Wellington Webb (left) earned his B.A. from UNC (CSC) in 1964 and also his M.A. in 1971. Well known as the first African American mayor of Denver (1991-2003), his first career was as a faculty member for Colorado State University and the University of Colorado.
Connie Willis as an undergraduate at UNC (CSC); she received her BA in English and Elementary Education in May of 1967. Willis is a world-renowned author. She is the most honored science fiction writer alive, having won twelve Hugo Awards, eight Nebula Awards and eleven Locus Awards. In 2009, Willis was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame and in 2012 she became the recipient of the 2011 Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award. The author's best known novels include Lincoln's Dreams (John W. Campbell Memorial Award), Doomsday Book (Nebula Award), To Say Nothing of the Dog (Hugo), and Passage (Locus Award).
Joe Hutchison was recently named as Colorado's eighth Poet Laureate. Having graduated summa cum laude from UNC in 1972, he earned his M.F.A. from the University of British Columbia in 1974. Though working a wide variety of jobs since then, Hutchison has always written. He has published 15 poetry collections; Hutchison's short stories and poems have appeared in over 100 journals and several anthologies. Currently he is Interim Academic Director of Arts and Culture and Global Affairs at University of Denver. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson and the Denver Post)
Raised in Colorado, Greg Germann attended UNC for college. It only took him two years to graduate in 1978. After commencement he moved to New York City and began acting as a member of Circle Repertory Company and Ensemble Studio Theatre. Germann’s first film role came in 1986 (The Whoopee Boys) but it was his portrayal of Richard Fish in Ally McBeal (1997-2002) that garnered him national recognition. In addition to acting, Germann devotes himself to writing screenplays and plays.
Neyla Pekarek graduated with a music education degree in 2010. While waiting to land a teaching job, she answered a Craiglist ad for a cellist and the Lumineers were created. Their music is a mixture rustic folk and classic pop. The Lumineers had great success having been nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2013 - Best Americana Album and Best New Artist. As of December 2013, their self-titled debut album has been certified Platinum in the US and Ireland, with Gold certifications in the UK, Australia and Canada.