From the Chancellor
May 2008
Dear Friends,
 Chancellor G.P. "Bud" Peterson |
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 Nearly 5,500 students are to graduate Friday, May 9, at Folsom Field. |
Our students have completed finals and 5,488 of them are preparing to graduate Friday at Folsom Field. It is a special time of year and this graduating class is a particularly special group. Members of the graduating class of 2008 enrolled at CU-Boulder at a time when the university was under intense scrutiny, and during their stay with us they have experienced some difficult times. By choosing CU, these graduates demonstrated confidence in us and we now have the pleasure of rewarding that confidence with degrees that have increased in value and that, we hope, will help to transform their careers and indeed, their lives.
This class is symbolic of how far we have come. These students arrived on campus when we were facing many challenges, but now, the future has never been brighter for CU with recent campus records for federal research revenues, fundraising, applications and freshman enrollment. For the third consecutive year, we expect our freshman class this fall to be the best qualified and most diverse in our history.
On Friday, we will confer 4,293 bachelor's, 792 master's, 242 doctoral and 161 law degrees.
Since the university and this special class of students have persevered together to find remarkable success, it's only appropriate that our commencement speaker is the definition of success. Jeanne P. Jackson, a 1974 CU-Boulder graduate in finance, has been recognized among Fortune magazine's “50 Most Powerful Women in American Business” and one of “America's Most Influential Women” by Vanity Fair. She is the former CEO of Walmart.com, Banana Republic and Gap Direct and serves on the boards of directors for the McDonald's Corp., Nike Inc. and Nordstrom Inc. Today she is general partner of the consumer goods strategy and investment firm she founded, MSP Capital. She was invited to be our commencement speaker by the Senior Class Council.
Spring Highlights
As we wind down the academic year, it is my pleasure to share with you the abundance of good news enjoyed by CU-Boulder in the last two months.
Last week we learned CU-Boulder ranks 26th in the country among Top Public Research Universities in a report published by the Center for Measuring University Performance. It's based on nine measures, including total research revenues, federal research grants, National Academy members, faculty awards, private endowment, annual giving, doctorates granted, postdocs and ACT range.
Residential colleges are a priority in our strategic plan for the future, Flagship 2030, which was approved by the Board of Regents in November. Professors, their families and students will live side-by-side in our new residential-college model as part of a $13 million facelift for our residence halls as reported in the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Chronicle of Higher Education, April 29: "Dormitories at U of Colorado…getting fancier."
 Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor spoke in April at Macky Auditorium. |
This semester was typical in that our students were exposed to some of the most influential public figures and policymakers of our time including retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
Boulder Daily Camera, April 4: CU students meet former defense chief James Schlesinger
Rocky Mountain News, April 16: Albright: Dangerous trends ahead
We have made significant changes in the online student publication, Campus Press, after a controversial column in February offended many. We acted swiftly and definitively in four areas to address the issues. To read of the progress on all of our actions, please see my column in the Colorado Daily.
Colorado Daily, April 30: "Peterson: Following up on our commitments"
Our weeklong "think-fest" in April, better known as the 60th Annual Conference on World Affairs, played to packed houses. The 200 sessions over five days received daily coverage in local and national blogs and newspapers, including this lighthearted but informative column in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Chicago Sun-Times, April 13: "The shallow end of a think tank"
I'm proud to say we rank sixth nationally for the number of low-income students receiving international scholarships to study abroad. This is an example of another key initiative in Flagship 2030 — Experiential Learning.
Boulder
Daily Camera, March 20: "CU ranks high for
sending low income students abroad"
Rocky Mountain News, March 18: "Going Global"
Once again, our students came up shining during spring break by choosing to engage in community service projects and their efforts received national and local publicity.
Jacksonville, Fla., WJXT, April 4: Alternative Spring
Break More Rewarding
Faculty and Researchers Shine
 Distinguished Professor Kristi Anseth works with students. |
Our world-class faculty continue to get the spotlight they deserve including this wonderful front-page story in the Denver Post on Chemical Engineering Professor Kristi Anseth published after the Board of Regents named her a distinguished professor. Her research advances the development of nonsurgical procedures to regrow cartilage to relieve joint injuries and osteoarthritis. Her work could lead to regenerated heart-valve tissue to offer new hope for patients suffering from disease that kills 20,000 a year in the U.S.
Denver Post, March 25: Brilliant mind, noble cause
Work by Kristi and many other researchers involved in the multidisciplinary Colorado Initiative in Molecular Biotechnology (CIMB), positions us to take advantage of a new biotechnology research-incentive bill signed into Colorado law April 24 that promises to support a growing economic engine in Colorado.
Three days earlier at the State Capitol, I helped announce the new Center for Revolutionary Solar Photoconversion (CRSP) on April 21. This is the second center of the 14-month-old Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory we lead in collaboration with other state research universities and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory — a perfect example of creating a state research diamond we so passionately talk about in Flagship 2030. The work we do with the collaboratory is only a portion of the important research we do within the multidisciplinary CU Energy Initiative, which has more than 43 projects.
While biotechnology and renewable energy are two of CU-Boulder's research strengths, we are internationally known for our global warming research. Recently, the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, appointed by the U.S. president, visited campus to learn of our research.
CNN, March 26: Massive ice shelf on verge of breakup
Melting glaciers, disappearing ice sheets and warming water could lift sea levels by as much as 4.9 feet by the end of this century. This national story citing Steve Nerem of Aerospace Engineering was picked up by over 80 news outlets.
The New Republic, April 17: How High Will the Seas Go?
Engineers Without Borders founded by Civil Engineering Professor Bernard Amadei now has 10,000 members as reported by the Seattle Post Intelligencer. EWB's sustainable engineering projects now total 250 in 48 countries. Professor Amadei received both the Hoover Medal and the Heinz Award for the Environment and he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
I'm also compelled to share this interesting research with you on converting waste to "green" building materials.
Arts and Culture
The College of Music is reaching out with its "CU at Boettcher" annual springtime concert funded with the help of a $114,000 grant. This high-visibility exposure will bring needed attention to our talented student musicians, faculty and alums in performance. The April 29 debut of this three-year project was a smashing success that played to rave reviews. As part of this performance, we were pleased to have one of our most notable alumni, jazz great Dave Grusin, as a very special guest artist with our CU Jazz Ensemble I, performing his arrangement of Bernstein's "West Side Story." Mr. Grusin is one of the most dedicated supporters of the College of Music and we are proud to call him one of our own.
Denver
Post, April 30: “ ‘Circus Maximus' a decadent treat”
 Actors perform in the Colorado Shakespeare Festival's A Midsummer Night's Dream. |
The Colorado Shakespeare Festival, celebrating its 50th anniversary on our campus this summer, won four “Best of Denver” awards from Westword for last season's performances under the leadership of alumnus and new Producing Artistic Director Philip Sneed. Our production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Gavin Cameron-Webb, won “Best Shakespeare Production.” Sarah Fallon won the award for “Best Shakespearean Leading Lady” for her portrayal of Helena.
In the category of “Best Supporting Actor in a Drama,” Richard Thyroid won for his portrayal of Mark Antony in Julius Caesar, while Sean Tarrant won “Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy” for his work as Paroles in All's Well That Ends Well. These last two awards were not given exclusively for Shakespeare plays, so Richard and Sean were competing against all supporting actor candidates throughout the region, regardless of the genre. This summer's season, June 20-August 16, opens with Macbeth in the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre. We hope to see you there.
Students Rock
Our student radio station, KVCU 1190 AM, operating from the basement of the University Memorial Center was named Best Radio Station by the alternative weekly newspaper Westword. Here's what Westword had to say: “It's an oasis of exciting music, creative programming and community support in a desert of corporate mediocrity. Happy 10th and may there be many more anniversaries to follow.” That “Happy 10th” refers to the 10th anniversary of the Jacor/Clear Channel gift of the FCC license to CU, which enabled 1190's phenomenal growth.
Than Hedman, a sophomore chemistry major in his first year of college, is one of 15 college students in the nation to compete in Jeopardy! 2008 College Championship.
Rocky Mountain News, March 27: On the air, March 27
Athletics on the Move
Athletic Director Mike Bohn and Head Football Coach Dan Hawkins hit the road April 30 for an RV outreach tour of the state including stops in Fort Morgan, Sterling, Pueblo and Glenwood Springs, among others. These stops include inspirational talks by Coach Hawkins to elementary school assemblies on reaching for success and staying healthy. Please enjoy this news video of Coach Hawkins interacting with the children.
KOAA
5/30 Colorado Springs/Pueblo, April 30: “Hawkins
Visits Pueblo West for Hawk Talk.”
I'm pleased that we ranked 26th nationally in attendance for our annual spring football game before 17,800 fans at Folsom Field on April 19. The day included an on-field Healthy Kids Day with student-athletes and an open house of the Byron White Club Level.
 Head Coach Kathy McConnell-Miller huddles with the Lady Buffs basketball squad. |
The women's basketball team qualified for the Women's National Invitational Tournament, hosting four games at the Coors Events Center and finished the tournament 3-1. We also are excited to be hosting the Big 12 Track and Field Championships for the first time at Potts Field May 16-18.
Finally, I would like to note that I participated in a media roundtable on higher education issues with 10 university presidents and chancellors and a dozen national reporters at the Penn Club in New York City on March 19 and was able to talk about many of the exciting things going on here at CU!
Now it is time for us to welcome more than 7,000 students for our summer session.
We hope to see you on campus soon!
Regards,
G.P. "Bud" Peterson, Chancellor
University of Colorado at Boulder