Public Impact Research at CU Boulder

  Schools and communities are full of wisdom, strengths, and possibility. Our role is to partner with them, combine local knowledge with research, and create the conditions where young people, families, and communities can thrive.” 

—Beverly Kingston, Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence

  We believe meaningful and lasting change comes from research that empowers educators, families, and communities to co-create knowledge and opportunities rooted in their languages, cultures and lived experiences.” 

—Tania Hogan, The BUENO Center for Multicultural Education

The mountains above Boulder hold more than seven decades of climate records, ecological data, and scientific insight. The Mountain Research Station supports the people who study them, provides a place to live and work at altitude, sustains the long-term monitoring that makes work like the Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research Program (LTER) possible, and turns that science into knowledge the public can use to understand and prepare for a changing climate.

  People across the world are living at risk to wildfires, floods, earthquakes, and other extreme events. Our mission is to advance, share, and apply interdisciplinary natural hazards research to support a culture where all people are educated and inspired to reduce harm from disasters and cultivate stronger communities.” 

—Lori Peek, Natural Hazards Center

  inquiryHub (iHub) envisions a more inclusive and community-centered future for STEM through sustained partnerships with educators and schools. Together, we create learning environments where students’ experiences and perspectives strengthen STEM learning. In 2025, we expanded our network to include 18 school districts in multiple states reaching more than 400 teachers and 25,000 students.” 

—Alba Tuninetti, Institute of Cognitive Science