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Thanks to the ongoing generous support and engagement of alumni, friends, faculty and staff, the University of Northern Colorado has posted a record fundraising year for fiscal year 2022 (FY22), surpassing the $20 million mark for the first time in UNC’s history.

This past spring, working with UNC alumnus Cathy Lucas ’90 and her team at Lucas Narratives – Think Strategically, the university initiated a brand audit to better understand strengths and gaps, assess perceptions internally and externally, better define the brand, evaluate current communications and recommend strategies based on the findings. 

UNC’s newly named director of the César Chávez Cultural Center shares the goal that drives him, the UNC experience that shaped him, the people who helped him along the way and his vision for the Center.

UNC’s Blue & Gold Golf Tournament is a long-time favorite event that reaches back decades into the university’s history, giving alumni, friends, coaches and student-athletes a chance to get together for some friendly competition on the golf course while raising funds for scholarships for student-athletes.

Jennifer (McHugh) Taylor ’87 and Dan Taylor ’86, of Monument, Colo., recently established an endowment in hopes that others will be able to experience UNC and Bear life.

On Saturday, April 9, the 14th Annual Women’s Walk – with more than 300 participants – raised nearly $30,000 to make a difference for the University of Northern Colorado’s female student-athletes.

When late alumna Sharon Gander ‘74 designated part of her estate to UNC, her only specification was support for a UNC Alumni Association scholarship, and so her gift was endowed to create the Sharon Gander Alumni Scholarship.

This past year, thanks to the generous support of WeldWerks Brewing Co., the UNC community had an opportunity to participate in workshops designed to create a space where students, faculty and staff could explore topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) across a broad range of identities.

As a high school student, Taw Paw almost didn’t apply to UNC—she didn’t think she’d get accepted. Born in Thailand, Taw and her family are Burmese refugees who left their home country due to ethnic cleansing. Although she has lived in Colorado since the age of five, Taw moved between different schools along the Front Range which negatively impacted her studies. She felt her grades weren’t good enough for her to qualify her to apply to a four year university. With encouragement from her parents, Taw agreed to tour UNC and felt instantly at home.

Annette Martinez earned her Bachelor of Arts in Biology from UNC in 1986, and is a senior vice president at State Farm Insurance Companies, where she has worked since 1988. She was appointed to the University’s Board of Trustees by Governor Jared Polis in late 2021.