Founder of COPE Honored With Award

Diane Simard was honored this month as a 2016 Outstanding Woman in Business by the Denver Business Journal. Simard is the founder of the Center of Oncology Psychology Excellence (COPE), a new specialty at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP).

COPE is the first in the country to offer graduate-level specialty coursework in psychosocial oncology to doctoral students. Simard helped develop the program after experiencing intermediate-stage breast cancer in 2015 and discovering the lack of graduate-level training for clinical psychologists to assist cancer patients, survivors and their support networks.

“Ms. Simard cares about everyone she encounters, builds deep relationships and invests in causes that make a difference,” says Nicole Taylor, a clinical assistant professor with GSPP. “In addition to sharing resources and time with us at the University of Denver as we get our new program started, she always adds valuable insight and wisdom to our collaborations.”

Simard serves as senior vice president and member of the board of directors of Bye Aerospace. This award recognizes her work as founder of COPE and her contributions over the past eight years with Bye Aerospace for the development of the Sun Flyer electric aircraft and other technologies developed by the company.

Simard continues her close ties with GSPP by serving on the COPE steering committee, and by providing guidance on key issues and decisions impacting the program. Simard also provides consulting for the school on a regular basis.

To learn more about the impact of COPE's services, Taylor will be speaking on Friday, Sept. 16 at the Pioneer Symposium on health and aging.