CU Connections

What do 1992, 1987, 1982 and 1977 have in common? These years were the starting points of University of Colorado Boulder careers that have lasted between 20 and 35 years, and were recognized at the annual Staff Council “Years of Service” appreciation event.

This is the one time of year when University of Colorado benefits-eligible employees and retirees may make changes to benefits. If you take no action, you will be automatically enrolled into your current plan elections.

The bear hug between the mom in a cap and gown and son in Navy fatigues went on for more than a minute. Zac Drake, stationed in Japan, hadn’t seen his mother, Beth Rozinek, in 18 months. He surprised her by flying in for her graduation. Spring Commencement took place Saturday morning under sunny skies [...]

Last July, something unprecedented in the 34-year satellite record happened: 98 percent of the Greenland Ice Sheet’s surface melted, compared to roughly 50 percent during an average summer. Snow that usually stays frozen and dry turned wet with melt water. Research led by the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences now shows last summer’s [...]

Some 200 Boulder campus faculty, staff and fundraisers — most of whom make financial gifts to the University of Colorado — gathered Friday at Chancellor Philip DiStefano’s home for a late afternoon reception to celebrate faculty and staff. They heard remarks from campus and fundraising leadership, supporters including Pat Furman (’76, JD ’80) and Tate [...]

Manisha Patel, professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, has been selected to lead one of eight “Dream Teams” of research scientists tasked with curing childhood epilepsy at a variety of institutions throughout the country. Funding comes from Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE). Patel’s team [...]

Kelly Chadwick, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Human Resources coordinator, is the recipient of the “Let Your Light Shine” award for April. Chadwick has worked for the university for just over a year and already has had five different supervisors. Even with such change in leadership, she still has been able to excel and [...]

Leslie Leinwand, chief scientific officer of the University of Colorado Boulder’s BioFrontiers Institute, was honored earlier this month as one of three recipients of the annual Bonfils-Stanton Awards, which are given to people who make outstanding contributions to enhance the quality of life for Colorado residents. Leinwand, who is an expert in on cardiovascular disease, [...]

Gregory T.S. Walker, professor in the University of Colorado Denver College of Arts and Media (CAM) in the string program, performed the world-premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker’s “Bleu” for solo violin at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., on April 20. George Walker is Gregory’s father. The younger Walker performed playing a [...]

Allison Kempe, professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine and director of the Children’s Outcomes Research Program at Children’s Hospital Colorado, has been appointed to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Her term begins July 1. Last month, Kempe was named “Big Shot of the Year” by [...]

The CU Board of Regents on Wednesday voted to to allow President Bruce Benson to deviate from the standard search process as he looks for a chief fundraiser to oversee a realignment of CU’s fundraising and advancement efforts.

All CU-initiated bills are on their way to Gov. John Hickenlooper for his signature.

University of Colorado benefits-eligible employees and retirees may make changes to benefits plans during Open Enrollment, which ends at 5 p.m. May 24.

Seven incumbents and four newcomers recently were elected to the Boulder Campus Staff Council following a campus-wide, web-based nomination and voting process.

For nearly a quarter century, Les and Marianne Franklin, through their Shaka Franklin Foundation for Youth, have devoted substantial efforts and resources to helping underserved Metro Denver youth develop self-esteem, life skills and the goal of pursuing higher education. The Franklins’ goals will outlive them at the University of Colorado Denver, where they are making [...]

Even if you’ll be away from your campus for any of this summer, you can stay up to date on happenings across the University of Colorado system by connecting with CU Connections.

The University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office (TTO) on Tuesday presented awards to university researchers and companies who represent best practices in commercialization of university technologies. The TTO presented awards to a CU School of Medicine inventor, a startup company and a business advisor during its awards luncheon at the Anschutz Medical Campus, along with [...]

Twelve University of Colorado Boulder students have been offered Fulbright grants to pursue teaching, research and graduate studies abroad during the 2013-14 academic year, an all-time record for CU-Boulder. Their proposed subjects range from studying robotic colonoscopy equipment to determining the accuracy of wind measurements near wind turbines. Other proposals include research on the changing [...]

Bradley Udall, director of the Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment, University of Colorado Boulder, was appointed to a newly created federal advisory committee that will provide guidance about the Interior Department’s climate change adaptation science initiatives. The Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Natural Resource Science will advise the Secretary of [...]

Julie Lundquist, assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder with a joint appointment at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, was honored with the Rising Star Award at the Women of Wind Energy’s (WoWE) annual luncheon at the American Wind Energy Association’s WINDPOWER 2013 Conference in Chicago last week. The award is given to a [...]

Four University of Colorado Colorado Springs staff members were recently elected to board positions in the Professional Exempt Staff Association for 2013-14. The election results were announced by Ida Dilwood, director, Office of Disability Services and University Testing Center, and PESA president. Those elected are: Nan Cornella, customer service coordinator, University Center, vice president; Sabrina [...]

Finance Jian Yang, associate professor of finance at the University of Colorado Denver Business School, has co-authored “The Differential Impact of the Bank-Firm Relationship on IPO Underpricing: Evidence from China.” The work has been recommended for the best paper award by the “Pacific-Basin Finance Journal.” The designation comes with a $2,000 cash award and an [...]

Andrea Herrera, professor in the Department of Women’s and Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, was recently named a member of the Order of Discoverers, one of the highest honors offered by Sigma Delta Pi, a national collegiate Hispanic honor society. Herrera was selected because of her “exceptional contributions to the profession [...]

Brett Davies, a fellow in Oculofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, has been promoted from captain to major in the United States Air Force. He is receiving advanced training at the Anschutz Medical Campus in the Ophthalmology Department. Davies soon will be the only fellowship-trained oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeon in the U.S. Air Force. Robert [...]

An article written by Lawrence Hunter, professor and director of the Computational Bioscience Program at the School of Medicine, that warns about the tremendous quantity of information the average person shares online, recently was cited by the Smithsonian magazine’s Paleofuture blog. What’s unusual about the article is that it was written by Hunter in 1985 [...]

Was it worth adding the role of council member on top of regular work duties? The 28 past council members said “yes.”

Be Colorado announces campus competition champion and winners of $300 airfare vouchers.

The University of Colorado is taking another step in an ongoing process of increasing revenue streams it has some control over in light of one it has little influence on, declines in state funding.

Employee Services’ benefits professionals will conduct Open Enrollment (OE) Sessions on each campus beginning today and continuing next week.

Deegan Moon Lew, a clinical instructor in the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, died unexpectedly May 1, 2013. He was 46. Lew was recruited to the department more than three years ago after time in private practice in Poway, Calif. He completed his undergraduate training at the University of California San [...]