(Gleeson, Todd T - 2019) -- Robert L. Stearns Award
Overview
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Todd Gleeson is the MVP — the teammate people hope for and the leader they look up to. And luckily for Buffs, his home team is CU Boulder.
An academic jack-of-all-trades, Todd’s vast number of positions within the College of Arts and Sciences, including professor and dean, has benefitted from his dizzying array and diversity of skills — intellectual, social and practical. From leading CU’s largest college to setting up fundraising tents at dawn, no task is ever too awesome or too modest for him.
In 38 years at CU, Todd has also served as associate vice chancellor for faculty affairs, director of the Health Professions Residential Academic Program and mentor for legions. His impressive fundraising work for the college includes the establishment of the Buffalo Bicycle Classic, which has raised over $3.9 million for student scholarships, the construction of the $63 million Visual Arts Complex and a partnership with CU Engineering on the joint $170 Biotechnology Building.
He also helped establish new programming in Arts and Sciences — in the midst of the Great Recession — in several areas including Jewish studies, neurosciences, Asian languages and ethnic studies.
Todd has built lasting enterprises and won universal respect among colleagues because he leads by example — sharing in the workload and exuding respect for and commitment to others.
“Todd had come to embody the college,” a faculty peer said of Todd’s years as dean. “He was the college, in many ways.”
More than one colleague praised his talents as the shepherd everyone craved and needed.
“He brought a spirit of collegiality and community to a college faculty that is far more difficult to lead,” said a peer, “than it would be to herd an equivalent number of cats.”
