Notes from the Class of 2006

Sam Knaizer (PolSci) joined the law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s natural resources department as a policy advisor. Sam focuses on energy-related issues that impact Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and Utah and advises clients on energy policy and oil and gas regulations.

Ordained as an elder in the United Methodist Church, Calob Rundell (RelSt) serves as the pastor for the United Methodist Church in Salida, Colo., after having served for the United Methodist Churches in McClave and Wiley, Colo.

Erika Nyhus (MPsych; PhDCogSci’10), an assistant professor in neuroscience and psychology at Bowdoin College in Maine, is researching how different regions of the brain interact and communicate to create memories. She runs memory tests in her lab with student volunteers that measure the electrical activity in the subject’s brain with an EEG. Erika became interested in researching memory while at CU and saw how much memory interacted with other cognitive processes, including attention, cognitive control and emotion. She hopes to find better treatments for people with memory disorders by understanding how memory works, as well as ways to improve disordered memory systems. She is launching a study that looks at how lifestyle factors like meditation can affect attention, which plays a large role in memory.

“Mr. Lee’s Shangri-La” is an art exhibition featuring exotic dancers, golden walls and paintings by expressionist artist Lisa Solberg (Art). After a preview in Florida, the exhibition came to the Los Angeles MAMA Gallery in December. Lisa said Boulder inspired her art, as she used to run up the Flatirons and up the canyon to Nederland.

Law firm Edelson PC named Eve-Lynn Rapp (PolSci) partner. She is the hiring partner for the firm’s Chicago office, and focuses her practice on consumer technology class actions with an emphasis on cell phone telephony and telephone consumer protection cases. Prior to joining the firm in 2012, she worked at a Chicago class action firm, served as an extern in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office and clerked for judges Yvonne Lewis and Plummer Lott of the Supreme Court of New York.

Alex Becker (IntlAf, Ger) is co-founder of the Denver-based real estate firm Real Estate Consultants of Colorado. The company helps large real estate investment groups and businesses make commercial acquisitions. Alex committed $10,000 to CU-Boulder and its Global Grants Campaign, which helps students afford to study abroad. He also serves on the international affairs advisory board and completed his term on the Alumni Association advisory board in April. As a student Alex studied abroad at the University of Regensburg in Germany, America’s oldest German exchange program available to CU international affairs students.

After living throughout the Middle East, Africa and Asia for the past 10 years, Tyler Cicirello (Fin) lives in Dubai where he has founded a private investment platform that provides access to institutional quality deal flow in emerging markets. Tyler’s company also produces information on business trends, public markets and political risk.

Shaun Reed (AeroEngr) and fiancé Cassandra Illich, a graduate of Santa Clara University, have announced their engagement and look forward to their wedding this September. Shaun works as a licensed mechanical engineer in Denver. Lady Cassandra, daughter of the Baron and Baroness of Offaly, Ireland, works as a banker in Denver. Shaun and Cassandra reside together at their home, Sierra Dorado Ranch, in Golden, Colo.

Chris Avantaggio (Advert) of the VIA advertising agency in Portland, Maine, appeared in Adweek’s list of “50 Creatives Whose Brilliant Ideas and Beautiful Craft Will Make You Jealous.” Chris made the list for many reasons, including his re-branding efforts for Maine Beer Company and his work on a TV ad for Perdue chicken.

Intellectual property attorney Amy Kramer (ChemEngr; Law’09) was awarded the 2016 American Bar Association’s “On the Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyers” by the Young Lawyers Division. Amy is a sixth-generation Coloradan and is involved in several nonprofit organizations including serving on the board of advisors for the Downtown Denver branch of the YMCA of Metropolitan Denver. She also chairs the YMCA young professionals committee for Janet’s Camp, which has raised more than $1 million to send low-income children to summer camp. At CU, Amy serves on the Engineering Advisory Council and the GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) Board in the College of Engineering & Applied Science.

Former CU football player Jeremy Bloom (A&S ex’06) will be inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. After high school Jeremy accepted a scholarship to CU, then delayed his enrollment to prepare for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. He is the only Olympic skier ever to be drafted by the NFL.

Ben Herrmann (PolSci) and Corbin Marr (Hist’98) have gone into business together in the wastewater infrastructure sector. Their firm has locations in California and on the East Coast. Projects include an inspection of underground pipelines in Boulder using cameras, sonar and laser equipment. The firm is also developing and implementing technology for inspecting and rehabilitating failing infrastructure.

Mark Nowakowski (MMus) was appointed assistant professor of music technology at Kent State University, Stark. His CD Blood Forgotten was released on June 9 through NAXOS, the world’s largest distributor of classical music. He lives with his wife and three children in Ohio, where he continues to pursue an active career in music composition, writing and teaching.

On Sept. 24, 2016, Shaun Reed (AeroEngr) married Cassandra Ilich Reed in front of 200 guests in a traditional Serbian Orthodox ceremony at the home of the bride’s parents, Chateau Summerset, in Northern California. Shaun is a licensed mechanical engineer in Denver. The couple enjoyed a monthlong African honeymoon on safari in Ethiopia. They also sailed around the Seychelles Islands and toured Morocco. Shaun and Cassandra reside at their home, Sierra Dorado Ranch, in Golden, Colo.

In March, Ben Rosenberg (Psych) married Sarah Czerniejewski (IntPhys’07) on their 11-year anniversary as a couple. Ben writes that fellow alum and good friend J. Keith McGlone (Econ, PolSci’06) officiated the wedding at the C Lazy U Ranch outside of Granby, Colo. They were joined by several other alumni, including Marc Sandler (Mktg’06), Chris Powers (Hist’06), Ricka Sterner (IntPhys’07) and Nicholas Sorrentino (MechEngr’05). Ben works as a lecturer at Chapman University in Orange County, Calif. Sarah is a nurse in the ICU at a hospital near their home in Hermosa Beach, Calif.

In October, Tennessee governor Bill Haslam appointed Mary Wagner (PolSci) as a Circuit Court trial judge for Shelby County, Tenn. Mary is currently the youngest such judge in the state.

On Aug. 25, Colorado 18th Judicial District Chief Deputy District Attorney John Kellner (Law) accepted the Freedom Award from the Department of Defense, the highest recognition of employers for their support of employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. John is a major in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.

Musician Mark Nowakowski (MMus) released his first album, Blood, Forgotten, through the world’s largest classical label, Naxos. The album received a glowing review in Gramophone magazine. He also composed the soundtrack to the documentary Discovering Tolkien, which aired nationally on EWTN in November. He is serving his second year as assistant professor of music at Kent State University, Stark, where he lives with his wife and three children.  

This April Dustin Sanza (Fin) is running the Boston Marathon in honor of Martin Richard, who was killed in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Dustin committed to raise $7,500 for the Martin W. Richard Charitable Foundation Inc. This will be Dustin’s second marathon. 

Kyle Redfield (Econ) is CEO and president of KonaRed Corporation, a premier Hawaiian coffee brand. In 2017, Kyle launched the company’s first line of ready-to-drink cold brew coffees. He leads product development to find sustainable ways to use the coffee fruit, which surrounds the coffee bean and is usually discarded in the coffee making process. He previously was the general manager for POM Wonderful, a beverage and fruit extracts company. Kyle resides in California. Read our Forever Buffs Q&A featuring him.