CU Connections

Buffs coaches meet and greet system team in Denver

From left, Linda Lappe, Tad Boyle, Bruce Benson, Mike MacIntyre, Marcy Benson, Nicole Kenneally and Chip. (Photo: Cathy Beuten/University of Colorado)

“I think we’re so blessed to have the highest quality coaches in the country,” said CU President Bruce D. Benson, as he welcomed CU Buffs coaches Tad Boyle (men’s basketball), Nicole Kenneally (women’s tennis), Linda Lappe (women’s basketball) and Mike MacIntyre (football) and Athletic Director Mike Bohn to system administration offices at 1800 Grant St. in Denver. The Tuesday breakfast appearance was the first stop on the second day of the Colorado Coaches Caravan, a weeklong state tour that continues today with public appearances in Lone Tree and concludes Friday in Vail and Grand Junction. Click here for the schedule and reports on the rest of the outreach effort. For more photos from the 1800 Grant stop, see the CU Office of the President page on Facebook.

Udall appointed to climate change advisory committee

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 the Interior about the USGS National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center and the Department of the Interior Climate Science Centers, which are managed by the U.S. Geological Survey.

“Responding to climate change and its effects on our natural and cultural resources is an important priority for the nation,” said Secretary Sally Jewell. “This committee embodies our commitment to working closely with our partners to strengthen our efforts to develop sound science that will help inform policymakers, land managers and the public in making important resource management decisions.”

Twenty-five committee members were selected from more than 100 nominations received by the Interior Department. Members were appointed to two- or three-year terms. The first meeting of the committee is expected to take place this summer.

“The national center and the eight new regional centers are the hub and spokes of an important Obama Administration initiative to help land managers and others adapt to climate change. Science centers are working hand in glove with landscape conservation cooperatives and delivering information on climate change impacts on water, wildlife and other natural resources to local resource managers,” said Deputy Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes.

Lundquist honored for wind energy research

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 woman who is relatively new to wind energy but already is making significant professional contributions by demonstrating talent, dedication and innovation in her renewable energy work.

Lundquist’s research group explores the dynamics of the atmospheric boundary layer – the layer of atmosphere closest to the Earth, with applications to wind energy, urban meteorology, and surface-atmosphere interaction.

“Highlighting and recognizing the stories of incredible women and men like this year’s WoWE Annual Award winners is critical not only to recognizing and appreciating their successes, but also to help other women in the sector see role models and new career pathways,” says Kristen Graf, WoWE executive director.

Four UCCS staff members elected to PESA board

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 Wienholtz, assistant director, Student Life and Leadership, treasurer; Cynthia Norton, chemical management, Department of Public Safety; and Janet Van Kampen, research analyst, Office of Institutional Research.

Yang among co-authors recognized for award-winning paper

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 invitation for to participate in the 2013 annual meeting of the Asian Finance Association in Nanchang, China, in July where Yang will present the paper and accept the award. The study investigates the impact of the bank-firm relationship on IPO (initial public offering) underpricing in China, an emerging economy with a bank-dominated financial system.

The paper finds that both the lender’s and the borrower’s firm characteristics affect the signal quality of the bank-firm relationship, resulting in differential impacts on IPO underpricing. The relationship between firms and banks with high credit quality, or the relationship between firms without political connections and banks, has a more positive impact on IPO underpricing. An earlier version of this paper is posted at Social Science Research Network.

Herrera earns high honor from national society

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 and loyal promotion of the ideals of Sigma Delta Pi.”

Sigma Delta Pi honors undergraduate and graduate students who study Spanish language, Hispanic literature and culture and who have strong academic standing. The honor society has 593 chapters and is headquartered in Charleston, S.C.

Davies promoted to U.S. Air Force major

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 Enzenauer, professor of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics, and brigadier general in the Colorado Army National Guard and Assistant Adjutant General for Space and Missile Defense, conducted Davies’ promotion ceremony May 1 at the Rocky Mountain Lyons Eye Institute on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Kimberley Lovelace, a recent Navy veteran, and current fellow in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Adult Strabismus, assisted Enzenauer as adjutant and narrator for the ceremony.

Davies’ family, preceptor, ophthalmology faculty and students, assisted in pinning on his new rank. The purpose and goal of ASOPRS or American Society of Ophthalmlic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery is to continue as a leader and innovator of oculoplastics through fellowship training in ophthalmology. As a sponsor of oculoplastic training programs, the society will sponsor only those programs capable of providing broad clinical experience and laboratory research.

Hunter’s writing recognized

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 for the “Whole Earth Review” when he was a graduate student studying artificial intelligence at Yale University.

“The ubiquity and power of the computer blur the distinction between public and private information. Our revolution will not be in gathering data — don’t look for TV cameras in your bedroom — but in analyzing information that is already willingly shared,” wrote Hunter.

According to the blog, “It’s unlikely Mr. Hunter could have any more accurately predicted the Age of Facebook — or its most pervasive fears.”  To read the blog and more about Hunter’s prognostications, visit http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2013/05/predictions-for-privacy-in-the-age-of-facebook-from-1985/

Obituary: Deegan Moon Lew

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 Diego and his optometric training at the University of California Berkeley School of Optometry, where he also served as a faculty member. In 2003, he was voted as California’s Young Optometrist of the Year by his peers.

Throughout his career, Lew lectured nationally on the management of refractive surgery patients and other areas of eye care.

He was a lifetime student of eye care and enjoyed learning and contributing to the departmental teaching program.  According to colleagues, he never missed a departmental conference and was uniformly loved by his patients for his compassionate care. His infectious positive attitude and dedication will be forever remembered, colleagues said, and he will truly be missed.

Lew’s family asks that contributions in his memory be made to the American Diabetes Association, 1701 North Beauregard St., Alexandria, VA 22311 (www.diabetes.org), or to The Challenged Athletes Foundation, 9591 Waples St., San Diego, CA 92121.

Hicks honored for procurement contributions

At its Annual Meeting in April, the National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP) presented the Bert C. Ahrens Achievement Award to Assistant Vice President/Chief Procurement Officer Sandy Hicks. The highest honor given by the association, the Ahrens award recognizes a member who has made outstanding contributions to NAEP and to the procurement profession in general, over an extended period of time.

NAEP has an almost 100-year history of serving higher education purchasing officers in the U.S. and Canada. Its mission is to facilitate the development, exchange, and practice of effective and ethical procurement principles and techniques within higher education and associated communities, through continuing education, networking, public information, and advocacy.

Hicks is a Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) and has been an NAEP member since 1988, serving the association in many capacities, including President in 2010. She also serves as chair of the NAEP Innovators Forum.

In accepting her award, Hicks thanked the hard-working staff of the PSC for their energy and efforts on behalf of CU procurement.

Anseth, Kapteyn elected to National Academy of Sciences

Distinguished Professor Kristi Anseth of the chemical and biological engineering department and Professor Henry Kapteyn of the physics department at the University of Colorado Boulder have been elected members of the National Academy of Sciences, a top honor recognizing scientists and engineers for their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

Anseth

Anseth is affiliated with CU-Boulder’s BioFrontiers Institute and is known for her innovative biomaterials and regenerative medicine research. She leads a team of faculty and students who are developing biodegradable “scaffolds” to stimulate the growth of new human tissues to replace those lost by injury or disease. She also is an associate professor of surgery at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine.

Her numerous awards include election to the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine in 2009.  She is the first engineer to be named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator (in 2000), and she received the 2004 Waterman Award from the National Science Foundation for her research excellence. In 2008, Anseth was named one of Popular Science magazine’s “Brilliant 10,” honoring her as one of the nation’s top young scientists.

Kapteyn

Kapteyn’s research interests include the development of new light sources at short wavelengths and their use to study dynamic processes in material and chemical systems. He and his primary collaborator and spouse, CU Distinguished Professor Margaret Murnane, are leading an international research team that has generated the first laser-like beams of X-rays from a tabletop device, an advance that promises fundamentally new capabilities in a broad range of areas including nanotechnology and medicine.

Kapteyn, who also is a fellow at JILA — a joint institute of CU-Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology — is the 10th member of the CU-Boulder physics faculty to be elected to the prestigious academy. Kapteyn has won a number of other awards, including the Ahmed Zewail Award in Ultrafast Science and Technology (2009), the Arthur L. Schawlow Prize (2010), the R.W. Wood Prize (2010) and the Willis E. Lamb Award for Laser Science and Quantum Optics (2012). He was elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2007.

Anseth and Kapteyn were the only scientists from Colorado elected to NAS in 2013.

“I would like to congratulate professors Kristi Anseth and Henry Kapteyn on behalf of the university,” said CU-Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano. “This is among the highest honors a faculty member can receive, and Kristi and Henry join a select group of faculty from across the country who are relied on by our government leaders to provide expert advice on matters of science and technology.”

The NAS was established by President Lincoln in 1863 and currently has more than 2,000 active members. NAS members have included such luminaries as Albert Einstein, Robert Oppenheimer, Thomas Edison, Orville Wright and Alexander Graham Bell. Almost 200 living NAS members have won Nobel Prizes.

Anseth and Kapteyn bring the number of CU-Boulder faculty members who have been elected to NAS to 27. The academy elected 84 new members in 2013, along with 21 foreign associates from 14 countries.

The NAS is a private, nonprofit honorific society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furthering of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. For more NAS information and for the full list of newly elected members, visit http://www.nasonline.org.

Herdt a finalist for Green Building Council award

Herdt

The “BioSIPs” technology project by Julee Herdt, professor in the College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) at the University of Colorado Denver and a working architect, was selected as a finalist for the U.S. Green Building Council, Colorado Public Interest Design Award. Six statewide awards were presented during the Rocky Mountain Green sustainability conference in Denver.

Herdt developed and applied her original BioSIPs invention and tested it as the main building envelope and construction system for CU’s 2005 first-place international Solar Decathlon competition home design. The BioSIPs invention was cited by the international Solar Decathlon judges as being critical to the CU team’s back-to-back (2002, 2005) win in the overall 2005 competition.

Since those awards, Herdt has advanced BioSIPs structural insulated wall, floor and roof panels to exhibit strengths surpassing other SIPs in specific areas (compressive and transverse loading) as well as to exhibit super thermal values. BioSIPs full-scale prototypes were tested at CU Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science as well as for the construction of the solar-powered BioSIPs Research Structure built in Boulder through a dtate of Colorado Waste Diversion grant. Herdt is the CEO and president of BioSIPs Inc., a CU spin-off technology for commercialization of BioSIPs and other products from 100 percent diverted waste fibers. She will collaborate with the CU Denver Business School during the fall semester on commercialization and business planning for her company.

College of Arts and Media honored for excellence

CU Denver attendees at the College Television Awards: front, from left, students Deana Macdonald, Rylan Rafferty, Nicole Natal and Michelle Strand; back, from left, faculty members James Phelan, Jessica McGaugh and Craig Volk and student Devyn Machado.

Three faculty members and five students from the film and television program at the College of Arts and Media at CU Denver attended workshops and the College Television Awards gala in Los Angeles on April 25. “The Mortal Coils,” a web series produced by students, won third place in the national competition. Those involved with the project were Deana MacDonald, Devyn Machado, Tom Moloney and Michelle Strand.

Faculty members attending the events, sponsored by the Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences Foundation, were James Phelan, Jessica McGaugh and Craig Volk. Those students at the event were MacDonald, Strand, Machado, Rylan Rafferty and Nicole Natal.

The awards recognize excellence in college student-produced video, digital and film work. As with the Primetime Emmy Awards, entries are awarded based on excellence in overall production. Entries are judged online by category in preliminary and secondary panels on a secure server, by members of the Television Academy who are professionals working in each respective discipline.

Yakacki serves as guest editor

Chris Yakacki, assistant professor of College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS), mechanical engineering at CU Denver, recently served as a guest editor for Polymer Reviews, the second-most cited polymer review journal. As guest editor, he created a special issue titled, “Shape-Memory and Shape-Changing Polymers.”

“Shape-memory and shape-changing polymers are a dynamic class of materials that can challenge and transform the way we look at engineering materials,” Yakacki said. “I wanted to create an issue that covered as many aspects of these materials as possible: ranging from how to characterize their behavior, to how they can be utilized for medical devices, to how researchers can model their behavior. The issue has some great contribution from leaders in the field from all over the world.”

The opportunity to serve as a guest editor came as part of the CU Denver External Research Mentor Program. Yakacki won the award last fall with Patrick Mather of Syracuse University as his mentor. Mather is the director of the Biomaterials Institute at Syracuse and serves on the editorial board of Polymer Reviews. He also visited the college as part of the CEAS seminar series in March.

Todd honored for immunization work

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention and the CDC Foundation honored James Todd, professor of pediatrics and microbiology in the CU School of Medicine and a physician at Children’s Hospital Colorado, with a CDC Childhood Immunization Champion award. The award acknowledges individuals who have made immunization successes possible in their communities.

“For more than 13 years, Dr. Todd has worked to increase the number of children getting immunized for vaccine-preventable diseases,” said Rachel Herlihy, interim deputy director of the Disease Control and Environmental Epidemiology Division at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “His annual vaccine-preventable disease reports have been a reliable and important reminder that we still have a lot of work to do to fully protect Colorado’s children.

“Dr. Todd also has worked to increase the number of children who have adequate health insurance and access to care. He was lead author of two pieces of health legislation that became Colorado law.”

One of the two laws requires all children covered by public funds through programs such as Medicaid to have a “medical home” – a doctor or nurse practitioner who is coordinating their care. The other law focuses on better tracking of care given to children, including immunizations.

Since 1991, Todd has served as director of epidemiology for Children’s Hospital Colorado and section head of epidemiology for the hospital’s Department of Pediatrics.

CDC Childhood Immunization Champions are nominated by state immunization programs and selected from a pool of health care professionals, coalition members, parents and other immunization leaders as having made a significant contribution.

Hanenberg elected to board

Stephanie Hanenberg, director, Student Health Center at UCCS, recently was elected to serve as a board member for the American College Health Association.

Hanenberg will represent Region II, which includes Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming, as well as Manitoba, Nunavut, and Saskatchewan, Canada.

Since 1920, the American College Health Association has linked college health professionals throughout the nation to form a collaborative networking base. The ACHA provides advocacy, education, communications, products and services, and promotes research and culturally competent practices to advance the health of students and the campus community.

Dropping names …

Andreas Huber Ott Keränen

Fred Andreas, assistant professor adjunct of architecture at CU Denver, has been invited to be a featured speaker at the Asia-Pacific Economic Corporation (APEC) international conference in Changsha City, China, on May 25-26. Andreas will present two written papers on Living Wall research and progress and “Eco-Cities: Challenges and Practices,” presenting innovative approaches to sustainable urbanism and zero energy urban projects in Denver. … Four staff members joined UCCS in April. They are: Robert Block, assistant dean, College of Engineering and Applied Science; Roberta Robbins, bookkeeper, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance; and James Wilson and George Cornelius, custodians, Physical Plant. … Martin Huber, professor of physics and director of the integrated sciences program, is a collaborator on the Cryogenic Dark Matter Experiment, which announced at the American Physical Society meeting last weekend that it has seen possible hints of dark-matter particles in its latest result. The result is not statistically significant enough to claim the discovery, or even evidence of dark matter, but it is interesting enough to warrant further investigation. News of this finding also has been published recently in Nature News, Symmetry and Fermilab Today. … Brian Ott, associate professor of communication at CU Denver, delivered a lecture titled, “The Politics and Pedagogy of Art in Postmodernity: Cognitive Mapping and The Bothersome Man” at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, on April 12. The essay on which his talk was based has recently been accepted for publication in the Quarterly Journal of Speech. … Lisa Keränen, associate professor of communication, gave an invited plenary presentation, “Technologies of the Self at the End of Life: Pastoral Power and the Rhetoric of Advance Care Planning,” at a national forum, “After the Genome: A Language for Our Biotechnological Future:  Rhetoric, Science, Religion, and Ethics,” at Wake Forest University on April 13. The forum provided a location for leading scholars from a variety of disciplines to discuss the vital topic of how language is shaping medical ethics, religion, and competitive visions of our biotechnological future. Baylor University Press launched a book (featuring the presenters’ research) as part of the event.

Albertson named Outstanding Instructor of the Year

Albertson

Julie Albertson, senior instruction at the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, was named Instructor of the Year and was recognized at the Campus Awards Ceremony on Wednesday. In addition to the recognition, she will receive a $1,000 bonus.

No one is more deserving of the award, said Andrew Ketsdever, professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. “(Julie) has the respect of her peers and the administration on campus for her caring and devotion to students, her hard work on campus curriculum issues, and her seemingly endless efforts with various committees around UCCS.”

Albertson said she was surprised and honored when she learned she’d been nominated for the award. “I’m very grateful to know that people have that kind of faith in me. I just really love teaching and getting to know my students.”

Albertson, an 18-year UCCS veteran, has helped develop a freshman introduction to engineering curriculum and coordinate the advising of undergraduate students, and created the MAE Student Advisory Board. All while teaching full time.

“Her devotion to not only her instruction but to student success demonstrates her many outstanding qualities as a faculty member,” R. “Dan” Dandapani, dean, College of Engineering and Applied Science, said.

Albertson said one of the most important aspects of student success is recognizing the varying learning styles with the student population. She said faculty and staff bear a responsibility to help students succeed in their endeavors – both within and out of the classroom.

“Developing a community within the classroom is one of the most important things a professor can do,” Albertson said. “Students try harder and are more comfortable asking questions when there is a support network in place.”

Ketsdever believes this approach help Albertson succeed and helped the department’s retention rates increase.

Nesbitt, Wineland named to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

David Nesbitt

David Wineland

Two University of Colorado Boulder faculty — David Nesbitt, an adjoint professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and David Wineland, an adjoint professor of physics in CU-Boulder’s physics department who shared the 2012 Nobel Prize in physics — are among the luminaries selected for the 2013 class of members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an organization that honors “thinkers and doers” across a broad range of fields, from filmmakers and authors to philanthropists and historians.

The two will be inducted into the academy at a ceremony in Cambridge, Mass., in October.

Nesbitt, a researcher at JILA, a joint institute of CU-Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, works to understand chemistry from a fundamental physics perspective, including, for example, how chemical bonds get made or broken. Nesbitt’s research uses lasers to “see” chemical reactions involving highly reactive molecules, known as radicals, which are important players in a wide range of common chemical reactions, from internal combustion in car engines to ozone layer destruction in the upper atmosphere.

Wineland, who is also a group leader at NIST in Boulder, works on techniques for using lasers to cool ions to near absolute zero. His experiments have been used for precise clocks to test theories in quantum physics and may lead to the development of quantum computers.

The pair will join a class of inductees that includes former U.S. senator and astronaut John Glenn, actor and director Robert De Niro, essayist Wendell Berry and singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, among others. A total of 25 CU-Boulder faculty members have been elected to the academy.

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences was founded in 1780, and members have included George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Daniel Webster, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill.

Smith winner of Outstanding Staff Award

Ian Smith’s sense of humor, experience on campus, and willingness to go outside of his position description, make the departments of history, philosophy and humanities run smoothly and effectively, according to his colleagues at UCCS. Smith, a program assistant who helps all three departments, was recently selected as the Outstanding Staff Member of the Year.

“Ian has brought an insider’s staff sense of what changes would make the departments function more effectively both for faculty and students,” said Paul Harvey, professor, Department of History and department chair. “He has supervised an enthusiastic staff of student workers who have quite literally helped to bring us to the 21st century.”

Previously, Smith, a seven-year UCCS staff member, worked for the Department of Physics and the Office of Admissions and Records. In his current position for 18 months, he wasted little time in creating a positive effect.

“Don’t grieve – tell Ian and it will be taken care of,” Lorraine Arangno, senior instructor, Department of Philosophy, wrote. “And not some time next semester but as soon as possible!”

Harvey and Arangno also said Smith is willing to take on extra duties and display  compassion for others. Department of History Instructor Barbara Headle cited Smith’s help with her course and Smith’s volunteering to portray one of Fountain’s early founders, a Scottish immigrant named Riddoch, including mastering the Scottish brogue.

Boulder Faculty Assembly announces annual awards

The Boulder Faculty Assembly (BFA) recently recognized the recipients of the 2012-2013 Faculty Excellence Awards. Each spring, the BFA presents up to 12 members of the Boulder Faculty Senate with awards for faculty excellence, recognizing their outstanding work. The organization accepts nominees in three categories: excellence in the areas of teaching; service; and research, scholarly and creative work.

These awards are especially notable because Boulder campus colleagues make the nominations, as well as the selections of award recipients. The 2012-2013 Excellence Awardees are:

Service: John Cumalat, physics; Janet deGrazia, chemical and biological engineering; Hillary Potter, sociology; and Eric Stade, math and Libby Residential Program.

Teaching: Christine Hrenya, chemical and biological engineering; Daphne Leong, music; Dragan Maksimovic, electrical, computer, and energy engineering; and Greg Tucker, geological sciences.

Research, Scholarly and Creative work: Carol Cleland, philosophy; Noah Fierer, ecology and evolutionary biology; Kristine Larson, aerospace engineering; and Karl Linden, civil, environmental, and architectural engineering.

Click here to see photos of the award winners.

CU representatives take part in higher education conference in Saudi Arabia

From left, Kacenga, Shull, Alterkawi of King Saud University and Stevenson.

George Kacenga, director of International Enrollment Management at CU Denver;  Anthony Shull, executive director of International Affairs at UCCS; and John Stevenson, dean of the Graduate School at CU-Boulder participated in the fourth annual International Exhibition and Conference on Higher Education (IECHE)  April 16-20 in the Riyadh International Exhibition Center.

The main theme of the conference was the Global Platform for Higher Education, and the program included 21 plenary lectures by university leaders throughout the world. The CU contingent was invited to the conference by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Higher Education.

Representatives from 37 countries brought a truly global perspective to the event. The formal program participants had ample opportunities to meet and discuss a wide variety of educational and research issues and topics, including the social responsibilities of universities, social innovation, finance and sustainability, diversity and gender issues, community engagement, and more.

The three individuals from the CU system additionally represented the institution’s recruitment mission at the event, which is one of the largest in the Middle East.

CU-Boulder honors sustainability successes

The 2013 winners of the CU-Boulder’s Campus Sustainability Awards program, which was established in 1997 to recognize outstanding individuals and departments demonstrating strong commitments to reducing the campus’ impact on the environment, were celebrated during a recent ceremony.

The 2013 campus sustainability awardees are:

• James Balog, Outstanding Alumni — Balog has been a leader in photographing, understanding and interpreting the natural environment for three decades. The CU-Boulder alumnus founded the Extreme Ice Survey and recently brought worldwide attention to climate change through his Oscar-nominated documentary called Chasing Ice. He’s the author of seven books, provides a variety of outreach and develops high school and college-level curricula.

• Robert Dixon, Individual Achievement- – Dixon, the director of information technology for Housing & Dining Services — one of the largest computerized units on campus — created and implemented a virtual desktop infrastructure. It includes circuit board hardware that links directly to servers, cutting out the need for and replacing 500 workstation computers. Dixon and his team’s solutions have reduced electricity costs by $30,000 per year. The system also has reduced costs for equipment manufacturing, purchases, shipping and disposal while providing a more mobile and efficient work environment for staff.

• Facilities Management Custodial Services, Departmental Achievement — Custodial crews helped pilot and establish a program to collect compostable waste from building restrooms. While grant funding was provided for startup costs such as bins and liners, the crews’ additional labor — emptying the bins daily and taking the compostable waste to loading docks — was not funded. Crews met the program implementation with creative solutions for a cost-effective, efficient and equitable system. Collections of compostables from campus restrooms has expanded from including three to including six buildings with plans in the works for more sites.

• William Franz, Individual Achievement — Franz, IT manager for the ecology and evolutionary biology department, sought and acquired more efficient computers that were being cycled out by other departments on campus. The efforts resulted in significant energy savings and upgraded equipment for EBIO with little to no cost. Franz and his student team also adjusted settings on computers and printers throughout the department, rendering them more efficient, and replaced computer monitors with energy efficient flat screens. The project, implemented since last summer and involving hundreds of computers, has reduced electricity use by 85 percent for classroom computers and up to 70 percent for lab computers.

• Housing & Dining Services, Partnership for Sustainability — A team of staff members innovated an alternate way to hydrate thousands at the annual Global Jam welcome event for new students. They created mobile hydration stations to provide cool filtered water to attendees. The team used a trailer that already was in stock and constructed the remaining pieces from existing stainless steel countertops, adding the necessary plumbing. An estimated 40 percent less bottled water was required at the event, as participants were able to fill their own reusable containers or use compostable cups at the hydration stations.

• Paul Komor, Green Faculty — Komor, the energy education director at the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, or RASEI, and an environmental studies lecturer, has helped establish CU-Boulder as a leader in energy education. Paul leads a research program in renewable electricity policy. He also teaches undergraduate and graduate-level courses in energy technology and policy. Many of the students who’ve gone through the programs created by Komor have gone on to lead energy efforts locally and nationally. Without Komor’s efforts, there may not be the comprehensive programming in place today for energy studies at CU-Boulder.

• Graham Meriwether, Outstanding Alumni — In 2010, Meriwether founded the Leave It Better foundation, whose mission is to empower youth to heal the environment. Leave It Better has helped build 10 gardens in schools in New York City and has taught more than 2,000 students how to compost, plant and harvest, in partnership with the Kids Community Garden in the Bronx. Graham also directed American Meat, a pro-farmer documentary looking at chicken, hog and cattle production in America. Screening the film at campuses nationwide, Meriwether has focused on holding community discussions and engaging students in the issues.

• Shimshon Rapaport, Student Achievement — Rapaport, a mathematics student, created The Reusable Scrap Paper Project. The program collects misprints, excess and recyclable paper, and supplies help desks across campus as well as departments that can use the reclaimed material, for printing on the blank side, for example. The project has implemented the reuse of approximately 1,500 pounds of paper since March of 2011. Rapaport has volunteered countless hours on a weekly basis to make the program a success, from coordinating with various departments, to sorting and weighing paper and transporting it across campus.

Special recognition certificates were awarded to: Facilities Management Meridian Implementation Team, Departmental Achievement; Trade Services, Facilities Operations, Departmental Achievement; Gary Sheets, Individual Achievement; and T. Pepper Clayton, Individual Achievement.

For more information about this year’s recipients and the Campus Sustainability Awards visit http://ecenter.colorado.edu/greening-cu/campus-sustainability-awards.

Corotis to deliver keynote

Ross Corotis, the Denver Business Challenge Professor of Engineering at CU-Boulder and former dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, will discuss the public and political challenges of natural hazard risk prevention as keynote for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering’s eighth annual Arnold D. Kerr Lecture on Wednesday at the University of Delaware campus in Newark.

As the incidence and cost of natural disasters continues to rise around the world, engineers and risk professionals face an increasingly difficult job in communicating infrastructure vulnerability and the value of long-term planning to policy makers and the public. The difficulty: helping decision makers understand the costs of low-probability, high-consequence events — and the costs and benefits of mitigation — in credible, meaningful terms.

Corotis’ research focuses on natural disaster risk assessment and the impact these disasters have on the man-made environment.

His lecture, titled “Public Perception and Political Challenge of Natural Hazard Risk in the Built Environment,” focuses on five key issues surrounding natural disaster risk prevention, namely public risk perception, public participation in hazard mitigation planning, incorporation of community values, incompatibility of political motivation and long-term planning, and financing of risk and return.

Corotis is a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and is noted for establishing the civil engineering department at Johns Hopkins University as associate dean. Additionally, he was the science adviser at the Department of State in Washington, D.C., from 2007-08. He has chaired several structural safety committees, including the executive committee of the International Association for Structural Safety and Reliability, the ASCE and the American Concrete Institute. He is the founding chair of the National Academies Assessment Committee for the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The author of over 200 publications, Corotis was the editor of the ASCE Journal of Engineering Mechanics and the international journal, Structural Safety. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The Kerr Lecture is sponsored by UD’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The engineering mechanics lecture series honors Arnold Kerr, professor emeritus of civil engineering, who was an internationally recognized expert in engineering mechanics, with a particular focus on railway engineering. He retired in 2004 and died in 2012, at the age of 84.

Dropping names …

Magilvy Gore Burr Sullivan Didier Shellenbarger

Doug Novins, director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Children’s Hospital Colorado, recently was bestowed the title of Cy and Lydia Professor of Child Psychiatry.  .. Malik Kahook, professor of ophthalmology at the School of Medicine, will receive the 2013 Ludwig von Sallmann Clinician-Scientist Award at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology annual meeting in May. The award recognizes Malik for early-career contributions. … Bev Kratzer, director of the UCCS Career Center, recently earned a Master Career Development Professional Development certification from the National Career Development Association, the professional association for career development. … Kathy Magilvy, professor and associate dean for Academic Programs, College of Nursing (CON), recently received the Jo Eleanor Elliott Leadership Award at the Western Institute of Nursing (WIN) 46th Annual Communicating Nursing Research Conference, in Anaheim, Calif. Some 35 CON faculty, staff and graduate students, one of the college’s largest contingents ever, attended the conference. Accompanying CON Dean Sarah Thompson were 18 faculty, including: Drs. Karen Sousa, Pei-Ying Chuang, Daniel Cline, Jennifer Disabato, Linda Flynn, Bonnie Gance-Cleveland, Lynn Gilbert, Scott Harpin, Jacqueline Jones, Jane Kass-Wolf, Ernestine Kotthoff-Burrell, Nancy Lowe, Magilvy, Ellyn Matthews, Madalynn Neu, Leli Pedro, Marylou Robinson, Teresa Sakraida, and Sarah Schmiege. Oliwier Dziadkowiec, new director of the college’s Center for Nursing Research, also attended. … The School of Medicine’s Alicia Gore from otolaryngology, Jennifer Burr from radiation oncology, and Pamela Sullivan from family medicine at Rose Medical Center recently received the first Outstanding Program Coordinator Awards, a recognition conferred by their peers and Carol Rumack, associate dean for graduate medical education. The award is presented to up to five program coordinators in recognition of their in-depth understanding of the accreditation process, excellent communication and interpersonal skills. … Emmanuel Didier, instructor of CU Denver’s College of Architecture and Planning and principal at DidierDesignStudio in Fort Collins, is principal designer for the new Children’s Garden at the H. O. Smith Botanic Gardens in The Penn State University Arboretum. … A book by Melanie Shellenbarger, senior instructor of architecture at CU Denver — “High Country Summers: The Early Second Homes of Colorado, 1880–1940” — is a finalist for the 2013 Colorado Book Awards in the History category. The annual awards recognize the accomplishments of Colorado’s outstanding writers, illustrators, editors and photographers for books published during the previous year. The winners will be announced June 21 at the Aspen Summer Words Literary Festival in Aspen. …  Erica Schwartz, assistant professor and executive director of Sheridan Health Services, director of Midwifery Services in the College of Nursing, and endowed co-chair of PROMISE in the Department of OB/GYN in the medical school, was selected to participate in the Leadership America Class of 2013, a program designed for female executives across the nation.

Obituary: Linda Cordell

Linda Cordell, Ph.D., a former director of the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History, died March 29, 2013.  She was 69.

She earned her bachelor’s degree at George Washington University, her master’s at the University of Oregon, and her doctorate at the University of California Santa Barbara. She taught at the University of New Mexico from 1971-87 as an assistant, associate and full professor and served a term as chair of the Department of Anthropology. She then spent four years at the California Academy of Sciences, in San Francisco, as Irvine Curator and Chair of the Department of Anthropology.

In 1992, Cordell joined the faculty of the University of Colorado Boulder as director of the University of Colorado Museum, a comprehensive natural history museum, and professor of anthropology. She served at CU-Boulder until June 2005, and holds emeritus status in the Department of Anthropology and at the museum.

More recently, she was a senior scholar at the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe, N.M., and was appointed to the external faculty at the Santa Fe Institute in 2010; she was a keynote speaker at their Spring Science Council Meeting in April 2011.

Throughout her career, Linda has enjoyed teaching undergraduate and graduate students, directing archaeological field schools, developing museum exhibitions, and conducting collaborative research.

In memoriam

Names of current and former University of Colorado faculty and staff who have died in recent weeks. List compiled by Employee Services.

CU-Boulder

• Mary Ann Andersen, 79, classified staff retiree. April 7, 2013.
• Grant A. Johnson, 81, faculty retiree. April 3, 2013.
• Jeanette Tatum, 75, classified staff retiree. April 15, 2013.

CU Denver

• Thomas M. McCoy, 74, faculty retiree. April 12, 2013.

CU Anschutz Medical Campus

• Frank Stubert, 90, classified staff retiree. April 13, 2013.

CU system

• Robert H. Fennell, 94, faculty retiree. April 1, 2013.

Anseth named 2013 Hazel Barnes Prize winner

Kristi Anseth (Photo: University of Colorado)

Distinguished Professor Kristi Anseth of the University of Colorado Boulder’s chemical and biological engineering department has been selected to receive the 2013 Hazel Barnes Prize, the highest faculty recognition for teaching and research awarded by the university.

Anseth, also a faculty member at CU-Boulder’s BioFrontiers Institute, will receive an engraved university medal and a $20,000 cash award, the largest single faculty award funded by CU-Boulder. She will be recognized at CU-Boulder’s spring commencement ceremony on May 10 and at a reception following the event that will include former Hazel Barnes Prize winners, family members, colleagues and students.

Anseth is known internationally for her innovative biomaterials and regenerative medicine research. She leads a team of faculty and students who are developing biodegradable “scaffolds” to stimulate the growth of new human tissues to replace those lost by injury or disease.

Technology developed by the team is expected to be used in the coming years for tasks such as helping regenerate human cartilage and defective heart valves, mending shattered bones, producing insulin for diabetics and growing healthy neurons to replace diseased brain tissue. A promising material that has been in clinical trials involves extracting healthy cartilage cells from damaged knees, blending the cells with light-activated hydrogels and injecting the material back into the knees to facilitate healing.

“Kristi has an outstanding record as both a teacher and a researcher,” said CU-Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano. “Her impressive publication record in the fields of biomaterials and tissue engineering as well as her numerous national awards speak to her strong research commitment.  We appreciate her dedication to this institution and her commitment to academic excellence.”

Anseth, who also is an associate professor of surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, has won numerous awards, including her election to the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine in 2009.  She is the first engineer to be named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator (in 2000) and she received the 2004 Waterman Award from the National Science Foundation for her research excellence.

In 2008 Anseth was named one of Popular Science magazine’s “Brilliant 10,” honoring her as one of the nation’s top young scientists. To date, 34 students who worked under her have received doctorates and she currently is advising 14 doctoral students.  She also has mentored more than 100 undergraduates in laboratory research.

In addition, Anseth has won a number of teaching awards, including the 2008 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award for Education; the 2002 College of Engineering and Applied Science Hutchinson Teaching Award; the national 2000 Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award; and the 2000 Boulder Faculty Assembly Teaching Excellence Award.

The Hazel Barnes Prize was established in 1991 to recognize the enriching relationship between teaching and research. The prize was named in honor of CU-Boulder philosophy Professor Emerita Hazel Barnes, who taught at CU-Boulder from 1943 to 1986 and is noted for her interpretations of the works of French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre. Barnes died in 2008 at the age of 92.

Obituary: Thomas McCoy

Thomas McCoy, a staff member at the Centers, School of Public Affairs at CU Denver for 11 years, died April 11 at his home in Westminster.

McCoy was born in Philadelphia in 1938 and lived in Hodgdon, Maine, and in Colorado in Steamboat Springs and Denver. He held various jobs including a college English teacher, an acting teacher, a writer and producer of television shows, and a political press secretary. He also was a published poet and playwright.

He is survived by his wife, Catherine; two children from a previous marriage and three grandchildren. Contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society.

Bull named Community and Behavioral Health Department chair

Sheana Bull is the new chair for the Department of Community and Behavioral Health at the Colorado School of Public Health, effective April 15.

As a professor of Community and Behavioral Health, Bull has focused on the development and testing of behavioral interventions for health promotion using technology. She is involved in maternal, child and adolescent health projects utilizing mobile phones and text messaging, social networking sites and the Internet. She also has been involved with prevention of chronic illness and promotion of self-management behaviors such as nutrition and physical activity using computer kiosks with Denver-area Latinos.

“Dr. Bull’s academic career displays a strong commitment to excellence in public health research, teaching and practice,” said Dean David C. Goff Jr. “Recognized as an international leader in technology based health promotion, Dr. Bull is at the forefront of 21st century public health practice, a position which will serve the department and school well.”

The Department of Community and Behavioral Health in the Colorado School of Public Health brings together faculty members from multiple social and behavioral science disciplines. The department focuses on using scientific evidence and community collaboration to assess community needs and develop programs and policies that promote health, prevent disease, and enhance quality of life. The department is home to faculty across the school’s three collaborating universities, and offers educational programs in community and behavioral health and maternal and child health.

Outgoing chair Lori A. Crane recently became the school’s new associate dean for Academic Affairs.