Spirit of Philanthropy Award Elaine Regelson and Jim Sites

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Lisa Streeb Case

An older man and woman smile together in front of a grey studio backdrop. The woman wears a blue turtleneck and colorful red and yellow patterned coat. The man wears a brown suit and tie.
Elaine Regelson (left) and Jim Sites. Photo by CSU Photography

The Spirit of Philanthropy Award recognizes faculty and staff whose longstanding commitment and passion for Colorado State University has made a significant impact to University fundraising efforts, and Elaine Regelson and Jim Sites are this year’s winners of this Universitywide award.

“Jim and Elaine have gone above and beyond in their exceptional leadership for decades through their research, teaching, mentoring, volunteering, and philanthropy,” said Jan Nerger, interim provost for CSU.

“They have been tireless in their efforts to do good and stimulate a culture of giving that elevates all we do at CSU.”

Regelson is a retired staff member of the College of Natural Sciences. She was the director of retention and mentoring in the Department of Computer Science and an avid volunteer and supporter of the Little Shop of Physics outreach program. Before coming to CSU, Regelson was a project manager at Hewlett-Packard.

Sites is a physics professor and has held numerous leadership positions, including research associate dean for the College of Natural Sciences and chair of the Department of Physics. His research focuses on photovoltaic electricity generation.

They have
been tireless in their efforts to do good and stimulate a culture of giving that elevates all we do at CSU.

Jan Nerger, interim provost, Colorado State University

Regelson and Sites, who have been married for 41 years, have supported numerous students and programs through decades of giving and volunteering. They established two endowed scholarships that have benefited 48 students, created a professorship in physics, and have given hundreds of hours of their time to volunteer for programs across the College of Natural Sciences.

In addition to their own giving, the couple work closely with the development and fundraising team in the College of Natural Sciences to speak with other donors about the benefits and opportunities for philanthropic support.

“Elaine and Jim give to CSU in ways that show that they understand where their generosity can be well directed to change students’ lives and the work of those in the department for the better,” said Jacob Roberts, chair of the Department of Physics.

“Their combination of experience, thoughtfulness, and generosity is humbling and greatly appreciated.”

Elaine Regelson is well known for sharing bite-size pieces of advice. Those who know her have aptly named these snippets “Elaine-isms”:

  • If you want things to be different, you need to do things differently.
  • You don’t have to be perfect to be great.
  • The way to manage the costs of a big mistake: tell it early; tell it all; tell it yourself; take responsibility; and apologize and make amends.
  • Ask for what you want; if you ask for something you are more likely to get it.
  • No matter how thin the pancake, there are always two sides.
  • Begin with the end in mind.

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