The Human Touch 2013 - University of Colorado Denver

Biographies
Continued
Steve Nordeen, Ph.D.: Steve Nordeen is a molecular biologist who, once
upon a time, published in now long dead poetry magazines. It is uncertain,
however, whether it was his poetry that killed them. His fondness for puns should
not refl ect on his mentor, the real poet and state poet of Nebraska, William
Kloefkorn.
Jennifer Pacheco: Jennifer Pacheco is the Admissions Specialist for the
Colorado School of Public Health. Writing in both English and Spanish, Jennifer
has performed for several community and university events. Using poetry as a
catalyst for social change, she hopes to encourage compassion and to connect
people to realities other than their own.
Leslie Kelly Palacios-Helgeson, BS: Leslie is a fi rst year medical student at
University of Colorado. She loves cancer biology, pathology and the nervous
system. She enjoys advocacy for the underserved, volunteering, animals and the
arts (performing, fi ber and written).
Bruce Paton, MD: Bruce Paton is an Emeritus Clinical Professor of Surgery.
He was born in India, educated in Scotland, served as a lieutenant in Royal
Marine Command, graduated in medicine from the University of Edinburgh, and
worked as a doctor in Kenya and Scotland before coming to Colorado in 1958
as a research fellow in surgery. He was fulltime faculty in cardiac surgery, 1960-
1979 and clinical faculty in the department of surgery, 1979-2010. He served as
Acting Dean from 1978-9 and was Director of Given Institute, 1999-2010.
Ben Patterson: Ben Patterson is an artist and is currently seeking his Bachelor
Degree in Fine Arts which he will receive in May 2013.
Jacob Pellinen: Jacob is a medical student in the class of 2014.
Oswald Pfenninger: Oswald Pfenninger is a former employee of the University
of Colorado medical campus where he worked for two different professors in the
Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Now in retirement, he and his wife
are visiting many areas, experiencing and enjoying many cultures, and bringing
home memories and photos of those places.
Sharisse Arnold Rehring, MD, FAAP: Sharisse is a pediatrician, Director
of Pediatric CME and Assistant Regional Chief of Education for the Colorado
Permanente Medical Group. She is an Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics
at UCHSC. She is married and the mother of three children. She is excited to
fi nally have the opportunity to explore refl ective writing to help bring meaning to
her life in medicine.
William Reiquam, MD: William Reiquam, MD is a pediatrician and Professor
Emeritus of Pathology. His career is imbedded in medicine and shared in the
areas of the arts and the humanities, offering to console and unite us as patients
and health care workers.
Sabrina Renteria: Sabrina Renteria is a fi rst generation medical student and
a COPIC scholarship recipient. Although she received her undergraduate
degree in Philosophy at UC Boulder, she always knew she wanted to become a
physician. Losing her grandmother to cancer at a young age, Sabrina aspires to
become a pediatric oncologist.
Marc Ringel, MD: Dr. Marc Ringel is a senior instructor in the Department of
Family Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Steven Robinson: Steven Robinson is the Research Manager of the Skin
Cancer Biorepository in the Division of Medical Oncology. He has had this
position since 2004 and has been writing protocols, poems, and songs since he
can remember.
Trista Ross: Trista Ross is a second-year pharmacy student at the University
of Colorado. She majored in writing during her undergraduate education at the
University of Colorado Denver. She grew up in Colorado, and enjoys outdoor
activities, playing the piano, and writing.
Kinsey Roth: Kinsey Roth received her undergraduate education at the
University of Colorado at Boulder. She then came to School of Medicine
program after working as a CNA. She is now completing her third year and
intends to pursue a career in pediatric medicine.
Alexander Rowan: A patient once asked me, “Where’s the poetry in
medicine?” I had no adequate response. Her question haunted me. It crept up
on me in the wards, screamed at me in the OR, and comforted me while visiting
hospice patients where I fi nally found a reply, “It’s everywhere if you look at it
right.” I’m haunted no more.
Stephanie Sandhu: Stephanie is a third year medical student at the University
of Colorado SOM. She believes writing can be a cathartic part of the healing
process and hopes her words will encourage others to try it.
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