Mile Higher Ed Podcast

Season 3 Kickoff with Frank Winchester

In this Season 3 premiere of Mile Higher Ed, Sarah and Caitlyn speak to Frank Winchester, Assistant Director of Student Rights and Responsibilities here at the University of Denver and current student in the EdD program. We talk about Frank’s journey, how he uses his EdD coursework in his practice, and the importance of connecting authentically with and serving today’s students. 
About our guest: 
Frank Winchester was born in New York City and has dedicated his career to empowering students and fostering inclusive environments. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Ethnic Studies and a Master’s degree in Education from CU-Denver, where he developed a deep commitment to equity and student advocacy. 
Currently serving as Assistant Director for Student Rights and Responsibilities, Frank works to ensure that students have the support and resources they need to navigate college successfully. His passion lies in leading initiatives that amplify student voices, promote fairness, and create pathways for personal and academic growth. Frank strives to be a trusted advocate and leader, helping students overcome challenges and thrive in their educational journey. 
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Thanks for listening to this episode of Mile Higher Ed. Mile Higher Ed is produced within the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver by Dr. Sarah Hurtado and Caitlyn Potter Glaser.  Our theme music is “Summer” by Liborio Conti.  
Are you interested in a master’s or doctoral degree in higher education? Come join us! If you’re  ready to start the conversation use this link to request information. Ready to apply? Complete the admissions application here. 
Follow our podcast on Instagram at milehigheredpodcast. Follow Morgridge College of Education at MorgridgeatDU.  
Keep up the good work everyone. See you next time! 

Revisiting Title IX Adjudication Policy with Dr. Sarah Hurtado

In this episode of Mile Higher Ed, we revisit the very first episode of the podcast we recorded! Caitlyn interviews Sarah about her article “Using Intersectionality to Reimagine Title IX Adjudication Policy” was recently published in a special issue of the Journal of Women and Gender and Higher Education. 
 
About our guest: Dra. Sarah Hurtado has been with DU Higher Education since 2018. She first started in a visiting role, and loved it so much she decided to stay. She is now Associate Professor of Higher Education in the Department. Her research focuses on addressing sexual violence among college students and how institutions contribute to the perpetration of this issue with a specific focus on the role and responsibility of faculty members.  
  
Dra. Hurtado received her PhD in higher education at Indiana University Bloomington where she served as a Project Associate for the Center for Postsecondary Research. Specifically, she worked with the National Survey of Student Engagement Institute for Effective Educational Practice. In her role, she worked with institutions to better utilize their NSSE data to inform practice. Prior to that, she worked as a Coordinator of Student Development at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for three years. She received her Masters from Indiana University Bloomington and her Bachelors from the University of Redlands. 
 
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Thanks for listening to this episode of Mile Higher Ed. Mile Higher Ed is produced within the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver by Dr. Sarah Hurtado and Caitlyn Potter Glaser.  Our theme music is “Summer” by Liborio Conti.  
 
Are you interested in a master’s or doctoral degree in higher education? You could start as early as January 2026. Ready to start the conversation? Use this link to request information. Ready to apply? Complete the admissions application here. 
 
Follow our podcast on Instagram at milehigheredpodcast.  
Follow Morgridge College of Education at MorgridgeatDU.  
 
Keep up the good work everyone. See you next time! 

Revisiting Women and Leadership with Dr. Michele Tyson

While Sarah and Caitlyn work on Season 3 of the podcast, we are revisiting this season 1 episode where we talked to Dr. Michele Tyson, Clinical Associate Professor of Higher Education and Director of Faculty Advising at the University of Denver. We talked about the legacy of women’s colleges and women’s leadership programs in higher education. Michele had recently co-authored a chapter in the book Rooted and Radiant: Women’s Narratives of Leadership. 
 
About our guest: Dr. Michele Tyson is clinical associate professor in the Higher Education program at the University of Denver and has worked in the field of higher education for 25+ years, with experience in student affairs, enrollment management, and student services. Her professional and research interests fall into two areas.  One is related to the preparation and development of student affairs and higher education leaders. The other is in understanding institutions as organizations and environments in which students make humanizing decisions about engagement with identity and becoming.  
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Thanks for listening to this episode of Mile Higher Ed. Mile Higher Ed is produced within the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver by Dr. Sarah Hurtado and Caitlyn Potter Glaser.  Our theme music is “Summer” by Liborio Conti.  
 
Are you interested in a master’s or doctoral degree in higher education? You could start as early as January 2026.  Ready to start the conversation? Use this link to request information. Ready to apply? Complete the admissions application here. 
 
Follow our podcast on Instagram at milehigheredpodcast. Follow Morgridge College of Education at MorgridgeatDU.  
 
Keep up the good work everyone. See you next time! 

Revisiting Rural-Serving Institutions with Dr. Cecilia Orphan

Sarah and Caitlyn are still hard at work on Season 3 of the podcast. In the meantime, we’re revisiting this season 1 episode with Dr. Cecilia Orphan, Associate Professor of Higher Education at the University of Denver, and Director of Partnerships for the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges (ARRC). We talked about Regional Public Universities and Rural-Serving Institutions and why these sectors of higher education are important. 
About our guest: Dr. Cecilia M. Orphan is a working class, first-generation college graduate who received maximum Pell grants to attend college. As a child, she experienced homelessness and was a welfare recipient. She is personally familiar with the transformative nature of need based financial aid and colleges designed to expand access after attending Linn Benton Community College, a Rural-Serving Institution (RSI), and Portland State University, a Regional Public University (RPU). Simply put, attending these colleges changed her life. She has devoted my career to expanding understanding of and appreciation for RPUs and RSIs so that other students might enjoy the same opportunities she had, and so that higher education’s contributions to equity and democracy are strengthened.  Dr. Orphan is committed to bringing broader exposure and understanding to RPUs and RSIs and improve research, funding, policy, and media coverage of these sectors. 
 
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Thanks for listening to this episode of Mile Higher Ed. Mile Higher Ed is produced within the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver by Dr. Sarah Hurtado and Caitlyn Potter Glaser.  Our theme music is “Summer” by Liborio Conti.  
Are you interested in a master’s or doctoral degree in higher education? You could start as early as January 2026.  Ready to start the conversation? Use this link to request information. Ready to apply? Complete the admissions application here. 
Follow our podcast on Instagram at milehigheredpodcast. Follow Morgridge College of Education at MorgridgeatDU.  
Keep up the good work everyone. See you next time! 

Revisiting our Conversation on Rewiring Settler Colonial Practices with Dr. Chris Nelson

This week we are revisiting our season 1 episode where we talked to Dr. Chris Nelson, Associate Professor and now Chair of the Higher Education Department at the University of Denver. She kindly joined us while on her sabbatical to talk with us about her co-authored piece called “(Re)wiring Settler Colonial Practices in Higher Education: Creating Indigenous-Centered Futures Through Considerations of Power, the Social Place, and Space” in the Higher Education Handbook of Theory and Research.  
About our guest: Dr. Chris A. Nelson is from the K’awaika (Laguna Pueblo) and Diné (Navajo) tribal communities. She is an associate professor and department chair for the Higher Education Department. Her scholarship utilizes a blending of critical theory and Indigenous relationality theory to explore the purpose and function of higher education. Harnessing her 20+ years of being a higher education professional and faculty member, she explores how the system of US higher education organizes and operates to better understand how institutions can live out their commitments to supporting Indigenous visibility and presence. 
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Thanks for listening to this episode of Mile Higher Ed. Mile Higher Ed is produced within the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver by Dr. Sarah Hurtado and Caitlyn Potter Glaser.  Our theme music is “Summer” by Liborio Conti.  
 
Are you interested in a master’s or doctoral degree in higher education? You could start as early as January 2026.  Ready to start the conversation? Use this link to request information. Ready to apply? Complete the admissions application here. 
 
Follow our podcast on Instagram at milehigheredpodcast. Follow Morgridge College of Education at MorgridgeatDU.  
 
Keep up the good work, everyone. See you next time! 

Revisiting Teaching and Professional Faculty with Dr. Laura Sponsler

While Sarah and Caitlyn work on Season 3 of the podcast, we are revisiting this season 1 episode where we talked to Dr. Laura Sponsler, Clinical Associate Professor of Higher Education and now Director of Faculty Development for the Office of Faculty Affairs. We talked about Teaching & Professional Faculty, also called Non-Tenure-Track Faculty, based on an article Dr. Sponsler had recently published. 
 
About our guest: 
 
Dr. Laura Sponsler is a Clinical Associate Professor of Higher Education at the University of Denver, as well as the Director of Faculty Development for the Office of Faculty Affairs. Her work broadly examines the democratic purposes of higher education, in particular how institutions provide space for voice, participation, and inclusive practices, and how these ideals are institutionalized. Dr. Sponsler’s research agenda focuses on the following areas: civic engagement; inclusive teaching, learning, and assessment; organizational change, organizational learning, and faculty development; and the experiences of non-tenure track faculty and their participation in higher education. 
 
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Thanks for listening to this episode of Mile Higher Ed. Mile Higher Ed is produced within the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver by Dr. Sarah Hurtado and Caitlyn Potter Glaser.  Our theme music is “Summer” by Liborio Conti.  
 
Are you interested in a master’s or doctoral degree in higher education? You could start as early as January 2026.  Ready to start the conversation? Use this link to request information. Ready to apply? Complete the admissions application here. 
 
Follow our podcast on Instagram at milehigheredpodcast. Follow Morgridge College of Education at MorgridgeatDU.  
 
Keep up the good work everyone. See you next time!

Season 3 Trailer

Would you like to contribute to the Professor William E. Cross Jr, PhD Memorial Scholarship? Click here. 
Want more information about the University of Denver’s master’s and doctoral programs? Click here.  
Mile Higher Ed is produced within the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver by Dr. Sarah Hurtado and Caitlyn Potter Glaser.  Our theme music is “Summer” by Liborio Conti.  
Follow us on Instagram: @milehigheredpodcast 
Follow MCE on Instagram: @morgridgeatdu  
 
Thanks for listening to Mile Higher Ed. Mile Higher Ed is produced within the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver by Dr. Sarah Hurtado and Caitlyn Potter Glaser.  Our theme music is “Summer” by Liborio Conti.  
See you next time! 

Bonus Episode: Applying to the Higher Ed Program with Megan Jarrad

In this special bonus episode of Mile Higher Ed, Sarah and Caitlyn talk to Megan Jarrad from the Morgridge College of Education’s Office of Admissions. She answers questions about how to apply for a higher ed degree program, how to approach financial aid, and what prospective higher ed students need to know. 
Are you interested in a master’s or doctoral degree in higher education? You could start as early as January 2026.  
Ready to start the conversation? Use this link to request information.  
Ready to apply? Complete the admissions application here. 
 
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Thanks for listening to this episode of Mile Higher Ed. Mile Higher Ed is produced within the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver by Dr. Sarah Hurtado and Caitlyn Potter Glaser.  Our theme music is “Summer” by Liborio Conti.  
Are you interested in a master’s or doctoral degree in higher education? You could start as early as January 2026.  
Ready to start the conversation? Use this link to request information.  
Ready to apply? Complete the admissions application here. 
Follow our podcast on Instagram at milehigheredpodcast.  
Follow Morgridge College of Education at MorgridgeatDU.  
Keep up the good work everyone. See you next time!

Remembering Dr. William E. Cross, Jr.

This past December in 2024 the DU community lost Professor Emeritus of Higher Education, Dr. William E. Cross, Jr. Dr. Cross, known to friends and colleagues as Bill, was a preeminent scholar of psychology and Black identity development. In this episode, we are remembering the life and work of Dr. Cross by speaking with three people who knew him well. 
First, we speak to Kahlea Hunt-Kabir, DU Higher Education Masters alumni and current doctoral student at the University of Maryland, about working with Dr. Cross as a student. Next, Dr. Roslyn Caldwell, Associate Professor at the DU Graduate School of Professional Psychology. She reflects with us about Dr. Cross as a mentor and friend. Then, we talk with Dr. Ryan Evely Gildersleeve, former DU faculty member and associate dean, who shares memories of working with Dr. Cross on the higher ed faculty. And finally, Sarah shares her memories.  
About Dr. William E. Cross, Jr.:  
An alumnus of the University of Denver, Dr. Cross earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology here at DU before earning his Ph.D. in Psychology from Princeton University. He taught and was on the faculty at Cornell University, Penn State, the City University of New York, and University of Nevada-Las Vegas. He came home to DU in 2012 to teach in the Morgridge College of Education, where he was faculty for both Counseling Psychology and Higher Education, including serving as Chair of the Higher Ed Department. He retired and received Emeritus status in 2018. 
Dr. Cross was known for his groundbreaking theory of Nigrescence and his work on Black Identity Development. Nigrescence theory explains how Black individuals come to understand and embrace their racial identity. It describes a journey from possibly downplaying Blackness, through a period of cultural awakening and exploration, to ultimately developing a strong, positive sense of self rooted in Black identity. It’s a powerful framework for understanding personal transformation in the face of racism and societal pressure. 
Some Links to Dr. Cross’s Work:  
Video: APF at Home Fireside Chat with Dr. William Cross 
Book: Shades of Black: Diversity in African-American Identity 
Book: Black Identity Viewed From a Barber’s Chair: Nigrescence and Eudaimonia 
Podcast: Nigrescence Theory Turns 50: A Conversation with Dr. William E. Cross, Jr, Liberation Now Podcast 

The Role of Department Chair with Dr. Darin Stewart and Dr. Chris Nelson

In this episode of Mile Higher Ed, Sarah and Caitlyn speak with Dr. Darin Stewart, Professor of Higher Education and outgoing department chair and Dr. Chris Nelson, Associate Professor of Higher Education and incoming department char. We talk about the role of a department chair, accomplishments of the DU higher ed faculty, and creating relational spaces and community as faculty and leaders in higher ed.
About our guests:
Dr. Darin Stewart is Professor and outgoing Chair of the Higher Education Department in the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver. His scholarship has focused most intently on the history and philosophy of diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education, as well as the institutional systems and structures that affect the experiences, growth, development, and success of racially minoritized and queer and trans* students in settler colonial historically white postsecondary institutions.
Dr. Chris A. Nelson is from the K’awaika (Laguna Pueblo) and Diné (Navajo) tribal communities. She is an associate professor of higher education and incoming department chair at the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver (DU) and the Native Faculty Director for DU’s Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Her research utilizes a blending of critical theory and Indigenous relationality theory to explore the purpose and function of higher education. When she isn’t sitting in front of the computer, she is a mother to Olin, a partner to talented artist, Johnny, and a cat mom to Lucky Cat & Fletcher. Chris is an avid player and spectator of soccer since she was 4 years old.
 
Thanks for listening to this episode of Mile Higher Ed. Mile Higher Ed is produced within the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver by Dr. Sarah Hurtado and Caitlyn Potter Glaser.  Our theme music is “Summer” by Liborio Conti.
Are you interested in a degree in Higher Education? Come join us! Learn more about our master’s and doctoral programs here.
Follow us on Instagram: @milehigheredpodcast
Follow MCE on Instagram: @mceatdu