I recently had the privilege of welcoming Carol Salomon and Norman Broad, two generous supporters of Fort Lewis College, to campus to celebrate the good their gifts have done. Their donations to the President’s Discretionary Fund have allowed us to support some wonderful initiatives and programs.
A number of FLC faculty and students joined me in honoring Carol and Norman. Dr. Heidi Steltzer, FLC associate professor of biology, talked about her opportunity to head to the Antarctic next year to highlight women in science. Dr. Marc Reed, chair of the FLC Music Department, spoke about the grand piano purchased for the Student Union (no one will miss hauling a piano across campus for special events at the Union). Bridget Irish talked about the Common Reading Experience and how that program has spread across campus and into the community. Finally, Kyle Hollerbach, a student and member of the FLC drum line, serenaded us with the Salomon Street Strut, a drum composition he wrote in honor of Carol and Norman. Their gift of the new drum line has been spectacular!
All of these programs, improvements and opportunities are supported by the President’s Discretionary Fund, which is in turn supported by the generosity of friends of Fort Lewis College like Carol Salomon and Norman Broad. Thank you!
Former Fort Lewis College cyclist Savilia Blunk captured a pair of national titles at the USA Cycling Cross Country Mountain Bike National Championship.
Durango artist Maddie Sanders (Communication Design, '21) contributed to a collaborative art and science exhibit that will make the Colorado State Capitol home for the next five months. Sanders worked with CU Boulder scientists Nicole Brooks and Diane McKnight to create "Durango: Mining the Mineral Belt." Their work explores the relationship between acid mine and acid rock drainage in the Colorado Mineral Belt and the effect it has on natural waterways.
FLC cyclist Michaela Thompson won her gravel race debut alongside teammates Sarah Sturm (Art, ‘12) and Ellen Campbell (Biology, '20).
For more meaningful relationships and fuller lives, Charlie Rogers (Exercise Physiology, '22) is helping Durangoans create community through play and movement.
Installation artist Chris Erickson (Art, '94) is leading the city of Aspen's first-ever public art installation. The project is a temporary street mural, and community members are invited to help paint it from start to finish.
The Center for Indigenous Health held a graduation ceremony for seven Indigenous scholars receiving advanced degrees from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, including FLC alumna Natalie Joe (Cellular & Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, '16), who spoke to Native News Online about her achievement.