CU Denver’s College of Arts & Media (CAM) is set to honor five outstanding alumni at its 2026 CAM Alumni Night. Nominated by faculty, these alumni have made significant contributions to their respective fields in the arts industry. This year’s outstanding alumni are Molly Casey, Gareth Dunnet Alcocer, Anna Frick, Reed Fox, and Jeff Gipson.

“Our alumni artists, scholars, and creative industry leaders are making a profound difference in Colorado and across the country, and Alumni Night gives us the opportunity to highlight some of that work and to create an opportunity for community building and networking!” Dean Lucinda Bliss writes.

Last year the college welcomed 200 attendees to its inaugural Alumni Night, underscoring the tight-knit nature of the broader CAM community of alumni, faculty, staff, and current students.

This year, attendees can choose from a handful of pre-dinner activities such as a networking workshop, an art history career panel, a branding lab for professional pursuits, and department mixers. The catered dinner in the Tivoli Turnhalle will give ample opportunity for casual conversation and reconnecting, followed by a brief presentation wherein this year’s outstanding alumni will be recognized.

CAM’s 2026 Outstanding Alumni

Molly Casey (’05) Visual Arts – Molly decided to study sculpture at CU Denver after stepping into the sculpture studio and witnessing faculty member Michael Brohman working on a piece of art. “I thought, this is so avant-garde, this is so different, this is how I like to express myself, and clearly, this is welcome here,” she recalls. During a senior art seminar, Molly learned about art consulting and curation and immediately knew this is the work she wanted to do. Shortly after graduating, Molly took an administrative position at McGrath & Braun and owners Maeve McGrath and Jetta Braun quickly taught her the ropes of the business side of art. It was while working here that Molly met her current business partner, Martha McGee, who worked in the neighboring Walker Fine Art.

In 2009, Molly and Martha acquired a handful of McGrath & Braun’s clients as the firm closed and started Nine Dot Arts, a national art consultation firm that blends art curation, acquisition, and installation, urban planning, and community engagement. Since then, they have expanded their original client list to include companies all over the U.S. as well as internationally. Their work has enlivened and created a sense of space at hotels, apartment buildings, and offices across the country, including high traffic areas such as the Denver International Airport.

Gareth Dunnet Alcocer (‘06) Film & Television - Gareth is a writer and director. His most widely-known works are Blue Beetle and the English adaptation of Miss Bala; Gareth has the scriptwriter credit on both films. Born and raised in Querétaro, Mexico, Gareth said his inspiration for the hero’s family members in Blue Beetle came from his own experiences with family and friends. Gareth’s current projects include The Boys: Mexico, a Mexico-based spinoff of Amazon’s hit sci-fi TV series The Boys. It is projected to release on Amazon Prime this year.

Reed Fox (’13) Music & Entertainment Industry Studies – Growing up, Reed developed an appreciation for all kinds and genres of music, thanks in part to his father’s extensive record collection. Reed came to CU Denver after dabbling in music production and graduated with a double major in recording arts and music business. Reed gravitates toward “quirky, glittery music” and is currently working on projects with four bands: Moon Hammer; déCollage; Bun Bun, which he started with his wife, Jamie; and he creates electronic house music under his name, Reed Fox.

Reed is known for many artistic projects, but perhaps the most well-known is his business, Moon Magnet, where he provides mixing and mastering services, DJ services, and a music school. Through Moon Magnet Music School, Reed employs 28 music teachers who teach adults and children to play instruments, produce their own songs, or how to DJ. Reed recalls coming up with the business plan for Moon Magnet while taking a music business class from faculty member Storm Gloor. “That experience was super formative,” Reed says, and the business plan is still in practice today. Among Moon Magnet’s offerings is a Finish Your Music in 90 days course that is designed to help budding musicians get their music out there.

Anna Frick (‘03) Music & Entertainment Industry Studies - Growing up in Fort Collins, Anna got into the music industry by a desire to help a friend from high school record their music. That desire to help creative people—specifically artists and songwriters—led Anna to CU Denver’s recording arts program where she found her stride. After graduating, Anna worked her way up the ranks at Airshow Mastering in Boulder. In 2022, she opened her own studio, Ally Sound, where she does provides mixing and mastering, restoration, and coaching services. Among her restoration credits is a restoration of recordings made in the 1960s for the Navajo Nation—a project that has significant historical value. Currently, Anna is working on an album for the bluegrass band Rising Appalachia and a solo project for Jarrod Walker, the mandolin player for Billy Strings.

Anna holds a handful of leadership positions in professional groups, including the Recording Academy, the Audio Engineers Society (AES), Folk Alliance, and the Association of Recorded Sound Collections. She is also the co-founder of the Colorado chapter of SoundGirls, a group that provides opportunity and mentorship to the next generation of people in audio. While she recalls being one of only two female recording arts students during her time at CU Denver, now as a faculty member Anna is seeing that gender disparity correcting in real time. “As this [more diverse group of] students move out into the industry, I think we're going to see the industry shift in a very positive way,” she notes.

Jeff Gipson (attended 2010-2011) Visual Arts – After working as a designer and project manager at a skate park firm, Jeff came to CU Denver to pursue a master’s degree in architecture with the intention of opening his own skate park firm. But after encountering the work of CAM’s digital animation students in the CU Denver Building, Jeff started thinking about changing his career trajectory. Jeff credits faculty member Howard Cook with giving him the confidence he needed to pursue animation. For the first time in his academic and professional career, “homework or work in general felt like play. [The digital animation courses] gave me permission to be curious and have fun.”

Jeff landed a spot in the coveted Pixar PUP internship program and from there went on to work at Laika Studios and Disney Animation, where he was part of the team that created Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana, and Encanto. Jeff went on to become a director and writer at Disney Animation, where he created the short film Cycles. The project was a first of its kind—an immersive animated experience exploring how a home can reflect and hold the emotional life of a family over time. Following Cycles, Disney tapped Jeff to direct Myth: A Frozen Tale, further expanding the studio’s storytelling into new immersive formats.

After Disney, Jeff served as Creative Director at Universal Pictures, leading AI and immersive storytelling initiatives across emerging technologies. Now, Jeff is the creative director at Operative Games, a company that creates games combining AI and narrative design to bring stories and character experiences to life in a unique-to-each-player way. Jeff describes the experience as being similar to immersive theater.