Renee Crown Wellness Institute

Philanthropic commitment expands undergraduate research opportunities at the Crown Institute

Anna Tolette — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 21:22:13 +0000

Philanthropic commitment expands undergraduate research opportunities at the Crown Institute Anna Tolette Fri, 09/25/2026 - 15:22

Shari Sapp, Juliana Sapp, and Professor and Crown Institute Director Sona Dimidjian

April Driver

More �Ǹ�Թ� students will have the opportunity to gain hands-on research experience, receive personalized mentorship and graduate prepared for meaningful careers that improve well-being for others thanks to a new $2.5 million pledge from alumna Shari Sapp and her husband Rick Sapp.

The renewed commitment to the Undergraduate Research Fellows program at the Renée Crown Wellness Institute builds on the Sapp family’s original investment, which launched the program in 2022. The fellowship allows students to work alongside faculty and graduate student mentors on projects affecting young people and communities, while developing the skills, relationships and professional experience that distinguish them in graduate school and the workforce.

“The Sapp family’s generosity created a program that helps shape students’ educational experiences while advancing compassionate research,” said Katy Herbert Kotlarczyk, vice chancellor for Advancement. “Their continued investment ensures future students can participate in transformative research that not only prepares them for their next steps but also offers real-world benefits to the communities they will eventually support. I am deeply grateful for the Sapp family’s partnership and their belief in the extraordinary potential of each student.”

Inspiration for the Undergraduate Research Fellows Program

For the Sapp family, the inspiration behind the program is deeply personal.

Their daughter, Juliana Sapp, discovered her passion for research as a CU �Ǹ�Թ� student in 2019, while working on her undergraduate honor’s thesis in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience under the mentorship of Professor and Crown Institute Director, Sona Dimidjian. Through close mentorship by Dr. Dimidjian, she gained practical research experience and found a path that helped shape her career as a licensed clinical social worker and therapist.

Inspired by the transformative role undergraduate research played in their daughter’s education, the Sapp family’s generosity allowed the Crown Institute to work in partnership with faculty from the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience to create opportunities for future students to have similar experiences. The first cohort of Undergraduate Research Fellows began the three-year program in the fall of 2022 and graduated in 2025. This spring, the second graduating class was recognized during a special Crown Institute commencement celebration honoring their accomplishments.

“The Undergraduate Research Fellows program sets you up for success,” said fellow Meghan Densmore, a senior studying Psychology and Sociology, with minors in Spanish and Women and Gender Studies. “Whether your goal is to attend a master’s, PhD or medical school program or work after graduation, you leave with a skill set you can't get anywhere else.”

Preparing tomorrow’s research leaders

So far, the program has supported 25 undergraduate fellows, with 10 students already graduating from CU �Ǹ�Թ� and pursuing their next academic and professional opportunities. Along the way, fellows have tackled projects with real-world impacts, including research helping breast cancer survivors stay on life-saving medication, exploring identity-based stress among historically marginalized college students, examining the link between adolescent brain development and depression, and studying college students’ experiences with artificial intelligence.

The program’s benefit extends beyond undergraduate students. Graduate students who mentor fellows also gain valuable teaching, leadership and collaborative research experience that shapes their own careers.

“Being the teaching assistant for the Undergraduate Research Fellowship was the central touchstone of my graduate training,” said Joey Levy, a doctoral student who served as the program's teaching assistant.

“That's not at all what I expected when I started in this role, but the fellows quickly became some of my most important teachers. I learned how to mentor, how to partner with students as co-designers and how to collaborate with students in participatory research. These are skills I will carry with me for the rest of my career and ones that are rare to develop this deeply in graduate school.”

Shari Sapp, Juliana Sapp, and Professor and Crown Institute Director Sona Dimidjian

The Class of 2026 Undergraduate Research Fellows were honored at the Crown Institute graduation celebration.

Expanding access to research experience

The fellowship reflects the Crown Institute’s commitment to teaching students to combine research with compassion.

“The mission of the Crown Institute is to promote the wellness of young people and the systems and adults who support them through interdisciplinary research-practice partnerships,” said Leah Peña Teeters, director of education initiatives at the Crown Institute.

“The Undergraduate Research Fellows program is a cornerstone of this mission, preparing the next generation of researchers and practitioners to integrate rigorous science with care and compassion in ways that strengthen individuals and communities. Through hands-on research and mentorship, the program equips undergraduate students with the knowledge, skills and values to advance both their own well-being and the well-being of others. It helps them experience what we call combining science and love.”

As the Undergraduate Research Fellows program enters its next chapter, the Sapp family's renewed investment will allow the Crown Institute to continue to train the next generation to ask important questions and contribute to research that improves lives.

"I am so inspired by the growth of the Undergraduate Research Fellows Program and its impact on learning across our campus,” said Dimidjian. “It is deeply meaningful to see how Juliana’s path has become a source of possibility for so many others. I am deeply grateful to the Sapp family for their vision and dedication to turning experiences that were so meaningful in Juliana’s life into opportunities for generations of students to come.”

Learn more about the Undergraduate Research Fellows program

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A mother’s perseverance inspires generosity and transforms student lives

Anna Tolette — Fri, 01 May 2026 15:35:22 +0000

A mother’s perseverance inspires generosity and transforms student lives Anna Tolette Fri, 05/01/2026 - 09:35

Sona Dimidjian, director of the Renée Crown Wellness Institute, Yvonne Kristy, Jeremy May

April Driver

Jeremy May, Yvonne Kristy

Yvonne Kristy arrived at a small liberal arts college in Minnesota in 1965, full of excitement for her future. But college quickly became overwhelming as she navigated social anxiety alongside the social and academic demands of college life. Unable to find the support she needed, she left during her first year, pausing her academic journey.

What could have been the end of her story became the start of something far more powerful.

Moving to �Ǹ�Թ� to continue her education at the University of Colorado, she learned to balance coursework with the realities of adulthood, and 15 years later, earned her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology at CU �Ǹ�Թ�. In the years between, she built a life defined by persistence. She raised two sons in �Ǹ�Թ� as a single mother, working multiple jobs and relying on public assistance when needed, all while holding fast to her belief that education mattered.

Her sons were watching.

They saw the late nights, sacrifices and unwavering commitment to building a better life. That example would come full circle decades later in the form of a gift that not only honors Kristy’s journey but also ensures students facing similar challenges have the support to redefine what’s possible in their education and lives.

Honoring a mother’s determination and resilience

Kristy went on to earn her master’s degree in social work from the University of Denver. Then she began her career at CU as a systems analyst in the early days of computer technology, eventually overseeing computer labs across campus. Her son, Jeremy May, drew inspiration from her determination and ability to use her intelligence to achieve meaningful outcomes.

He carried forward her belief in the power of education, graduating from CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s Leeds School of Business, an experience he says changed the trajectory of his life. Like his mother, he worked his way through college, relying also on Pell grants and student loans.

“She was able to create an environment that allowed me and my brother to be successful even in really difficult situations, and we knew how much she valued education,” May said.

In 2023, May honored his mother with a gift to CU �Ǹ�Թ�, creating the Yvonne Kristy Endowed Chair at the Renée Crown Wellness Institute. The position advances the Crown Institute’s innovation and impact through scholarly work focused on compassion, mindfulness, altruism and the greater good.

The investment reflects May’s values while addressing the very challenges that once made his mother’s college experience so difficult.

Sona Dimidjian, director of the Renée Crown Wellness Institute, Yvonne Kristy, Jeremy May

A full-circle moment through research

Professor Joanna Arch was named the first recipient of the Yvonne Kristy Endowed Chair in 2023. As chair, she led the development of the OASIS study in collaboration with graduate and undergraduate students, which focuses on reducing social isolation and disconnection among CU �Ǹ�Թ� students.

Social anxiety is one of the most common challenges faced by undergraduate students, with more than a third experiencing an anxiety disorder. Socially anxious students are more likely to fail classes and drop out of college.

The OASIS study creates research-based, co-designed programs to help students address social anxiety and build meaningful connections at CU and beyond. In the initial study, 140 students participated in self-compassion and social anxiety workshops, where they connected through shared experience.

Six student participants helped co-design the next phase of the program, expanding it into a three-session model to deepen its impact. As the study has evolved, it has produced tangible outcomes, like students speaking with professors, raising their hands in class, attending office hours and forming new friendships, all of which strengthen their sense of belonging.

“It has been an incredibly creative and uplifting process to work with students and see social anxiety improving,” said Arch. “It’s powerful to see students moving forward in their lives in ways that help them get the most out of their college experience.”

Students echo that impact. “The OASIS study has been an unexpected yet wildly rewarding experience,” said Charlie Misraje, a CU �Ǹ�Թ� student and OASIS project research assistant and co-facilitator. “Since joining OASIS, I’ve gained co-facilitation skills, invaluable knowledge and even friendships. I can confidently say that the experience has shaped who I am today.”

After the first year of the study, Arch shared the initial findings with Kristy and May. Both found them deeply moving. Kristy reflected with her son that this type of support would have made a meaningful difference in her college experience.

“Seeing the results was hugely impactful for my mom,” May said. “The connection has been life-fulfilling for both of us. It’s a beautiful, full-circle moment.”

The OASIS study will continue through the 2026–27 academic year, with the hope of securing the funding needed to continue advancing the science and to scale access across CU �Ǹ�Թ� and to other universities.

“At the Crown Institute, our science begins with what’s whole in people — not what’s broken,” said Sona Dimidjian, director of the Renée Crown Wellness Institute. “We don’t overlook inherent capacities; we see and strengthen them. It gives me hope and confidence to see this approach guiding impactful and innovative studies like OASIS in which young people are learning and supporting one another.”

A legacy of excellence and impact

Kristy’s determination and curiosity have continued throughout her life. She became a member of Mensa, a global organization whose members have IQs in the top 2% of the population. She also pursued her passion for travel, visiting 96 countries and learning about cultures around the world.

At the same time, May’s education positioned him to give back in meaningful ways. He is the founder and CEO of Paralel Technologies and previously served as president of ALPS Fund Services and ALPS Distributors. His commitment to CU �Ǹ�Թ� includes serving as an advisory board member for the Crown Institute and having served 18 years on the CU Foundation Board of Directors, the last two as chair.

“My mom is smart, strong and courageous,” said May. “With these qualities and sheer will and determination, she built a remarkable life, and she did it her way.”

Kristy’s story is a testament to the power of perseverance and the enduring influence of a mother’s example. Through May’s generosity, her legacy now extends far beyond her own journey, helping CU �Ǹ�Թ� students find connection, overcome challenges and thrive.

CU �Ǹ�Թ� alum, Jeremy May, honored his mother with a transformative gift to fund research to help students overcome social anxiety, build connection and thrive, creating a powerful legacy of compassion and impact.

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