Colorado State University 2019 Spring Commencement set for May 17-19

Contact for reporters:
Jennifer Dimas
jennifer.dimas@colostate.edu
(970) 491-1543

Colorado State University expects to confer degrees on more than 4,400 graduates at Spring 2019 commencement ceremonies May 17-19.

College ceremonies and ROTC commissionings will recognize 3,374 undergraduate and 1,065 graduate students, including 837 master’s degree recipients, 87 doctoral students, 141 Doctors of Veterinary Medicine, and 29 Army and Air Force ROTC commissionees. Undergraduate students represent 185 majors and graduate students are from 158 programs. Fifty-three undergraduates are candidates for distinction as summa cum laude, 142 as magna cum laude, and 202 as cum laude.

Those expected to earn degrees in Summer 2019 also will be honored at the May Commencement, including 754 undergraduates from 147 majors – four summa cum laude, nine magna cum laude, and 14 cum laude – and 440 graduate students, including 103 doctoral students, from 114 programs.

The ceremonies will be held in Moby Arena and the Lory Student Center. An interactive map for locations and parking is available at maps.colostate.edu. Commencement ceremonies, with the exception of the ROTC commissionings, will be webcast live.

Army ROTC

Head shot of Major General John Kolasheski
John Kolasheski

Maj. Gen. John Kolasheski will deliver the commencement address for the Army ROTC, 10 a.m., May 17, at Lory Student Center Ballroom CD.

Kolasheski assumed duties as the commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley, Kansas on June 8, 2018. Prior to his arrival at Fort Riley, he served as the deputy chief of staff for the United States Army Forces Command, in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Kolasheski is commissioned as an Armor Officer and holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Bucknell University; master’s degrees in engineering management and interactive simulations/training systems design from the University of Central Florida and in strategic studies from the United States Army War College. His military schooling includes the Armor Officer Basic Course, the Infantry and Field Artillery Officer Advanced Courses, the United States Army Command and General Staff College, and the United States Army War College.

Kolasheski’s awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (five awards), Bronze Star Medal (three awards), Ranger Tab, Combat Action Badge and U.S. Army Airborne wings.

Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering

Head shot of Brittany Stinson
Brittany Stinson

Brittany Stinson, mission manager for United Launch Alliance, will speak at the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering commencement ceremony at 11:30 a.m., May 17, at Moby Arena.

A native of Fort Collins, Stinson graduated from Fort Collins High School in 1998 and began pursuing her engineering degree at CSU. She graduated summa cum laude in 2002 with degrees in Civil Engineering and Engineering Science (space concentration) and a minor in mathematics. At CSU, she was awarded the Colorado Engineering Council Silver Medal, which recognizes an outstanding graduate from the College of Engineering, as well as Outstanding Civil Engineer. Stinson interned at ATK Thiokol, now part of Northrop Grumman, where she worked on the Solid Rocket Motors for the Space Shuttle, and Lockheed Martin Space Systems, working on the Atlas launch vehicle.  Stinson also worked with CSU Emeritus Professor of Mechanical Engineering Paul Wilbur and a small team of students on NASA’s Interstellar Precursor Mission, designing an ion propulsion system.

After graduation, Stinson joined Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Littleton, Colorado, launching Atlas missions for the Air Force and NASA, including New Horizons, the first mission to Pluto and beyond. In 2006, she became part of United Launch Alliance (ULA), a Lockheed Martin and Boeing joint venture. In 2007, Brittany earned her master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado and was the recipient of CSU’s Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) award. Stinson is currently a Mission Manager and Program Manager for ULA. In this position, she has technical and programmatic responsibility for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) missions.

College of Health and Human Sciences

Head shot of Nancy Richardson
Nancy Richardson

Nancy Richardson, co-owner of Otter Products LLC, will speak at the College of Health and Human Sciencescommencement ceremony at 7:30 p.m., May 17, at Moby Arena.

Richardson is the brain behind the iconic OtterBox brand name and logo. She also serves as co-founder and board member of Blue Ocean Enterprises Inc. and Blue Ocean Holdings LLC, firms dedicated to strategic investments in new businesses and real estate. The mission for all the companies is “We Grow to Give.”

Richardson and her husband, Curt, are long-time Fort Collins residents, having set down roots in the city in 1977. They raised their two sons here and recently grew the family with the addition of a daughter-in-law. Their commitment to the community goes beyond the businesses they’ve built. In addition to her positions with the family of businesses, Nancy focuses her time and efforts on serving the community through the initiatives of the Richardson Foundation, the private philanthropic organization of the Richardson family. In 2010, she founded the OtterCares Foundation, a private foundation dedicated to inspiring youth to change the world. In 2016, she founded the Blue Ocean Foundation, which exists to support economic growth in the communities Blue Ocean conducts business.

Richardson graduated from CSU with a degree in interior design. She has continued her involvement with the university through the construction of the Nancy Richardson Design Center on campus. The state-of-the-art center serves as a creative space for students and faculty in programs across campus, including interior architecture and design, apparel and merchandising, landscape architecture, art, engineering, product development, entrepreneurship and construction management.

Richardson serves as a founding member of the newly formed Women and Philanthropy. Its mission is to connect and empower a community to elevate women and philanthropy at CSU. Additionally, she currently serves on the board of Rescue Freedom International, a nonprofit organization that empowers the rescue and restoration of women and children suffering in sexual slavery.  She has previously served on the board of CURE International and the North Council for El Pomar.

College of Natural Sciences

Head shot of Reggie Washington
Reginald Washington

Dr. Reginald Washington, chief medical officer of the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, will speak at the College of Natural Sciences commencement ceremony at 8 a.m., May 18, at Moby Arena.

Washington graduated from CSU with a bachelor’s degree in Zoology and then attended the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where he received his M.D.  He completed his post-graduate training at the CU Hospital System including a Fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology.

He has been the chief medical officer of the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children since 2010 and Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver since 2017. He is a clinical professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. In addition, he is the past president of the medical staff as well as past chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver. He was in private practice as a pediatric cardiologist for 30 years with Rocky Mountain Pediatric Cardiology.

Dr. Washington has published over 78 articles in peer-reviewed journals on childhood obesity, pediatric cardiology and related topics and serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Pediatrics and the Editorial Board of Congenital Heart Disease. He was a member of the AHA’s writing group “Eligibility and Disqualification Recommendations for Competitive Athletes with Genetic and Congenital CV Diseases”. He served for eight years on the Board of Governors for the Colorado State University including a term as Chairman of that body.

He received the Physician of the Year award from the National American Heart Association (AHA), Gold Heart Award from the AHA, Cardiologist of the Year from HCA Corp., the Alumni Achievement Award from Colorado State University, the Civis Princeps Award from Regis University and the Shaffer Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Samaritan Institute’s National Samaritan Award. He was voted one of the best Pediatric Cardiologist in Denver by 5280 Magazine for 11 years, Best Doctors in America, America’s Top Pediatrician (Pediatric Cardiology) by the Consumer Research Council, and the Denver Business Journal’s Champions in Health Care in 2008. He was one of three finalists for Surgeon General of the United States in 2006.

College of Agricultural Sciences

Head shot of Colorado State University President Tony Frank
Tony Frank

Colorado State University President Tony Frank will speak at the College of Agricultural Sciences commencement ceremony at 11:30 a.m., May 18, at Moby Arena.

Frank serves as the 14th president of CSU, one of the nation’s leading public land-grant research universities with nearly 35,000 students and one of the most productive research faculties in the nation. Enrollment, graduation rates, diversity, fundraising and investments in campus infrastructure have all set records under his leadership. President Frank earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Wartburg College, followed by a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. and residences in pathology and toxicology at Purdue.

Frank serves on numerous state and national boards, has authored numerous scientific publications, and has been honored with numerous awards. He was appointed to a dual role as Chancellor of the CSU System in 2015 and will become full-time System Chancellor in July 2019.

College of Business

Head shot of Bob Hottman
Bob Hottman

Bob Hottman, CEO and founding partner EKS&H, will deliver the commencement address at the College of Business ceremony at 7:30 p.m., May 18, in Moby Arena.

Hottman is the chief executive officer of EKS&H and has been providing accounting and advisory services for individuals, closely held businesses and public companies in the manufacturing, distribution, real estate, hospitality, club and service industries since 1977. He has vast experience in helping clients develop strategic plans, improve operations, and plan for change and growth. He also has served as an expert witness in various litigation cases.

Hottman is a graduate of CSU with a degree in business administration. His professional affiliations include membership in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is a past president of multiple industry associations and is active in a variety of community organizations, including Children’s Hospital Colorado and the Denver Chamber of Commerce.

College of Liberal Arts

Head shot of Stephen Malloy Brackett
Stephen Malloy Brackett

Stephen Malloy Brackett, member and emcee of the hip-hop and rock band the Flobots, will deliver the commencement address at both College of Liberal Arts ceremonies at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., May 19, at Moby Arena. Brackett, a CSU alumnus, has been rhyming words as a calling and profession for the last 12 years. He has toured the world with his band Flobots, using music as a platform for engagement and collective empowerment. The band’s platinum hit, “Handlebars,” has allowed Malloy Brackett to share the stage with many of his heroes, including Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, Rage Against the Machine, Public Enemy, Bernie Sanders and Emily Keys.

His time as a philosophy student at CSU nurtured his lifelong love affair with the arts, education, and activism. Blending those passions, he co-founded the non-profit Youth On Record. Youth on Record exists to empower Colorado’s youth to achieve their academic, artistic, and personal best by employing local, professional artists as their educators. Youth on Record has impacted the lives of thousands of young people.

Malloy Brackett comes from a family that set a precedent of using your gifts to benefit others. He gives credit to his mother, Ava Malloy Brackett, for setting a precedent that allowed no label to define her outcome. He lives in his hometown of Denver, with his wife, Jennifer, dog, Scout, and cat, Puma.

CSU Commencement Ceremony Schedule

Complete CSU commencement ceremony starting times and locations; ceremonies will be live streamed at the links provided on the CSU commencement website.

Friday, May 17

  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) Program, 8 a.m., Moby Arena
  • Air Force ROTC Commissioning, 8 a.m., Lory Student Center Ballroom AB (not webcast)
  • Army ROTC Commissioning, 10 a.m., Lory Student Center Ballroom CD (not webcast)
  • Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering, 11:30 a.m., Moby Arena
  • University Honors Recognition Ceremony, 1:45 p.m., Lory Student Center Grand Ballroom
  • Graduate School, 3:30 p.m., Moby Arena
  • College of Health and Human Sciences, 7:30 p.m., Moby Arena

Saturday, May 18

  • College of Natural Sciences, 8 a.m., Moby Arena
  • College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 9 a.m., Lory Student Center Grand Ballroom
  • College of Agricultural Sciences, 11:30 a.m., Moby Arena
  • Warner College of Natural Resources, 3:30 p.m., Moby Arena
  • College of Business, 7:30 p.m., Moby Arena

Sunday, May 19

  • College of Liberal Arts I, 9 a.m., Moby Arena
  • College of Liberal Arts II, 1 p.m., Moby Arena