About University Communications

Tammy Ewin

Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications
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Tammy Ewin serves as Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications. She manages a team of professionals responsible for strategic communications, marketing, media relations, social media, issues/crisis/reputation management, employee communications, branding, digital media, and executive communications. Tammy’s career has included extensive experience providing strategic communication counsel, building consensus, and achieving solid marketing and communication results in the higher education, health care, corporate, not-for-profit, agency, and public safety/municipal government arenas.

Prior to joining CU Denver, she spent more than five years as the Vice President, Chief Communication and Marketing Officer at The University of Akron in Ohio, and more than 10 years in the Office of Marketing and Communications at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa. where she held positions of increasing responsibility. Tammy earned both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Communication from the University of Dayton.

She is a member of the American Marketing Association (AMA), the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), where she has served as a member of the PRSA Counselors to Higher Education Section Communications Committee, and she has served as a member of the Council on Strategic Communications for the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU).

Kevin Almasy

Director of Executive Communications
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Kevin Almasy serves as the Director of Executive Communications. In his role he leads strategic communications and speechwriting on behalf of the chancellor and university leadership. 

He previously led career services and retention for Dell Scholars, a college-completion scholarship that serves more than 2,000 students annually at universities across the country. Under his leadership, Dell Scholars achieved an 84% six-year graduation rate – two times the national average for Pell-eligible students. With a career that spans nearly two decades, Kevin previously served in communication, media, and speechwriting roles at the University of Texas at Austin and as a broadband policy advisor at the Federal Communications Commission.

He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, earning a bachelor’s degree in communications from Denison University and a master’s in journalism from Syracuse University. Away from work, Kevin loves to be outside–running, hiking, or biking (most likely in that order).

Kenna Aukamp

Graphic Designer & Studio Specialist
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Kenna supports the CU Denver brand through graphic design and visual communication. She has been with UCOMM since August, 2022 and has designed a wide array of items, including university branded merchandise lines, publications like the campus viewbook and commencement programs, advertisement suites for digital marketing campaigns, branded suites of materials for events, and more. Most notably, she was heavily involved with the brand refresh project and helped to develop the look and feel of the Meet Your Moment brand. She designed the brand book, environmental graphics around campus, billboards and bus shelter ads, Larimer Square flag takeover, pole banners, print ads, and digital ads.

Kenna was born in Colorado and raised just south of Denver in Highlands Ranch. She earned a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design from Colorado State University in 2018 and brings more than seven years of design experience from freelance, agency, and in-house settings. She loves working in higher education environments and is constantly striving to learn new skills and build on her existing knowledge.

Outside of work, Kenna can be found spending time with friends and family, tending to her houseplant collection, birdwatching, enjoying live music, reading, and obsessing over her tabby cat, Louie.

Megan Briggs Pintel

Senior Marketing & Communications Coordinator
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Megan recently joined the University Communications team to assist with the university’s public relations efforts. Megan helps connect journalists with the many subject matter experts at work at CU Denver. A big perk of her role is learning about all the relevant work faculty members are doing and how it applies to the non-academic population. In addition to her work for UComm, Megan tells the stories of the College of Arts & Media’s students and faculty members through articles and social media content.

Prior to joining CU Denver, Megan created and managed content for a media company and a few not-for-profit organizations. Growing up a military brat, Megan has called many places in the U.S. and Germany home. As an adult, she spent a significant amount of time in southeast Asia. Eventually, though, Colorado called again and she settled down in Aurora.

When she’s not working on university-community relations, Megan enjoys finding new places to go for a walk or eat in her neighborhood with her husband, son, and dog.

Brenna Brown

Program Manager of Special Events
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Brenna Brown brings over 10 years of experience in event planning and higher-education event leadership to her role. She oversees the development, coordination, and execution of major university events that engage students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners. In her role, she manages cross-campus collaboration, complex logistical planning, vendor and stakeholder relations, and event design that reflects CU Denver’s values of access, innovation, and belonging.

Prior to joining CU Denver, Brenna worked in higher-education event leadership at MSU Denver, where she supported large ceremonies and campuswide initiatives. She also has experience coordinating large-scale civic events serving more than 100,000 annual attendees. Brenna brings extensive expertise in commencement operations, protocol-driven planning, volunteer management, and documentation-based process improvement.

Brenna holds a B.A. in Marketing and Management from Regis University. She is passionate about designing events that strengthen community connection, recognize achievement, and elevate the student experience.

Julia Cummings

Marketing and Communications Director, School of Education & Human Development
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Julia Cummings is a versatile, inclusive, and collaborative marketing communications leader. Since 2007, she has planned and executed marketing communications for the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Education & Human Development. She is skilled in crisis communications, marketing and digital advertising, content and creative design, strategic planning, and the management of team members and consultants.

Before joining CU Denver, she held leadership roles at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the National Audubon Society, High Plains Library District, and the Smithsonian Institution.

Julia is a PhD candidate in Public Affairs at CU Denver (expected graduation: 2025). She holds a Master of Business Administration with a marketing concentration from CU Denver and a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities, magna cum laude, from the University of Colorado Boulder. Julia also lectures part-time in the CU Denver’s School of Public Affairs and serves as an affiliate faculty member for the Center for Community Safety and Resilience at CU Denver.

In her free time, Julia channels her creative spirit through gardening, cooking, hiking, and spending time with her loved ones and pets. She is the mother of three sons. Her husband Steve is a licensed commercial architect in Denver.

Alex DeWind

Assistant Director of Internal Communications
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Alex oversees communications strategies and tactics for updates and initiatives impacting CU Denver's faculty and staff. She also helps lead the campus’ internal newsletter that showcases CU Denver’s people, programs, research, and more.

Alex formerly worked as a reporter at a community newspaper in south metro Denver, where she covered suburbia, mental health, and public education. She received her bachelor’s degree in journalism from CU Boulder.

In her spare time, Alex enjoys walks with her pug, trying new restaurants, and soaking up Colorado's outdoors.

Marissa Dienstag

Director, Events & University Ceremonies
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Marissa creates meaningful experiences for our CU Denver students, faculty, staff, and community. She oversees large university ceremonies as well as some intimate university events. With more than 15 years in higher education, she has had the pleasure of working in various departments, with a multitude of campus partners, and overseeing exciting and engaging university initiatives. Being able to collaborate across departments provides her unique perspectives and an environment of growth and learning.

She received her bachelor’s degree from University of Central Florida and her master’s degrees from The Ohio State University and Colorado State University. As a native Floridian, the beach will always bring tremendous joy and nostalgia. When not involved in various local theatre groups, she loves taking advantage of the Colorado sunshine and beautiful mountains and lakes.

Olivia Earle

Web Designer
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Alexander Freedman

Associate Director of Marketing and Communications, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
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Natasha Gardner

Executive Director of Editorial and Creative Content
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Natasha Gardner is an award-winning writer, editor, brand developer, and content creator. She has more than 17 years of experience with telling stories that matter in Colorado. A longtime editor at 5280, Denver’s magazine, she was also the managing editor at History Colorado before joining CU Denver’s University Communications team. Here, she helps develop storytelling and creative content that amplifies the university’s brand and resonates with our students, faculty, staff, alums, and community.

She leads the Creative Content team, which takes ideas from concept to completion, with a talented group of experts in writing, brand management, graphic design, photography, multimedia, motion graphics, internal communication, e-communications, and more.

Natasha has a master’s degree in news gathering from the University of Colorado Boulder and a bachelor of arts in sociology from Smith College. When she’s not typing away on a laptop or creating new things, she might be hiking in the Rocky Mountains, skate skiing, reading, or trying new recipes.

Haley Gray

Creative Content Writer
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Haley supports the CU Denver Communications team as a creative content writer. She is an award-winning, multimedia communications professional with more than nine years' experience writing, editing, and producing audio. Most of all, Haley enjoys showcasing the inspiring and impactful work being done across the Lynx community. Before joining UComm in 2025, she produced The Science of Happiness podcast, a production of The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley and PRX.  She has also worked as a community pages editor in rural New Mexico, public radio reporter in San Francisco, volunteer journalist on the Thailand-Myanmar border, and more. When she’s not sharing CU Denver’s incredible stories, she loves to cook, hike, and spend time with her adorable nephew. She holds a Master of Journalism degree from UC Berkeley and once won a chili cook-off.  

James Hough

Senior Web Developer
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James manages a web team that ensures the university's web properties provide an optimal user experience. Working as part of Marketing and Digital Strategy, he focuses on making CU Denver's websites and applications simple to navigate, with a particular emphasis on helping prospective students easily request information and engage with the university.

With a background in web management, design, and the arts, James has previously served as the web services manager for the University of Texas at Dallas’ business school, and held roles as a graphic designer, K-12 art teacher, and custom glass artist. He holds degrees in Fine Arts and English Literature from the University of North Texas and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Outside of work, James enjoys drawing comics, painting, following basketball, and spending time with his wife and two children.

Mitch Howes

Graphic Designer & Brand Manager
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A talented designer, art director, and brand manager, Mitch brings experience in graphic design, video editing, and motion graphics to the University Communications team as well as an eye for detail and organizational skills. Prior to working at CU Denver, Mitch has worked as a motion and graphic designer to elevate and define brand stories through both digital and print media. 

Thoren Hyde

Social Media Producer
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Thoren shapes CU Denver’s social media presence through strategic coordination and performance analysis, ensuring that the university’s values, achievements, and voice are effectively represented across all platforms. Additionally, she produces multimedia content to amplify student voices, faculty expertise, and university events. 

Thoren is originally from London, UK, and received her bachelor of science in Video/Television and Film from Hofstra University. Before working at CU Denver, Thoren worked as a Social Media Manager and Multimedia Content Creation Specialist for businesses and universities across the country. 

Outside of work, Thoren can be found taking pictures and making videos around Colorado, as well as spending time with her dog, Jekyll. 

William Kubie

Assistant Vice Chancellor, Marketing & Digital Strategy

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William Kubie is a strategic marketing leader with over 20 years of experience driving enrollment, brand awareness, and audience engagement through high-impact, data-informed campaigns. A Colorado native, he brings creative and analytical expertise from a broad range of roles—including designer, web art director, developer, marketing director, and brand manager—at CU Boulder, Colorado State University, and now CU Denver.

In his current role at CU Denver, William leads the university’s marketing and digital strategy efforts, overseeing digital advertising, web development, marketing, and performance analytics. He is known for building award-winning teams, crafting integrated campaigns, and translating business goals into results-driven marketing strategies.

William’s approach blends innovation, technology, and research across channels—spanning branding, SEO/SEM, CRM, UX, and web development. He also shares his expertise as a digital marketing lecturer at CU Denver, mentoring the next generation of marketing professionals.

Cass Jacoby

Marketing, Communications, and Graphic Design Professional, College of Engineering, Design and Computing
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Cass is a creative communicator embedded within the College of Engineering, Design and Computing and University Communications, where they collaborate with students, faculty, and staff to share compelling stories that reflect the innovation and impact of CU Denver.

Before joining CU Denver, Cass served as Development and Communication Coordinator at Judi’s House/JAG Institute, a nonprofit supporting grieving children and families. They bring experience across nonprofit, editorial, and media spaces, with strengths in storytelling, multimedia production, and digital content strategy.

A proud Colorado native, Cass earned a BA in English with a Film Studies emphasis from CU Denver and a Master of Advanced Study in Media and Film Studies from Arizona State University. Outside of work, you can find them catching a film in theaters, performing improv comedy, or exploring Colorado’s wildflower trails.

Mary Knight

Marketing & Communications Program Director, College of Arts & Media
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Mary is a thoughtful and collaborative communicator embedded within the College of Arts & Media. She joined the team in July 2025, bringing with her a background in multi-channel campaigns, brand storytelling, and creative project management. Before joining CU Denver, Mary served as Senior Program Manager at CU Boulder, where she led marketing and communications strategies for eight departments within the Division of Student Life.

Originally from Wisconsin, Mary holds bachelor's degrees in communications and arts management from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. She is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in digital marketing at CU Denver. In her free time, you can find her at a concert, planning a trip, or playing with her dachshund, Doug.

Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications
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Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala joined CU Denver from the University of Central Florida where she served as Associate Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Communications. At CU Denver she leads a team responsible for media relations, internal communications, crisis communications, and strategic communications.

Zenaida’s 20+ year career includes working with media, faculty, students, and executives. At UCF, she also built and led the research communications ecosystem, which earned several local and national awards. Before her career in higher education, Zenaida was an award-winning journalist who worked for Gannett.

She is bilingual in Spanish and has a special place in her heart for first-generation students because she was one. Born and raised in California, she holds a BA in Journalism and in International Relations from San Francisco State University. She was a Knight Fellow and has been recognized for her communication work by CASE and MARCOM.

Elly Lewis

Marketing and Communications Specialist, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
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Elly Lewis is the Marketing and Communication Specialist for the CU Denver College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She has a special interest in digital accessibility, digital and web engagement, enhancing the student experience through personalized communication and outreach, and digital transformation in higher ed. Before coming to CU Denver, she managed communications, marketing, and events in art and history museums in Denver, Colorado and Santa Cruz, California. She has also spent time as a freelance writer for several Denver-based magazines. She holds degrees in English literature and art history.

When she's not at work, Elly enjoys drawing and painting, spending time with her amazing family and pets, taking CU Denver courses, gardening, volunteering at her local library, and raising service dogs.

Gabriel Lira

Director of Enrollment Marketing and Communications

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Gabriel Lira serves as the Director of Enrollment Marketing and Communications. Reporting to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Digital Strategy in UComm with a dotted line to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management. Gabriel plays a critical role in creating, implementing, and measuring enrollment marketing strategies that support the campus in meeting and exceeding its enrollment targets for prospective and current students. In addition, he helps establish and execute the internal communications strategy for the broader Strategic Enrollment and Student Success (SESS) division, facilitating knowledge sharing and integration across the division. Gabriel earned an MBA with Human Resources concentration from Johnson & Wales University. Before joining CU Denver in October 2024, he spent four years at the University of Denver (2020-2024) and four years at Johnson & Wales University (2016-2020). He is passionate about helping others achieve their goals and believes this approach is key to his own growth and success. With expertise in multi-cycle recruiting, data analytics, human resources, and operations management, Gabriel is driven by a data-informed approach to tackling challenges and developing teams. He takes pride in his ability to transfer these skills across multiple industries to drive positive outcomes. Outside of work, Gabriel enjoys camping at the lake with his family or exploring downtown while spinning PokéStops.

Sindhusha Maliyala

Web and Marketing Analyst
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Carmen New

Director of Communications, College of Architecture and Planning
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Carmen is a dedicated communicator embedded within the College of Architecture and Planning (CAP), where she actively collaborates with students, faculty, and staff to amplify the stories, achievements, and milestones that highlight what makes CAP exceptional.

Since earning her Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin in 2011, Carmen has cultivated her career in higher education communications and marketing. Her areas of expertise include digital communications strategy, recruitment and yield communications planning, social media management, digital graphic design, brand management, and website oversight and maintenance.

Originally from Jackson, Tennessee, Carmen balances her professional pursuits with personal passions, which include writing, singing, baking, and hiking.

Elise Nguyen

Enrollment Communications and Strategy Senior Professional

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Elise Nguyen supports the Strategic Enrollment and Student Success (SESS) departments by effectively facilitating communication initiatives. As a dynamic communications professional with seven years of experience in higher education, Elise is committed to enhancing marketing strategies and fostering a campus environment where students, staff, faculty, and community members feel valued and supported in their journeys. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from CU Denver, she spent two years in CU Denver’s SESS division before joining UComm in 2024.

Leigh Pinner

Director of Brand & Digital Marketing
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Leigh Pinner joined the University Communications team in 2022 as the Director of Brand and Digital Marketing. In this role, she leads the development and execution of CU Denver's digital marketing strategy, with a focus on promoting university programs and enhancing institutional visibility. Prior to this, Leigh served as Senior Brand Marketing Manager for CU's Office of Digital Education. With a strong passion for higher education, Leigh is driven by the opportunity to support students and create a positive impact through marketing initiatives.

Leigh holds a bachelor of science in communication from Old Dominion University and a master’s in marketing, brand communication, and digital media from CU Denver. She currently lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she volunteers with local arts and cultural organizations, including the Richmond Symphony and RVA Broads.

Dan Ruzich

Web Content Writer/SEO Strategist
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Dan, a web optimization professional and skilled content marketer, is the SEO specialist and content manager on the University Communications Marketing and Digital Strategy team at CU Denver. In this role, he leverages SEO strategies to improve CU Denver's organic search results and website performance, designs site architecture, develops new content, and optimizes existing university content. With a background in website development and driving digital growth, Dan's expertise spans data analysis, strategic communication, and creative storytelling.

Dan holds a bachelor of science in Marketing with a concentration in data analytics from the University of Illinois Chicago. His professional journey includes optimizing web content for industries like tech consulting, advertising, and IT/cybersecurity and serving as a digital strategist at a growth marketing agency before joining CU Denver. Originally from Chicago, he has called Denver home for six years. Outside of work, Dan is passionate about rock climbing, snowboarding, traveling, soccer, and immersing himself in sci-fi worlds.

Jeremy Simon

Director of Communications
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Beki Strauser

Web Developer
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Paul Wedlake​

Senior Photographer and Videographer
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Paul was born and raised outside of Detroit, Michigan and was introduced to the craft of photography at an early age by his father who was also a photographer. It wasn’t until high school that he started to fall in love with photography. While working on the yearbook in high school, Paul discovered two things: The first being that photographing people was fun and he loved telling their stories with images and the second is that when he had a camera in his hands, he was able to have adventures around school and see what the other students were up to.

Paul now lives in Denver and freelanced for 20 years photographing people at work and at play, in the city and in the mountains, and on commercial and editorial assignments. He began freelancing for CU Denver in 2019 and joined the staff in 2022. Paul can be found on campus and in classroom shooting video and taking photos for storytelling purposes, including professional headshots, events, lifestyle, and drone photography. When his assignments are done, Paul can be found with his family skiing, snowboarding, hiking, camping, rafting, paddle boarding, and mountain biking.

Jennifer Woodruff

Director of Public Relations & Integrated Media
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Jennifer is the Director of Public Relations and Integrated Media for University Communications. She leads CU Denver’s earned media coverage efforts and focuses on increasing brand visibility by building a strong relationship between the university and the public, media, and target audiences. She also serves as the university's back-up PIO with an advanced public information officer FEMA certification.

Jennifer came to CU Denver after working in local broadcast news as a Director of Marketing at 9NEWS, NEWS CENTER Maine, and KGW, where she oversaw the marketing, brand, and promotional efforts in addition to client commercial production, PR, community relations, philanthropic efforts, and programming. Prior to working in local news, she worked for the financial company Transamerica Capital, Inc. as a Senior Graphic Designer.

She attended Colorado State University and received a BFA in Graphic Design with a minor in Media Studies. She has six Regional Broadcaster Emmys, 11 Local Broadcasters Awards, and three National Promax awards.

Jennifer has had the distinct pleasure of living in both Portlands back-to-back and loves traveling to new places, trying new foods, and meeting new people. She also plays Scottish/Celtic fiddle and bakes French patisserie in her spare time.