November 30, 2012 Faculty-Staff CU-Boulder Today

In this Issue

CUSG discusses tobacco-free campus

By the University of Colorado Student Government

The negative health effects of tobacco have been well documented and include an increased likelihood of cardiovascular disease, lung cancer and stroke. Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death in America. Beyond that second-hand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death. For those with asthma, respiratory ailments, and heart conditions, exposure to second-hand smoke can exacerbate those problems and potentially trigger a health crisis.

Dated as old as the dinosaurs

An analysis of mineral grains from the bottom of the western Grand Canyon indicates it was largely carved out by about 70 million years ago -- a time when dinosaurs may have even peeked over the rim, says a study led by the University of Colorado Boulder.

CU-Boulder space-traveling spider finds home at Smithsonian museum

A jumping spider named Nefertiti that lived on the International Space Station in a habitat designed and built by a University of Colorado Boulder team has returned to Earth after 100 days in space and found a new home at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C.

Community Notes

Environmental Design faculty member, Rob Pyatt, receives $124,995 HUD grant

Program in Environmental Design Senior Instructor, Rob Pyatt, received a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant in the amount of $124,995 for his proposal, "Designing for People and Place: Sustainable &Affordable Housing for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation" through the Native American Sustainable Housing Initiative (NASHI).

Fiske Planetarium hosts "Farewell to Fritz"

Please join us at Fiske Planetarium this Saturday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m. (doors at 7 PM). "A Farewell to Fritz" is a fond send-off to the old planetarium star projection system. The group mindSpiral has performed at the planetarium for many years, and for this farewell to our beloved Fritz we feature a 5-member group with several well-known space musicians.

Faculty: Request your Spring 2013 D2L courses now

It’s not too early to begin requesting courses in Desire2Learn for the spring semester. You simply log in to MyCUInfo and choose the Course Tools tab in Teaching Tools to “Request an Online Learning Environment.” Step-by-step tutorials and information about hands-on workshops are available on the OIT website.

Holiday Jazz Concert at CU Law School

Monday, Dec. 3 is a Holiday Jazz Concert at CU Law School (2450 Kittredge Loop Road)! The concert will feature an 18-piece jazz band from 5:30-6:15 p.m. in the Wittemyer Courtroom. From 6:15-7:15 p.m., there will be a catered reception, pictures with Santa, and silent auction in Boettcher Hall.

Website: http://www.blsaculaw.com

BioFrontiers Seminar Series Presents: Dr. Scott Handley “Expansion of the Enteric Virome During SIV Infection”

The BioFrontiers Institute and IQ Biology is sponsoring a special seminar that will be held Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 at 4 p.m. in the Butcher Auditorium in the JSCB building, east campus, room A115. Dr. Handley was previously scheduled to visit this campus in November but had to reschedule for this date.