Connie Willis
Connie Willis is a world-renowned, highly decorated science fiction author, who has been a long-time resident of Greeley, Colorado. She is widely celebrated as the most awarded science fiction writer in history, having won more Hugo and Nebula awards than any other author in the genre.
While she is an international figure in literary circles, her life, education, and career are deeply intertwined with the Greeley community and the University of Northern Colorado. Willis graduated from Colorado State College—which later became the University of Northern Colorado in 1967 with degrees in English and Elementary Education. Willis has spent decades living and writing in a modest adobe-style home near the university campus.
Her local legacy is permanently cemented at the University of Northern Colorado in two major ways. The Connie Willis Collection: In 2010, Willis officially donated her life's work to the UNC archives. The collection spans over four decades of creative output, including handwritten manuscripts, research notes, galley proofs, speeches, personal correspondence, and unique gifts given to her by fans. The university named a portion of a central campus residence hall after her. She shares the honor of Hansen-Willis Hall with Mildred Hansen, who was the first female editor of the local newspaper, the Greeley Tribune.