Meet your Brightest Buffs

Congratulations to the following Staff Members who have been nominated for the Brightest Buffs program!Ìý

Brightest Buffs

Maria Castro Barajas

Maria’s unwavering dedication, innovation, and authenticity continue to make CU Boulder a more equitable, inclusive, and inspiring place to work and learn. Her collaborative approach fosters an inclusive work environment and inspires colleagues to lead with equity at the core of their practice.

Angie Chavez-Lopez
Angie brings a wealth of personal and professional experience to her role and is always willing to collaborate with other staff members to help students navigate the complexities of college. What makes Angie unique is her combination of being bilingual, a first-generation CU Boulder alumna, her deep institutional knowledge across multiple offices, and her culturally responsive, relational approach.
Anna Guy

Anna has been a pillar of the graduate program, having worked in ME for about 6 years and riding the waves of grad staff turnover. If you’ve worked with her, you know of all the interpersonal work she does with PhD students and research advisors, and then, the administrative work she does in the background. You rock Anna!

Christina Hartel

Chris exemplifies what it means to be compassionate, dedicated, and professional in every aspect of their work. Chris' ability to navigate complex situations, while keeping a calm and solution-oriented attitude, is a testament to their expertise and commitment.

Loren Jackson

Loren consistently makes every staff member she comes across feel seen, supported, and cared for. She constantly takes initiative on projects, provides training and insights on how to better processes, and has a unique lens and drive to support transfer students. The ME team is incredibly lucky to have her!

Melisa Jackson

Melisa left a legacy on our organization as a whole. Our five members who were mentees this semester have gained invaluable guidance, career advice, and professional development skills thanks to Melisa and her network of fellow mentors. We are so grateful for Melisa's kind, "go-getter" spirit and her willingness to lead.

Susan Nasher
Susan's patience, kindness, and unwavering work ethic are truly inspiring. Whether she’s tackling a big project or offering support to a colleague, she does it with grace and dedication. Her commitment to the mission of the university shines through in everything she does. It’s clear she cares deeply about our community and the work we do, and it’s a privilege to work alongside her.
Blake Redabaugh

Blake brings not only a sharp mind and incredible accuracy to his work, but also a level of professionalism and helpfulness that doesn’t go unnoticed. He’s one of those people who makes complex things feel manageable and always has a great attitude.

Joey Richman

I’d like to give a shoutout to Joey for being such a valuable part of the finance team and an incredible support to me and so many others. He’s always responsive, helpful, and brings a positive, solutions-focused approach to every finance-related need. Joey has a great way of making the processes feel simple and manageable, and his support truly improves the staff experience across the board. We’re lucky to have him!

Megan Varra

Megan has been a champion on creating new avenues for MS students to receive scholarships and from working with her on Grad Committee how committed she has been to providing a positive recruitment/admission experience for our MS students.