Before joining UCCS, Dr. Hagedorn taught at Rutgers University, Pikes Peak Community College, and Colorado College. He also worked in the pharmaceutical industry, at the bench in cardiovascular drug discovery and process development, and in management. His research interests are in synthetic organic chemistry, especially in developing new synthetic methods for preparing heterocycles, the tetracycline antibiotics and related compounds, and polyquinanes. In a parallel life, he manages his family water business, providing water to nearly 500 families in El Paso and Teller Counties, and runs a small beef cattle operation.