Five alumni of CU Denver’s College of Arts & Media (CAM) were recognized at a dinner and awards ceremony for their outstanding achievements in their respective career fields. Among the five are an Oscar-nominated filmmaker, an art provenance researcher, a music producer and entrepreneur, a business manager of a music venue, and a visual effects animator. The group and their accomplishments reflect the diverse career paths that are available to CAM’s graduates.

At its inaugural CAM Alumni Day on March 12, 2025, the college welcomed over 80 alumni to reconnect with one another, faculty and staff, and current CAM students on the Auraria campus. The day included networking sessions, career panels, an opportunity to meet Dean Lucinda Bliss, and tours of CAM’s Film & Television spaces and Music & Entertainment Industry Studies’ recording spaces. The capstone event was the dinner and awards ceremony, where the student ensemble Voz de la Clave entertained guests sitting down to a nice meal in the Tivoli Turnhalle. Voz de la Clave even welcomed two recently graduated alumni to perform with the group once again.

Dave Walter, CAM’s Assistant Dean for Enrollment Management and Student Success and a familiar face among anyone who has attended the college in the last several years, welcomed the assembled group and emceed the night. Dean Lucinda Bliss, who took leadership of the college in July 2024, spoke about the necessity and importance of artistic work in every age, but particularly in our current times. Jeff Lambson, the director of CU Denver’s Emmanuel Art Gallery, acknowledged the alumni who had experience working with or exhibiting in the gallery and showed a video about the gallery’s impact on the students in CAM. Lambson also introduced Jann Haworth, a pioneer artist of the pop art movement and the co-creator of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover. Haworth encouraged the students and alumni to persevere in creating art to encourage thought and dialogue, especially when other modes of communication are cumbersome or inefficient. Then, faculty member Storm Gloor introduced Courtney Ozaki, CAM’s representative among the 2023 CU Denver Distinguished Alumni Award Winners. Ozaki shared about the many, interesting places a degree from CAM has allowed her to go.

CAM’s 2025 Outstanding Alumni Award Winners

Faculty members in each of CAM’s three departments were asked to nominate alumni who stood out for having utilized their degrees in noteworthy ways.

Renée Albiston was introduced by Professor of Art History Maria Buszek. Albiston holds two degrees from CU Denver—a dual bachelor’s degree in art history and history (2014) and a master of humanities in visual studies (2017). Her studies at CU Denver focused on art, law, and policy, and specifically military looting of art and its restitution. Albiston used her classes at CU Denver to transition from a career in medical sales to art history, driven by a desire to work in a more fulfilling field. Coming to school for a second time was a challenge, especially with her young son in tow, but Albiston credits the faculty members in the College of Art & Media’s art history department and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ humanities department for working with her to create a degree that was tailored to the career she had in mind. Now, Albiston works at the Denver Art Museum in the Provenance Department, where she traces the history of the museum’s works of art. Albiston was accompanied at the dinner by her son, Max, who will be receiving an undergraduate degree from Metropolitan State University Denver this May.

Aaron Daniels

While earning a double major in recording arts and music business in CAM, Aaron Daniels was a part of CU Denver’s MIX a cappella group, led by Professor Erin Hauger. During his tenure in the group, MIX won a handful of impressive awards and even travelled to compete in national a cappella competition. After graduating, Daniels launched his own music production company, Aaron Daniels Music, where he helps musicians bring their projects to completion—sometimes from the very beginning of a song through its recording in his studio and then distribution. A true jack of all trades when it comes to instruments, it’s not uncommon for Daniels to spontaneously jump in on a recording session to play an instrument that wasn’t part of the original plan for a song. Daniels’ studio is the first Black-owned Dolby Atmos certified studio in Colorado, and he works with musicians all around the world representing a diverse range of genres. Daniels also serves as the music director for a few places of worship in Denver. If that weren’t enough, though, Daniels developed the software MIDI Soul Guitars, which is a plugin artists can use as they develop their songs. At the dinner, Aaron was accompanied by his wife, Jamia.

Katelynn Eckles graduated from CU Denver twice. The first time she earned a dual emphasis degree in Music Business and Recording Arts, which set Eckles up for success as she pursued a master of science degree in Recording Arts. Eckles worked closely with Assistant Professor and MSRA Graduate Program Manager Jiayue Cecilia Wu. Eckles combined her love of dance with recording arts through her studies in CAM. She conducted experiments and wrote her thesis around the best microphone types and placements to capture tap dance as a percussive instrument. Now, Eckles is an adjunct professor for CAM and teaches the same MSRA courses she worked through as a student. She is also the Business Operations Manager for the live music venue Levitt Denver, where she puts her music business foundation into good use by managing the organization’s finances; contracts for rental shows with AEG, Live Nation, and outside renters; processes payroll for a 80+ person seasonal staff; and strategizes and manages organization-wide systems and processes to keep the concert season running efficiently.

Aaron Kopp earned a bachelor’s degree in film & television from CU Denver, then went on to earn a Master of Fine Art from Emerson College. Coming to the United States from Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Kopp was drawn to CU Denver’s film program because of its emphasis on creative autonomy and hands-on learning. During his studies, Kopp had the opportunity to work on the sets of projects with film faculty members Craig Volk and Hans Rosenwinkel. These experiences “ignited my passion for non-fiction filmmaking” and changed the course of his career, Kopp says. Now, Kopp has many film credits to his name, including two Academy Award-nominated features. Most recently, Kopp served as one of the producers for “Anuja” which was nominated for Best Live Action Short Film in the 2025 Academy Awards. Kopp’s previous work includes the 2016 Academy Award nominated film “The Hunting Ground” and the 2012 Academy Award winner for best short documentary and 2013 Emmy Award winner for best documentary “Saving Face.” Kopp has collaborated with other filmmakers such as Mindy Kalling and Adam McKay and organizations such as National Geographic, HBO, and Netflix. In addition to making films, Kopp teaches at Boston University’s College of Communication. Kopp was introduced at the dinner by Professor David Liban, the chair of Film & Television.

Hogan Metzler became interested in animation when he was in high school and took some work as a freelance video editor and grip, which led him to become interested in CG (computer graphics). He was drawn to CU Denver’s 3D Graphics & Animation program because of its well-supported animation lab. Metzler appreciated that CU Denver’s labs were open for long hours before and after class, which allowed him to get to know his peers and spend time with the tools he would eventually use in his career. During his time at CU Denver, he benefitted from the access to faculty members and other students who had experience landing internships or working at animation studios. Metzler was fortunate to land a Pixar PUP internship—a coveted experience for anyone interested in animation. He also landed a spot in Industrial Light & Magic’s (ILM) Jedi Academy. Metzler credits his ability, facilitated by the internships, to make connections and learn from industry professionals, with being a big part of his success. Now, Metzler works at ILM as a 3D Generalist and Environmental Artist. Recent works include Wicked, Twisters, and the Skeleton Crew. Metzler was introduced at the dinner by Jeremy Brown, the program director of CU Denver’s digital animation center.