Kathryn Venzor

Kathryn Venzor headshot.

Senior Director of Education & Visitor Engagement

Kathryn Venzor (she/ella) serves as the CSU Spur Senior Director of Education & Visitor Engagement, creating and implementing formal and informal educational programs inspiring youth and the larger community to tackle problems around food, water, and health at the new Spur campus. For the past 20 years, Kathryn has been working in program development for K-12 and early childhood students and educators, environmental conservation, and community engagement.

Kathryn began her professional career developing educational programs and curriculum and interpretive resources and exhibits in museums and cultural facilities in New York and Philadelphia. Originally from the Southwest, Kathryn moved back to New Mexico where she worked as the Curator of Education at the City of Albuquerque’s four BioPark sites (Zoo, Aquarium, Botanic Garden, and recreational area Tingley Beach), engaging K-12 audiences and local and statewide communities in conservation science. Kathryn also served on the Board of Directors for Environmental Education of New Mexico and worked with community partners in the STEM fields on multiple projects to engage students from all backgrounds in the sciences and art. Currently, Kathryn serves on the Board of Directors for both the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education and the Colorado Association of Science Teachers.

After moving to Colorado, Kathryn served as the Director of School Programs & Interpretation at Butterfly Pavilion, working to raise awareness for the importance of biodiversity and promote action toward protecting lands and habitats. Most recently, Kathryn was the Guest Engagement Programs Manager at Denver Zoo, developing exhibits and programs connecting the community to wildlife and the zoo’s conservation and research efforts.

Kathryn holds a Masters in Anthropology and Museum Studies from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. She grew up exploring the desert mountains in El Paso, Texas, and that love of nature and exploration continues in Colorado. She enjoys taking in the beauty of colorful Colorado while hiking (or snowshoeing) with her spouse, Jeff.

TONY FRANK

Chancellor, CSU System

Dr. Tony Frank is the Chancellor of the CSU System. He previously served for 11 years as the 14th president of CSU in Fort Collins. Dr. Frank earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Wartburg College, followed by a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. and residencies in pathology and toxicology at Purdue. Prior to his appointment as CSU’s president in 2008, he served as the University’s provost and executive vice president, vice president for research, chairman of the Pathology Department, and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He was appointed to a dual role as Chancellor in 2015 and became full-time System chancellor in July 2019.

Dr. Frank serves on a number of state and national boards, has authored and co-authored numerous scientific publications, and has been honored with state and national awards for his leadership in higher education.

Dr. Frank and his wife, Dr. Patti Helper, have three daughters.

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CSU Spur is turning 2! Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025.

It’s our anniversary!

It’s our anniversary! CSU Spur has been fully open to the public, sharing hands-on, family-friendly activities around food, water, and health for two years. Join us on Saturday, Jan. 11, for 2nd Saturday activities, including desserts, a mariachi performance, face painters, horses on treadmills, veterinarians in surgery, scientists in labs, and more. The celebration is from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and CSU Spur will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; no registration required, all public activities are free.

2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is presented by Canvas Credit Union.

JOCELYN HITTLE

Associate Vice President for CSU Spur, Colorado State University

Jocelyn Hittle is primarily focused on the CSU Spur campus at the National Western Center, and on supporting sustainability goals across CSU’s campuses. She sits on the Denver Mayor’s Sustainability Advisory Council, on the Advisory Committee for the Coors Western Art Show, and is a technical advisor for the AASHE STARS program.

Prior to joining CSU, Jocelyn was the Associate Director of PlaceMatters, a national urban planning think tank, and worked for the Orton Family Foundation. She has a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton, and a Masters in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Jocelyn grew up in Colorado and spends her free time in the mountains or exploring Denver.

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We’ll see you Saturday!

2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. this Saturday (June 14), and we’re hosting a plant and pollinator celebration with all kinds of family-friendly activities, including a plant sale with CSU Extension, cooking with herbs in the Ardent Mills Teaching and Culinary Center, pollinator activities on the green roof, and the inaugural People’s Market at the Center.