Rowdy the mascot and President Davidson pose for a photo with the Rowdy the Roadrunner statue at the unveiling ceremony in January 2024.
The next time you visit Metropolitan State University of Denver, you’ll find a new source of school pride and inspiration gracing the campus landscape.
On Jan. 18, the MSU Denver Alumni Association celebrated the 50th anniversary of the roadrunner becoming the University’s mascot with the unveiling of a bronze Rowdy the Roadrunner statue, located between the Jordan Student Success Building and the Tivoli Student Union.
When MSU Denver was founded in 1965, the mustang was its mascot. Then, in 1974, the student body voted to switch to the roadrunner, symbolizing the student experience of dodging cars as they ran to and from classes around downtown Denver.
Jim Qualteri, ’96 – who served as Alumni Association president from 2021-2024 – presented the life-size statue, saying the board hopes it “will serve as a reminder that anything is possible with the tenacious, hard-working, irrepressible Roadrunner spirit.”
“This monument stands as a permanent testament to the enduring spirit of our University and the collective achievements of our alumni community,” he said.
The event culminated a year’s work that began with a simple idea: the Alumni Association board of directors wanted a physical manifestation of the Roadrunner spirit. They wanted it to be something the MSU Denver community could look to for a sense of unity and connection – now and in the future. After settling on an idea, the board voted to approve funding, commissioning the bronze statue to donate to the University.
President Janine Davidson, Ph.D., on hand to accept Rowdy the Roadrunner on behalf of the University, said that the statue is a tangible reminder of where we have been and where we are headed as a University.
“It is a symbol that resonates with our students, alums, faculty and staff – a reminder of how their gritty, zig-zagging journey embodies the true spirit of what it means to be a Roadrunner,” she said.
“I hope this space serves as a symbol of unity, pride and the strong community that defines MSU Denver.”