With a recent six-figure gift, Corrine and Charles Brase's love of mathematics, education and Regis lives on

Through 50 plus years of marriage, education was at the heart of Corrine and Charles Brase’s life together. They met while pursuing advanced degrees in mathematics at the University of Colorado at Boulder – Corrine a master’s, Charles a Ph.D. Corrine was a distinguished instructor at Arapahoe Community College; Charles taught math at Regis University for nearly 30 years and was twice named Faculty Member of the Year. “Both of us felt that we had something to share,” said Corrine. “We both loved teaching and being open to our students and their questions. We always felt we were learning from them, too.”

Before Charles joined Regis in 1973, the Brases experienced a twist of fate that would change their lives forever. After several years in Hawaii, the couple returned to Colorado to regroup after Charles was denied tenure at a university there. With time on their hands, Corrine and Charles tapped into their shared love of mathematics to co-write a book that they hoped would demystify the world of data for those new to the subject. The resulting book, Understandable Statistics, was first published in 1979 and soon became the premier textbook for introductory statistics courses in colleges and universities around the country. Now in its 13th edition (and featuring updates from Regis professor James Siebert), the book has been a best seller for decades, published in multiple languages and distributed globally.

The significant success of the book seeded a legacy of generosity that has and will continue to benefit Regis students for generations. “God works in mysterious ways,” Corrine said with a laugh. “We were unemployed for three years, which gave us the time to write the book. And, of course, we were much more successful from the book than we would have been from the tenured position. It was a wonderful thing that we shared, the writing of the book,” Corrine continued. “We had the book, and we also loved travel, hiking, fishing. We had a wonderful life together.” Sadly, in 2017, Charles died at the age of 75. The following year, Corrine established an endowed fund in the couple’s name to support scholarships for undergraduates of Regis College. In late 2024, Corrine deepened her investment in Regis students with a new pledge of $250,000 to fund undergraduate engagement in research.

Some awards from the Brase endowed fund are made in honor of Father Thomas Steele S.J. and Father Frederick T. Daly S.J., two of many Jesuit priests and educators the couple befriended during Charles’ time as a Regis faculty. Though they did not convert to Catholicism until after Charles’ retirement in 2004, they always felt welcome in the University’s faith community and at Mass. They also admired the way Regis students were invited – but not required – to explore and experience the spiritual dimension of their education. “Regis emphasizes the values, the ideas of respect and social responsibility. If you believe in Jesus, that can be part of it, but you don’t have to,” she said. “A lot of people don’t have an active religious life, but it’s there for you if you want to experience it. No matter what, you will experience the concepts of being generous, of selflessness, and not being focused on yourself.”

Corrine’s connection to Regis took on another personal dimension in recent years: She credits Regis with helping her great-nephew obtain admission to medical school after completing a master’s in biological sciences. He’s now a medical resident in Illinois. “Regis supported him through that process, which is very competitive and very difficult,” she says. “He greatly benefitted from his time at Regis. I have always had the impression that those who have gotten their degree at Regis are very pleased to have done so. You get a very good education, but you also learn so much about responsibility, about community. It’s a really great place to be.”

We are profoundly grateful to Corrine and Charlie for continuing to meaningfully demonstrate their commitment to Regis University, our formative education, and the next generation of leaders and learners.