Barbara Neeley Yalich ’53

By Megan Clancy ’07

After a lifetime of devoted service to Colorado College and the greater Colorado Springs community, Barbara Neeley Yalich ’53 passed away on Friday, April 11 due to a short illness. She was 94.

“Barbara’s unabashed love of Colorado College and her commitment to building and sustaining our community was unparalleled,” says CC Chaplain Kate Holbrook. “Deeply invested in all aspects of community life, from ensuring students’ developmental growth, supporting CC Hockey and Athletics, and ensuring that CC had the financial resources to thrive, Barbara’s legacy continues today.”

READ THE FULL STORY »

Dr. Peter Hotez

Join us Tuesday, Apr. 29 from 4-6:15 p.m. in Cornerstone for the Harold D. and Rhoda N. Roberts Memorial Lecture in the Natural Sciences: “Vaccines and Immunizations in a Time of Global Boiling and Anti-Science.”

Dr. Peter Hotez, MD, PhD, DSc (honorary), Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, will be delivering this compelling presentation. As Co-director of the Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development and a renowned champion of vaccines, Dr. Hotez brings a powerful voice to the national conversation around vaccine advocacy. A vaccine scientist and parent of a child with autism, he has been at the forefront of efforts to combat the growing “anti-vax” movement, emphasizing the urgent need to protect public health and uphold scientific integrity.

Guests are invited to enjoy light refreshments in the Cornerstone Main Space from 4-5 p.m., followed by Dr. Hotez’s lecture in Celeste Theatre from 5-6:15 p.m. His talk will also highlight the broader significance of scientific literacy and the defense of science in an era marked by misinformation and climate challenges.

This seminar is generously supported through the Harold D. and Rhoda N. Roberts Memorial Lecture in the Natural Sciences endowment, which supports and enhances science teaching at Colorado College. 

Add this event to your calendar.

CC is hosting the 21st Annual Colorado Springs University Research Forum (CSURF) tomorrow, Saturday, Apr. 26 from 8:15 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Please expect an influx of people on campus, with 160 students from Pikes Peak State College (PPSC), the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS), and the United States Air Force Academy (ASAFA).

CSURF is a collaborative venture designed to highlight the research and creative works of undergraduates from CC, PPSC, USAFA, and UCCS.

Dan Schmidt ’25

Dan Schmidt has earned a Watson Fellowship for his project, “The Ecology of Social Technology.” Digital timelines are accelerating while nature continues in steady cycles. This disconnect shapes how humans relate to themselves, each other, and the world. This project will explore new social technologies that are addressing this disconnect, and working to improve our social fabric. It will show how social technologies—from social media platforms to cocreating music with nightingales, from animal communication systems to government initiatives—can better reflect and respect the natural rhythms that sustain life on Earth.

READ THE FULL STORY »

CC has been recognized with Carnegie Classification’s new Research College and University (RCU) designation, a milestone that underscores the significant research conducted at CC by our students and faculty. Previously, research efforts at institutions like CC were not formally acknowledged in the same way as R1 and R2 universities. Now, this recognition highlights the depth and impact of our faculty and student research across diverse fields. We are one of 35 liberal arts colleges in the country, one of three ACM schools, and one of 10 liberal arts colleges in the West with this designation. Learn more on our new Research at CC page »

Sister Act,  running May 1-25 on the FAC main stage, is the feel-good musical comedy based on the 1992 smash hit film that has audiences jumping to their feet! When disco diva Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in the one place the cops are sure she won’t be found: a convent! Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and uptight Mother Superior. Using her unique disco moves and singing talent to inspire the choir, Deloris breathes new life into the church and community, but in doing so, blows her cover. Soon, the gang is giving chase, only to find themselves up against Deloris and the power of her newly found sisterhood.

Featuring original music by Tony- and eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken (Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors), this uplifting musical was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Students receive FREE tickets and staff and faculty can purchase tickets for $30 on the day of the performance. Tickets subject to availability; must purchase in person and present your Gold Card.

Hear from the organizers and participants of the “Dance with Somebody” Dance Workshop Spring Showcase. Dance Workshop is a CC student-run, biannual show that is the culmination of months of work by student dancers and choreographers. These shows bring the CC community together and always pack the house! Video by Rowan Kempen ’26

This newsletter includes the latest HR updates, including new benefits options for 2025-26, and new HR Team members. 

Thanks to those of you who were able to join us at the 2025 Benefits Fair to learn how to get the most value out of your benefits at CC. We were able to meet with many of you to talk about existing benefits, such as our MetLife pre-paid legal aid, our employee assistance program (EAP), and our new employee mental health offering, UWill. We also answered questions about our new High Deductible Health Plan offering.

You will receive an email on May 1 to invite you to participate in open enrollment to make your benefits elections.

At the April 17 In the Loop, we announced that we will have a new High Deductible Healthcare Plan option this year. Our previous plan is still available, but this new plan provides access to lower monthly premiums and a different savings account.

It may not be the best option for everyone, but it might be great for you. If you’d like more information about our plan, and whether it might help with your financial and health goals, you can find more information on our benefits website.

Performance conversations for the January-March period are open in Bridge until Monday, May 12. One advantage of more frequent performance conversations is that your self-assessment and conversations can be shorter. Take 15-20 minutes to reflect on your performance when completing your self-assessment. Similarly, the conversation with your leader may be 15-20 minutes as well. Thank you for your attention to this important process! For more information, please visit the Feedback Practices website.

Pam Butler will be retiring this summer after 27 years at CC. Pam has been such a critical part of our team, it is hard to imagine CC without her. Save the date of Wednesday, June 25, from 3-5 p.m. for Pam’s retirement celebration.

We’d also like to welcome Michele Mitchell, joining CC as our new HR Coordinator focusing on Total Rewards (Compensation and Benefits), and Kendra Merchant, our HR Coordinator focusing on HR Operations.

Visit the HR Updates page to check out past editions of People Connections, along with recent updates from HR.

Join us on Wednesday, May 7, from noon – 1:15 p.m. in Gaylord Hall in Worner for Director of Assessment & Program Review Amanda Udis-Kessler’s talk, “Power, Privilege, Possibilities: Rethinking Systemic Inequality.”

Join Dr. Amanda Udis-Kessler for a talk on her book Cultural Processes of Inequality: A Sociological Perspective. The book looks at cultural processes of inequality, providing examples from anti-Black racism, sexism, heterosexism, and cis-sexism in the U.S. This talk will focus on sociological understandings of power and privilege as well as on concrete ways we can work against systemic inequality in our own lives.

Lunch will be provided. Learn more about this event.

Please register by Thursday, May 1.

From the Director: Sieve! Sieve! Sieve! More than a Hockey Chant…

In our previous newsletters, we introduced the HITS framework (Hub–Incubator–Temple-Sieve) for enhancing the effectiveness of Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs). In this final block of the year, we move to the final letter in the framework: Sieve.

The sieve concept in the HITS framework represents a strategy where CTLs act as filters, discerning and disseminating evidence-based teaching practices. This approach emphasizes the importance of vetting educational research to inform and improve teaching methodologies across the institution.

At the Crown Center for Teaching (CCT), we are committed to elevating educational practices by serving as a conduit for evidence-based teaching strategies. Through initiatives and programs like our DocuGuides, Instructional Coaching, and Critical AI Literacy reading list, we strive to provide faculty with tools and insights to continue to innovate in the classroom. We aim to foster a dynamic learning environment where educators and students thrive by continuously filtering and sharing the latest educational research.

What resources are you looking for, and how can we help?

The CCT will plan our programming for the AY25-26 throughout Block 8 and summer. Is there a topic or set of resources you would like to see developed? Would you like to organize a Crown workshop or lunch gathering? Please let us know!

We hope you’ll explore the many opportunities available throughout this newsletter. And we send best wishes for the final weeks of this academic year!

Sincerely,

Ryan Raul Bañagale
Associate Professor of Music and Director of the Crown Center for Teaching

Thursday, May 15, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Tutt Library Room 105

Wrapping up a year of cross-campus conversations on Generative AI (GenAI) at CC, this Crown Educational Development Day addresses the present moment while inviting future exploration. Together, we will explore foundational concepts, ethical considerations, and strategies for navigating GenAI within the context of our liberal arts, antiracism, and sustainability values. The morning session will focus on where we are now, while the afternoon will follow the World Café Method to foster collaborative discussions on various topics as we look to the future.

Coffee service, snacks, and lunch will be provided. 

Morning Session (9 a.m.-noon): Where We Are

Afternoon Session (1 p.m.-3 p.m.): Where We’re Going

Topics for discussion include:

Participants are encouraged to join us for either the morning or afternoon session, or both! Register for Educational Development Day

Please let us know if you want to host one of the afternoon table conversations!

Become a New Faculty Mentor:  

The Mentoring Alliance Program seeks two tenured faculty members to mentor this year’s new tenure track cohort. Our new faculty members bring ideas, experiences, and passion to CC. The program’s goals are to recognize their skills and perspectives, ensure all new professors have equitable access to the tools and resources available on campus, and create spaces for new faculty members to support each other in transitioning into their CC careers.

Each mentor will work closely with 4-5 new faculty from across divisions, orienting them to CC logistics, and creating space to share their ideas and concerns and learn from each other. In exchange for compensation of $2750, mentors must commit to:

If you are interested in being a mentor, please send an e-mail explaining your interest in the position to MAP Faculty Fellow Corina McKendry at cmckendry@coloradocollege.edu by Wednesday, Apr. 30.

Become an Instructional Coach:

The CCT Instructional Coaching (IC) program supports CC educators’ anti-oppressive pedagogical development, including classroom environment, assessment, instructional practices, critical consciousness, and discourse. The program leverages CC faculty’s knowledge and skills by hiring interested CC faculty members who then serve as coaches to fellow faculty seeking instructional coaching support.  

The IC program seeks to hire two new instructional coaches for the 2025-26 school year. We currently have a strong pool of coaches from the Natural Sciences Division, so we are looking for applicants representing the ID programs, Social Sciences, and Humanities Divisions for this round. Preference will be given to applicants who have previously participated as coachees in the program.

Instructional coaches serve as pedagogical thought partners responsible for observing and supporting the development of one to two colleagues throughout a semester, or the academic year, through two to four coaching cycles. Coaching cycles typically include a pre-observation conversation, a two-stage classroom observation using the Inclusive Pedagogies Observation Protocol (IPOP foundations and advanced and a shorter version of these tools), and a post-observation debrief. Coaching cycles can also include syllabus support, assignments, and assessment design.

Applications are due no later than Wednesday, Apr. 30. New coaches must attend instructional coach training on Wednesday, May 7 and Tuesday, May 13 from 3-5:30 p.m., and a two-hour asynchronous training between these dates.

All coaches must attend semesterly check-ins, and returning coaches must participate in further training during the fall semester.

Instructional Coaches are paid $2,750 each academic year to support the professional growth of one or two coachees for four coaching cycles. 

Apply to become an Instructional Coach

Critical AI Literacy Course Development Grants:

The CCT invites faculty to apply for Critical AI Literacy Course Development Grants to support courses in 2025-26 AY that engage with generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in ways that reflect CC’s commitments to the liberal arts, antiracism, and sustainability. These grants are designed to support critical engagement of GenAI technologies in teaching and learning, not necessarily their use.

We encourage proposals from faculty who wish to explore thoughtful uses of GenAI and those who want to examine its non-use through deliberate curricular choices.

For example, a course might include modules that raise awareness about GenAI’s ethical, environmental, social, or epistemological implications, even if the tools are not used. 

Applicants are encouraged to:

Proposals are due by the second Friday of Block 8 (May 2), and decisions will be made before the end of Block 8. The summer salary grant amount is $1,000. 

Apply for a Critical AI Literacy Course Development Grant

Crown Leadership Projects in Teaching and Inquiry

The CCT Leadership Projects in Teaching and Inquiry support faculty advancing innovative, reflective, and impactful approaches to our teacher-scholar model at CC. This initiative responds to requests for increased opportunities to try out ideas and hone project development processes. It recognizes that leadership in a liberal arts context emerges through thoughtful practice, collaborative exploration, and a commitment to learning within and beyond the classroom.

Call for Proposals

Faculty members are invited to propose year-long projects that enhance the learning community at CC. We are particularly interested in proposals that leverage a faculty member’s specific interests and expertise and demonstrate potential for future impact on our campus. Such opportunities could be related to alternative assessment practices, scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), integrating arts-based learning, etc.

Please submit a proposal of approximately 500 words that includes the following:

Faculty selected for Leadership Projects in Teaching and Inquiry will receive a $4,000 salary stipend for their respective projects during the 2025-26 academic year.

Proposals should be emailed directly to CCT Director, Ryan Bañagale, and will be accepted through the last Wednesday of Block 8 (May 14). If you have any questions or want to discuss ideas as you prepare your application, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Summer Crown Manuscript Workshop

The Crown Manuscript Workshop supports and promotes productive scholarship at CC. It brings together a CC scholar member and up to two external colleagues who are knowledgeable about the project topic for an intensive two-day seminar to discuss and revise the scholar’s manuscript. Over the past decade, the workshops have supported scholars in producing excellent publications in various fields.

This workshop is for scholars who have a book project, major dissertation revision in the form of a nearly completed manuscript, or significant creative work.

Scholars may arrange a seminar with up to two external colleagues (one of whom may be a publisher) working intensively on the full manuscript with the author. The honorarium for knowledgeable scholars is $500 each, plus additional travel, lodging, and meal costs. 

Applications for a Summer 2025 Workshop are due on the last Wednesday of Block 8 (May 14).

Application Process:

Completed applications and supporting materials (in PDF format, please) should be emailed to Ryan Bañagale (rbanagale@coloradocollege.edu).

Proposals must include:

Other considerations:

Call for Applications: Creative Courage Cohort 2025-26

Creativity & Innovation invites faculty in all disciplines to join the Creative Confidence Cohort (CCC). This year-long program offers those in the cohort opportunities to explore creative thinking and problem-solving exercises. The cohort begins on Aug. 11 and 12 with an immersive experience. The CCC will benefit anyone hoping to support students’ creative thinking or those who wish to align new or existing courses with the Creative Process general education requirement. Each faculty member who completes the program will receive a summer course development grant of $2,000 to modify an existing course or $4,000 to develop a new course (awarded in Summer 2026). See the website for more information.

To apply, email your goals for participating in the cohort to Kris Stanec, Director of Creativity & Innovation, kstanec@coloradocollege.edu by Friday, Aug. 1.

How Do You Experience Place? The Permanent Collection Reinstallation at the FAC

The FAC looks forward to the reinstallation of the museum’s permanent collection in Gathering Place, opening September 5, 2025. This transformative reinstallation spans the first-floor galleries, immersing visitors in the powerful, complex, and overlapping histories connected to the Southwest. Featuring collection highlights alongside rarely exhibited works, Gathering Place opens new opportunities for Colorado College classes to engage with the story of this place.

In addition to the curatorial team at the FAC, guest curators include Cassandra Atencio, artist, elder, and member of the Southern Ute Tribe; James M. Córdova, santero and Associate Professor of Art History, Latin American Art at the University of Colorado, Boulder; Josh T. Franco, artist and art historian; and Pat Musick, artist and educator.

Request a class visit through the FAC website or contact Blair Huff, FAC Academic Engagement Manager, to explore the possibilities. 

CCE: PEAK (Publicly Engaged Actionable Knowledge) Project

Are you interested in transitioning a course you teach this fall to community-engaged learning, but need community connections? If so, you are invited to participate in the PEAK Project by filling out this brief interest form by the end of Block 8 (Sunday, May 18). The PEAK Project bridges campus knowledge to community impact by connecting CC educators to nonprofit partners for community-engaged learning classroom projects. 

For a limited time, those who participate in the PEAK Project and are successfully “matched” will be eligible to receive project development stipends ($500 each for faculty and community partners) to honor the time, capacity, and thought-work that goes into developing new community-engaged learning projects. This funding is generously provided through the Bonner Foundation’s Community-Engaged Learning Initiative, through which the CCE received a grant. Funds will be offered until grant funding is exhausted.

It’s the final block of the 2024-25 year, and the Music Department is going out with a bang. With 16 different concerts, including student recitals, ensemble concerts, and visiting artists, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating the end of the year.

Students in the Bluegrass Ensemble travel to Baca for an immersive folk music experience with director Keith Reed.

Faculty Recital: Coloraduo
Wednesday, Apr. 23 at 7 p.m.
Packard Hall
A program of French, contemporary, and Impressionistic music performed by Daryll Stevens and Pamela Diaz (clarinets), and Susan Grace (piano).

Visiting Artist: Stephen Marotto, cello
Thursday, Apr. 24 at 7 p.m.
Packard Hall
A program of new and contemporary music for cello and electro-acoustic cello.

BLOCK 8: Music Block Party! Featuring 2MX2 and The Reminders
Friday, Apr. 25, 4-6 p.m.
FAC Sculpture Garden
2MX2 — LatinX bilingual band fusing reggaeton and Cumbia beats, hip-hop, and indie rock.

The Reminders (Big Samir and Aja Black) — internationally beloved hip-hop duo from the Springs.

Food provided by North of the Border Grill.

In case of inclement weather, this event will be re-located to the Celeste Theatre.

Chamber Chorus: Voice and Verse
Friday, Apr. 25 at 7 p.m.
Packard Hall
Featuring choral settings of great poetry by WH Auden, Wendell Berry, Ogden Nash, and more.

Collegium Musicum: “Before the Symphony, from Consort to Concert”
Sunday, Apr. 27 at 3 p.m.
Packard Hall
Tracing the lineage from consort music to orchestral music. Featuring works by Byrd, Montalbano, Sammartini, Handel, and more. Directed by Elisa Wicks.

Student Vocal Recital: Izzy Wagenvoord, soprano
Sunday, Apr. 27 at 7 p.m.
Packard Hall
Senior vocalist Izzy Wagenvoord presents a senior recital of music from the composers of Mozart, Sondheim, Copland, and more. Izzy is a student of Professor Ann Brink.

Concert Band: “In a Galaxy, Far, Far Away…”
Tuesday, Apr. 29 at 7 p.m.
Shove Chapel
Featuring music from Star Wars, Interstellar, and new music written, composed, and performed by local singer-songwriter Miette Hope.

Bluegrass Ensemble Concert
Thursday, May 1 at 7 p.m.
Packard Hall
Featuring the student ensembles of CC’s Bluegrass Studio. Directed by Keith Reed.

Guitar Ensemble Concert
Friday, May 2 at 7 p.m.
Packard Hall
A classical guitar ensemble concert featuring the students of Dale Miller’s and Neil Hesse’s studios. Music by Mozart, Carulli, Vivaldi, Handel, and more.

Chamber Orchestra Concert
Sunday, May 4 at 7 p.m.
Packard Hall
Featuring music by Gluck, Hadyn, and Saint-Saëns. Directed by Dan Brink and Jerilyn Jorgensen.

Music at Midday
Wednesday, May 7 at 12:15 p.m.
Packard Hall
Come hear the wonderfully talented students of CC’s music department as they perform solo and chamber instrumental and vocal works!

SMF Intermezzo Series: Three J’s at CC
Wednesday, May 7 at 7 p.m.
Packard Hall
Frautschi, Manasse, and Nakamatsu return for this special Intermezzo Series concert. The Summer Music Festival’s Intermezzo concerts keep music alive until the festival begins in June.

Tickets: General Public/$30; Donors/$25; Non-CC Student/$5; FREE for all CC Gold Card Holders

Tiger Jazz Concert
Thursday, May 8 at 7 p.m.
Celeste Theatre
Directed by Ricky Sweum, the Tiger Jazz Ensemble and participating high school ensembles present their final concert of the school year. 

Student Vocal Recital: Ava Piebenga, soprano
Friday, May 9 at 7 p.m.
Packard Hall
Senior vocalist Ava Piebenga presents a senior recital of music from Western Classical composers and Broadway favorites. Ava is student of Professor Jennifer DeDominici.

Mariachi Tigre
Saturday, May 10 at 7 p.m.
Packard Hall
Celebrate the end of the school year and Mother’s Day with the wonderful Mariachi Tigre Ensemble, directed by AliciaRose Martinez.

Gamelan Ensemble Concert
Sunday, May 11 at 3 p.m.
Packard Hall
Join us in Packard Hall for a colorful performance of Indonesian music and dance, presented by the CC Gamelan Ensemble directed by I Made Lasmawan and Ni Ketut Marni.

Pride Outside is happening Friday, Apr. 25 from 2-5pm on Yampa Field! Celebrate our LGBTQIA+ community with food, music, games, and outdoor clinics like fire building, natural cord weaving, a mini mountain bike skills park, and more. Plus, the Outdoor Ed Annual Gear Sale will be from 3-5pm!

There will be hands-on activities from campus offices like the Wellness Resource Center, Arts and Crafts, the Butler Center, CC Mobile Arts, the CCE, the Chaplain’s Office, and local partners including Ladyfingers Letterpress, Inside Out Youth Services, and Drag King Mario Wanna. There will also be a 50-foot inflatable obstacle course and tons of other crafts and activities.

A big thank you to CCSGA and the Antiracism Community Engagement (ACE) Grant for making this possible.

We hope to see you there!

Sincerely,