Dr. Laith Al-Shawaf, Assistant Professor of Psychology
Dr. Laith Al-Shawaf, Assistant Professor of Psychology, was recently recognized as a “Rising Star” by the Association for Psychological Science (APS). From the association’s website, “The APS Rising Star designation is presented to outstanding APS members in the earliest stages of their research career post-PhD. … this designation recognizes researchers whose innovative work has already advanced the field and signals great potential for their continued contributions.” (https://www.psychologicalscience.org/members/awards-and-honors/aps-rising-stars). Selection as a Rising Star involves evaluation of a candidate’s publications, previous recognitions, substantive contributions to the field of research, and the potential for broad impact.
Matthew Copus, winner of the 2019 Grand Slam competition, presenting his research, “Magnetic Rogue Waves.” Matthew’s research mentor was Dr. Bob Camley, Professor of Physics
The UCCS Mountain Lion Grad Slam competition finals, this year an all-LAS event, will take place Friday (1/31/20) from 12-1 in Berger Hall. Graduate students will explain their research in an engaging way. Each student gets 1 slide and 3 minutes to present their research to a layperson audience. The winner of this competition represents UCCS at the Colorado Graduate Schools competition and at the Western Association of Graduate Schools competition.
Mary Lynn Stockman (Willis), 1987 UCCS Grad, Biology
Attending UCCS gave Mary Lynn Stockman (Willis) an excellent foundation for further studies and led to a fulfilling career as a Nutritionist. She received several scholarships as a UCCS student, and felt that she would have been unable to complete her studies without them. She has a special place in her heart for single parents who are also university students and desires to pass along the gifts of scholarships. Read more about Mary Lynn and the Scholarship she established below.
Deann Barrett joins the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences as our new Human Resource Program Manager. Deann brings a wealth of knowledge and skills from her previous work experience including, most recently, serving as the Human Resource/Business Manager for Banning Lewis Ranch Academy, a K-12 charter school with more than 120 employees. She’s excited to join our team, and looks forward to making sure that the faculty and staff of our college are taken care. Originally from Council Bluffs, Iowa, Deann lives in Colorado Springs with her husband, 2 boys, and 2 dogs. Both of her boys are graduating this spring, one from high school and one from college. Deann loves travel, movies, reading, and hiking.
The family of UCCS Professors Bob and Barbara Lorch established the Robert S. and Barbara R. Lorch Department of Mathematics Endowed Scholarship in 2009. The late Drs. Lorch taught political science and sociology, respectively, at UCCS for more than 30 years. Bob and Barbara’s son John earned a B.A. degree in math at UCCS in 1988, went on to earn his Ph.D. in mathematics, and is now a Professor of Mathematics at Ball State University in Indiana. The funding provides for merit-based scholarships for junior or senior math majors. In 2019, the eleventh year of the scholarship, the Mathematics department awarded the Lorch Scholarship to Troy Johnson and Benjamin Schwartz. Read the notes of gratitude from these students below.
Ben Schwartz
“I am immensely honored and appreciative to be presented with the Lorch Scholarship. Receiving this award has allowed me to reflect on how much help my family, professors, and peers at UCCS have given me. They have challenged me to become the best version of myself. I cannot adequately express my gratitude to them and to the Lorch family. The Lorch Scholarship will give me more time to focus on my goals so I can worry less about paying my bills. I am passionate about mathematics because I believe it is the purest form of truth, and it is a privilege to be recognized for doing something I love. After graduating, I intend to pursue an MS in mathematics with the dream of one day becoming a professor. Understanding math and helping others do the same brings me great joy.” –Benjamin Schwartz
Troy Johnson
“I am extremely appreciative and feel immensely honored to receive the Lorch Scholarship. As an avid student and fan of mathematics the Lorch Scholarship has aided me in both the pursuit of a degree and my passion. Receiving the Lorch Scholarship has helped alleviate many financial constraints that would have influenced my senior year and has unambiguously left a positive impact on my life and education.” A very grateful Troy Johnson
Two faculty from the department of Geography and Environmental Sciences (GES) were recognized at the 2019 National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) annual meeting. Irina Kopteva, Assistant Research Professor, received an award for “Best Paper” for her publication “Humanizing Human Geography Online: The Quality Matters Journey” which appeared in The Geography Teacher this year. Rebecca Theobald, Assistant Research Professor, received the NCGE President’s Award for her contribution to geography education. Read on to learn more.