With great sadness, the Department of Geography announces that doctoral student Jennifer Sarah Dinaburg passed away on April 26, 2012 at the age of 31, after living for the past year and a half with the effects of adrenal cortical cancer. Jenn was passionate about the environment, the outdoors, and about China. After studying Chinese language and literature at Connecticut College, she traveled and worked extensively on the Tibetan Plateau. This was followed by a degree in environmental studies at Prescott College. Her journey then brought her to the Geography Ph.D. program in 2008 to study the commercialization of Tibetan medicinal plants in China’s northwest Yunnan Province. Jenn brought a love of mountains, travel, and unconventional learning to the department, where she was well-loved for her intelligence, sense of humor, wit and spirit. Cancer interrupted Jenn’s plans but did not stop her from continuing with her pursuit of the Ph.D. She completed most of her comprehensive exams while undergoing chemotherapy, and continued to plan her research in Yunnan. Through her illness, she also discovered a field for exploration and personal growth much closer to home as she spent more time with her close friends, especially with her husband Chance Traub. She is survived by her sister Rebecca, brother Josh, and parents Richard and Anne. We will all miss her dearly.
A memorial service will be held on May 1st 2012, at 4:00pm at Bohn Park – 199 2nd Avenue, Lyons, CO. A reception will immediately follow at 195 2nd Ave, Lyons CO in the Community House, at Lyons Valley Village.