Leslie Leinwand (Photo/Casey A. Cass)

UCSU passes historic climate neutrality commitment
On Jan. 18 UCSU’s Legislative Council unanimously passed a resolution to become the first student government in the nation to commit to climate neutrality. Future steps involve developing a comprehensive plan that includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adopting an energy efficient appliance purchasing policy, and purchasing or producing more electricity consumption from renewable sources, among others. Read more about it in the Campus Press.

Leslie Leinwand receives Marsico Endowed Chair of Excellence
Leslie Leinwand, professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology, is a new recipient of a Marsico Endowed Chair of Excellence for her teaching about and research on genetic heart defects. The Marsico Endowed Chairs of Excellence were established in 2002 with a $5 million donation from Tom and Cydney Marsico of Denver to support CU faculty members whose intellectual achievements have received high national and international recognition. Leinwand has won a number of national awards for her research and teaching.

Donna Gerren receives 2007 Faculty Advisor Award
Engineering Instructor Donna Gerren is the recipient of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 2007 Faculty Advisor Award, presented in early January. Gerren, who teaches aircraft design in the aerospace engineering sciences department, was honored "for outstanding and sustained commitment and enthusiasm for student education and involvement in the AIAA Student Branch at the University of Colorado at Boulder." The Faculty Advisor Award is presented to the faculty adviser of a chartered AIAA student branch who has made outstanding contributions.

CU-Boulder boasts 17 astronaut alumni
CU-Boulder alum and astronaut Steve Swanson will launch to the International Space Station on NASA's space shuttle Atlantis March 17, bringing the total number of alumni who have flown in space to 17. Swanson received a bachelor's of science degree in engineering physics from CU-Boulder in 1983. He is slated to conduct one spacewalk and operate the space shuttle and ISS robotic arms during the March mission with the seven-person crew.

Nine doctoral programs rank in top 10 of Faculty Productivity Index
Nine CU-Boulder doctoral programs ranked high in a faculty productivity index featured in the Jan. 12 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education. The geography department ranked second in the nation, followed by physical oceanography (4), communication (6), cognitive science (7), atmospheric sciences (8), chemical engineering (8), biomedical engineering (9), civil and environmental engineering (9) and aeronautical and aerospace engineering (10). The ranking, known as the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index, rates scholarly output of faculty members at more than 7,000 doctoral programs across the country.