CU

Sights Set on Boulder: Why Two CU Alums Moved Back

Anna Tolette — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 20:57:54 +0000

Sights Set on Boulder: Why Two CU Alums Moved Back Anna Tolette Tue, 11/12/2024 - 13:57

Karen Reid

When my husband, Charlie Reid (PhDMechEngr’89), and I were grad students at CU, leaving Colorado was definitely not on our to-do list. But after graduation, new job opportunities drew us eastward. Our plan was always to return to Boulder, but what started out as an anticipated five-year stint in New Jersey stretched to 10 and continued across multiple states as our careers progressed.

Now, after three decades, we’ve finally moved back. And while we were expanding our horizons, growing professionally and raising a family, Boulder was growing, too. We kept an eye on our town from afar, but now we have the opportunity to see and experience the changes firsthand.

The university’s campus has grown both in size and reputation: CU has doubled down on research, now boasting five Nobel laureates, and has gained international recognition. Students have so many more options for courses, programs and opportunities. The number of buildings, dorms and parking structures has also grown exponentially, and what were once empty fields filled with prairie dogs is now the thriving research hub of East Campus. Other notable changes include the expansion of Folsom Field and the shifting of school colors from sky blue and gold to a more sophisticated palette of gold, black and gray. Even the journalism school (where I studied) has been reincarnated as CMCI.

Things off campus have changed, too. The town of Boulder has put itself on the map. It consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top college towns, is a hotbed for entrepreneurial and innovative endeavors, and is currently in contention to host the Sundance Film Festival.

While change is inevitable, it’s bittersweet to see some of the transformations: Friday Afternoon Club (FAC) events at the Harvest House hotel are no more, Tulagi’s on The Hill is gone, the Kinetic Sculpture Challenge race folded, Crossroads Commons has been razed and reconceived as the 29th Street Mall, and the Pearl Street Mall no longer boasts many of our old haunts.

That being said, the myriad of new restaurants, experiences and shops to explore seem boundless, and old favorites like Peppercorn, Trident Booksellers and Café, and Into the Wind remain. Mike’s Camera is still nearby, and The Sink is as vibrant as ever!

Daily, I meet fascinating people, motivated students and inspiring colleagues. Boulder is bikeable and walkable — and who can deny the spectacular view? Even when things seem unfamiliar, all I need to do is glance at my beloved Flatirons and I am reminded that, while evolution is unstoppable, some things never change. Boulder will always be vibrant, beautiful and, quite simply, home to me.

Karen Reid (Jour’84; MA’90) works for CU Boulder RIO as a marketing and communications specialist and teaches public speaking as a lecturer in the CMCI communication department.

Submit feedback to the editor

Photo courtesy Karen Reid

Karen and Charlie Reid graduated from CU Boulder and left town over 30 years ago. Here's why they decided to move back.

Off

Traditional

Fall 2024

White

CU's Solar Power Move: East Campus Array

Anna Tolette — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 20:56:40 +0000

CU's Solar Power Move: East Campus Array Anna Tolette Tue, 11/12/2024 - 13:56

Kelsey Yandura

Colorado is famous for generous levels of sunshine — and CU is looking for ways to harness those rays for more than just vitamin D.

In one of the latest steps by campus leadership to drive down emissions and increase energy efficiency, the university is scheduled to begin construction next summer on the East Campus solar array, a two-acre, ground-based panel system with a $7.8 million price tag. The project will be the largest of CU Boulder’s 16 existing solar arrays, all of which are located on Main Campus buildings.

“We’re aiming to source about 10 percent of our electrical usage from renewables,” said Chris Ewing (EnvDes’96), vice chancellor for infrastructure and sustainability at CU Boulder. “This project will get us up there closer to 4 or 5 percent, halfway to our goal.”

The 1.1 megawatt ground-mounted solar array is projected to offset 1.4 million kilowatt hours annually, amounting to about 1.3% of CU Boulder’s annual electricity usage.

The project supports CU’s Climate Action Plan, which aims to reduce campus emissions 50% by 2030 and completely decarbonize by 2050.

“We’re in the midst of a climate crisis, and we need to do our part to reduce our carbon emissions,” said Ewing. “The other part of the argument is that it makes good business sense. If we invest in solar panels now, that’s 1.1 megawatts of power that we don’t have to worry about month after month. It will pay for itself after 20 years.”

Submit feedback to the editor

Photo by Glenn Asakawa

CU is scheduled to begin construction next summer on the East Campus solar array, the largest at CU Boulder.

Off

Traditional

Fall 2024

White

CU Boulder Chancellor Justin Schwartz Is Setting a New Pace

Anna Tolette — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 20:36:30 +0000

CU Boulder Chancellor Justin Schwartz Is Setting a New Pace Anna Tolette Tue, 11/12/2024 - 13:36

Maria Kuntz

Chancellor Justin Schwartz spoke with Coloradan editor Maria Kuntz about innovation, inclusion, sustainability and philanthropy as keys to CU’s future.

You said the chancellor position is exactly what you were looking for. Can you say more about that?

CU’s emphasis on sustainability, inclusivity and innovation struck such a deep chord. These are things I’ve been working with at every stage of my career. There was such a strong, clear commitment to create a meaningful impact. I thought, “This is what’s important to me. This is what I want for the next stage of my career.”

You told the CU Independent that you’ve spent your entire career in large, state universities because it’s most meaningful to you. What is meaningful to you about the missions of these institutions?

Large, state universities were created to democratize access to information and give opportunities to all citizens. They are meant to advance individuals for their self-betterment and also to create knowledge for the betterment of others.

So they’re empowered to discover, not just learn from what has been discovered?

Yes. We’re not teaching people what to think so much as how to think. Higher education has to be creative — it’s about fueling a different kind of conversation that leads to something new.

You’ve recently launched a search for a new position: Vice Chancellor of Sustainability. Can you paint a picture of where CU will be in two, five and 10 years regarding sustainability?

Our goal is to advance an integrated, holistic view of sustainability across campus internally and externally so that our students, researchers and campus can have even more impact. This means putting sustainability into our curriculum and programs and asking: What does society need graduates to know and do to advance sustainability? How do we activate that knowledge? Ten years from now, I’d like the world to say, “Wow. CU Boulder was the one who helped bring together all these constituents across the country and around the globe to address the issue.”

You’re an engineer, inventor and entrepreneur. How do these identities and experiences inform your approach as chancellor?

This is a very innovative and entrepreneurial campus. Sometimes, in academia, we can be hesitant and conservative to try new things — but I want us to remember that it’s OK to fail. Many attempts at innovation don’t work the first time. For the best outcome, you probably have to experiment and experience a few false starts before you strike gold.

You’re open about your dedication to creating greater inclusion and belonging on campus. What are some of the next steps to growing and developing these areas as an institution and a community?

It’s a challenge of both culture and numbers. At many institutions, resources are poured into building numbers. However, what’s often missed is the slow, hard work of building the culture and sense of belonging needed to support those who are being invited in. Without that, inclusion doesn’t work.

We also need to reinforce the idea that inclusivity is truly including all. As a community of scholars, we should be dedicated to appreciating and giving credence to all views — which means all voices must be present and invited to speak.

I’ve heard you talk about life-work balance. What does that mean to you?

I appreciate that you said life-work balance. I tell my staff that I want them to look forward to the weekend, and I want them to look forward to Monday. I don’t want them to miss a moment with their loved ones because there’s something at work they have to do. There’s always a way around that. I have my daughter’s volleyball camp on my calendar. I want to make sure we are present where we are and that we all are where we really want to be.

You’ve been an avid triathlete for a few years, and I’ve seen your Instagram photos on area trails. Any favorite places to get outside?

There are so many great trails. I usually start on the Enchanted Mesa, then go around McClintock and the Mesa Trail. And there are so many more to explore.

You’ve jumped right into fundraising and engaging with Forever Buffs. Why is this important for CU’s future, and how can people support the university?

Beyond donations, spread the word. It’s important because we have a critically important mission to Colorado, to the country, to our students and to the world. We have too many students who would become Forever Buffs but for lack of funding. I don’t want students who belong at CU Boulder to not graduate because of finances. We also have amazing faculty doing incredible work, and breakthroughs rely on funding.

The other thing is the importance of alumni philanthropy. I want Forever Buffs to feel deeply and permanently connected to the campus. Some of the best moments in philanthropy are the connections between donors and beneficiaries. Sometimes, the stories bring tears.

You look touched. Something touched your heart just now, if you’ll share it.

I recently had a conversation with a student whose parents were well-educated, but their degrees were not recognized in the U.S. They each worked two jobs so that their two daughters could go to college, but only had money to send one to college.

However, the older daughter received a scholarship to study computer science, and the resources that were supposed to go to her went to her sister. So they both went to school.

That shows the value — that cascade effect of philanthropy. This story happens over and over again, every week.

When I talk about Forever Buffs being permanently connected with CU, it’s about remembering what got them where they are today. I’ve met so many successful alums who say: “I grew up low [socioeconomic status], and I wouldn’t be where I am in life if it weren’t for CU Boulder.”

It’s crucial to help alumni remember what it was like to be at the beginning of their journey. And that moment, when they see the impact of passing it on, is profound.

How do you envision continuing to build strong ties with communities across Colorado?

We are Colorado’s flagship institution. That means we’re the ship with the flag up high so that others can follow. CU needs to be more proactive in bringing CU Boulder across the state. We need to connect with and understand Colorado’s communities. And we need to partner with more institutions across the state and get more Coloradans excited to be CU Boulder students, alumni and supporters.

Submit feedback to the editor

Photos by Glenn Asakawa

We sat down with CU Boulder’s 12th Chancellor, Justin Schwartz, to find out why he says innovation, inclusion, sustainability and the power of philanthropy are keys to CU’s future.

Off

Traditional

Fall 2024

White

A Peek Into the Past and Present of CU Boulder Campus Life

Anna Tolette — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 17:21:02 +0000

A Peek Into the Past and Present of CU Boulder Campus Life Anna Tolette Tue, 11/12/2024 - 10:21

Kelsey Yandura

NOW

A glimpse of CU Boulder life today — graduation at Folsom, a snowball fight at Farrand Field, a crowd around Dalton Trumbo fountain outside of the UMC, the Buffaloes playing their hearts out against Arizona. As a university, we are always changing, evolving, growing. But one thing remains the same: Buffs are innovative and creative leaders who know how to balance working and playing in the Colorado sunshine.

THEN

As CU enters a new chapter, take a look at these snapshots from CU yearbooks past — clockwise, from the top: Pi Phi’s between classes (1937), students relaxing on the UMC terrace (1955), a snowball fight described as “a friendly winter pastime for students living in the dormitories” (1955), the 1992 convocation, studying at the library (1941), Buffs playing at home against the Texas Longhorns (1941), roommates in Andrews Hall (1983). The heart of CU has always been shaped by students and the life they bring to campus.

Submit feedback to the editor

Photos courtesy CU Heritage Center, Patrick Campbell, Casey A. Cass, Glenn Asakawa

What does life look like on campus? Take a peek into CU Boulder campus life, both "back then" and "right now."

Off

Traditional

Fall 2024

White

A Legacy of Volunteering: CU in the Peace Corps

Anna Tolette — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 17:19:57 +0000

A Legacy of Volunteering: CU in the Peace Corps Anna Tolette Tue, 11/12/2024 - 10:19

Kelsey Yandura

Last year, CU Boulder ranked No. 4 on the list of all-time top Peace Corps volunteer-producing universities in the nation. These photos are just a few glimpses into the experiences of 2,100+ CU Boulder alumni who have served abroad since the agency’s founding in 1961.

Julia Leone (IntlAf’22) currently works in Madagascar as a health volunteer.

Pamela Civins (Engl’86) served in Nepal as an education volunteer.

Lee Belstock (A&S’63; Law’66) volunteered in Peru doing community economic development.

Ryan Van Duzer (Jour’03) worked in youth development in Honduras.

Page Weil (CivEngr’05; MS’15) helped design and construct local water systems in the Philippines.

Submit feedback to the editor

Photos courtesy Julia Leone, Lee Belstock, Page Weil, Pamela Civins, Ryan Van Duzer

Last year, CU Boulder ranked No. 4 on the list of all-time top Peace Corps volunteer-producing universities in the nation. Take a peek into the experiences of 2,100+ CU Boulder alumni who have served abroad with the Peace Corps since 1961.

Off

Traditional

Fall 2024

White

Hello, I'm Mark Kennedy

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Hello, I'm Mark Kennedy Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/01/2019 - 00:00

Mark Kennedy

CU's new president, a former congressman who later led the University of North Dakota, talks about his small-town youth, the future of work and his vision for CU.

Early bird or night owl?
Early bird. During high school, I worked summers in a small-town bakery starting at 1 a.m. Since then, I have always found it valuable to get an early jump on things.

Coffee or tea?
Coffee. Born caffeinated, I did not start drinking coffee until later in life. I now find it indispensable to the start of every day.

Favorite ice cream?
Häagen-Dazs’ rum raisin.

Book you can’t forget?
I am haunted by Kai Fu Lee’s AI Superpowers. I am left with grave concerns that the United States is not taking the actions necessary to preserve our innovative edge, and that losing that edge will have profoundly negative consequences for our prosperity and security. This leaves me even more motivated to work hard to ensure America has the talent and the discovery necessary to keep our technological lead.

How would you describe yourself in one word?
360° — I have always striven to gain an ever-broader view.

Is there a “Colorado thing” you’re still getting used to?
I may never get used to driving along cliffs with no guardrails.

We hear you grew up in a small town...
I began life in Murdock, Minn., population less than 300, and at age 4 moved to Pequot Lakes, population around 450. I began working at age 14 picking strawberries, washing dishes and pumping gas. I was in band, choir, plays, student government, Boy Scouts and played in the area jazz ensemble. I lettered in basketball, track and field, setting a school record in the mile run, and managed the football team. In 4-H, I won trips to the state fair with my beef, electric and photography exhibits. My wife and I met as 4-H Ambassadors. It is hard to match the breadth of experiences available in a small town.

You served in Congress. What do you and don’t you miss?
I miss being in the midst of the debate on the most serious issues facing our nation. I enjoy raising money and advocating for policies I believe are important, both of which I do in my role as president of CU. I don’t miss purely partisan groups poised to attack every time you reject the extremes.

What about you tends to surprise people?
Those who travel by car with me are surprised that I regularly sing during the journey, normally beginning with “I am just a plain old country boy...”

If you could go to college again, what would you do differently?
Focus a little less on extracurricular activities and a lot more on striving for A’s. As a first-generation college graduate, I had no one to coach me. My undergraduate activities included work-study, dishwashing in the cafeteria and shelving books in the library, touring with the chorus, playing in the pep band, organizing an undefeated co-ed volleyball team, being captain of an intramural basketball team and serving on the student senate. My acceptance to Michigan’s MBA program provided a second chance. I took off Friday or Saturday evening, never both.

What do you think CU should do more of?
With most of today’s students likely to work during their lifetime in jobs not yet invented, it is ever more important that CU cultivates students’ critical thinking, team-working skills and cultural awareness by getting students to wrestle with difficult questions and fostering an environment of inquiry and debate. We should seek every opportunity to embrace adaptive learning technologies that supplement classroom dialogue led by knowledgeable professors with digital offerings that know what learners already understand, what they struggle with, how they respond to different teaching methods, what incentives drive them to excel. Today’s digital natives will increasingly rebel against being forced to learn at the same speed, in the same way, at the same place and at the same time.

What do you want to be remembered for?
As a president who called CU to stay true to its heritage of taking bold steps into the future, challenging it to not be trapped by rigid historical constraints, but instead to embrace technology to enhance the quality of a CU education, to make it more accessible and to keep it affordable.

Condensed and edited. Read the full interview here .

Illustration by Sean McCabe

CU's new president, a former congressman who later led the University of North Dakota, talks about his small-town youth, the future of work and his vision for CU.

Off

Traditional

White

The President's View - Fall 2017

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 11:15:01 +0000

The President's View - Fall 2017 Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 09/01/2017 - 05:15

Bruce D. Benson

The Best Investment

As a student at CU Boulder in the early 1960s, when costs were far lower than today, I financed my education by working on and off campus during school and over breaks to augment my family’s small contribution. It’s rare for today’s students to be able to do what I did.

Loans are common now and student debt is an issue. Yet it’s important to consider loans as an investment rather than just a cost. CU is focusing on educating our students about debt and ensuring they have tools to help them understand and manage it.

At CU Boulder, some 58 percent of bachelor’s recipients graduated with debt in 2015. The average debt load was $26,519, below the national average of $28,100. Our graduates’ loan default rate was 2.7 percent; the national average was 11.8 percent. This tells me our graduates are getting jobs and paying off their loans.

We are educating students about debt and finances. Before prospective students even arrive, we engage them with tools like our Aid Estimator, which projects the cost of education. For current students, the Council of Graduate Schools and TIAA funded an initiative to enhance their financial literacy. Several campus offices are collaborating on a program where students create financial plans to determine what type of financial information they need. We identify at-risk borrowers and tailor programs and outreach to assist them.

Declines in state funding increase costs to students, so we continue to work to keep a CU education affordable by finding efficiencies, instituting better business practices and trimming bureaucracy. We realized some $32 million in savings and cost avoidance last year and $40 million the previous year.

A college education is perhaps the best investment a person can make, paying financial and other dividends for decades. Most estimates show a bachelor's degree is worth $1 million or more over a wage-earning life. College graduates also tend to be happier, healthier and participate more in community and civic life. Loans are an unfortunate part of financing college for many, but for an investment that is less than the cost of most new cars, graduates reap a lifetime of benefits.

Illustration by Melinda Josie

President Bruce D. Benson's column from the fall 2017 issue.

Off

Traditional

White

The President's View - Spring 2017

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 07:00:00 +0000

The President's View - Spring 2017 Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/01/2017 - 00:00

Bruce D. Benson

All the World in Boulder

When I attended CU Boulder in the early 1960s, I remember only one classmate from outside the United States, a Saudi Arabian studying petroleum geology in the same department as me. The prevalence of students from around the world didn’t change too much since I was in school. Until recently.

CU Boulder has always had international students, of course, but they were a small percentage of the student body. That is changing. In 2010, we collaborated with Colorado lawmakers and they passed legislation allowing us to boost the presence of international students. Previously, they were included in limits on non-resident students (no more than one-third of the student body can be non-resident), but they are now in a separate category.

In 2010, CU Boulder’s international student enrollment was about 4 percent, the second-lowest among our national peers in the prestigious Association of American Universities. Today, it’s nearly 10 percent; the legislation limits it at 12 percent. They come from around the world, with China and India providing the most. No qualified Coloradans are turned away because of international or non-resident students.

International students are important for several reasons. They add significantly to the learning environment. College is a place where students encounter people with different backgrounds and experience, from different places, offering different perspectives. People from around the world greatly enhance the diversity of our campus and the experience for all students.

The culture of the university is reflected in its students, faculty and staff, so embracing those from around the world is key to a strong culture. We are an international university, and international students, faculty, researchers and staff are essential.

International students are also an important revenue generator. They pay a higher tuition rate than non-residents do. Increasing their numbers while also maintaining or increasing current numbers of resident and non-resident students helps our bottom line. If we reach the legislatively mandated limit of 12 percent, it could mean some $80 million in revenue.

When I was an undergraduate student, our world seemed like an awfully big place. The pace of globalization and technology’s march have made it considerably smaller. We are part of that world and, increasingly, that world is part of us.

Illustration by Melinda Josie

President Bruce D. Benson's column from the spring 2017 issue.

Off

Traditional

White

From the President

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 07:00:00 +0000

From the President Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/01/2012 - 00:00

Bruce D. Benson

Nearly 1,000 Buffs and friends celebrated their pride at the pregame event before the Buffs played Stanford on Saturday, Oct. 8.

Enhancing connections with alumni was one of the compelling reasons for CU to join the Pac-12 Conference. Numbers alone tell a story. CU-Boulder has some 38,000 alumni in Pac-12 states, and there are more than 51,000 alumni from all our campuses. In the Big 12 footprint, we had fewer than 12,000. All counts exclude Colorado.

Putting alumni faces to the numbers was our goal as we joined the Colorado Buffaloes football team for its initial road foray into the Pac-12 last fall. We hosted many pregame and alumni events, lunches and dinners, and at every one we had an enthusiastic reception from alumni and friends.

Bruce D. Benson (Geol’64, HonDocSci ’04) is president of the University of Colorado. Please contact him at 303-860-5600 or OfficeofthePresident@cu.edu.

At Stanford, nearly 1,000 people attended our pregame, including two busloads of alumni from San Francisco. Stanford supporters told us our turnout was the best they had seen by a visiting team. Even a Stanford alumnus, John Elway, stopped by to wish the Buffs well.

We hosted several alumni events around Seattle, including a pregame in the beautiful setting outside Husky Stadium on Lake Washington. At a dinner hosted for my wife Marcy and me by Scott Oki (Acct’74, MBA’75) and his wife Laura, a gentleman stopped at our table to say his son was a senior on the football team. His only regret was that his son wouldn’t have four years with our new coaching staff.

While our road game results were not what we hoped (with the notable exception of the Utah win), I share the parent’s view that we have the right coaches in place with Coach Jon Embree (Comm’88) and his staff, men of integrity and skill. Rebuilding is difficult, but I am optimistic for the future.

The enthusiasm of our alumni and friends has also been inspiring. In Los Angeles, UCLA alumnus Steve Sauer hosted a great event for CU parents, where he coined the term “Bruffs,” (and had shirts made) for those with allegiance to both CU and UCLA. His daughter Molly Sauer will graduate from CU this year, and Steve is active in our parents’ association.

It was a great fall reconnecting with CU alumni and making new friends. It reminds me of the deep well of good feeling our alumni have about CU and makes me excited to connect with you in the future as our sports teams travel to Pac-12 territory.

Bruce Benson's column from the spring 2012 issue.

Off

Traditional

White

Editor's Note - Winter 2011

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 07:00:00 +0000

Editor's Note - Winter 2011 Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 12/01/2011 - 00:00

Tori Peglar

I will never have the desire nor technical expertise to climb Mount Everest, but our story, “When Everest speaks” on page 6 in this issue is particularly close to my heart. It follows Neal Beidleman (MechEngr’81) as he climbed the world’s highest mountain 15 years after he survived the tragedy that left eight people dead in the wake of a fierce storm.

I arrived at CU-Boulder for graduate school the year Jon Krakauer published his book Into Thin Air, which provided a sobering, firsthand account of the 1996 Everest disaster. I couldn’t put the book down. I had spent the 1990s, learning how to rock climb and self-arrest down snow fields with an ice axe. I had climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with Mountain Madness, a company owned by the legendary Scott Fischer who died that fateful day.

But I don’t think I fully understood the dangers of high-altitude mountaineering until I read Krakauer’s book, in which Neal really shined as a hero. We learn lessons from other peoples’ tragedies and that one, more than anything else, made me aware of the risks inherent in outdoor sports. In short, I became more of a wimp. But I did climb 13,223-foot Mount Audubon west of Boulder earlier this fall. Winds were howling at 50 miles per hour, the temperatures were below freezing and being above tree line never felt so invigorating after a week in the office.

Wishing you safe and exciting adventures in the new year.

Editor's note from the winter 2011 issue.

Off

Traditional

White