Leibowitz joins CMC Leadville as assistant dean of student affairs

Justin-Leibowitz

Justin Leibowitz

Justin Leibowitz has been named assistant dean of student affairs at Colorado Mountain College Leadville. He joins CMC from Kentucky, where he served as the associate director of residential life at the University of Louisville.

Prior to his time in Louisville, Leibowitz worked at New Mexico State University and the University of Hawaii at Hilo. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics with a minor in environmental studies from Denison University, a Master of Arts in economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and a Master of Education from Northeastern University. He is currently completing his Ph.D. in college student personnel from the University of Louisville.

“Justin brings a wealth of experience to our campus, along with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, and an approach that recognizes we are here for our students and our community,” said Amy Smallwood, associate dean of academics and student affairs at CMC Leadville. “I can’t wait to see the impact of his leadership.”

As the assistant dean of student affairs, Leibowitz will oversee housing, dining, academic advising, recruiting, financial aid, disability services and enrollment.

In his new role, Leibowitz is eager to support the continued success of students, faculty and staff. He said, “To have a campus community in Leadville means to have a campus for the community. I look forward to serving CMC and Leadville to continue providing an excellent education that benefits the many stakeholders of CMC Leadville, including students, staff, faculty, neighbors and friends.”

Leibowitz, his wife Lyndz and their dog Beamer enjoy hiking through all varieties of environments. Justin enjoys all things Frisbee-related, including disc golf, Ultimate and more. Lyndz is an avid runner. Beamer loves all people and is also enjoying the many new smells in the Rocky Mountains. They’re all excited to join the CMC and Leadville communities.

Dennis promoted to new position at CMC Salida

Colorado Mountain College recently promoted Amy Dennis to the position of assistant dean of Student Affairs at CMC Salida.

Amy Dennis

Amy Dennis is the new assistant dean of Student Affairs at CMC Salida. Dennis originally came to CMC in 2016. She has been working as the site coordinator for Chaffee County for the past four years.

Dennis originally began her career at the college in 2016, as the site coordinator for Chaffee County. With her knowledge of the region and her background in education, she has been instrumental in the formation of the college’s newest location.

“Being a part of the establishment of the Salida campus in 2019 was an amazing experience,” she said. “I am extremely excited to work with the new team to guide and help students through the many challenges of being a college student, from high school students concurrently enrolled to the senior citizen taking a lifelong learning class.”

In her new role, Dennis supports students in accessing and successfully completing their academic goals. The assistant dean provides a unified approach to campus operations and student success and has direct oversight of disabilities services, financial aid, academic advising and counseling services.

Years in education

In Ohio, Dennis earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Youngstown State University, and a master’s in anthropology from Kent State.

“I realized I really liked working with teenagers and young adults while serving a year in AmeriCorps after college, where I worked as a mentor and academic support specialist in a middle school,” she said. She also spent two years at a private boarding high school as admissions and residence staff.

Dennis worked in student affairs in higher education for 13 years in a variety of roles in Ohio, West Virginia and Colorado. She also taught anthropology and sociology at West Virginia University at Parkersburg.

“We are so excited to promote Amy to her new job at CMC Salida,” said Rachel Pokrandt, CMC vice president and campus dean of Leadville and Salida. “She’s an essential member of our campus team.”

Jonathan Burk EMT instructor at CMC Leadville

Jonathan Burk

Assistant Professor of Emergency Medical Services and Fire Science
719-486-4389 | jsburk@coloradomtn.edu


2022 CMC Salida Faculty of the Year

Education

  • B.A. History, Minor Environmental Studies, Hampden-Sydney College
  • NREMT - Paramedic, Colorado Mountain College
  • Creighton University - Critical Care Paramedic

Professional Certifications & Associations

  • American Heart Association - Instructor
  • Colorado EMS Instructor, Primary Instructor, Program Administrator
  • National Ski Patrol
  • National Association of EMS Educators
  • Desert Mountain Medicine - Instructor
  • Lake County Search and Rescue - Command Staff
  • Swiftwater Rescue Technician
  • American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education

About

Since 2019, Jonathan Burk has worked as an instructor, adjunct, and faculty member for Colorado Mountain College teaching EMS with the Leadville EMT-Basic program and Paramedic program in Edwards.

In addition to working as full-time faculty, Jonathan works as a Ski Patroller and Paramedic at Copper Mountain and Lake County Search and Rescue. Previously, he worked as a Paramedic, Training Coordinator, and Director of St. Vincent Hospital Ambulance Service where he now serves on the Board of Directors.

Jonathan worked for 9 summers as a Counselor, Assistant Director, and Director at Cheley Colorado Camps. He has worked as a Fly Fishing Guide for The Colorado Angler in Silverthorne since 2014.

Simon Waldbaum CMC Leadville professor with his dog

Simon Waldbaum, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Biology
719-486-4269 | swaldbaum@coloradomtn.edu

Education

  • Post-Doctoral Fellowship, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
  • Ph.D. Biomedical Science, Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
  • B.A. Environmental Biology, Colorado College
  • Emergency Medical Technician, Wilderness Medicine Institute

Professional Awards

  • Colorado Mountain College Salida Faculty of the Year
  • Boettcher Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching
  • TIAA-CREF Educational Outreach Award for Innovative Science Education
  • NIH/NCRR Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute Award
  • Epilepsy Foundation of America Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award
  • National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Research Service Award
  • National Institutes of Health Research Training Award
  • Colorado State University Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Neurosciences Program Award

About

Dr. Simon Waldbaum brought an extensive background in scientific research and a life-long passion for science education when he joined the faculty at Colorado Mountain College. Simon began his research career in ecological sustainability with the School for Field Studies and International Field Studies Inc. and continued as a wildlife biologist at the Manomet Center for Conservation Science. Simon then turned his interests toward the biomedical science field holding research positions at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus where he led a number of NIH sponsored research programs and shared his work internationally. Simon has held teaching faculty and program director positions at higher education and scientific non-profit institutions throughout Colorado and leads international scientific/adventure experiential education courses around the globe. He currently teaches a wide variety of courses including General Biology, General Chemistry, Anatomy & Physiology I & II, Microbiology, Introduction to Disease, Pathophysiology, Natural History of the Baja Peninsula/Sea of Cortez and Sea Kayak Touring Leadership as part of CMC’s Study Abroad Program in Mexico. Simon considers it a great privilege to have the opportunity to excite others about their own scientific interests, whatever they may be!

Simon is also passionate about the outdoors and holds certifications from the National Outdoor Leadership School and as an Emergency Medical Technician from the Wilderness Medicine Institute. Simon has worked with students throughout Colorado promoting and coaching outdoor education programs, mountain biking, strength and conditioning, and all-mountain skiing. Simon’s own wilderness expeditions have included extensive travel throughout Alaska’s Talkeetna Range, the Wasatch Range and canyon country of Utah, the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, the San Juan Islands and Pacific Northwest, the U.S. and Canadian Rockies, Hawaii’s Big Island, Baja California, Bahamian Islands, Southern Alps of New Zealand, the Middle East, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Simon is an avid cyclist and backcountry skier who enjoys exploring the mountains of central Colorado and beyond with his Bernese Mountain Dogs.

Publications

Waldbaum, S. (2022) Epilepsy: It’s Genetic and Inherited Manifestations. Women’s Health: Understanding Issues and Influences. Vol 1. Greenwood Publishing.

Waldbaum, S. (2022) Sickle Cell Disease: It’s Characteristics and Model for Single Gene Replacement Therapy. Women’s Health: Understanding Issues and Influences. Vol 2. Greenwood Publishing.

Waldbaum, S. (2021) Diphtheria: A Historical and Pathological Analysis. An International Encyclopedia of Health Indicators, Practices, and Issues in Cultural Context Vol 1. ABC-CLIO Publishing.

Waldbaum, S. (2021) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: A Model for Global Public Health. An International Encyclopedia of Health Indicators, Practices, and Issues in Cultural Context Vol 2. ABC-CLIO Publishing.

Waldbaum, S. (2018) Environmental Neurotoxicology. Environmental Health in the 21st Century: Vol. 1. Greenwood Publishing.

Waldbaum, S. (2018) National Toxicology Program. Environmental Health in the 21st Century: Vol. 2. Greenwood Publishing.

Waldbaum, S. (2018) Meningitis. Encyclopedia of Public Health: Principles, People, and Programs. Greenwood Publishing.

Waldbaum, S. (2015) Presynaptic Terminal Activity. The Brain, The Nervous System, and their Diseases: Vol. 3. Greenwood Publishing.

Waldbaum, S. (2015) The Role of Postsynaptic Potentials in Neuronal Communication. The Brain, The Nervous System, and their Diseases: Vol. 3. Greenwood Publishing.

Waldbaum, S. and Liang, L.P., Rowley, S., Huang, T.T, Day, B., Patel, M. (2012) Mitochondrial oxidative stress and epilepsy in SOD2 deficient mice: attenuation by a lipophilic metalloporphyrin. Neurobiol Dis 45: 1068-76.

Waldbaum, S., Liang, L.P., Patel M. (2010) Persistent impairment of mitochondrial and tissue redox status during lithium-pilocarpine-induced epileptogenesis. J Neurochem 115:1172-1182.

Waldbaum, S., Patel M. (2010) Mitochondria, oxidative stress, and temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsy Research 88(1):23-45.

Waldbaum, S., Patel M. (2010) Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress: a contributing link to acquired epilepsy? J Bioenerg Biomembr, 42:449-455.

Patel, M., Day, B., Huang, T.T., Waldbaum, S.,  Liang, L.P. (2010) A lipophilic metalloporphyrin antioxidant attenuates behavioral seizures and mitochondrial dysfunction in the B6D2 Sod2-/-mice. Mitochondrion 10:238-239.

Waldbaum, S., Dudek, F.E. (2009) Single and repetitive paired-pulse suppression: a parametric analysis and assessment of usefulness in epilepsy research. Epilepsia 50 (4):904-916. 

Pete, G., Mack, S.O., Haxhiu, M.A., Waldbaum, S., Gauda, E.B. (2002) CO2-induced c-Fos expression in brainstem preprotachykinin mRNA containing neurons. Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology 130:265-274.

Waldbaum, S., Hadziefendic, S., Erokwu, B., Zaidi, S.I.A., Haxhiu, M.A. (2001) CNS innervation of posterior cricoarytenoid muscles: a transneuronal labeling study. Respiration Physiology 126:113-125.

Tolentino-Silva, F.P., Haxhiu, M.A., Waldbaum, S., Dreshaj, I.A., Ernsberger, P.R. (2000) Alpha2-adrenergic receptors are not required for central anti-hypertensive action of moxonidine in mice. Brain Research 862:26-35.

Tolentino-Silva, F.P., Haxhiu, M.A., Ernsberger, P.R., Waldbaum, S., Dreshaj, I.A. (2000) Differential cardiorespiratory control elicited by activation of ventral medullary sites in mice. Journal of Applied Physiology 89:437-444.

Jennifer Speight

Jennifer Speight, M.A.

Access Coordinator
719-486-4200 | jgspeight@coloradomtn.edu

My office serves the Leadville and Salida Campuses by supporting students with documented disabilities and the college community with all accommodation and accessibility needs. I strive to ensure that students registered with my department receive equal access to all CMC educational courses and the related benefits that the college provides to all enrolled members of its community.

I hold a Master’s degree in Counseling and Education, a Bachelor of Science in Integrative Medicine and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. I served in the United States Air Force for over 18 years as an Instructor and Trainer of Air Force cadets and officers.  I am currently an Air Force Reserve officer stationed at Schriever Space Force Base in Colorado Springs.

I’ve been married to my amazing husband Jerry for 17 years, with 2 children (Cami, age 15 and Luke, age 26) and a Golden Retriever named Blue. I love to hike, bike, Nordic ski, practice yoga and spend time in my garden.

If interested in more information regarding Disability Services at these campuses, please feel free to contact me with your questions or concerns.

2018-19 CMC Leadville part-time Staff of the Year

Steven Stewart

Steven Stewart, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Business
970-870-4513 | mailto:sstewart@coloradomtn.edu

Education

  • Ph.D. in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, University of New Mexico.
  • Bachelor of Business Administration, University of New Mexico.

Steven’s work experience includes serving as an adjunct professor teaching at Colorado Mountain College’s Leadville campus, Adams State University, School of Business and American Intercontinental University, Online.  He has served as a Research Scientist in Hydrology, Water Resources and Lecturer in Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Arizona and was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Tennessee.