The CU Denver Spring 2026 Commencement Ceremony was held on Saturday, May 16 at the Denver Coliseum. We are excited to share that Samantha Guerra Bolon (Bachelor of Science in Architecture), Madeline Fulmer (Master of Architecture), Dania Morelli (Master of Architecture), Anna Nielsen (Master of Architecture), Phil Runnings (Master of Landscape Architecture), Bryn Hall (Master of Urban and Regional Planning), and Dan Schumacher (Master of Urban Design) were recognized as the College of Architecture and Planning’s Outstanding Graduates. These students received top marks in their academic performance and made impactful contributions to the life of the college.
Our Outstanding Graduates shared with us memories from their time at CAP and their anticipated next steps. Congratulations to all our outstanding graduates. We look forward to seeing how you carry forward your curiosity and passion for the built environment.
Meet Our Outstanding Graduates
Samantha Guerra
Bachelor of Science in Architecture
How have your perspectives on architecture evolved since you started the BS in Architecture program?
Since starting the BS Architecture program, I’ve become much more aware of how deeply architecture shapes people’s everyday experiences, emotions, and opportunities. Growing up, I was always surrounded by people who adapted spaces with creativity and resilience based on what they had available, and studying architecture helped me understand the value and complexity behind those decisions in a different way. Throughout the program, I also came to see architecture as something far beyond designing buildings; it is a discipline that carries social responsibility and has the ability to influence how people connect, feel, and live within their communities.
What are you looking forward to following the commencement ceremony?
Following commencement, I’m looking forward to continuing my education in the Master of Architecture program at CU Denver and continuing to grow as a designer and future architect. More than anything, I’m looking forward to taking a moment to reflect on everything this journey represents for both myself and my family. Balancing school, work, and personal challenges throughout these years was not always easy, so reaching this milestone fills me with a deep sense of gratitude toward the classmates, professors, friends, and family members who supported me along the way.
Could you share a memorable experience from your time at CAP?
One of the most memorable parts of my experience at CAP has been the sense of community that developed within studio. Some of my strongest memories are the long nights before reviews, when everyone was stressed and exhausted, but still willing to help each other, share feedback, and encourage one another to keep going. Those experiences reminded me that architecture is not an individual effort, but something built through collaboration and mutual support. I also really valued the opportunity to explore projects connected to affordable housing, community integration, and sensory experiences in design, which helped me better understand architecture as a way to support people’s wellbeing and everyday lives.
Maddie Fulmer
Master of Architecture
How have your perspectives on architecture evolved since you started the M.Arch program?
The biggest shift in my perspective has been realizing that architecture is fundamentally relational. When I started the M.Arch program, I think I saw design more as an individual creative pursuit. Over time, through studio work, collaboration, Design Build, AIAS, and Hooke Park, I came to understand how much architecture depends on communication, trust, and shared effort. The best ideas are shaped through conversation, critique, making, testing, listening, and working through problems with others.
What are you looking forward to following the commencement ceremony?
I’ll be starting a new job at Rowland + Broughton, and I’m incredibly excited to work with them. I’ve admired their work and ethos for quite some time. They bring a level of rigor and exquisite detailing to the Colorado architectural scene that I deeply respect, and I’m excited to learn from and contribute to the team.
I’m also happiest outside and on a bike, so I’m very excited to get back to riding after graduation.
Could you share a memorable experience from your time at CAP?
I’ve had an incredible education at CU Denver, but the Design Build program comes to mind instantly. The program that Rick [Sommerfeld] and Will [Koning] run is outstanding. I really transformed as a thinker, collaborator, and designer within that cohort.
The first few weeks of charretting leading into the mockup phase was probably the most demanding and energizing stretch of work I’ve experienced. It felt like fireworks were going off, in a good way. There was this incredible energy in the studio between the excitement, the newness of the project, and the collaboration with the class.
Then, to end with a built project that embodied all the hard work, tenacity, and risk-taking of the cohort was one of the most rewarding feelings I’ve had. Sharing that final day of the build together is something I’ll never forget.
Dania Morelli
Master of Architecture
How have your perspectives on architecture evolved since you started the M.Arch program?
Since starting the M.Arch program, I’ve come to see architecture as much more than designing buildings. CAP taught me that architecture is ultimately about people, their experiences, emotions, wellbeing, and sense of belonging. It showed me how design can create meaningful impact within communities and shape the way people connect with the world around them.
What are you looking forward to following the commencement ceremony?
Following commencement, I’m looking forward to attending the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design in San Diego, CA and receiving the AIA Medal for Academic Excellence. After that, I’m excited to begin the next chapter of my journey by joining Gensler in Denver as a Technical Designer.
Could you share a memorable experience opportunity from your time at CAP?
One of the most meaningful parts of my experience at CAP was serving as President of AIAS and helping bring the AIAS FORUM conference to Denver. It gave me the opportunity to connect 400 students and professionals from across the country and showed me the power of leadership and community within architecture. Beyond academics, the most unforgettable part of CAP was the people. The friendships, mentorship, and support from classmates, faculty, and staff made CAP feel like a second home, and those memories are what I’ll carry with me the most.
Morelli received a special shout-out from Chancellor Christensen during the commencement ceremony, where he applauded her for academic achievements and the connections she sought out at CU Denver that helped her “Meet Her Moment.” Read more in “Meet Dania Morelli: Changing Lives through Architecture—Starting with Her Own.”
Anna Nielsen
Master of Architecture
How have your perspectives on architecture evolved since you started the M.Arch. program?
My perspective on architecture has changed quite a bit because of CU Denver’s urban setting. My undergraduate architecture degree was not in a city, but CU’s location at the heart of Denver really influenced the way that I think about buildings and how important context is to a place. The design-build program also really allowed me to view architecture at a smaller scale than what I previously was exposed to. I was able to see the connection between the smaller details of a design and the overall concept of a project. I hope to bring this strategy moving forward in how I approach design.
What are you looking forward to following the commencement ceremony?
I am moving to San Francisco for a job at an architecture firm, and I am extremely excited to explore a new city and call it home!
Could you share a memorable experience from your time at CAP?
I was in the design-build program and was a part of the team that completed the Aiken Audubon Research Outpost. That experience was extremely memorable for me because we got to take a project past schematic design for the first time in school. I also got really close with a lot of my peers as we camped down at the ranch during our Maymester build. I learned a lot throughout the entirety of the design-build certificate, but especially during the month of May when we were actually building the project!
Phil Runnings
Master of Landscape Architecture
How have your perspectives on landscape architecture evolved since you started the MLA program?
I had a very basic understanding of landscape architecture before I started the MLA program. I’ve always thought of design fields as being a coalescence of art and precision. Landscape architecture is no exception; however, designing with the natural world and living material adds a layer of complexity that I was not fully aware of. There’s also a social justice element that feels surprising akin to many of the principles I learned while studying sociology in undergrad. I’ve begun to think of landscape architectural design as an art form, a science, and a way to use applied research and observation to tell the story of a place. It is a responsibility to be respected and a privilege to be able to impose design on the natural spaces that we often work within.
What are you looking forward to following the commencement ceremony?
There are several exciting things happening following graduation. I first leave for Taos New Mexico the day after I walk for a weeklong, plein air watercolor workshop. The Tuesday after I get back, I will be starting an internship with Oxbow Design Collaborative. I’m very excited to get into the firm and start learning again!
Could you share a memorable experience from your time at CAP?
There’s almost too many to choose from. I’ve traveled a lot more than I expected to in grad school. I’ve had the opportunity to take part in a cultural landscape inventory of Amache in eastern Colorado, spent a week camping in the Wind River Valley, attended two ASLA conferences; one in Washington DC and the other in New Orleans, I have even worked on a project in the Strawberry Mansion Neighborhood of Philadelphia.
One of the most valuable things I’ve received from my three years studying for my MLA, is a reconnection with art. Sketching and painting have become my primary hobbies and my primary interests outside of landscape architecture. Now I’ve had the opportunity to employ the artistic skills I have been cultivating to improve my design visualization and communication as well.
Bryn Hall
Master of Urban and Regional Planning
How have your perspectives on planning evolved since you started the MURP program?
My understanding on planning has expanded tremendously. I came into the program wanting to focus exclusively on climate resilience through the built environment through things like green infrastructure. While I still enjoy learning about that and think of it as an important element of our communities, my interests have expanded a lot more. All of our systems are so intertwined and dependent on one another to create healthy places. I am now more drawn to affordable housing as it is fundamental to resilience for individuals and communities. Through the program, I’ve learned that pursuing one interest does not mean leaving others behind. Our perspectives of planning should be cumulative and seek to incorporate as many different elements as possible.
What are you looking forward to following the commencement ceremony?
I am excited to apply everything I learned in the program to making a difference in Colorado communities. There are so many different pathways I can pursue within the field of planning, and I am excited to see how my career will pan out. I hope to work in a variety of contexts, communities, and disciplines to have a diverse skillset. I am also excited to continue working with my classmates in new contexts and see how we all grow in our careers. I’m also excited to enjoy the summer in Denver!
Could you share a memorable experience from your time at CAP?
My most memorable experiences are the client-focused projects we have the opportunity to work on in the MURP program. It’s hard to choose just one! Being able to work on real projects, lend our knowledge to organizations within the community, and follow our work into implementation is an amazing opportunity. I learned the most from my Real Estate Development & Finance class, where we got to work with the GES Coalition/Tierra Colectiva Community Land Trust to do a feasibility study for an affordable housing project in Denver. This project pushed me to think about how multiple community needs can be met on one site, with a constrained budget. We also got to navigate environmental contamination on a site, complex access requirements, and designing a project to meet resident needs for residential space and addressing past injustice issues. Learning how to do the financial models for a housing project shifted my interest towards affordable housing development as well.
Dan Schumacher
Master of Urban Design
How have your perspectives on urban design evolved since you started the MUD program?
I’ve realized that urban design is about thinking across all scales to address a variety of issues, and at scales that simultaneously interface with architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning. Above all, I’ve come to know that it takes a really dedicated team to achieve elegant designs in response to a problem. I appreciate the shared vision that it takes to tackle the complexity of it all.
What are you looking forward to following the commencement ceremony?
I’m looking forward to a trip that I have planned to Mexico City with some friends! I think it’ll be a nice way to use the fresh perspective I’ve gained in urban design to understand the city on the deep level.
Could you share a memorable experience from your time at CAP?
So hard to pick one! But the ones that always come to mind are the ones where I broke down laughing with my studio mates, whether in the back of a car traveling through our MLA immersive studio site in Mississippi, or eating dinner with my MUD cohort in Santiago, Chile, and even just a few nights ago over pizza, while working towards our final studio deadline.
CAP’s Spring Celebration and Awards was held on Wednesday, May 13, celebrating the achievements of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff from the academic year. View the complete list of awards and recognitions.