Class Notes

Filmmaker, photocopier and pilot Dirk Braun (Film) made his film debut in July with his documentary, Flying Boat. Dirk’s 77-minute documentary blurs the lines between fiction and nonfiction, exploring the stories of pilots and mechanics who restore, fly and maintain the last of the Grumman Albatross, an amphibious search-and-rescue aircraft created in 1947.

In 2014, Brittni Laura Hernandez (EthnSt; MEdu’18), Bethy Leonardi (MEdu’08; PhD’14) and Sara Staley (PhDEdu’14) launched A Queer Endeavor, an organization that works to make schools safe and humanizing for all young people by giving teachers the resources necessary to support LGBTQ students and to have meaningful classroom conversations regarding gender and sexuality. In July, the trio collaborated with graduate students and faculty from the School of Education to bring together about 450 teachers for the third Educator Institute for Equity and Justice. 

Video artist, photographer and performance artist Jenna Maurice (MFA) was chosen to project her large-scale experimental video on the wall of the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver. Her work, “Non-Verbal Secret Confession Booth,” explores people’s nonverbal reactions to the secrets that they keep. In June, Jenna told Westword magazine that by showing her work she was “opening up a whole new genre for the audience that the Still [Museum] gets.”

CTO and co-founder of Atom Computing Ben Bloom (MPhys; PhD) is seeking to use quantum mechanics to build a quantum computer out of naturally quantum materials. The company raised $15 million in a Series A round of funding and debuted its first-generation quantum computer, Phoenix.

In June, Kirsten Runyan (ChemEngr) launched a mission-driven apparel company, melomys (melomys.com), a California-based online store that plants five trees for every purchase. The company is named in honor of the tiny island rodent Bramble Cay melomys, the first species declared extinct due to human-caused climate change. The company has a goal to plant 1 million trees by 2025. The products are ethically made from eco-friendly fabrics with dye processes that minimize water use and pollution. Every product is made to order. 

Zachary Szlendak (MEcon; PhD’20) joined the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) as a research staff member in the Cost Analysis and Research Division of the Systems and Analyses Center. IDA is a nonprofit corporation seeking to answer U.S. security and science policy questions. 

As a second grade student in Lafayette, Kenny Nguyen (PolSci, Comm) was a dreamer in the I Have a Dream program, which provides long-term academic support and college scholarships to students from low-income households. After graduating from CU as a first-generation college student, he joined AmeriCorps to volunteer with the I Have a Dream Foundation of Boulder County. Now, Kenny works as executive assistant to Colorado Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera. In May, he was one of four alumni nationally recognized at the I Have a Dream Foundation’s 40th anniversary gala. 

Cousin duo Sabina Rizzo (Comm) and Casey Nunnelly (StratComm’20) founded Byte Bars, a no-regrets vegan energy bar company. The snack has become a local hit after its launch into Whole Foods Markets across Colorado. The name Byte is an acronym standing for “Be Yourself Today Everyday,” which aligns with the Byte mission to be a brand that stands for a healthy, yet carefree, lifestyle. Casey and Sabina have nothing but fond feelings for their alma mater. “I will forever be thankful for the home I found with the Buffs. I wouldn’t be where I am today without it,” wrote Casey. Learn more about Byte Bars at bytebars.com.

While at CU, voice performance graduate Mary Kettlewell (MMus) received a graduate certificate in arts administration, which she credits for helping her land her position as program administrator at the Texas Commission on the Arts, a state government commission in Austin that works to fund arts organizations in Texas.

Rhodes Scholar Serene Singh (PolSci) was awarded the 2021 Diana Award. Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the award recognizes social action or humanitarian efforts. Serene’s Diana Award recognizes The Serenity Project, which she founded in 2016 to combat the stigmatization of mental health and suicide. Serene is currently pursuing a doctorate in criminology at the University of Oxford.

Luis Granda (MMus) was named assistant director of donor and patron relations for the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra. Luis credits his certificate in arts administration from CU Boulder as preparation for this job.