them to see!

But don’t forget, if you join these groups, be prepared to learn to become genuinely interested in people. When you are interested in others, they become interested in you. And you could become influential in other peoples' lives. Your employed acquaintances naturally will help you look for job opportunities hidden deep within their organizations. Why? Because, they like you. It is that simple.

Click here to read part I of this series. See next week’s job blog for the third article in this series.

Metro State Staff Profile: Judy White

2011-01-10T11:51:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published April 2, 2010

With 50 Years of Experience in Career Counseling, Judy White knows how to help alumni find jobs

When Judy White received an email from a colleague about a part-time position opening up at Metro State’s Office of Career Services in, she jumped at the chance for the job. Not long into the interview, Career Services knew they wanted White on board.

“I could do absolutely everything they needed to have done with no training,” she says. White has 50 years of experience and schooling as a professional career counselor with expertise in career assessments, counseling, job search skill building and management. She’s managed career centers, demonstrated success in helping students from getting to point A (choosing a major) to point B (getting a job post graduation), and, she says, “I am recognized for my team work, sense of humor, and high energy.” Though she was only supposed to stay one semester, she has been here nearly four years and will likely stay on until she decides to stop working.

“This is the best work environment I have had in my 50 year career,” White says. “Metro in my experience really is student focused more than any other higher ed institution I’ve worked at. They mean it, and they do it.” However, White and the other folks at Career Services don’t just serve current students; they also work closely with alumni.

Alums, she says, have unique needs. “They have decided their major, they have a degree, and they have tried to be out in the marketplace,” she explains. “Some are young, some are much older, some are making mid-life career change.” Because of their ages and life experience, they are often more comfortable working with White, who is of the “mature generation” (over 65). “Older students often say, ‘I’m so glad you’re here. I don’t trust the younger ones. They haven’t been around long enough.’”

White, in turn, appreciates working with alumni. “They’re older, they have lived a little longer, and they have a more realistic view of the world of work,” she says. “When I talk about info gathering and how you can apply it, they get it. The younger grad has to go out and live and work for a while to get that body of life information. That makes working an alumni more productive more quickly.”

Plus, she says, alumni know how to network. “They have contacts and are willing to use them.” Still, she has discovered other areas where she can really help alumni. She initiated two successful job search support groups the 2009/2010 school year, and she is spearheading another one for fall 2010. These groups offer alumni a review and four skill building sessions. Often, she adds, “they have no idea how to build the skills they need to implement a successful job search.”

Additionally, she has designed and implemented advanced resume writing classes that are specific to alumni. And, she works individually with alums. “I’m suggesting to more and more alumni that they take the two career assessments. Often, they are trying to make post-graduation career decisions without the information they need to do that. You need a body of information in two areas to make a good career choice,” she adds. “You need to know what your transferrable skills are—what are your strengths and limitations. And you need to know what kind of jobs people with similar personalities have found great satisfaction doing.”

She utilizes the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and Strong Interest Inventory to evaluate these things.

“There are lots of opportunities to gather that information about yourself,” White explains. “I suggest all graduates take these assessments so that they can build this important body of information.”

Another important thing to consider, adds White, is what the marketplace has to offer. Alumni should know the five top growth industries in the Colorado Economy and what the characteristics of the economy are. “This kind of information is critical to implementing a job search,” she explains. “Colorado is 99% small business. That means companies with 100 or fewer employees. Of that, the largest percentage is entrepreneurial companies.” This, she adds, means companies often need seasonal work and they are flexible.

With this knowledge, as well as knowledge about personality types and transferrable skills, says White, alumni can be better equipped for their job search. However, she adds, no matter how much assistance she and the Office of Career Services offers, “The bottom line is nobody can do it for you.” So, come on into the Office Mondays or Wednesday and get a head start. Click here for more info

Check out next week's Metro State College of Denver Job Blog for Judy White's suggestions on how to approach potential employers.

Social Media: Planning for Success

2011-01-10T11:44:00.001-08:00

This article was originally published on August 4th, 2010

By Lizzy Scully
Social Engagement Manager
Office of Alumni Relations

If you run a business or other organization, you can no longer afford to ignore social media when creating your marketing plans. Thousands of your potential customers (your future “fans”!) flock to social media sites. In fact, more than five million people actively use Facebook now, with 50% signing on daily(1). Plus, more than six million people utilize Twitter. Social media sites have proven to be one of the most significant ways you can engage your customers or constituents. When the Office of Alumni Relations first embarked on its social media journey, we spent extensive time researching what other colleges and universities were doing and we formulated an extensive plan accordingly. Here are seven tips & tricks we learned along the way:

Planning: Do significant planning prior to launching any social media plan or starting your social media sites. As with any marketing/public relations plan, define your goals. What do you want to accomplish? Who are your fans (i.e. who do you want to engage)? Do some research on which sites might best fit your needs. I have discovered that Metro State alumni use LinkedIn to communicate about career-related topics and to network with each other, while they check out Facebook to link to event coverage or fun articles about other alumni or faculty/staff members. They also regularly read our Job Blog, which has job listings and helpful career advancement tips.

Voice: Establish the “voice” of your social media sites. Typically, social media sites offer a more personal, in-depth perspective of your business/organization, while your website has static, tidy information. (For more on types of voices you can use, click here). The Office of Alumni Relations maintains professionalism in that we treat people who visit our sites respectfully and as we would if they came into the office. However, we have balanced that with informality. For example, our responses to people who pose questions, suggestions, or musings are informal and friendly. As well, we post fun, interactive articles and videos on our blog that aren’t necessarily perfectly well made.

Coordinator(s): After you figure out your “voice”, choose one or more coordinators who will regularly post on the social media sites you utilize. This person should not hide behind an alias, but should be open about his/her relationship with your business. I am the main person posting on the Office of Alumni Relations social media sites and interacting with visitors. I strive to establish trustful relationships with our visitors, and have developed numerous in-person relationships with people. Even if I never meet someone in person, my goal is for that person to feel welcomed to all of our social media sites. On the other hand, you don’t have to mix business with pleasure. It is not necessary for you to invite all the fans on your Facebook Fanpage to be “friends” on your personal page.

Listening: Cultivate relationships with your constituents. In order to be effective with social media, you have to regularly engage your fans, which means posting daily or weekly, answering questions posed by fans, and addressing issues they bring up. I check all the social media sites five days per week. If a negative comment surfaces, for example, I can address it immediately. (Read more on tips for addressing negative comments here).

Flexibility: The beauty of social media is its flexibility. If something isn’t working, you can change it instantly. Build all your social media sites and then see which ones are most popular, and then modify your activities accordingly. We discovered that our MySpace page and the LinkedIn page we created were both mostly worthless. However, I found and began to participate on an unofficial LinkedIn page that was far more active. I befriended the alumnus who created it, and now we manage it together. We have regular interactions, and new people joining every day!

Analyze the data: Dozens of analytics tools exist that can help you track traffic to and from your websites. The Office of Alumni Relations currently uses Google Analytics and StatCounter on our website and blogs, and Bit.ly to shorten and track our URLs. None of these programs are perfect, so utilize many and analyze all the results. By doing so, you will figure out what links are being clicked on most and what people avoid, thereby refining how you distribute your content.

Integration: Finally, to be full successful, your social media strategy must be integrated with and supportive of your overall marketing plan. One of our most successful endeavors this year was our Official College Ring Launch and Facebook Ring Contest. The contest drew in plenty of contestants because it was a fun and engaging way of finding out why people loved Metro State. We asked people to tell or show us why they loved Metro State. This resulted in people posting poems, stories, and great photos about their experiences at Metro State on our Facebook fan page, which in turn drew more people to our fan page. However, it was only part of a greater strategic plan that included advertisements in the College newspaper, flyers, mailings, emails sent out to students, and plenty of social media notifications.

These are just a few of the things you should consider when launching a social media plan. For more information of if you want to ask me any questions based on this article, come to the LAS Lunch & Learn on Tuesday, August 10th. For more information or to register for the event, click here.

Alumnus Chris McKoy reflects on proactive post-grad job searching

2011-01-10T11:42:00.001-08:00

For traditional college students like myself, the thought of entering the “real world” can be quite overwhelming.

Experts claim that the current generation of college students will have seven careers in their lifetime. Not seven jobs. Seven entirely separate careers. The idea of acquiring a new skill set to attract employers is intimidating to most. I began to grapple with these challenges last summer.

It was at that point I realized the story on my resume said nothing about marketing. If I was going to get hired, I needed to assess where I fit into the marketing world and demonstrate it with action. I took off, creating a spreadsheet of people I knew and asking them who they knew in marketing. I attended networking groups, job search groups, and researched careers in my field. I was on the hunt for experience and advice, a search that culminated in an internship at the Denver Pavilions and 70+ professional contacts in my field that I continue to tap for advice.

When it comes to a career search, Metro State’s tagline couldn’t be more true: “Success begins with you.” I’ve never been that proactive. My tendency has been to stay in my comfort zone and not try anything new, but in the last year I managed to obtain a marketing assistant position in a highly reputable business association and get more involved on campus. I started the Student Marketing Association for Metro State, with a great deal of help from Professor Kristin Watson and several incredibly committed students. This expanded my leadership roles in and out of the classroom. It is amazing to me that I’m coming out of college with a year of valuable experience and demonstrated leadership just by focusing in on my career development.

A famous hockey player ascribed his success in the rink to one main factor. He said, “I don’t go where the hockey puck is. I go where it is going to be.” Over the past year, I’ve come to realize that is exactly how to get positioned in a career. The resources on this campus can help a student set a trajectory for where they see the job market and their industry going and prepare for a desirable, exciting career.

- Written by Chris McKoy
Metro State Alumnus ‘10

Know any students or alumni that want to write about their career experiences? Please have them contact Sarah Senter at 303-556-3664.

IWSS faculty Jacqueline St. Joan publishes novel

2010-12-07T15:54:00.000-08:00

Award- winning writer and editor, lawyer and Metro State adjunct faculty member, Jacqueline St. Joan recently published her first novel, My Sisters Made of Light. This is a fictional account of the extraordinary courage of ordinary women living in the closed society that is contemporary Pakistan. It explores the country’s myriad cultures—from the mystical Sindhis in the South to the noble Pathans in the Northwest Province, the Punjabis in the East and the Balochis of the West.

“This novel is a means for Western readers to learn about Pakistan in a broad sense and at the same time relish the story of a hero's journey, a love outside the boundaries, a travelogue of a diverse, struggling country,” St. Joan stated in a recent email. Though it started out as a non-fiction story, as St. Joan did more research on the lives of women in Pakistan the story transformed. The process took some time, with the re-writes and publicizing. However, she added, it has been worth it.

“At last this story has its own life,” she stated. “It's a cliche, but it is like raising a child who can finally find her own way in this world. People will treat her well, or they won't. She will overcome, or she won't. You can only hope that the thing itself has the stamina to survive and thrive.”

St. Joan was inspired to write the book after meeting a “remarkable” Pakistani woman, who taught in that country for 25 years and who made efforts to prevent honor crimes against her students. The woman, Dr. Tahira Khan, authored the book, Beyond Honour, and also taught classes at Metro State. Kahn commented that St. Joan did a good job blending reality with fiction, telling “stories of realities seen in Pakistani newspapers every other day.”

St. Joan is now the Public Education Chair of the Asian American Network Against Abuse of Human Rights, a non-governmental organization in the U.S. that works to support Pakistani efforts to end human rights violations. Half of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to SOIL, a grass-roots community organization in Pakistan, to pay for the construction of a safe shelter for abused women and children. Copies of My Sisters Made of Light are available at The Tattered Cover, Press53 http://www.press53.com/ and the Auraria Campus Bookstore. To read more about the book, click here.

What's Up? A New Alumni Relations Executive Director ,

2010-12-06T14:01:00.000-08:00

Alumni Relations Executive Director Mark Jastorff weighs in on the changes happening at the Alumni Association and the new benefits we are offering our alumni.

The very best of the holiday season to you and yours. I want to thank the entire Metro State family for the warm welcome to campus.

There is little that I can tell you about our campus that you already haven’t heard. So let me affirm what you know – Metro State is rising. This is a great time to be a Road Runner!

Our goal as an alumni staff is to make sure that we offer you the kinds of opportunities that enrich your life, enhance your professional opportunities and provide you with the chance to meet new friends. In the coming months, you will see your Alumni Association unveil plans for increased professional and career advisory services, a Young Alumni Council, a return of the Student Alumni Association and more opportunities to celebrate Metro State with your family and friends.

For those of your looking to strengthen Metro State – there are lots of “quick ideas” – start with wearing Metro Wear, take the opportunity to talk with your neighbors, relatives and friends about the great things happening here, suggest the College to those who might benefit from the Metro State experience, and of course, chat with your legislators about the importance of higher education in Colorado and of Metro State.

We’re looking for your ideas and suggestions. If you have something that you would like to see from your Association, just drop us a line at alumni@mscd.edu, call or stop by the office.

Beep Beep!

Mark Jastorff
Alumni Relations Executive Director

New Article from the Metropolitan about Alumni and current students taking over E.C's printmaking studio.

2010-11-12T12:18:00.000-08:00

Alumni Amy Odorizzi is one of eight current and former Metro State art students who have taken over Good Thieves Press, the studio formerly run by Professor Eldon Cunningham. She began in the industrial design program, but switched majors after taking an entry level printing class with Cunningham. According to Odorizzi, with her changed major came a changed perspective of herself.

Along the studio’s single room’s northern wall is a row of mostly abstract print image — the studio’s current show on display. The show commemorates the life and work of Eldon “E.C.” Cunningham, a Metro State art teacher of 27 years, who committed suicide Oct. 1, 2010. Cunningham specialized in printmaking, a highly technical medium involving the use of a press to print handmade images onto a surface, sometimes made of metal or stone. He was the coordinator of Metro’s printmaking program.

Gillian Waggoner, another Metro State art alumna, also helps run Good Thieves Press. She met Cunningham early in her education and was mentored by him during her last year at school while looking into a master’s degree. She agreed with Odorizzi about Cunningham’s passion and spoke about the high standard to which he held his students.

“You’ll do 100 things that he’ll just kind of frown at,” Waggoner said, describing working in his class. “And you’re just working and working to get better and finally you get that moment where he just cracked a smile and you knew that you had done well … He really pushed you technically and you can see that in his work.”

Waggoner said she actually failed Cunningham’s printmaking class the first time around, but throughout her time at Metro continued to go to him for critiques on other projects.

About the show, Odorizzi said it was only natural for them to celebrate Cunningham’s life considering how instrumental he was in all of their artistic growth.

“We wouldn’t have existed without E.C.,” Odorizzi said of Good Thieves Press. “I couldn’t be more different in my art style from E.C.’s. But I am as good at printmaking as I am only because of him.”

The Good Thieves Press show will be open Nov. 11–14 at 2401 Stout St.

Read the rest of the article by Gabrielle Porter at The Metropolitan Online

Metro State Alumni and Veteran Nominated for MillerCoors Líder of the Year Award

2010-11-10T12:50:00.000-08:00

Sgt. Dean Sanchez is a decorated Marine who has served his community and country. Sanchez, who has done three tours in Iraq and one tour in Afghanistan, was nominated by the Mile High Chapter of the American GI Forum as MillerCoors Líder of the Year. These are people nominated by MillerCoors Hispanic non-profit partners for their unwavering commitment to the advancement of the Hispanic community.

The Líder will be announced on Nov. 16 and will be awarded with a $25,000 grant to be used for a community leadership program. If he wins, Sanchez has some inspiring plans for younger soldiers. “We would do a leadership conference for young Iraq and Afghanistan veterans partnering them with veterans from older generations and fostering our future leaders,” he said.

Sanchez spoke to La Voz Nueva about his decision to join the Marines. He said that after the 9/11 attacks, he decided to leave during his senior year at the Metropolitan State College of Denver and enlisted. “When 9/11 happened I thought it was everybody’s duty to protect our country—serve their tour of duty. So I dropped out of college and enlisted in the infantry Marine Corps,” said Sanchez in La Voz article. “The Marine Corps has given me a level of self-worth and pride that no other company, no other job could ever do.”

Read the complete article written by Bertha Velasquez at La Voz Nueva here

Denver Post Article features Metro State alum Vince Phason

2010-11-05T13:21:00.000-07:00

North High coaches stick by volunteer Alumni Vince Phason even if DPS won't

Metro State Alumni Vince Phason was recently denied clearance to continue serving as volunteer assistant coach by Denver Public Schools and saying he no longer can be in the bench area at games. However, he still shows up for the Vikings' practices several days a week, and is still determined to help inner-city kids learn to play football.

Phason heads across town to Denver North High's football practice — a practice at which Phason, a former star Canadian Football League defensive back paralyzed in a 1998 auto accident. There, he is with head coach E. Paul Kelly Jr., who also is the school's attendance and discipline monitor, and defensive coordinator Dave Sidwell, 64, a legendary former high school head coach who won two state championships at Mullen and now helps out at North.

The Vikings are 3-6 heading into their final game Saturday, against Kennedy at All-City Stadium. This is not about building a football juggernaut. This is about trying to influence young men at a still-struggling school in an eclectic neighborhood bouncing back around it.

"I was blessed to survive my automobile accident, and I had a dream at that time that life is about helping people," Phason, a graduate of Manual High who played college ball at Arizona, said in his living room. "I feel like young men, our young people, period, need the most help. Football is my avenue, where I can be the most use to the community — and especially in Denver, where I was raised."

To read the complete article by Terry Frei on The Denver Post Website, click here.

What's Up?

2010-11-03T07:04:00.000-07:00

Metro State Alumni Association Board President Jim Garrison discusses the board’s role at the College and why he serves. Garrison joined the board in 2005 and was elected president in September 2010. He feels it’s a rewarding experience that affords him the opportunity to “stretch” himself in new ways. The Office of Alumni Relations caught up with Garrison recently to ask him a few questions.

Metro State: How has being on the Board enriched your life?
Jim Garrison: I have had the opportunity to meet and work with many dedicated and quite capable fellow Metro alumni. I have been exposed to a different (for me) environment (higher-education) than I had been involved with prior to now. I have met a number of current Metro students and have had the benefit of learning about the experience they are having now.

MS: Why did you decide to become board president?
JG: I believed it would be a privilege to serve in this position, and felt I can help the board move forward.

MS: Why have a BOD?
JG: The Alumni Association has the obligation to meet its charge as defined in its Bylaws. The association must be managed so that this duty is met. Not only is a board of directors required by law (in order for the association to be a legally chartered not-for-profit corporation), it provides several advantages. A board enables a wide diversity of experience and knowledge that can be brought to bear on issues facing the association, and having a board raises the likelihood of continuity of activity and preservation of important historical institutional knowledge.

MS: What exactly does the Alumni BOD do?
JG: The Alumni Association board is largely advisory, but works closely with the leaders of the college as well as the board of the Foundation. The board sets policy that is designed to build value for all Metro alumni by way of benefits and programs. The board occasionally takes an official position on critical issues that could affect Metro and therefore alumni.

MS: What are some of the most relevant issues facing Metro State’s alumni and how does the Board address those issues?
JG: Increasing the engagement of alumni with other alumni and with what is going on at Metro right now. Delivering services to alumni to build the value of a Metro degree. Any of the pertinent issues with which Metro State is currently engaged also are relevant issues for the Alumni Association.

MS: Is there anything I’m not asking you that you want to share with me? (Or, are there any questions I haven’t asked that you think are important to ask?)
JG: The Metro State Alumni Association is set to soar in a new direction with a dynamic group of dedicated and talented board members along with new staff leadership. The next few years will be fun to watch!

What's up next month? In the December issue of the Roadrunner Review, we sit down with the new Alumni Relations Executive Director Mark Jastorff.

Career Q&A: Need a job? Join a job support group

2010-11-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

A job support group can not only provide you with networking opportunities, but it can also give you the tools you need to successfully find a job. We recently caught up with Metro State Senior Career Counselor Judy White to discuss how alumni benefit from the job support group she facilitates.

Metro State: What are some of the key skills people learn in the Alumni Job Support group?
Judy White: I think the most important thing that I hear from them is that they are getting the info they desperately need to begin to put together a job search process that ultimately will work. They haven’t had the info they need to do that, whether it’s about the skills they need to have, the job search process, companies they need to research, etc. We have been focusing on information sharing.

MS: What are some examples of this information sharing?
JW: One of the most important elements that I find missing in all job searchers is the lack of information gathering skills and therefore the inability to make decisions about what they want to do and where they can make a contribution. So, we teach them how to build a good resume based on what the company is looking for. We also teach them how to identify the growth industries in the marketplace and how to match their information about their skills and strengths with job openings they find.

MS: I also remember you mentioned in a previous Alumni & Friends interview that most companies use key word scanning software when reviewing resumes. This means that your resume must have key words from the actual job announcement in it. The most important Key Word is the job title that the company is using on its web site. This is a ‘weighted’ key word and it carries more importance that the other key words. (Click here to read the article.)
JW: Right. And these days not only do you have to tailor your resume to a job opening with specific key words, but you also need to tailor your entire resume to that specific job announcement. You need to convince your potential employer that you have transferable skills that can be utilized to solve that employer’s problems. Your job search is not about you getting a job, but rather about you helping your employer solve problems. And, more often than not, you can find those problems embedded in job announcements on their website.

MS: What are other ways you can find out about the specific needs of a company?
JW: Research industries, companies, economies, and trends in professions that you’ll find through professional associations and journals. Trends in industries can be found in industrial newsletters and by reading the business sections of the local paper. You should read these every day so you become familiar with the key players, and then read the weekly papers. The Denver Business Journal covers our small business marketplace in greater breadth and depth than the Denver Post.

MS: What are some other things you really stress in the group?
JW: Alumni need to know how to work with the current marketplace. Networking has become very important during this economic downturn. A lot of businesses are not posting their jobs on their website, but they are looking for people.

MS: Why aren’t they posting jobs?
JW: Because they don’t have to anymore. One piece of information alumni find interesting and overwhelming is that the Colorado marketplace is 99% small business (companies with fewer than 100 employees). During economic downturns they let go of their Human Resources Departments because those are non-income producing divisions. So small business owners may not be advertising positions (because that takes time and money), but they continue to do their own networking to find valuable people.

MS: What are some of the biggest concerns members of your group have?
JW: The older members are worried about age discrimination, which is a reality. To counteract that, I tell them to focus on their strengths, skills and how they can help the potential employer solve problems. I tell them to say they have more experience than some of the younger applications. I would say that directly in an interview. I recommend people are really direct, but soft. The older members also struggle with how to market themselves; that’s what it’s all about really.

And for everyone in the group, the job search process is daunting. A job search is a long process, particularly in this economy.

MS: What are some solutions to how overwhelming the process might be for people?
JW: Job support groups really help. A number of churches have weekly job search groups that are ongoing. I don’t know if they have trained leaders, but that kind of long term ongoing job search group is really about networking and supporting one another.

Also, if you’re going to be doing your job search from home, you need a quiet secluded place. Set up an office for yourself where you have telephone, computer and fax machine. And check with your tax person because some of the costs for doing that, including a percentage of your household expenses, may be deductible.

MS: Our interview time is coming to a close. What is one last tip you have for alumni?
JW: When you compile your resume, write down the results of your accomplishments under each job you have had. You want to show the hiring manager your skills. You may not have specific experience in a specific academic area or industry, but you have transferable skills. You have lived long enough and solved enough problems. The hiring manager wants to see results. The results give her a specific example of what you can do for her.

White will be facilitating another job support group, Wednesdays at 10a.m., from February 2 through February 23. Check out next month’s Career Q&A, a video with Judy White including tips for divorcees entering the job market.

Looking for more Career Services articles?

Networking Advice for Alumni. Click here..

From College to Career: Rachel Abernethy talks about the change. Click here.

From College to Career: Alumna April Abernethy

2010-11-01T11:10:00.001-07:00

By April Abernethy, Metro State Alumna, 2009

As a freshman at Metro State in 2006, I had no idea the impact the college would have on me and how much it would continue to influence my life. I gained an incredible amount of insight into diversity, higher education processes, and student development. Much of the insight I attained during my classes but a considerable amount I attained by working for the college as a student employee at the Career Services Office. The Career Services Office provided me with many opportunities to improve my professional skills, identify my career goals, and develop self-awareness. I worked primarily as the Employer Relations Assistant
during this time, but I built skills that prepared me for the start of the rest of my career.

The path to attaining my first position after graduating from Metro was rough. Although I felt prepared with the knowledge I gained and the skills I developed, I felt very discouraged with the tough job market. After graduating, I was unemployed for nine months, which compared to others, is not as long, but after working so hard to earn a degree, it felt very disconcerting. It was the work experience and connections I made at the Career Services that eventually helped me land my first position out of college. My former supervisor informed me of a position that I was qualified for and was in the exact field I wanted to get into. Ultimately, I got the job.

The transition from college to full-time work is not something you can prepare for entirely, but with the help of student services offices such as Career Services I was able to attain the exact job I was looking for. I believe firmly that it is important to utilize the Career Services Office while in school and as an alumnus/a so that one can handle the major transition with ease. With the knowledge the staff has, their unconditional support, and their infectious optimism, I was able to achieve what I set out to do upon graduation. I have utilized all the skills I learned, the connections I made, and the confidence I gained while working at Career Services in my new position, and only hope to give back what Metro State and its Career Services Office gave to me.

Career fairs & the importance of networking

2010-11-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

By Emily Frank, Career Services Counselor, Office of Career Services

Do you find that your students are intimidated or confused by the word “networking”?
Are they unsure of why they should attend a career fair? We are here to help!
Networking is simply connecting with others in a targeted, career-minded way. As the old saying goes, it’s not what you know but who you know. Building a professional network is what can get Metro students and alumni to know the right “who.”

A targeted, career-focused networking effort can pay big dividends whether you are attending a career fair, a professional association meeting or just talking with others about your job search. Using the right tools like a resume, doing research on the industry and companies of interest, dressing appropriately and preparing questions to get the conversation started are all tools that can make networking flow. Good networkers spend time preparing. The successful job seeker is the one who does the preparation necessary.

A great starting point for network-building is at the four job fairs that take place on campus every year. (Metro runs two and UCD runs two,
and everyone is welcome at both.) These are great opportunities for job-seekers to meet professionals in a wide range of professional companies and capacities. Unfortunately, the recruiters at fairs are as human as the rest of us, and they don’t always do as good a job of reaching out to the people wandering around the Turnhalle as we might hope. To help students understand what to do to get the most out of an event like this, the Office of Career Services is happy to host preparation workshops.

Another great way to get started networking is through what we call informational interviewing. This is pretty much what it sounds like: people seeking leads and information regarding an industry, a career path or an employer by talking to people in those roles. We are always happy to talk with students about how to go about starting this process.

Finally, don’t overlook friends and family, professional organizations, campus clubs and activities, and social networking sites. Many job-seekers already know people who can help them get connected with employers but simply haven’t asked. Professional organizations often offer reduced membership fees to students, and clubs and activities are a great way to meet a wide variety of people with similar interests and skills. LinkedIn offers several good tutorials on making the most of the site.

And remember, if you would like us to come to your class and talk about any of this, we are happy to do so!

Fall Business Fair Open to Alumni - see list of employers here

2010-10-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a job? 40 employers will be attending the Metro State Fall Business Fair next Tuesday, Nov. 2, from 10:30-2:30 at the Tivoli Turnhalle. Career experts will also be on hand to answer questions for you.

There will be information on full time jobs, part time jobs and internships in Marketing, Sales, IT, Economics, Management, Accounting, Finance, General Business and more.

Employers Attending:
Alliance Data
Apex Energy Solutions
Avis Budget Group
AXA Advisors
Bureau of Land Management
CA Technologies
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
City of Pueblo
CoBank
Complete Business Systems of Colorado
Default Servicing Solutions, LLC
Denver Department of Safety
Department of Heal and Human Services
Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc.
Enterprise Holdings
Farm Credit Administration
FirstBank
General Services Administration
HSS Inc.
Intuit
JP Morgan Retirement Plan Services
Kasier Permanente
KeyBank
Lakeshore Staffing
MINES and Associates
Mutual of Omaha
National Jewish Health
Nationwide Insurance
Network Global Logistics
Northwestern Mutual Financial Network
Old Navy
Paycom
SBM
TCF National Bank
Tyler Technologies, Inc.
U. S. Marine Corps
USDA Forest Service
Wall Street On Demand Inc.
Wells Fargo Bank

AVIATION & AEROSPACE SCIENCE ALUMNI OPEN HOUSE

2010-10-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

Highway to the Danger Zone - Get together with fellow alumni, both young and old, to discuss the realities of pilot hiring and careers in aerospace and aviation management.

Friday, November 5th, from 4:30 – 6:30 pm at the 7th Street Classroom Building, Aviation & Aerospace Science Department

Click here to RSVP!

Connect with alumni working in the field who can share their insight and experience on a long term career in aviation and/or aerospace:

* Alumni with 10+ years of experience from various facets of the industry will be on hand to meet younger graduates in an informal, reception setting
* Pilots, Aviation Management, and Aerospace
* Seasoned alumni from Jeppesen, United Airlines, and Great Lakes Airlines on hand to answer questions
* Hiring managers and chief pilots will also be at the event

A facilitated discussion on the myths and realities of pilot hiring will provide relevant, and up to date information to alumni. And faculty will provide a behind the scenes look at how the department is meeting the needs of our future aviation and aerospace professions. Light refreshments and snacks provided.

Thomas Letts:
You can tell by the smile on his face when he’s flying, teaching or anywhere near airplanes, Jeppesen employee Thomas “Tom” Letts (’83, PPT) loves flying. He works overtime and loves it, he teaches disabled people to fly to empower them, and he even writes poetry. Read about why Letts feels supporting the community is important and what his experiences were like at Metro State by clicking here.

Carrie Besnette, Metro State VP of Institutional Advancement, on bringing the call center in house

2010-10-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

Metro State now houses its call center in house rather than outsourcing. This means that students talk directly with alumni & friends of the College, which makes the interactions more meaningful. The call center is already on its way to paying for itself with an 820% in cash in the door between last year and this year for the call center. On Oct. 18, the staff of Institutional Advancement challenged students to a staff vs. student call night. The students whooped the butts of the staff, raising $1950.64 to the staff's $185. In this video, VP of Institutional Advancement Carrie Besnette talks about the benefits of bringing the call center in house.

Second Annual Denver Veteran’s Day 5k Walk!

2010-10-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

On Saturday November 6, 2010 in celebration of Veteran’s Day there will be a 5k walk to honor a 1999 MSCD grad and fallen solider, CPT Russell Rippetoe. The walk starts at 8am followed by the Denver Veteran’s Day parade.

The Russell B. Rippetoe Foundation was founded in memory of CPT Russell Rippetoe (Metro State Graduate)who served with the 75th Ranger Regiment and was killed in action in Iraq in 2003. The Russell B. Rippetoe Foundation annually presents a scholarship and ceremonial saber to a deserving ROTC cadet that displays outstanding leadership skills.

For more information on CPT. Rippetoe:
http://www.amvetspost6.org/ranger.html
http://patriotpost.us/reference/russell-rippetoe
http://www.fallenheroesmemorial.com/oif/profiles/rippetoerussellb.html

All race proceeds will go to support the Auraria Future Leaders Association (AFLA) and the Russell B. Rippetoe Foundation. The AFLA is a Colorado nonprofit organization founded by Metro State Army ROTC cadets. The AFLA supports local nonprofit organizations by participation in 5k races in the Denver metro area. Cadets also support these organizations by serving as volunteers for many of these events.

Early registration ends October 23, 2010.
Early Registration includes a complimentary on-campus parking pass that is also good for the parade and a DVD5K t-shirt!

Register at: www.DVD5K.com

"It Gets Better" Rally to be held at Auraria Campus, Tivoli, Oct. 20

2010-10-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

In response to the recent incidents of youth taking their own lives because they were teased or bullied for being gay or perceived as such, we are organizing a campus-wide rally to express our outrage at how these youth were treated. Additionally, we are hosting a resource fair with information from both campus and community resources to show these teens that they are not alone, that there are people out there that do care, and that they have resources available to them to support them in their struggles.

We are combining the ideas of two national campaigns into one themed event: It Gets Better…Because I Give A Damn. The It Gets Better project was started by Dan Savage, and the I Give A Damn campaign is from Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Foundation.

The event will be held next Wednesday, October 20 from 11:00 – 12:30. The rally will be held in the Tivoli Commons area, and the resource fair will be held in the Tivoli Multicultural Lounge. Our event is being held in conjunction with a national movement on Facebook to Wear Purple To Help The Fight Against Homophobic Bullying.

The rally will feature speakers from the administration of all three schools, as well as community resources. As part of the resource fair, we will be showing videos from the “It Gets Better” campaign, as well as have stations where members of the Auraria campus can record their own “It Gets Better” messages.

Please wear purple next Wednesday, October 20, and join our efforts to battle bullying and youth suicide!

6 Reasons to Attend This Years Fall Business Fair!

2010-10-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

1. Glean valuable info about the application process, tricks and techniques, and corporate culture from an employee rather than a web site.

2. Interview companies before you decide to apply. Learn about the company's mission, strategic objectives, and employment needs

3. Begin to establish your professional image, expand your network of contacts and practice your interview skills

4. Make a positive and lasting impression with the employer so they remember your name when they review resumes and select applicants

5. Find part-time, full-time and internship positions. Students and Alumni from all 3 schools are welcome

6. Enter to win an iPod shuffle and other prizes if you bring your resume

For more information visit: http://www.mscd.edu/~career/eventsA6/Fairs.shtml

WANT TO BE PREPARED?
Writing your first resume workshop presented by Charles Schwab:
October 21st (2PM - 3:30PM) in Tivoli 215

Career fair prep workshop presented by FirstBank:
October 28th (11:00 AM - 1:00 PM) in Tivoli 329 LUNCH PROVIDED! 11-12 presentation and lunch, 12-1 get your resume reviewed

TO REGISTER visit www.mscd.edu/career

Where they are now?

2010-10-11T12:38:00.001-07:00

Omar Hurricane’ 90 is a Metro State physics grad who has received numerous honors worth thousands of dollars. But he traces his start on this super-academic trajectory to a “superman” stunt he pulled in 1986, when applying to Metro State.

According to an article in the July 1995 issue of Metropolis magazine, by Vonalda Utterback, Hurricane thinks it was a stunt that gave him the edge in 1986 for a Presidential Scholarship to attend Metro State. “Toward the end of the interview process for the scholarship, he recalls that the Metro State scholarship committee asked him, ‘Why should we give you this scholarship?’ Throwing open his suit coat and unbuttoning his shirt with a superman-type flourish, he revealed a Metro State T-shirt, and replied, ‘Because I bought one of your T-shirts!’”

In 2009 Omar accepted the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award for National Security and Nonproliferation. Named for Lawrence, a Nobel laureate and the inventor of the cyclotron, a subatomic particle accelerator, the U.S. Department of Energy honor is given to mid-career scientists for contributions supporting the DOE and its mission to advance the national, economic and energy security of the United States.

Hurricane, who attended Metro State on a scholarship based on the recommendation of his stepfather and Metro State English professor, the late Jerry Finger, says he received “a lot of extra attention from professors that I’m very grateful for now. I observed at UCLA that I was just as well prepared as any other student. I got a very good education.”

http://www.mscd.edu/~collcom/artman/publish/funfact_twv8100510.shtml

http://www.mscd.edu/~collcom/artman/publish/hurricane_twv7042810.shtml

https://www.llnl.gov/news/newsreleases/2009/NR-09-12-02.html

Project Homeless Connect sponsored by Metro State

2010-10-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

On October 29th, Metro State is hosting Project Homeless Connect and we need at least 400 Metro State volunteers to staff the event. Project Homeless Event is a one-stop shop event for homeless individuals and families who are seeking services. We expect about 800 individuals who are without housing to visit the Auraria Campus for PHC to receive a whole range of services, including various social services, housing assistance, resume building, food assistance, clothing, from over 50 organizations.

In the past, Metro State volunteers have made an incredible showing at PHC. Last October, when the event was at the Pepsi Center, Metro State had the single largest contingent of volunteers--160.

Now that we are hosts, it is up to Metro State--students, faculty, and staff--to make this event successful. Ask your professors, classmates, supervisors, and colleagues to volunteer with you. Some classes, for instance, are volunteering as a group, as well as some offices.

Click here to sign up through the United Way's website and learn more about Project Homeless Connect. In addition, you can always contact The Center for Urban Connections for your ideas and questions.

For more information, you can also visit: www.unitedwaydenver.org

Come Have Lunch with the Roadrunners!!!

2010-10-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

What: Have Lunch with the Roadrunners!

When: Wednesday October 6, 12 - 1 pm

Location: BRAUN'S BAR & GRILL
http://www.braunsbarandgrill.com
Located off Auraria Parkway near Pepsi Center
(The old Cashback Textbooks building)
Brauns Main Number: 720-932-0707

Price: $10 per guest (includes meal and program)

Roadrunner Special 2 for $15
Bring a colleague from another campus department (other than your own) and get 2 lunches for $15!

Season updates from:
Women's Soccer - Coach Almaraz;
Men's Soccer - Coach Parsons;
Volleyball - Coach Hendricks;
Cross Country - Coach Supsic;
Tennis - Coach Meares

Join us for food and prizes, while learning about Roadrunner athletics!

Grad Fair!!

2010-10-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

This year's Grad Fair will be held at St. Cajetans on October 19, from 10-2 and October 20, from 1-6.

At the Fair, seniors can order cap and gowns for commencement, purchase grad photo packages, talk to career services experts, check out bookstore goodies, and hear other announcements about graduation.

Lunch will be available for all fall graduates, and there will be drawings for various prizes!

Also, tell us Your Metro Experience in Three Words and have your photo taken. You can then find and print those photos out from our www.Facebook.com/MetroStateAlumni fan page!

Alumnus Shane Kelly honored with Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal

2010-10-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

At a September 15th Partnership for Public Service gala in Washington D.C., Shane Kelley (’01, CIN) and seven other notable Federal government employees were presented with Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals (Sammies). Kelly, who gained recognition and the Citizen Services Medal along with colleague Eva Ristow, developed a way to bring services to citizens living in impoverished and remote locations in the country utilizing two-way video technology.

According to the organization’s Program Manager, Samantha Donaldson, these awards are central to the organization. “It pays tribute to America's dedicated federal workforce, highlighting those who have made significant contributions to our country.” Honorees are chosen based on their commitment and innovation, as well as the impact of their work on addressing the needs of the nation.

Hailing from San Francisco to Haiti, Sammies recipients are working to confront increasingly complex challenges, from environmental crises to foreign wars to economic recovery. Their accomplishments tell the true stories of a dynamic group of talented, bright individuals who work tirelessly on behalf of the American people.
The Partnership for Public Service is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in Washington, D.C. that works to revitalize the federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming the way government works.

All photos by Sam Kittner/Kittner.com.

Board Members Opposed to New Amendments and Proposition

2010-09-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

At this year’s Annual Meeting on September 14, the Metropolitan State College Alumni Association Board of Directors voted unanimously to adopt a resolution stating their opposition to Amendments 60 and 61, and Proposition 101.

Deciding to take a position on these kinds of issues is always a carefully measured decision. It was gratifying to see how engaged board members (and other alumni present) were in the presentation given by John Lay, of Don’t Hurt Colorado. There were great questions posed and there was also a clear message in the discussion that these measures would be detrimental to Metro State and had to be opposed by the Alumni Association. Thank you for your commitment to Metro State and for your brave stance!

As a follow-up to this resolution, we anticipate activating the Alumni Action Task Force. In preparation for that, discussions are underway with the Capstone Group about next steps, including the role and actions of the Alumni Action Task Force. I am happy to tell you that Board Member John Silva is ready to take a lead role as the Chair of the Alumni Action Task Force, and I want to express my thanks to him for stepping up!

Dr. Jordan and Rob Cohen, Chair of the Board of Trustees, have also expressed their sincere appreciation to the Alumni Board from the College and the Trustees. They are well aware of the important role of the Alumni Association in this endeavor and were pleased that the Board approved the resolution.

For more information on these amendments and proposition: http://bit.ly/b0w88S

Check out our Plain & Fancy Ball photo gallery

2010-09-28T10:38:00.001-07:00

Check in with our Facebook Fanpage each day this week for newly posted photos and videos!

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.

Plain & Fancy Ball photo gallery

2010-09-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.

The Alumni Association Has A New Executive Director!

2010-09-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

On behalf of Cherrelyn Napue, I am thrilled to tell you that the position of Executive Director, Alumni Association and Director, Alumni Relations, has been filled! Mark Jastorff has accepted the position and hopes to start on October 1st.

Mark comes to us with an abundance of relevant experiences and successes, and an enthusiastic passion for the mission of MSCD and Alumni Relations. We have no doubt that he will “hit the ground running” and that he will be chock-full of exciting and innovative ideas to grow the Alumni Association.

Mark was the preferred choice of the Alumni staff, and we are all excited to work with him.

Alumni Spotlight: Thomas Letts' passion for flight

2010-09-20T13:42:00.001-07:00

You can tell by the smile on his face when he’s flying, teaching or anywhere near airplanes, Jeppesen employee Thomas “Tom” Letts (’83, PPT) loves flying. Letts and Jeppesen President and CEO Mark Van Tine donated a flyover of Denver to be auctioned off at the Plain & Fancy Ball. We recently chatted with Letts about his life’s passion and why he continues to support Metro State.

Metro State: Why is Metro good for the community?
Thomas Letts: Metro offers something for everybody. All the professors pretty much have lived in the working community, and so when they come back to teach it’s not just been their life ambition to teach; they have actually been out in the world doing what they teach. They can offer insight that other college professors don’t have.

MS: How did Metro State prepare you for your career?
TL: Not only did I have wonderful professors, but I also made connections. The reason I got my first really good job after leaving Metro State was the person who interviewed me was in the social fraternity Alpha Eta Rho (which no longer exists). He was also a Metro graduate. The connections I made at Metro were, have been and still are life-long.

MS: Why are you so passionate about your career?
TL: Flying still has mystery to it. It still has romance to it. When people get married and go on a honey moon. They get on an airplane and fly half way across the world to some exotic place. Every time you get in an airplane there’s a little bit of giddiness. It brings out the kid in all of us. There’s mystique to it. Aviation has made the world a smaller and more global place.

MS: What was your experience at Metro like?
TL: Metro one of the top three colleges for aviation in the States, in my mind. It’s just wonderful. At Metro, I got to know each and every student in every class. I still have life-long relationships with about two dozen people I met.

MS: What are some key pieces of advice you might offer to others who might pursue a similar career?
TL: If we are passionate about what we do, the highs are always higher and the lows are never that low. If we follow our dreams, it doesn’t matter what money we make. It doesn’t matter a lot of things because we are doing what we love. If you follow your dream, you gain eight hours a day back in your life. I truly believe that.

MS: Why do you feel it is important to support events such as the Plain & Fancy Ball?
TL: Metro has basically nurtured careers that have blossomed at Jeppesen. The other thing is that there could be a time when there are not enough pilots to fill pilot positions, and everybody else who works in the aviation industry. It is very important for us to give back to the community in every way we can.

MS: Is there anything I’m not asking you that you want to share with me?
TL: Metro brings together the different generations … everybody there is on the same playing field. They are all there to learn. A lot of times the more senior students had a lot to offer as far as life learning, and for that reason we learned a lot more listening to other people talk about life experiences than we did through the book work we did.

To see more images, click here.

Discovery Flight with Jeppesen Employee Flying Association Veteran Pilot and Metro State Alumni Thomas Letts
Take to the sky for a bird’s eye view of the Front Range with veteran pilot and Metro State alumni Thomas Letts. Letts, a 1983 aerospace graduate and an aviation systems and data analyst for Jeppesen in Englewood, offers this package as an instructor with the Jeppesen Employee Flying Association. He’ll take you up in a JEFA Diamond DA-42 that features a Garmin G-1000 Glass Panel on a “Discovery Flight” from Centennial Airport. You’ll fly around Red Rocks and Golden, over Mile High Stadium, Coors and Elitch Gardens, with a quick tip of the wing to Metro State’s World Indoor Airport, before heading back for a perfect landing at the Perfect Landing restaurant at Centennial Airport for lunch with the pilot. We bet you’ll be inspired to take up flying after this experience!

NOTES: Certificate good for 6 months (Expires March 26, 2011); good for one passenger; flight must be prearranged directly with pilot; flight time and date dependent on weather and availability; preflight and flight time total is approximately 2 hours; lunch with the pilot included

Alumni Association Board & Annual Meeting update

2010-09-20T12:56:00.000-07:00

More than 50 people attended Alumni Association Annual Meeting & Board Meeting at the PE & Events Center Lobby, Auraria Campus, on September 14. In addition to welcoming the new board members and new Board President Jim Garrison (1980, Economics), the audience also enjoyed meeting the seven new Alumni Scholars, hearing a speech from Alumni Scholar Jeremy Casey about how the scholarship has benefitted him, and, finally, a presentation from John Lay. a veteran economic development executive who’s working for Colorado for Responsible Reform. Lay discussed three bills that will slash taxes and adversely affect higher education. Read more about the fight against tax cuts by clicking here. Finally, attendees were presented with the Annual Report. To get a copy of the report, please call the Office of Alumni Relations at 303-556-8320.

To see photos from the event, click here.

Check out Jeremy Casey's engaging speech.

The 6th Annual Denver Food & Wine Classic photos

2010-09-17T13:37:00.001-07:00

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.

Alumna Linda Garrison donates $1200 Week stay at Suites at Steamboat Spring

2010-09-17T13:27:00.000-07:00

Because she is an alum and because the Plain & Fancy Ball is one of the “major fundraising efforts for the College and Alumni Association,” Linda Garrison (’81, JRN) decided to donate a week stay at the Suites at Steamboat Springs. Metro State’s Office of Alumni Relations recently caught up with Garrison to ask her about where she is now and what she is up to.

MS: What is one of your favorite memories of your undergraduate days at Metro?
LG: For awhile I was a music major until I discovered that music theory was just not for me, so many of those memories have to do with music. For instance, singing in the Madrigals in costume; performing a Schubert mass at Immaculate Conception cathedral conducted by Vernon Moody and trying not to choke because I’d just taken a deep breath to sing and inhaled incense; discovering Brahms by singing his Liebeslieder Walzes; listening to Dr. Susan Cable blow everyone away with her performance of Chopin’s Barcarolle. As a journalism major, any class I had with Greg Pearson; and I have very fond memories of my children’s lit class with Ed Low.

MS: Where has your path taken you from graduation day until now (major milestones)?
LS: As a journalism major, I anticipated always working as a writer, which I did for years. I worked for several community newspapers and later edited some magazines. What I didn’t anticipate was my second career in media relations, or my third in fundraising. Nor did I anticipate that about a year after graduating from Metro, I would move to Southern California in order to get a job. I ended up having a great public relations career out there, won some awards and was accredited by my professional society. I also gave birth to two of my three children before coming back to Colorado in the late 1980s. Then, when my kids were small, I was able to freelance and eventually got into grant writing for nonprofits, which led me into my career as a fundraiser. Most recently, I was vice president of a consulting firm in Denver which specialized in assisting nonprofits throughout the West with major gift and capital campaigns.

MS: What brought you back to Metro State?
LG: My former boss decided to close the firm and go into semi-retirement, so the office closed in January 2010. I’d been looking for a job already, and heard about a position at Metro State’s development office that seemed to fit very well with my background and experience. I applied, and when I was offered the position, I was very excited. It feels as if I’ve gone full circle to come back to the place which really launched me professionally and gave me the opportunity to achieve a baccalaureate degree.

MS: Why did you donate to the Plain & Fancy Ball?
LG: I believe in giving back, and so it was natural to do something for Metro State, which has done so much for me.

MS: Why is this event important to the community?
For one thing, it’s not your usual old black tie gala. It’s fun, it’s lighthearted and most of all, it does a tremendous amount of good in terms of raising much-needed funds for scholarships and various programs throughout Metro State. Anything that benefits Metro State automatically benefits the community. A lot of people don’t know that Metro State educates more undergraduates than any other college or university in Colorado. That’s really significant, especially when you consider how many of these people enter the workforce as skilled professionals. Also, I know that even though Metro State is very affordable, for many of us, it was still a stretch to get the needed funds to pay tuition, books, fees and the likes. I had student loans, a Pell grant, worked work-study and two other jobs. My student loans took almost 10 years to pay off. How much better would it be for a student to graduate without that debt burden because of scholarships. Some people mistakenly think that a place like Metro State doesn’t need to raise private money, but consider that Colorado ranks 48 out of the 50 states in terms of financing education AND Metro State receives less funding than any other state college or university. So raising money is incredibly important.

Is there anything I’m not asking you that you want to share with me?
Any suggestions about what to wear to the Plain & Fancy Ball?

Alumna donates gift baskets to Plain & Fancy Ball

2010-09-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

Diana Lynn Leistikow (’89, BEC) dreamed about running a business making gift baskets. And though she currently is a residential realtor working primarily with buyers at Home Real Estate, Centennial, she still loves making gift baskets. When the opportunity arose to support student scholarships by donating items for the Plain & Fancy Ball auction, she jumped at the chance to make more gift baskets. Leistikow has donated three baskets including a Burts Bees products, a picnic basket that includes a gift certificate to King Soopers, and a sailing-themed basked. When asked why supporting the college is important, Leistikow stated, “I didn’t go to college until I was 33, and it was a big eye opener for me going from business to college. It’s a big challenge for women, especially single moms, to go back to school. So anything I can do to help people is rewarding to me.” If you would like to contact Leistikow, please call her at 303-808-4038.

Submit a photo to the Plain & Fancy Ball Facebook Photo Contest to win $600 in prizes, including:
1. Two tickets to the ball.
2. Gift certificate for four to alumni-owned OiNKs! BBQ + four tickets to a Metro State Music Event.
3. Gift certificate for for to D'Vine Wine + four tickets to any Metro State athletics game.

This year's 2010-2011 Alumni Scholarship Recipients are...

2010-09-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

This year's Alumni Scholars...

Jeremy Casey – Jie (pronounced “J”) is an Integrative Therapeutic Practices major with a Pre-Health minor. After graduation his plans are to attend medical school to pursue a dual degree in osteopathy and public health.

Alejandra Coria Espino - is a Social Work major. She plans on becoming a Social Worker to make our communities better for our youth to grow and develop.

John Friedkin - is a Psychology major with a minor in Elementary Education. After graduation he plans on teaching in Denver Public Schools.

Natalie Gray - is a Teacher Licensure major and plans to become an elementary school teacher. He plans on teaching, learning and leading through example.

Lisa Mallie - is an Individualized Degree Program major obtaining a degree in Nonprofit administration. She will use her degree to manage the nonprofit she founded called “For The Love of Grace”.

Gena Meyer – is a Special Education/ Elementary education
major who wants to help children reach their greatest potential at
succeeding in life.

Shawn Taylor – is an Art major with an emphasis in sculpture and a minor in Art History. After graduation he plans to become an architect and to work in higher education building the best educational facilities.

Lisa Waechter - is a candidate for Teacher Licensure in the area of Special Education. She will use her degree to not only teach but to continue to lift up those who may not be fully embraced by our society.

Suzan Dee: one of the many Metro State Alums to donate auction items for Plain & Fancy Ball

2010-09-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

After spending nearly 20 years raising her children and substitute teaching, Suzan Dee (’90, elementary ed.) has branched out into a totally new career, running the Waxing Moon Massage and Skincare Spa with business partner Nancy Barnes, a Licensed Aesthetician. Dee, who specializes in massage, received her training at the Crestone Healing Arts Center, just north of Alamosa, Colo. Dee is passionate about her new career.

“I love helping people feel better,” she says. “Our bodies can heal themselves. We just have to slow down and remember that.” Dee doesn’t just rub her client’s muscles either. She works on helping people balance their entire systems, including helping them release emotional stress they might hold in their muscles.

“Our muscles hold memory,” she explains. “It takes a lot of energy to hold onto that stuff. When I work on people, I help them let that go.”

Dee also feels strongly about giving back to the community, which is why she has donated two 70-minute massages to be auctioned off at the Plain & Fancy Ball on Saturday, September 25. “Metro State was a huge part of my life,” she says. “I really appreciate the education I received. I’m happy to donate my services.”

You can reach Suzan at Suzan_Dee@hotmail.com or 970-470-3921. Her spa is located in the Holiday Inn, Stapleton, 3333 Qubec Street, Denver, CO 80207.

Plain & Fancy Ball Auction Item feature: "A Dining Six-Pack"

2010-09-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

We have brought in more than 170 items for the silent and live auctions for the Plain & Fancy Ball, many of which were donated by alumni. I'll be featuring a half dozen of these alumni over the next two weeks. Other generous donors include various Metro State College of Denver departments. This is one of my favorites: A Dining Six-Pack

6 guests, 6 courses, 6 wines, 6 o'clock
A 6-course dinner prepared in your home by the students and faculty members of the Hotel, Tourism and Event Management Department. This item includes all food, labor, china, glassware and silverware. The estimated value is $850.00, and this is what it includes:

First Course: Assorted bouches, goat cheese with smoked salmon and boursin cheese with carmelized onions and balsamic reduction. Prosecco Sparkling Wine.

Second Course: Shrimp Madagascar--Shrimp sauteed in butter and olive oil, flamed in Pernod, topped with whipping cream, and finished with tomato concasse and minched chives. Pinot Grigio.

Third Course: Plated Ceasar salad with garlic-anchovy vinaigrette, parmesan cheese and croutons. Sauvignon blanc.

Fourth Course: Steak Oscar--seared tenderloin steak, topped with crab, asparagus and Bearnaise sauce and roasted fingerling potatoes dredged in salt, pepper and garlic. Malbec.

Fifth Course: Tabaleside bananas foster, served over vanilla bean ice cream.

Sixth Course: Stilton Blue cheese, toasted almonds

CVA to open "Soaring Voices" exhibit, highlighting ceramics by Japanese women

2010-09-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

The CVA will soon feature the incredibly beautiful and elegant exhibition Soaring Voices: Recent Ceramics by Women from Japan. This exhibition features 87 works by 25exceptional women artists who reflect Japan’s rich and innovative ceramic culture. Attached is a press release with further information.

EXHIBITION DATES: September 9 – November 6, 2010

OPENING RECEPTION

Thursday, September 9th

6-7 pm: Private reception and exhibition tour for CVA members and special guests

7-9 pm: Public Reception

WORKSHOP

Thursday, October 21, 5-7 pm

Learn about Japanese culture and art while creating small contemporary works of art in ceramics, jewelry and sculpture. Led by Yuko Yagisawa, MSCD Associate Professor, Jewelry Design and Metalsmithing and Tsehei Johnson, MSCD Visiting Assistant Professor, Ceramics. This workshop is free and open to the public, but space is limited! Please call 303-294-5207 x111 or respond to this e-mail to RSVP.

EXTENDED HOURS

First and third Friday district art walks open until 8 pm

Saturday, November 6- Denver Arts Week “Night at the Museums” open until 10 pm

Please visit www.MetroStateCVA.org to learn more about our education outreach programming, or to make a donation today.

Metro State Office of Career Services: Fall 2010 Business Fair

2010-09-01T13:18:00.001-07:00

Date: Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Location: Tivoli Student Union at Auraria Campus; Room: Turnhalle

Please help us get the word out to students about this wonderful and important networking opportunity.

The Fall Business Fair is geared to Business majors in all years of school. It highlights full time jobs, part time jobs and internships in Marketing, Sales, IT, Economics, Management, Accounting, Finance and General Business.

Ideally students will have resumes available to distribute to employers, and they will be dressed professionally at the event. We anticipate that approximately 30 companies will be represented and they are all looking to hire Metro State students who are interested in a business-related career.

If you are a faculty member and this event is during your class time, we welcome you to bring them to the fair as a class. We would also love to come into your classroom to inform students about the fair and/or present on a variety of career-related topics including resume writing, interviewing skills, etc.

Metro State Office of Career Services
303-556-3664
Tivoli 215
www.mscd.edu/~career

Terrance Carroll already posed for the Plain & Fancy Ball contest. Now it's your turn!

2010-08-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

Want to win two tickets (worth $300) and join Speaker Terrance Carroll at the Plain & Fancy Ball? All you have to do is post photos of you or your friends in plain and/or fancy clothes on the Alumni & Friends Facebook page. You won't want to miss the wackiest event of the year. Terrance Carroll has already posed for a Plain & Fancy Pix. Why don't you?

Final MERGE profile: Dave Seiler

2010-08-23T09:54:00.001-07:00

Dave Seiler’s ('95, art) work is primarily about the human condition, from an interactive point of view, he says. “I tend to construct my work to appear old and from another time to show a history as a way to get the viewer to realize that the history that came before them is still valid and the everyday ‘things’ they use day to day had an object or mechanism that preceded it and was just as valid as what they are using today.”

Metro State: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it?
Dave Seiler: My latest body of work revolves around pre-cinema, the time before motion pictures, moving pictures. I have been interested in machines since childhood and mostly interested in old films and the machines that brought them to life.

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
DS: To build your own tools and idea's along with the thought to do "everything because Piccaso did, so why shouldn't you?"

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
DS: Since graduation my work has become more interactive. This was a result from my day job as a security guard in a museum, where it was my job tell inform and keep them from physically interacting with the art work. Later I came to believe in the integral importance of having the viewer touch and to "play" with the art as a way for the viewer to gain greater insight into to the artist was expressing.

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE?
DS: The piece's that I had submitted to Merge were the newest piece's on my bench or have never been seen out of the studio before, such as the case with the piece chosen for the Merge show.

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State’s new CVA facility?
DS: I think its an awesome, this is a very beautiful space and am very pleased to see that Metro State and CVA finally have a place to call their own.

MS: Is there anything I’m not asking you that you want to share with me?
DS: The use of machines and or the mechanical movements in my work are about the human. All of those early machines and movements are based on how and the way humans move. I think most if not all artist's either reference or use the human body in their work, the work that I am producing is just my expression of that idea.

To see more of Seiler’s work, visit his Web site.

Last week of MERGE Alumni Exhibition! Read about featured artist Merlin Madrid

2010-08-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

Denver-raised Merlin V. Madrid says: “Art-making, which is essentially a solitary act, allows me to tell stories, reclaim memories, secrets, and enthusiasms and sometimes disappointments. It embodies a process for me, which is both personal and ancestral. My art happens as a result of this process and in the end it is a vehicle for learning.” Equipped with a BA from Metro State and an MFA from the University of Colorado, Madrid teaches photography and has been doing so for a decade. She hopes to one day become a full-time professor.

Metro State: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it?
Merlin Madrid: I am currently working on sepia-toned silver print images. This personal visual narrative is an on-going exchange with my family roots in the San Luis Valley of Colorado and in particular, the memory of the teachings passed on by my ancestors. The image suggests the unveiling of both present day reality and ancestral knowledge as they relate to Chicano culture. It is a photographic arrangement of objects that deals with traditional shrine-making and the communication between realities. It is a search for a spiritual answer to complex questions.

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.
MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
MM: When I was a student I was expected to develop a subject matter and a language characteristic of my own enterprise. I was encouraged to begin to develop a visual shorthand; and it was impressed upon me the importance of photographing habitually. And I took these lessons and made them part my art making practice. I also have handed down these lesson to my own students. I require my students to reinforce their chosen concept by tapping resources such as literature, history, ethnicity and culture, personal histories, memories and dreams. The hope is that the student starts to acquire and develop his or her own imaginative powers and begins to understand his or her art in a worldly historical context. Ultimately I encourage my students to be true to (honor and trust) their own individual experiences, and to see that their efforts are their successes.

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
MM: When I first began photographing, I would try to take photos of the things I would see. Today my work is more of a process of communicating thoughts, ideas and events and my work is more about processing and arranging object symbols to represent ideas. My work is less about finding pictures to take and more about taking pictures I make.

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE?
MM: I submitted the pieces I did because I wanted this body of work to be seen together.

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State’s new CVA facility?
MM: The new space is great and it will be wonderful to be represented in this show.

MS: Is there anything I’m not asking you that you want to share with me?
MM: Luna Dreams I, is the image that was selected for the merge show. This image is a topographic portrait of a family member and the map embedded in the figure is of southern Colorado. The use of the moon represents the thoughts, dreams, or ideas in our head. This image is just one print from a much larger body of work, which is expanding and transforming in time. The whole body of work is meant to be a conversation with the viewer and each image is a fragment of that exchange.

Last week to catch MERGE Alumni Exhibition! Read about artist Claudia Roulier

2010-08-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

Claudia Roulier is a collector. “I collect things,” she says. “Old things, found things, used things, odd things, creepy things, and unloved things. I collect pictures and ideas some which appeal to my darker cynical side, and use all of these collections in my work.” Roulier has shown her work through Denver, and recently had a show in New Mexico. She makes it a point to be in at least one show per month, though usually more, and they are typically juried, though sometimes she is invited. She was most recently in the Cherry Creek Art Festival. Metro State caught up with Roulier recently to ask her a few questions about her MERGE 2010 Alumni Exhibition submission and various other things.

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.
Metro State: How would you characterize your art?
Claudia Roulier: My art runs the gambit from whimsical to whimsy with an edge which tip toes into the realm of shadows and nightmares. My assemblages are definitely more sinister than the paintings. I love using found objects and vintage photos. The sizes vary from tiny tins all the way up to full sized beasts. With my paintings I specialize in using many collage layers, incorporating vintage paper, photos and sometimes objects. Because I use many different mediums, pencil, acrylic paint, oil pastels, vintage paper and photo transfers I finish them with a resin coating. If I would have taken a different course in school I probably would be called an illustrator today.

MS: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it.
CR: I am, first most and always inspired by images and juxtopostioning of images and ideas in both the assemblage work and my paintings. I have always been image oriented and that's how I work. I like putting odd things together in such a way that they look almost married. I look through old photos that I collect and image searches on the net to get the bones of what I want to do.

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
CR: I was an older student and very involved with creating at the time, I wanted to be there and took it seriously. I soaked up everything that I could. I was heavily influenced by Barbara Houghton, my photo teacher who pushed us to explore images and the creating of them in many alternative ways. I still have that love of images and experimentation. Craig Marshall Smith instilled craftsmanship and a love for tiny details, which remind me of dessert, it just finishes off the meal to perfection. I was scared to death to come to a critique unprepared and with an uninspiring project that carries over to now. Rodger Lang was my ceramic teacher. I absolutely adored him and worked very hard in the area of ceramic sculpture and that carries over in my work today, although I don't always work in clay. But I'll always remember form and function.

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
CR: I think I was a pretty good student and I am just now getting back to the level I was at in school. I never painted in school, so that was intimidating and to this day I consider myself a drawer not a painter I simply use paint as a tool, but a tool I can't live without! I have always been drawn to the things that populate side shows, horror movies and nightmares. Some of that is tamed by some of the more whimsical stuff I do, but it's there, still.

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE.
CR: I actually submitted my three latest works by design I wanted my freshest most recent work. Only one got in but that's okay with me!

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State's new CVA facility?
CR: I love this new facility and it's right across the street from a co-op, Core New Art Space, that I belong to. It's just great to have something like this on the strip. It's a great place to show and it has a lot of credibility, the remodel is absolutely stunning.

To see Roulier’s work, visit her Web site.

MERGE Alumni Exhibition Featured Artist: Kyle Wimmer

2010-08-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

Whether he’s teaching kids or creating a work of art Kyle Wimmer finds passion in all that he does. According to a fellow teacher Jean Schneider, “Kyle encourages more critical thinking and expression than any language arts class and inspires more creativity than in any course we offer in middle school.” The Office of Alumni Relations recently interviewed Wimmer about his work.

MS: What is your latest work like, and in what ways does it inspire you?
KW: I would consider my art in search of the "new." I try to create art that progresses art and also challenges the viewer to become emotionally charged; to have them think about what they are looking at.

My most recent works are inspired by Olafur Eliasson, Tara Donovan and Gabriel Orozco. I have drifted away from painting in the past couple of years. I am inspired by artists that push the boundaries of art.

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
KW: I have David Clark, Sandy Jones (RIP), and Craig Marshall Smith vividly stuck in my head as influential people for my work—all for very different reasons. But most notably in my style, especially considering the piece entered, it is obvious I like Smith's work. David influenced me with his calm demeanor and Sandy with her passion and faith.

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
KW: As I mentioned, I have drifted away from drawing and painting and I am working on my master’s of arts in liberal studies with concentration on visual art and design at DU, so I am definitely more contemporary now than I have ever been.

MS: Why did you submit this particular piece for MERGE?
KW: I submitted the piece I did because it is fairly recent, but also because of the direct tie to the Craig Marshall Smith style and i thought the show would be a perfect way to display it.

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro Stateís new CVA facility?
KW: I don't make art as much as I would like. I am a teacher, a father of three, a husband and a coach, so I don't try to get my work into galleries etc. When I found out about the show and when I got in, I was ecstatic! It was one of the proudest moments in my art career.

MS: Is there anything Iím not asking you that you want to share with me?
KW: I was awarded “Outstanding Rookie Art Educator of the Year” by the Colorado Art Education Association.

MERGE featured artist video profile: Carolin Rutsche

2010-08-18T08:12:00.001-07:00

2010-08-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

Where are they now? Faculty profile: Howie Flomberg

2010-08-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

When Howie Flomberg (’74, CMS) finally got out of Vietnam in the late ‘60s, he attended Queens College, NY. Despite its reputation as a liberal school, Flomberg was immediately identified as a Vietnam vet and subsequently vilified by both faculty and students. Disheartened, he and his wife bailed from the East Coast and drove their ’69 Oldsmobile to Denver to start over.

“My first day I was in the old Fox building, taking the elevator to the second floor, and the door opened and a guy rode past me on a unicycle,” he says. “Nobody took a second look.” What Flomberg discovered was that he blended into the crowd as well. Being a veteran didn’t matter.

“And that’s exactly what I wanted,” he says. “I wanted to fit in.” Flomberg found other vets and “worked hard, studied hard, and drank hard at the White Mule,” he adds with a smile.

Post graduation he moved briefly to Los Angeles, but hated it, and so moved back to Colorado to continue as a computer programmer. In 1978, he started as an adjunct faculty member at Metro State and “fell in love with being in front of a classroom,” he says. “I just really enjoyed the give and take, and the challenges. Getting challenged directly by the students is a ball.”

Flomberg honed his teaching skills by developing an interactive teaching style. “I encouraged students to disagree with me. As long as we treated each other with respect, I could learn from them and they from me. College should be about exchanging opinions and everybody growing.” As well, he adds, classes should be used for service learning. Flomberg was one of the first professors to use his classes this way.

Using his contacts in the business community, Flomberg would divide students into teams of four or five people and have them deal with real issues faced by these businesses. “It gave students real work with real organizations, and it got them out of the classroom,” he says. The programs were very successful, he adds.

According to Ken Keller, former Socio-Anthropology chair and dean for Metro State, “Howie was an effective teacher. I knew from comments that students made to me that they liked his teaching and his willingness to be available for advising.”

However, all good things must come to an end. Flomberg just recently retired from teaching because of health issues. However, he continues to pursue intellectual endeavors. He is now writing five 100-page books about various things, including the decision theory and the history of the American dream.

“When they are all written, I’ll have a 500-page book,” he explains. “At that point I can start looking for a traditional publisher.” Flomberg’s current published works include a guide on software that is used in statistics, which was published by Metro State. He also wrote the curriculum and taught a “Management 4000” class on management decision theory that was subsequently picked up by the California State College system.

“I really enjoy writing,” Flomberg says. “I get into that zone.”
Flomberg also stays involved with Metro State and is currently working with a 45th Anniversary committee that is gathering and publishing historical documents and gathering information on former faculty and staff members. “It’s fun,” he says. “My philosophy now is if it’s not fun, I don’t do it.”

“My defense against Alzheimer’s, is using my mind,” he says with a laugh. “Life is an adventure. I’ve done everything from [wandering] the streets of Brooklyn a youth with no supervision to crawling through interesting places in Southeast Asia. I’ve been in and out and up and down. My opinion is, ‘go for it.’ Don’t let anything hold you back if it’s something you want to do. That’s what I tell my students.” And that’s how he continues to live his life.

“Howie is full of energy,” Keller adds. “And he has always been very committed to students.”

Alumni Business Spotlight: Two alums offers homebuying tips

2010-08-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

Buying a home has become increasingly difficult since the recession hit. According to www.RealtyTrac.com, the number of foreclosures continues to be higher than the number of home purchases. Just over 92,000 people lost their homes in the United States in July. However, it’s not impossible to buy a home. With good credit, a down payment and some expert advice on the process, any Metro State alum can buy a house.

The Office of Alumni Relations recently met with Shelter Insurance agent Emily Gardner (’05, CJC) and Assist-2-Sell real estate agent Eric Freisinger (’01, MKT), two alumni in the field of home buying, to ask them to reflect on the current situation and offer some home buying tips. Gardner specializes in helping first time home buyers find the insurance they need, while Freisinger assists people in finding and appraising the perfect home.

Insurance agent Emily Gardner sells auto, home and life insurance. Her specialty is helping first time home buyers. The 27-year-old says, “my clients relate to me because I’m not much different than they are.” Typically they are just getting away from their parents’ policies. And unlike their parents, they don’t have many asssets and so don’t need as much coverage. Unfortunately, many insurance agents will oversell them regardless. “My job is to help them better understand what kind of insurance they need and what they are buying.”

With a background in residential appraising, Eric Freisinger spent the last few years transitioning into a job as a full-time real estate broker. “Taking what I have learned the last eight years as an appraiser has allowed me to help my buyers buy their properties and not overpay for them,” he says. Likewise, he can help his sellers better determine what their homes are worth so they don’t lose money or waste time setting the price too high. “Time is money,” he adds. “It’s important to get the price just right.”

Metro State: In what ways do you help people in the home buying process?
Emily Gardner: I make sure my clients have adequate coverage, especially when it comes down to personal property coverage. Everyone has different things they need covered. Sitting down with a client and letting him know about the various options helps him find the right coverage. [For example, a Personal Inland Marine Policy will cover you if you lose your $5,000 ring anywhere. However, if your ring is covered under your Home Owners policy, you will only be able to recoup your costs if it’s stolen from the house or the house burns down. Many people don’t know this.]
Eric Freisinger: The first question I always as is how they are going to pay for their home. If they only have a certain amount of payment, I send them to Colorado Housing Finance Authority (CHFA). This a great place to learn about the real estate process. I’m not a loan officer, so that’s where I start out. Then, [when they are ready to buy a home] I take the criteria they are looking for—the price range, number of bedrooms, etc—and I plug that into a computer program that sends them automatic email alerts with active listings.

Then I give them at least three subdivision areas with one listing of areas that they have interest. Once they determine a specific area, I meet up with my clients to view as many listings as they want in order to find their dream home. This process makes everybody’s time more efficient. I also help manage the real estate process, including educating them on the appraisal process. I give them the tools they need to do research on their own to find an appraiser, home inspector, etc.

With the decline in property values in some neighborhoods, there are lots of neighborhoods where you can get good deals. In addition, you can always get a good deal with an expert realtor on your side in almost any market. It’s a great time for home buyers and investors to buy.

MS: How have things changed in the home buying process since the recession hit?
EG: It’s a lot harder for people to get financing. I get a lot of people who are looking at buying a home, and they want a quote. They think they are going to close on it, but loan doesn’t go through. As well, the premium that you are paying with insurance is based on numerous things, including your credit score. With the recession, peoples’ credit has gone down, and that can affect their rates.
EF: Loans are definitely tougher to get. There are a lot more hoops to jump through. It’s not like it used to be where if you had a good credit score, that’s all [mortgage companies or banks] cared about. Now they want to see your stated income, and equity has to be a certain amount.

MS: What are some of the positive aspects of this change?
EG: People are becoming more responsible with their financial decisions.
EF: With the decline in property values, there are lots of neighborhoods where you can get good deals. It’s a great time for home buyers and investors to buy.

MS: What are some potential pitfalls home buyers should watch out for?
EG: Companies often try to oversell you on liabilities and endorsements. [The insurance you purchase] should be based on what you have—on your liquid assets. Someone’s parents may need insurance on their million dollars, but the 27-year-old making $30,000 per year doesn’t need that. So watch out. You really need to understand what you are buying. Ask yourself if you got sued, what could they take from you?
EF: Make sure every house you consider buying is appraised. I tell my customers to always get two appraisals. Get one done for the bank and also for yourself.

MS: What other tips do you have for home buyers?
EG: It’s important to really review all your coverage with someone and make sure you’re getting all the discounts you are entitled to. You want to have all your insurance combined together. You save money overall if you bundle, which means you get discounts if you insure your cars and home with the same company.
Also consider that when you are buying a home, you’re paying for the property and the home, but you only have to insure the structure. Depending on what county you are in and how much you’re paying for the property, your home is going to be insured for $20-$30,000 less than what you would pay for both.

MS: Wow, I wish I knew that when I was buying my home! Maybe I should look into my insurance policy again.
EG: Well, unfortunately home owners insurance is tougher to change once you actually put that policy in place.

MS: Too bad. Eric, what tips do you have for home buyers?
EF: It’s important to find a good realtor who knows a lot about statistics, especially in declining or increasing markets. You want to be sure they can see how much a neighborhood is going up or down in price. For example, you have found a house you like that is currently listed for $100,000. Your expert realtor has told you that the market has been declining 1% per month and you have one comparable sale that sold 10 months ago for $100,000. First, you would make a 10% ($10,000) downward adjustment if the market was showing you a 1% decline per month in that specific area. Next, you should always analyze and set up a showing and view with your realtor as many similar listings before making your offer. For example, lets say you have three comparable listings that are listed for $90,000, $100,000 (the one you like), and $89,000. You would probably want to start out with an offer of $90,000 since the adjusted sale from earlier was $90,000 and other listings are pointing you toward that value. In conclusion, the $100,000 listing you like may not be worth the list price and using an expert realtor could save you money and peace of mind.

MS: Thanks so much for the interview!

To get in touch with Freisinger, please call him at 303-995-4282. To reach Gardner, please visit her agent Facebook page.

Office of Career Services to Offer Alumni Job Support Group

2010-08-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

For four weeks, starting on October 7 at 9a.m. in the Office of Career Services, Tivoli Room 215, will facilitate an alumni Job Search Support Group. The group will meet for four successive weeks and will focus on the information and skills needed to conduct a successful job search. For more information, please contact Senior Career Counselor Judy White at the Office of Career Services at 303-556-3664.

2010-08-16T11:05:00.001-07:00

MERGE 2010 Alumni Exhibition featured artist, Carolin Rutsche

2010-08-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

Influenced by Lyonel Feininger, Carolin Rutsche (’09, art) creates her work from her surroundings, including the architectural details of buildings in her proximity, interesting negative spaces, and colors. A professional artist, she has shown here work at the Denver International Airport, the Core New Art Space in Denver's Santa Fe Art District and other local art galleries. She finds inspiration for her paintings through her travels.

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.
Metro State: How would you characterize your art?
Carolin Rutsche: Urban Abstract Contemporary Precisionism (Cubist Realism) paintings in oil and watercolor

MS: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it.
CR: My current work is narrative in quality and depicts places of transportation of my past in Berlin, Germany. Locations I regularly travelled to represent starting points, crossing points and destinations. The paintings reveal images from memory, the train and subway stations of Berlin that were once part of my daily life … I see through a geometrical lens in which the picture plane is broken up by dividing lines and shapes similar to the precisionist style.

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
CR: They influenced my work immensely. Amy Metier has always pushed me to go beyond of what I thought I could accomplish. She was a constant inspiration in all aspects of [my life as an artist], instilling an incredible work ethic and having an abundance of knowledge and wisdom to give. Anna Kaye’s knowledge and power of teaching was equally impressive, as well as Linda Sanchez’ infectious love and enthusiasm for art history that got me thinking of a double major. So many professors had so much to give. [There is] not enough time and space to list them all. They were great!

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
CR: It is still evolving. Just shy of my graduating semester, I finally found myself as an artist and I am still “refining myself” and am enjoying the process very much!

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE.
CR: It is a piece from my “Transit Memories II” series. It represents my current body of work very well.

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State’s new CVA facility?
CR: It is exciting! Metro has found a new permanent home in the Santa Fe Arts district and I am honored to be able to be a part of a great group of alumni for this exhibition to celebrate its last 20 years and a new beginning.
For more information, visit Rutsche’s website. www.CRutsche.com

MERGE featured artist Jennifer Ghromley

2010-08-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Ghormley (‘02, art) is this Friday’s featured MERGE artist. The MERGE: 2010 Metro State Alumni Exhibition runs through Aug. 18 at the College’s new Center for Visual Art. Alumni who wish to join the CVA get a 20% discount through that date. For more info on MERGE, click here.

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Equipped with both a BFA and an MFA, which she received in printmaking from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Ghromley currently teaches at Metro State and is the studio manager of Anderson Ranch Print Editions at Anderson Ranch Art Center, Snowmass Village, Colo. She also shows her work through national juried exhibitions and invitations.

Ghormley employs a variety of techniques in her translation of ideas into works of art, including using her body. “Making work about being here in the body, I dissect and reassemble my own form in expressive ways, to universalize the female body as a generic representation of humanity,” she wrote in a recent email. The Office of Alumni Relations recently caught up with Ghormley to chat a bit about her experience at Metro State and her participation at MERGE.

Metro State: How would you characterize your art?
Jennifer Ghormley: Sometimes I feel like the outsider may view my work as all over the place visually. I utilize printmaking techniques, photography, fabric, stitching, really whatever I feel like the work is telling me it needs, and I have a consistent color palette. My work is about the body, in both a personal and universal context.

MS: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it.
JG: For this body of work I was interested in juxtaposing figurative silhouettes with decorative imagery. These pieces have their own intimate spaces, full or decadence and intriguing detail. Working with the figure is both a personal and universal expression.

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
JG: My professors pushed me to make more/better/different. This instilled in me a strong work ethic and never-ending desire to keep making work, keep creating and pursuing that which I am passionate about.

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
JG: After my graduation from Metro, I went to on graduate school at University of Nebraska - Lincoln. The intense pressure of graduate school pushed me and my art to new levels and heights. I graduated top in my class, and received the Francis William Vreeland Graduate Award and the Thomas P. Coleman Memorial Award for my creative research.

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE.
JG: I wanted to show my newest work because I still feel a little unsettled about it. I feel like this body of work is the current culmination of various elements I have been working with for a while. But there is always more to make, more to explore. I think it is good practice for an artist to constantly challenge herself, work outside of the comfort zone that we try to hard to find.

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State’s new I CVA facility?
JG: I feel honored and excited about the CVA's new space. I am sad I will be out of town for the opening of the MERGE exhibition.

Alumni Philip Lucero to speak at Metro State Tech Comm Reception, Aug. 19

2010-08-05T12:13:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, Aug. 19, alumni from Metro State’s Department of Technical Communication and Media Production will be meeting for a reception at the Center for Visual Art. Speakers for this event include two alumni, Philip Lucero and Chris Miller. Metro State’s Office of Alumni Relations recently caught up with Lucero to chat with him about his experience at the College, his business, and his goals. Check in next week to read Miller’s interview.

Philip Lucero ('92, TCM), a 12-year veteran television producer, writer, editor and cameraman since his graduation from Metro State in 1992, has traveled extensively covering news, sports and adventure for many television networks and businesses of all sizes. As part of the 9News Prep Rally team, he was recognized with an Edward R. Murrow award in 2001. He currently runs PL Productions, which he started in 1997, and for which he has produced more than 400 television broadcasts. His clientele include MTV and ESPN, among many others. He also operates Transmission Studio.

Metro State: What are your goals/plans?
Philip Lucero: My broad goals are to continue to grow my business and attract new clients. The biggest short term goal is to establish my company as a content creator for broadcast networks.

MS: What are some of the key issues you have faced recently and what did you do to address those issues?
PL: Creativity and staying on the cutting edge of style and design is the biggest challenge I face. To that end, I am working http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifharder to attract advertising agencies and creative entities to my business, so that we are pushed to find solutions and techniques outside our comfort zone.

MS: Why do you remain connected to Metro State?
PL: It's important for me to retain friendships and contacts I made while attending Metro.

MS: What is one of your best memories of Metro State?
PL: Friday afternoons at the Wynkoop with my classmates.

The Tech Comm Reception is from 5:30-8 p.m. and all alumni are invited. Professor Bob Amend is hosting the event, which will include networking and speakers. Light refreshments will be provided. There is no cost. RSVP by Monday, August 16 to Dr. Amend at amendb@mscd.edu or 303-556-2674.

Social Media: Planning for Success

2010-08-04T14:25:00.000-07:00

By Lizzy Scully
Social Engagement Manager
Office of Alumni Relations

If you run a business or other organization, you can no longer afford to ignore social media when creating your marketing plans. Thousands of your potential customers (your future “fans”!) flock to social media sites. In fact, more than five million people actively use Facebook now, with 50% signing on daily(1). Plus, more than six million people utilize Twitter. Social media sites have proven to be one of the most significant ways you can engage your customers or constituents. When the Office of Alumni Relations first embarked on its social media journey, we spent extensive time researching what other colleges and universities were doing and we formulated an extensive plan accordingly. Here are seven tips & tricks we learned along the way:

Planning: Do significant planning prior to launching any social media plan or starting your social media sites. As with any marketing/public relations plan, define your goals. What do you want to accomplish? Who are your fans (i.e. who do you want to engage)? Do some research on which sites might best fit your needs. I have discovered that Metro State alumni use LinkedIn to communicate about career-related topics and to network with each other, while they check out Facebook to link to event coverage or fun articles about other alumni or faculty/staff members. They also regularly read our Job Blog, which has job listings and helpful career advancement tips.

Voice: Establish the “voice” of your social media sites. Typically, social media sites offer a more personal, in-depth perspective of your business/organization, while your website has static, tidy information. (For more on types of voices you can use, click here). The Office of Alumni Relations maintains professionalism in that we treat people who visit our sites respectfully and as we would if they came into the office. However, we have balanced that with informality. For example, our responses to people who pose questions, suggestions, or musings are informal and friendly. As well, we post fun, interactive articles and videos on our blog that aren’t necessarily perfectly well made.

Coordinator(s): After you figure out your “voice”, choose one or more coordinators who will regularly post on the social media sites you utilize. This person should not hide behind an alias, but should be open about his/her relationship with your business. I am the main person posting on the Office of Alumni Relations social media sites and interacting with visitors. I strive to establish trustful relationships with our visitors, and have developed numerous in-person relationships with people. Even if I never meet someone in person, my goal is for that person to feel welcomed to all of our social media sites. On the other hand, you don’t have to mix business with pleasure. It is not necessary for you to invite all the fans on your Facebook Fanpage to be “friends” on your personal page.

Listening: Cultivate relationships with your constituents. In order to be effective with social media, you have to regularly engage your fans, which means posting daily or weekly, answering questions posed by fans, and addressing issues they bring up. I check all the social media sites five days per week. If a negative comment surfaces, for example, I can address it immediately. (Read more on tips for addressing negative comments here).

Flexibility: The beauty of social media is its flexibility. If something isn’t working, you can change it instantly. Build all your social media sites and then see which ones are most popular, and then modify your activities accordingly. We discovered that our MySpace page and the LinkedIn page we created were both mostly worthless. However, I found and began to participate on an unofficial LinkedIn page that was far more active. I befriended the alumnus who created it, and now we manage it together. We have regular interactions, and new people joining every day!

Analyze the data: Dozens of analytics tools exist that can help you track traffic to and from your websites. The Office of Alumni Relations currently uses Google Analytics and StatCounter on our website and blogs, and Bit.ly to shorten and track our URLs. None of these programs are perfect, so utilize many and analyze all the results. By doing so, you will figure out what links are being clicked on most and what people avoid, thereby refining how you distribute your content.

Integration: Finally, to be full successful, your social media strategy must be integrated with and supportive of your overall marketing plan. One of our most successful endeavors this year was our Official College Ring Launch and Facebook Ring Contest. The contest drew in plenty of contestants because it was a fun and engaging way of finding out why people loved Metro State. We asked people to tell or show us why they loved Metro State. This resulted in people posting poems, stories, and great photos about their experiences at Metro State on our Facebook fan page, which in turn drew more people to our fan page. However, it was only part of a greater strategic plan that included advertisements in the College newspaper, flyers, mailings, emails sent out to students, and plenty of social media notifications.

These are just a few of the things you should consider when launching a social media plan. For more information of if you want to ask me any questions based on this article, come to the LAS Lunch & Learn on Tuesday, August 10th. For more information or to register for the event, click here.

Check out this slide show of historical Metro State photos

2010-08-04T08:24:00.001-07:00

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.

MERGE featured Tuesday artist: Tony Stanzione

2010-08-03T15:24:00.000-07:00

Tony Stanzione (‘83, art) artist and owner of Stanzione Studio LLC, a company he founded in 1990, enjoys the act of building. “Much of my time is spent building and rebuilding residences in New York City,” he explained in his artist’s statement. “This utilitarian work has deeply informed my artistic practice. I pursue the border between functional and non-functional objects.” Most recently he has been building art by assembling manufactured materials and objects, combined with fabricated parts and pieces. “This process forces me to encounter the manufactured environment (concrete, glass, shipping pallets, metal bed frames, pencils, doors, flotsam, river rocks and pillows) in which I live,” he wrote. “I am always searching, or hoping for the meaning of what I create to come bounding towards me.”

Metro State: How would you characterize your art?
Tony Stanzione: I would characterize my work as contemporary. The piece I am showing, "mug Head," is very formal with a combination of found and fabricated materials. There is no story behind the piece other than the parts seemed to find each other in my studio to create this really formal-like, turn of the century sculpture.

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.
MS: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it.
TS: My last explorations are balls that are made from pieces of colored rope and sting that I gathered while at the beach. They are titled "Flotsam" and are displayed floating off the wall.

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
TS: My teachers were superior crafts people. The late Roger Lang was an amazing crafts person and a kind and caring inspiration, as well as a friend after I graduated from MSCD.

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
TS: I have explored many different materials, ideas and processes in the last 20 years. I went onto graduate school have made work using compressed air, glass, ice and now flotsam.

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE.
TS: The work I submitted were small pieces that I felt represented my interests in the last few years.

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State’s new CVA facility?
TS: I think is wonderful I haven't shown in Colorado for a while.

MS: Is there anything I’m not asking you that you want to share with me?
TS: I have a somewhat large scale Piece called" Entrada Bienvenito" that I fabricated and showed in NYC in 2002 It's about the the Mexican American border Natural Migration. It consists of a series of seven-doors that spin on center pivots if you could find a place to permanently install the piece that would be great!

Read more about Stanzione's business by visiting his Web site.

Alumnus James Sims Climbs for Kids

2010-08-02T16:11:00.001-07:00

As part of IP5280’s Climbing For Kids, Metro State alumnus James Sims (’09, BHS) will climb Mount Bierstadt (14,060’) on August 13 in an effort to raise $10,000 for kids at The Children’s Hospital and The Kempe Foundation.

“I strive to help kids who must climb much bigger mountains every day,” says the avid mountaineer and Aspen local. Sims’ motivation stems from his love of the mountains—he has been climbing for ten+ years—and the fact that his half sister was born premature at The Children’s Hospital.

“Thanks to the hospital, she has been given the chance to grow into an outstanding individual,” he explained by email. His sister, Annie Perizzolo, is a 13-time All-American and three-time Div III national champ and holds countless school records at Claremont Mckenna College, where she is an junior. Read more about Annie here.

Sims started raising funds July 24 and will continue to do so until August 13. One hundred percent of donations will be given to the general funds of the hospital and The Kempe Foundation, to be dispersed wherever they are most needed.

“Combining climbing and raising money just go hand in hand for me,” said Sims. “I find that the people who have the determination to climb mountains also can find the energy to raise money for great causes.”

Sims strives to climb every peak over 13,000ft in North America, and this next winter he will be going to the highest points in every Central American Country. He also plans to continue to do good works and inspire others to do good work.

“This is not the first I have raised money for a good cause, and it definitely won’t be the last time,” he stated. “I can only hope that others will follow. I know many people feel that if you can't pay, then you can't participate. But by simply talking about a cause or using networking sites like Facebook, hundreds of others can see or hear about a charity that they could possibly become a part of.”

To donate to Sims’ cause, visit his Web site.

Metro State's Chorale singing the National Anthem at a Rockies Game. Cool!

2010-08-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

MERGE: Alumni Exhibition featured artist Todd Muller

2010-07-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

Todd Muller (’00, art) is this Friday’s featured MERGE artist. Born and raised in Denver, Muller was encouraged by his parents to draw. He picked up photography in his teens, enjoying how he saw the world through his viewfinder and developing from that a sense of composition. After a trip to Italy, Muller began painting, which eventually led to his pursuit of BA in art. While attending Metro State Caravaggio, Turner, Pollock and Rothko influenced him. “It was the portraits of Sargent that were most influential,” he explains. “Portraits would be the primary focus of my painting.” Upon graduation he was selected for the Senior Honors Thesis Exhibition. Since graduating in the spring of 2000, Todd continues to work with drawing, painting and photography.

Metro State: How would you characterize your art?
Todd Muller: My work seems to straddle two opposite worlds in art – objective and non-objective. Most of what I do is figurative – lots of figure/gesture drawing and portraiture. I also like abstract expressionism, throw in some photography as well.

MS: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it.
TM: The piece in the show is abstract expressionist. I was very pleased with how it turned out and am trying to build on it. It was inspired by bad weather and a desire to broaden my color pallet.

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
TM: I think Andrew Spear influenced my non objective work most. He pushed my perceptions of art and the use of imagery (or the elimination of). Simplification/minimization.

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
TM: It's hard to say. After school I went backwards in a way. I decided to completely relearn drawing by attending life drawing sessions. In terms of painting, it still feels new. I hope that my two styles eventually merge together.

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE.
TM: I entered this painting because I think it's a strong work and a personal favorite. It was a gift to my brother.

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State’s new CVA facility?
TM: This is a good opportunity especially since I have not been very active in the Denver art scene. Having a regular job does make it difficult to promote myself, I'd much rather be in the studio drawing or painting. I'm pleased that I got accepted.

Featured MERGE artist Gabriel Christus

2010-07-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

Gabriel Christus ('03, art, and '10, JRN) is this Tuesday’s featured MERGE artist. Christus is a photojournalist based in Denver, Colo. During his time at school interned at the Loveland Reporter-Herald , The Denver Broncos, and the Aurora Sentinel. Christus first became serious about photography in high school when he took his first photo class. Thus, he decided to pursue a degree in art, which he got in 2003. As his focus changed, he decided to return to Metro State for a second degree in photojournalism, which he earned this past spring, 2010. Currently he works as a freelance photographer for local newspapers.

Metro State: How would you characterize your art?
Gabriel Christus: My art is photojournalism. I capture moments of people doing what they do best, living.

MS: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it.
GC: My latest work is my daily assignments while shooting news for the Aurora Sentinel.

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
GC: Well, I was always inspired by photography that showed real people in real situations. My photo professors inspired me by making me look into photographers that interest me. Most recently Kenn Bisio, photojournalism professor at Metro, has inspired me to take beautiful pictures.

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
GC: After graduating in 2003 I was not shooting as much as I would have liked. I decided to return to school for photojournalism. I graduated in Spring of 2010 with another bachelor's degree in journalism.

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE.
GC: The pieces I submitted were shot on assignment for the Loveland Reporter-Herald. I chose them because not only did they tell the story of what was going on, but they were also well composed and could stand alone without any context.

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State’s new CVA facility?.
GC: I am very excited to be showing at the new CVA.

For more information, please visit his Web site.

Calling all Tech Comm Alumni!

2010-07-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

Hello Technical Communication alumni,

You may have been one of those who attended our first alumni event in February 2009. Due to its success and the fact that some of you were unable to attend, we are now scheduling another event. The date for the next alumni event is August 19th from 5:30-8 p.m. at the newly-opened Center for Visual Arts. Although we met there last time, the gallery has since moved to a building purchased by the college at 965 Santa Fe Drive.

For this gathering, we’d like to do something different. We’ll start with a social hour. Then, I’ll give a brief update about department activities and RC Montoya will discuss the possibility of creating an alumni club. In addition, we’ll hear a couple of grads tell us about their work activities – both Phil Lucero of Phil Lucero Productions and Chris Miller of Havoc Interactive will speak. Lastly, you’ll have the chance to witness art work from some of the most talented alumni to graduate from the college’s Art Department at the CVA’s Merge exhibit; commemorating the 20th anniversary of the museum..

Time for meeting other grads and re-establishing friendships will continue to be a large part of the event, so rest assured that you’ll have ample opportunity to socialize and catch up with other alumni.

If you know any other Tech Comm grads who would be interested in attending, please contact them or forward this e-mail to them.

To RSVP to this alumni event on August 19th, please contact me at amendb@mscd.edu or by phone at 303-556-2674.

Thanks and we hope to hear from you.

Bob

Professor Robert H. Amend, Chair
Department of Technical Communication &
Media Production
West Classroom 256G
Campus Box 35
P.O. Box 173362
Denver, CO 80217-3362
amendb@mscd.edu
http://www.mscd.edu/techcom/

New Mentoring Network with Career Athletes! Sign up now.

2010-07-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

Metropolitan State College of Denver Invites Alumni to Join New Mentoring Network with Career Athletes!

Recently, the college athletic department announced its partnership with Career Athletes to help provide additional career education, guidance, and networking opportunities for both current and former collegiate athletes. For those of you who are in the desired field of interest, regarding your career, you can become a mentor to the current undergraduate student-athletes. Do you remember what it felt like to walk in their shoes and endure the time limitations while being a student-athlete? Current student-athletes are eager to connect and learn about your success post-athletics! Be the significant impact in their lives and help them prepare for life after athletics just as you did. Sign-up as a mentor today!

Additionally, Career Athletes provides a comprehensive national career board representing entry to executive level type opportunities for graduates of all majors, a virtual career coach and career training videos. Additionally, as a career seeker, you can post your resume and search through career listings posted on the career board. Set up your career seeker account now.

We would like you to become part of our career network and register as a mentor or alum of this institution today. You will also receive community announcements as well as additional information on upcoming athletic events, networking functions and other related information on behalf of our athletic department. Thank you for coming back home!

About Career Athletes, LLC:

Career Athletes is the leading provider of a wide range of dedicated career development services and software within collegiate athletics. Since the inception of our roots back in 1998-to-date, athletes in every sport, from over 1,200 individual colleges and universities nationwide, have utilized Career Athletes as a valuable tool in their transition from athletics to the workplace.

Career Athletes possesses the largest member based community of current/alumni student-athletes, representing a growing legion of athletes, athletic departments and hundreds of national, regional and local employers. Today, our on-campus training and development seminars to student-athletes are the most relied upon in the nation, with over 800 seminars conducted and over 250,000 student-athletes educated on-campus within college athletic departments at the NCAA, NAIA and Junior Colleges level.

Beta Tester Challenge: Post The Most, win $50 giftcard, $5 Stabucks card

2010-07-23T15:02:00.001-07:00

The Office of Alumni Relations has just entered Phase II of its Beta Testing for MyCommunity, the new interactive Web site it plans to launch this fall. We are looking for 100 more beta testers to help us develop various components of the site

And to sweeten the deal for you, for the duration of the Beta Testers phase we will be having various Beta Test Challenges. During these challenge periods, we will be looking for people to post on forums, to become forum moderators, to contribute to the blogs, to be future mentors for students, to help us develop our Career Center, and to do things we haven’t even thought about yet.

Our first challenge is Post The Most! Each week, through August 16, Post the Most on the Alumni & Friends Forum or the Job Q&A Forum and win a $50 gift card. You can also earn your $5 Starbucks gift card by posting at least one meaningful post on the forums that elicits at least three responses or by responding three times to other peoples’ forums.

The July 19-July 25 week gift card winner is David Sandusky. Congratulations David!

You can also post comments, suggestions, and edits related to the usability of the site on the Beta Tester Forum.

Thanks!

For more information, please contact Lizzy Scully, Social Engagement Manager, at escully@mscd.edu or call her at 303-556-5158.

Thanks!

MERGE featured artist of the week, Adesola Owolabi

2010-07-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

Adesola Owolabi is this Friday’s featured MERGE artist. Owolabi graduated just last year, after changing her major from computer information systems to art, with an emphasis on ceramics. We caught up with her both by email and at the grand opening event. Check out the video of her talking about the piece she submitted to MERGE and why she love Metro State.

Metro State: How do you characterize your art?
Adesola Owolabi: Symbolic

MS: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it.
AO: My new series title “Ifesowapo” is inspired by my relationship with everyone around me.

MS: In what ways did your Metro State Professors influence your works?
AO: Tsehai Johnson and Kathleen Royster-Lamb’s encouragement and the persistent push to take my work to the next level really gave me high hope in everything I do. Also, my interning with Tsehai while I was at school was an eye opener to the art world.

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
AO: I have so much time now for proper planning and layout before anything is executed and have been leaning more towards sculptural rather than functional.

MS: Tell me why you submitted the piece you did for MERGE.
AO: I submitted the piece because it was my latest best and one of my largest.

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State’s new CVA facility?
AO: I feel honored to be part of the Metro Art Community and Metro State at large

MS: Is there anything I am not asking you that you want to share with me?
AO: I missed living in Colorado, but it's always going to be home too.

Read more about Owolabi on the Metro State Web site or by checking out the 9News piece in which she was featured.

Listen to Jonathon Stalls talk about KIVA and his walks through Denver and across America

2010-07-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

MERGE: Metro State Alumni Exhibition featured artist Dawn McFadden

2010-07-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

Dawn S. McFadden (’01, art) is this Tuesday’s featured MERGE artist. McFadden worked full time as a Denver Post newspaper artist while earning her degree at Metro State. McFadden, who also has an MFA from Bowling Green State University, instructs foundation design, painting and art appreciation on the Auraria Campus. She is also a partner in the McFaddenWright-Studio/Gallery, Her current works include painting and drawing, installation/performance art, bisque-fried clay, bronze and fabric sculpture.

Metro State: How would you characterize your art?
Dawn McFadden: Multi-disciplined investigations into patterns and storytelling

MS: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it?
DM: I've returned to a 2-dimensional figurative investigation that I started prior to my master's studies, this work continues to reoccur in my research - looking for connections between the self and the other, inexplicable energies

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
DM: As a 9-year undergraduate student, the shape of my life was carved into a motif of life-long learning

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
DM: Although I graduated with a painting emphasis, my graduate studies in Italy and Ohio drew me into sculpture and eventually toward installation and performance Currently, my interests focus on collaborative works and curating shows for a small gallery that my partner and I run in Northwest Denver (Tennyson Street Arts District) McFaddenWright – StudioGallery. mcfaddenwright.com

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE.
DM: A drawing/painting seemed logical to include in a big group show it would have been grand to have executed an installation for the event...

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State’s new CVA facility?
DM: Proud

MS: Is there anything I’m not asking you that you want to share with me?
DM: The opportunities and inspiration(s) that the CVA has afforded me both as a student and now as an instructor have been invaluable - Jennifer is a kid compared to me but she is a mentor through her personal example and a hero in the world of academia.

MERGE opening a huge success!

2010-07-16T18:59:00.000-07:00

It's just about 8p.m. and hundreds of people have passed through the Center for Visual Arts this evening. The show has been a huge success. The MERGE: Metro State Alumni Exhibition happens every five years, and so it's a notable evening for Metro State's successful art alumni. This evening is also one of the 3rd Friday's celebrated in the Santa Fe Arts District each month. And, as part of the Biennial of the Americas, the Passport to the Arts was organized to encourage tourists and residents to visit various art galleries in the area. Check out the slide show below for photos of tonight's event. To read more about the MERGE artists, you can visit this blog or follow the Metro State Alumni & Friends Facebook Fanpage by clicking here.

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.

MERGE: Metro State Alumni Exhibition featured artist John Priola

2010-07-16T13:18:00.001-07:00

John Priola (’84, art) is this Friday’s featured MERGE artist. He is currently represented by three galleries in California: Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco; Joseph Bellows Gallery, La Jolla; and Weston Gallery, Carmel. He not only has a BA in Fine Art with honors from Metro State, but he also has an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute.

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.
Metro State: How would you characterize your art?
John Priola: Subtle

MS: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it.
JP: I am photographing the attenuated landscapes and views seen between buildings. The interest is in how it's not typically photogenic.

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
JP: Barb Houghton allowed me to realize that I was thinking and seeing- as an artist- the basic tools. And above all was rigorously supportive.

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
JP: Matured, pared down- it better have- it's been over 20 years...

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE.
JP: It is a self-portrait really... but I made this picture the week a neighbor, friend and artist, Bruce Conner died. He inspired me.

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State’s new CVA facility?
JP: It is an honor.

To see more of Priola’s work, please visit his Web site: jjohnpriola.com.

MERGE: Alumni Exhibition 2010 featured artist Mary Cay

2010-07-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Mary Cay (’98, art) is this Tuesday’s featured MERGE artist. According to her Web site, Cay’s first memory of clay “was as a six-year old child when a visiting artist in elementary school taught her how to make pinch, coil, and slab pots. The teacher chose her shiny red pinch pot, complete with lid and knob, to be exhibited at the 1961 Yellowstone County Fair in Billings Montana, an event that set a future career in motion.” Since then Cay’s work has been published in various magazines and books, and her ceramic sculptures and functional ware are in private and corporate collections and the artwork has traveled nationally and internationally.

Metro State: How would you characterize your art?
Mary Cay: Contemporary Ceramics with a nod to trompe l’ oeil in that the canvases are made of bone China.

MS: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it.
MC: My very latest body of work is a return to painting where I started as an artist 40 years ago. These paintings will be transferred into ceramic decals and applied to the ceramic canvases. The freakishness of nature inspires this new work.

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
MC: To say the Metro professors influenced my work would be an understatement. They influenced my life. When I took Monica Visona’s Art History course, she was so engaging that I thought I might change my major, but the clay always calls one back. The course of Rodger Lang’s life impacted my own; and his philosophy on teaching continues to resonate with me.

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
MC: My work has evolved slowly but surely and from functional ceramics to sculptural.

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE.
MC: I submitted the canvases because they are the most recently completed pieces and I always want to show the latest work.

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State’s new CVA facility?
MC: I am deeply honored to be part of this show. Thanks so much for thinking of the alumni and I personally appreciate a juried exhibition.

To see more of Cay's work, please visit her Web site.

Featured MERGE alumni artist Evan Colbert

2010-07-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

Evan Colbert ('03, Art) is this week’s second featured MERGE artist. Though born in Seattle, Wash., in 1970, Colbert spent just a few years there before moving to the Denver area. He attended all three schools on the Auraria campus and lived in various cities on the Front Range, eventually graduating from Metro State with a BFA specializing in printmaking. He currently practices his trade at Shark’s Ink near Lyons, a Fine Art Print Publisher.

Metro State: How would you characterize your art?
Evan Colbert: Post-Pop Pop

MS: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it.
EC: My piece, "NeoiCons", is inspired my pictograms like one finds on signage. The twelve newly created pictograms featured in my painting are taken from these modern times. They deal with such issues as global warming, carbon footprints, the butterfly effect and even anti-matter. One panel that attempts to address rampant obesity is titled "Pepsi Generation" and features the familiar pictogram person but with an enlarged midriff and a Pepsi logo for a head.

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
EC: I don't feel like I was influenced visually by many of my professors, but E.C. Cunningham certainly was an influence as far as instilling a strong work ethic and encouraging students to push themselves to the next level.

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
EC: When I graduated I was doing my strongest work in printmaking, especially lithography, and also using the photo labs for photography, but also to incorporate photo elements into my prints. Once I left Metro, I no longer had access to the print or photo equipment, and therefore had to recreate my way of working from the bottom up. I began to concentrate mostly on paintings which sometimes bordered on the sculptural. I only took beginning painting in school, so I developed my own methods of painting through trial and error. Fortunately I have regained access to a lithographic press in recent years, and now my paintings often incorporate methods taken from printing. For example, NeoiCons is spray- paint stenciled onto panels, might as well be screen printed.

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE.
EC: I submitted the pieces because they were among my favorite and largest scale paintings from recent years.

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State’s new CVA facility?
EC: I think it is very exciting that Metro has this new space, and I can't wait to see it decked out with art.

Each week, from now until August 28, the Office of Alumni Relations will do a short Q&A with one to three artists who are featured in the Center for Visual Art’s MERGE: Metro State Alumni Exhibition.

MERGE: Metro State Alumni Exhibition 2010 – The Anniversary Year

2010-07-08T16:03:00.000-07:00

July 16 - August 28

Opening reception July 16
6-7 pm: Private artist reception for members and special guests
7-9 pm: Public reception MERGE was juried by Greg Watts, current Chair of the Metro State Department of Art and Barbara Houghton, Professor of Art at Northern Kentucky University and former Chair of the Metro State

Department of Art. As the CVA celebrates its 20th Anniversary it is significant that these two jurors have joined forces. Barbara Houghton played a considerable role in the creation of the CVA 20 years ago and Greg Watts has helped develop the CVA into its role today as contributor to the Rocky Mountain art scene and most recently, as an important anchor for the Santa Fe arts district.

Highlighting some of the best talent to come out of the Metro State Art Department, MERGE features both emerging and well established artists, juried from a local and national basis.

Eligibility to participate in MERGE was open to artists who graduated from Metro State in 2009 or earlier. All work was completed within the last three years. Profiles of the artists will be posted to the CVA Facebook page every week for the duration of the exhibition.

Artists:
Jeffery Ball, Phil Bender, Cristine Boyd, Mary Cay, Gabriel Christus, Evan Colbert, Terry Decker, Heather Doyle-Maier, Robert Dunahay, Mark Friday, Shawn Garvin, Jennifer Ghormley, Jason Gimbel, Kathryn Gregonis, Celina Grigore, Megan Harrison, Katie Hoffman, Conor Hollis, Jennifer Jeannelle, Heidi Jung, Josiah Lopez, Merlin Madrid, Dawn McFadden, Skyler McGee, Todd Muller, Lauri Lynnxe Murphy, Luzia Ornelas, Adesola Owolabi, J. John Priola, Marie Quinn, Brian Rendon, Claudia Roulier, Sean Rozales, Caroline Rutsche, Dave Seiler, Tony Stanzione, Sue Whitmore, Kyle Wimmer

The CVA is open late First and Third Fridays until 8 p.m. - August 6 and 20
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm, Saturday noon-5pm. www.MetroStateCVA.org
Admission is free.
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MERGE: Alumni Exhibition 2010, Featured Artist Jennifer Jeannelle

2010-07-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Jeannelle ('98, art) is this week’s second featured MERGE artist. Jeannelle teaches ceramics and sculpture to high school students, has led workshops for other Colorado art teachers and plans on participating in a teacher exchange to Europe. While working full-time and raising a family, she maintains her studio, often creating art alongside her students. Jeannelle received her BFA in Art from Metro State in 1998 and an MFA from the Art Institute of Boston soon thereafter.

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.

Metro State: How would you characterize your art?
Jennifer Jeannelle: I tend to refer to myself as a mixed media sculptor since I seem to enjoy creating my art with a wide range of materials. I will always be most loyal to clay, however, and always like to include it in my art somehow. Because of clay's inherent connection with the earth, my work also tends to have environmental and science-based themes.

MS: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it.
JJ: My latest body of work is about the cyclical endeavor of decay and re-growth. I like to create visual connections between the natural world and manmade objects and tend to explore the transcendence of time.

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
JJ: Wow! I had some amazing influence by two professors in particular - Rodger Lang and Susan Josepher. Both encouraged me to not be intimidated by my big ideas and recognized my drive to create and teach others about my passion for art. I think of these two often and how their words of wisdom still, 12 years later, help me to make decisions about my career.

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
JJ: It has definitely grown in size! I was very interested the intimacy of the object as an undergrad and created very small, detailed pieces to pull the viewer closer to the work. Now, I wish to create a space in which the viewer can be surrounded by an art experience

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE.
JJ: I was excited for the opportunity and wanted to show pieces that represented my progress as an artist. The series that is featured in the MERGE show represents a turning point in the direction of my work.

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State’s new CVA facility?
JJ: Of course, it's an honor! It's an exciting opportunity for Metro and CVA to continue growth in the arts program. I am proud to be a part.

MS: Is there anything I’m not asking you that you want to share with me?
JJ: I love travelling and love teaching and love my family. How I manage to juggle my busy schedule sometimes baffles me, but when you are creating a life you love, you find a way to make it work!

To see more of Jeannelle's work, please visit her Web site.

Each week, from now until August 28, the Office of Alumni Relations will do a short Q&A with one to three artists who are featured in the Center for Visual Art’s MERGE: Metro State Alumni Exhibition.

MERGE: Alumni Exhibition 2010. Featured Artist: Celina Grigore

2010-06-30T14:05:00.000-07:00

Each week, from now until August 28, the Office of Alumni Relations will do a short Q&A with one to three artists who are featured in the Center for Visual Art’s MERGE: Metro State Alumni Exhibition.

This week's featured artist is Celina Grigore ('98, art). Originally from Romania, she relocated to United States in 1993. She gleaned her education and experience with art both through her travels outside of Romania and while attending the National University of Art, in Bucharest. She majored in fine arts after completing a 6-year program. She then pursued another degree in Communication Design at Metropolitan State College of Denver, graduating in 1998.

Metro State: How would you characterize your art?
Celina Grigore: Passionate. Engaging. Intense. Symbolic. Metaphoric. Imaginative. Process-Oriented. … and, at this time, literally: BLACK-and-WHITE.

I learned to treasure the objects and beings around me not merely for their pictorial quality but more for their symbolic meanings and potential archetypal configurations. On the infinite dome above, I may instinctively contemplate the "illusory beauty of flying wings." Beyond that, the challenge is to open my eyes wider and look for the "inward nature of flight." The process of structuring my fantasy into the solidity and character of balanced compositions is a key component of my mind and the reason why my life is a perpetual adventure.

MS: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it.
CG: Inspired by travels, journeys, flight, time, space and the coexistence of opposing forces, several cycles of pen & ink drawings have emerged from my studio, awaiting their unveiling to the public eye. One is the "Migration" series: Traveling is experiencing with intensity.

Beyond exploring, traveling is about acquiring a sense of place.

Beyond contemplating the flow of shapes in a landscape, I kneel to the ground, run my fingers through sand, dirt, grass. I focus on the silence. In that frame of mind and spirit I try to feel the life force within, a pulse.

Beyond entering and exiting a space, I accumulate visual information by observing key-characteristics from up-close and up-above. I make note of features from a variety of perspectives to the target-objects: from the growth pattern of a leaf to the structure of a village seen from atop a medieval tower, from the abstract erosions carved by time into a piece of stone to the striped vineyard patterns on the hills of a Tuscan landscape. Up-close characteristics generate texture. Up-above characteristics determine structure.

By the time I leave, I have an imprint of that place.

My studio work starts with translating that imprint–an exaltation of the senses–into a visual language. A new journey is about to begin.

The process of distilling emotion into formal elements generates a wave of idea-sketches. Key elements start defining an essence of space. Communicating to the viewer a sense of space is not done by means of expected spacial relationships as much as it is done by means of emotional association and symbolic interconnections."

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
CG: The education at MSCD contributed in a definitive manner to my integration and understanding of a completely new social and cultural environment. The years spent at MSCD allowed for the favorable encounter with professors of high caliber like Mrs. Carla Tedeschi, an exquisitely knowledgeable, upbeat graphic design professional. One of the elective courses that had a high impact on me was Black-and-White Photography with Mr. Greg Watts along with the opportunity to spend countless hours in a well equipped dark room working on my photographs. Ever since, I have never parted from a camera for more than a couple of days at a time, evolving into the all-digital.

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
CG: The education that I had been privileged to be offered at MSCD prepared me for being able to dive within days after graduation into the competitive graphic design, advertising and corporate identity field in Denver. I have been involved with a large number of interesting projects from their inception through their completion. The positions I held along with a solid number of diverse freelance projects allowed me to meet impressive top notch professionals in the communication design field from whom I have acquired meaningful knowledge and new perspectives. This decade-long experience allowed me to grow as a professional and as an individual. I have worked at building my fine arts body of work in ALL available time that holding full-time jobs have allowed me to. Since 2007, I have dedicated myself full-time to pursuing my fine arts career. I consider that to be my true passion and my vocation in life.

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE.
CG: First: I believe that the symbolic connotations that pieces from the "Migration" series carry within them are relevant to the audience that the new location of the "Center for Visual Arts" now has the opportunity to reach.

Second: The pieces from the "Migration" series are representative of the body of artwork that I have been engaged in developing for many years now, specifically the past three years.

Not in the least, I invite you, the reader, to come to CVA, see "Metaphor. Migration" as part of the "Merge" exhibition and make your own mind up about the "Why" of my choice. … Or you can simply ask me directly. I will be there.

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State’s new CVA facility?
CG: It is an honor to have been selected as a result of a juried process to be part of the upcoming "Merge" exhibition. As an MSCD alumnus, I'm quite proud of the latest accomplishment of the Art Department having been able to acquire a permanent home for the "Center for Visual Art." There is no doubt in my mind that CVA will do a great curatorial and public relation job for all upcoming exhibitions, "Merge" included, keeping up with their tradition of excellence for the past 20 years.

MS: Is there anything I’m not asking you that you want to share with me?
CG: How about plans for the immediate future? I would like to have the opportunity to exhibit most of my "Migration" black-and-white drawing series in a contemporary space that could accommodate it in size, spirit and level of public exposure. I strongly believe this body of work deserves a well-curated public exposure in a "brick-and-mortar" gallery. I'm working towards it, and I hope that one day one of my proposals to a prestigious exhibition space in the Denver/Boulder area or elsewhere will become a relevant, tangible art event. It is no secret: my heart is set on Colorado, the place I have landed on by choice and developed new roots as part of my own migratory journey as a free citizen of the world. Looking back, I'm pleased I did.

For more information on Celina Grigore's artwork, you are invited to visit the artist's Web site. Or check out a Web site of her exhibitions by clicking here.

All photos Copyright © by Celina Grigore. All rights reserved.

MERGE: Alumni Exhibition. Featured artist Jason Lee Gimbel

2010-06-23T14:46:00.001-07:00

Each week, from now until August 28, the Office of Alumni Relations will do a short Q&A with one to three artists who are featured in the Center for Visual Art’s MERGE: Metro State Alumni Exhibition 2010.

This week’s featured artist is Jason Lee Gimbel. Gimbel graduated from Metro State in 1998 with a BFA in Drawing and Printmaking. His work has displayed in venues throughout Denver.

Metro State: How would you characterize your art?
Jason Gimbel: My art can be described as a deconstruction of my own processes and ideas. I am a conceptual figurative artist.

MS: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it.
JG: The pieces that I’m creating are digital assemblages of my figure drawing. Most on my work consists of destroying and rebuilding my own work.

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
JG: Reflecting back on my Metro days, I see how certain influences dominated my art and how I slowly broke away from that influence. I try to be mindful of how external noise seeps into my work.

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
JG: I focus more on mastering what I do; it’s about the refinement of my process and tapping into deeper thoughts that create a narrative. When I was in college, I was more concerned with earning a degree.

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE.
JG: I am proud to be a part of the Metro Alumni and fully support the CVA and its staff. I think that it’s an amazing facility and happy that the CVA has a permanent home in the Arts District. Why would I not submit my work?

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State’s new CVA facility?
JG: By being included in this exhibition, I feel that I am helping to continue grow the legacy of the CVA and Metro’s Art program. It’s an honor !

MS: Is there anything I’m not asking you that you want to share with me?
JG: I have a sweet tooth; I’m a smart ass with random epileptic attacks of seriousness and somewhere in the murky mess of my life I manage to be an artist.

For more information on Jason, please visit his Web site.

Where are they now? Photographer & former Art Dept. Chair Barbara Houghton dances with Galileo

2010-06-23T12:09:00.001-07:00

As one of the first female photo program heads in the United States and one of the major advocates for an off-campus Center for Visual Art (CVA), artist and former Art Department Chair Barbara Houghton made a lasting impression on Colorado with more than just her pictures.

“She left a very significant mark at Metro State in the Art Department, and she was an integral part of making the Center for Visual Art happen,” says Jennifer Garner, the CVA’s director and curator since 2005. “I know she would give credit to other people, but without her it wouldn’t exist.”

So what is Houghton doing now? According to her, she is dancing with Galileo, taking photos of women in India, and teaching photography at Northern Kentucky University (NKU). As well, she was recently invited to jury the Center for Visual Art’s MERGE, Metro State Alumni Exhibition 2010.

“It was a real honor to be able to jury this show,” Houghton says. “The work was really varied in approaches. You don’t want students to come out of a college and just keep doing work that looks just like the work of the people who taught them. I want them to have their own vision, and I saw a lot of that. I chose the work I thought had something special about it … with an original approach or that was more traditional, but really well executed.”

Houghton will be at the Center for Visual Art on the opening night of MERGE. And her visit will be a homecoming. Houghton first came to Metro State fresh out of graduate school in 1974. After spending time teaching photography, it eventually became her turn to be chair of the department.

“We had a rotating chair thing going on at the time,” she explained. “And it was my turn to be in the hot seat!” However, while it was a lot of work, Houghton appreciated the experience she gleaned in the position. She learned about budgets, met people outside the department she wouldn’t have connected with otherwise, and she says, “I learned a lot about being organized and seeing the global picture.”
Plus, she worked with the late Harry Gianneschi, founder and vice president of Metro’s office of institutional advancement, to convince the College to fund an off-campus gallery that would eventually become the CVA.

She and Gianneschi submitted “three or four” versions of a plan for the gallery. “We kept writing over and over again until it was like water torture until finally it was approved,” she says. And their idea was that it would evolve. “When we wrote it, we saw it as the big picture. We saw bringing in shows that would be good educationally for students and the art department, but also for the community.”
Aside from “running a pretty good photo program” that produced many successful artists and photographers, Houghton believes initiating the off-campus gallery was one of her most notable accomplishments at Metro State.

Garner agrees. “Barb’s legacy lives on through the CVA.” But, adds Garner, she brought so much more to Metro State. “She was so energetic and really knew how to personalize her teaching.” And, Garner adds, she was a visionary who was behind getting the first computer generated art going in the department.

“She created the first computer lab at Metro,” Garner recalls. “I remember these little tiny Mac computers, with tiny black and white screens, and she had animated something on the screen, and it was like, “whoa!!” It was a big thing back then. She always had her finger in what was going on, in what was new. She was really able to see and steer the department in a profound direction at the time.”

Though she left Metro State in the early 1990s to become Chair of the Art Department at NKU, Houghton never lost her inspiration to try new things. While on sabbatical for the past year, she recently visited India to photograph women helping women. And she’s created numerous exhibits based around the idea of “how do we become ourselves?”

“I have always been interested in how we find our way and how we became the people we are,” Houghton explains. “I work with metaphors about that.” One of her favorite exhibits was an installation based on her fascination with discovering what made Galileo who he was. It featured photos she took of all the places where Galileo visited and lived, a video of her “dancing with Galileo” (she had a friend dress up as Galileo with whom she danced), music by Galileo’s father, and a narrative about Galileo that went around the walls of the exhibit, among other things.

“This piece was about my love affair with Galileo,” she explains. “The more I read of his writings, the less I knew him. He became this more real figure for me, with lots of flaws, but he was still my hero.” To see the exhibit, click here.

Now her focus is on finishing the piece on India. Then, she says, she’ll attack the long “to do” list that she has formed over the years. She works in her studio every day, whether she is teaching or not.

Houghton admits that while she is content, she often misses Colorado and Metro State. “The students we had at Metro were really sophisticated,” she explains. “A lot of times when you have students who are just out of high school, they aren’t as determined to get an education. They don’t seem to care or want it bad enough. But most Metro State students really wanted the education when they came, and that was a blessing.”

And Houghton’s former Metro State students are as respectful of her as she is of them. According to Gallery Sink owner and former student of Houghton, Mark Sink, Houghton "was one of the first to make me realize you can make contemporary experimental fine art with a camera. She believed in me and had a sparkle and excitement in her eye. Her passion was (still is) infectious. We were flying making amazing bodies of work, filling walls for critiques while the tradional photography class next door had not taken a picture yet!"

Garner echoes Sink’s opinion. “She was a mentor; she had a huge impact on my college career here at Metro, both through multiple classes that I took from her and a study abroad I did with her in London. She’s an amazing educator, amazing person, and amazing artist.”

To read more about Houghton, visit her Web site by clicking here.