Each week, Communique will be highlighting a series of campus wins, accomplishments and accolades. Please explore the list below to check out what other teams are up to, and help celebrate their good work!
Have something to add? Please reach out to University Communications with your submission!
College of Public Service
Department of Public Administration work was highlighted at the recent American Society of Public Administration (ASPA) conference in Washington, D.C. The conference’s theme was “Not Robots Yet: Keeping Public Servants in Public Service,” focusing on the impact of technology on public service.
- Robin Kempf, Associate Professor and MPA Program Director, gave a relevant and well attended presentation entitled Gendered Offices of Inspector General? Budgetary Evidence of Systematic Variation in OIGs Along Organizational Gender. Dr. Kempf is also beginning a two-year term as Chair of the ASPA Section on Public Administration Research.
- Regina Winters, Associate Dean and Teaching Professor, presented collaborative departmental work: Skills-Based Needs for Public Service Employees in Southern Colorado.
- Don Klingner, Professor Emeritus, participated in an ASPA Past Presidents Roundtable event.
Thank you to our government and nonprofit community partners for their participation in the Public Service Career Fair held April three in Berger Hall.
College of Education
Dr. Scott Kupferman was invited to participate and present at the recent April 2-3, 2025 Global Summit on Disability in Berlin, Germany. The summit was the largest gathering of disability leaders ever, 3000 people from all over the world!). Dr. Kupferman indicated that there are some interesting outcomes from the summit that will impact inclusive education for students with disabilities around the world.
Student Spotlight
A 48-hour short film made in Colorado Springs is heading to the Cannes Film Festival.
Created by Matthew Perlinger (UCCS Alum, Producer), Vitezslav Rasl (Current UCCS Student, Director of Photography), Alexa Foster (Current UCCS Student, Second Assistant Director), & Mikey Hardesty (Previous UCCS student), brothergirls is a raw, funny, and heartfelt story born from a weekend of nonstop creativity. After winning Best Film in Denver’s 48 Hour Film Project and being selected at Filmapalooza, the film is now set to screen at the Short Film Corner at Cannes.
Cybersecurity
UCCS Cybersecurity student and U.S. Army Military Veteran Yurena Burgess, who is pursuing her Bachelor of Innovation in Information Security, along with Gretchen Bliss, Dir. Of Cybersecurity Programs Office, have been making the rounds in the media. Both have been interviewed recently by prominent publications, which has resulted in some good press for UCCS and our focus on keeping the nation safe through better cybersecurity education. Check out the articles in Forbes and CSO Magazine.
Research
Profs Bozhko and Iacocca published a paper in Physical Review Applied:
https://journals.aps.org/prapplied/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.23.044010
What makes this special is that this work is the result of an investigation that started as a broader impact section in NSF and then involved an undergraduate student (Lawrence Scafuri) and a graduate student (Renju Peroor). The publication received editors’ suggestion recognition, meaning that it is showcased on the journal’s home page.
Health & Wellness
New AED locations have been added to LaPlata and Monarch.