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Fiske Planetarium and Sommers-Bausch Observatory at the University of Colorado at Boulder will hold Astronomy Day activities including rocket launches, sunspot viewing and demonstrations of planetarium and observatory equipment on Saturday, April 20, from noon to 7 p.m. Astronomy Day is an annual event celebrated at planetariums and astronomy clubs around the world that is meant to bring astronomy to the public. All of the day's activities at Fiske Planetarium and Sommers-Bausch Observatory are open to the public and most are free.

Richard Rodriguez, award-winning author and regular essayist on the "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," will discuss what he calls the "browning of America" April 19 at 7 p.m. in room 100 of the Mathematics Building at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Rodriguez also will speak April 20 at 7 p.m. at the Denver Public Library conference center, 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway. Both events are free and open to the public and both will be preceded by a reception and book signing at 6 p.m. Books will be available for purchase at both events.

Three University of Colorado at Boulder graduate school specialty programs were ranked in the top 10 in the nation in the annual U.S. News & World Report graduate school rankings released today. CU-Boulder's atomic, molecular, optical and plasma physics program was ranked 2nd in the nation, the physical chemistry program was ranked 7th and the environmental law program was ranked 9th.

Professor Betty Jackson of CU-Boulder's Leeds School of Business cautions last minute filers about common errors and confusion in the 2001 tax season. The most common areas of concern involve rate reduction credits, rate changes and increasing limits on tax-deferred accounts. "Most taxpayers believed that the money they received earlier this year was a refund," Jackson said of the widely misunderstood rate reduction credit.

Tampering to walls adjacent to bathrooms at Farrand Hall at the University of Colorado at Boulder has prompted campus Housing Department officials and CU Police to announce measures now under way to prevent further tampering. Housing Department officials have reported damage to locks and in the walls of four closets adjacent to four women's shower facilities on the first floor of Farrand Hall. Small holes drilled into walls in the closets may have been used by an intruder to see into the showers while they were in use.

Kristen Gillmon and Jeremy Zartman, two students at the University of Colorado at Boulder, have been named 2002 Goldwater Scholars, according to Michael Grant, associate vice chancellor for undergraduate education. "This is a proud accomplishment for these excellent students. It also honors the university and the many faculty members and other supporters who contributed time and expertise," Grant said.

Note to Editors: The final judging of student presentations on April 18 is not open to the public but reporters and photographers are welcome to attend. Presentations will be made from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Imig Music Building, room C125. The University of Colorado at Boulder College of Music, home to one of the nation's few music entrepreneurship centers, is holding a contest in which music students can win $2,000 grants to explore or create an entrepreneurial opportunity.

A new University of Colorado at Boulder study indicates older adults may be able to combat oxidative stress in their cells that may damage tissues and interfere with normal physiological functions by loading up on vitamin C. Although virtually all living things on Earth need oxygen to exist, oxygen can combine with other molecules to form toxic oxygen "free radicals," said CU-Boulder Research Associate Christopher Bell of the kinesiology and applied physiology department. "When oxygen mixes with the wrong crowd, it also can be our enemy."

Nobel laureate and CU-Boulder Distinguished Professor Carl Wieman will speak to the Boulder chapter of the CU-Boulder Alumni Association on April 16 to honor local high school students selected to receive $2,500 scholarships. The Boulder Alumni Scholarship Reception will be held between 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Koenig Alumni Center, located at the corner of Broadway and University Avenue on the CU-Boulder campus. The event is free and open to the public. A light dessert will be served.

The department of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Colorado at Boulder has been awarded $28,000 to advance an educational outreach program intended to draw more females, minorities and economically disadvantaged students into studying chemistry and biochemistry. The three-year grant from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation will be used to further support the Cool and Creative Chemistry program, which was launched in January with support from the CU-Boulder Outreach Council.