Class Notes

Winter '24

AFFINITY In 1974, Darryl Elliot (BA ’77; far left) and Arrie Barnes (BA ’75, JD ’78; far right) and two other DU students gather at the Black Cultural Center, located in a University-owned house at 2041 Race Street. The Center was established in the mid to late 1970s by and for Black DU student groups, including the Black Student Alliance, MUW (Mweusi Wazuri/Beautiful Black Men) and WUW (Wanawake Usi Wazuri/Beautiful Black Women). According to Moses Brewer (BA ’71, MA ’73), acting as a consultant in 1973 when the Center was established, it was designed to be open to all and “appeal to the entire community … [to be] a place to see what’s happening in the Black world.”

1970s

1970

Cleo Parker Robinson (BA ’70, Hon. PhD ’91) was awarded the National Medal of the Arts, along with the International Association of Blacks in Dance, from President Joe Biden at the White House in March 2023. Cleo was also featured in an episode of the “Colorado Experience” documentary series by Rocky Mountain PBS.

1973

Janet Ancel (JD ’73) has been elected to the board of the Public Assets Institute in Montpelier, Vermont. Janet was the chief architect of Vermont’s Child Tax Credit, which became law in 2022.

1977

Don Ratcliff (BSBA ’77) and Chris Fowler (BSBA ’78) displayed their Pioneer spirit in Telluride in January 2023.

1976

Chris West (BA ’76) represented the U.S. in the 70s division of the CARHA Hockey World Cup, a tournament open to adults of all skill levels. It was held in March in Richmond, British Columbia.

1980s

1980

Carolyn French (MS ’80), a recently retired victim advocate with the Boulder District Attorney’s Office, received this year’s Colorado Organization of Victim Assistance award.

1981

Rich Agnello (MPA ’81) was a finalist in the sports genre category for his sports-behavioral health novel, “Going to Williamsport,” in the 2023 American Fiction Awards, sponsored by the American Book Fest.

Condoleezza Rice (BA ’74, PhD ’81) received the 2023 Medal of Glory Award from the Foundation for Democracy in Africa for her extraordinary contributions to democracy, good governance and the advancement of trade, investment and cultural ties in Africa.

1985

R. Michael Shickich (JD ’85) was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association. Michael has been a trial lawyer for more than 30 years and practices in Casper.

1988

Jim Doerner (PhD ’88) was named dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Northern Colorado. Jim joined UNC in 1994 and is a professor of geography, GIS and sustainability.

1990s

1992

Douglas Katz (BSBA ’92) has joined Morrison Healthcare at Cleveland Clinic as a chef-partner. Douglas, who owns two Cleveland-area restaurants—Zhug and Amba—plans to use his new role to energize the local food scene by connecting the clinic to the greater community.

1999

Joy Armstrong (BA ’99) has been named the director of the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Galleries of Contemporary Art.

2000s

2003

Kyle Schlachter (BS ’03) has been appointed executive director of the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board. Kyle currently serves as the mayor of the City of Littleton.

2005

Todd Porter (BA ’05) is the new chief of staff for Opera America, the national service organization promoting the creation, presentation and enjoyment of opera in the United States.

2007

Courtney Dauwalter (BS ’07) won the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, a 106-mile trail race that gains more than 30,000 feet of elevation through the Alps. Courtney is an ultrarunner who lives and trains in Leadville.

Erik Dullea (JD ’07) has joined Husch Blackwell as a partner in the law firm’s Denver office, leading its cybersecurity practice. Previously, he served as acting deputy associate general counsel for cybersecurity in the Office of General Counsel for the National Security Agency.

2008

Nora Pincus (JD ’08) was appointed to the board of directors for Stillwater Critical Minerals in Vancouver, British Columbia. Nora has over 15 years of global experience, including senior legal, mine financing and commercial roles.

2009

Katie Kempter (BA ’09) has joined the Oregon State women’s golf program as an assistant coach. Katie helped lead the DU women’s golf team to four Sun Belt Championships and had one individual win, two second place finishes and 18 Top 10 finishes.

2010s

2011

Shawn Dufford (MBA ’11) has joined Memorial Health System in Gulfport, Mississippi, as chief medical officer. Shawn has extensive experience in hospital and medical staff operations, and previously oversaw eight hospitals in Colorado, Kansas and Montana with SCL Health.

2012

Raven Adams (CRTG ’12) received the USA Sustainable Development Goals Pioneer award from the United Nations’ Global Compact Network USA. She is the sustainability manager for Granite Construction in Watsonville, California.

Cody Brower (JD ’12) was appointed district judge to the Sixth Judicial District by Idaho Gov. Brad Little. Cody has served as Oneida County prosecuting attorney since 2016. He previously served in the Army National Guard (2000-2008) and completed a one-and-a-half-year deployment to Kirkuk, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

2015

Jai-Ayla Sutherland (MA ’15) was appointed to the Casper (Wyoming) City Council. Jai-Ayla, a Casper native, serves as a program specialist and officer for the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.

2016

Julie Hawke (MA ’16) was selected as one of five new PhD students at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies beginning in fall 2023. Julie studies the impact of digital technology on conflict and how best to use it in strategic peacebuilding efforts.

2017

Haley (Ballard) Murphy (BA ’17) celebrated her first piece of public art erected in downtown Parker in August. Haley and her husband Taylor Murphy (MSA ’18) met during freshman year and are proud parents to Ella and Emmy.

2018

Edwin Bustinza Lozada (JD ’18) has been included in The Legal 500 GC Powerlist Peru 2023 rankings. Edwin is head of compliance for Compania de Minas Buenaventura in Lima, Peru. This is his second consecutive year in the rankings.

2020s

2020

Josie Pigeon (MSW ’20) was hired by the Denver Animal Shelter to help address the number of animals surrendered to the shelter. Josie is a social worker with a background in human-animal-environment interactions.

2022

Vernalyn Bearing (MSW ’22) created the Eastern Shoshone Children’s Lodge for the Eastern Shoshone Tribe in Fort Washakie, Wyoming. The new lodge will serve as a safe place for tribal children experiencing out-of-home placement and adverse childhood experiences.

2023

Andrew Baird (MBA ’23) has been hired by Forte Commercial Real Estate in Denver to co-lead the re-launch of the company’s manufacturing practice and the expansion of the arts nonprofit and creative industries sector practices.

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