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While they're still unpacking and finalizing class schedules, new and returning students at the University of Colorado at Boulder will be able to participate in a wide range of welcome activities aimed at helping them learn about the campus and have fun in the process. Classes begin at 8 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 26. Leading up to that date are dozens of events ranging from late-night movies and hiking the Flatirons to bicycle tours of Boulder and several events for foreign and minority students.

The Office of Judicial Affairs at the University of Colorado at Boulder has completed action on the cases of nine CU-Boulder students who were involved in an off-campus party last Dec. 7 resulting in violations of the Student Code of Conduct, said Ron Stump, vice chancellor for Student Affairs. Pending appeals in two cases, seven students have received sanctions resulting from Code of Conduct violations and two students were found not responsible for the charges against them.

Despite a troubled state and national economy, the University of Colorado at Boulder received more than $229 million in sponsored research awards for the 2002 fiscal year, setting another campus record. For the first time since the 1997 fiscal year, the National Science Foundation outpaced NASA in dollars awarded to CU-Boulder in sponsored research, said CU-Boulder Contracts and Grants Director Larry Nelson. NSF provided the most award dollars to the campus - nearly $46 million - followed by NASA and its affiliates at slightly more than $44 million.

Music industry veteran and trombonist Michael Millar has been appointed interim director of the Entrepreneurship Center for Music in the University of Colorado at Boulder's College of Music. An alumnus of the college and veteran of the music industry, Millar replaces outgoing Director Catherine Fitterman.

This Friday, Aug. 16, is the 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, and University of Colorado at Boulder art historian and author Erika Doss is documenting what the date means in American society. In 1999, Doss wrote "Elvis Culture - Fans, Faith, & Image," an examination of Presley's enduring presence in popular culture. The book takes a hard look at how the performer's image is related to sex, religion and racism in the lives of his fans.

The Denver Business Journal has named Kathryn Simon, director of CU-Boulder's Robert H. and Beverly A. Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, an outstanding woman in business in the area of banking and finance. The journal recognized 10 women who have made significant contributions to their work and community at the fourth annual Outstanding Women in Business luncheon on Aug. 8. Simon was among more than 70 finalists in 10 categories.

Editors: Enclosed are the names of CU-Boulder degree candidates from your area. This list was accurate as of Aug. 5, but is subject to final grade reports. Local students will be among the 1,177 students who receive degrees Aug. 10 during summer commencement at the University of Colorado at Boulder. A total of 822 bachelor's degrees, 227 master's degrees, 125 doctoral degrees and three law degrees were awarded.

Doug Duncan, an astronomer and researcher from the University of Chicago, is the new director of Fiske Planetarium and Sommers-Bausch Observatory at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Duncan was director of astronomy at the University of Chicago's Adler Planetarium and a senior research associate in the department of astronomy and astrophysics. He also worked with the American Astronomical Society, where he focused on improving teaching and public communication for astronomers throughout the United States.

A groundbreaking ceremony to mark the construction of new student housing at the University of Colorado at Boulder's Williams Village complex will be held Aug. 16 from 11 a.m. to noon. The event will take place in an open area between Darley Commons and the tennis courts. Free parking will be available in an adjacent lot off of Baseline Road, near 30th Avenue. The Williams Village student housing expansion project is specifically designed for upper-division students and will feature apartment-style housing and academic support facilities and services.

Lifting the travel embargo with Cuba could lead to major economic gains in the U.S. travel industry, according to Professor Patrick Long and special projects manager Ed Sanders of the Center for Sustainable Tourism at the CU-Boulder Leeds School of Business.