CU On The Air Podcast

A sign in Leadville’s Evergreen Cemetery calls it the Old Catholic section, while period maps list it as the Free Catholic section. CU on the Air host Ken McConnellogue talks with Jim Walsh, assistant professor of political science at CU Denver, who for more than decade has researched Leadville’s Irish community during the late 1800s silver mining boom. Walsh is working with the Irish government and the Colorado Irish community to have a memorial built to honor the immigrants who were so important to advancing the state. * Discovering the Old Catholic section of Leadville’s Evergreen Cemetery. * The 2,000 sunken graves at the site – mostly unmarked. * The names of the buried – or most of them – live at the Denver Public Library. * The difficulty life of the Irish immigrants, who comprise 70% of those buried – others include German, Italian, etc. * The average age at the time of death: 23 * The silver boom began about 1877 and, with the repeal of the Sherman Silver Act in the early 1890s, the silver market decline came quickly. About a 15-year span. * Miners strike for their rights, and lose. * The Irish Ambassador visits the site, where now a memorial will be built to honor the immigrants who helped create this state and nation. * The rise of the once-outcast Irish population in the United States. * Michael Mooney – an unsung leader who walked away from his legacy. * Finding Mooney’s descendants. Resources: * CU Denver Department of Political Science * Michael Mooney and the Leadville Irish: respectability and resistance at 10,200 feet, 1875-1900 * Jim Walsh’s research part of Irish Ambassador’s trip to Colorado * Celebrating the Irish Miners Who Lived — and Died — in Colorado, Westword, Sept. 27, 2016 * Irish Denver (Images of America), James Walsh, Tom Noel, Dennis Gallagher

We continue chatting (and maybe sipping a little) with lecturer Travis Rupp at Avery Brewing Co. about his unique career exploring and recreating ancient and not-quite-as-ancient beers – all while teaching Greek and Roman archaeology, art history, Egyptology, and Roman history at CU Boulder. Host Ken McConnellogue chats with Rupp about the Ales of Antiquity, the places he has been and the places he will go in his exploration of ancient beer and the cultures that created them, and some unlikely partnerships that have formed all in the interest of beer. LISTEN TO PART ONE * How has the process changed over the centuries? * From clay pots to oak barrels, the vastly different vessels of the trade between the countries and the centuries. * Beer has always been a social drink. Why is that? * From the commoner to the elite, brewers’ social status throughout culture and history. * Global Explorer from the University of Alabama. * Culture, beer and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, including Egyptian, Viking and ‘BeerSheba’ brews complementing the exhibits. * Partnership with the Colorado Ballet – for reals – on the craft of dancing. * Look for Rupp in educational talks, public seminars on the Colorado brewing scene. * The consumer’s developing palates for the best beers. * The brewer from Avery discusses the history of Coors. * What’s next? The Global Explorer India Pale Ale is coming soon at Avery. * Examining the 100 barrels of beer preserved on the Vasa, which sunk on its maiden voyage in Stockholm. * Beer and the Roman military camps along the border. * A Presidenti-ale series in the Ales of Antiquity? You bet! Resources * Colorado Experience: Cheers to Beers, PBS * Vasa Museum in Stockholm * Avery Brewing Co. * Meet Travis Rupp * Department of Classics * CU Boulder

CU Boulder lecturer Travis Rupp has a unique career that’s likely the envy of many: He explores and recreates ancient and not-quite-as-ancient beers – from the Gordium area of ancient Turkey to the United States’ first president – all while teaching Greek and Roman archaeology, art history, Egyptology, and Roman history at CU Boulder. Host Ken McConnellogue chats with Rupp about the Ales of Antiquity, his research into the hands-on study on ancient beer and his travels across the globe to find these remarkable ancient recipes. * How a love of history and brewing came together for this fascinating and fun research. * Rupp’s overall research and how his students react to and benefit from his dual interests. * What beer can teach us about ancient communities. * How bad were ancient beers? Not bad at all! * Recipes were hard to come by until about 900 years ago. Archaeological artifacts helped isolate earlier ingredients. * Did the Greeks and Romans drink beer? Heck yeah! The 1 percent who were literate might have preferred wine, but not the common folk. * The art of taking a multi-disciplinary approach and bringing old techniques into the modern day. * Traveling the world, making friends with Monks, and finding the ingredients for beer in the strangest of places. * The Ales of Antiquity series at Avery Brewing Co., from 1800 BCE in the coming out of the middle kingdom in Egypt, to a mere 250-year-old George Washington Porter. * The cycles of the series – always something new. * UPDATE: The George Washington Porter is nearly gone. Avery is on its final few cases of to-go beer. The next Ale of Antiquity will be coming out in June. It is a 17th century India Pale Ale (essentially the original IPA). What’s next? Find out next month as we do another first – continue our chat with CU Boulder lecturer and beer aficionado Travis Rupp. A huge thank you to Avery Brewing for hosting CU on the Air! Resources: * Avery Brewing Co. * Meet Travis Rupp * Department of Classics * CU Boulder Media: * Dream job? Meet a guy who gets to help come up with crazy, ancient beers for a living, 9News * Dream job: Beer archaeologist! KSNT News * KUNC’s Colorado Edition: Brewing Through the Ages

Dr. Spitzer discusses the process in giving new life to Susan Potter as a living cadaver Dr. Victor Spitzer, director of the Center for Human Simulation at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, chats with host Ken McConnellogue about the amazing Virtual Human living cadaver. Dr. Spitzer and his team froze, sectioned and sliced body-donor Susan Potter, who died at age 87 and now lives on in 27,000 photos. * What is the virtual human and how can it help us connect to reality? * Susan Potter: A philanthropist, fundraiser, body donor * Slicing and imaging the body to teach students about anatomy and compassion. * Susan Potter’s life and how it will impact the study of anatomy. * A broken ‘promise’ – Potter said she’d die within a year; she lived 14 more years. * Creating an unwitting bond after 14 years. “If I’m going to cut you up I don’t want to be your friend.” * The dissecting process: Grinding off thin layers of tissue of the frozen body. * The reverse engineering of the human body. * How students will benefit from the Virtual Human, including her age, pathology and listening to Susan Potter discuss her pain and experience. * The Visible Human from the 1990s – how it’s still being developed and moving ahead. * How technology has improved the virtualization process. * National Geographic – the longest running story in the magazine’s history. * International attention and the reaction of readers to the story. * Compassion versus competency – striving for both. * Where the visible and virtual realities live now, virtual reality in place at CU. * Touch of Life Technologies – fabricating the feeling of human tissue for medical students. * Where does the traditional cadaver stand within the new age? * What’s coming up in the next decade? Simulating movement with muscle contraction; flowing fluids through the body. * Susan Potter now: What is she saying beyond the grave? Most likely that she’ll be happy when students are gaining knowledge from she has left them. * The project completion estimate? Never! * How Hollywood has helped the Visible and Virtual Human programs. Resources: * Susan Potter gave her body to science. Her cadaver become immortal, National Geographic * Virtual human — a living cadaver — pushes boundaries of anatomical science, CU Anschutz Today, Dec. 13 * Befriending the woman I’d have to dissect, BBC, March 12 * Touch of Life Technologie...

In this month’s CU on the Air, we talk with Catalin Grigoras, director, and Cole Whitecotton, IT professional, at the National Center for Media Forensics at CU Denver. The only one of its kind in the U.S., the center not only graduates the top media forensics specialists, it and its students assist law enforcement and government investigations, researches scientific methodology, conduct analysis of raw audio and video and, importantly, the digital manipulation of audio and video. * The topic of deepfakes is a hot in the media, but what is it? * The previous generation of deepfakes – face-to-face – and vocal implications of manipulation. * Implications of the inability to authenticate video and audio – a new, fake reality. * Prominent examples of deepfakes – Nick Cage and Jordan Peele’s deepfake of Former President Barack Obama. * The National Center for Media Forensics at CU Denver, how it came to be, how it has progressed and where it’s going. * The center’s work with DARPA at the U.S. Department of Defense in creating deepfakes to find ways to recognize them. * Media forensics and working with the Denver Police and other law enforcement to authenticate audio and video, including “I did it.” * The center – completely unbiased is looking at the forensics and not any kind of outcome. It is completely neutral. * Some high-profile cases the center has helped with – Malaysian flight shot down over the Ukraine, Texas chemical plant explosion, Iranian Missiles. * Testifying in court – infrequently because the science speaks for itself. * The difficulty of detecting some audio manipulation because singing, accents, etc. can mask an individual’s normal vocalizations. * Who are the National Center for Media Forensics’ graduate students? Where do they end up in their careers? * The rewards of solving forensic science. * The self-evolution: Building of knowledge and generations of the science the past 20 years. * What’s next? Smarter and smarter smartphones – we know what’s in the labs and what’s being worked on and the natural, albeit quiet, evolution. * The introduction of deepfakes to the media and mainstream, the importance of being aware but not afraid. Don’t believe everything you see and hear. * Fake news and the role of media forensics to inform the discussion. Resources: * National Center for Media Forensics * University of Colorado Denver * When seeing is no longer believing, CNN, Jan. 28, 2019 * Watch Jordan Peele use AI to make Barack Obama deliver a PSA about fake news, Buzzfeed, April 17, 2018 * Can New Forensic Tech Win War On AI-Generated Fake Images? Fast Company-Apr 4, 2018 * Hot Clicks: Pentagon is Building Deepfakes to Stop Them, GovernmentCIO Media, Jan 29, 2019 * “I Did It:” How CU ...

For our 2018 in review, we revisited some of our listeners’ – and our own – favorite and most hard-hitting moment from the past year. – Unearthing the effects of climate change on human health, with Dr. Jay Lemery, CU Anschutz The rise of health related climate issues — what are we seeing in Colorado, wildfire, extreme precipitation events, drought always at the risk of depleted snowpack; patterns playing out all over American west. Awareness – how health issues linked to climate are making the problem real to families. – Denver’s rooftops are going green: What does it mean? Professor Leila Tolderlund, CU Denver Professor Tolderlund updates us on the green roofs, plants that work in Colorado widely fluctuation climate. Denver’s unique climate extremes – freeze-thaw and hail – and how the right plants can create a buffer. – Ten years in, CU president talks of what’s been done, what’s to come, President Bruce D. Benson President Benson discusses students, the importance of the best faculty, working with every kind of constituency, fundraising, legislature and efficiencies. State funding cuts to higher education and its impact on the students. As an update, Benson announced his retirement a couple months after this podcast. – Rockin’ litigation in the entertainment industry, Professor Stan Soocher, CU Denver Professor Soocher discusses the extensive web of entertainment law. Artists in early years had little information, and were not that sophisticated, bringing unequally bargaining power. Things have changed. We also discuss the #MeToo movement and it’s role in the lives of musicians. – CU President George Norlin: Champion of civil rights and an unwavering rebel with a cause, Professor Paul Chinowsky, CU Boulder Professor Chinowsky chats about George Norlin’s storied life and how he chose to fight the KKK amid threats – which were realized – by the Colorado governor and legislature to suspend funding for the university. His quiet demeanor and warning about the upcoming dangers of Nazi Germany. – Exploring and learning from coexistence in Medieval Spain, Professor Roger Martinez, CU Colorado Springs Professor Martinez brings medieval Spain to the world by working with students across the world to decipher secrets of the manuscripts hidden away in cathedrals, some of which are more than 1,000 years old. He discusses how co-existence is different than what we expect it to be and why engagement of all cultures is imperative to a successful community.

Why the heck do we love horror so much? This month, CU on the Air host Ken McConnellogue talks with Stephen Graham Jones, CU Boulder professor and author of experimental, horror, crime and science fiction, about our fears, the origins of monsters, the appeal of zombies and a whole lot more. Jones has won the Texas Institute for Letters Award, National Endowment for the Arts Fellow and Fiction, the Bram Stoker Award, four This is Horror Awards, and his work has been named one of the Bloody Disgusting’s top 10 horror novels of the year. * Why do some people love horror while others think it’s silly? * Jones’ students got to experience The Stanley Hotel, and some freaked * An unexpected out-of-body experience and the resulting dive into writing * A prolific author, Jones discusses his writing habits * The love of crime and science fiction, and what is experimental fiction anyway? * Jones’ tips for writing: Scare yourself, go beyond your comfort zone * Terror vs. dread * The origin and evolution of werewolves * Horror and how it has changed over time to reflect the times * Zombie love – fast or slow? * What drives Jones’ students, and how they keep him grounded * Three books coming up * How Jones’ early life and the expectations of others influences his work Resources * Stephen Graham Jones * University of Colorado Boulder Books: * Mongrels: A Novel * After the People Lights Have Gone Off * The Bird is Gone: A Manifesto * Mapping the Interior * The Fast Red Road: A Plainsong * The Ones That Got Away * The Last Final Girl * Growing Up Dead in Texas * My Hero (with Aaron Lovett) * Ledfeat...

Dr. Christopher Bell, director of graduate studies and associate professor of media studies at CU Colorado Springs, is a big fan of Marvel superheroes and is tuned in to what they stand for. On this month’s CU on the Air, Dr. Bell chats with host Ken McConnellogue about the ways race, class and gender intersect in different forms of children’s media as well as his role as a TED speaker, a diversity and inclusiveness consultant for Pixar Animation Studios, his upcoming work with WWE and the benefits of playing the ukulele. * The history and advancement of identity studies. * His viral TED Talk: Bring on the female Superheroes. * The role Bell has played for Pixar Animation Studios, and that influence on movies. * Bell’s inspiration in advancing female role models * The problem with labeling toys for boy and girls * Where’s Princes Leia? Where’s Gamora? Where’s Black Widow? The dearth of female role model action figures, costumes and other marketing materials. * A child’s identity and its development through play. * How and why Disney has recognized the importance of diversity in children’s shows. * The important lessons of Harry Potter, and the five books he’s written about them. * Bell’s favorite superhero * The most boring superhero ever * And Bell’s pick for best villain * His upcoming work with the development of superhero characters and professional wrestling * What about the ukulele? * Bell’s podcast, The Deconstruction Workers Resources * TED: Bring on the female Superheroes * Books * Hermione Granger Saves the World: Essays on the Feminist Heroine of Hogwarts * Inside the World of Harry Potter: Critical Essays on the Books and Films * From Here to Hogwarts: Essays on Harry Potter Fandom and Fiction * Wizards vs. Muggles: Essays on Identity and the Harry Potter Universe * Legilimens! Perspectives in Harry Potter Studies * Do Not Open the Door! (The Bobby Siblings) (Volume 1) *

Mental health is a growing concern on campus and throughout our communities in Colorado and across the country. Today on CU on the Air, host Ken McConnellogue speaks with Matt Vogl, executive director at the National Mental Health Innovation Center at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, about mental health among college students, how to recognize and reach out to those in need, reducing the stigma of illness and how technological advances are changing treatment options. * Is mental illness more severe now? Or are we just more aware? Both. * Suicide is on the rise, both on college campuses and in society. What should you look for? * If you’re concerned someone is considering suicide, be bold – ask them. * Preventing mental illness, helping people become resilient before they become ill is key to fighting the epidemic. * Compassionate discourse and reducing the stigma around mental illness. * Taking treatment off of the couch. * Introducing mental health curricula to business courses and beyond. * Training professors on what to look for, what to say and what not to say to students who are struggling. * Partnering with tech startups to bring mental health care more quickly to the people who need it. * Virtual reality to treat PTSD, anxiety, depression and violence. * The digital therapist of the future that’s out of this world, and why people might prefer it to talking to a human. * An algorithm that can tell if you’re depressed by the sound of your voice. * Vogl discusses his own struggles with mental health and how a neighbor saved his life. Resources * National Behavioral Health Innovation Center  * Marcus Institute for Brain Health * Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center * CeDAR – Center for Dependency, Addiction and Rehabilitation * CU Anschutz Medical Campus

In this month’s CU on the Air, we delve into the courageous academic and civil accomplishments of CU’s fifth and longest-serving president, George Norlin. We discuss how he helped build the university, literally and otherwise, stood up to the KKK and helped shape the university today. Host Ken McConnellogue chats with Dr. Paul Chinowsky, professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering at CU Boulder and associate vice-provost for student success about: * The events Norlin oversaw involving civil rights and his foreshadowing of international conflict. * His time in Germany and his alarm early on about the rise of the Nazis well before WWII. * Norlin’s stand against the KKK-led Colorado governor and Legislature when they demanded he fire Catholics and Jews, and what it cost CU. * A hollow log of Norlin’s childhood and how it might have saved his life. * His budding fascination with Greece and Greek studies. * The unusual way a Greek classics professor became president of the University of Colorado. * The remarkable growth of the campus’s size and student numbers. * How Norlin and architect Charles Klauder determined the unique design of the campus, and how it reflects the environment around it. * How Norlin’s value of discourse, his openness and honesty created a thoughtful and inclusive environment on campus. * His legacy of academic excellence and freedom, and how it still thrives today. * The role his Airedales played in the classroom. * What Norlin would be most proud of – and most frustrated by – in higher education today. * The Norlin Charge, and CU’s fifth presidents for the future Resources: * George Norlin, history * The Norlin Charge * Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at CU Boulder * The George Norlin Award * Norlin Library * Things in the Saddle: Selected Essays and Addresses of George Norlin * CU presidents

The opioid crisis in America today stems from decisions made in the 1980s. And although there are now federal and state programs in place, more treatment options underway and better awareness, the problem is going to get worse before it gets better. In this month’s CU on the Air, Dr. Robert Valuck, professor at the Skaggs School or Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, talks with host Ken McConnellogue about how we got here, and what we all can do to stop the epidemic, save lives and prevent future addiction. * How the epidemic started in the ‘80s and what has spawned its growth. * Why, although the pendulum is swinging back, it will be a while before any slowing of the epidemic will be seen. * Everyone knows someone or knows of someone who is suffering from addiction. * The myth that opioids offer better pain relief – Tylenol and Ibuprofen alternated work just as well. * Opioids are controlled substances because they can kill you, not because they work better. * About 6 percent of Coloradans admit non-medically using an opioid during the past year, and those are the only ones who admitted it. * Where was Colorado hit first by this epidemic? * Now, every area of the state – and country – is affected. * How do people get hooked? Look in your medicine cabinet. * New state laws that restrict opioid prescriptions and a database to prevent “doctor shopping.” * Naloxone, how you can get it and how it can save a life. * Lifting the Label, and fighting the stigma of addiction. * Do your part to stop the epidemic. Get rid of leftover opioids at the pharmacy or at take-back boxes around the state, which can be found at org. Resources: * The Center for Dependency, Addiction and Rehabilitation at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus * Takemedsback.org * Lift the Label campaign * Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention * CU Anschutz Medical Campus * The Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

The co-existence of Christians, Muslims and Jews in Medieval Spain creates a fascinating snapshot of that period in history – the good and not-so-good – and offers important insights on co-existence today. In this episode of CU on the Air, host Ken McConnellogue speaks via Skype with CU Colorado Springs associate professor of history Roger Martinez about his research and activities surrounding the Middle Ages, early modern Europe and the Trans-Atlantic world. * A look at how massive open online courses (MOOCs) reach and teach people across the globe. * Medieval Spain and co-existence between Jews, Christians and Muslims * The good and bad of coexistence of the different belief systems * Who were the best craftsmen in Spain at building cathedrals? * Increased predatory behaviors, taxation by Christians against Jews * The Spanish upheaval in 1492: * Casting out of Jews * Conquering Granada * Christopher Columbus * The aftermath, passing to the Americas and practicing Judaism in secret * Conversions leading to family murder * “Corrupted blood,” and the inability to hold office in government for a convert * Cardinal Bernardino Lopez de Carvajal – from Jewish roots to near papacy * Riots of 1390s against the Jews, who were blamed for the plague * Examining under what conditions people are truly bad to each other * Taking a look at the past, and trying to not make those mistakes again * The MOOC community connections * Martinez coming back to UCCS for one-on-one relationships with students * Jesuit teachings, “Care of the person.” * 3D model of the city of Plasencia and researching the transcripts * Martinez and his team received a $100,000 exploring the interchange of Spanish conquistadors and settlers in relationship to the Native American tribes. It will also explore in southern Colorado, what the first colonial Spanish life looked like. Resources: * UCCS Department of History MOOCs * Revealing Cooperation in Conflict project * Deciphering Secrets: The Illuminated Manuscripts of Medieval Europe * Burgos: Deciphering Secrets of Medieval Spain * Coexistence in Medieval Spain: Jews, Christians, and Muslims Books * Creating Conversos: The Carvajal-Santa Maria Family in Early Moderns Spain * Fractured Faiths: Spanish Judaism, the Inquisition, and New World Identities

From Beatlemania to the #MeToo movement, the causes and outcomes of rock ‘n’ roll litigation are varied and complex. Stan Soocher, an entertainment attorney and CU Denver ​professor of Music & Entertainment Industry Studies, talks with CU on the Air’s Ken McConnellogue about court cases ranging from the Beatles to Michael Jackson to Taylor Swift, and how they have evolved and shaped the industry. Soocher is the author of Baby You’re a Rich Man: Suing the Beatles for Fun and Profit and They Fought the Law: Rock Music Goes to Court. Show notes: * Is the old stereotype of the artists being exploited by the managers or record company true? Yup. * The jury is in: Paul is the best Beatle . . . when it comes to being industry savvy. * Why George Harrison turned off his radio. * Brian Epstein’s missteps. * Billy Joel’s awkward Thanksgiving dinner. * Litigation as a creative barrier. * Weird Al has 2 Live Crew to thank – in part – for his musical career. * What constitutes copyright infringement and how sampling fits into it. * Elvis is in the building: How hologram concerts might be the next big thing, and the complex legalities that might ensue. Resources: * Baby You’re a Rich Man: Suing the Beatles for Fun and Profit * They Fought the Law: Rock Music Goes to Court * Music & Entertainment Industry Studies * Entertainment Law & Finance * Text transcript

University of Colorado President Bruce D. Benson recently celebrated his 10th anniversary as president of his alma mater. He is the longest serving CU president in the past 65 years, and he’s not slowing down any time soon. CU on the Air host Ken McConnellogue, V.P. of university communications, talks with President Benson on his longevity and accomplishments, CU’s outstanding students, faculty and out of this world programs, and building an inclusive and collaborative culture of all types of diversity – from ethnicity to political thought. * Just how tough is it to be a university president? * CU’s growth in student numbers and fundraising * The challenges facing the university with only 5 percent of its budget coming from the state * Efficiencies and alternative funding * Becoming a model for universities across the country * Building a culture of collaboration and inclusion * Building diversity through scholarships * Diversity of thought: Teaching students how to think, not what to think * Serving all of Colorado through 291 outreach programs * The best part of being president * The importance of supporting all higher education institutions in Colorado Resources * CU Office of the President * CU Advocates * CU For Colorado * Center for Western Civilization * President Benson’s commencement speech

Fifty-four percent of Denver voters passed the green roof initiative in November 2017, requiring rooftop gardens for new buildings with at least 25,000 square feet of gross floor area, and for roof replacement on existing buildings. What does that mean for Denver and how can we expect the cityscape to change over the next years? CU on the Air host and University of Colorado V.P. of Communications Ken McConnellogue chats about the future of green roofs with Leila Tolderlund, assistant professor of landscape architecture and urbanism at CU Denver. * What exactly constitutes a green roof? * Some examples of green roofs in Denver. * What are some of the benefits overall? * How can Denver maintain a green roof in its arid climate? * What plants work best here? * Will this help people grow food in the cities? * What will it mean to have green roofs in Denver’s extreme freeze/thaw climate? * What is the urban heat island affect? * How can solar panels and green roofs work together? * How much space do they require? * How expensive are they and who will shoulder the expense? * Will there be any building incentives to offset cost? * What are some of the maintenance needs? Resources * Design Guidelines for Green Roofs in Semi-arid Climates (EPA) * Denver Green Roof Initiative * City of Denver’s Green Roof Initiative * PACE * CU Denver College of Architecture and Planning * REI Denver garden * Anschutz Health and Wellness Center green roof * Gathering Place