Faculty members mark milestones

More than 100 faculty members at the University of Colorado Denver and Anschutz Medical Campus were honored for reaching the milestone of tenure and/or promotion at a recent luncheon. To see the full list of honorees, visit the Faculty Affairs and Undergraduate Enrichment website and click on the "Tenure & Promotion Honorees 11-12" link at the bottom of the page.

Addressing and paying their respects to the honorees were Provost Rod Nairn, Chancellor Don Elliman and Vice President of Health Affairs at the University of Colorado and Executive Vice Chancellor of the Anschutz Medical Campus Lilly Marks.

Marks noted that the career milestone of tenure and promotion is not a given. "Just putting in the time is not enough to earn these rewards," she said. "There is a rigorous process and very high thresholds of achievement and all of you have obviously demonstrated that to be here today. ... There really is an interdependence between your individual contributions and achievements and our strength as a university."

Elliman said he was privileged to be part of the process of awarding the career advancements this year. He said he has been on business management teams that bought companies and there was "less rigor than what we go through to give one of you tenure or promotion. It's astounding, and the result of it is the quality that is represented in this room, for which I'm grateful to be at least a small part."

Nairn acknowledged the work performed by the members of the Vice Chancellor's Advisory Committees for Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion. The committees on both campuses ensure that the process is fair and rigorous, he said.

Nairn closed his remarks by encouraging the honorees to stay on the paths they're on. "It seems as though there are always difficult times. There are always more challenges than seem possible to overcome, and nonetheless we overcome them every day," he said. "It's because of folks like you that make those kinds of efforts that we actually have a better world and a better place."