Student Film Getting National Attention

The Economics of Higher Education

Earlier today, I presented a talk titled “The Economics of Higher Education” to the ACM Institute on College Futures. Below, you can find a copy of my presentation.

Another CC Artist Recognized

Congratulations to Professor Jean Gumpper for being recognized by the Colorado Springs Business Journal as one of the top artists in our region! Jean is known for her nature-themed woodcuts and teaches both printmaking and drawing at CC.

http://csbj.com/2014/06/09/artists-stand-among-regions-best/

Andy Tirado Wins 2014-2015 Juror’s Award

Last Thursday night, Andy Tirado, Colorado College’s 3D Arts Shop Supervisor, won the $10,000 Juror’s Award at the Art in the Streets exhibition in Colorado Springs. His work, entitled, “Lacuna,” is a 13-foot-long arm weighing more than 400 pounds and it is made out of reclaimed redwood from the deck outside the studios at Packard Hall on campus. It is currently on display until May 2015 in the Plaza of the Rockies in downtown Colorado Springs.

Congratulations Andy!

Summer Reading

I was recently asked by a media contact to share my summer reading list. I thought that I would share it with the CC community as well. I would love to hear what others are reading!

• Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century, of course! This book has been covered extensively in the media and I have talked with several of our students who are also planning to read it this summer. The question of the root of rising inequality is fascinating and important. All of the reviews of this one indicate that his data and analysis are worth the (very long) read.
• John Micklethwait and Adrian Woolridge’s The Fourth Revolution. These editors of The Economist magazine argue that Western nations need to reinvent the relationship between the economy and government if we are to compete in the future. I heard them talk on NPR a few weeks ago and was very interested in their idea that currently Republicans rely too much on the laissez faire economy and Democrats rely too much on the government. They argued that the path should be somewhere in between.
• After three years in Colorado, I am still learning about the Southwest. This summer I plan on reading a few books that have been recommended over the last few months. Daniel Yergin’s The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power was recommended to me by one of our trustees when I expressed interest in learning more about the history and business of the oil and gas industry in our region. Although written more than 20 years ago, The Prize is still regarded as the “best history of oil ever written.”
• Colorado College is located in Colorado Springs, a city with a significant military presence. As a result, many veterans retire to our beautiful city. Sarah Hautzinger, Professor of Anthropology here at CC, has recently co-authored a book Beyond Post-Traumatic Stress: Homefront Struggles with the Wars on Terror. It discusses the struggles of many of those who served our country and it is on my summer reading list.
• I also am looking forward to reading Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West by Hampton Sides. In 2006 when the book was released, The New York Times Sunday Book Review wrote that “Blood and Thunder is a full-blown history, and Sides does every part of it justice.” Hampton was on campus to work with our creative writing students this past academic year and will be a Visiting Distinguished Writer in Residence in the coming year.
• I also have several novels on my summer reading list. CC alumna Kaui Hart Hemmings has a new book, The Possibilities: A Novel. I loved her first novel, The Descendants, and can’t wait to indulge in her new work. I also have loaded the following on my Kindle – The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Stout; The Secret History by Donna Tart (I loved The Goldfinch and am looking forward to reading her earlier book); All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr; and Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Sheyngart (his memoir Little Failure is a delight).