Campus News

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.”

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Photo by Glenn Asakawa

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

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Back to the Big 12: The Origins of CU Conference Play

Anna Tolette — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 20:55:08 +0000

Back to the Big 12: The Origins of CU Conference Play Anna Tolette Tue, 11/12/2024 - 13:55

Dakota Palomo

For the last 13 years, every CU Boulder graduate who has cheered on the Buffs has done so under the banner of the Pac-12 athletic conference.

But why? Perched where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains, Boulder is easily the easternmost school consistently playing against the likes of USC, Stanford, Oregon and other historic teams that make up the traditionally West Coast grouping.

Let’s rewind. In 1947 — the early days of modern conference play — Colorado held its own as a chartering member of the Big Eight. The historic sports conference was composed of geographically contiguous Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State. But in 1996, the conference realigned and expanded southward to form the Big 12, adding in Texas schools like Baylor and UT Austin.

At the time, the energy around the Big 12 was electric. “It was an iconic combination of Midwest grit and southern resilience,” said former women’s basketball captain Kami Snyder (Psych, Jour’01). “It might be 15 degrees with snow flurries, but there was a game to play, and it was time to ball.”

However, in 2011, on the heels of a shaky Big 12 and shifting revenue priorities, the Buffs were ready to head west, accepting a Pac-10 invitation alongside Utah — creating the Pac-12.

13 years later, it was time to come home. In 2023, the board of regents at CU voted unanimously to approve the conference switch back to the Big 12, effective for the 2024–25 season.

This decision, which followed the announcement that UCLA and USC were leaving the Pac-12, was designed to create future stability for the Buffs, with the added bonus that student-athletes will enjoy better time slots and shorter travel for some road games.

And while the switch comes with a hefty projected annual television revenue package for CU, former chancellor Philip DiStefano and athletic director Rick George maintained after the announcement that money wasn’t the only factor in the decision.

“The national exposure that joining the Big 12 provides will shine a spotlight not only on our incredible student-athletes, but also on our groundbreaking research that really changes the world,” said DiStefano.

Online, the Big 12 celebrated CU’s return with a two-word statement released through Commissioner Brett Yormark: “They’re back.”

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Photo courtesy CU Boulder Athletics

The University of Colorado Buffaloes are officially back "home" again in the Big 12 after a 13-year visit to the Pac-12.

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New Buffs Are ‘06 Babies

Anna Tolette — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 17:25:21 +0000

New Buffs Are ‘06 Babies Anna Tolette Tue, 11/12/2024 - 10:25

Jessi Sachs

This fall, the incoming class of 2028 moved into CU dorms, charged their laptops for class and downloaded syllabi via smartphones. To prove just how much time flies, here are the stories that were shaping the world in 2006, the year many of these first-year students were born.

Politics:

Democrats win control of both the House and Senate in midterms.
Samuel Alito is sworn in to the Supreme Court as an associate justice.
The War in Iraq continues into its third year.

Tech:

Twitter, now known as X, launches and cofounder Jack Dorsey posts first-ever tweet: “just setting up my twttr.”
Google purchases YouTube for $1.65 billion.
The PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii hit consumer markets.

Science & Climate:

Pluto is downgraded to a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union.
NASA’s Stardust mission ends, making it the first spacecraft to bring samples from a comet to Earth.
California passes the Global Warming Solutions Act.

Culture:

High School Musical airs for the first time on Disney Channel.
NSYNC’s Lance Bass comes out as gay in a People magazine cover story.
Pop star Britney Spears and then-husband Kevin Federline file for divorce.

Top Music & Film:

“Bad Day” (Daniel Powter)
“Temperature” (Sean Paul)
“Promiscuous” (Nelly Furtado and Timbaland)
“You’re Beautiful” (James Blunt)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Cars
X-Men: The Last Stand

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Collage by Connor O'Neill

To prove just how much time flies, here are the stories that were shaping the world in 2006, the year many of these first-year students were born.

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How Ancient Viruses Fuel Modern-Day Disease

Anna Tolette — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 17:23:01 +0000

How Ancient Viruses Fuel Modern-Day Disease Anna Tolette Tue, 11/12/2024 - 10:23

Lisa Marshall

Peek inside the human genome and, among the 20,000 or so genes that serve as building blocks of life, you’ll find flecks of DNA left behind by viruses that infected our primate ancestors tens of millions of years ago.

Scientists have long considered these ancient hitchhikers, known as endogenous retroviruses, as inert or "junk" DNA that were rendered harmless millennia ago. But new CU research shows that, when reawakened, they can play a critical role in helping cancer survive and thrive. The study also suggests that silencing certain endogenous retroviruses can make cancer treatments work better.

“Our study shows that diseases today can be significantly influenced by these ancient viral infections that, until recently, very few researchers were paying attention to,” said Edward Chuong, an assistant professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology at CU Boulder’s BioFrontiers Institute.

After slipping into the cells of our primate ancestors, these invaders coaxed their unknowing hosts into copying and carrying their genetic material — passing their DNA on to future generations.

While endogenous retroviruses can no longer sicken their hosts or spread like live viruses, they can act as switches that turn on nearby genes, with both good and bad results.

On the plus side, they contributed to the development of the placenta, a critical milestone in human evolution. Chuong’s research also shows they can switch on genes that help us fight infection.

However, endogenous retroviruses also have a dark side.

Chuong’s latest study found that a lineage known as LTR10 is remarkably active in about a third of colon cancer tumors, where it appears to fire up genes that inflame cancer.

The good news: When those viral relics are silenced, the cancer-promoting genes go dark too, and tumor-shrinking treatments become more effective.

As a leading researcher in the burgeoning field, Chuong hopes that by better understanding these oft-neglected bits of the genome, scientists can come up with new ways to treat modern-day illnesses.

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Photo by Glenn Asakawa

Tens of millions of years ago, ancient viruses infected our primate ancestors, leaving flecks of DNA that made their way into the human genome. A new study suggests these “endogenous retroviruses” may not be as harmless as once believed.

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Wearable Gelatin: Fashion’s Newest Textile

Anna Tolette — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 17:21:59 +0000

Wearable Gelatin: Fashion’s Newest Textile Anna Tolette Tue, 11/12/2024 - 10:21

Dan Strain

Approximately 92 million tons of textile waste is generated globally per year, according to research. CU researchers envision a different future for fashion.

A team led by Eldy Lázaro Vásquez (PhDCTD’25), a doctoral student in the ATLAS Institute, is busy developing methods to make recyclable clothes from gelatin, the common foodstuff in products like Jell-O and marshmallows.

The team developed a DIY machine that spins textile fibers made from gelatin. These “biofibers” feel a bit like flax fiber and dissolve in hot water within a few minutes to an hour.

“When you don’t want these textiles anymore, you can dissolve them and recycle the gelatin to make more fibers,” said Michael Rivera, a co-author of the research and assistant professor in the ATLAS Institute and Department of Computer Science.

The machine, which is small enough to fit on a desk and costs just $560 to build, heats up the gelatin and uses a plastic syringe to squeeze out droplets of the mixture. Two sets of rollers in the machine then tug on the gelatin, stretching it out into long, skinny fibers — not unlike a spider spinning a web from silk.

“With this kind of prototyping machine, anyone can make fibers,” Lázaro Vásquez said. “You don’t need the big machines that are only in university chemistry departments.”

She added that across the U.S., meat producers often discard gelatin that doesn’t meet quality control standards. Lázaro Vásquez bought her own gelatin, which comes as a powder, from a local butcher shop.

Lázaro Vásquez envisions that designers could tweak the chemistry of the fibers to make them a little more resilient — you wouldn’t want your jacket to disappear in the rain. They could also experiment with spinning similar fibers from other abundant natural materials like chitin, a component of crab shells, or agar-agar, which comes from algae.

“We’re trying to think about the whole lifecycle of our textiles,” said Lázaro Vásquez. “That begins with where the material is coming from. Can we get it from something that normally goes to waste?”

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Photo courtesy Utility Research Lab

Researchers at the ATLAS Institute at CU Boulder hope their DIY machine will help designers around the world experiment with making their own, sustainable fashion and other textiles from a range of natural ingredients—maybe even the chitin in crab shells or agar-agar from algae.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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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.

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75 Years of LASP: Missions Across the Cosmos

Anna Tolette — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 17:18:56 +0000

75 Years of LASP: Missions Across the Cosmos Anna Tolette Tue, 11/12/2024 - 10:18

Kelsey Yandura

CU’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) is the university’s first and highest-budget research institute — and the only organization of its kind to have sent scientific instruments to every planet in our solar system, plus the sun and a host of moons.

Founded in 1948 as a collaboration between the U.S. Air Force and the university’s physics department, LASP’s initial experiments included launching instruments mounted on captured German V-2 rockets in order to study the sun. Today, over 75 years later, the institute is made up of more than 100 research scientists who specialize in designing, building and operating spacecraft and spacecraft instruments.

As LASP looks ahead to the next 75 years, its dedication to innovation keeps it at the leading edge of space science. Here are just a few of the many missions LASP has helped propel forward.

Sun

2010–30

EVE on NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory examines variations in the sun’s extreme ultraviolet light over time.

Mission Highlight: Recorded enormous solar 'tornadoes,' ultra-hot plasma plumes swirling above the sun’s surface.

Mercury

2004–15

LASP Spectrometer on NASA MESSENGER first detected magnesium in Mercury’s exosphere.

Mission Highlight: Confirmed the presence of ice deposits in permanently shadowed craters at Mercury’s poles.

Venus

1978–92

Ultraviolet Spectrometer on NASA’s Pioneer Venus Orbiter identified sulfur dioxide in the clouds, indicating potential volcanic activity.

Mission Highlight: Pinpointed the highest point on Venus — Maxwell Montes stands 10.8 km high.

Earth

Scheduled 2027

LASP radiometers on NASA Libera will record how much energy leaves our planet’s atmosphere on a day-by-day basis, providing crucial information about how Earth’s climate is evolving over time.

Moon

2013–14

Lunar Dust Experiment on NASA’s LADEE gathered and analyzed lunar dust particles.

Mission Highlight: Revealed tiny meteoroids deliver water to the Moon’s exosphere.

Mars

2013–14

Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph on NASA MAVEN discovered an aurora caused by proton precipitation in Mars’ atmosphere.

Mission Highlight: Determined that solar wind has significantly stripped Mars’ atmosphere, altering its climate from warm and wet to cold and dry.

Jupiter

1989–2003

Ultraviolet Spectrometer on NASA Galileo observed the impacts of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 fragments on Jupiter.

Mission Highlight: Found evidence of a subsurface ocean on Jupiter’s moon Europa.

Saturn

1997–2017

Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph on NASA Cassini measured emissions from gases emitted by volcanoes on Jupiter’s moon Io.

Mission Highlight: Detected an icy plume of salt-rich organic chemicals erupting from Saturn’s moon Enceladus.

Uranus

1977–Current

Photopolarimeter Subsystem on NASA Voyager 2 discovered Uranus’ rings are younger than the solar system.

Mission Highlight: Identified an irregular magnetic field, highly tilted from Uranus’ spin axis.

Neptune

1977–Current

Photopolarimeter Subsystem on NASA Voyager 2 found Neptune’s rings are incomplete circles created by dust knocked off tiny moons.

Mission Highlight: Performed the first mission to fly past Neptune and detect its irregular magnetic field.

Pluto

2006–Current

Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter on NASA New Horizons was the first student-designed instrument to launch on an interplanetary mission.

Mission Highlight: Discovered the largest known glacier in the solar system.

And beyond…

LASP has been involved in missions beyond our solar system, including operations for NASA’s exoplanet-hunting Kepler mission and the IXPE mission, which studies extreme space environments.

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Images courtesy NASA

CU’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) is the university’s first and highest-budget research institute. Here are just a few of the many missions LASP has helped propel forward.

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How the Women's Athletic Association Fought for Women in CU Sports

Anna Tolette — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 17:17:53 +0000

How the Women's Athletic Association Fought for Women in CU Sports Anna Tolette Tue, 11/12/2024 - 10:17

Jessica Winter

In 1933, Wilma Howard Garrison (A&S’35) helped the CU women’s field hockey team win the junior class championship — an accomplishment that gained her praise for an excellent play, and the likely reason why she acquired this laurel wreath pin from the Women’s Athletic Association (WAA).

Established by women students passionate about athletics, the WAA strove to promote interest in women’s sports. Membership was based on points, which were earned by participating and competing in the association’s sports. Members could then acquire accolades such as pins, letters and sweaters.

From its inception in 1905 to Garrison’s membership in the early 1930s, the organization experienced hard-earned growth. It expanded the variety of sports in which CU women could participate, adding options like volleyball, baseball, swimming and dance to the roster.

The association also helped CU women obtain a designated spot for their athletics. In 1912, women began using a space located on The Hill as an athletic facility (before this, they were required to schedule time at the Men’s Gymnasium). In 1928, the university built a dedicated Women’s Gymnasium.

Awards like Garrison’s pin reflect the history of CU women’s athletics and tell the story of women pursuing something greater.

Factoids:

Origins

Wilma Howard Garrison (A&S’35) earned this pin as a wing player in field hockey.

Debut

In 1905 on Gamble Field, CU women competed in athletics for the first time, playing field hockey against the University of Denver.

School Spirit

Garrison’s other student involvements included drama, a sorority, an honorary society and several women’s organizations.

First Four

Four sports originally made up the WAA: basketball, field hockey, gymnastics and tennis.

Est.

The CU Women’s Athletic Association (WAA) formed in 1905.

CU Soulmates

Wilma married fellow CU alum, William Garrison (ElEngr’33).

Design

Prior to the 1930s, the university was typically referred to as UC.

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Photo courtesy Mona Lambrecht/ CU Heritage Museum

Established by women students passionate about athletics, the WAA strove to promote interest in women’s sports.

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Shared Wisdom, Shared Success: FBN Mentorship in Action

Anna Tolette — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 17:15:06 +0000

Shared Wisdom, Shared Success: FBN Mentorship in Action Anna Tolette Tue, 11/12/2024 - 10:15

April Driver

When Karen Shimamoto (Bio’07) first heard about the Forever Buffs Network (FBN) Mentorship Program, she knew it would be a wonderful opportunity to give back and support a fellow Buff. The program offers a unique opportunity to connect with other Buffs through a guided mentor–mentee relationship.

Shimamoto was paired with Gennah Penalosa (Fin’23), a recent graduate who joined the program looking for help in navigating her new career.

“The program was the perfect opportunity to guide me,” said Penalosa. “In looking through the various alumni profiles, I was astonished to see the diversity of ethnicities, careers, interests and other identities across the community.”

For Shimamoto and Penalosa, one of the biggest benefits of the mentorship program has been the opportunity to see the world through each other’s eyes.

“She has taught me so much. Her approaches to professional and personal situations have helped me widen my perspectives and find ways to be more inclusive,” said Shimamoto.

The FBN Mentorship Program offers participants prompts and guided activities to help make the meetings more comfortable and intentional. For example, one prompt that Shimamoto and Penalosa had was to do a learning activity together. They chose to listen to a podcast episode on leadership in the professional setting which focused on women of color. After listening, they discussed their shared experiences as women of color and the different ways in which they approach leadership. The activity helped them learn about each other and deepen their relationship.

“It’s truly an honor to understand how a recent graduate is experiencing and navigating the workforce,” said Shimamoto. “She is also helping me understand how I can advocate, encourage and uplift women of color professionals.”

Whether as a mentor or mentee, you can expand your knowledge and grow with a fellow Buff. Learn more about how to apply for the mentorship program here.

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Photo courtesy Karen Shimamoto and Gennah Penalosa

When Karen Shimamoto (Bio’07) first heard about the Forever Buffs Network (FBN) Mentorship program, she knew it would be a wonderful opportunity to give back — but it ended up being so much more.

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