Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Roadrunner Shoutout series highlights the excellent and important work happening at all levels of the University. Nominations are always accepted and encouraged.
Winners are recognized at the monthly President’s Cabinet meeting. A weather closure delayed the announcement of February winners, so this month Early Bird readers get a double dose of Roadrunner excellence.
FEBRUARY WINNERS
Faculty winner: Brad Palmertree, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Social Work
Nominated by Kryss Shane, Ph.D., affiliate in Social Work, who wrote:
“Dr. Palmertree is consistently thinking of new and inventive ways to engage his students. He meets with faculty peers to discuss how they are teaching, participates in trainings on open resources to be mindful of students’ budgets and is always open to collaboration and discussion with his colleagues. As a result, students love him, and he is an absolute joy to work with. He raises the bar for everyone around him while simultaneously helping others to also raise the bar in the ways that work best for them. He makes everyone better!”
Staff winner: Jermaine Gunnells, assistant director for the Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion
Nominators: Student Affairs Leadership Team of Cynthia Baron, Adrienne Martinez, Long Huynh, Emily Willan, Thuy Phan and Will Simpkins, Ed.D., who wrote:
“Jermaine, we are beyond happy and grateful to have you in our Student Affairs family because you are the absolute right leader for the Brother to Brother Program. You are innovative, creative, ambitious, professional and classy.
“You demonstrate your passion for the Brother to Brother Program by going above and beyond by planning well-rounded and comprehensive events that impact male-identified students of color. Through events such as Elevating Your A-Game, Critical Discussion on Race, the Brother to Brother Symposium and 1:1 coaching sessions, you address critical issues and needs impacting male-identified students of color to aid them in their co-curricular journey here at MSU Denver. We appreciate your networking ability to engage with external partners and donors. You have worked meticulously with donors to get their buy-in and develop donor relationships through your various channels within the community. We are impressed to hear that you brought in $2,240 for Day of Giving to Brother to Brother, and you continue to meet with and develop connections with donors to provide financial support and programmatic efforts to male-identified students of color.”
MARCH WINNERS
Faculty winner: Vida Melvin, Ph.D., associate professor of Biology
Nominated by Clare Hays, Ph.D., professor of Biology, who wrote:
“Not only is Dr. Melvin a popular, engaging and outstanding teacher, she is an outstanding colleague. Importantly, her service to the University through the many years serving as a faculty senator and to the Biology Department should be recognized. Dr. Melvin has especially demonstrated extraordinary leadership for the curriculum in the department. She has been chair or co-chair of the committee since 2018. She never hesitates to take on huge projects keeping the curriculum current and relevant. She actively listens to committee members (exemplifying the Respect aspect in CADRE), enters all updates into Curriculog and spends hours summarizing meetings in detailed notes. Her work benefits the diverse students identified in the CADRE values, making sure curriculum is inclusive and relevant.”
Staff winner: Luna Boydstun, facilities, fitness-and-wellness manager for Campus Recreation
Nominated by Haley Halkidis, marketing-and-outreach coordinator for Campus Rec, who wrote:
“Luna has made MSU Denver feel like more home, helping me navigate the ins and outs of higher education as I learn my new role at Campus Rec.
“Luna is not just a manager at Campus Rec but a mentor. She leads by example and is an amazing woman. She supervises 25 student staff members and goes out of her way to make Campus Rec a safe and welcoming place for all. She always makes time to listen to her students and works hard to meet their needs!”
Also nominated by Diane Yee, director of Campus Recreation, who wrote:
“Luna helped reopen Campus Recreation after a 1.5-year Covid-19 closure, returned the personal-training program to full swing and onboarded a new set of fitness instructors. She helped co-launch the first gender-affirming workout class on campus, creating a safe space for LGBTQ members. In February, Luna stepped up to permanently take on the responsibilities of facilities operations, which includes the supervision of 20+ facility staff members, equipment inventory/maintenance, work orders and facility requests and took on the role of CPR/AED/First-Aid instructor.
“She continuously impresses with her ability to juggle so many responsibilities while still engaging in her own professional development. She participated in LEAD Professional Development training just in time to assume the role of Colorado state rep for the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association. The student and professional staff members in Campus Recreation are thankful that Luna is a dedicated Roadrunner who embodies CADRE values.”
Student-employee winner: Josh Geurink, photographer/videographer for University Communications and Marketing
Nominated by Amanda Schwengel, assistant director of Photo and Video Production, who wrote:
“Josh has been working with University Communications and Marketing as a student photographer and videographer since fall 2021 and has been a great asset to the department and University. Besides covering campus events and stories and helping with various visual tasks, he is proactive in making video reels, finding feature photos and always ready to jump on a project. Josh is dependable, a great communicator and always meets deadlines. He is currently spearheading a video project for Admissions International Students and working with a number of campus constituents in addition to balancing a heavy on-campus class load this semester. It has been amazing to see his growth as a visual storyteller, and I learn as much from him as I hope he learns from me!”