Three University of Colorado at Boulder alumni are among the 12 distinguished guest professors and instructors from all over the world who will teach a series of unique summer courses at CU-Boulder starting in May.
Astronaut James Voss, CNN senior editor James Schiffman and literature scholar Paul Youngquist each earned degrees from CU-Boulder and went on to become renowned in their respective fields. They are scheduled to teach classes as part of the CU-Boulder First Faculty in Residence Summer Term beginning May 10.
"We're very pleased this year's group of faculty includes three CU-Boulder alumni," said Anne Heinz, associate vice chancellor for CU-Boulder summer session.
Voss, a veteran of five space flights, four space walks and 201 days in space, earned a master's degree in engineering from CU-Boulder. He will teach "Fundamentals of Human Space Flight" from June 1 to July 2 along with CU-Boulder Professor David Klaus. The class will discuss astronaut selection and training, life support system design, physiological and psychological concerns related to space travel, and other topics. Voss currently teaches and is an associate dean at Auburn University.
"We hope to give our students not only technical information but also personal stories from our experiences while working in our nation's space program," Voss said. "I look forward to teaching CU students about something that I love."
The blurring line between print and television journalism is the main topic in Schiffman's course, "Writing Across Platforms," which runs May 10 to May 27. Â鶹ÒùÔº will write stories for both types of media and ponder whether differences in the medium define journalistic content.
"Journalists today need to be able to write for print, produce television stories and turn them around for Web sites," Schiffman said. "Journalism is all about story telling. We as journalists need to look at ourselves as people who can tell stories in a variety of media."
Schiffman earned a master's degree in Chinese history from CU-Boulder before starting his journalism career. "I had a terrific educational experience at CU. The courses were marvelous, and the intellectual atmosphere was electric," he said.
His first journalistic experience came as a columnist for the Colorado Daily. He joined CNN in 1990 and has been senior editor at CNN International since 1992.
Youngquist, an associate professor at Penn State University, will teach "Topics in Popular Culture: Postmodern Science Fiction" from June 1 to July 2 at CU-Boulder. Â鶹ÒùÔº in his class will examine science fiction and how it has changed since the middle of the 20th century.
"We'll revisit a few sci-fi classics, but I hope to introduce students to some writers who may be new to them, maybe challenging their assumptions about what constitutes science fiction," Youngquist said. "It's not all rockets, ray-guns and babes anymore."
Youngquist graduated from CU-Boulder in 1980 and went on to earn master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Virginia. This will be his first return to Boulder since his days as a student.
"I return with a feeling of gratitude for the education and guidance I received. I hope I can live up to that example," he said.
"I'm aware, too, that Boulder has changed in the 20-plus years that I've been away. I expect to be surprised by those changes -- new buildings blocking views that are still fresh in my memory, students whose priorities and interests have shifted since the time I was among them, and a different feel perhaps to the town," Youngquist said.
Additionally, Brown University professor-at-large and MacArthur Fellow Shirley Brice Heath is on CU-Boulder's impressive list of guest summer faculty, along with professors from the universities of Vienna, Austria, and Montesquieu-Bordeaux, France. For more information on First Faculty summer courses and how to register, visit or call (303) 492-5148.