After a career in communications, Michelle Ancell (‘93), returned to Colorado State as a faculty member in 2016.  The Journalism and Media Communication senior instructor teaches Online Storytelling and Audience Engagement. However, she has taught a variety of courses in the past including public relations, multiculturalism and the media, and senior capstone.

She is involved in a variety of student engagement efforts including coordinating the departmental celebration, Clarkchella. As a first-generation college graduate, Ancell is committed to supporting those who do not have a family history of completing college. She is the coordinator of her department’s first-generation student organization, 1st Gen JMC. 

Before starting work at Colorado State, Ancell worked as a newspaper reporter at the Fort Collins Coloradoan, in communications for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Cherry Creek School District, Aurora Public Schools, and Denver Public Schools. She also worked independently, writing for organizations such as The Denver Post, Lupus Colorado, the Colorado Association of School Boards, and the Colorado Conference of State Legislatures. 

Ancell is a native who grew up in Aurora, Colorado.