Topic: Military Veteran
Richard Thurau
Michael Wray
Michael Wray, Ph.D., is a professor in the School of Hospitality at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He has decades of collegiate teaching experience within culinary, brewing and beverage management and hospitality management industries.
As a chef and sommelier, Wray is active in the food and beverage industry by consulting with companies in restaurant design, menu and recipe development. He has also provided instrumental input into the vision that led to the creation of MSU Denver’s Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center and complementary laboratory classrooms. Wray has developed key partnerships with community and civic leaders for major events and charities such as Food for Thought Denver and the Denver Food and Wine Festival. He recently developed the framework for the brewery partnership with the Tivoli Brewing Company, leading to $7 million facility enhancements to the Tivoli Student Union and establishing integrated learning laboratories for students studying brewing.
As the former food and beverage director with Ramada Renaissance and Holiday Inn Hotels, Wray is regularly interviewed regarding his knowledge and creative abilities in food, wine and beer. His research interests include hospitality competency, learning environments and learning communities. Most recently, he co-authored the article “Effects of cooperative learning on Chinese students performing a formal table setting for American style service” in the Journal of Foodservice Business Research.
Wray received his doctorate in education leadership from University of Colorado, Denver, a master’s in business management from Salisbury University and a bachelor’s in nutrition and foods from Virginia Tech. He also holds multiple credentials in food and beverage, including Sommelier Diploma, Certified Wine Specialist, Master Certified Food Service Executive and Certified Culinary Instructor.
Andrew Traver
Andrew Traver, B.A., is a professor of practice in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He joined MSU Denver in fall 2019 teaching federal law enforcement and terrorism, which explores the relationships among federal law-enforcement agencies; and American gangsters, which examines the nature and causes of gangs. His experience and background will help students bridge the gap between theoretical and practical worlds in criminal justice and cybersecurity.
Traver began his 32-year federal law-enforcement career investigating gang-related crimes and violations of federal firearms, narcotics and explosives law. He served as special agent in charge in the Denver and Chicago field-division offices of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and held several supervisory positions throughout his 26-year career with ATF. Traver served as Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) director 2013-19, focusing on the myriad global threats to the Navy and Marine Corps ashore, afloat and in cyberspace, including foreign-intelligence challenges, terrorism and criminal behavior. He joined MSU Denver on July 1, 2019, as a visiting faculty member and as a special advisor to President Davidson.
Traver earned a bachelor’s in sociology and criminal justice from Northern Illinois University, graduating summa cum laude. He later joined the Navy, graduating third in his class from Officer Candidate School before graduating with honors from Surface Warfare Officer School.
Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith has more than 20 years of professional experience including service in the U.S. Army, law enforcement and corporate security. During his law enforcement career, Smith served as a field training officer, an operator with the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT), an instructor with the Regional Police Academy and as an undercover narcotics detective with the Special Investigations Unit.
Smith now serves as the deputy security manager of a utility company where he helps develop and oversee daily operations of the Enterprise Security Department. In this capacity, he conducts vulnerability and risk assessments, criminal investigations, develops and implements enterprise-wide policy and procedure, oversees large-scale security projects, executive protection and partners with other business units to maintain a culture of security compliance. Smith also works closely with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and participates in monthly trainings and briefings.
Since working in the Corporate Security sector, Smith has earned security certifications through ASIS that include: Certified Protection Professional (CPP) designation, Physical Security Professional (PSP) designation and Professional Certified Investigator (PCI) designation. He also earned the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) designation through the American Crime Prevention Institute.
He became a member of an elite class of security professionals throughout the world that holds all three security ASIS certifications after receiving the PCI designation in 2013.
Jeff Price
Jeffrey C. Price, M.A., is a professor in the Department of Aviation and Aerospace Science at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He is considered one of the world’s leading experts in aviation security and served as an expert witness on the 9/11 case where terrorists attacked the U.S.
A former US Coast Guard Officer, Price started his aviation career in airport operations at Denver’s previous airport, Stapleton International, then was the assistant security director at Denver International Airport when the airport opened in 1995. He then went on to become the Airport Director at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, Colorado’s 3rd busiest airport.
Price has authored several certification programs on aviation security and airport management, in addition to being a regular contributor to Aviation Security International magazine. He is the lead author of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) Certified Member body of knowledge, which is the baseline program for becoming an Accredited Airport Executive. Price also authored the “AAAE Airport Certified Employee-Security” program. He is the lead author of “Practical Aviation Security: Predicting and Preventing Future Threats” (now in its second edition) and “Airport Operations, Safety and Emergency Management.”
Price received a master’s in curriculum and instruction from Colorado Christian University and a bachelor’s of science in professional pilot from MSU Denver. He is a commercially certified pilot, a Certified Homeland Security Level I through ABCHS, a Certified Protection Professional through ASIS and a certified member of AAAE. Read Price’s blog for the latest insight into airport security related topics.
Richard C. Mac Namee
Richard Mac Namee is the director of the Cybersecurity Center at Metropolitan State University of Denver. His areas of expertise include counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, intelligence operations, covert operations, nuclear security and cybersecurity. He currently teaches Cybersecurity Capstone for senior students.
Prior to joining MSU Denver, Mac Namee worked as a British Army officer, whose service included the Household Division’s Scots Guards and being an operator and commander in the United Kingdom’s Special Forces. His service required him to deploy to numerous locations throughout the world commanding operations conducted in the interests of national security, including being seconded to the U.K.’s Security Service (MI5).
Following a recall to military service as a Special Operations commander from 2009 to 2011 as part of the U.S. surge into Afghanistan, Mac Namee was recruited by a Tier One research university in the U.S. and appointed as a professor of the Practice at the Bush School of Government and Public Service. There, he delivered graduate-level classes in Counter-Terrorism, Intelligence Operations and Covert Operations, as well as Technical and Cybersecurity Operations. Mac Namee returned to private practice in September 2018 to deliver Counter-U.A.S. technologies into Thailand as well as Artificial Intelligence Cybersolutions for a large Mexican bank.
Since retiring from the military, Mac Namee has successfully established and led several profitable commercial enterprises in the private sector in the fields of business intelligence, security and risk. He was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service for his services with Special Operations. He is the author of “The 5W’s of Terrorism,” which was published in the 5th International Symposium and Seminar on Global Nuclear Human Resource Development for Safety, Security and Safeguards in 2016.
Jose Lopez
José López teaches in the Aviation & Aerospace Department. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering from St Louis University and a Master’s Degree from the University of Tennessee Space Institute. He spent 23 years in the U.S. Air Force on active and reserve duty working in various areas including the Minuteman ICBM, on the engineering and operations of several classified spacecraft, the Defense Logistics Agency, and a final tour with the Air Force Space Command. He is a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College in residence.
As a civilian, he worked for Raytheon and Lockheed- Martin. Upon retirement from the aerospace industry, he started teaching at MSU Denver. He was instrumental in designing Introduction to Space, a hands-on course which introduces students to the challenges of working in space, where students design, construct, launch and recover a simulated satellite via a weather balloon.
In 2010, López organized in Colorado the first competition of Rocky Mountain BEST (Boosting Engineering Science & Technology). BEST is a national organization that provides a free robotics competition to middle and high schools. He is now the Executive Director. BEST in Colorado grew from 10 teams in its first year to 69 teams in 2016 in 4 hubs or chapters. In 2017, a fifth hub was added in Colorado Springs and a Regional competition was approved by the parent organization BEST Robotics Inc. (BRI) headquartered at Auburn University.
Kevin Kuhlmann
Professor Kevin Kuhlmann is associate chair of aviation and aerospace science at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He is the faculty adviser for students pursuing Bachelor of Science degrees as professional flight officers. Kuhlmann actively works with commercial airlines to establish cadet programs with MSU Denver to help aspiring pilots plan their transition from the classroom to the flight deck.
Kuhlmann expertise is in the area of commercial and military flight operations training, safety standards and human factors in flight operations. His research interest includes aviation safety, flight deck automation and navigation systems. Kuhlmann holds multiple Federal Aviation Administration pilot certifications including Flight Instructor and airline transport pilot, all with multi engine and instrument ratings.
Before joining the faculty at MSU Denver in 1994, he worked as commercial airline pilots for Horizon Air, a regional airline that is part of Alaska Air Group. A 30-year Air Force enlisted and officer veteran, Lieutenant Colonel Kuhlmann spent seven years as an aircraft commander and instructor pilot for the F-111A/D/F Aardvark, which is a supersonic variable sweep wing tactical fighter aircraft. His service spanned the Cold War, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2009, Lt. Col. Kuhlmann deployed to serve at the Combined Air Operations Center on Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. He also served as a safety officer in the Air Force and conducted accident investigation duties.
A professor with a passion for both aviation safety and technology, he holds a master’s degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a bachelor’s in aviation training and management from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
David Klein
David Klein, M.F.A., is a professor in the Department of Industrial Design at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
His professional experience includes designing children’s riding toys and adult fitness equipment at Roadmaster Corporation, decorative designs at David Marshall Inc., and consumer electronics for Samsung Corporation in Seoul, Korea. Klein also completed a Fulbright-Hayes Seminar in the Czech and Slovak Republics, was a visiting scholar at the Beijing Academy of Science and Technology and has presented at IDSA and NCIIA national conferences. He is also a member of Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) and is in involved in the One World One Water Center at MSU Denver.
Klein received his master of fine arts in industrial design from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor of arts in product design from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.