Louise Bordelon is trained in landscape architecture, architecture, geography, and anthropology in both South Africa and the United States, where she was a Fulbright Scholar. Before joining CU Denver in 2019, she taught at Louisiana State University, worked in professional practice in both countries, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Geography at Stellenbosch University. Her work examines cultural landscapes, landscape interpretation, tourist photography, and the narratives that shape tourist experiences. She focuses on places undergoing cultural or ecological change and highlights neglected or erased stories within landscapes. Louise also researches women’s participation in mountain biking, practices suburban rewilding, and engages deeply with urban ecology and biodiversity. She serves on several professional and community boards.

Edelina M. Burciaga is an Associate Professor in Sociology and Chair of the Ethnic Studies Department at CU-Denver. She is broadly interested in the experiences of Latinas/os in the United States, with a specific focus on undocumented Latine young adults. She examines how state and local laws shape their transition to and through adulthood, with studies conducted in California, Georgia, Colorado, and Arizona. Before becoming a professor, she worked as a public interest attorney and at non-profit organizations serving youth of color. Edelina is a proud Chicana who grew up in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. She currently calls the Denver metro area home where she lives with her husband, son, and two goldendoodles.

Summer Zixia Cao is an Associate Professor of Marketing and the Discipline Director for Marketing at the University of Colorado Denver Business School. She studies branding, product innovation, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, and the financial impact of marketing activities. Her work appears in Marketing Science, Journal of Marketing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and other leading outlets. She currently serves as an Associate Editor at the Journal of Business Research.

Sheila Huss is an assistant teaching professor of Criminal Justice and the co-director of the Center for Community Safety and Resilience at the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs. Sheila earned her MA in Criminology from the University of South Florida and received her PhD in Public Affairs from the University of Colorado Denver. She has taught numerous courses in criminal justice and public affairs. Her research interests primarily focus on social justice issues, gun violence prevention, public safety, juvenile justice, and research methods. She has received several awards, including the International Technical Rescue Symposium Best Conference Paper Award, several outstanding teaching awards, and the CU Denver Outstanding Research Award, among IRC faculty.

Originally from Macon, Georgia, Neecee has lived in Colorado with her family since 2015. She is a passionate advocate for student support services and firmly believes every student deserves the opportunity to thrive academically. This commitment has guided her more than 20 years of experience in teaching and academic support. In her current role as Director of the LRC, Neecee ensures that students, faculty, and staff have access to the wide array of resources offered by the Learning Resources Center (LRC). She is honored to collaborate with a dedicated team that shares her enthusiasm for student success. Outside of work, she enjoys a liberal helping of any combination of the following activities: spending time with family and friends; getting outside; roller skating; karaoke(-ing?); traveling; and gaming.

Kelly serves as the Collection Development Program Lead Librarian at Auraria Library, guiding the strategic development, management, assessment, and communication of collections for students, faculty, and staff. She sees her role as building strong connections within the library and across campus to ensure the community has the resources needed for successful learning, teaching, and research. Kelly is committed to supporting her team through thoughtful onboarding, training, and mentoring, helping colleagues navigate challenges and grow in their roles. She views the Women’s Leadership Program as an opportunity to strengthen campus relationships, expand her leadership skills, and gain a broader understanding of university systems, processes, and collaborative possibilities.

Dr. Ranby is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Colorado Denver and leads the Healthy Couples Lab. Trained in social and quantitative psychology, she studies how romantic partners influence each other’s health and well‑being. Her research focuses on disease prevention, particularly promoting physical activity and smoking cessation, and she is especially interested in life transitions—such as marriage, pregnancy, or a new diagnosis—as natural opportunities for behavior change. She examines relationship‑based intervention strategies, including joint planning and the degree to which partners view each other’s health as a shared responsibility. Dr. Ranby is a core faculty member in the Clinical Health Psychology PhD program, Senior Associate Editor of Annals of Behavioral Medicine, and Co‑Chair of the Department of Psychology.

I am the program director for the Call Me MISTER program and an academic advisor in the School of Education and Human Development at CU Denver. I have also taught in the First-Year Experience program and the Ethnic Studies department. As a first‑generation, low‑income college graduate, my background shapes my professional and research interests in student affairs, undergraduate retention, critical race theory, whiteness in advising, and effective practices for supporting FLI students of color. I earned my PhD in education and human development from CU Denver in 2020, focusing on FLI student success. I am also a proud motherscholar of a spirited grade schooler, and my parenting experience continually informs my teaching, advising, and scholarship.

My name is Susan Stirrup, and I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska. I earned a BS in Chemistry from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and an MS in Chemistry from the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, where I discovered my passion for education while working as a TA. I became certified to teach high school chemistry and physics and taught in Nevada for six years before moving into community college teaching in Nevada and Colorado. I joined CU Denver part‑time in 2017 and full‑time in 2020. I am dedicated to supporting first‑year students, using effective pedagogical practices, exploring alternative grading, promoting open educational resources, and continually improving my teaching to help students thrive.

Dr. Jiayue Cecilia Wu is a scholar, musician, audio engineer, multimedia technologist, and meditation teacher. Originally from Beijing, she earned a B.Sc. in Design and Engineering and spent more than a decade as a professional musician, producer, and consultant with major international companies. She later completed an M.A. in Music, Science, and Technology at Stanford University’s CCRMA and a Ph.D. in Media Arts and Technology at UC Santa Barbara. Her work integrates technology, contemplative cultural arts, and healing, and her music and multimedia projects have been exhibited worldwide. Dr. Wu is a tenure‑track Assistant Professor and Graduate Program Director at CU Denver and holds multiple leadership roles in national and international music‑technology organizations.