Western Names Pavel Cenkl as New Provost
Western named Dr. Pavel Cenkl Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs in May. Cenkl brings more than two decades of experience in place-based, experiential education and comes to Western from Prescott College in Arizona, where he served as Dean of Academic Affairs.
As Western’s chief academic officer, Cenkl oversees curriculum, faculty, and the student learning experience. His career has included leadership roles at Sterling College in Vermont and Schumacher College in England, while his academic work has focused on environmental humanities and connecting classroom study with real-world application.
For Cenkl, that work aligns naturally with Western’s mission. “Connection – to place, to community, to environment, to one another – is the cornerstone of a Western education and of our learning community,” he said. His early focus, he added, will be listening to students, faculty, and staff and building on the work already underway.
Gunnison Valley Promise Opens a Tuition-Free Path to Western
Beginning in fall 2026, eligible local graduates can attend Western with standard undergraduate tuition covered for up to 18 credits per semester through the Gunnison Valley Promise. The program includes graduates of Gunnison High School, Crested Butte Community School, and Lake City Community School, along with qualified homeschool graduates in Gunnison and Hinsdale counties. The program has no income requirement.
Announced at the Colorado State Capitol in February, the program was made possible through a partnership between Western, local governments, community leaders, and private donors, who are building toward the $4 million endowment needed to sustain it. “We’re investing in local students and, in doing so, we’re investing in the future of the community we serve,” President Brad Baca said.
KWSB Ends FM Signal, Looks to a Digital Future
After nearly 57 years on the Gunnison Valley’s airwaves, KWSB 91.1 FM “The Penguin” moved to a streaming-only platform in spring 2026. The change reflects shifts in the media landscape and the rising cost of operating a federally licensed station, including maintaining a 15-year-old transmitter nearing the end of its life.
Because KWSB has streamed online since the mid-2000s, student and faculty programs and Mountaineer sports coverage continue. The digital platform also expands the station’s reach, frees resources for equipment and student programming, and gives students experience with tools shaping today’s media careers.
For alumni who found a creative home behind the microphone, the change is bittersweet. But alumna Marissa Saez, who worked at KWSB from 2015 to 2019, believes the station’s purpose remains intact. “While change can feel emotional, I believe this evolution positions KWSB and its students for long-term success,” she said.
Western Moves Closer to Returning Native Ancestors
Native American ancestors held by Western’s C.T. Hurst Museum are one step closer to returning home after a Notice of Inventory Completion was published in the Federal Register on April 2, a milestone in Western’s repatriation work under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
The notice followed a two-year, $81,000 federal grant effort to catalog the collection and to consult with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, and the Pueblo of Zia. Its publication formally informed Tribes of Western’s findings and opened the way for written repatriation requests.
A Western delegation led by anthropology professor Dr. David Hyde plans to attend a reinterment ceremony later in 2026. “This is work that should have been done long ago,” Hyde said. “Repatriation is a legal responsibility, but it is also a moral one, and we are honored to be part of this work.”
