| CU SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION | ||||
| Judi Diaz Bonacquisti, EdD (she/her) | CU Denver Search Committee Chair | Vice President and Senior Diversity Officer | CU Denver Alum | bio |
| Angelique Foster | Search Administrator | Assistant Vice President for Strategic Initiatives | bio | |
| CU DENVER FACULTY | ||||
| Sasha Breger Bush, PhD | Associate Professor | School of Public Affairs | Chair, Faculty Assembly | bio |
| Maryam Darbeheshti, PhD | Associate Teaching Professor | College of Engineering, Design and Computing | bio | |
| Dennis DeBay, PhD | Associate Teaching Professor – Education | School of Education & Human Development | bio | |
| Sarah K. Fields JD, PhD | Professor of Communication | College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | bio | |
| Elizabeth Pugliano, PhD | Senior Instructor of Visual Arts | College of Arts & Media | bio | |
| CU DENVER DEAN | ||||
| Marvin Lynn, PhD | Dean & Professor | School of Education & Human Development | bio | |
| CU DENVER STAFF | ||||
| Rachel Brown | Project Manager | Strategic Plan TeamCU Denver Alum | bio | |
| Tammy M. Hassan | Operations & Logistics Manager | College of Engineering, Design and Computing | Co-Chair, Staff Council CU Denver CU Denver Alum |
bio |
| CU DENVER STUDENTS | ||||
| Savannah Brooks | Political Science and Legal Studies | CU Denver Student Body President | bio | |
| Laura Juliana Zabaleta | Criminal Justice and Legal Studies | bio | ||
| ALUMNI, DONORS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS | ||||
| Dave Baker | FirstBank Board of Directors | CU Denver Alum | bio | |
| David Foster, JD, MPA | Partner, Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher, LLP | CU Denver Alum CU Boulder Alum |
bio | |
| Lily Griego | Regional Director for Region 8 | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | CU Denver Alum | bio |
| Honorable Michael B. Hancock | Principal Consultant/CEO Hancock Global, LLC |
Former Mayor, City & County of Denver | CU Denver Alum | bio |
| Katelyn Puga | University of Colorado Denver MURP, B.A. Geography | Displaced Aurarian Descendant Planner III, City of Greeley |
CU Denver Alum | bio |
| Rosemary Rodriguez | Cafecito Denver | Retired, Together We Count | Retired, State Director for Senator Michael Bennet | bio |
| Alan Salazar | CEO/Manager, Denver Water | CU Boulder Alum | bio | |
| Nga Vương-Sandoval | Head of Judicial Officer Outreach Program | Founder and President for Refugees + Immigrants United | CU Denver Alum | bio |
Search Committee Staff
- Judi Diaz Bonacquisti, EdD
Committee Search Chair
Vice President and Senior Diversity Officer
University of Colorado System Office - Angelique Foster
Committee Search Administrator
Assistant Vice President of Strategic Initiatives
University of Colorado System Office - Dan Maxey
Campus Liaison
Chief of Staff, Office of the Chancellor
University of Colorado Denver - Amy McGuire
Campus Administrator
Strategic Plan Implementation Project Management Lead
University of Colorado Denver - Kristin Turner
Human Resources Representative
Assistant Vice President HR, Learning & Development
University of Colorado System Office - Sheri Jungman
Human Resources Representative
Talent Acquisition Manager, Employee Services
University of Colorado System Office
CU System Staff
Judi Diaz Bonacquisti, EdD (she/her)
CU Denver Search Committee Chair
Vice President and Senior Diversity Officer
CU Denver Alum
For more than 25 years Dr. Judi Diaz Bonacquisti has developed programs and policies to expand college access and advance students toward college degree completion, particularly students of color, first-generation students, undocumented students, and students from low-income backgrounds. Diaz Bonacquisti has served at public and private colleges and universities with a range of academic offerings, admissions selectivity, and populations. She has served as Senior Student Affairs Officer, Senior Enrollment Officer, and Senior Diversity Officer.
Born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado, Diaz Bonacquisti holds a Doctor of Education in Leadership for Educational Equity from the University of Colorado Denver, a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University. She is honored to serve in the Office of the President for the University of Colorado as Vice President & Senior Diversity Officer.
Angelique Foster
Search Administrator
Assistant Vice President for Strategic Initiatives
As the Assistant Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for the University of Colorado, Angelique Foster is responsible for leading and facilitating processes that ensure appropriate prioritization and implementation of the University’s strategic resources along with supporting the Senior Vice President for Internal Operations & Chief of Staff to the President in managing the day-to-day operations of the Office of the President.
Prior to joining the University of Colorado, Foster served as the Chief of Staff to the President at the University of North Dakota, where she served as senior advisor to the President and led a broad set of initiatives and programs. Foster brings 13 plus years of higher education service in the areas of strategic planning, operations, project management and budgeting.
Foster is a proud alumnus of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T) and the University of California, Irvine.
CU Denver Faculty
Sasha Breger Bush, PhD
Associate Professor
School of Public Affairs
Chair, Faculty Assembly
Sasha Breger Bush is an international political economist, associate professor at the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs, and current Chair of the CU Denver Faculty Assembly. Sasha teaches and researches about distributions of wealth, power, and risk in the global economy, with special attention to commodities production and trade, derivatives and insurance markets, food and agricultural systems, and higher education institutions.
Sasha is the author of numerous books and articles, including Derivatives and Development: A Political Economy of Global Finance, Farming, and Poverty and Global Politics: A Toolkit for Learners. Sasha’s research and writing has also appeared in Dollars & Sense, CommonDreams, and The Hill. She received the 2021 Editor’s Choice Award from the Journal of Economic Issues and the 2022 CU Denver Excellence in Teaching Award.
Maryam Darbeheshti, PhD
Associate Teaching Professor
College of Engineering, Design and Computing
Dr. Maryam Darbeheshti is an associate teaching professor in the College of Engineering, Design and Computing, Department of Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Darbeheshti first joined CU Denver in 1996 as a graduate student in Mechanical Engineering. She started her career at CU Denver in 2010.
Darbeheshti has served as the executive committee member of the faculty assembly and University of Colorado Denver Association of Lecturers and Instructors (UCDALI). She is currently the chair of the Committee on Status of Women. Darbeheshti has also been a member of the DEI affinity group at CU Denver.
Darbeheshti’s research interest is in engineering education. She is the primary investigator of an NSF supported project to improve the retention of engineering students. She has served on several search committees in the past, including the CU Presidential and CU Denver’s Provost Search Committees.
Dennis DeBay, PhD
Associate Teaching Professor – Educatio
School of Education & Human Development
Dr. DeBay's perspective on mathematics and math education goes further than numbers. It is about using an equity approach to encourage lasting wonder in the learning of mathematics. Most recently, his interests include using technological learning environments as a mediating factor between the teaching and learning of mathematics in formal and informal settings.
Sarah K. Fields JD, PhD
Professor of Communication
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Sarah K. Fields is a professor of Communication as well as the Faculty Coordinator of the Honors Scholars program at the University of Colorado Denver. She is a fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology. She is the author of Game Faces: Sport Celebrity and the Laws of Reputation (2016) and Female Gladiators: Gender, Law, and Contact Sport in America (2005) as well as the co-editor of Sport and the Law: Historical and Cultural intersections (2014) and the forthcoming Sports Through the Lens: Essays on 25 Iconic Photographs (2024). She has authored or co-authored over 80 book chapters and articles in scholarly journals such as the Journal of Sport History, the Journal of Sport Management, the American Journal of Sports Medicine, the Journal of Athletic Training, and JAMA: Pediatrics. She is the president of the North American Society for Sport History.
Elizabeth Pugliano, PhD
Senior Instructor of Visual Arts
College of Arts & Media
Elizabeth Pugliano is Senior Instructor of Art History in the College of Arts & Media (CAM) and President of UCDALI (University of Colorado Denver Association of Lecturers and Instructors). A specialist in medieval art, her work encompasses issues of conflict, identity, and reception, as well as notions of empathy and pedagogical approaches in the visual arts. Since arriving at CU Denver in 2016, she has represented IRC faculty experiences in various service roles including as CAM Bridge Network Liaison for UCDALI (2017-22), and as a member of the Provost’s IRC Task Force (2021-22), the Lynx Together Teaching & Learning Team (2021), the 2030 Strategic Plan “Put Our People at the Center” Vision Team (2020-21), and the Safe Return Planning Team (2020). Dr. Pugliano is also a lead mentor in the CFDA Early Career Mentoring Program and a Denver campus representative on the Faculty Council Educational Policy and University Standards (EPUS) committee.
CU Denver Dean
Marvin Lynn, PhD
Dean & Professor
School of Education & Human Development
Dr. Marvin Lynn has enjoyed a robust career as a teacher, equity scholar, public university administrator, and artist. The School of Education & Human Development is the largest graduate school of its kind in Colorado and is highly regarded for its high-quality academic programs that demonstrate evidence of a strong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Dean Lynn started his career as an elementary teacher in urban public schools. Before his arrival at CU Denver in June of 2022, he served as dean and professor of education at Portland State University and Indiana University South Bend.
He is one of the most highly cited researchers in the nation around educational equity. His research focuses on race, education, the work and lives of Black male educators, and best practices for advancing teacher diversity in the United States. Dr. Lynn is quoted regularly in local, national, and international news stories. His research has been recognized by the American Educational Research Association, the Critical Race Studies in Education Association, and the University of the Free State in South Africa.
He has participated on several key boards and associations. At the national level, he has served as an executive board member of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), and currently serves on Carnegie Project for the Education Doctorate (CPED), and the National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs (NACCTEP). At the state level, he serves as the Co-Chair for the Colorado Council of Deans of Education and is the chair of the Colorado Educator Preparation Advisory Committee.
CU Denver Staff
Rachel Brown
Project Manager
Strategic Plan TeamCU Denver Alum
Rachel Brown is a Project Manager with the Strategic Plan Team, which works closely with the Chancellor and campus leaders to identify and execute annual strategic plan roadmaps. Rachel’s efforts are focused predominantly on Goal 1: Being the Nation’s First Equity-Serving Institution and Goal 5: Being A People-Centered Best Place to Work.
A graduate of CU Denver’s Master of Architecture program in the College of Architecture and Planning (CAP), she returned as a lecturer, running design studios for both graduate and undergraduate students for over a decade; she also served as CAP’s Director of Professional Development and Internships where she created connections between the academic and practice communities to support student employment. She is currently Co-Chair of the Professional Development Committee for Staff Council, which endeavors to build professional learning and career progression opportunities for staff members.
Tammy M. Hassan
Operations & Logistics Manager
College of Engineering, Design and Computing
Co-Chair, Staff Council CU Denver
CU Denver Alum
Tammy began her career in higher education at CU Denver in July 2017 after working in K-12 education for 13 years. She earned her BA in Public Service from CU Denver’s School of Public Affairs (SPA) in May of 2020 and is currently working on finishing her master’s in public administration (MPA) with a non-profit management emphasis. Tammy served on Staff Council in the CU Denver/Anschutz combined council from 2021 – 2023. She now serves on the CU Denver staff and is entering her second year as Co-Chair for the CU Denver Staff Council. Tammy is passionate about education and ensuring students are offered a quality education. She also has a strong devotion and affinity for ensuring that every staff voice is heard. Tammy believes that only then will CU Denver have a chance of becoming the best place to work.
CU Denver Students
Savannah Brooks
Political Science and Legal Studies
CU Denver Student Body President
Savannah Brooks is the Student Body President at the University of Colorado Denver, where she is pursuing a degree in Political Science with a minor in Legal Studies. With a strong commitment to student advocacy, Savannah served as the Student Body Vice President for the previous year before being elected president. Her tenure is marked through her commitment to advancing key initiatives such as enhancing student fee transparency, expanding mental health resources, and combating food insecurity, all with the goal of elevating the student experience and fostering inclusivity.
Laura Juliana Zabaleta
Criminal Justice and Legal Studies
Laura Zabaleta is a third-year student at the University of Colorado Denver, majoring in Criminal Justice with a minor in Pre-Law Studies. She is part of the University’s Honors and Leadership program and served as Chief Justice of the Student Government Association. Laura has also participated in several committees, including the search committee for the Director of the Counseling Center. Her active participation in various campus clubs highlights her commitment to advocating for student voices, a dedication she aims to continue through her involvement in this search committee.
Alumni, Donors, and Community Members
Dave Baker
FirstBank Board of Directors
CU Denver Alum
Dave currently serves on the Board of Directors for FirstBank. FirstBank operates in Colorado, Arizona, and California and is currently at $28 billion in assets. During his 42-year career at FirstBank, Dave has served in a variety of roles, including President from 2010 to 2017.
Dave is an engaged volunteer at the University of Colorado. He currently serves as a University of Colorado Foundation Trustee and previously chaired the Finance Committee. At the University of Colorado Denver Business School, Dave is a member of and has previously chaired the Board of Advisors and served as an Executive in Residence.
He also currently serves on the Colorado Zoological Trust. Previously, he chaired Junior Achievement, the Colorado Bankers Association, and the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado.
Dave earned a business degree from the University of Colorado Denver and a graduate degree from Pacific Coast Banking School.
David Foster, JD, MPA
Partner, Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher, LLP
CU Denver Alum
CU Boulder Alum
As a two-time University of Colorado alumnus and parent of CU Boulder students, David is passionate about campus leadership, culture, current events, and the University’s future. David is also an avid CU Buffs fan.
For work, David is co-managing partner of Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher, LLP. David’s legal practice focuses predominantly on land use law, as well as state and local governmental affairs issues. To those who know David, they consider him uniquely adept at bringing parties with seemingly disparate interests to common ground. David is a six-time 5280 Top Lawyer recipient, a 2023 Super Lawyer, and was selected as 2024 Best Lawyer in America for Land Use and Zoning Law.
David is committed to charitable and civic causes and has been involved with many organizations in leadership roles, including Colorado Mesa University, Shwayder Camp of Congregation Emanuel, Denver Jewish Day School, George Washington High School IB Foundation, Rose Community Foundation, Jewish Colorado, and more.
Lily Griego
Regional Director for Region 8
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
CU Denver Alum
Lily Griego is proud to join the Biden-Harris administration as Regional Director of the Department of Health and Human Services. Griego's credentials include a stellar public service career that covered a wide range of local and federal policy issues, as well as a proven community engagement track record. Her valuable skill set will allow her to immediately contribute to President Biden's Build Back Better agenda.
Griego led multiple state teams during the 2020 census and all congressional affairs for the region, successfully earning additional congressional seats in Montana and Colorado. She worked for a U.S. Senator on critical policy issues, including immigration, equality, and healthcare. She has an extensive background in the public and private sector with land-use, environmental protection, and finance regulations, enforcement, and community education.
Griego earned a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in history, from the University of Colorado at Denver. Griego is a native of Colorado. She believes wholeheartedly in good governance and serving the American people.
Honorable Michael B. Hancock
Principal Consultant/CEO
Hancock Global, LLC
Former Mayor, City & County of Denver
CU Denver Alum
Michael B. Hancock is a highly respected global business and executive leader with over 30 years in leadership positions and 20 years as a municipal elected official, including three terms as Mayor of the City and County of Denver. He brings demonstrated experience in sizeable organizational management, strategic planning, crisis management, global business development, budget development and financial management, infrastructure investment, economic development, capital planning and program development and implementation, and organizational governance.
Michael is the Principal Consultant/CEO and founder of Hancock Global Services, LLC (HGS). The company provides executive/senior advisement services in public affairs, crisis management, strategic communications, and public-private partnerships to private and public sector organizations and executives. He is regularly requested to speak to audiences all over the nation.
Michael is a proud father and grandfather of three. Though he travels globally regularly, Denver is home. He earned his graduate degree in Public Administration Management from the University of Colorado Denver.
Katelyn Puga
University of Colorado Denver MURP, B.A. Geography
Displaced Aurarian Descendant
Planner III, City of Greeley
CU Denver Alum
Katelyn Puga is a two-time graduate of the University of Colorado Denver, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Geography (2015) and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning (2017). She is a proud descendant of the Torres family, who lived in the Auraria neighborhood in Denver for nearly five decades and were displaced by urban renewal in the 1970s to build the Auraria Higher Education Campus. Their family home at 1033 Ninth Street is one of the few structures preserved on the campus today in the historic Ninth Street Park.
Katelyn is a Displaced Aurarian Scholarship recipient, an active community advocate for the Displaced Aurarian community, and researcher of urban renewal and displacement in the community. She is dedicated to providing awareness and education to campus students, professors, and leadership on the history of the Auraria neighborhood, and advocating for the importance of reparations for communities experiencing displacement and urban renewal.
Katelyn has been a professional in city planning for several municipalities across the Front Range and is currently serving as a Planner III for the City of Greeley.
Rosemary Rodriguez
Cafecito Denver
Retired, Together We Count
Retired, State Director for Senator Michael Bennet
After retiring from government service in 2017, Rosemary Rodriguez founded Together We Count, an effort to increase participation by Colorado’s hard-to-count communities in the 2020 Census.
Rodriguez’s career in government included eight years as the State Director for United States Senator Michael F. Bennet. While working for Bennet, she was elected to the Denver Public Schools Board of Education in 2013. In 2007, she was appointed by President George W. Bush to the United States Election Assistance Commission, elected to the Denver City Council in 2003, and in 1996, appointed by Mayor Wellington E. Webb as Clerk and Recorder for the City and County of Denver. Rodriguez also chaired the 2001 Colorado Reapportionment Commission, a constitutional body responsible for redrawing legislative districts after the Census. Rosemary is a Colorado native and attended Metropolitan State College (now Metropolitan State University), where she studied Political Science.
Alan Salazar
CEO/Manager, Denver Water
CU Boulder Alum
Alan Salazar was appointed Denver Water CEO/Manager in 2023. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, earning a bachelor’s degree in history and political science. He has a law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law, where he studied water law, mining law, natural resources law and public lands issues.
Salazar has a storied career involving decades of public service in Colorado. As chief strategy officer for Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Salazar oversaw policy, legislative and communications staff for the governor’s office and was involved with energy and natural resources policy, including the creation of the first Colorado Water Plan.
Immediately prior to Denver Water, Salazar served as chief of staff for former Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock, starting in 2016. There, he oversaw operations for 24 city agencies. In his six years with the city, Salazar had daily responsibility for municipal services, as well as strategic direction for the mayor’s policy agenda.
Nga Vương-Sandoval
Head of Judicial Officer Outreach Program
Founder and President for Refugees + Immigrants United
CU Denver Alum
Nga Vương-Sandoval leads the Judicial Officer Outreach Program for the Colorado Judicial Department and is the Founder and President of Refugees + Immigrants United. As a Vietnamese refugee, she has become a prominent voice on human rights issues affecting forcibly displaced persons and underrepresented communities locally, nationally, and worldwide. Nga represented at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, Switzerland. She serves as a Noble Ambassador for Christina Noble Children's Foundation and Vice-Chair of Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains Board of Directors. An alumna of University of Colorado Denver, Nga has been honored with prestigious awards including the Colorado Attorney General’s Outstanding Community Service Award, University of Colorado Denver Mack Easton Award, and Anti-Defamation League Civil Rights Award. As Chair and Founder of the Lunar New Year Allies Advisory Group, she successfully campaigned for Lunar New Year to become an observed Colorado state holiday.
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