Published: July 11, 2023

Lou RutherfordLou Rutherford graduated from CU ÐßÐßÊÓƵ with degrees in Journalism and Spanish. After graduating, she got a job offer as a journalist for the Denver Post but opted for a position as a counselor in the Financial Aid Office at CU ÐßÐßÊÓƵ instead. Thirty years and five different positions later, she’s the Associate Director of Operations for the Engineering Management Program (EMP) in the College of Engineering and Applied Science. She loves traveling, playing volleyball and billiards, and eating all kinds of ethnic foods.

Describe one of your favorite traditions.
Spending Easter with my family. Although my kids are teenagers now, they have not outgrown Easter egg hunting – it’s the highlight of Easter for us.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I’m a refugee from Laos. My family and I immigrated to the United States to flee persecution from the Communist Regime after the United States and its allies withdrew from the Vietnam War in the mid-1970s.

One thing you’re willing to spend way too much on...
Food!

What was the first concert you attended?
Pink Floyd – “The Division Bellâ€

What is your guilty pleasure?
Eating pho – it’s so high in carbs but I can’t get enough of it. I can eat pho for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

What is an ordinary moment in your life that brings you joy?
Watching movies and Netflix shows with my kids in the evenings when they’re done with their schoolwork.