In addition to Faculty Citings, the Early Bird shines a spotlight each month on the accomplishments of Metropolitan State University of Denver faculty and staff members and University partners.
If we missed an award, accolade or opportunity to celebrate an accomplishment big or small, please submit an announcement by completing the Service Request Form.
National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies
MSU Denver’s Department of Chicana/o/x students played a central role in organizing the panels and activities that highlighted the annual NACCS conference recently held in Colorado. The conference, the first in person since the pandemic canceled it in 2020, was a success with over 300 registrants.
MSU Denver panelists were:
- Angelica Aguirre
- Sonia Del Real, senior program manager
- Karen Jaramillo
- Chalane Lechuga, Ph.D., associate professor of the Department of Chicana/o Studies
- Adriana Nieto, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Department of Chicana/o Studies
- Daniel Salcido, concurrent enrollment instructor of the Department of Chicana/o Studies
- Luis Torres, Ph.D., former educator and co-chair of MSU Denver’s Hispanic-Service Institution Initiative
- Adriann Wycoff, Ph.D., professor of Chicana/o Studies
Business Achievement Award recipient
Lindsay Boyle has been selected as a 2023 Business Achievement Award recipient for her work with Beta Gamma Sigma. Boyle will formally accept the award during the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International Conference and Annual Meeting in Chicago from April 23-25.
Voter Friendly Campus designation
MSU Denver has been once again designated as a Voter Friendly Campus in 2023-24. The Voter Friendly Campus initiative is led by national nonpartisan organizations, Campus Vote Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, and designated MSU Denver based on set goals, the statement of interest, a formed coalition, a drafted and executed action plan and evaluated efforts and to set new goals.
More information about all the institutions that received the Voter Friendly Campus designation for 2023-2024 can be found here: www.voterfriendlycampus.org.
2023 National Association of Social Workers Colorado chapter award recipients
Several MSU Denver alumnae and faculty members recently received awards from the NASW Colorado chapter.
- Social Worker of the Year: Kaylee Jeffery, Class of 2011
- Early Career Social Worker: Brianna Vanegas-Martinez, Class of 2020
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Tanya Greathouse, Ph.D., LCSW, assistant professor in the Department of Social Work
- President’s Award: Julie Clockston, DSW, LCSW, assistant professor in the Department of Social Work
Superstar students
Students attend and compete at Pi Sigma Epsilon National Convention
Several MSU Denver students had an exceptional experience at the 2023 Pi Sigma Epsilon National Convention in Norfolk, Virginia. Fourteen MSU Denver students joined over 300 students from across the country and met marketplace professionals, received internship and career opportunities and even brought home a few awards.
- Taylor Dodson finished first in the competition for Top ProAm Seller of the Year and second in the event ProAm Sales Competition.
- AJ Cross finished second in the speakers competition.
- Andrew Klein, Sean Kaczmarczyk, Blair Whitted, Erick López-García advanced to final rounds of their competitions.
- The MSU Denver chapter was a finalist for Chapter of the Year.
- MSU Denver alumni advisor Kristin Adkins was an award finalist.
Fantastic Faculty
Kelly Conroy, Ph.D., assistant professor of Spanish, and Andreea Prundeau-Thrower, Ph.D., assistant professor of French, won the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers’ “Best of Colorado” award for their presentation “Sparking Language Production: Activities for the Three Modes of Communication.” They will present their session at the 2024 Southwest Conference on Language Teaching conference in Hawai’i.
Fellowship winner
Student Adela Briseño is the recipient of the prestigious Korbel-MSU Fellowship which allows students to pursue graduate studies in global and international issues at the University of Denver.
Amazing athletes
Spring athletics has the Roadrunners taking the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference by storm. Here are some of their recent accomplishments, including some from the winter season:
Baseball:
The team was recently ranked No. 13 in Division II, the program’s highest ranking since 2008.
- The team was recently ranked No. 13 in Division II, the program’s highest ranking since 2008.
- Eric Cox tied the RMAC career saves record.
- Jack Smolinski was named RMAC Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 28.
- Cam Yuran was named South Central Region Hitter of the Week and RMAC Player of the Week for Feb. 22.
- Andrew Hayes was named RMAC Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 15.
- Reichle Arcilise was named RMAC Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 8.
- Zach Schuler was named RMAC Player of the Week on Feb. 8.
Women’s basketball:
- Kendra Parra was named All-RMAC first team.
- Jaiden Galloway was named All-RMAC second team.
- Bri Bailey was named Academic All-RMAC first team and earned CSC Academic all-district.
- Mariana Silva Pereira was named to the Academic All-RMAC honor roll and CSC Academic all-district.
Men’s basketball:
- Brayden Maldonado was named RMAC Co-Freshman of the Year.
- Tyrei Randall was named All-RMAC second team.