Class Notes

President Obama named Sasha Reed (PhDEPOBio’08) one of 94 recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. The award is the highest honor bestowed by the government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers. Sasha is a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and lives in Moab, Utah.

Denver resident Gil Selinger (Law’08) joined the law firm Fairfield and Woods. He provides full-service advice to corporate clients and counsels clients on state and federal securities laws and raising capital for their businesses. Before studying law, Gil worked as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs in New York and in federal politics and business management.

Creative writer Karim Dimechkie (Engl’08) received a three-year James A. Michener Fellowship in Creative Writing from the University of Texas Michener Center for Writers. His fiction piece was chosen out of more than 900 submissions, enabling him to become one of 11 fellows at the university where he will receive free tuition, an annual stipend and a development fund for travel and research.

Life is busy for Danny Schade (Mus’08). He is a private music teacher, a substitute teacher and a freelance drummer and composer. He released his first album, Predestination and Other Games of Chance . . . the Soundtrack, and composed and produced more than 90 pieces of music in 2010, which are available at dannyschade.com. Danny lives in Boulder.

Denver’s Polsinellio Law Firm named Graham P.B. Boswell (Econ’09) shareholder. Graham focuses his practice in areas including energy, real estate development, energy transactions and clean energy project development.

Senior manager at Ernst & Young, Diego Baca (Acct, MS’09) is serving as chair of the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants until April 2024. In his role, Diego hopes to re-engage accounting professionals to grow the accounting pipeline and draw more diversity into the profession. Diego has worked for Ernst & Young since 2009, and he also has served as an active recruiter for the Leeds Business School for seven years. 

Andrew Keesee (Film’09) is vice president of the Boulder-based venture capital firm Trailhead Capital. The firm closed a $50 million investment fund to invest in regenerative agriculture startup companies to help address climate change, tackle biodiversity collapse and address human health maladies all tied to our current food system. Mark Lewis (MBA’11) and William “Tripp” Wall (Phil’97) also serve as managing partners at the firm. 

Drawing upon her customer relations background at luxury furniture and decor company One Kings Lane, Peggy McNulty O’Brien (ArtHist’09) co-founded Poppy Gifting in 2022. Poppy Gifting is a luxury gifting concierge, and has been featured in Fast Company, Brides, PaperCity and other publications.

Japera Walker Wilkison (PolSci’09; MA’12), philanthropy chair for the CU Boulder alumni chapter in Washington, D.C., was named the next director of enrollment management at Aidan Montessori School in D.C. Japera has 13 years of education and admissions experience and began her work as an admission counselor at CU Boulder in 2011 under the leadership of Kevin MacLennan. She resides in the D.C. metro area with her husband and three daughters.

Boulder’s Lindsey Cunningham (Jour’09) and her husband, Ryan, are co-founders of RollinGreens, a plant-based food company. Their story began in 2011 when the couple revived Ryan’s family’s retired food truck. Their local organic RollinGreens food truck became a staple at the Boulder Farmers Market. In 2016, they decided to branch out by launching their popular millet tots at local and national retailers. In just a few short years, RollinGreens has expanded into more than 4,000 stores nationwide and now offers home delivery on direct orders from their website. In May of 2020, the couple appeared on Shark Tank and struck a deal with Robert Herjavec during the season 11 finale.

The Colorado Law alumni board and dean Lolita Buckner Inniss named Bill Callison (Law’82), Beth Crane (Law’79), Jennifer Evans (IntlAf, PolSci’91; Law’98), Joe Neguse (Econ, PolSci’05; Law’09), Betty Nordwind (Law’71) and Donald Quick (Econ’82; Law’86) as alumni award winners. The 42nd annual Colorado Law Alumni Awards Banquet is March 16 at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

Red Bull’s “Wakeboards & Waterslides,” directed by Jonny Zeller (Film ex’09), won a Gold Telly Award, which recognizes exemplary work across television. Jonny also second-unit directed Deadly Illusions, which was a global hit on Netflix. He directs campaigns for big name brands like Google, AT&T and Toyota. Jonny credits the CU film school for teaching him about avant-garde filmmaking and fostering his artistic sensibilities.

Andrew Keesee (Film’09) is vice president of the Boulder-based venture capital firm Trailhead Capital, which invests in endeavors related to regenerative food and agriculture. Mark Lewis (MBA’11) and William “Tripp” Wall (Phil’97) serve as managing partners at the firm.

Courtney Claghorn (Mgmt’09) and Sam Offit (Econ’09) married on March 2 at the Malliouhana Resort on Anguilla, a Caribbean island. The couple met at CU. Sam lived in the Cheyenne Arapaho residence hall, the same that Courtney’s mom, Colleen DalSanto Ryan (Fin’78), lived in 30 years prior. The couple started a business more than 10 years ago, Sugared + Bronzed, which is now the nation’s largest sugaring and airbrush tanning business. The company received its first round of investment funding in early 2020.

Chicago’s Gregory M. Emry (PolSci’09) has joined Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP as an associate. Gregory practices in the Chicago office and focuses on environmental law, construction and commercial litigation and business disputes. He was previously an assistant state’s attorney at DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office in Wheaton. He received his law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

In August 2021, Japera Walker Wilkison (Pol Sci’09; MA’12) received a promotion and moved to Washington,D.C., to be associate director of admission at the National Cathedral School. She also serves as a freshman advisor and as a part of the school's diversity committee. She's joined by her husband, Dustin, daughters and two poodles.

Along with two colleagues, Pania Newell (MCivEngr; PHD’11) — assistant professor in the mechanical engineering department at the University of Utah — has started a podcast called This Academic Life to support and inspire STEM educators and researchers.

Molly Rettig (MJour) is a reporter at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. She has covered oil and gas, Native culture and 1,000-mile sled dog races. Her first book, Finding True North: Firsthand Stories of the Booms that Built Modern Alaska, explores how Alaska transformed from a land of subsistence to a gold and oil paradise. 

As the leader of brand, enterprise and global social strategy at Adobe, Lauren Friedman Suits (Jour) manages social promotion and creative development. She also spends her time helping women achieve their goals through leadership and mentorship programs, exploring the Bay Area and hosting dinner parties. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, two cats and pup.

Lifelong horn player Maddie Levinson (MMus) has sewn over 1,300 French horn bell covers and “brass masks” to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while allowing wind and brass musicians to continue playing together. Maddie has donated many of her masks and covers to communities in need, with the mission of bringing band programs back to schools. “If there’s anything I can do to bring joy back to musicians, I’m on it,” she said.