Alumni Connections: February 2007

Alumni News
Café Scientifique.  The February Café Scientifique will be presented by Professor Tom Pyszcynski from the psychology department at UCCS. His topic is one relevant and important to us all -- "Terror Management Theory and Terrorism." The Café will be on February 20 at 6:30 at Phantom Canyon, 2 E.  Pikes Peak. Come early for food and drink.  The Café will be on the third floor. Remember, order drinks and food on the first or second floor and take dishes, etc. back to the place you ordered.

In memory.  Elizabeth Anne “Lizzie” Teichler, a former assistant professor, Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences. She died of ovarian cancer Jan. 13 in Louisville.  See Lizzie’s obituary here.


University News

The search for the next CU President. CU Board of Regents Chair Patricia Hayes this week promised frequent communication and a broadly representative search committee as CU begins its search for its 22nd president. She also reminded the university community that the CU's 21st president, Hank Brown, will not leave the president's post for another year and that considerable work remains.  See more information here.

Governor recommends funds for Science and Engineering. Governor Bill Ritter announced this week his support for $7 million in state funds for the UCCS Science and Engineering project. Ritter’s comments came at a meeting of the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and in an official press release.

UCCS to celebrate African American History. La Vonne Neal, dean, College of Education, will provide a keynote address at a Feb. 23 event sponsored by UCCS and the African American Voice in commemoration of African American History Month.  See more here.

CU in the top 10. The three universities that make up the University of Colorado System remain in the top ten percent of universities in the United States in the latest rankings by the National Science Foundation.  See the article here.

Better-- or just older? Older Americans are more likely to take setbacks in stride than, say, their children and grandchildren, according to a study where a UCCS faculty member collaborated. Michael Kisley, assistant professor, Psychology, was part of a National Institute of Aging study that found older people process information differently than younger people and are less responsive to unpleasant information. Learn more here.

Inventor of the Year Awards.  Zbigniew Celinski, professor of Physics, and Anatoliy Glushchenko, assistant professor of Physics, were named Inventor of the Year and New Inventor of the Year, respectively, for UCCS by the University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office.  See more information in the press release. 

Funding Received.  Michael Larson, El Pomar Chair of Engineering and Innovation, received funding from the University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office for the development of a device for laser fusion of septal tissue. Here’s the press release for more information. 

Keeping tabs. For those anxiously awaiting the completion of various construction projects, or wanting to keep tabs on every brick as it is laid, Facilities Services has installed three web cams that will update viewers every 15 minutes. The sites are for the Student Recreation Center, Dwire Hall, and the new Science and Engineering Building.

UCCS vice chancellor to resume full-time teaching. A senior administrator will return to teaching next fall, Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak announced this week. Jim Henderson, vice chancellor, Student Success and Enrollment Management, will resign his administrative post of four years effective April 1. He will take an unpaid leave of absence and return to full-time teaching and research as a professor of mathematics for the Fall 2007 semester.  Learn more here. 

In the Media
The Colorado Springs Gazette editorial staff mentioned community fundraising efforts undertaken by UCCS students.

The Colorado Springs Gazette wrote about the winning attitude of the UCCS Mountain Lion men’s basketball team.

The New York Times wrote about an agreement to increase Pell Grants for needy college students

The Rocky Mountain News wrote about Gov. Bill Ritter’s endorsement of funding for UCCS.

The Colorado Springs Gazette wrote about efforts by Terry Boult, El Pomar Chair of Communication and Computation, to encourage young inventors.

The Colorado Springs Gazette wrote about the acquisition of the former TRW building by the CU Foundation.

The Colorado Springs Gazette wrote about the history making UCCS men's basketball team.

The Rocky Mountain News wrote about higher education funding and the possibility of voter action.

KOAA 5/30 aired a story about teacher ethics and cited the UCCS College of Education. 

KOAA 5/30 aired a story about the English village and the partnership between the UCCS College of Education and a South Korean university.

The Colorado Springs Gazette wrote about human memory and quoted Ede Green, professor, Psychology.

The Rocky Mountain News wrote about the number of adjunct faculty at Colorado universities and colleges.

CBS 4 interviewed President Hank Brown about his tenure as CU's president.

Alumni Spotlight: Mary Lou Makepeace

Mary Lou Makepeace graduated from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in 1979, receiving her Masters of Public Affairs from the Graduate School of Public Affairs.  Mary Lou also attended the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard University, and holds a a bachelors degree in journalism from the University of North Dakota.  She currently serves as the director of the Gay and Lesbian Fund for Colorado, after joining the Gill Foundation in December 2003. In this role, she oversees the fund's programs, builds alliances with Colorado communities and other nonprofits, and directs the fund's staff and policy.

Prior to joining the Gill Foundation, Mary Lou was the executive director for Leadership Pikes Peak, where she managed an array of community leadership programs designed to develop leadership skills and promote civic involvement. She was the first female mayor of Colorado Springs, serving from 1997 to 2003. As mayor, she led a nine-member city council, served as chairman of the board of Colorado Springs Utilities and provided oversight to city-owned Memorial Hospital. In addition, she is an adjunct faculty member for the Center for Creative Leadership and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

From 1974 to 1982, Mary Lou was a caseworker working with child abuse cases, and an administrator for the El Paso County Department of Social Services. She then served as executive director of the Community Council of the Pikes Peak Region, assisting in the development of the Montgomery Center for the homeless, Project Cope to assist low income and elderly with utility bills, and the award-winning Golf Acres Senior Services Complex. She lead the child placement agency, STAY, Inc., from 1995 to 1997, providing out of home placement services to troubled adolescents.

Her experience also includes teaching at the American School in Tananarive, Madagascar; assistant to the Defense Attaché at the American Embassy in Prague, Czechoslovakia following the Soviet invasion; and serving as adult education officer at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany.

Mary Lou has served on a variety of state, local and national committees, including the Colorado Space Advisory Committee, the Policy Advisory Council of the American Public Power Association, the Energy Committee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the Leadership Training Council of the National League of Cities.
We are pleased to have such an accomplished leader as a member of our alumni!

If you are interested in supporting the Graduate School of Public Affairs and ensuring that students in the future have the opportunity to discover their hidden talents, please contact Maurin Anderson at (719) 536 4488 or Maurin.Anderson@cufund.org.  Donations can also be made online at www.cufund.org/giveonline. 

Campus Spotlight:
The New Student Recreation Center

If you have driven along Austin Bluffs Parkway recently, there is no doubt that you have noticed some of the amazing construction projects happening on campus.  One of the most exciting, for students anyway, is the new Student Recreation Center going up just west of campus.  The $12 million facility is being paid for largely by the students who voted to increase student fees in the campus elections in spring 2005.  This decision made by the students, who clearly had the University’s best interests in mind, may surprise some since many of those who voted for the fees will never be able to use the new Recreation Center.  Regardless, the fee increase passed, and current students are excited for the facility to open.  Its projected opening date will be sometime this coming August, along with the newly renovated Dwire Hall and the Heller Center for the Arts and Humanities. 

The Student Recreation Center, a 54,000 square foot building, will boast eight times the current fitness space size located in the University Center.  All the space will be filled with an elevated running track, a climbing wall and bouldering area, a lap pool, a leisure pool, a two-court gymnasium, a café, a strength training area, and a cardio room with organized fitness programs and classes and more!

Facing the amazing views of Pikes Peak, the new Student Recreation Center will surely catch the eyes of prospective students and be a hot spot on campus for students to have fun, relieve stress, and get healthy.