Two faculty members of the Media & Entertainment department at CSU Pueblo were recognized for their campus contributions at the annual Employee Recognition Luncheon. The event was held on April 23, 2026, serving as a way to celebrate the faculty, employees and teams that work at CSU Pueblo.
Dr. Dakota Sandras and Matthew Garcia were honored with awards.
Within the College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences, Sandras received the Outstanding Faculty award.
Being only two years into her tenure track as a professor, Sandras has made substantial impact as a leader in the Media & Entertainment department through overseeing SOCO Student Media, increasing traffic to The TODAY by 550%, and revamping the department’s senior capstone courses for the benefit of student success.
Garcia was acknowledged with the Excellence in Service award. This award is open to all faculty at the university to recognize staff who have actively performed significant acts of service. Garcia has served during the Spring 2026 semester in three different areas; as a professor in the art department, acting as coordinator of Chicano Studies, and functioning as the interim chair for the Media & Entertainment department.
“I’ve worked really hard behind-the-scenes to develop systems and make changes that positively influence student experiences and outcomes, but often go unseen,” Sandras noted. “I do it for the impact, not the credit, but it’s really encouraging to know that our leadership noticed and rewards that kind of effort.”
The effect of these efforts on students haven’t gone unnoticed either.
“It makes me feel inspired,” Lauryn Gollihugh, a student of the Media & Entertainment department said. “It’s refreshing to see an empowered woman being recognized for all she does.”
