Early Bird

From Davidson’s Desk

Gratitude and accolades for faculty and staff in this month’s missive from the president.

October 16, 2019

Dear Roadrunners,

I can’t believe it is midsemester already. What an extraordinary month of September we had at Metropolitan State University of Denver. We have so much to celebrate!

Let me start by thanking everyone who attended one of our recent events. We had an impressive turnout at the Welcome Back Breakfast. Faculty Senate President Katia Campbell, Ph.D., did a great job moderating your questions on budget, state funding and other priorities. Welcome Back also served as the launch of the University’s new brand campaign, Reimagine Possible, and our ads are being seen all over Denver. I keep hearing from colleagues about how we are making a splash in the community and how much people love our inspiring new video.

TEDx MSU Denver was also a resounding success and an amazing showcase for our talented faculty, students and alumni. We had a packed house, with guests from across Colorado who now know all about the impressive work happening here. We’re compiling a playlist of the talks on YouTube, and we’ll add each talk as it is produced and released. We’ll also promote them in the Early Bird.  

The President’s Speaker Series welcomed renowned emergency-room physician and author Sampson Davis, M.D., last month. Davis discussed health equity and the need to get more people of color into health professions. Thanks to the Health Institute and the Department of Human Services and Counseling for co-sponsoring the standing-room-only event.  

Our first fall Homecoming wrapped up in early October and featured an impressive lineup of speakers, events and community-building. Keynote speaker Chris Mosier shared a powerful testimony about overcoming the odds, and our men’s and women’s soccer teams won their Friday-night doubleheader matches at the Regency Athletic Complex. Let’s go, Roadrunners! We also celebrated a generous $1.5 million gift to our hospitality program from Gina and Frank Day. The largest gift in school history will fund the development of a hospitality-leadership academy, which will go a long way in supporting our students in this important Colorado industry sector. I want to express my gratitude to everyone who was involved in planning this amazing week.    

And there are even more accolades! Associate Professor Ingrid Carter, Ph.D., was named the 2019 Science Teacher of the Year by the Colorado Association of Science Teachers for her exemplary work as an educator. We also had a front-page story in the Denver Post (subscription required) about how our Department of Aviation and Aerospace Science is helping to address the pilot shortage. The story featured faculty, students and alumni from this exceptional program. And as I mentioned at Welcome Back, MSU Denver was ranked the No. 5 most innovative university in the West by U.S. News and World Report. We should all be proud of that recognition.

I’ll be in touch again next month. 

Sincerely,

Janine Davidson, Ph.D.

President