Colorado Mesa University (CMU) has more to it than initially meets the eye. Behind the walls of the campus lie state of the art facilities, world class professors and plenty of things in between. This column is meant to highlight some of the interesting facets of CMU that may be overlooked or unnoticed. Whether it be a person, place, or thing, our university is full of surprises.
This week, The Criterion wants to highlight Dr. Timothy Winegard, who is a history professor here at CMU. On the surface, he seems to have done it all. Not only does he have a PhD in history from Oxford University, Dr. Winegard has served terms for both the Canadian and British armies, published four books and somehow still finds time to serve as head coach for the university hockey team. Beyond this however, he is a loving father and dedicated family man with deep roots in many different passions.
Dr. Winegard found himself at CMU through a little bit of luck, and a little bit of love. He met his wife at a Washington Capitals game while studying in D.C. After managing to scalp some tickets, he picked up a conversation with the stranger next to him. The stranger turned out to be the former Editor in Chief for The Criterion, and after hitting it off and engaging in a brief long-distance relationship, he finished his studies and followed her back to Grand Junction.
The interest in history was always there for Winegard. Starting in his youth, he always wanted to be a military historian. From serving roles in various militaries, to teaching history and publishing multiple books, he became uniquely invested in the subject. In fact, he’s currently hard at work on his fifth book, “The Mosquito. A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator,” that is scheduled to be released by Penguin publishing Aug. 6.
Winegard wanted to take a different direction with his latest book. Keeping within his historical background, “The Mosquito,” details the complex and fascinating history of malaria. In his book, he will showcase how the disease has impacted many major events through history. Be on the lookout for a possible movie adaptation, and of course be sure to support his work upon the release in early August.
Hailing from Canada, Dr. Winegard practically grew up on skates. When the opportunity came to be the head coach of the CMU hockey team, it was a no brainer. The program has quickly rose through the ranks as one of the most popular sports teams at our university. With the help of his team captains, the team has been able to excel in areas both on and off the rink. Despite suffering from some bad breaks over the playoff weekend, the team still boasts an impressive record of 12-6-1. This is not to outdue their charitable work however, which has gained national attention. The CMU hockey team has been awarded both the National Community Award as well as a Congressional Award from Congress for their contribution to local communities. Their “Pink the Rink” event alone has raised over $40,000 since it’s inauguration.
The many achievements are easy to focus on, but for Winegard that was never the goal. “I just do what I want to do” he said. His passion for history comes second to being a dad. With the hockey season, he’s finally enjoying some well-deserved quality time with the family. “If everyone can just change their little corner of the world,” Dr. Winegard said, “then the world will be a better place.”
