Alumni Association

Dear Alum,

In a Colorado Daily article last week, CU President Bruce Benson (Geol’64, HonDocSci’04) discussed how he pays a great deal of his CU expenses out of pocket, and said, “If we do not educate the less fortunate people in this country, we’re going to become a third-world country.” Kind of a good thing for the president of a major research university system to say, no? Here’s the complete interview.

If you’ve moved or changed e-mail addresses, let us know.

And don’t forget, you can always find the latest alumni and CU happenings at cualum.org. Connect with other alums in the online Forever Buffs Network. If you’re having trouble viewing this e-mail newsletter, you may view it online here. Marc Killinger, editor

Programs

Forever Buffs — active in the field!

Under Forever Buffs the Alumni Association no longer has a dues program. All alums and students are lifelong members. Get involved and strengthen your local alumni chapter. The Houston chapter, as one example, is stepping up its assistance to alums in their job searches by placing job listings in their newsletter. We applaud efforts of alums helping other alums and expanding the value of being a Forever Buff.

Haiti needs our support

CU student leaders have launched a campaign to support the relief efforts in Haiti, and your help is needed. Through their CU Stands With Haiti campaign the CU community is being mobilized to generate at least $100,000 for relief efforts as part of a national competition between universities, the Haiti Earthquake Fundraising Challenge.

One hundred percent of your tax-deductible donations given at this site will go directly to work on the ground in Haiti through Partners in Health, a respected and efficient organization. Check out their Facebook page also.

Join New York Buffs for a unique combo

Enjoy ice skating with the Buffs and the Kansas Jayhawks in Central Park at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, followed by a 3 p.m. watch party, CU men’s basketball vs. Kansas, at Bar XII, 206 East 34th St. Here’s all the information or e-mail the chapter.

Alumni College to focus on recession

The 5th annual Alumni College takes place June 4-5 with the theme of The Great Recession of 2007-2010: Causes, Consequences and Cures. You’re invited to join a dozen of CU’s foremost experts to analyze this major issue. Contact Becky at 303-492-2879.

Help with CU’s accreditation

On Monday, Feb. 22, alumni are invited to meet with the site team from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association to talk about their experiences with and impressions of the university. Questions and comments should relate to the five criteria on page 4 of the briefing document linked to this information page. The team is working on the 10-year reaccreditation of CU-Boulder. The open forum is 3-3:50 p.m., UMC room 235.

Attend your class of 1960 50-year reunion

For those who remember when Johnny Tillotson’s Poetry in Motion and Elvis Presley’s Are You Lonesome Tonight? reigned on the Billboard pop charts, you’ll know the year was 1960. Recall the magic and memories by joining and engaging at your former classmates for your 50-year reunion May 6-7. Schedules and invitations were mailed out last month. Get more information and register here or contact Scott at 303-735-2893 or 800-492-7743.

Apply for alumni executive director position

CU-Boulder seeks an executive director of the Alumni Association to build and operate a leading alumni relations operation. The next executive director will have the opportunity to strengthen both the excellent work done to date. At this website click Search Postings then put in Job Posting Number 809036.

Where Boulder history comes alive

Read Silvia Pettem’s (A&S ’69) fascinating columns about CU history published on Sundays in the Boulder Camera on the Heritage Center website.

Sixth largest U.S. city eventful

• The Phoenix chapter will join a Climb to Conquer Cancer 5-Mile Hike at South Mountain Park on Saturday, Feb. 27. There’s a 7 a.m. rolling start. Contact Paul Fishback (Econ’06) for more information.
• Learn about the history of baseball from history professor Tom Zeiler at a Smart Lunch also featuring Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano in Phoenix Tuesday, March 9. Get the score here.

Get ready to bike again

Save the date! The 2010 Buffalo Bicycle Classic will be held on Sunday, Sept 12. The 2009 ride, which raises funds for Arts and Sciences students, was the biggest ever, providing over $225,000 in new scholarships. The classic is a great opportunity to support CU Arts and Sciences scholars while enjoying some great cycling terrain.

Real Estate Center’s Koste to depart

The CU Real Estate Center at the Leeds School of Business recently welcomed two new members. Susan Watts is the new executive director of the center. The previous director, Byron Koste, is retiring after building the 12-year-old program into a first–tier real estate program. In addition, Stephanie Gripne is the new director of the Initiative for Sustainable Development. Watch Byron Koste explain the history of the Real Estate Center.

Law school 29th Annual Alumni Awards Banquet

Thursday, March 11, 5:30 p.m., Denver Hyatt Regency. Award winners: Gary M. Jackson (PolSci’67, Law’70), William Lee Knous Award, the school’s highest alumni honor; Gilbert Goldstein (A&S’40, Law’42), Executive in Industry; Melissa Hubbard (Law’83), Private Practice; Colorado Sen. Brandon Shaffer (Law’01), Recent Alumnus. Proceeds support the Law Alumni Scholarship Fund. There’s more here.

Contribute to CU

A truly classic gift

Mary McClanahan (GreekLatin’67, MA’69) credits her bachelor’s in classical languages and master’s in Latin for her career success. “The classics are the very basis and foundation of our civilization, of how we think about things,” she says. To ensure that the study of classics at CU-Boulder will endure and thrive, McClanahan made a substantial estate commitment to establish the Mary McClanahan Endowed Fund in Classics to support department graduate fellowships and faculty resources. Find out more.

Don’t miss the “I am a Scholarship Student” video

Many of you recently watched the videos featuring CU students expressing their sincere gratitude for donor support. If you missed them, the videos are on the CU Foundation’s website.

Amgen donates $1 million for biotech building

Amgen, a leading biotechnology company with a Boulder County presence, has committed $1 million for the Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology building, the state-of-the-art research and teaching facility slated to be finished on the east campus by late 2011. “Amgen’s gift comes at a critical time in the construction of CU’s new building, and it will allow full fit-out of laboratory space that would otherwise have been shell space,” says Tom Cech, Nobel Laureate and CU chemistry and biochemistry professor. Read more about the gift and the building.

Athletics

CU to host NCAA Ski Championships

Come out and support your CU ski team as they go for their 17th NCAA Championship March 10-13 in Steamboat Springs. For more information on the team visit here. Information on the NCAA ski championships can be found here.

A new kind of retirement community is coming soon to Boulder.

Buff Photos

Brazil beach Buff

Matthew Alvarado (Span’91) was on a business trip and stopped in Rio de Janeiro. He says, “There was this guy painting people. I showed him the CU Buff logo and he painted it on me. The photo is of me on Copacabana Beach. If you’re ever down in Rio, check this guy out. His name is Wagao and you can contact him at wagao47@ hotmail.com or by phone at 552182252353. Also if you’re ever in Miami you can contact me to watch a game with the alumni chapter.” Matthew is business development director for Actron Americas and Passcheck People Counting Systems.

Ralphie’s cousin?

Writing from Jamestown, N.C., Bob Collins (MGeog’53) says, “I know a photo-op when I see one, so when I saw Ralphie’s cousin at Greensboro’s Natural Science Park I shot it before he rusted out. Too bad I didn’t have my CU t-shirt on! He might make a good defensive lineman.”

A CU life together

Alumni board member Brittany Conklin (Comm’01) wrote: “My journey to CU began on the beach in San Diego when I was 11 years old. I saw a girl about my age playing in the sand, and I ran over and asked her grandma to hold my towel. That’s when I met Gentry Howard (Comm’01), who was visiting with her family from Colorado. As the years passed,we would visit together every other summer. We decided to go to college together. Four (and a half) years later, we graduated together. Gentry was a huge part of my life at college and will always be my best friend. We have experiences and memories we will never forget and are happy to have CU as a part of them!” Brittany lives in Phoenix and Gentry in Greenwood Springs, Colo.

Send your Buff photos and descriptions for this section to Marc Killinger.

Grateful for Ralphie and gentle snowfalls

By Mary Alice Moore Konz (Edu’80)

Most students probably select institutions of higher learning based on majors, research or scholarships available. Perhaps my method was not the most analytical, but it did get me to Boulder in the fall of 1976: Ralphie the buffalo. Read more.

Times are tough – Think Buff!

Looking for a job? Career Services can help you right now.

Join the Career Services CU LinkedIn group.

Looking to hire? Check out what Career Services can do for you!

Here are links to your CU, school and college e-mail newsletters

President’s e-newsletter

Chancellor’s e-newsletter

Colorado Arts & Sciences Magazine – to subscribe e-mail here

School of Education

Engineering Alumni News – to subscribe e-mail here

Journalism Bylines

LawPoints – Go here and scroll to publications; subscribe or update your info here

Leeds School of Business – e-mail here to receive the e-mail newsletter. And Leeds’ magazine Portfolio is here.

As a member of the CU-Boulder Alumni Association you receive special discounts and pricing at Colorado National Golf Club.

Alumni Travel

2010 Masters Tour

Join us in Augusta, Ga., April 7-10 at golf’s premier tournament, the Masters, and find out who will wear the green jacket this year. Spend three nights at a deluxe hotel in Atlanta, get in a round of golf and watch a day of the Masters at the course’s executive club, including food and beverages for the day. Go here for more information or contact Ryan at 303-492-0635.

Join us for Family Camp

Enjoy an all-inclusive vacation July 5-11 in the heart of the Rocky Mountains with friends, family and all the amenities. Relax and enjoy a book or hike up to Mummy Pass while we show your kids a great time. Space is limited. Spend all six days or join us for the three-day mini-camp. Check it out here. Give a call at 303-492-0635 or contact Ryan to reserve your space for a wonderful family outing!

The CU-Boulder WorldPoints™ Platinum Plus™ credit card.

Apply here.

CU Opera wins at national competition

CU Opera won first place in the National Opera Association opera scenes competition Jan. 7 in Atlanta. CU-Boulder graduate voice students Bo Yang and Jennifer Braun performed under the direction of CU Opera director Leigh Holman (PhDMus’03). Experience CU Opera live March 12-14 in Mozart’s Don Giovanni at Macky Auditorium.

Get your CU gear

These sweat pants from the CU Book Store are a must-have classic! They come in four colors with “Colorado” and our buffalo printed down the leg. They’re a student favorite.

Contest Corner

The winner of this month’s contest will win a black “Forever Buffs” polo shirt.

Noted CU-Boulder seismologist Roger Bilham said regarding last month’s earthquake in Haiti that “Port-au-Prince is probably one of the worst constructed cities in the world, and even the presidential palace collapsed.” What is the population of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince? A. 500,000; B. 2 million; C. 3.5 million. For help check out the article in the Colorado Arts & Sciences Magazine. Here’s more information about Bilhams’ work on urban earthquakes. The winner of last month’s contest is Sheila Hunt (InfoSys’83) of Broomfield, Colo., who said the fact that there have been 27 new companies formed in the last five years based on CU technologies is “amazing.”

Photo Galleries

Visit the Alumni Association photo galleries.