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Roman Yavich had accepted an offer to work for an investment bank after graduating from CU-Boulder with degrees in economics and business. But he won a Fulbright Fellowship to study the effect of tourism on the Nicaraguan community, economy and environment. Yavich chose philanthropic work in Nicaragua over a potentially lucrative career in New York. “I never looked back.” Both Nicaragua and tourism have benefitted from his decision.

Ramen restaurateur, chef and author Ivan Orkin has used his degree in Japanese Language and Literature (’87) almost every day since graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder. Initially, he thought it was “crazy” to follow his wife’s suggestion to open a ramen shop. Now he’s succeeding in Tokyo and New York.

Race-walking champ Ray McKinnis, who had polio, attributes athletic success and love of learning to his Boulder childhood.

Kira Gressman’s experiences abroad in Chile inspired some ambitious goals at home, shaping her educational plans in the hope of effectively and compassionately delivering Western medicine while respecting traditional beliefs.

Norman Pace, a University of Colorado Boulder distinguished professor in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology (MCDB), is retiring after this semester. He has done pioneering research on RNA and on extremophiles, microbes that live in inhospitable environments.

On May 16, alumnus Henry Prescott will begin a 43-day, transcontinental cross-country bicycle ride that will start in Seattle and end in Portland, Conn. His aim is to raise money to support people living with Parkinson’s Disease, and the fund-raising ride he created is called Cycle Sea to Sea for PD. Pretty good for a guy who doesn’t think of himself as a cyclist.

In an undergraduate research effort, recent graduate Brian Hankinson found that squirrel populations decrease in areas with an increase in beetle-kill trees. The squirrels, primarily seed-consumers, were observed eating beetle larvae from infected Engelmann spruce trees. However, the squirrels weren’t able to glean enough nutritional substance from feeding on the beetle larvae to maintain their population.

William “Bill” Wood, CU-Boulder distinguished professor (emeritus) of molecular, cellular, and developmental biology was honored by the Stanford University Medical Center Alumni Association in October, receiving the a lifetime achievement award in biomedical sciences. He’s also made significant contributions to efforts to effectively teach science.

Millions of acres of piñon-juniper woodlands have been subjected to numerous land-management techniques since 1950. The long-term consequences of those actions are still poorly understood, but Miranda Redmond, a CU-Boulder doctoral student has been working hard to change that.

In days of yore, the arts depended largely on a patronage system. Today, artists often rely on entrepreneurial skills to make a living. With degrees in business and theater, Andryn Arithson is one recent graduate who is making use of multiple business strategies to pursue her love of the performing arts.