CMUnow Podcast

Western Colorado Community College Technical Instructor of Veterinary Technology Lori Burns has worked in the Grand Valley as a certified vet tech for nearly 20 years. Learn all about her experience with small animal medicine and why after years in the field she decided to teach.

Stop motion animator and filmmaker Evan Curtis studied his craft in New York City but found his niche in the great outdoors. His characters are explorers — traversing imagined worlds inspired by real life landscapes. His work has screened at SXSW, on PBS and in more than 50 festivals worldwide. He recently won the 2021 Best Colorado Animated Short by the Denver Underground Film Festival.

Director of Cybersecurity Center Ram Basnet, PhD, is educating and training the ethical hackers of the future. From rural Nepal to rural Colorado, Basnet takes us on a journey through time and technology.

Director of CMU-CU Boulder Engineering Partnership Programs Nathan McNeill speaks to the unique partnership program that is benefiting engineering students. Vice President of Development and CMU Foundation CEO Robin Brown discusses the mission of the foundation and the support they provide to CMU students, including many first-generation students. She also highlights new donations including an air...

Sarah Lanci grew up looking at the world asking why. She’d ask questions like, why are backpacking bags made the way they are, what role does drag play when building a kayak and why are racing skis designed differently than other types of skis? In this podcast CMU Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Sarah Lanci explains how behind every engineer is a passionate person asking why.

CMU Professor of Physics Chad Middleton, PhD, explains why physics is the "simple science" and breaks down Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity in two minutes. After listening to this conversation you might start noticing the laws of physics in your everyday world.

While this is not his first semester on campus, it is his first as president. John Marshall became the 11th president of Colorado Mesa University in July 2021. The first few months have been a learning experience and he is optimistic about the future of CMU, our region and country. In this conversation, we discuss what makes western Colorado unique, how to make a difference in the world and a univ...

Seebach has spent years working to uncover the complicated and emotional history of Indigenous boarding schools across North America by studying a former institution that is close to home. In the early 1900s, tens of thousands of Native American children were relocated to boarding schools with the intent to assimilate them, and therefore future generations, into western culture. The Teller Institu...

CMU Assistant Professor of Geology Cassandra Fenton, PhD, explains why geosciences is so much more than just rocks. In this episode, we also learn why the Grand Valley is like Disneyland for geologists.

Colorado Mesa University Instructor of Voice Caitlin Moore, MM, explains why she believes there are no good or bad sounds, but hears singers in shades of colors. In this episode, Moore contemplates why different genres speak to different people and the trends of artists over time.

WCCC Instructor of Viticulture and Enology Ellise Basch knows a little something about wine and food, and how the two pair together. As a gastronomist, Basch devoted years to understanding how place influences what we eat and drink. Through her travels, she learned about the many ways a culture can have a defining flavor. Just in time for Colorado Mountain Winefest, Basch takes us on a journey thr...

Adrian Herrera-Escobar moved to Colorado with his family this past summer to teach university students how to sing and also how to dance. This Faculty Friday episode introduces CMU’s new assistant professor of music and delves into how culture influences the arts.

haring music with each other allows us to create meaningful interactions and connections. This episode explores the many facets of the world of music including how to make the field more inclusive. Colorado Mesa University’s Adam Kluck is creating a music culture of independent thinkers and is on the podcast to tell us about it.

Originally from Delta, Colorado, Colorado Mesa University alumna Megan Englund now finds herself back in the classroom. She’s an instructor of applied business at Western Colorado Community College and is teaching students of all ages about entrepreneurship, business plans, social media and other practical skills that will help them get ahead in the world of business.

CMU Vice President for Academic Affairs Kurt Haas, PhD, is the first guest on the show. We discuss how CMU decides to add new programs, including the new master’s in criminal justice, faculty research and the knowledge base that is added to our community through our faculty members. The second guest is Assistant Athletic Director of Student Success and Compliance Austin Kaiser. Before discussing a...

Dr. Michael Reeder is the director of the Colorado Mesa University Monfort Family Human Performance Lab where a large number of kinesiology majors go to focus on undergraduate research. Reeder talks about why undergraduate research is important, his years in sports medicine and why he made the jump from clinic to classroom.

Western Colorado Community College’s Pharmacy Technician Program Director Allison Vogel discusses her path through the pharmacy technician industry and WCCC’s newest program.

Jill Cordova, PhD, has been teaching kinesiology at Colorado Mesa University for three decades. She has dedicated much of her career to connecting students to the community through a variety of wellness projects and activities for individuals with disabilities.

Sean Phelps stumbled into working at the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics, taught sports management courses in New Zealand and has been competing in triathlons for nearly 40 years. His path to success has been a non-traditional one and says he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Kristin Heumann, PhD, is an expert in all things health, from fad diets and the obesity epidemic, to knowing that not all health studies tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. This former competitive jump roper gives us the 411 on what’s happening in the health and fitness world.

Professor of English Kristen Hague, PhD, is a feminist scholar. In this CMUnow Special Edition podcast she talks about the recovery of voices in 18th century literature and the ways in which female novelists engaged in philosophical, intellectual and scientific debates in fiction writing.

In the 70s, Tom Acker took a gap year after high school and headed to Spain. He fell in love with the people and the culture, which led him on a lifelong path centered on the Spanish language and philanthropy.

CMU Director of Alumni Relations Jared Meier and Alumni Association Board President Phil Pe'a join for the first segment. Pe'a discusses his passion for community involvement including being an active member of the CMU Alumni Association and all that the board and alumni accomplished throughout the last year. With more than 40,000 alumni spanning all 50 states, Meier describes the many ways alumni...

On this CMUnow Special Edition podcast, we sit down with President Foster and learn about the man behind the presidency.

Elaine Venter is an expert on mass media, emerging media and the political, economic and cultural impact of geo-blocking online content. She’s also what some would call a gamer, and in this episode she delves into the topic of violence in video games. This conversation covers a lot of ground and is one you don’t want to miss.