Red Rocks Community College (RRCC) recognized a long-time champion and friend of the college, Dr. John Trefny, by granting him an honorary associate degree during RRCC’s 2015 commencement ceremony in May.
Dr. John Trefny, president emeritus of Colorado School of Mines and long-time supporter of community colleges, received an honorary degree from Red Rocks.
Dr. Trefny, former president of Colorado School of Mines (CSM), serves on the board of the Red Rocks Community College Foundation and has dedicated is career to higher education. Dr. Trefny served on Colorado’s State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education in several leadership positions including vice chair and chair. He also serves on the board of the Golden Civic Foundation, the board of Community First Foundation, the board of World Denver, and the advisory board of the Rocky Mountain Regional Center of the Institute of International Education.
Dr. Trefny joined CSM in 1977 as assistant professor of physics and served in positions of professor, department head, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Dean of Faculty. His career culminated in his appointment as CSM’s 15th President in 2000. Dr. Trefny retired from this position in the summer of 2006.
Dr. Trefny has been active in pre-college education, serving for many years as Coordinator of Teacher Enhancement Programs at CSM. During this time, he and his colleagues developed the largest college-based program in the State of Colorado for the professional development of K-12 teachers in science and mathematics. During his tenure, Dr. Trefny helped develop and implement the transfer agreement between Red Rocks and the Colorado School of Mines. This transfer program now results in nearly 50 Red Rocks graduates transferring into CSM at junior status each year. This magnet program of Red Rocks has approximately 200 students involved at any given time.
Dr. Trefny received his undergraduate education at Fordham University and his Ph.D. in physics from Rutgers University. He held appointments at Cornell University and at Wesleyan University before joining CSM. He has been published widely in various fields of condensed-matter physics including amorphous materials, liquid and solid helium, high- and low-temperature superconductivity, and photovoltaics.
The Red Rocks Community College Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to supporting the students, faculty, and staff at the college in their pursuit of excellence. The Foundation was established in 1993 with the vision of helping students of all income levels have access to higher education. Since its inception, the Foundation has given more than $4 million dollars in scholarships to RRCC students and $3.7 million for other RRCC programs. The Foundation also provides mini-grants to faculty and staff, awards for outstanding faculty, and support for other worthwhile initiatives.
About Red Rocks Community College: Established in 1969, Red Rocks Community College delivers high-quality, affordable education programs leading to two-year degrees or professional certificates. The college serves over 14,000 students per year online and at two campus locations in Lakewood and Arvada. www.rrcc.edu.