College of Arts & Sciences

Roe Green’s generosity takes the stage

Anna Tolette — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 20:11:39 +0000

Roe Green’s generosity takes the stage Anna Tolette Mon, 08/24/2026 - 14:11

Roe Green

April Driver

When a �鶹��Ѱ�� student called alum Roe Green more than two decades ago to ask whether she would consider doubling her previous $100 gift, Green smiled at the opportunity.

“I can do better than that,” she replied.

She certainly did.

What began with a simple phone call has grown into one of the most powerful philanthropic partnerships in the history of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder's Department of Theatre and Dance. Through visionary investments in students, faculty, facilities and innovative programming, Green has helped shape an educational experience that prepares young artists not only for careers in theater, but for lives filled with confidence, creativity and human connection.

Ask Green what matters most, and the answer isn't a building or a program.

It's the students.

Creating opportunities for students

Throughout every conversation about her philanthropy, one theme rises above the rest: Roe Green believes deeply in students.

She remembers the opportunities that shaped her own education in theater and the mentors who encouraged her to think boldly, take risks and discover her potential. Today, she wants to create those same possibilities for �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder students, regardless of their financial circumstances or where their careers ultimately lead.

“I want the students to have access to experiences they wouldn’t normally have,” Green said. “I want to bring them opportunities where they can learn, grow and have fun.”

That philosophy has guided her giving at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, from scholarships that help talented students access education to the Roe Green Launch Program, which provides graduating students with support as they begin their professional careers.

“She loves students,” said Bud Coleman, the inaugural Roe Green Endowed Chair in Theatre. “She is not only devoted to the students in words, but also in action. She asks how specific students are doing and will meet with them to talk about what life has been like since she saw them in a production last year, or even two or three years ago.”

Bringing the professional world to campus

Twenty years ago, Green created the Roe Green Visiting Theatre Artist Program, inspired by a successful visiting director program she helped launch at Kent State University, where she earned her graduate degree in theater.

The program brings acclaimed actors, directors, designers, playwrights and other theater professionals to campus, giving students opportunities to learn directly from artists actively shaping the field. These visitors mentor students, collaborate on productions and introduce them to perspectives and creative approaches they might not otherwise encounter.

The program also reflects Green’s belief that students should have room to experiment.

“She's most excited about the outside-the-box ideas,” said Kevin Rich, who now holds the Roe Green Endowed Chair and oversees the Visting Artist program. “And that's great news for our students because they should be experimenting in that way.”

Green believes students learn best when they’re encouraged to take risks.

“Make your mistakes while you are young,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to fail. This is your time to learn.”

Creating an environment where students can learn

Her commitment to bringing exceptional artists and experiences to campus was further strengthened in 2015, when she established the Roe Green Endowed Chair in Theatre, the first endowed chair in the arts at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder.

“The Roe Green Endowed Chair elevated the theater program in the eyes of our peers around campus as well as across the nation,” Coleman said.

Green’s investments have helped make Boulder a place where aspiring theater artists can learn from exceptional faculty and nationally recognized professionals while developing the confidence to pursue their own creative paths.

Green's generosity has also transformed the spaces where students learn, rehearse and perform.

During one campus production, Green watched from the balcony of what is now the Roe Green Theatre. From her seat, she noticed that the theater’s acoustics were keeping some audience members from fully experiencing the performance.

Rather than simply recognizing the problem, she decided to solve it.

Her most recent $5 million investment funded significant acoustic improvements to the theatre while also supporting student scholarships, ongoing facility maintenance and the Roe Green Launch Program.

The result is a professional-quality space where students can develop their craft and share their work with audiences.

The theater’s growing reputation will reach beyond campus in 2027, when it serves as one of the venues for the 2027 Sundance Film Festival.

For Green, however, the spaces are ultimately about the people inside them, where students can discover their voices, share their stories and imagine what's possible.

A legacy that lives in students

Twenty years after that first phone call, Roe Green's impact can be seen in every corner of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder's Department of Theatre and Dance.

Her generosity has created opportunities for thousands of students, elevated �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder's national reputation and ensured that future generations of performers, designers, directors and playwrights have the resources to dream bigger and reach further.

Green says generosity has always enriched her life.

“When I give, I get back tenfold,” she said. “Give of yourself and be charitable.”

For every student who discovers a passion, finds a mentor, earns a scholarship, takes a creative risk or steps confidently into the next chapter of life, Roe Green's legacy lives on.

Learn more about giving to Theatre and Dance at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder

Roe Green

Five years ago, Roe Green donated $5 million to support renovations for the Roe Green Theatre. Today, her influence has transformed �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s Department of Theatre and Dance, creating opportunities for students and helping prepare the theater to welcome audiences for the 2027 Sundance Film Festival.

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$1.9M bequest from �鶹��Ѱ��sweethearts bolsters university’s art museum

Anna Tolette — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 13:00:00 +0000

$1.9M bequest from �鶹��Ѱ��sweethearts bolsters university’s art museum Anna Tolette Wed, 02/05/2025 - 06:00

An installation view of the exhibition We CU: A Visual Celebration of Black Womanhood, Presence, and Connectedness at the University of Colorado Art Museum. Image by Wes Magyar, © The Museum for Black Girls and © �鶹��Ѱ��Art Museum and University Libraries, �鶹��Ѱ��.

Jessica Winter , �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Advancement Marketing and Communications

The �鶹��Ѱ�� Art Museum has received the largest philanthropic gift in its history: a $1.9 million investment from late alumni Donald and Karen Ringsby. The endowment, which will be allocated at the discretion of the museum’s director, reflects the couple’s love of art and acknowledges the museum’s significance to the campus community.

More than a museum

Housed within the university’s College of Arts and Sciences, the �鶹��Ѱ��Art Museum offers a forum for faculty, students and the surrounding community to explore exhibitions, fuel their visual imagination, and engage in creative thought and campus collaborations. Having studied art and art history at CU, Donald (Don) and Karen Ringsby saw the value that the museum and these creative engagements have on campus and in a college education.

“The discretionary nature of this endowed gift acknowledges that the critical needs of a museum will change over time, and it offers flexibility to support those evolving initiatives,” said Hope Saska, acting director, chief curator and director of academic engagement for the �鶹��Ѱ��Art Museum. “The Ringsbys were extraordinarily generous and forward-thinking in establishing this legacy gift for the museum.”

In addition to exhibition galleries, the �鶹��Ѱ��Art Museum features a Collection Study Center where classes and researchers can directly study works of art in learning sessions facilitated by museum staff. Throughout the year, the museum's program of free exhibitions and events promote cultural expression, engaged learning and interdisciplinary scholarship.

“�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder is fortunate to have an outstanding museum, which offers opportunities for innovative collaboration and creative education,” said Chancellor Justin Schwartz. “The Ringsby family’s gift to the �鶹��Ѱ��Art Museum is a strategic investment that enhances innovative, hands-on learning and strengthens our connection to the community.”

The museum received first-time accreditation in 2023, joining a prestigious group of 26 museums accredited in Colorado. It boasts a permanent collection, started in 1939, that has grown to include more than 13,500 artworks representing 10,000 years of human creativity. From Greek pottery to Roman glass and contemporary painting, photography and printmaking, the comprehensive collection enriches educational experiences for faculty, students and the broader community.

Legacies built through lives well-lived

Karen and Donald Ringsby

First as students and later as alumni, Don (A&S’62) and Karen (EnglLit’62) attended art shows on campus and spent time searching for art in Colorado and, eventually, all over the world. The son of Denver trucking magnate Bill Ringsby, Don went on to become the president of Ringsby Truck Lines, Aspen Airways and the Denver Rockets — which would later become the NBA’s Denver Nuggets. He passed away in 2020, and Karen, who later earned her master’s in English from the University of Denver, passed away in 2024. Her lustrous career included modeling, serving as president of the Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood board, and advocating with the Global Warming Mitigation Project and for Palestinian human rights.

“Their legacy is one of friendship, family, philanthropy, art and their mutual love of the outdoors,” said son Alex Ringsby, president and CEO of RINGSBY, INC., which owns Ringsby Realty Corporation in Denver. The couple’s two other sons, Gray and Eric Ringsby, live in Maui, Hawaii, and Rock River, Wyoming, respectively.

Don and Karen’s Buff pride extended from their student involvement with Greek life to being loyal football spectators — they had season tickets for 40 years. Among others, Don served on the board of the �鶹��Ѱ��Foundation, and Karen was an active member of the art museum’s Collection Committee, responsible for shaping the museum’s art collection. The Ringsbys later donated to the museum’s “Sharkive” collection and contributed a painting by Colorado abstract artist Dale Chisman, which will be on view in the museum’s upcoming spring exhibition, Hello, Friend.

In addition to their involvement with CU, Don and Karen were patrons of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, supporters of the nonprofit for urban youth Colorado UpLift, and gave to Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood. Loving historic places and nature, they resided in Denver, Aspen and Savannah, Georgia.

“They were so proud of Boulder and �鶹��Ѱ��— they really lived it and wore their pride on their shoulders for all to see,” said Alex Ringsby. “They prioritized philanthropy and championed the idea of improving the communities they lived in.”

A storybook love

College sweethearts, Don and Karen first met in their French 301 course at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder. They were Buffs who shared a love for Boulder, with Don being a lifelong Coloradan and Karen growing up in South Dakota.

“They both adored each other and gave Boulder the credit for finding each other,” said Alex Ringsby.

After graduating, the two eloped in a secret ceremony at the Rock of Gibraltar, British Territory, in the Mediterranean Sea. Loved ones later referred to the couple’s nearly 60-year marriage as having weathered the storms of life, just like the location of their elopement.

“They lived a storybook life and shared a romance for the ages,” said Alex Ringsby. “My father said the first time he saw my mother on campus, he thought, ‘I am going to marry her someday’ .... and he did.”

Their love for family, passion for art and care for their communities resulted in a partnership that inspired others and will create change for years to come. Saska remarked that the couple “united their love for �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder and for art” in their endowment gift to the �鶹��Ѱ��Art Museum and will support the museum’s mission to be a “vital part of the cultural community — on campus and off.”

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How philanthropy fuels success: Center for African & African American Studies empowers students, drives impact through donor support

Anna Tolette — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 20:56:40 +0000

How philanthropy fuels success: Center for African & African American Studies empowers students, drives impact through donor support Anna Tolette Mon, 02/03/2025 - 13:56

2024–25 CAAAS graduate fellows with CAAAS Director Reiland Rabaka

Shamika Klassen, 2023–24 Alice Cleora Reeves Endowed Dissertation Fellow

When Shamika Klassen (PhDInfoSci’24) graduated last year with her PhD in information science, she was the first Black graduate in the decade-long history of the department.

Her significant achievement is part of the growing community of the Center for African & African American Studies (CAAAS), where philanthropic dollars help fund fellowships for students like Klassen, as well as faculty research and community engagement.

On Feb. 1, the center kicked off Black History Month with a celebration of CAAAS Day — its third annual event since Gov. Jared Polis declared the day in 2023. CAAAS Day serves as a moment to honor the history and contributions of African and African American communities, while spotlighting the work of the center itself. The day is also an opportunity to recognize donors to the CAAAS and celebrate the university's continued philanthropic match.

Through music, dance, poetry, food and Africana cultural expressions, this year’s celebration continued the tradition of highlighting the vibrant student, faculty and community involvement that makes the center a vital force at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder and beyond.

Philanthropic support fuels growth and opportunity

Donor support has been crucial to the success and expansion of the CAAAS since its founding. To support student success, donations help fund student fellowships, research awards and creative work awards.

In 2023–24, philanthropic support directly benefited students like Klassen, the recent information science graduate who was awarded the Alice Cleora Reeves Endowed Dissertation Fellowship.

“I am so grateful to the CAAAS and Dr. Reiland Rabaka for their encouragement and financial support in the final mile of my doctoral program,” said Klassen.

CAAAS Director Reiland Rabaka speaks with CAAAS graduate fellow Reya Roussel at the November 2024 CAAAS Graduate Fellows Conference

Philanthropy also supports faculty fellowships, research initiatives and community engagement programs that help further the center’s mission. In 2023–24, the CAAAS awarded faculty teaching and research awards to scholars in fields such as history, philosophy, ethnic studies and communications — each of whom contributes to a broader understanding of African and African American experiences.

Building a stronger future

Looking ahead, the CAAAS plans to continue expanding its programming and increase opportunities for both students and faculty. For every dollar of philanthropic support raised through June 30, 2026, Chancellor Justin Schwartz is continuing to match up to $1 million with university funding to help promote the center’s vision and mission.

These funds will help enhance research, community engagement and student services within the CAAAS, reinforcing the center’s role as a hub for community and academic excellence.

“To all who have supported the CAAAS, whether financially or otherwise, thank you for believing in our vision,” said Reiland Rabaka, founder and director of the CAAAS. “Your investment affirms our deep commitment to building community at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder through research, creative work and cultural programming.”

A space for learning and connection

Attendees at the November 2024 CAAAS Graduate Fellows Conference

Founded in 2021, the CAAAS is dedicated to researching, promoting and preserving knowledge about the histories, cultures and arts of African, African American and African diasporan communities. Through research, visual and performing arts, and student services, the CAAAS helps foster a deep sense of community and belonging on the �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder campus.

“The CAAAS continues to expand as a focal point for campus and community life grounded in the experiences of Africans, African Americans and the African diaspora,” said Rabaka. "We provide culturally relevant student services, public programs, mentorship, leadership training, professional development and advocacy for social change.”

In addition to its academic and research focus, the center hosts annual events such as the Kwanzaa Celebration, Black Graduation and, of course, CAAAS Day. These events foster a strong sense of community while celebrating the culture, history and accomplishments of African, African American and African diasporan students, faculty and alumni at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder.

Following this year’s CAAAS Day celebration, the entire campus community is invited to reflect on how far the center has come and how far it will go with continued philanthropic backing. For more information about the CAAAS and how to support its work, visit colorado.edu/center/caaas.

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2024–25 CAAAS graduate fellows with CAAAS Director Reiland Rabaka

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2024–25 CAAAS graduate fellows with CAAAS Director Reiland Rabaka

College of Arts & Sciences

Roe Green’s generosity takes the stage

Creating opportunities for students

Bringing the professional world to campus

Creating an environment where students can learn

A legacy that lives in students

Off

$1.9M bequest from �鶹��Ѱ�����sweethearts bolsters university’s art museum

More than a museum

Legacies built through lives well-lived

A storybook love

Off

How philanthropy fuels success: Center for African & African American Studies empowers students, drives impact through donor support

Philanthropic support fuels growth and opportunity

Building a stronger future

A space for learning and connection

Off

$1.9M bequest from �鶹��Ѱ��sweethearts bolsters university’s art museum