Spring 2022
Thinkers, Makers, and Leaders of Tomorrow
Graduate students provide teaching, research, creative artistry, and other support to the College of Liberal Arts and to CSU.
Scroll down to see this issue's featured stories
CLA Graduate Students: Thinkers, Makers, and Leaders of Tomorrow
Graduate students provide teaching, research, creative artistry, and other support to the College of Liberal Arts and to CSU.
College of Liberal Arts Spring 2022 News
Read the latest news in the College of Liberal Arts, including faculty and staff awards, alumni stories, a Clark renovation update, research and scholarship stories, and retirement announcements.
Encouraging Creative Writers: Former faculty support graduate students in the English department
College of Liberal Arts | English
Several former faculty in the creative writing program at CSU are investing in the next generation of creative writers by funding fellowships that support those students who do not have a GTA position.
Professional master’s programs empower grad students to work while they earn their degree
Students in the College of Liberal Arts’ professional master’s programs – Public Policy and Administration, Sport Management, and Arts Management – are using the flexibility of their programs to gain internship and work experience while they complete their degrees.
Heading off vaccine hesitancy
CSU Professor Emeritus Kate Browne recruited anthropology graduate students Joshua Bauer and Shadi Azadegan (M.A. ’21) for a FEMA-funded project focused on reducing barriers and misperceptions surrounding COVID vaccines in marginalized communities.
Liminal Spaces: Nostalgia and the Borderland in Vicente Delgado’s prints
Vicente Delgado is a second year Master of Fine Art student studying printmaking. Inspired by his upbringing blending American and Mexican culture, Delgado’s work explores themes of childhood, nostalgia, consumerism, the borderland, and immigration.
With a new Ph.D., three reasons to celebrate
After the program’s launch in 2017, the first three graduates of the Ph.D. in Communication earned their doctorates in 2021. The entire cohort, including two students still working on their dissertations, accepted competitive job offers inside and outside academia— everywhere from liberal arts colleges to the City of Fort Collins.
Making Economics more Feminist: Spotlight on Ph.D. Candidate Sarah Small
Economics Ph.D. candidate Sarah Small was attracted to CSU’s unique coursework in feminist economics and political economy. After six years in the program, Small has thrived in policy-focused research and has enjoyed teaching economics to underrepresented students, making economics more accessible.
Expanding the Boundaries: Bringing science into the English classroom
Embracing interdisciplinary studies, graduate students in the Department of English are bridging divides between the humanities and sciences through coursework and research opportunities.
Telling Untold Stories: A profile of Kristy Ornelas, first-year student in the history graduate program
Kristy Ornelas is inspired to tell the histories of diverse communities through public history. She is pursuing a master’s degree in the CSU Department of History because of the program’s emphasis on public history and established relationship with the National Parks Service.
JMC Ph.D. student explores brain-computer interface technologies as an art therapy resource
Journalism and Media Communication
Ph.D. student Stephanie Scott is investigating how to integrate art therapy and other creative expression into discussions around brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies. Her research explores how BCIs can be more inclusive for neurodiverse users and communication recovery.
Researching Spanish language needs at veterinary clinics
Languages, Literatures and Cultures
Through a grant from PetSmart Charities, Edward Sarasty Salazar is working as a graduate research assistant to improve access to veterinary care for Spanish-speaking pet owners. His work will contribute to the development of a curriculum of Spanish for Veterinarians.
Philosophy + Medicine: Two alumni discover the prescription for a successful career
Ethical questions in the medical field have challenged practitioners since the age of Aristotle. With the focus and training in applied ethics, alumni Eli Weber and Gwendy Reyes-Illg use their graduate philosophy education in their careers as a bioethics director for Kaiser Permanente and a practicing veterinarian.
Politics and Policy: A graduate student’s approach to climate change in developing nations
Julia Choolwe Munsaka’s interest in international relations stems from her Zambian roots. She is now pursuing her Ph.D. at CSU to focus on environmental policy, particularly how climate change is considered in diplomatic discussions in the developing world.
The future of Emerging Music Courses in Colorado
School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
CSU music education master’s student Maddy Cort focused her graduate research on contemporary music courses that music teachers are often requested to teach as a part of their course load in Colorado secondary schools, including guitar, piano, and electronic music.
Graduate Teaching Instructors diversify Sociology’s classrooms
In the Department of Sociology, Graduate Teaching Instructors (GTI) provide skilled and innovative teaching in undergraduate sociology courses. GTI have years of training and experience, and they offer a diverse, deep pool of expertise along with an ability to connect with students in the classroom.