From the Chancellor
July 2009
Dear Friends,
 Philip P. DiStefano |
One of the joys of summer on the University of Colorado at Boulder campus is seeing it buzz with culture and education. In addition to visitors from across the region attending performances of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival and the Colorado Light Opera, 7,541 students are enrolled in summer session, a 2 percent increase over last summer.
 Summer session through the eyes of students |
Summer session is an opportunity to take required credits or special interest coursework in a small class setting. Though the courses are intensive, many students say summer classes are more relaxed because typically they are concentrating on one class at a time. Best of all, in the summer, we attract faculty from around the globe to teach our popular Faculty-in-Residence program. The program matches our Flagship 2030 Strategic Plan goals of bringing the world to CU and creating a global crossroads. Please enjoy this slide show narrated by summer students and faculty and created by University Communications photographer and multimedia specialist (and Denver Post Pulitzer Prize-winner) Glenn Asakawa.
CU-Boulder receives $10.5 million in economic stimulus money for research
While students and teaching faculty toil in the classroom, researchers have been busy, too. As I write this, I'm pleased to note that CU-Boulder has now received $10.5 million in economic stimulus revenue for research projects ranging from climate change to diagnosis of learning disabilities. Additional grants are expected this fall from federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. That figure could change, as we are expecting to receive more confirmations of stimulus research grants in the coming days.
Boulder Daily Camera, June 18: "Economic stimulus research grants coming to CU"
 Dan Johnson demostrates his Solar Energy Tracker prototype for the CU-Boulder Energy Initiative (now the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute). (Photo by Patrick Campbell/University of Colorado). |
Making a difference in the world
Our new joint institute with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden approved by the Board of Regents in June will advance research, production and transmission of renewable energy while creating a more sustainable and secure world for our children and their children. The Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute also will have a strong educational component. NREL scientists will teach on campus and our students will work in their labs. I anticipate the institute will be as fruitful as our long-standing federal lab partnerships with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Institute of Standards and Technology—partnerships that are the envy of our peer universities across the nation.
The Denver Post, June 23: "Renewable energy institute planned for Boulder campus"
Here is a wonderful example of how our friends join with our resources to make a difference in a people's lives. Two of our most loyal supporters, Bob and Judy Charles, have worked with CU's cross-campus, multi-disciplinary Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities and the private not-for-profit corporation Imagine, opening a "smart home" for people with cognitive disabilities to live independently. Improving the human condition through learning and discovery is the very definition of a flagship university and embodies our Flagship 2030 goals. While Imagine and the Charles' generosity made this smart home possible, I'm pleased the Coleman Institute could be an important part of this effort.
 CU researchers working on outer space internet. Watch CBS 4 video |
Research never takes a break
Like the news, research never takes a break. CU scientists are finding ways to prevent adult epilepsy. Our space researchers are developing an interplanetary internet, discovering a Martian lake, and securing a $42 million NASA contract for the development of a sophisticated instrument that will orbit Earth to monitor changes in the sun's radiation and help evaluate climate change.
Channel 4, July 10: "Univ. Of Colo. Lands $42 Million NASA Contract"
Channel 7: July 6: "CU Study Finds Brain's Immune System May Cause Seizures"
National Geographic: July 9, 2009: "Space Internet to Link Worlds by 2011?"
USA Today, June 18: "Mars study shows 'definitive evidence' of shorelines"
 Louise Bennett Reed passed away at age 103 last June. |
CU student-athletes benefit from generosity
The Athletics Department received nearly $5.4 million in gifts last month, including $4.75 million for scholarships from the estate of Louise Bennett Reed, a life-long educator who volunteered as an academic advisor and career counselor for CU athletes. Mrs. Reed's gift makes her the largest individual donor to the CU-Boulder Athletics department.
Fall classes start Aug. 24
This summer we have been busy hosting 5,500 new students and their families at summer orientation. The next time I write, these new freshmen and their 24,000 fellow students will be about to embark on fall classes for our 132nd year of learning and discovery.
Go Buffs!
Sincerely,
Philip P. DiStefano, Chancellor
University of Colorado at Boulder