Notes from the Class of 2015

A long-term experiment run by Scott Ferrenberg (PhDEPOBio) and Sasha Reed (PhDEPOBio’08) showed that the biocrusts of Utah’s Upper Colorado Plateau are at risk from climate change. They found the biocrusts, made up of complex organisms like mosses and lichens, die off with heat increases, putting drylands at an increased risk for desertification. Their work was featured in the Washington Post this September.

As a program director for Manna Project International, Carissa Chen (Jour) leads programs in Nicaragua that give underserved communities access to healthcare, education and improved livelihoods. She also teaches English, dance and a creative arts class for children in Nicaragua and runs a child sponsorship program that supports 50 children (ages 0-5) and a women’s jewelry cooperative that provides 25 women with a steady income.

Matthew Reed (Geol) accepted a position with the Kansas City district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a geologist. He is from Broken Arrow, Okla.

This summer Andres Arriola (Fin) and Brian Ritter (Soc’07) will launch a free mobile app that connects individuals with friends and mentors, much like Uber connects people with drivers. The duo also launched a Kickstarter campaign in April with the hopes of raising $50,000 for their company, SocialPing Inc.

Water resources engineer Anna Campbell (EnvEngr; MCivEngr) was named young professional of the year by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Colorado. She works at the Denver company Wright Water Engineers, Inc., and was a contributor to a 10-month effort to investigate storm water discharges from a Hawaii landfill during two large storms.

MTV came to Boulder in July to work on a new TV program about Shinesty, a millennial-run clothing company co-founded by CEO Chris White (Law, MBA). Chris lives in Boulder.

Former Norlin Scholar Alex Dudley (DistSt) spent the last year working to save rhinos in Tanzania. He was inspired to return to the country after discovering a passion for conservation during a CU study abroad trip. Rhinos have fascinated Alex since a visit to the Denver Zoo when he was two. Alex concluded his trip in August but will continue to work on behalf of the rhinos and the African communities that host them.

In July, after their final semester at CU, science aficionados Carissa Marsh DeGregori (MCDBio) and Luke DeGregori (Phys’16) got married. The couple met in middle school, started dating in high school and is almost as passionate about science education as they are about each other. The wedding’s theme appropriately centered on science education and featured Erlenmeyer flasks as centerpieces. Carissa and Luke live in Boulder.

In April, Elizabeth Hernandez (Jour) returned to Boulder to report on the university that taught her a thing or two about reporting. Prior to landing the Boulder Daily Camera’s higher education job, Elizabeth dug deep as a fellow at the Center for Public Integrity, an investigative newsroom in Washington, D.C. Before that, she called the Denver Post home for two years, first as an intern and then as a staff reporter covering breaking news and education. When she’s not filling her reporter’s notebook, she enjoys reading and writing but detests arithmetic.

Alexandra Alonso (Span) has been named executive director of the Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy and Research Organization. At 28, Alexandra will be the youngest executive director of the nonprofit organization since it was founded in 1964. Before joining CLLARO in 2015, she worked as an editorial assistant at the Denver Post.

Maria LeFebre (Anth) and Charlie Barkmeier (Econ) were engaged Dec. 15. The couple plans to marry in Boulder in 2019. They live in Cleveland, Ohio.  

Nicole Chan (Chin, IntlAf), Spencer Lahrs (IntlAf'17) and Amber Spawn (Mgmt’17) were awarded an Anna Sobol Levy Fellowship, which supports graduate studies in counterterrorism or diplomacy at the Raphael Recanati International School at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel. In addition to class instruction, fellows attend various security trips around Israel and take part in special lectures with leaders in the Israeli and U.S. military and other organizations, such as the FBI and NATO.

In December 2018, Kate Brady (Engl ex’15) released her first single, “August.” In 2015, she won the Guitar Center Singer Songwriter Competition, which was judged by Ariel Rechtshaid, producer of bands and artists such as Adele, Haim and Vampire Weekend. The award gave her the opportunity to record a four-song EP with Rechtshaid, a songwriting session with band City and Colour, a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, $25,000 for new gear and a feature article in the magazine American Songwriter.

Longmont, Colo., resident Taylor Raven (MMus) was selected as a Filene Artist by the Wolf Trap Opera (WTO), which enabled her to participate in a competitive summer training residency program for emerging professional singers.Through a rigorous annual audition tour, WTO selects its artists from among the best classical vocalists in the country. The residency program took place in Vienna, Va.

Last year Melissa Lillaney (Mktg) and her partner Nick Hickman (Mgmt’18) launched their app Abuzz. A community platform exclusive to CU students, Abuzz aims to promote campus groups and events, both academic and social. 

Mike Lotto (AeroEngr, MS) was awarded the 2019 Neil Armstrong Graduate Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Mike is continuing his studies at CU Boulder. 

David Varel (PhDHist), affiliate faculty at Metropolitan State University in Denver, published a biography titled The Scholar and the Struggle: Lawrence Reddick's Crusade for Black History and Black Power. 

In December 2020 David Varel’s (PhDHist) article “Those We Honor, and Those We Don’t: The Case for Renaming an OAH Book Award,” was published in The American Historian. The article resulted in the removal of Avery O. Craven’s name from a book award due to his promotion of the “Lost Cause” version of Civil War history, which defends the Confederate war effort. The OAH renamed the award for Lawrence Reddick, a Black scholar whose work undermined the “Lost Cause” narrative. David also has a book out, The Scholar and the Struggle: Lawrence Reddick’s Crusade for Black History and Black Power.

While working to complete a master’s degree in engineering from Colorado State University, Michael Castillo (CivEngr) works as a civil engineer for Northern Engineering in Greeley, Colorado. Michael brings expertise in the fields of water and wastewater infrastructure to the municipal services team and is driven by his passion for environmental sustainability.

Lars Gesing (MJour) started his own fine art photography business. He writes that after moving to the U.S. from Germany, he found “a home and purpose in the landscapes of the American West.” His collection was released March 10.