October 2009

Dear Friends,

Philip P. DiStefano

Family Weekend attracted 4,600 visitors to the community. (Photo by Patrick Campbell/University of Colorado)

We hosted 4,600 family visitors on campus and in the community last weekend as parents spent quality time with their students, met with faculty and gave a nice spark to the local economy.

More than 3,000 of our visitors came from out of state. They attended the CU-Kansas football game at Folsom Field, in which the Buffs upset the 15th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks, 34-30. They also attended our faculty convocation, a family luncheon and a 5K run/walk. Family Weekend has proven to be an enormously popular event over the years, and we are always glad to have our families here to show off our beautiful campus, our world-class faculty and the total experience that CU-Boulder offers.

7News, Oct. 7: CU Receives Award For "Green Dorms" Watch video >>

Going green
One thing not immediately evident to our thousands of visitors is the growing number of accolades in the past month for being a sustainability-minded campus continually reducing our carbon footprint. We have taken a national leadership position in this area not only in our actions and ethic, but also in education, research and the transfer of technology to the marketplace. In addition to our recent No. 1 ranking by Sierra magazine as a "green" campus, CU-Boulder was picked as a top campus by the Sustainable Endowments Institute and also is receiving recognition for sustainable renovations to our residence halls.

Last week we reached another important milestone by filing our action plan with the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment. The creation of this plan makes real our commitment to carbon neutrality and I'm challenging our campus to re-double our efforts, to expand our creativity and to innovate on a larger scale to help us reach the goals outlined in the conceptual plan.

Professor Doug Duncan was interviewed on MSNBC Nightly News about the lunar impact satellite impacting the Moon. Watch video >>

Progress toward Flagship 2030 goals
In my State of the Campus address earlier this month, I showcased some of the Flagship 2030 strategic plan initiatives that we plan to put in place in the coming months. Two of the initiatives are already coming to fruition - internationalizing the campus and enhancing the graduate education mission.

Boulder Daily Camera, Aug. 22: "CU sees increased interest in graduate school: Applications from international students up, especially those from China, Middle East"

Flagship 2030, conceived with input from the statewide community, is not an empty plan sitting on a shelf, but rather is our daily blueprint for planning the future of the university. One of the initiatives is creating a Research Diamond, a concept not unlike the Research Triangle of North Carolina, to support our research in areas such as renewable and sustainable energy, biotechnology, geosciences, and aerospace. Already we see this important initiative springing to life with several key partnerships, including those in which CU-Boulder aerospace researchers team up with NASA and private industry in Colorado.

9News, Oct. 8: "CU professor excited about moon crash"

The Denver Post, Sept. 10: "Work by scientists at Ball Aerospace, CU strengthens Hubble telescope"

Boulder Daily Camera, Sept. 29: "Spacecraft, carrying CU instrument, makes final Mercury flyby"

Our reputation in aerospace allows us to land supremely qualified and inspiring faculty for our students including the second astronaut to join our faculty in two years, CU alumnus Jim Voss.

An image of the Pearl River Delta in China was taken by NASA’s space shuttle Endeavour. The areas below sea level are shown in purple. Image courtesy NASA, CSDMS, University of Colorado.

Research that benefits everyday people
This newsletter gives me the opportunity to tell you about our most recent research and programs in both the sciences and humanities that benefit everyday people in our world, including this first story featured on over 100 media outlets worldwide such as MSNBC, U.S. News and World Report and the BBC.

BBC, Sept. 21: "Millions at risk as deltas sink"

Boulder Daily Camera, Sept. 24, "CU-Boulder will lead drug-prevention program"

Discovery News (Discovery Channel), Oct. 8: "As Reactions to Threats Fade, Fear Does Too"

Lea Alvarado, seated front, with Alumni Association colleagues. (Photo by Casey A. Cass/University of Colorado)

Recruiters fill Coors Events Center
The net result of this research excellence, and the Flagship 2030 plan guiding it, is that employers are coming to campus in large numbers to recruit students for jobs and careers, recognizing that what we're doing at CU-Boulder is creating the kinds of diverse employees they seek. Even in this challenging economy, the Coors Events Center was filled to capacity Oct. 6 by employers recruiting CU-Boulder students and alumni, indicating that our students and the education they receive are highly valued. We also recently hired an alumni career counselor to support our alumni in their career transitions during this tough economy.

As always, it is my pleasure to share with you the news emanating from CU-Boulder. I believe we are continuing to distinguish ourselves nationally and internationally as a university with the vision, talent and proven track record to be a true leader in American higher education.

Go Buffs!

Sincerely,

Philip P. DiStefano, Chancellor
University of Colorado at Boulder