Campus leaders gathered on campus this month to celebrate the legacies and contributions of three university leaders who retired recently with a combined 58 years of service to CU Boulder.
Chancellor Philip DiStefano, COO Patrick O’Rourke, Provost Russell Moore and colleagues and friends of Katherine Erwin, Larry Levine and Gwen Pomper were on hand during a June 21 SRS reception at Folsom Field.
“I want to thank you all for your individual and collective efforts over the past year that have not only allowed this organization to continue its important work, but helped it thrive in the most challenging circumstances of our lifetime,” the chancellor said during opening remarks at the retirement celebration. “I know this past year hasn’t been easy and your contributions to our students, our faculty, and our staff have been nothing short of heroic––even as many of us have struggled with the pandemic in our own lives.”
COO O’Rourke acknowledged the collective experience and dedication of Erwin, Levine and Pomper, lauding the “time, energy, focus, drive and leadership” they brought to CU Boulder over several decades.
“I am honored to have worked with all of you and wish you well,” he said of the SRS leaders. “You may be departing CU Boulder, but please do so with the understanding that you are leaving an invaluable mark on our campus and on our ability to serve our students, faculty and staff.”
During 31 years of service to her alma mater, Pomper, who retired as associate vice chancellor for enrollment management, is credited with the creation of the Chancellor’s Achievement Scholarship, CU Promise and other financial aid programs of benefit to CU Boulder students.
Erwin, who arrived on campus in 1991, retired as the university’s chief human resources officer and senior associate vice chancellor, and was lauded for her work to implement many beneficial employee programs and services in the Office of Human Resources. Among other achievements, she led the establishment of the HR Service Center, centralized the Family Medical Leave Act and created a dedicated diversity, equity and inclusion unit.
For his part, Levine dedicated nearly a dozen years of his career in the Office of Information Technology (OIT) following tenures at Indiana, Dartmouth and Harvard.
“Under his leadership, OIT became an organization known for its dedication to customer satisfaction, service excellence and alignment with the campus’s strategic goals,” O’Rourke said.
At CU Boulder, Levine developed a dedicated research computing group, led the migration of the university’s learning management systems, and oversaw the upgrade of the campus network, among many other accomplishments.