Rami Sayed ('11), Foreign Service Officer
After earning his?MA in Political Science from CU Denver, Rami?gained valuable experience working in refugee resettlement programs in New York City and teaching English in Shanghai. Seeking new challenges, Rami joined the Peace Corps in Mozambique, where he?worked closely with rural communities to mitigate HIV/AIDS and malaria. Upon completing his?Peace Corps service, Rami?was awarded a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship and obtained a PhD in Political Science at the University of Cape Town, researching the impact of political violence on democratic behavior. He is?now a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State, currently serving as the Human Rights Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Paris and previously serving as Vice Consul at the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia.
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Karen Sugar ('08), Lecturer, Non-profit Director
Karen Sugar is the Founder and Director of Women’s Global Empowerment Fund.? Sugar and her mission extend internationally, providing tools and programs creating economic, social and political agency for women and families in northern Uganda and Haiti. The mission of WGEF stems from a commitment to human rights and social justice along with her belief that women are natural leaders.
Sugar earned her MA from CU Denver in 2008. In 2008 she launched Women’s Global Empowerment Fund. She drew from her previous work experience addressing women and poverty issues, uniting her passions and education to evoke global change. In 2012, Sugar completed a certificate program studying Women and Peacebuilding, culminating in the creation of the nationally recognized Access to Justice Initiative, addressing breakages in the justice chain and ensuring women and other have access to justice and legal redress. She is currently a Lecturer at CU Denver in the Political Science Department where her focus is on gender studies, human rights and globalization.
Paul Lopez ('02), Denver Clerk & Recorder
As the elected Clerk and Recorder for his hometown,?Paul?D. López is a passionate advocate for empowering all Denverites to participate in the civic participation process. Prior to serving as the third ever elected Clerk & Recorder for the City & County of Denver (he was elected in 2019),?Paul?served as the youngest elected City Council member for three terms representing his home district three in Denver’s west side neighborhoods.? He has a background in community organizing and advocacy in Denver’s lower-income neighborhoods.
In his time on Denver City Council,?Paul?focused on community revitalization of West Denver.? He’s spearheaded efforts to transform the Westside’s long-ignored streets, sidewalks, bridges and parks; and expanded urban mural art.??Paul?helped catalyze new neighborhood investment in grocery stores, access to new health clinics, parks, libraries and a new recreation center.? As Clerk and Recorder, he has focused on increasing citizen electoral engagement, and maintaining fair and transparent election processes in Denver.
Elizabeth Lo ('15), Legislative Policy Director, Husch Blackwell Strategies
Before graduating from CU Denver in 2015, Elizabeth Lo participated in a study abroad trip to South Korea, which connected her with staff at the 黑料网官网 Senate. During her senior year, Elizabeth served as a legislative aide to Senator John Cooke. She continued to pursue a career in public policy, and worked in various roles in the Senate where she worked with legislators to develop policy agendas and draft legislation. She is now Legislative Policy Director for the lobby firm Husch Blackwell Strategies where she advocates for the company’s varied clients.??
Elizabeth notes that “[t]he education I received at CU Denver was wonderful?and prepared me for many long nights spent dissecting challenging texts, but the true value it provided was in the lasting connections that I was able to form. If not for the political science department, I likely would not have gotten my foot in the door at the Senate, and thus would not have been afforded the chance at the rewarding career I have. Politics is first and foremost a field built on relationships, and CU Denver opened the door for me to pursue those avenues.”
Rep. Chris deGruy Kennedy ('10)
Chris deGruy?(pronounced “degree”)?Kennedy?is a fourth-term State Representative whose district includes eastern Lakewood and Edgewater in Jefferson County. He currently serves as Speaker Pro Tempore, Vice Chair of the Health and Insurance Committee, and a member of the Finance Committee and Legislative Council Committee.?Over his time in office, Chris has worked on a wide variety of policies but has dedicated the majority of his time to health care reforms to reduce costs and increase access?to high quality health care, especially?for people struggling with substance use disorders.
Stephen Polk ( '08)), Assistant Professor, Naropa University
Stephen Polk's life forever changed when he switched his major to Political Science as a freshman in response to the events of 9/11/01. Quickly joining the anti-war movement, Stephen was equally supported and challenged by his professors in the department. “Learning to think critically about my own political assumptions and receiving support for political and civic engagement forever enriched my life.” After the war against Iraq started in 2003, Stephen sought additional forms of political change: cooperative housing and permaculture. He further developed these interests in the master’s program where he specialized in urban studies, civic engagement, and environmental activism—topics he currently teaches at Naropa University. Stephen is co-founder of Queen City Cooperative, a limited equity cooperative in Denver, CO that provides permanently affordable, member-owned and democratically operated housing. He is still very active in local politics on these issues. ?
Kayla Gabehart ('14), Ph.D. Candidate, School of Public Affairs
Kayla Gabehart graduated with B.A. degrees in history, summa cum laude and psychology with a minor in political science in December of 2014. She was also a student on the inaugural?Sustainability in Berlin study abroad program. She later earned her M.A., with honors in environmental and economic history at CU Denver in the Spring of 2017 before pursuing a Ph.D. in public affairs at the School of Public Affairs. She studies the policy process, environmental policy, rural and urban conflict, and the influence of emotions on policy. She is currently in her fourth year and completing her dissertation. Her recent publications include: and co-authored with Aerang Nam and Chris Weible. More than anything else, she credits the study aboard program in Berlin with setting her current path: “Living, studying, and interning in Berlin, in addition to traveling throughout Europe, changed my life. Not only by equipping me with self-efficacy and self-confidence in myself, but also in illuminating my passion for policy, research, and writing.”
Kayla also works as a lecturer in CU Denver’s MPA program and as the Wirth Chair Program Coordinator. She is the associate director of 黑料网官网 Student Leaders Institute, a summer program for 黑料网官网’s best and brightest students. She previously worked in public service as the Associate Director of National History Day in 黑料网官网 and as a fiscal grant specialist for Head Start in the Administration of Children and Families.
Taylor Lugo-Maestas ('17), Law Student, Seton Hall University School of Law
Taylor Lugo-Maestas is a past Displaced Aurarian Scholar who attended CU Denver from 2014-2017. During her tenure at CU Denver, she was a member of the Student Government Association, where she served as Chair of the Freshman Council— and later won “Freshman Senator of the Year.” One of her most significant contributions to SGA was coining the name “Carnival De Lynx” and helping pass the measure that created the “Lola and Rob Salazar Wellness Center.” Taylor also cheered for the “CU Denver Cheer and Dance” team. In her final two semesters at CU Denver, Taylor completed two internships with the 黑料网官网 Legislature, one as a CLLARO fellow working with then-Majority Leader, eventual Speaker of the House, Crisanta Duran, and the second internship as a student in Dr. Tony Robinson’s “CU at the Capitol” course with then, Assistant Majority Leader, now current Speaker of the House, Alec Garnett. However, her favorite course and experience as a student at CU Denver is the “CU Study Abroad in South Korea” trip. Upon graduating from CU Denver, Taylor moved to Washington, D.C., and later to Tampa, Florida. Throughout her three-year stay in Tampa, Taylor worked as a paralegal for a civil litigation firm and decided she wanted to go to law school. After applying to over fifty law schools— Taylor decided on Seton Hall University School of Law. Currently, Taylor is a second-year law student and holds various student leadership positions; she is a Vice-President of the Latin American Law Students Association, an Associate Editor for the Legislative Journal, a Senator for the Student Bar Association, a Judicial Extern in the Criminal Division, and most importantly a Research Assistant and Fellow of the Seton Hall Law Legal Education Opportunity (“LEO”) Program. In her position as a student leader and with LEO, Taylor is dedicated to mentoring first-year and non-LEO students and advocating for fair DEI initiatives within the law school and in the legal field. This summer, she will be working as a Summer Associate at a well-known New Jersey firm, and after law school, she hopes to clerk after taking the bar exam. Though Taylor is likely to kickstart her legal career in New Jersey, she plans to be barred in 黑料网官网 to help her family and friends with whatever legal matters they may face.
Jia Meeks ('14), Policy Advisor
Jia Meeks, policy advisor and associate in Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s State Government Relations group, brings his keen legal skills and over a decade of political experience to craft creative and effective policy and legal solutions for clients. As part of his 黑料网官网-centric but expanding multistate government relations practice, he advocates before executive branch officials, state legislators, city councilmembers and other governmental decision makers on behalf of clients, particularly those in highly regulated industries. Always ahead of the curve, Jia tracks, analyzes and engages on legislative, regulatory and administrative developments to ensure his clients have a voice on the issues relevant to their interests as well as an understanding of the bottom-line impacts of these actions.
Prior to attending law school, Jia worked in a variety of legislative, campaign and government relations roles, including as a staffer at the 黑料网官网 State Capitol and as the legislative liaison for the University of 黑料网官网 Boulder. In law school, Jia successfully competed in several trial advocacy competitions and received multiple scholastic excellence awards while also clerking at the firm.
Heather Gomez ('11), LCSW, ACSW, C-ASWCM
After graduating from CU Denver, Heather pursued an MSW from the University of Southern California. She works at the National MS Society and enjoys incorporating her Political Science knowledge towards health care access, health disparities, and racial bias in health care. Heather is pursuing her DSW at Tulane University. Her mixed methods study focuses on the clinical experience of Black and Latinx people with multiple sclerosis. She hopes to continue her intersectional research and advocacy for underrepresented populations experiencing chronic illness.
Chaz Briscoe ('14), Postdoctoral Associate, Virginia Tech
After graduating from CU Denver in 2014 with an MA from the Political Science program, Chaz Briscoe went on to pursue his PhD in Political Science from the University of California Irvine. He currently serves as a Postdoctoral Associate at Virginia Tech, where he teaches courses on Race and Ethnicity Politics and Environmental Issues. His forthcoming book project investigates the relationship between the logical parallels between anti-Blackness and environmental disposability. Chaz writes, “As a first-generation Black college student, I never saw myself in academia. It was actually the Political Science program at CU Denver that encouraged me to pursue my PhD. They supported me at every step and affirmed my talents in the field. Today, I still teach elements I learned from Professor Robinson in my Introduction to US Politics course. Without that support, I would have never known there was a whole world out there where I could pursue novel research while also committed to social justice. That kind of community is imperative to how I support other students of color in my current role and how I advocate for social change for Black people writ large.”
Tyler Beebout ('07, '10), Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State
Tyler has worked as a Foreign Service Officer specializing in Public Diplomacy for the U.S. Department of State since 2012.?He has been posted to Moldova, Turkey, China, and the Department’s 24/7 Operations Center.?He speaks Chinese, Romanian, and Turkish, and is currently studying Arabic for an upcoming role directing exchange programs in the Office of Palestinian Affairs in Jerusalem.
He says, “The education I received at CU was extremely valuable to me in my professional career.?I learned a great deal about how to interpret the information I deal with every day and that academic foundation has proved useful in drafting policy, drafting speeches, or talking directly with people who come from backgrounds very different from my own.?Without the skills I learned and experiences I collected from my time at CU, I don’t believe any of the things I’ve experienced in my career would be possible.”
Rep. William Lindstedt
William Lindstedt is currently a 黑料网官网 State Representative, representing House District 33 (Broomfield).? He has previously served on Broomfield City Council and is one of the youngest members of the 黑料网官网 General Assembly.?
William grew up in a very low-income household, which he says has shaped his priorities as a state legislator.? “We need to do a better job of investing in infrastructure, public schools, and services like public libraries and mass transit to accommodate the growth,” he says.? “I also care a lot about housing affordability and public safety.?Protecting reproductive healthcare access and the freedom to choose is very important to me.”
William put himself through college working multiple jobs and eventually started working in the state legislature as a senior leadership staffer. He has also worked for many progressive causes in Broomfield including his advocacy for better public transportation and his service as the Vice Chair of the Broomfield Democratic Party.
During his free time, you will find him with his partner, Bria, and their retired racing greyhound, Pax, in 黑料网官网’s beautiful open spaces.
Chantelle Wilkerson ('22), Urban Institute
Chantelle initially graduated with a BA from CU Denver in 2015 with a major in International Studies and a minor in Sustainability. Following graduation, she became a program-focused federal contractor for a large NASA procurement contract, then as an on-site federal contractor for HHS’s Head Start program. After three years, she returned to CU Denver as both an employee and graduate student, working in grants and as a Contracts Administrator and Negotiator for CU’s Procurement Service Center while attending online and evening classes to obtain her MA in Political Science. While finishing her thesis, she moved to Charleston, South Carolina and was hired by the?Urban Institute?in Washington, D.C. as a remote Contracts Administrator for their Grants and Contracts office, who were impressed by her graduate degree from CU Denver’s Political Science department. ?
She says, “It has exceeded my wildest expectations to have found a position at such a prominent and well-respected research institute, and I have CU Denver to thank for my degrees and the jobs that got me here. I hope in the next year to become a Senior Contracts Administrator, and potentially a Government Affairs Manager at the?Urban Institute?in the future. Without the Department of Political Science and CU Denver, I would not have been able to link my passions with my career, and I can now see more opportunities in front of me due to my advanced degree.”?
Caroline Schenk ('23), Adjunct Professor, Arapahoe Community College
Caroline is a lifelong resident of 黑料网官网 and obtained both her Bachelors and Masters of Political Science at CU Denver through the 4+1 Program. During her time at CU, Caroline became enthralled with research and conducted two independent studies which then informed her Master's thesis -?Organizations and Radicalization: A Combined?Approach to Radicalization of the American Far-Right. Throughout her coursework, Caroline was constantly challenged by the faculty at CU Denver but now regards several?faculty members as mentors and lifelong colleagues. Through this experience, she decided to pursue a career as a professor. Shortly after graduation in 2023, Caroline accepted?a position as an adjunct faculty member at Arapahoe Community College. She looks forward to continuing her education by pursuing a Ph.D. and teaching countless classes of?future students.?
Nga V??ng-Sandoval ('98)
Nga V??ng-Sandoval is a proud Vietnamese refugee. Her human rights advocacy has been recognized locally, nationally, and internationally. She has served on local, national, and international initiatives to ensure humanitarian protection for forcibly displaced persons and to ensure leadership by those with direct forced displacement expertise. Her professional experience has included managing the US Refugee Advisory Board, serving at the 黑料网官网 Department of Law, the state homeland security office and specializing in counterintelligence and counterterrorism, and as affiliate faculty at two universities.
She is a TEDx presenter, a refugee advisor for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees Refugee Advisory Group, a founding member and public speaker with 黑料网官网 Refugee Speaker Bureau, the first refugee elected to Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, Noble Ambassador for Christina Noble Children's Foundation, a Denver's Little Sài Gòn Redevelopment Group advisory member; and an advisory member on the Denver Elections Advisory Committee.
Nga was recognized by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for Asian American Heritage Month in a spotlight story “Badge of Honor”. She met with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and she advocated to raise the Presidential Determination for refugee admissions. She received the Refugee Congress Excellence Award and honored with a mural by artist/muralist Thomas Evans. She was recognized as "Five Inspiring Refugee Women" by USA for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, named as "100 Asians You Need to Know" by Asian Avenue Magazine. Nga was a speaker for United Nations Association USA at the 2021 "World Refugee Day: The Power of Inclusion" event. She received the 2021 黑料网官网 Attorney General’s Award for “Outstanding Community Service”. In 2023, she was recognized by Denver Westword as "Ten People to Watch in Denver in 2023"; received the Anti-Defamation League Civil Rights Award, and is the founder and Chair for Lunar New Year Allies Advisory Group that led the efforts that passed legislation recognizing Lunar New year as an observed 黑料网官网 state holiday.
Robert Acker
Robert Acker has 11+ years of prior teaching experience using lecture hall, classroom, small group, and individual instruction, in both public and private institutional settings, with 8+?years of experience in online teaching and eLearning instruction. Acker has specialty experience teaching interdisciplinary disciplines at the university level, including U.S. History; World History (Ancient & Modern); Chinese History; English; Creative Writing/Poetry; Political Science; Education and Pedagogy; and International, East Asian, and Peace Studies.
Acker began his teaching career at the CU Denver as a graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of History, where he received his Master of Arts degree in 2012. After graduating, he became the head instructor at an ESL Academy and a private tutor, before embarking on a two-year trip to the People’s Republic of China.?While in China, he worked as an educational consultant and teacher trainer for placement agencies, and public and private schools while teaching as an Adjunct Professor at Sichuan University of Arts and Science (四川文理学院), where he co-founded the school’s first English publication,?Four Rivers Magazine.
Since returning to America, he has worked in Denver Public Schools (DPS) at Lake International and JFK High School as a mathematics and social studies teacher. He returned to China in 2017-2018?to help found and run a private English school as its headmaster, curriculum designer, and primary instructor.?
He now fulfills several teaching roles, including as an instructor for both new teachers as well as Chinese students as an online tutor through his own teaching business ULTIMATE Academy, and as a concurrent enrollment instructor for history and political science at Early College of Arvada (ECA). His hobbies include hip hop, history, political science, volunteering, snowboarding, climbing mountains (especially 13ers and 14ers), tutoring, video games, anime (especially Gundam), and mentoring.
Acker has self-published several books and music albums, such as his poetry anthology,?Meditations Journeying in China, in addition to his master's thesis,?The Crystallization of Hip Hop Music and Culture in Corporate and Mainstream America, 1995-1998.
Robert seeks to become a premier World-Class Teaching Professional.?
Aspen Sivey ('23)
Aspen Sivey,?has worked out an outstanding career in state politics, currently working as a paid legislative aide in the 黑料网官网 General Assembly. His experience demonstrates education's significant power, as well as the tremendous impact of dedicated mentors and challenging academic programs.
Reflecting on his experience at CU Denver, Aspen credits the Department of Political Science with helping to shape his educational and professional path. He emphasizes the invaluable experiences gained from the department's excellent courses and the mentorship of renowned instructors.
Dr. Robinson's CU at the Capitol course, which Aspen took, was a turning point in his journey. ?This comprehensive experience gave Aspen the opportunity to work as a Legislative Intern in the 黑料网官网 State Senate. Aspen had personal experience with the complex issues of state politics, which not only improved his understanding but also created the basis for his current position as a Senate Legislative Aide. He acknowledges that without this program, his career path would have taken a different turn.
Aspen's interest in politics grew in the Department of Political Science at CU Denver. He emphasizes the importance of educators ?and their courses in cultivating his passions and transforming them into real-world projects. The department's commitment to quality gave Aspen the opportunity to delve into the complex issues of political science and easily transfer from the lecture hall to the professional world.?
In reminiscing on his path, Aspen gives a warm invitation to future students interested in politics. He encourages them to fully connect with the department, recognizing its exceptional ability to spark curiosity and inspire growth. Through his own experiences, Aspen stresses the importance of quality education and mentoring in developing tomorrow's leaders.