University of Colorado BoulderFrom the ChancellorJ A N U A R Y 2 0 1 2 Dear Friends,
Utilizing the best tools available to communicate effectively with our alumni, students, faculty, prospective students and the community is one of our top priorities at the University of Colorado Boulder. As part of ongoing efforts to keep those tools at the cutting edge, we rolled out a dynamic new campus web site this month at www.colorado.edu to facilitate easier access to the university. This is just the beginning of the work to upgrade our internet engagement tools. We want our friends and supporters the world over to be able to make vital connections, locate resources and access new information through the redeveloped web site as part of our goal to be "Serving Colorado. Engaged in the World." I hope you will take a minute to explore this marvelous new communications tool. Today I am pleased to share with you the multitude of ways our students, faculty and staff are engaged in their local and worldwide communities.
National Peace Corps director honors CU-Boulder Of special note, Aaron Williams, the national Peace Corps director, joined us on campus Wednesday for a public talk and to announce CU-Boulder's second consecutive No. 1 ranking for Peace Corps participation. We are thrilled to be recognized for the work of students and alumni in this area. CU-Boulder currently has 112 alumni, ranging in age from 21 to 77, volunteering for Peace Corps service. Each has pledged two years of service abroad under challenging conditions for the social and economic development of global communities. Our No. 1 Peace Corps ranking for two years in a row is tangible evidence of something we have always known: our students and graduates are service-oriented and down-to-earth, working tirelessly to benefit communities and people around the globe. CU News Services, Jan. 24: "CU-Boulder No. 1 for Peace Corps volunteers for second straight year" This ethic is evident not only in our Peace Corps service, but in our classrooms and in all corners of campus. Allow me to share a few examples.
CUBuffs.com, Dec. 13: "CU hoops to volunteer with Share-A-Gift Non-Profit"
Undergraduates write their NASA ticket The Kepler telescope is traveling through the galaxy searching for Earth-like planets that could sustain life and CU-Boulder undergraduate students are controlling it. They help guide Kepler, along with three other NASA spacecraft worth $1 billion, from our mission control at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics on the East Campus. Sophomore Rachael Collins is one of 150 CU undergraduates at LASP with paid positions. She discusses the program, her experience and her future in the space industry in this fascinating Colorado Public Radio interview.
Our long-standing excellence in graduate education is also a point of pride for CU-Boulder and our graduate students continue to have an impact on campus and throughout the world. Alia Khan, a graduate student at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, studying the ecology of glacier fed streams, is sending posts to the New York Times from her campsite in Antarctica for the newspaper's "Scientist at Work" series. One lesson: don't spill your water bottle in your sleeping bag. The New York Times, Dec. 13: "Scientist at work: Extreme ecology in the polar desert" Our comprehensive public research university mission includes research that directly impacts our everyday lives. Two recent CU stories in particular received wide national and international play in more than 150 media outlets. Researchers in CU-Boulder's Institute of Behavioral Science explored whether smoking addiction is genetic in a study of twins. A study by integrative physiology scientists found that a toddler's missed daily nap could have a larger effect on their development than any of us realized. USA Today, Dec. 2: "Genes may make quitting tougher for smokers, study says" U.S. News and World Report, Jan. 5: "Missed Naps Could Put Toddlers at Risk for Mood Disorders"
Learning and teaching in the 21st century The wide variety of scholarly achievements at CU-Boulder are too numerous to mention, but the following stories are an excellent sampling of the milestones we reach every day. We are excited that 45 new students have enrolled for spring semester in our Journalism Plus program, a redesigned course of study pairing coursework in journalism and mass communications with an additional course of study in the liberal arts such as history, political science, economics, international affairs, environmental studies and many more. Take a look at why we think this combination will give our graduates an unbeatable combination of skills and knowledge for the changing global media landscape. Boulder Daily Camera, Jan. 8: "Journalism Plus adds value to media, higher education" Do we need church if we have cell phones? Professor Stewart Hoover explored this question last week at CU's International Conference on Digital Religion. Professor Hoover is a world-recognized expert in media and religion.
Social and ethical responsibility should be part of every aspect and teachable moment in business education, not a segregated course of study. Dean David Ikenberry and Donna Sockell, director of Leed's Center for Education on Social Responsibility, make this case eloquently in this timely editorial in Bloomberg Businessweek. I take pride that the CU-Boulder philosophy program was ranked 11th among U.S. public universities and 29th worldwide in the most influential rating of graduate philosophy programs in the English-speaking world. Boulder Daily Camera, Dec. 30: "CU-Boulder's philosophy department fares well in rankings"
White House and CU-Boulder appointments underscore excellence Physics professor Margaret Murnane has been picked by President Obama to be the chairwoman of the President's Committee on the National Medal of Science. Professor Murnane is the fourth faculty member in four years to receive a White House appointment, underscoring CU-Boulder's national reputation in scientific research and public policy. Boulder Daily Camera, Dec. 30: "Obama picks CU-Boulder prof Margaret Murnane for science post" Boulder Daily Camera, Dec. 30, "CU names Robert Boswell vice chancellor for diversity" Boulder Daily Camera, Dec. 27: "Deb Coffin new vice chancellor for student affairs at CU-Boulder" I also am pleased to relate that Robert Boswell was named vice chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement, and Deborah Coffin was appointed vice chancellor for Student Affairs. Student success and diversity are core values on our campus and these two longtime campus community members fill key leadership posts after serving so ably on an interim basis.
An academic record setting fall for student-athletes
Our 350 student athletes earned a grade point average of nearly 3.0 this fall, our best fall ever in the classroom. The ski team had its best gpa on record (3.4). The women's cross country team recorded its 15th consecutive semester over a 3.0 (3.3), while winning the Pac-12 championship. The football team had its best fall in the classroom. This is notable for these young men and women balancing the demands of academics and athletics. The Pac-12 recently released its 2012 football schedule. It includes a nationally televised Thursday night home game against Arizona State on Oct. 11 that is sure to shine a spotlight on our accomplishments on and off the field. Buffzone.com, Jan. 4: "CU Buffs 2012 schedule: 5 bowl teams visiting Boulder Go Buffs! Sincerely,
Philip P. DiStefano, Chancellor  |
