Robert L. Stearns Award

Previous Winners

2021: CU Boulder Pandemic Scientific Steering Committee and Science Team (“The Team”)

Kristen Bjorkman (PhDBioChem’07), Gloria Brisson, Jose Jimenez, Mark Kavanaugh, Daniel Larremore (ApMath’09; PhD’12), Leslie Leinwand, Cresten Mansfeldt, Jennifer McDuffie, Matt McQueen (Psych’96), Shelly Miller, Roy Parker and Melanie Parra

Most people will forever remember where they were in March 2020 as the world began to shut down. For many at CU Boulder, an incredible haul of work instantly followed. Like the COVID-19 virus, their tasks were new, momentous and immediate.

“I can think of no more difficult year than the one that began on March 13, 2020, and was dominated by COVID-19, its impact on our students, faculty and staff and our institutional response,” said CU Boulder provost Russ Moore.

One group of faculty and staff — the CU Boulder Pandemic Scientific Steering Committee and Science Team, or “The Team” — was set on determining how the university could remain operational during a pandemic.

“Without being asked, and in the true spirit of public service, the members of the Scientific Steering Committee and Science Team dropped what they were doing in order to develop the science and many of the associated operations that allowed our campus to successfully open and operate,” said Moore.

The Team consisted of Kristen Bjorkman, Gloria Brisson, Jose Jimenez, Mark Kavanaugh, Daniel Larremore, Leslie Leinwand, Cresten Mansfeldt, Jennifer McDuffie, Matt McQueen, Shelly Miller, Roy Parker and Melanie Parra. Their priority was the safety of the CU Boulder community and beyond.

Their work was evident in every aspect of campus life.

They developed saliva- and wastewater-based SARS-CoV-2 screening tests to find both individual infections and larger outbreaks on campus. They created a contact tracing program that involved eager students and became one of the most responsive in the state. They helped design the HVAC systems that were installed throughout campus to reduce airborne disease transmission. They guided physical distancing and masking protocols. Most importantly, their solutions were grounded in science.

Their ideas and implementations were constant — sometimes happening from the hours of 2 to 4 a.m. or on weekends. The work is not done. Much of The Team’s scientific work will be studied, reviewed and published to help future crisis response practices.

In the words of the provost, speaking on behalf of thousands positively impacted by their work, “The Team’s dedication serves as an inspiration to us all.”

2020: Rubén Donato

Some educators might shy away from challenging discussions in their classrooms. Professor Rubén Donato leans into them.

Since 1993, Rubén has served the University of Colorado Boulder and the greater educational community with a commitment to equity and justice. Honored with a “Best Should Teach” award, Marinus Smith Award, and Equity and Excellence Faculty Award, his teaching is widely hailed throughout the School of Education as both highly effective and demanding.

In particular, he regularly challenges his students — many of whom are white — to think critically about the role of race in the education system.

“Issues of race, class and gender … must be confronted if future teachers are going to be able to respond to the needs, and recognize the talents, of an increasingly diverse K-12 student population,” said Joseph L. Polman, associate dean for research at the School of Education.

“Students in Professor Donato’s classes praise his abilities to lead respectful discussions, while challenging students who believe that racism and white privilege are located in the past.”

A fellow with the American Educational Research Association — the education field’s premier professional society — and recently elected into the National Academy of Education, Rubén studies the history of Mexican Americans in public schools. His work examines the often-overlooked fight for school desegregation in Mexican-American communities. He has also published a comprehensive study of a landmark school desegregation case led by Mexican Americans (Hispanos) in Colorado.

“Professor Donato is clearly the leading historian of Mexican-American education in the world,” said Julie Reuben, the Charles Warren Professor of the History of American Education at Harvard University. “His research is unique and essential to our knowledge of our history.”

Rubén has served CU Boulder’s School of Education as the chair of Educational Foundations, Policy and Practice, as well as faculty chair. As a faculty leader, he regularly organizes discussions around pedagogy, class assignments, university policies and student issues.

He also consistently advocates for junior scholars and offers support to many assistant professors of color in the School of Education.

“His wisdom is invaluable and has an important impact on [these professors’] scholarly choices and lives, as well as the university’s goal to support and retain outstanding faculty of color,” said Polman.

Amid a busy schedule of teaching, research and administrative duties, Rubén takes time to mentor graduate students in deeply meaningful ways. Especially for those studying education history, he has offered both professional and personal support.

“What really stands out in my memory is Rubén transmitting his deep interest and commitment to historical research directly to me through his critical reflection and interest in my own work,” said Brad Bartels, executive director of the Utah Education Association and one of Rubén’s former mentees.

Brad also recalled Rubén’s commitment to social justice activism and desire to influence those “on the front lines” of this work:

“I am often on those front lines leading educators, and his teaching and scholarship have been an inspiration. No one has been more influential as a teacher and mentor in my life.”

2020: Bud Coleman

In CU Boulder’s first-ever virtual commencement, after the usual pomp and circumstance in an unusual format, Bud Coleman began his address as commencement marshall: “Class of 2020, you certainly are unique.” Despite the lack of a stage and thousands of people in Folsom Field, he was as dynamic as ever.

Bud has spent nearly 30 years as a professor in the CU Boulder Department of Theatre & Dance, but also has been deeply involved in the campus beyond the theater. Commencement marshall is just one of the many hats he’s worn.

“The number of college task forces, committees and searches Bud has participated in is beyond listing,” said Todd Gleeson, professor of physiology and 2019 Robert L. Stearns award winner.

After graduating from the University of Texas with a PhD in theatre history, Bud came to CU as an assistant professor in 1993. Ten years later, he was named chair of the department, a position he held until 2017. Currently, he serves as the inaugural Roe Green Endowed chair in theatre and divisional dean of the arts and humanities in the College of Arts and Sciences.

As an artist, he has directed, choreographed or produced nearly 50 plays and musicals, of which over 20 have been with CU. When he’s not on campus, Bud teaches theater and directs plays all over the world, including directing Stephen Sondheim’s Company in Russia, directing the Thai premiere of Fiddler on the Roof in Bangkok and teaching American musical theatre as a Fulbright lecturer in Japan.

“American musicals are very, very popular in Japan,” Bud told CU Connections in 2017. “One thing that was a happy surprise for me when I was teaching in both Thailand and Japan is that the students already have a great deal of knowledge of musical theater.”

Over the years, Bud also has made numerous contributions to CU’s LGBTQ community. He’s been a member of the chancellor’s standing gender and sexuality committee concerning gay, lesbian and bisexual issues since 1994. He’s been the faculty advisor to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center and was a foundational advisor for CU’s undergraduate certificate in LGBTQ studies.

“Bud has saved the lives of many an LGBTQ student,” said Karen Raforth, former director of counseling and psychological services and dean of students at CU.

Bud is equally busy in the classroom. Students lucky enough to have him for “American Musical Theater” might notice his name on the textbook, Back Stage Pass: A Survey of American Musical Theatre. He’s the director of the BFA in musical theatre program, has served as a graduate advisor and has supervised nearly 50 dissertations and theses.

Despite his full schedule, Bud continues to act. In 2013, he played Robin Starveling in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Frosch in the CU Eklund Opera production of Die Fledermaus in 2016 and the role of in Actor in Celebration, Florida for square product theatre in 2018.

In 2015, Bud was named the inaugural Roe Green Endowed Chair after Green donated $2 million to the Department of Theatre & Dance. It was the first endowed chairship for any arts discipline in CU Boulder’s College of Arts and Sciences.

“What makes us human are the arts,” donor Roe Green said, “and Bud continues to fuel our humanity daily.”

2019: David Aragon (DistSt'88; MEdu'11)

The Latin phrase non sibi means “not for self.” David J. Aragon exemplifies it: His work elevates others.

As CU Boulder’s assistant vice chancellor for diversity, learning and student success, Dave helps students achieve their goal of obtaining a college education successfully. His work focuses on supporting students who come from historically underrepresented groups such as first-generation college students.

Dave’s humility and mild manner mask his determination to broaden access to the transformative experience of a CU Boulder education.

He’s been at it since his own student days, when he served as CU student body president collaborating with groups across campus to promote inclusive ideas.

After graduation, he worked in admissions, then became associate director (and later director) of the engineering college’s Multicultural Engineering Program. It evolved into the nationally esteemed BOLD Center.

Over decades, Dave has developed a variety of programs for underserved youth, attracted financial support for them and fostered appreciation for the social and practical barriers some students face.

Admirers praise his “awe-inspiring ability to build bridges and connect people and groups with integrity” and his “authentic and lasting relationships with students.”

He’s published academic papers, advised DACA students and nurtured alliances with the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program and other groups invested in the belief that diversity is a strength.

“Dave takes on the very human work of listening to students and then putting them in a position to be successful,” said a former student, “and there is no way to do what Dave does just through projects and programming."

David Aragon Award Video

2019: Sona Dimidjian

Sona Dimidjian is a real life superwoman. Channeling psychology as her superpower, she fights for global wellness and a better tomorrow — accomplishing more than seems humanly possible for one person.

In 13 years at CU Boulder, Sona has served as a professor, lab director, faculty fellow, and member and chair of numerous committees. She has received a multitude of accolades for her valuable research and work in clinical psychology, including faculty service, teaching and research awards from the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience.

Sona’s service extends beyond CU and improves communities across Colorado and the world. From rural India to urban Colorado, she works with communities to enhance mental health support and wellness. Her internationally recognized body of rigorous scholarship and innovative approach to mental health interventions have established her as a world-renowned clinical psychologist.

To young scholars, Sona exemplifies a balance between academia and activism — proving that it’s possible to be both a researcher and an advocate.

“In Dr. Dimidjian, they see a mentor who is bridging the worlds of research and practice in transformative ways,” said a faculty peer.

While some may puzzle over where Sona finds the time and energy for all her professional accomplishments — and wonder if she maybe is Superwoman — at least one colleague thinks he knows the source of her superpowers.

“I think the answer is that all of her activities are driven by an incredible passion for her work,” said the colleague, “and by the belief that she can make a difference in every realm of her life.”

Sona Dimidjian Award Video

2019: Todd Gleeson

Todd Gleeson is the MVP — the teammate people hope for and the leader they look up to. And luckily for Buffs, his home team is CU Boulder.

An academic jack-of-all-trades, Todd’s vast number of positions within the College of Arts and Sciences, including professor and dean, has benefitted from his dizzying array and diversity of skills — intellectual, social and practical. From leading CU’s largest college to setting up fundraising tents at dawn, no task is ever too awesome or too modest for him.

In 38 years at CU, Todd has also served as associate vice chancellor for faculty affairs, director of the Health Professions Residential Academic Program and mentor for legions. His impressive fundraising work for the college includes the establishment of the Buffalo Bicycle Classic, which has raised over $3.9 million for student scholarships, the construction of the $63 million Visual Arts Complex and a partnership with CU Engineering on the joint $170 Biotechnology Building.

He also helped establish new programming in Arts and Sciences — in the midst of the Great Recession — in several areas including Jewish studies, neurosciences, Asian languages and ethnic studies.

Todd has built lasting enterprises and won universal respect among colleagues because he leads by example — sharing in the workload and exuding respect for and commitment to others.

“Todd had come to embody the college,” a faculty peer said of Todd’s years as dean. “He was the college, in many ways.”

More than one colleague praised his talents as the shepherd everyone craved and needed.

“He brought a spirit of collegiality and community to a college faculty that is far more difficult to lead,” said a peer, “than it would be to herd an equivalent number of cats.”

Todd Gleeson Award Video

2018: Dennis Eckart

Dennis Eckart’s CU students — thousands of them — thrived on his lively classroom presentations. Lecture after lecture, the political science professor, now retired, captivated students, speaking without notes while brandishing rolled-up papers amid his oration. He paced — “practically on tiptoe,” a former student recalls — stopping periodically to rest his foot on a chair and gaze into students’ eyes. “Sometimes it felt like he could peer right into our souls,” another former student said...

Dennis, who taught a variety of courses, such as urban politics and public policy, strongly encouraged critical thinking, a nurturing environment and positive dialogue. Some of his phrases — known as “Eckartisms” — remain with former students to this day, including, “It’s not the space that makes the place, it’s the people that make the place” and “Ask the next logical question.” “The joyful way in which he engaged with his students contributed to my eventual decision to go into teaching myself,” said another fan. Many of his colleagues seek him out for advice on how to improve their own teaching methods. Over the years, beginning in 1977, Dennis won a number of campus teaching awards. He cared deeply about students’ successes long after their graduation from CU and has remained in touch with many of them over the years. He retired from CU Boulder in 2005 after 35 years of teaching. In 2016, an office in Ketchum was named in his honor. Said a former graduate student, now a UC Davis professor: “Dennis Eckart was the most dedicated teacher I have known in my 40 years of teaching."

Dennis Eckart Award Video

2018: Natalie Koster (Ger, MA’07)

As CU Boulder’s associate director of international recruitment and outreach, Natalie Koster brings the world to CU. When she started working in the CU Boulder Office of Admissions in 2010, the university was home to just over 1,200 international students. Thanks to her leadership and initiative, that number has increased to above 3,000 students from over 100 countries...

...A fierce advocate for increasing the diversity and representation of international students on campus, Natalie works to promote global student mobility and access to higher education. She works alongside her team to provide equitable access and policies to international students who apply for study at CU. “On a daily basis, Natalie’s considerable vision, leadership and management contribute to CU Boulder’s international reputation as a world-class university,” said a CU colleague. “Her contributions to campus-wide diversity awareness and promoting internationalization will undoubtedly have a long-lasting impact on our community, and are even more important and significant today than when she first stepped into her role years ago.” Natalie serves on the Council of International School’s Higher Education Committee and within that volunteer role directs and leads highly visible university recruitment tours around Europe and the Middle East – trips that connect her with students who she supports with their desire to internationalize their academic endeavors at CU Boulder. “The relationships that Natalie has cultivated and the practices she has developed have positioned CU Boulder as an exemplar institution among public universities involved in international student engagement,” said another colleague. “Her collaborative spirit and commitment to service inspires similar qualities in others.”

Natalie Koster Award Video

2017: Robert Davis

Rob Davis is an engineer, and engineers like numbers. Here are five: 14, 20, 32, 74 — and 74 million. In 14 years as dean of CU Boulder’s College of Engineering & Applied Science, Rob led it to a new, sparkling prominence...

The college now ranks among the nation’s top 20 public engineering programs, its loftiest perch yet.

He oversaw a doubling of the percentage of underrepresented minorities among CU engineering students, to 20 percent, and nearly doubled the percentage of women, to 32 percent — while growing total enrollment by 74 percent and raising admissions standards.

Meanwhile, Rob, who stepped down at the end of last year, led the once cash-strapped college to financial security and enabled both an expansion of research activity and a doubling of annual research funding, to $74 million.

As one colleague put it, Rob “changed the very nature and trajectory of our college.”

Other numbers testify to his extraordinary service. Here’s one more: 220. That’s the number of student researchers, from undergraduates through postdocs, that Rob has personally mentored — a practice he continued while running CU Boulder’s second biggest college.

But numbers tell only aspects of Rob’s 35-year CU story, still unfolding following his return to the full-time chemical engineering faculty.

“He’s the only dean I know,” said another colleague, “who’s offered to babysit while working in his office.”

View Robert Davis Award Video

2016: Kathy Escamilla (Span’71)

Kathy Escamilla has dedicated three decades to studying, educating and advocating for America’s bilingual students, and today ranks among the nation’s foremost scholars of bilingual education.

“Her work has led to shifts in the way teachers view the potential of their students and the value of knowing how to read and write in two languages,” said a school principal familiar with her work.

A CU professor of education since 1998, Kathy is especially interested in the development of bilingualism and biliteracy in the early elementary grades for Spanish-speaking minority populations in U.S. schools.

Eschewing traditional reading approaches for bilingual students, she focuses on the cultural and linguistic resources available to each child and evaluates them on their progress in both languages to better help them develop reading and writing skills in each.

Kathy is no ivory-tower dreamer: She takes pains to help apply her academic research findings in the real world. In 2004, she helped conceive the Literacy Squared initiative for advancing biliteracy programs for emerging bilingual students in U.S. schools, for example. She’s also advised the Colorado Department of Education and its Office of Civil Rights.

Kathy’s students at CU applaud her for fostering a sense of community in classes and addressing topics that are relevant, significant and sometimes controversial.

Said a peer:

“I will consider myself to be a successful scholar, friend, mentor and human being if I can live up to even half of what Dr. Escamilla has meant to her students, colleagues, friends and family.”

2016: James W. C. White

Jim White is a trailblazing research scientist who couples deep expertise with broad interests and further distinguishes himself as an amiable colleague, first-rate administrator, generous mentor and gifted teacher — a serious man of science who leavens his lectures with humor, promotes discussion and listens as well as enlightens.

As director of the Institute of Artic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) and professor of geological sciences and environmental studies, Jim is a hugely prominent figure in the study of Earth and its environment. His scholarship has (for example) deepened our understanding of the global carbon cycle, reconstructed ancient environments and illuminated the degree to which plants can absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide.

A solid citizen of CU Boulder, he launched the Environmental Studies Program, has guided faculty searches inside the sciences and out and earned a reputation for sound judgment and cool-headedness. He also led development of the campus’ new Sustainability, Energy and Environment Complex.

“He is the faculty member we should all aspire to be,” one colleague said.

Despite Jim’s exalted stature among researchers, he routinely teaches undergraduate courses, including “Introduction to Environmental Studies,” and speaks at middle and high schools, public libraries and retirement homes.

“In the midst of the hard work and sobering science of climate change research,” said a former student, “his positive attitude and easy laugh reminded me that it is also fun to be able to learn something new about the natural world.”

Jim believes some questions may lie beyond the grasp of science. He’s active in his church and in the Lutheran Campus Ministry — an “encouraging,” “approachable” and “humane” person who happens to be “one of the brightest researchers around.”