Franklyn Judson, MD (’74), pledged $1 million to the Judson Endowed Fund for Impact on Public Health Policy to provide flexible resources for advancing research initiatives, strengthening core offerings and addressing public health policy review and translation.

The Thomas and Beatrice Taplin Fund gave $500,000 to the nurse practitioner scholarship fund. This gift provides scholarships for one or more students enrolled in one of the five nurse practitioner specialty funds. In addition to this gift, the Taplins gave $25,000 to the Center for Women’s Health Research Fund to support research relating to women’s health issues.

The John H. Tietze Foundation Trust gave $300,000 to support research on attacking latent viruses.

Donna Blair gave a total of $300,000 to the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, including a $250,000 pledge and $50,000 outright gift.

A $198,000 gift from Donald West King, MD, to the King Pathology Lectureship supports a one-day program that promotes interdisciplinary communication and critical thinking.

In support of the College of Music, Chris and Barbara Christoffersen gave $360,000 to establish the Christoffersen Fellows in Composition Endowed Fund and the Christoffersen Fellows in Composition Endowed Professional Development Fund. These endowment funds will provide stipends, which include salaries and benefits, participation in conferences, guest artists for master classes, and other activities that support two Christoffersen Fellows in Composition at the College of Music. $10,000 of the Christoffersen Fellows in Composition Endowed Fund went directly into distribution for the current fellows, Dan Kellogg and Carter Pann, whose work has continued to establish composition as a department of excellence within the College.

Steve Katz and his wife, Mary Sue Katz, supporters of the Leeds School of Business, invested $250,000 to launch a new Real Estate and Technology course, “Not Your Father’s Real Estate World.” Steve is a CU parent, Foundation trustee and a ’71 Leeds graduate. The unique course will examine the interface and interactions between technology and real estate. It will focus on how and where new and future technologies are disrupting traditional theories and practices around maximizing the economic value of real property.

In December 2017, the University of Colorado Denver announced a $10 million gift that establishes the campus’s first named building, the Lola & Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center. The Salazar Family Foundation pledged its largest-ever single donation to support this new facility in the heart of CU Denver’s vibrant downtown campus, enriching community, connection and student life. Opening in spring 2018, the Lola & Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center will be an 85,000 square-foot facility featuring a climbing wall, three-court gymnasium, six-lane pool, weight room, fitness studios, reflection rooms and an outdoor adventure center. Designed to promote multiple dimensions of student health and wellness, the center offers programs and activities that address students’ social, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.

“Through our gift and through our story, we hope to be role models for students on the CU Denver campus as people they can relate to achieving success in life. We want the Lola & Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center to inspire young people to make their dreams come true through hard work and an education,” said Lola Salazar, who attended CU Denver for a master’s degree in Education. Rob Salazar added, “We want young people to see that they’re no different from us. If we can do it, it’s achievable.”

Building upon their current generous support for international initiatives and the Colorado Building Workshop at the College of Architecture and Planning, Don and Maria Johnson have designated the establishment of the Bixler Honors Program as a beneficiary of their estate. The program will promote international relations and opportunities for students to become global thought leaders in the built environment and experiential learning. It is also intended to bring together high-performing students, faculty and practitioners from leading international design cultures such as Finland, Italy, Japan and America to study architecture and the process of its realization and to increase appreciation of other cultures, design ideas and construction methods.

At the same time, the Johnsons have established a new $200,000 endowment to provide travel awards to master’s of Architecture students at the University of Colorado Denver. These awards will encourage students to explore significant contributions to the field of architecture globally. Recipients will be top-ranked students with high academic merit and will be selected by the College of Architecture and Planning. Don Johnson was a CU Trustee from 2010-2016.

Following a presentation Chancellor Venkat Reddy made to the community, Greg Ireton, a community member in attendance, decided to make a blended gift to UCCS totaling $1.05 million. A portion of the gift was made through a stock transfer, and the remainder was made through a bequest. Ireton’s gift is being used to create a scholarship to provide support for students, who without financial aid would not be able to attend college.

Darwin Horan made a $1 million commitment to the UCCS Track and Field Facility currently being developed on the North Nevada corridor. The gift will support the construction of the facility as well as equipment for the track and field team.

In November 2017, the Karen Possehl Women’s Endowment (KPWE), a scholarship program for non-traditional students who have experienced and overcome barriers in completing their education, was a recipient of the El Pomar Foundation 2017 Awards for Excellence. The Awards for Excellence program recognizes outstanding Colorado nonprofit organizations for their impressive work to support the people of Colorado. As an award recipient, KPWE received a $25,000 gift from the El Pomar Foundation.