Largest gift in College's history: 5 million
The College of Liberal Arts received its largest gift ever – $5M – from Joe Blake, Chancellor Emeritus of the CSU System. Blake also founded the Blake Leadership Scholars Program in the College of Liberal Arts, with the first cohort of students starting in Fall 2019.
CSU 150
CSU is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.
The College of Liberal Arts will showcase their expertise on the environment on Wed., April 22, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.
Read about CLA's history and submit your story for the 150th.
(Come back in Feb. when we'll have emeriti stories published!)
Alumni News
Hiking with sight
Music therapy graduate student Melanie Knecht and art alumnus Trevor Hahn combine their abilities to enjoy the mountains that they love.
In 2013, Trevor lost his vision to glaucoma, but has since been guided up mountains all over the world using a bell/voice system. Melanie, born with spina bifida, uses a wheelchair to get around. Trevor and Melanie became friends through their love of adaptive sports, which gave them the idea of utilizing both of their strengths to get outside.
This summer, their story went viral with with features in 5280 Magazine, Outside Magazine, and Good Morning America.
Recent stories about Liberal Arts teaching, research, and service
Our faculty publish general interest articles about a variety of topics. Recently published:
- A quarter of US parents are unmarried and that changes how much they invest in their kids
- America can afford a Green New Deal – here’s how
- When newspapers close, voters become more partisan
In Memoriam
Anthropology & Geography
Robert James Theodoratus passed away August 22, 2019. Bob came to Fort Collins in 1966 to teach anthropology at CSU and became the founder of the anthropology department. He was active in building the social science library holdings. His most prominent academic achievement was the editing of Immigrant Communities and Ethnic Minorities in the United States and Canada for AMS press of NY.
Communication Studies
Grady Jackson (Jack) Gravlee, Sr. passed away on Dec. 27, 2019. Jack taught communications at the University of Houston as well as at the University of New Mexico and Auburn University. Jack spent the final 39 years of his career at Colorado State University where he was chair of the communications department for fifteen years. Jack traveled extensively for international academic research, consulted in British political campaigns and authored multiple publications in his field. He was honored with a named endowed scholarship at Colorado State University. Jack and his wife were generous and gracious hosts to many national and international debate teams and he received numerous national and international awards during his career.
Music, Theatre, and Dance
Robert Franklin Nisbett passed away November 25, 2019. Robert spent most of his career as a professor of music at Colorado State University, 1965-2005. He served as Chair of the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance and as professor of music history. Robert was an accomplished pianist. He was performing from an early age and played in jazz groups and solo classical piano all around the states of Ohio, Colorado, and throughout the Southwest.