Colorado College has named three new members to the Board of Trustees following its June 2022 meeting: Lilly Chen ’19; Jena Graber Hausmann ’93; and Vicente Blas-Taijeron ’24. The trustees begin their term on July 1.
“The Board of Trustees is thrilled to welcome Lilly Chen, Vincente Blas-Taijeron, and Jena Graber Haussmann,” says Jeff Keller ’91, board chair. “We are so fortunate to have so many talented, qualified alums and students who have such a strong desire to serve their school. I look very forward to serving with all of them.”
Lilly Chen ’19, who will serve as the young alumni trustee, is the CEO of Contenda, a technical content marketing startup based in Philadelphia. During her time at Colorado College, Chen majored in mathematics economics, co-founded the school’s Esports team, and received several accolades, including the Ray Werner prize for most outstanding thesis. Since her graduation, Chen has worked as a software engineer at multiple companies, including Facebook Reality Labs.
"My time at Colorado College was integral in everything I was able to achieve post-grad,” says Chen. “I'm honored to be serving the CC community."
Jena Graber Hausmann ’93, who was elected to the alumni trustee position this year, has served as the president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Colorado since 2015. Hausmann majored in political science and in 2019, received an honorary Ph.D. from Colorado College. She serves on several boards, including the Children’s Hospital Association of America, the American Hospital Association Region 8, and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
“Colorado College is a gem among liberal arts colleges and continues to be one of the best in the country despite numerous challenges facing higher education today,” says Hausmann.
Vicente Blas-Taijeron ’24, who will serve as the student trustee, is a feminist and gender studies major and race, ethnicity, and migration studies minor. He is a diversity, equity, and inclusion lead for the Student Government Association and is a spiral fellow for the Chaplain’s Office. Blas-Taijeron was one of six Colorado College students this year to be selected for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.
“I decided to run for student trustee because I believe in the potential to cultivate change through collectivity,” says Blas-Taijeron.
During the meeting, held June 8-10, the board also voted to approve three faculty members to full professors: Pedro de Araujo of the Economics Department, Scott Johnson of the Art Department, and Sanjaya Thakur of the Classics Department.
Vice President Pedro de Araujo has served as the dean of the college since January. De Araujo holds a Ph.D. in economics from Indiana University. De Araujo also serves as the Dean’s Office liaison for the Honor Council and the Faculty Athletics Representative.
Scott Johnson recently installed projects in Another Victory Over the Sun, a group exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver. Johnson holds a Master of Fine Arts from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University.
Sanjaya Thakur has taught at Colorado College since 2008 and was recently selected as an Elizabeth A. Whitehead Distinguished Scholar at the American School for Classical Studies, Athens, for the 2022-23 academic year. He serves as the director of the Classical Summer School at the American Academy, Rome, and is the chair of the Committee on Diversity in the Profession for the Society for Classical Studies. Thakur holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
Outgoing trustees Kishen Mangat ’96, Phil Swan ’84, student trustee Gaby Jadotte ’22, and young alumni trustee Onyx Bengston ’18 end their terms on June 30.
“This experience taught me the importance of looking past the immediate to solve underlying challenges, which is a lesson I will bring with me to the workplace and beyond,” says Jadotte. “I hope that the student trustee position expands in the future to allow more students the opportunity to learn from an incredible group, as well as represent a wider range of CC experiences to improve the college's strategic planning and decision-making process.”
Gypsy Ames, adjunct associate professor of theatre and dance, and Kathy Giuffre, professor of sociology, were approved for retirement this year and were granted emerita status.