College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Commencement Program
138th Year of
COMMENCEMENT
Fall 2021
Alma Mater
Hail To Thee, Our Alma Mater, Colorado State.
Memories Are Everlasting Of This Place So Great!
May Thy Green And Gold Unite Us, Loyal Ever Be.
Colorado State, Our Alma Mater, Hail, All Hail, To Thee
Colorado State University Seal
The Colorado State University seal is a modification of the official State of Colorado Seal, approved by the first General Assembly of the State of Colorado on March 15, 1877. The seal consists of the eye of God within a triangle, from which golden rays radiate. Below the triangle is a bundle of birch or elm rods, wrapped with a scroll and around a battle axe bound by thongs. The scroll is called a Roman fasces and is the insignia of a republican form of government. The bundle of rods bound together symbolizes strength, which is lacking in the single rod. The axe symbolizes authority and leadership. Below the scroll is the heraldic shield bearing across the top three snow-capped mountains. The lower half of the shield has two miner’s tools, the pick and sledge hammer, crossed on the ground. As the University evolved, the seal was updated to reflect changes to the school’s name. The original name was the State Agricultural College. In 1935, the name changed to Colorado State College of Agricultural and Mechanical Arts. In 1957, the name was again changed – this time to Colorado State University. The original seal was made of hand-tooled leather. Damaged during the campus flooding of 1938, the original border was cut away in a random and arbitrary fashion and stitched back down on a new piece of leather in a scallop-like manner, giving the seal its current appearance.
Principles of Community
The Principles of Community support the Colorado State University mission and vision of access, research, teaching, service and engagement. A collaborative and vibrant community is a foundation for learning, critical inquiry, and discovery. Therefore, each member of the CSU community has a responsibility to uphold these principles when engaging with one another and acting on behalf of the University.
Inclusion: We create and nurture inclusive environments and welcome, value and affirm all members of our community, including their various identities, skills, ideas, talents and contributions.
Integrity: We are accountable for our actions and will act ethically and honestly in all our interactions.
Respect: We honor the inherent dignity of all people within an environment where we are committed to freedom of expression, critical discourse, and the advancement of knowledge.
Service: We are responsible, individually and collectively, to give of our time, talents, and resources to promote the well-being of each other and the development of our local, regional, and global communities.
Social Justice: We have the right to be treated and the responsibility to treat others with fairness and equity, the duty to challenge prejudice, and to uphold the laws, policies and procedures that promote justice in all respects.
Land Acknowledgment
Colorado State University acknowledges, with respect, that the land we are on today is the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute Nations and peoples. This was also a site of trade, gathering, and healing for numerous other Native tribes. We recognize the Indigenous peoples as original stewards of this land and all the relatives within it. As these words of acknowledgment are spoken and heard, the ties Nations have to their traditional homelands are renewed and reaffirmed.
CSU is founded as a land-grant institution, and we accept that our mission must encompass access to education and inclusion. And, significantly, that our founding came at a dire cost to Native Nations and peoples whose land this University was built upon. This acknowledgment is the education and inclusion we must practice in recognizing our institutional history, responsibility, and commitment.
Fall 2021
Dear Graduates,
Congratulations! On behalf of everyone at CSU – our faculty, our staff, and your fellow graduates and students – I am so excited to celebrate your graduation from Colorado State with you. This is an extraordinary achievement. Savor it, and savor being able to call yourselves alumni of Colorado State University. Our alumni make up a worldwide fellowship of amazing people like you.
You leave here with the knowledge you’ll need to succeed in your chosen careers and the creativity and critical thinking you’ll need to be life-long learners. You will gain wisdom with every experience. You will be ready to transform yourselves when opportunities and challenges arise.
This past year and a half certainly presented you with challenges! But you pushed on to make to this moment – your Commencement ceremony – and to officially receiving the degree that you worked so hard to earn. Your perseverance has already put you on a path to success; your resilient spirit will carry you forward.
This is just one stop in your path. As you move on to the next phases of your lives, you will always be Rams and will remain members of the larger CSU community, characterized by your brilliant minds and great hearts. Ours is a community that extends across our nation and around the globe. And today, more than ever, the world needs your brilliance to confront its increasingly complex challenges.
We are Colorado State University, all of us, together. We are one of the top public research universities in our nation because of you, because of our outstanding faculty and staff, and because of all those who came before us who are part of that growing, globe-spanning community. As a CSU alum, you exemplify the power of access to higher education and leave here prepared to make our world a better place.
I am so, so proud and thrilled for all of you, and excited about your accomplishments as students, your graduation, and the amazing things you will achieve next. Know that you make all of us at CSU proud – today, tomorrow, and far into the future.
Warmly,
Joyce E. McConnell
President
Armed Forces Commissionees
AIR FORCE COMMISSIONEES
Davis, Calvin
Mead, Justin
Quintanilla, Linda
Quintanilla, Sofia
ARMY COMMISSIONEES
Jurgens, Peter R.
Struckman, Colby A.
A History of Colorado State University
Colorado State University originated in 1870 when the territorial legislature established an agricultural college at Fort Collins. This school qualified for endowment under the Morrill Act of 1862, which provided federal land grants to academic institutions offering instruction in “such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts” and promoting “the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life.” Ideally, land-grant schools would make higher education more useful, accessible, and democratic.
Nearly a decade passed before classes began at Fort Collins, but in the interim, experimental work was conducted on the campus farm. How could the emerging modern sciences of physics, chemistry, and biology be applied to Colorado’s distinctive agricultural conditions? Which were the most suitable methods of soil use, irrigation, crop selection, animal care, and pest control? Answers demanded careful study, which an agricultural experiment station would soon provide. Research thus preceded teaching.
On September 1, 1879, President Elijah E. Edwards and a two-member faculty welcomed the first students to the college. In the beginning, a single course of study served all, and the original graduating class – George H. Glover, Leonidas Loomis, and Libby Coy – received degrees on June 5, 1884. By the turn of the century, however, the curriculum included fully developed majors in agriculture, engineering, and home economics, along with fledgling graduate-level work. Dedicated faculty contributed to this development, among them James Lawrence, Clarence Gillette, Theodosia Ammons, and Elwood Mead. Mead, for example, introduced the first instructional program in irrigation engineering to be offered by an American college or university, and Lake Mead, Nevada, commemorates his subsequent professional esteem.
Outreach augmented research and teaching. Knowledge generated in Fort Collins could benefit Coloradans beyond the home campus, and in 1880, the college began offering farmers’ institutes at various locations. Eventually, extension agents would provide locally focused service in all Colorado counties and launch enduring programs, such as 4-H. Research, teaching, and outreach were all key college activities when Charles A. Lory began a 31-year tenure as president in 1909. A former ditch rider, whose family had homesteaded in Colorado, Lory imbued the school with a commitment to practical education and service to the state. During his presidency, enrollments grew from 217 to 2,048, and the college developed into a well-rounded technical institution. By 1940, degrees were available in agriculture, engineering, home economics, veterinary medicine, forestry, vocational education, agricultural economics, and rural sociology. Notable faculty of the Lory era included Inga Allison, Lawrence Durrell, Walter J. Morrill, Isaac E. Newsom, Elizabeth Forbes, and Ruth J. Wattles.
These years also featured extracurricular activities and campus traditions. Fraternity and sorority life, Coach Harry Hughes’ football teams, and painting the “A” all left indelible memories. So did the calamity of the Great Depression, which posed exceptional challenges for Colorado’s landgrant institution as it worked to mobilize outreach support for the state’s hard-hit rural areas.
American involvement in World War II threw normal college routines into disarray. Enrollments plummeted as students and faculty left Fort Collins for military service. Although the college remained open because of President Roy Green’s success in bringing military training programs to the campus, national defense rather than collegiate goals prevailed. Research and extension efforts strongly emphasized agricultural output.
The post-war years saw an influx of veterans attending college on the G.I. Bill. In addition, Cold War tensions led to vastly augmented federal support for scientific research and training. Sponsored projects proliferated, as did graduate programs.
William E. Morgan, who became president in 1949, led the school’s emergence as a modern educational institution. A prudent planner, he foresaw the need for major campus expansion, identified areas of excellence, and encouraged their development. In 1955, the college awarded its first Ph.D. degree (to Adrian R. Chamberlain) and two years later changed its name to Colorado State University. Curricular improvements in the liberal arts, library acquisitions, and international programs gave legitimacy to the title of “university.”
During the 1960s, enrollments soared from 6,131 to nearly 17,000, enabling gifted teachers, such as Willard Eddy and Meyer Nathan, to influence numerous students. Young people of this era also seemed determined to exercise an influence of their own by challenging perceived injustices. Concerns about racism, military power, environmental despoliation, discrimination against women, and rules governing student behavior provoked protests.
Adrian R. Chamberlain succeeded William E. Morgan as president in 1969 amid campus unrest that culminated in the burning of the Old Main building in 1970. Chamberlain worked to consolidate university changes during a period of less rapid growth. By the conclusion of his 11-year tenure, the boom in American higher education had ended, along with the moral fervor of a youthful generation. Good jobs now elicited greater concern than good causes.
During the 1980s, Colorado State University faced many questions. Which programs would best serve a dynamic modern society? Could traditional commitments to agriculture and rural Colorado be balanced against escalating urban needs and international involvements? What role should computers and electronic networks play in facilitating education? The university addressed these and other critical issues despite administrative upheaval that featured three different presidents within a four-year period.
The 1990s imposed both new and traditional demands upon Colorado State University. Particularly notable was the flood of July 28, 1997. Despite devastating damage to the campus, including Morgan Library and the Lory Student Center Bookstore, CSU managed to start Fall Semester classes on time. This achievement reflected remarkable effort, which President Albert Yates defined as a challenge to make the university into “a better and stronger place in all of its dimensions.” During his 13-year presidency, which began in 1990, Yates provided leadership that significantly advanced this goal, seeking, in his words, to “always turn adversity to advantage.” CSU emerged from the flood with an enhanced sense of community, and its rebuilt campus was functionally and aesthetically superior to the earlier one. Under Yates, the quality of undergraduate and graduate education and research steadily improved, along with opportunities for women and underrepresented minorities. Faculty such as Temple Grandin, Stanley Shumm, George Seidel, Stephen Withrow, Diana Wall, and Holmes Rolston achieved international renown, thereby enhancing CSU’s scientific and scholarly stature.
Intercollegiate athletics also flourished. Sonny Lubick’s winning football program, formation of the Mountain West Conference, and unprecedented success for women’s teams highlighted this trend. Olympic champion swimmer Amy Van Dyken and basketball All-American Becky Hammon were among the school’s best-known athletes.
Recently, CSU, like most public universities, has been severely tested by state, national, and global economic problems, along with competition for students by peer institutions and proliferating online academic programs. It has responded by diversifying resources, maintaining fiscal stability, and pursuing appropriate goals. For example, environmentalism has become an institutional objective, rekindling CSU’s longstanding research and teaching expertise in this realm. The university has emphasized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, while concurrently promoting the values of international understanding and responsible community involvement. It has also launched a significant building program that initially benefited from bargain construction savings during the Great Recession and consistently low-interest rates. Additions included: living-learning residence halls, technology-enabled classrooms, a totally refurbished Student Center, and an on-campus stadium. Rarely has CSU’s commitment to the “power of place” been more evident than in the transformational character of its campus during the past decade – functionally, aesthetically, and sustainably.
Anthony A. Frank, inaugurated as CSU’s president in 2009, facilitated these changes. A faculty member since 1993, he subsequently held key administrative positions and worked actively to advance institutional priorities that embodied its land-grant educational heritage. Frank’s ten-year presidency emphasized academic excellence and the principles of inclusion, service, and social justice – thus providing an excellent foundation for Joyce McConnell, who became the 15th president of the institution on July 1, 2019. Just a few months into this position (leading up to the 150th anniversary of CSU’s founding) McConnell introduced the Race, Bias and Equity Initiative – designed to promote a welcoming and safe environment for the entire campus community. In 2020, she led the coordination of CSU research teams, administrators, and facilities staff in implementing proactive protocols to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, tradition finds renewal in the academic ceremony of commencement – simultaneously celebrating past accomplishment, transition, and future promise. Since 1884, Colorado State University has bestowed 289,114 degrees. At present, 27,954 on-campus students, representing 106 nations, receive instruction from 1,872 faculty in eight separate colleges, plus the Graduate School and Libraries. Research expenditures total $447.2 million annually. This vitality is rooted in a dynamic legacy that enables Colorado State University to address the challenges of the post-9/11 era. Historically, this school has embraced democratic opportunity, rewarded competence and merit, and instilled perseverance. It has advanced wisdom as well as knowledge. These values are crucial to sustaining human civilization in the 21st century.
– James E. Hansen II, Professor Emeritus of History
– Linda M. Meyer, Archivist, CSU Libraries
Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System
The Board of Governors consists of 15 members, nine of whom are appointed by the governor of Colorado to serve four-year terms as voting members. Voting members may be appointed to a maximum of two four-year terms. The six non-voting members represent Colorado State University, Colorado State University-Pueblo, and Colorado State University-Global Campus. One faculty member and one student leader are representatives from each university.
Kim Jordan, Chair
Armando Valdez, Vice Chair
Nathaniel “Nate” Easley, Jr., Secretary
Russell DeSalvo III, Treasurer
Polly Baca
John Fischer
Steven Gabel
Jane Robbe Rhodes
Nancy R. Tuor
Melinda Smith, Faculty Representative, Colorado State University (Non-Voting Member)
Dr. Christen (Chris) Picicci, Faculty Representative, Colorado State University-Pueblo (Non-Voting Member)
Dr. Sara Metz, Faculty Representative, Colorado State University-Global Campus (Non-Voting Member)
Christian Dykson, Student Representative, Colorado State University (Non-Voting Member)
Mikayla Lerch, Student Representative, Colorado State University-Pueblo (Non-Voting Member)
Paige Martinez, Student Representative, Colorado State University-Global Campus (Non-Voting Member)
Colorado State University Leadership
Dr. Anthony A. Frank, Chancellor of the Colorado State University System
Ms. Joyce E. McConnell, President of Colorado State University
Dr. Mary Pedersen, Provost and Executive Vice President
Mr. Brett Anderson, Special Advisor to the Provost and Interim Director, Translational Medicine Institute
Ms. Jenelle Beavers, Vice President for Strategy
Mr. Brandon Bernier, Vice President for Information Technology
Ms. Yolanda Bevill, Vice President for University Marketing and Communications
Dr. Kauline Cipriani, Vice President for Inclusive Excellence
Dr. Sue Doe, Chair, Faculty Council
Ms. Kathleen Fairfax, Vice Provost for International Affairs
Ms. Robyn Fergus, Vice President for Human Resources
Dr. Blanche M. Hughes, Vice President for Student Affairs
Dr. Sue James, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
Dr. Laura Jensen, Vice Provost for Planning and Effectiveness
Mr. Jason Johnson, General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel
Ms. Lynn Johnson, Vice President for University Operations and Chief Financial Officer
Dr. Kelly Long, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs
Ms. Jannine R. Mohr, Deputy General Counsel
Dr. Blake Naughton, Vice President for Engagement and Extension
Mr. Joe Parker, Director of Athletics
Ms. Diana Prieto, Vice President for Equity, Equal Opportunity and Title IX
Dr. Alan S. Rudolph, Vice President for Research
Dr. Mary Stromberger, Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School
Ms. Leslie Taylor, Vice President for Enrollment and Access
Dr. Kim Tobin, Vice President for University Advancement
Dr. Colin Clay, Interim Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Ms. Karen Estlund, Dean of CSU Libraries
Dr. John P. Hayes, Dean of the Warner College of Natural Resources
Dr. David I. McLean, Dean of the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering
Dr. Janice L. Nerger, Dean of the College of Natural Sciences
Dr. James Pritchett, Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences
Dr. Beth Walker, Dean of the College of Business
Dr. Ben Withers, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts
Dr. Lise Youngblade, Dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Commencement
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology
December 18, 2021
Order of Ceremony
Processional 2 – “Pomp and Circumstance,” CSU Brass Ensemble
Posting of the Colors – Wing Walker Drill Team, Colorado State Air Force ROTC
National Anthem 1 – CSU Brass Ensemble
Welcome and Introductions – Interim Dean Colin Clay
Student Remarks – Ms. Olivia Good, Biomedical Sciences
Charge to the Class – President Joyce McConnell
Recognition of Outstanding Achievements of Graduates – Dr. Sandra Quackenbush
Presentation of Class – Dr. Quackenbush
Conferring of Degrees – President McConnell
Diploma Distribution and Recognition 2 – President McConnell, Dr. Kelly Long, Dr. Gregg Dean, Dr. Bruce Alexander, Interim Dean Clay
Welcome to the Alumni Association – Dr. Phillip Quirk
Closing Remarks and Announcements – Interim Dean Clay
Alma Mater and Recessional 2 – CSU Brass Ensemble
College Marshals: Ms. Alicia Foos, Dr. Sarah Maddox
Diploma Distribution: Dr. Quint Winger, Associate Head, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences; Dr. Phillip Quirk, Director, Assistant Professor, Undergraduate Neuroscience Program; Dr. Marie Legare, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences; Dr. Jennifer McLean, Associate Head, Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology
On the Platform
Ms. Joyce McConnell, 15th President, Colorado State University
Dr. Kelly Long, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs
Dr. Colin Clay, Interim Dean, Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Dr. Sandra Quackenbush, Professor, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs
Dr. Gregg A. Dean, Head, Professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology
Dr. Bruce Alexander, Head, Professor, Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences
Dr. Phillip Quirk, Director, Assistant Professor, Undergraduate Neuroscience Program
Dr. Quint Winger, Associate Head, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Dr. Marie Legare, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences
Dr. Jennifer McLean, Associate Head, Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology
Announcers
Dr. Christianne Magee, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Sciences
Dr. Sheryl Magzamen, Associate Professor, Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences
Dr. Leslie Stone-Roy, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Sciences
1 Audience will stand
2 Audience may remain seated
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Candidates for University Honors Scholar
Fall 2021
Taylor Garner, Biomedical Sciences major. Thesis title: Comparisons of Genetic and Environmental Dual-Hit Models for Parkinson’s Disease.
Anna Gongaware, Microbiology major and Spanish minor. Thesis title: Orf Virus: Presentation, Prevention and Treatment.
Olivia Good, Biomedical Sciences major. Thesis title: Mother Nature’s Children.
Audrey Gruszczynski, Biomedical Sciences major. Thesis title: An Analysis of Oncolytic Viruses and Their Advantages and Disadvantages in a Clinical Setting.
Lauren Houdesheldt, Biomedical Sciences major with Environmental Public Health concentration. Thesis title: Combating the Spread of Zoonotic Diseases.
Do Ka, Biomedical Sciences major. Thesis title: The Effects of Glucocorticoid Signaling on Exercise Performances in Male Rats at High-Altitude.
Kristen Long, Biomedical Sciences major and Health and Exercise Science major with Sports Medicine concentration. Thesis title: Mock Grant Proposal for the Implications of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Individuals with Metabolic Diseases.
Stacia McKinney, Microbiology major. Thesis title: Trematodes in Aquatic Mollusc Intermediate Hosts Above and Below Wastewater Treatment Plants of Front Range Drainages.
Abigail Sorapuru, Biomedical Sciences major. Thesis title: Discussion of LGBTQ+ Based Films and Their Impact on Consumers.
Madeline Sykes, Microbiology major. Thesis title: Early Removal of the Infrapatellar Fat Pad Alters Pathogenesis of Osteoarthritis in the Dunkin Hartley Guinea Pig.
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Candidates for Baccalaureate Degrees
Fall 2021
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Interim Dean Colin Clay
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
Biomedical Sciences
Aalto, Megan Evelyn *
Arpander, Victoria Gabrielle *
Bavaghar, Helya =
Beuscher, Austin J.
Bojack, Hailey Renee *
Burke, Autumn Katherine
Cadwell, Makenzie R. *
Chappell, Alexander C. * ^
Cheng, Tianyuan ^
Cramer, Devin William
Cunningham, Emma Pickard
Furrow, Bailyn Eleanor
Garner, Taylor Jordan
Good, Olivia Michelle
Gruszczynski, Audrey Janina ^
Haberman, Jared M. ^
Haynes, Sarah E.
Houdesheldt, Lauren Mae
Kareng, Dorcas Jaseng
Long, Kristen Rachele +
Mauro, Owen Joseph *
Melhorn, Sarah Marie *
Neukirch, Sydney Lauren *
Olson, Mallory Nicole
Peckosh, Tori Allison
Smith, Quinn Everett #
Sorapuru, Abigail Ann
Stark, Grace Cathryn ^
Zakavec, Jenna Marie
Zilhaver, Phillip Thomas * ^
Environmental Health
Bear, Jordyn Maryel
Carroll, Emilie J. ^
Jager, Robert J. *
Microbiology
Bauer, Niel Christopher ^
DeSimone II, David Michael *
Dreitz, Caleb James
Dunham, Tillie Jo
Fakharizadeh, Devan Nasar
Fiore, Erin Elizabeth
Gongaware, Anna Elizabeth *
Leon, Anna-Sophia
McKinney, Stacia Lee
Murphy, Tanner James ^
Onyango, Kimberly Awuor
Ryan, Keira M.
Schulist, Danielle Renee
Sykes, Madeline Marie
Thomas, Cayman Michelle
Wallace, Taylor Rene
Whitaker, Raven Layne
Neuroscience
Chissum, Mariana *
Edmonds, Marisa Julia *
Eldridge, Christopher Ryan *
Ford, Melanie Christine
Koopman-Tertel, Isaac J. ^
Mendoza, Estella Alejandra
Moorhead, Chloe Grace
Pointet, Maude *
Stischer, Mary L. * #
Yohannes, Matthew T.
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Baccalaureate Degrees Awarded
Summer 2021
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Dean Mark D. Stetter
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
Biomedical Sciences
Billow, Lauren Memory
Brause, Jessica Morgan ^
Turner, Aspen Elizabeth * =
Yakel, Breanna Lee
Environmental Health
Almarzoog, Laila Nory *
Archuleta, Sophia Anne
Bajala, Leonel Dancel
Bracker, Livia B.
Kondash, Therese Maria ^
Lipke, Carly Elizabeth ^
Sustar, Andrew Vernon
Microbiology
Dadhwal, Rhythm ^
Krajewski, Branden J.
Maria, Sierra Rayne *
Neuroscience
Knollenberg, Michael Takeo
PuniNimako, Patience Boatemaa
Schufman, Marybeth Claire
Wendell, Kiera Lynn *
* Candidates with minor
+ Candidates with second major
^ Candidates for cum laude
# Candidates for magna cum laude
= Candidates for summa cum laude