Class of 2024

Julianne Ramsey

Anonymous — Tue, 14 May 2024 18:21:08 +0000

Julianne Ramsey Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/14/2024 - 12:21

Julianne Ramsey majored in architecture with a minor in leadership, and participated in a two-year INVST Community Program at CU.

Where are you from?
Parker, CO

What inspired you to come to ENVD when choosing your school?
I loved that ENVD majors seemed to graduate with a well-rounded skillset, from problem solving to graphic design to presentation skills. I saw ENVD as much more than a design degree, and I feel as though I got that.

What is one of the greatest experiences or lessons from your time at CU �鶹ӰԺ that you'll carry with you into the next chapter of your life?
During my time at CU, I learned that a little resilience goes a long way. I feel as though college taught me that I can get through any challenge I face with a little bit of grit and perseverance.

Based on what you know now, what is your best piece of advice for other students?
Put your all into everything from the beginning of the semester til the end. It will make for a project you are so very proud of.

Describe one of your favorite memories.
One of my favorite memories at ENVD was becoming great friends with my partner, Olivia Hayes, during our ARCH 3100 studio. We chose each other as partners, not knowing each other, and became so close through the late nights in studio together. Not to mention, we made the project we are the proudest of together!

What does graduating from college represent for you?
This represents the closing of a long chapter in my life where I learned and grew so much.

What are your plans beyond graduation?
I hope to find a job in architecture in Denver, Southern California, or Chicago.

Julianne Ramsey majored in architecture with a minor in leadership, and participated in a two-year INVST Community Program at CU.

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Environmental Design 2024 Latin Honors Recipients

Anonymous — Wed, 08 May 2024 16:56:23 +0000

Environmental Design 2024 Latin Honors Recipients Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/08/2024 - 10:56

Each spring, a group of environmental design honors students defend their theses to their dedicated thesis committee. Afterward, the Honors Council meets and awards Latin honors at the levels of cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude.

Projects worthy of the honors designation will be works of creative expression, including design, research, and theoretical work that demonstrates a high level of intellectual and creative ability and analytical skills. Completing an honors project allows students to investigate topics of interest, provides the opportunity to work closely with a faculty thesis chair and creates a culminating intellectual experience that produces both a meaningful project and an invaluable learning experience. The Honors project represents the climax of their college careers.

Congratulations to the following students graduating with Latin honors!

Abel Chamberlin, magna cum laude

Balancing Global Building Standards and Contextual Design: A Critical Regionalist Analysis of the WELL V2 Building Standards Impact on Design and Wellbeing

Sean Donovan, summa cum laude

Interdisciplinary Approaches to Grassland Restoration: Exploring best practices and interdisciplinary collaboration in the context of grassland restoration

Lakin Fain, summa cum laude

Reinforcing Appalachia

Nicole Tschan, summa cum laude

Briki: Re-Brick Your Dorm

Annie Geoghegan, summa cum laude

The Green Paradox: Gentrification & Greenness in the Mile High City

Congratulations to this year's Latin Honors recipients!

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Lydia Mercante

Anonymous — Wed, 08 May 2024 16:22:02 +0000

Lydia Mercante Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/08/2024 - 10:22

Lydia Mercante, a distinguished graduate from Long Island, will earn her B.EnvD in sustainable planning & urban design with a minor in business real estate. She believes that the past four years at ENVD have made her into who she is today and taught her who she wants to become.

Where are you from?
Long Island, NY

Tell us about your involvement and/or student leadership roles in and/or outside of ENVD.
I have been involved in Kappa Alpha Theta for the past 4 years and served on the executive board as the Vice President of Panhellenic in 2022. Within ENVD I was the Professional Development Services Assistant and worked under Nate Jones. This helped me feel more involved in the ENVD community and allowed me to gain a lot of professional experience.

What inspired you to come to ENVD when choosing your school?
I have always known I wanted to do something with the built environment, but also not be an architect necessarily. I felt like ENVD offered a balance of design and a sustainability focus that was very attractive to me. I have also always been interested in merging urban design and commercial real estate so I knew I wanted to minor in business.

What is one of the greatest experiences or lessons from your time at CU �鶹ӰԺ that you'll carry with you into the next chapter of your life?
One of the greatest lessons I learned during college is that there are many aspects of life that can’t be controlled or are hard to manage and the only thing you can control is how you react. So, I have learned to react to hard situations with grace and kindness and try to always be the best version of myself.

Based on what you know now, what is your best piece of advice for other students?
My best piece of advice is to not take anything for granted. Life goes by fast and it’s important to take the time to enjoy it. Take time to do what you love and makes you happy, you are worth more than you may think.

Describe one of your favorite memories.
One of my favorite memories was getting to go to Paris in May with a class in ENVD. We had the opportunity to go around the city and see all different kinds of architecture, museums, and exhibits. We did a lot of walking and sketching but it was filled with laughs and fun times I will never forget.

What does graduating from college represent for you?
Graduating from college is a hard experience to put into words. It is nerve wracking, exciting, and bittersweet all at the same time. I am looking forward to what life has to hold but these last four years have made me into who I am and taught me who I want to become. I will always look at my time at CU and with ENVD fondly and hope that the rest of my life will be just as enjoyable as these past four years have been.

What are your plans beyond graduation?
Honestly I am not sure yet, I am currently working for a non-profit affordable housing developer and am planning to work with them through the summer. After that the goal is to move back to NY and start working in the urban design industry. I am trying to take everyday at a time and do my best to network and find a job that I love.

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Annie Geoghegan

Anonymous — Fri, 03 May 2024 16:46:42 +0000

Annie Geoghegan Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/03/2024 - 10:46

Outstanding graduate Annie Geoghegan will graduate with a B.EnvD in landscape architecture and a minor in Spanish. Some of her favorite memories are from the nights spent in ENVD working on projects, sharing laughs and yawns with classmates that are now dear friends.

Where are you from?
Denver, CO

Tell us about your involvement and/or student leadership roles in and/or outside of ENVD.
Within ENVD, I was a first year mentor for two years, I worked under Shawhin and CEDaR as Research Assistant. I also went to Colombia for Jota's Summer Studio which was big highlight of ENVD. Beyond ENVD, a huge part of my college experience was the club ultimate frisbee team. I captained my Junior season and found my best friends through the team.

What inspired you to come to ENVD when choosing your school?
I was an inter-university transfer. My freshman year I was undecided and I had a friend in ENVD that I got to see his projects and homework and it made me went to apply for ENVD my sophomore.

What is one of the greatest experiences or lessons from your time at CU �鶹ӰԺ that you'll carry with you into the next chapter of your life?
�鶹ӰԺ and the people I met in my time at CU helped me discover who I am as designer but also I learned so much about myself and in the role. Sound cliche but I will never forget my study abroad in Colombia and my ultimate frisbee team.

Based on what you know now, what is your best piece of advice for other students?
Be empathetic to others and yourself. It's everyone's first life and we are learning.

Describe one of your favorite memories.
One of my favorite memories is the nights and times I spent in ENVD working on projects. Sometimes the most energy you can feel in ENVD is in the late hours of the night while the rest of campus was dead. It was always buzzing in the computer lab. Shared a lot of laughs and yawns with classmates that are now my dear friends!

What does graduating from college represent for you?
Graduating makes me feel a lot of gratitude to my family. My older sister went to CU and was a May 2020 graduate. While she got her diploma, I'll always wish she got to walk across the stage so next week I am proud to represent my family and as I walk across the stage and officially graduate.

What are your plans beyond graduation?
Beyond graduation, I hope to work as a Landscape Designer in Denver this next year or so. No jobs lined up but excited to enjoy one last summer in �鶹ӰԺ before launching my ~professional~ life.

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Zo Turner

Anonymous — Wed, 01 May 2024 23:19:21 +0000

Zo Turner Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/01/2024 - 17:19

Zo Turner's advice for other students is to stay curious: the more you ask questions and embrace a sense of childlike wonder, the more rewarding and expansive this program will become. She'll be graduating with a dual-degree in product design and creative technology & design.

Where are you from?
Breckenridge, CO

Tell us about your involvement and/or student leadership roles in and/or outside of ENVD.
Treasure of iDSA, social media coordinator for AIAS my sophomore and junior year, fabrication labs assistant at the CLC and at BTU for ATLAS.

What inspired you to come to ENVD when choosing your school?
I was initially drawn to ENVD for its architecture program, but I chose to stay for the product design emphasis. The amazing professors and creative projects in this area provided me with opportunities to delve into the more intricate details of design

What is one of the greatest experiences or lessons from your time at CU �鶹ӰԺ that you'll carry with you into the next chapter of your life?
Design is fundamentally a mindset—it's about approaching the world with curiosity over fear. My experiences in ENVD and EPOD have underscored the value of maintaining curiosity and always asking "why?" Thanks to a foundation in creative thinking, I am equipped with the necessary skills to tackle not only design challenges but also real-world problems.

Based on what you know now, what is your best piece of advice for other students?
Stay curious! The more you ask questions and embrace a sense of childlike wonder, the more rewarding and expansive this program will become. Also, remember that you are capable of achieving anything you set your mind to. With dedication and consistency, your efforts will yield substantial rewards.

Describe one of your favorite memories.
In EPOD 3100, you'll work with a group for the entire semester to develop a product that is showcased at a holiday market. One of my favorite experiences was collaborating with my group members to brainstorm, create, and finally bring our product to market. There's a strong sense of community in EPOD, and the collective success of our class at the market stands out as one of my most cherished memories

What does graduating from college represent for you?
Graduating college symbolizes all the late nights, hard work and dedication that went into countless creative projects. It marks four years of significant personal and educational growth. Graduating also reaffirms that hard work truly pays off. I am immensely grateful for the ENVD community and the friendships I've formed along the way

What are your plans beyond graduation?
After college, I plan to return to Breckenridge, my charming hometown. This summer, I'll be working to save up to go backpack through Europe. In August, I'll embark on a backpacking trip for a few months. Upon my return, I will begin my career as an associate interior designer at Collective Designs, working for the Pinnacle Companies in Summit County.

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Zoë Camp

Anonymous — Wed, 01 May 2024 20:07:44 +0000

Zoë Camp Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/01/2024 - 14:07

Distinguished graduate Zoë Camp will graduate with a B.EnvD in product design. During her time at CU, she raced downhill for CU’s Cycling Team, participated in ENVD’s six week design-build studio in Medellín, Colombia, worked as a graphic designer at the CU’s Environmental Center and stayed heavily involved in �鶹ӰԺ’s cycling community.

Where are you from?
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Tell us about your involvement and/or student leadership roles in and/or outside of ENVD.
Throughout college, I raced downhill for CU’s Cycling Team; a community where I met many of my best friends and got to see new parts of the state when traveling to different races each weekend. Over my sophomore summer I participated in ENVD’s six week design-build studio in Medellín, Colombia. It was an incredible experience getting to work with Colombian students and the local community. I also worked as a graphic designer at the CU’s Environmental Center, a part of a student-led outreach team. Outside of school, I try to stay involved in �鶹ӰԺ’s cycling community. I worked at Community Cycles, �鶹ӰԺ’s non-profit bike shop, and volunteer with adaptive mountain bikers.

What inspired you to come to ENVD when choosing your school?
Growing up in a family of athletes and creatives, I was looking for a hands-on learning environment to pursue a creative degree in a place where I could continue racing my bike and immerse myself in mountain sports.

What is one of the greatest experiences or lessons from your time at CU �鶹ӰԺ that you'll carry with you into the next chapter of your life?
Throughout my four years, I’ve learned not to be afraid to take risks and fail sometimes. I often choose ambitious problems to tackle, and at times feel discouraged because I “fail” so many times before arriving at any kind of solution. But every time something doesn’t go to plan, I often learn a new and valuable lesson. I hope to take this mindset into the next chapter of my life, looking at setbacks not as failures, but as opportunities to grow.

Based on what you know now, what is your best piece of advice for other students?
Enjoy the process! Don’t forget to celebrate all the little wins along the way, whether it's a new prototype, your classmates' success, or a final project on pin-up day. Also take advantage of all the resources you have. Don’t be afraid to bring a project to another professor, use the shops for personal projects, and ask the CINC staff to show you that machine you’ve been wondering about!

Describe one of your favorite memories.
The most fun project I’ve worked on was a group project with Geroge Davis and Fletcher Spear for the Epod market-led studio. I have so many great memories ideating, sand-casting, and joking around with these two talented designers. Everyone in this studio showed so much camaraderie towards each other's projects, and it made bringing our products to the EPOP Shop a special experience.

What does graduating from college represent for you?
Graduating from college is bittersweet. While I’m excited for a new chapter, I’ll miss my Epod family, the long days and late nights spent at the CINC working on cool projects with classmates who have become my closest friends.

What are your plans beyond graduation?
After graduation I'll be looking for a job in the design industry, working on the personal projects I finally have time for, and riding my bike. You can find me at �鶹ӰԺ’s Thursday Cruiser Rides!

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Talissa Brownell

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 18:46:06 +0000

Talissa Brownell Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/24/2024 - 12:46

Distinguished graduate Talissa Brownell will earn a B.EnvD specializing in architecture with a Lighting Design Certificate. For Talissa, every favorite memory from ENVD includes the best friends she's been inseparable from since freshman year.

Where are you from?
Colorado

Tell us about your involvement and/or student leadership roles in and/or outside of ENVD.
Involvement to me does not have to mean being in a million clubs, it can mean surrounding yourself with a community where you feel accepted. Although I did not spend my time in official leadership positions, during my free time I was always at a CU sporting event, play or exhibit where I could cheer on my peers. I am grateful to have found an amazing community here at CU �鶹ӰԺ where I was excited to be involved in my own way.

What inspired you to come to ENVD when choosing your school?
When choosing schools, I knew that I was going to pursue architecture. I wanted to go somewhere with a focus on sustainability, but also a program that provided a well-rounded design education. Environmental Design is a one-of-a-kind program, as students have the opportunity to learn design through so many different lenses. With �鶹ӰԺ being beautiful and offering the college experience that I wanted, the ENVD program was a perfect fit for me.

What is one of the greatest experiences or lessons from your time at CU �鶹ӰԺ that you'll carry with you into the next chapter of your life?
One of the greatest lessons that I have learned throughout my time at CU �鶹ӰԺ is not to take life too seriously. Life is not only about school and work – it is important to have fun and create a balance for yourself. Of course, as ENVD students, we are passionate about our careers, but it is crucial to always put your happiness first.

Based on what you know now, what is your best piece of advice for other students?
My best piece of advice for current and future ENVD students is to study abroad if you are able to. As an architecture student, being able to see some of the buildings that we talk about in class and really experience design outside of the US has been extremely beneficial not only to myself as a designer, but also in my personal growth/perspective. (Also, look into the lighting design certificate!)

Describe one of your favorite memories.
It is so insanely hard to choose a favorite memory but the important part is that every single one includes my best friends Nicole, Franki, and Colton. Since freshmen year, I have been inseparable from these fellow architecture students; studying abroad together, dancing together, going to Raising Canes together, watching movies together, etc. I am so beyond grateful that the ENVD program brought these wonderful people into my life.

What does graduating from college represent for you?
Graduating from college means everything to me. As a first-generation student, I knew that college was not the only option. I knew that I would only go to college if I was passionate enough about something to want to do it for the rest of my life – not just to make money or obtain a title. I love design, I love architecture, and it means everything to me that I was able to find my passion here in the ENVD program.

What are your plans beyond graduation?
After graduation, I am starting full time at AKLD Lighting Design in Denver. I am extremely excited to start working on projects where I can develop my skills and showcase my ideas. I am also excited to travel as much as possible, as my main goal in life is to see the world.

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Submit a grad feature

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 15:15:41 +0000

Submit a grad feature Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 04/18/2024 - 09:15

Share your answers

What is your name and major?

What, if any, minors, dual-degrees and certificates are you graduating with?

Where are you from?

Tell us about your involvement and student leadership roles in and outside of ENVD?

What inspired you to come to ENVD when choosing your school?

What is one of the greatest experiences or lessons from your time at CU �鶹ӰԺ that you'll carry with you into the next chapter of your life?

Based on what you know now, what is your best piece of advice for other students?

Fill out your grad feature today!

Environmental Design is excited to showcase its graduates! Share your accomplishments and experience.

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