Case in Point - MSU Denver

Spotlight on CASE Participants Successes

Dr. Robert Niemeyer

CASE would like to express our gratitude to Dr. Niemeyer for introducing us Dr. Francis Su’s book, Mathematics for Human Flourishing. Dr. Niemeyer applied the ideas from Dr. Su’s book and developed a four-part workshop called “Reframing Your Math Experience.” The workshop includes sessions titled "You Are Not Alone," "Reflecting on Your Reading," "Overcoming Anxiety," and "Mathematics for Human Flourishing.”

Steven Mendoza

Steven Mendoza graduated in May 2025 with his B.S. in Biochemistry and will be attending the University of Houston this fall to begin his Ph.D. in biology/biochemistry. During his senior year, Steven was the President of MSU Denver’s SACNAS club and he oversaw its growth into a Provisional National SACNAS Student Chapter, and coordinated the group’s first university-wide panel discussion: Empowering Marginalized Students in 2025. He presented his research at the 2024 MSU Denver URCSP, American Chemical Society and NDiSTEM SACNAS conferences, as well as the 2025 ASBMB Discover BMB conference and RNA Society Meeting, at which he was awarded an undergraduate poster competition award! Steven’s community-focused leadership and can-do attitude perfectly capture the Roadrunner spirit. He is always willing to help his peers and soak up every experience with a smile. He will be sorely missed here at MSU Denver, but we are so proud of him and wish him the best in graduate school!

Thank You!

ReAnn Jacob, Jean Harris, Bee James, Henry Paxton, Sarah Rones, Garrett Salyer, Sapphire Sherpa, Michelle Zhang “The mentors did a great job with the kids!” “Amazing!” “The MSU mentors were fabulous!” “The mentors were all down to earth and helpful” “Mentors created a welcoming and enriching environment for everyone.” We want to extend our thanks for your dedication in working with the students involved in the Summer Science Institute. Your ability to keep the students interested and engaged in their classes is truly invaluable. It was evident to all how you beautifully represented MSU Denver and made a significant impact on the students' learning experience. Thank you for your hard work and commitment!

Thank You!

Dr. Erin Bissell, Dr. Henc Bouwmeester, Dr. John Carter, Dr. Ben Dhyr, Dr. Brooke Evans, Jonathan Heckmann, Dr. Mike Jacobs, Mark Karlok, John Martinez, Dr. Rob Niemeyer, Dr. Sarah Schliemann, Tyler Williams. Thank you for sharing your passion for STEM with the middle school students and high school students. The students loved the snakes, making slime, shooting off rockets, learning about waves and vibrations, looking at creatures from the Cherry Creek and fireworks. Some comments: “I liked the activities they entertained me.” “I liked sampling water from the Cherry Creek and looking at bugs in the water.” “I liked making slime and petting snakes.” “I loved everything, everyone made me feel welcome!” We know it is a lot of work to put together programming for these students. Know they appreciate all your hard work and so do we!

Refugee finds his calling in uniform

To say the Army changed Emanuel Walker’s life doesn’t begin to cover it. Four years ago, the Metropolitan State University of Denver student’s family was going through turmoil and financial struggles, and he was looking for a way to help out. He was excelling in his studies but was searching for purpose and direction and had begun to doubt that college was right for him. Then, he met a U.S. Army recruiter.

MSU Denver Alumnus Receives Prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute Award

MSU Denver alum Evan Morrison, 3rd year Ph.D. Candidate at CU Anschutz Medical Campus, was recently awarded the prestigious Gilliam Fellowship for Advanced Study from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. These fellowships recognize graduate students from historically excluded groups who are conducting outstanding research, and their advisors who are committed to creating an inclusive scientific environment. Additionally, although Evan is only in his third year, he also has a funded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, he was awarded a National Institutes of Health T32 Training Fellowship in Molecular Biology, and is an author in six scientific publications. Evan graduated from MSU Denver in 2016 with degrees in Chemistry and Philosophy.