A&S grads reap bumper crop of Alumni Association awards
Five alumni and one student from Boulder’s College of Arts and Sciences were recognized for their outstanding service to the campus and community at the 87th annual alumni award celebration of the Alumni Association of the University of Colorado Boulder.
W. Harold “Sonny” Flowers (Engl’67; Law’71)
Boulder attorney W. Harold “Sonny” Flowers (Engl’67; Law’71) received the George Norlin Award, which recognizes outstanding alumni who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in their chosen field and a devotion to the betterment of society and their community.
Flowers has performed many roles on campus as a champion for diversity and empowerment, recruiting students of color to attend law school, mentoring black student athletes, helping establish the Black Alumni Association and creating an endowed scholarship for students of color at both the Colorado School of Law and the University of Denver.
Flowers has also served as president of the Alumni Association’s board of directors and on the board of directors of the School of Law and the Foundation.
In addition, Flowers has a history of service to the community, having served on Boulder’s Board of Zoning Adjustment, the Boulder Growth Task Force, the Boulder County Community Corrections Board, the American Civil Liberties Union board, the KGNU radio board and the Longs Peak Council of Boy Scouts.
Since 1997, he has been a litigation attorney in the firm of Hurth, Sisk & Blakemore LLP in Boulder.
For more information and a video of Sonny Flowers, click .
Ed Reinhardt (A&S ex’87)
Former Colorado Buffaloes football player Ed Reinhardt (A&S ex’87) received an Alumni Recognition Award in acknowledgement of his courage, fighting spirit and work to help others overcome challenges. A talented athlete, Reinhardt’s life was changed when he was seriously injured after he was tackled in a football game in Oregon in 1984.
Reinhardt spent 62 days in a coma and faced years of rehabilitation. His doctors were pessimistic that Reinhardt would ever walk or talk again. Through hard work and perseverance, Reinhardt overcame enormous odds to recover from the traumatic brain injury.
Reinhardt still suffers some effects from his injuries: He is partially paralyzed and has difficulty speaking. Despite his physical challenges, Reinhardt travels the country with his father, speaking to civic groups about the importance of working hard and never giving up.
He also participates in fundraisers for traumatic brain injury support groups and camps for children with special needs. His miraculous recovery and work to benefit the community are an inspiration to all.
For more information and a video of Ed Reinhardt, click .
Michele “Mikhy” Ritter (Anth'81)
Michele “Mikhy” Ritter (Anth'81) received an Alumni Recognition Award for her extensive philanthropic and charitable work. On campus, Ritter has been a supporter of the College of Music, serving as a founding board member of the Entrepreneurship Center for Music and also as the incoming chair of the Music Advisory Board.
In 2015, she and her family provided funding for an endowment that established the Ritter Family Classical Guitar Program. She is also a supporter of the Italian department.
Off campus, she volunteers at a Missouri camp for seriously ill children and has helped nearly 20 South Sudanese girls, survivors of an ethnic-cleansing campaign, resettle in Boulder. Five have graduated from ; one worked for Michelle Obama in the White House.
Ritter’s admirers describe her as “generous” yet “humble,” “a unique caring presence” and “one of the strongest advocates for a truly liberal arts education on the Boulder campus.”
For more information and a video of Mikhy Ritter, click .
Kathy Escamilla (Span’71)
Professor of education Kathy Escamilla (Span’71) received a Robert L. Stearns Award, named after the sixth president of Boulder, which recognizes members of the faculty and staff for extraordinary achievement.
Escamilla’s research centers on educational issues related to Spanish-speaking language minority students in U.S. schools. She is specifically interested in issues related to the development of bilingualism and biliteracy in early elementary grades.
In 2004, she helped conceive the Literacy Squared initiative for advancing biliteracy programs for emerging bilingual students in U.S. schools. She’s also advised the Colorado Department of Education and its Office of Civil Rights. In addition, Escamilla participates in the Boulder Campus Committee on Diversity, the Latino/a Research Center, and the Dean's Advisory Council on Diversity in the School of Education.
Kathy’s students at applaud her for fostering a sense of community in classes.
For more information and a video of Professor Escamilla, click .
Floyd Pierce (ApMath, Econ'17)
senior Floyd Pierce (ApMath, Econ'17) received a Forever Buffs Student Award, which honors Boulder students who demonstrate the Forever Buffs tenets of connecting, contributing and celebrating their pride through extraordinary service to the university.
Pierce, from Highlands Ranch, Colo., is a four-year Boettcher Scholar with a 3.8 GPA and a double major in applied math and economics. He is a member of the President’s Leadership Class and The Herd Leadership Council. He’s also a drum major in the Golden Buffalo Marching Band. In addition, he is a member of the engineering dean’s advisory board and is an engineering fellow.
“Floyd maintains a work ethic that is among the strongest I have encountered over the past 15 years at ,” said the marching band director, who credits him for improving morale within the group.
Pierce also is active in the community beyond . He has interned with the YMCA of Boulder Valley and volunteers with the Dairy Center for the Arts, where he works special events and hangs art exhibits. He is currently an intern at the Boulder Economic Council and conducts research for the Scientific and Cultural and Facilities District.
For more information and a video of Floyd Pierce, click .
Colin Finch (PolSci’05)
Colin Finch (PolSci’05) received the Leanne Skupa Lee Award, which recognizes the commitment, dedication and service of passionate volunteers who serve the University of Colorado and the Boulder Alumni Association.
Finch, a senior project manager at software firm Four Winds Interactive, has been involved in many efforts to promote and improve Boulder. From 2001-2012, Finch served on the board of directors of the Rec Center Recreation Department and was a vocal champion for the $63.5-million Rec Center renovation project, completed in 2014.
Currently, Finch is the head of the Boulder Alumni Chapter. Under his leadership, the chapter has diversified the type of events it hosts and increased the number of annual events to 30. The chapter has created its own branding and has partnered with the Alumni Association, the Advocates and others to engage more alumni. Currently the chapter is building a scholarship endowment.
For his tireless work for , Finch was named Advocate of the Year in 2015.
For more information and a video of Colin Finch, click .
For more information on the Alumni Association, click .