Best of 2023
525,600 minutes.
How do we measure a year?
The University of Denver Newsroom is looking back through 2023’s seasons of stories. More than 200 stories were published in the Newsroom this year, receiving nearly 400,000 pageviews, up 5% from 2022. Here are some of the year’s most popular features:
University News
U.S. News & World Report Releases 2024 College Rankings
Once again, DU is ranked among the top colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report. DU ranked 124th on the National Universities list. We also ranked 38th in the category of Most Innovative Schools for making innovative improvements around curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, and technology and facilities.
Research Stories
New DU Study Highlights Risks of Living Together Before Engagement
A new national survey from the DU examines the risks of living together before marriage. Scott Stanley and Galena Rhoades, professors in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences’ Department of Psychology, surveyed approximately 1,600 Americans who were married for the first time between 2010 and 2019. The study found that 34% of marriages ended among those who lived together before being engaged, while just 23% of marriages ended among couples who waited until after engagement or marriage to move in together.
Runner Up: DU Study Finds Similarities in Diagnosis and Treatment for Concussions and Long COVID
Faculty Expertise
Q&A: Examining the Israel-Hamas Conflict
On Oct. 7, 2023, the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel, firing rockets into Israeli towns, killing more than 1,400 people and taking nearly 200 hostages. Micheline Ishay, a professor in the Josef Korbel School of International Studies and the new director for the Center for Middle East Studies, explains the history behind the conflict.
Runner Up: Q&A: Strikes And Why Workers Are Having Their Moment in the Spotlight
Athletic Stories
DU Hockey Prepares for NCAA Matchup Against Cornell
In March, the DU hockey team found itself in a familiar place—the NCAA Tournament. Ready to defend its title, the top-seeded Pioneers prepared for an opening matchup against Cornell. This was DU’s 32nd appearance in the tournament, having clinched a spot for 14 consecutive seasons.
Runner Up: Bill Tierney Set to Retire Following 42nd College Season in 2023
Student Stories
The Results Are in: DU Students Love It Here
Each year, The Princeton Review surveys more than 165,000 students at top universities around the country to see how they think their schools measure up on factors like academics and quality of life. DU ranks No. 13 in the category “Their Students Love These Colleges,” moving up 11 spots from last year.
Runner Up: Pat Hamill Addresses Class of 2023, Kicks Off Post-Grad Life With Gift
Alumni Stories
After Maui Wildfire Destroys His Home and Business, DU Graduate Raises Funds for Lahaina Community
On Aug. 8, Lahaina was the center of a series of chaotic wildfires that left 115 people dead and another 388 missing. More than 2,200 homes and businesses burned to the ground, including the house where Cole Millington (BA ‘19) lived and kept every physical asset associated with his growing business, Honolua Hot Sauce Company. Estimates put the total monetary damage caused by the fire at over $6 billion. In the aftermath of the fires, while staying in a one-bedroom apartment with 15 other people, he decided to launch a fundraising effort with the R.E.L.I.E.F. Foundation to support the people of Lahaina. To date, he’s raised more than $150,000 from crowdfunding and private donations.
Runner Up: To Denver and Back: Cam Griffin’s Journey From DU to the Denver Nuggets
DU’s Podcast, RadioEd
Living Together Before Marriage: A Risky Move?
Several studies have found that couples who live together before marriage are more likely to get divorced. But do the numbers tell the whole story?
In this special Valentine's Day episode of RadioEd, Emma Atkinson speaks with psychologist and University of Denver research professor Scott Stanley about why cohabitating before you say "I do" doesn't necessarily mean your relationship won't last. As he reveals, it's all about commitment, communication and clarity.
Runner Up: Artificial Intelligence: The New Wave of Content Creation or an Ethical Nightmare?
Denver Magazine
From environmental destruction to harmful labor practices, DU experts agree that we pay a high price for cheap clothes. While the fashion industry has always produced waste and pollution, recent decades have seen the brisk growth of fast fashion—hyper-trendy clothing made as cheaply and quickly as possible—and an acceleration of the environmental damage that apparel production causes.
Rising to prominence in the early 2000s, the fast fashion industry turned the four traditional clothing seasons—spring, summer, fall and winter—into 52 micro-seasons. Globally, more than 100 billion pieces of clothing are produced each year. On average, Americans spend more than $100 per month on clothing and apparel.
Runner Up: DU on the Bench
Field Notes
DU Field Notes: A Guide to the “Easiest” 14ers in Colorado
Welcome to “Colorful Colorado,” a state known for its diverse landscape and an abundance of activities for outdoor enthusiasts of all abilities. For stunning views as far as the eye can see, many look to summit Colorado’s natural wonders, including ones that are 14,000 feet tall.
Colorado has the most fourteeners of any state in the U.S. According to the Colorado Geological Survey, the state has 58 peaks that exceed 14,000 feet in elevation. While there is no such thing as an “easy” fourteener, the DU Newsroom has compiled a list of fourteeners to satisfy a thirst for adventure.
Runner Up: DU Field Notes: Save Money With These Essential Student Discounts and Benefits