Letter from the Dean: Summer 2025

 

Lori Bergen, left, poses with Malinda Miller (Engl,Jour’92; MJour’98), right, at the college's graduate recognition ceremony. Last month, Miller, the editor-in-chief of CMCI Now, retired as assistant dean of communication and engagement for the college after 35 years with CU Boulder. Photo by Hannah Howell. 

Commencement is this wonderful moment for any college, when we not only look ahead—in hoping for the best for our graduates—but also back, at all they’ve accomplished in their short time as students. 

What our Class of 2025 has accomplished already is a source of amazement to me. Their high school graduations were virtual or socially distanced affairs, and they came to Boulder not knowing if the traditional college experience they had prepared for would ever be the same. 

Now, they go off into a world of great uncertainty—but they do so equipped with a set of skills and perspectives that will help them chart their own paths and bring positive change to the world. 

Check out our feature on our outstanding graduates to get a sense of their optimism and accomplishment of all they’ve done. I think Sarah Carleo, our top student, summed it up for me when she said, “It’s sad to be done with my journey here, but it’s exciting to discover what’s next.” (And for the ultimate in resilience, check out PhD graduate Anna Turner, who lost years’ worth of work in a house fire and still battled it out to earn her degree this spring.) We also have a collection of stories featuring environmental design graduates and the ways they hope to change the world. 

Enjoy these stories! And keep an eye out for our fall edition, when we’ll formally roll out our new name as the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information and mark our 10th anniversary.

Lori Bergen, PhD
Founding Dean, CMCI