University Relations

Announcements

Veteran faculty member selected for endowed chair. A professor whose work revolutionized cell phones and other electronic devices will be the Symetrix Chair of Device Science and Technology at UCCS. Carlos Araujo, a 25-year member of the faculty and professor of electrical and computer engineering, will continue his research in applied electronics including technology to improve vision, detect disease, and to assist older Americans. (More)

CU president tapped. The University of Colorado Board of Regents named Bruce Benson the 22nd president of the university’s three-campus system Wednesday. The board voted 6-3 in favor of Benson’s appointment during a special meeting Wednesday at St. Cajetan’s Church on the Auraria Campus. (More)

Keeping your – and other’s – information private. In an effort to keep faculty, staff and students from becoming identity theft victims, Information Technology will use an algorithm to scan campus computers for Social Security numbers. Computer users will be notified of the discovery and be given options to dispose of the data or steps to ensure its security. (More)

College bowling without balls. College is not all about calculus, composition and communication theory. It’s also about having fun. Students from a five-state region who excel at having fun are on campus through Saturday as part of a regional competition sponsored by the Association of College Unions International. (More)

LEEDing the way. Gary Reynolds, director, Facilities Services, will talk about his experiences in building Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified buildings as well as other “green” efforts at UCCS as part of the March Chancellor’s Forum. The forum is scheduled for 2 p.m. March 4 in the University Center Theater. Faculty and staff are encouraged to attend. Refreshments will be served.

Survey says. More than 1,200 UCCS faculty, staff, current students, alum s and prospective students participated in a survey this week to gauge perceptions of the university. The survey data is part of a reputation-building effort led by consulting firm Stamats on behalf of the university. Have an opinion? Want to share it in a confidential, statistically accurate way? Visit http://vovici.com/l.dll/JGs6170B5A5F9lLDz9U1025136J.htm

Survey says II. Randomly selected UCCS faculty will receive invitations this week to participate in the 2008 Higher Education Research Institute Survey. Based at the University of California at Los Angeles, the survey is both valid and confidential. Participation in the survey is encouraged by the Office of Institutional Research. (More)

Mountain Lions pounce on children’s hospital. Student-athletes distributed homemade valentines to patients and parents last week at the Memorial Hospital-based Children’s Hospital, demonstrating that Mountain Lions excel on and off campus. (More)

Theatreworks faces Islam. Two contemporary plays, one a world premiere, are making their way from the heart of the Middle East to Theatreworks in March. One is Heather Raffo’s acclaimed 9 Parts of Desire, starring Denver-based actress Karen Slack playing nine contemporary Iraqi women. The other is Dar Al-Harb, a new work about the Islamic radical, Sayyid Qutb, who learned to hate America while attending university in Greeley in 1949. Both plays, produced in repertory from March 13 through April 6, will give audiences fresh perspectives. (More)

Kudos

Nadyne Guzman, professor emerita, Education; Christi Kasa-Hendrickson, assistant professor, Education; Richard Carpenter, assistant professor, Education; Al Ramirez, professor, Education; and John Weathers, assistant professor, Education, will present at the 2008 American Educational Research Association meeting March 24-28 in New York City.

In the News

• The Colorado Springs Gazette wrote about the appointment of a new CU president in MILLIONAIRE VOTED IN, DESPITE CRITICISM
• The Rocky Mountain News wrote about the appointment of a new CU president in Benson sees big opportunities
• The Denver Post wrote about the appointment of a new CU president in Lawmakers put criticism of Benson behind them
• The Denver Post editorialized about the appointment of a new CU president in Benson the right choice at the right time for CU
• The Colorado Springs Gazette wrote about local community leader Michael McNally in Late neurosurgeon remembered as respectful, giving
• The Rocky Mountain News wrote about a CU-Boulder student newspaper column in 'Asians hate' column ignites firestorm at CU
• KXRM aired a story on UCCS student safety in the wake of shootings at Northern Illinois University, Students on campus safety
• KRDO aired a story on UCCS student safety in the wake of shootings at Northern Illinois University, UCCS Safety A Top Priority

Communique is the on-line newsletter for UCCS faculty and staff. It is published weekly during the fall and spring semesters, monthly during the summer semester. Communique is sent to faculty and staff e-mail lists and, by request, to other e-mail addresses. Previous issues are available at //www.uccs.edu/ur/communique. Suggestions and comments are welcome. Send ideas to ur@uccs.edu or call Tom Hutton, 262-3439