Spotlights - Faculty Fellows

Sarah Spaulding has been honored by the North American Lake Management Society for their extensive contributions to the aquatic sciences. These represent a career-long dedication and vision to improve science through coordination of research, unparalleled teaching and mentorship, and accessibility and engagement of all.

As part of CU Boulder's annual Research & Innovation Week (October 17–21, 2022), the 2022 Faculty Fellows gave short TED-style talks in the Gordon Gamm Theater at the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder. In this talk, Dr. Julio Sepúlveda describes the microbes that fill our oceans, the impact of climate change on the ecosystems that depend on those microbes, and his research group’s work to better understand how we can all contribute to protecting our oceans and our planet.

Presentation on Michael Gooseff, winner of the 2022 Robert L. Stearns Award, profiles his career as a polar science researcher and educator. Gooseff leads the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long-Term Ecological Research project, chairs the Water Quality Control Commission for the State of Colorado, and was a member of the Scientific Advisory Board on Water Body Connectivity for the Environmental Protection Agency among other leadership and teaching roles.

Katharine Suding is among three CU Boulder faculty members who received Fulbright fellowships to study internationally. Suding will travel to the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, to work on a project called Recovery, Resilience and the Ecology of Change.

Jim White, acting dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and INSTAAR researcher, has accepted the position of dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. White will remain at CU Boulder through June 30.

Algae in the ocean, water on Mars, and supercharged apple orchards are research topics for three INSTAAR scientists awarded RIO seed grants. The grants are designed to foster new areas of research with high impact and future funding potential.

Merritt Turetsky joins the For Peat's Sake podcast on Spotify to talk about permafrost peatlands. We talk about the unique qualities of permafrost peatlands and the sad reality that many of them are disappearing due to anthropogenic (aka human-caused) climate change. Merritt explains the state of the science and we also chat about mental health, the importance of self-care, and setting boundaries.

When the 2022 Winter Olympics kick off in and around Beijing, China, this Friday it will mark the first time in the history of the Winter Games that outdoor events rely almost entirely on artificial snow. Noah Molotch speaks to the science of human-made snow, its use at the Olympics, and how climate change may impact the future of snow sports around the world and here in Colorado.

Professor emeritus Tim Seastedt has studied prairie grasslands and alpine tundra for more than 40 years. Since retiring, Seastedt has devoted his time to hands-on Front Range ecological conservation and restoration efforts, in tandem with students and youth from underrepresented groups and volunteer organizations.

RIO Fellows include INSTAAR biogeochemist Julio Sepúlveda.