Thomas Kotz Jr.
Assistant Professor Law Enforcement Training Academytskotz@coloradomtn.edu
Education
- B.S., Lock Haven University
Personal Interests
I enjoy hunting and cutting wood in my spare time.
I enjoy hunting and cutting wood in my spare time.
Brooke Carson’s passion is education, and she believes that it offers a strong leverage point for societal change and personal growth. In her roles as Associate Professor in Teacher Education at Colorado Mountain College’s Leadville and Summit Campuses, Brooke has the privilege of living her passion.
She has served as an Assistant Dean of Instruction, environmental issues teacher trainer, green chemistry curriculum writer, NASA curriculum specialist, and middle school teacher. She holds a Masters in Curriculum & Instruction and completed her Doctorate in Higher Education with a focus on equity.
As a Summit County local, Brooke looks for any excuse for outside adventures, especially with her husband, dog, and a foot of fresh snow!
Dr. Rafael Perez Pena is an Associate Professor of Business at Colorado Mountain College (CMC). He was born and raised in the U.S.-Mexico border region. Dr. Perez obtained a Doctorate in Economic Development from New Mexico State University, a Graduate Certificate in Applied Statistics from the University of Texas at El Paso, and a Certificate in Data Science from Harvard Business School (Online). In addition, he holds a Master’s in Applied Economics and a Bachelor’s in Economics. He participated in a study abroad program to study economics at the University of Toulouse 1 (France) when he was a college student.
Dr. Rafa enjoys teaching classes in economics, business, and data science/analytics. He is devoted to his students and implements high impact-practices to improve student learning. When he is not teaching or doing research, Rafael enjoys sandboarding, learning new languages, and visiting new places. His plan is to learn snowboarding and have a good time in the Rocky Mountains.
Before joining CMC, Rafael worked as a Senior Research Associate and as a Research Economist for the University of Texas at El Paso. As part of these positions, he conducted economic impact studies and econometric studies for different federal, state, and local government agencies ranging from transportation, water utilities, and border infrastructure, to landholdings evaluation. He also worked as a Business Data Analyst for a money transfer firm in Miami and in Washington D.C. estimating price elasticities and conducting Geographical Information System projects. In addition, he worked as Research Assistant for different academic institutions and government agencies.
His research interests are Energy Economics, Regional and Development Economics, International Trade, and Agricultural Economics. Rafael has publications in academic journals in these areas and has served as an invited guest speaker on these topics at conferences in North America and Europe. In addition, he is an editorial board member of the Journal of Business and Economic Development. He has also collaborated on technical reports for the United Nations and for the United States Department of Agriculture on renewable energy topics.
Mother of two little girls that keep me so happy and so busy.
I feel thankful to work with people from all over the world; it is a pleasure to see my students grow in their English language skills and be a part of our wonderful mountain community.
I love to get outside and explore the natural world, which is what originally got me interested in ecology. When I'm stuck inside, I enjoy reading, knitting, and sewing. Most recently I started woodworking and boxing.
You might see me walking around Breckenridge with my dog Pirate; my cats, Aiko and Shoyu, prefer to stay home.