Alumnus Jim Conway (1974) has been able to cover a lot of ground in his career, from direction of famed television show “Star Trek” to the recent release of his latest crime novel.

He covered a great deal of ground during his time at DU as well, involving himself in activities ranging from intramural hockey to involvement with his fraternity Theta Chi to producing a documentary with the Media, Film and Journalism (MFJS) department.

One of his best memories from DU also gave him one of the best experiences in his future career—working on a documentary film on community colleges in Colorado with some fellow MFJS majors.

“We all became good friends and the documentary went on to win some awards,” he said. “It was a great hands-on experience for us.”

His senior year, he channeled some of this experience into working for a Denver-based production company making industrial short films and commercials; it did not take long for him to prove himself.

“After about three weeks, I said ‘I can direct some of these better than some of the guys you have directing them,’” said Conway.

After graduation, he was hired to move to Los Angeles with the producer and work on the program “The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams,” as well as eventually working on television writing, production and directing.

As the as the head of production, also working as a writer, producer and director of the show, his success stemmed from a little bit of luck.

“It all started because I was at the right place at the right time answering the phone,” said Conway.

Though he has worked on a myriad of shows, most recently including “Psych” and “Smallville,” he is especially proud of the mark he left through his work on “Star Trek”. His work with the show spans a long way, beginning during the start of “The Next Generation” and continuing all the way to the pilot of “Enterprise.”

But his crowning achievement, Conway says, is his family.

“That is probably my greatest pride, because I am watching each of them become themselves and realize their own potential,” he said.

Now, he is more focused on his writing, using his long years of experience and work in Hollywood to inspire work on the three novels he has so far published.

“I’ve always wanted to write,” said Conway. “I wrote stories while in college, I just never had the time to write a book.”

In February 2012 he published “Dead and Not So Buried,” a crime mystery novel set in Los Angeles. Since then, he has published two more books, “Sexy Babe” and “In Cold Blood.”

He is also expanding his artistic work in the form of photography, something he said he enjoyed practicing while at DU, and is finding time to return to now that he is cutting back on his time spent writing and producing.

“Everything I do is creative,” he said. “It’s nice to have time to pursue all these things that I love.”

As students work their way through DU and head towards their own future goals and passions, Conway shared some advice.

“All education … is discovering things about the world around us at the same time we discover our own interest and our own potential.” Conway said. “Not all of that happens in the classroom or in a strict academic environment. Be open to the idea that learning can occur in unexpected and unanticipated circumstances.”