In addition to recognizing the recipients of this year’s Staff Excellence Awards, the 2026 ceremony provided an opportunity for university leaders to express their gratitude for CU’s staff systemwide.
The University of Colorado on April 16 announced proposed tuition and mandatory fee adjustments for the 2026-27 fiscal year, designed to maintain academic quality, invest in employees, support student services and sustain the university’s mission.
Nisha Shanmugaraj has always been captivated by the power of language. “After receiving my doctorate, I was thrilled to receive a job offer from CU Boulder’s renowned Program for Writing and Rhetoric,” said Shanmugaraj, an assistant professor. She is at work on a book, “Bootstrapping Identity: Indian American Women and the Rhetorics of Internalized Racism,” being made possible with help from a 2026 President’s Fund for the Humanities grant.
Samuel Burciaga, a first-generation student pursuing his Ph.D. at CU Anschutz, is driven by a passion for advancing cancer research by enhancing the immune system’s ability to fight disease. His work focuses on developing new approaches to improve patient outcomes, including for children with leukemia. Watch a video to see how Burciaga is shaping cancer research and inspiring the next generation.
