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The I-70 Scout & Eastern Colorado News

Category: Education

  • 21st international poster exhibition at CSU features Soviet collection from the 1980s

    In the field of graphic design, Colorado State University is best known around the world as the home of the Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition.

    Held every two years, the CIIPE returns to various venues on campus Sept. 20 through Nov. 1 for its 21st edition. The show of work from the world’s most distinguished poster artists and designers was created in the late 1970s by three CSU faculty members in the Department of Art and Art History who had begun attending poster exhibitions in other countries.

    A companion satellite show, “RED (AGAIN),” opens Oct. 17 in the Nancy Richardson Design Center and is a powerful visual representation of the Soviet Union’s final years. This exhibition was compiled in the 1980s by graphic designer and CSU alumnus Ron Miriello and CIIPE co-founder Phil Risbeck, now a professor emeritus.

    Schedule

    CIIPE kicks off Sept. 19 with a 5 p.m. lecture at the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art by honor laureate and exhibition judge Pekka Loiri. The eminent designer and professor at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki, who is considered a pioneer in Finnish poster art, will be announcing his three winners and three honorable mentions at the outset of the exhibition.

    Loiri, whose own work will be on display at the Allicar in the University Center for the Arts through Dec. 14, will also speak to graphic design classes during his weeklong visit to CSU. He has regularly had his work displayed in CIIPE.

    The next evening, posters from the artists selected for the exhibition will be unveiled simultaneously at 7 p.m. in the Curfman Gallery at the Lory Student Center and the Hatton Gallery in the Visual Arts Building. In the LSC Theatre, following a 6 p.m. social hour, opening comments and a ribbon-cutting are set to begin at 7 p.m. Posters from the exhibition, as well as a catalog of all displayed works, will be available for sale at the opening.

    CSU faculty organizers Jason Frazier and John Gravdahl say they will have more than 70 artists represented in this year’s show. The two strive to attract a group that is diverse in terms of geography, ethnicity and gender, among other measures.

    They note that the medium of the poster has historically been used as an inexpensive way to communicate with the public in certain countries, often in a guerrilla/punk fashion.

    “But there are also amazing technical achievements that speak to the fine art aspect of this field,” Frazier said, adding that the rise of social media doesn’t portend the death of the poster. “In a lot of ways, Instagram is a poster-friendly medium.”

    “The kind of posters we’re talking about are designed to be part of our common daily experiences centered around political, cultural or commercial commentary,” Gravdahl said. “They originally brought art to the street quickly and efficiently. New media always finds a way to integrate the values of great poster art, and the work in the CIIPE shows off those values in abundance. From a distance or close-up, the physicality of the experience surprises many viewers.”

    History of CIIPE

    The poster exhibition, which quickly built an international reputation, was born when Risbeck and two of his colleagues in the department, Bob Coonts and the late John Sorbie, began getting their posters accepted into established European exhibitions. Thanks to some funding from the University, the three attended the 1978 Warsaw show, where they all had work displayed. Risbeck recalls they got a warm welcome in Poland, support from fellow artists, and a crash course in how to host a poster exhibition.

    “We were met with great jubilation, and we developed lifelong relationships with artists from places like Moscow and Mexico City,” Risbeck said. “We had contact with Russian designers, which wasn’t very easy at the beginning because of the Cold War.”

    The connections they made as they attended other shows around the globe became key to starting their own exhibition. They invited many of the artists they met to attend and display their work in CIIPE, and even serve as jurors.

    ‘Valuable teaching tool’

    “We have friends all over the world because of our show,” Risbeck said, adding that those connections and foreign artists’ visits benefitted CSU as well. “We wanted to bring the world’s very best graphic design work to the students of CSU, and it’s been a very valuable teaching tool. There wasn’t another school in the country that had this at the time. We were able to introduce our students to these people, and occasionally our students could visit an artist’s studio in Frankfurt, Germany, for example. It opened doors for them and gave them confidence that their field was quite interesting and rewarding.”

    Risbeck said CIIPE initially had three exhibition jurors from the U.S. and abroad, and it quickly became clear that Fort Collins was a desirable destination for them and their guests. Designer and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Saul Bass was a CIIPE juror one year; renowned graphic artist Shigeo Fukuda was an honor laureate another.

    “We found that to our liking, and people enjoyed coming to Colorado,” he said, adding that other co-founders of CIIPE included fellow members of the CSU Fine Arts Series Committee: Mims Harris, Jack Curfman and the late Shelton Stanfill.

    Sorbie, Risbeck and Coonts were also becoming internationally known for a split-fountain printing technique that was groundbreaking at the time. Their exhibition began getting coverage in trade publications from countries such as Germany, Switzerland and Japan, as it was the first invitational exhibition of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.

    Colorful memories

    “That’s been a neat experience for me, to get to know these artists, our counterparts in other parts of the world,” Coonts said, adding that Bass told him “we should be really proud of what we have done in Fort Collins, Colorado, because it could just as easily be in Los Angeles or New York.”

    When Fukuda visited, Coonts recalls that his teenage sons and a nephew drove the artist around the area, even up to Horsetooth Reservoir.

    “It gave him a little different slice of our life in America that he wouldn’t have gotten otherwise,” Coonts said, adding that organizers were a bit worried about the joy ride with such a prominent designer — especially when the group ended up at the Electric Stampede and Fukuda rode the bar’s mechanical bull. “There was concern about that too. He could’ve broken his neck or something.”

    Another time, Coonts said he and Risbeck were attending a Mexico City exhibition that included their work, and they decided to go to a bullfight. They couldn’t get seating together, and neither spoke Spanish. As Coonts was climbing the steep stairs of the arena alone, he asked a man for help finding his seat.

    The man replied, “Sorry, buddy, I’m from Ohio.”

    Posters as political messages

    The artists chosen for the CSU show, who have always decided which of their posters to submit, were making works that dealt with the issues of their time, from world peace to AIDS.

    “The tragedies and joys of the world were represented in those posters,” Risbeck said, adding that Morgan Library has an impressive archive of CIIPE posters and catalogs that is now accessible online.

    “For me, a good poster doesn’t need any words — it immediately delivers its message,” Coonts added. “The best posters, in my mind, are the ones that communicate without a lot of language. The visuals are the strength that easily conveys the concept.”

    Coonts recalls CIIPE as being the brainchild of Risbeck and Sorbie, who was one of his professors when Coonts was a CSU graphic design student in the early 1960s. They invited him to become involved, and during the early years, Coonts designed the catalog, while Risbeck and Sorbie took turns designing the primary poster art used to promote each show.

    “It’s been quite a journey,” Coonts said. “We started doing it by the seat of our pants. But 21 shows, that’s pretty amazing. We’re on the map; we’re comparable to the best shows around the world.”

    CIIPE is supported by the Lilla B. Morgan Memorial Endowment for the Arts, the Department of Art and Art History, the College of Liberal Arts dean’s office and the Lory Student Center Arts Program. For more information, visit https://col.st/qo9pT. To donate to CIIPE, visit http://c-fund.us/mr2.

     

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  • As bears enter hyperphagia, CPW reminds residents of Bear Aware responsibilities

    As bears enter hyperphagia, CPW reminds residents of Bear Aware responsibilities

    DENVER, Colo. — Colorado Parks and Wildlife has received over 3,800 bear-incident reports so far since April 1, most involving bears trying to access food sources. The number of reports is expected to grow as bears enter hyperphagia, the period of preparing for hibernation when bears spend up to 20 hours a day on the hunt for 20,000 or more calories.

    An incident reported to CPW over the past weekend highlights a specific Bear Aware behavior that all Coloradans should practice: When a bear is repeatedly seen in an area, the first and best protective action a home or business owner can take is calling your local CPW office or wildlife officer immediately. This not only protects people, but it is the best way to protect bears as well.

    A restaurant employee in the Winter Park area was fortunate to receive only minor injuries on Thursday, August 29 from a bear that was hiding in the business’s dumpster. The bear swatted the employee on the head when surprised by the employee dumping that evening’s trash; a hat worn by the employee likely prevented receiving much more serious injuries. Though the bear was repeatedly seen by the restaurant staff and other locals nearly every night for a week, no reports were made to CPW to help try and haze or remove the bear from the area until after the incident was reported the next day.

    “We all know that when bears have easy food sources, they will keep coming back to them,” said JT Romatzke, Regional Manager for CPW’s Northwest Region. “It’s not so much a bear problem as a human problem when we don’t prevent bears from finding easy meals, and also when we accept bad bear behavior as normal. We need people to call us early and often when bears become a nuisance, instead of waiting for a worst-case scenario.”

    CPW officers monitored the area after the incident, and the bear returned as expected. Officers say the animal was extremely habituated and demonstrated no fear of wildlife and police officers on the scene. Because of the attack and the dangerous behavior, CPW officers put the bear down.

    “In this case, there was a clear pattern of where and how the bear was moving each night, but people in the area had the attitude that it was normal for bears to get into trash,” said Romatzke. “It took a person getting injured for someone to finally call us. By that point, this bear was so conditioned to getting food that it had become dangerous. We need people to understand that you are not doing bears any favors by not calling us; we can work together to prevent these animals from becoming dangerous in the first place if we get a report.”

    Not reporting bear incidents is unfortunately not unique to one interaction or area. Several recent human-bear interactions have been the direct result of bears being conditioned to human food sources when residents and businesses accept bears getting into trash and don’t take the steps to secure waste nor call CPW when bears repeatedly return.

    Because most human-bear interactions are preventable, CPW echoes the frustrations and concerns of those who become upset when these animals face consequences because of problems people have caused. Keeping communities safer and bears away from attractants requires a partnership between CPW, community businesses and residents making a commitment to using dumpsters and trash cans specifically designed to keep bears out. Though often used with the best of intentions, modified dumpster lids, raccoon-proof cans, and self-rigged options are simply not sufficient to keep bears out of trash.

    “We become wildlife officers because of our love for Colorado’s wildlife, and putting down an animal is one of the worst parts of our job,” said Romatzke. “It’s frustrating, because we don’t want to see bears put down any more than our residents do. But if people, or even our trash companies, aren’t putting in the effort to be Bear Aware and help us out, these types of conflicts will keep happening.”

    CPW promotes Bear Aware principles all year long, aiming to minimize interactions that put both humans and bears at risk. Being “Bear Aware” includes easy-to-execute behaviors such as securing trash cans and dumpsters, removing bird feeders, closing garages, cleaning and locking your car and calling CPW when bears become a nuisance.

    When Coloradans refuse to follow these common-sense principles, bears become habituated to seeking out meals from homes and populated areas. When bears are habituated, as in this case, they often lose their instinctual fear of humans, which can lead to increased risks to human health and safety.

    Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers are tasked with both managing wildlife and ensuring public safety, but must always prioritize human health and welfare.

    Help protect Colorado’s bears by taking the following steps to bear-proof homes and personal property:

    Keep Bears Out

    Close and lock all first floor windows and doors when you leave the house and at night before you go to bed.

    Install sturdy grates or bars on windows if you must leave them open.

    Keep car doors and windows closed and locked if you park outside. Make sure there’s nothing with an odor in your vehicle, including candy, gum, air fresheners, trash, lotions and lip balms.

    Close and lock garage doors and windows at night and when you’re not home; garage doors should be down if you are in the house but not outside.

    Install extra-sturdy doors if you have a freezer, refrigerator, pet food, birdseed, or other attractants stored in your garage.

    Remove any tree limbs that might provide access to upper level decks and windows.

    Replace exterior lever-style door handles with good quality round door knobs that bears can’t pull or push open.

    Get Rid of Attractants

    Don’t leave trash out overnight unless it’s in a bear-proof enclosure or container. Be sure to research all local ordinances and regulations if vacationing.

    Clean your trash cans regularly.

    Don’t store food of any kind in an unlocked garage, flimsy shed or on or under your deck.

    Don’t leave anything with an odor outside, near open windows or in your vehicle, even if you’re home. That includes scented candles, air fresheners, lip balms and lotions.

    Clean-up thoroughly after picnics in the yard or on the deck, cleaning your grills after each use. Don’t allow food odors to linger.

    Only feed birds when bears are hibernating, generally Nov. 15 – April 15. If you want to feed birds when bears are active, bring in liquid or seed feeders at night or when you leave the house.

    If you have fruit trees, pick fruit before it gets too ripe. Don’t allow fruit to rot on the ground. Electric fences provide good protection for small orchards.

    When camping do not leave coolers, food or pots/pans out when you’re not in camp. Place them in a locked, hard-sided vehicle.

    Teach Bears to Remain Wild

    If a bear comes close to your home, scare it away. Loud noises like a firm yell, clapping your hands, banging on pots and pans or blowing an air horn sends most bears running.

    Utilize electric fencing, unwelcome mats and scent deterrents like ammonia to teach bears that your property is not bear-friendly.

    If a bear enters your home, open doors and windows and ensure it can leave the same way it got in. Don’t approach the bear or block escape routes.

    Never approach a bear. If a bear won’t leave, call your local CPW office or Colorado State Patrol.

    If a bear presents an immediate threat to human safety, call 911.

    For more information on how to stay bear aware during this busy bear season, visit Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Living with Bears page.

     

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  • Atmospheric scientist Jessie Creamean to board ship trapped in drifting Arctic ice

    Atmospheric scientist Jessie Creamean to board ship trapped in drifting Arctic ice

    By Anne Manning

    In a few days, a research vessel called the RV Polarstern will depart Norway and spend a year drifting through the Arctic Ocean, trapped in the ice. More than 600 researchers from 19 countries will board the ship in various stages, participating in the world’s most ambitious Arctic science expedition to date.

    Jessie Creamean, a research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University, will be one of them. Starting Sept. 12, Creamean will spend about four months on board the ship, floating toward the North Pole and collecting thousands of ice, snow, seawater, and air samples along the way. Her goal is to determine how biological processes from microbes – like algae and bacteria – in the water, ice, and snow are affecting atmospheric conditions that form clouds.

    “Especially up in the Arctic, clouds are like thermostats – they can reflect radiation from the sun or trap heat from the Earth’s surface,” said Creamean, whose colleagues on the project include senior research scientist Paul DeMott and University Distinguished Professor Sonia Kreidenweis. For example, if clouds cause sea ice to melt faster, this could lead to more sunlight exposure in the ocean, and more production of algae that can affect local ecology.

    According to research Creamean and DeMott recently co-authored in Geophysical Research Letters, marine bacteria seed clouds in the Arctic, feeding off vast algae blooms and carried by sea spray above the ocean’s surface.

    “We don’t have a good grasp, especially in models, of how many of these particles become airborne because we have such limited observations,” Creamean said. “They might have even larger impacts we don’t know about.”

    International effort

    The MOSAiC expedition (Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) is a $134 million international effort that will include research aircraft and other “icebreaker” ships, as they are called. The overall mission is to develop a better understanding of declines in Arctic sea ice, and how those declines are linked to climate change. Improved data can then increase the accuracy of regional and global climate models.

    Creamean is no stranger to the harsh conditions of Arctic science; this will be her fifth such research journey, although there will be many unique aspects to this endeavor.

    “I’ve never been that far north, and I’ve never experienced polar night, when it’s dark all day long,” Creamean said. “I’ve been up to the marginal ice zone, where the ice and seawater form ice floes, but I’ve not been completely frozen in ice.”

    Models predict that the ship will float close to the North Pole. By spring, the researchers should be headed for the Fram Strait. When Creamean returns, she and the CSU team led by Kreidenweis will spend several months analyzing data and answering key questions about the behavior of airborne microbes in the Arctic.

    Previous experiments

    Another researcher in Kreidenweis’ group, Jun Uetake, recently returned from a shipborne research expedition in the Bering and Chukchi Seas, collecting samples for a multi-year partner study documenting changes in the Pacific-Arctic ecosystem. The CSU portion of that study, which Creamean also leads, is called INARCO III (Ice Nucleation over the Arctic Ocean). The researchers also collected data from two previous INARCO studies in 2017 and 2018, which led to their Geophysical Research Letters paper about cloud-seeding marine bacteria.

     

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  • Broncos Game of the Week: Bennett at Strasburg

    Broncos Game of the Week: Bennett at Strasburg

    1.) HEAD COACHES: Brian Brown (Strasburg)/ Rick Jacoby (Bennett)

    2.) ADMINISTRATOR(S) ON DUTY: Michelle Woodard, Jeff Rasp (Strasburg); Cassie Salberg, Carlos Tello (Bennett)

    3.)SECURITY: TBA           

    4.) FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE:   BRONCO’S HS FOOTBALL GAME OF THE WEEK!

    • 5:30 pm (90:00) –  Field Open for Warm-ups: SHS – South/BHS – North

    • 6- 6:50 p.m. – Bronco Pre-game Activities (Circle Drive area)

    • 6:45 p.m.  –  Welcome & Sportsmanship/Bronco Announcement

    • 6:45 p.m.   –  Bronco Cheerleaders Stage on West Sideline

    • 6:48 p.m.   –  Bronco Cheerleaders Perform

      • 6:53 p.m. (10:00)   –   Bennett takes field (from East) – Starting Line Up
      • 6:55 p.m. (8:00)    –    Strasburg takes field (from South) – Starting Line Up
      • 6:58 p.m. (5:00)    –  National Anthem
      • 7:00 pm (2:00)     –    Coin Tossed by Bronco Alumni Billy Thompson
      • 7:02 p.m. (0:00)   –   Game Time – Game Ball Delivered by Miles

    * HALFTIME – 15 MINUTES *

    Strasburg Youth Football Teams Play at ½ Following Strasburg H.S. Cheer Routine            

    OFFICIALS

      • PLEASE PARK IN THE HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOT. This lot is just off Colorado Ave.
      • A School Administrator will meet you at the front doors of the school off Circle Drive and direct you to pre-game, halftime and post-game dressing area.
      • Saturday’s officials are selected by the CHSAA office

    Karl Kramer, Shannon Hartman, Cary Fry, Drew Walton, Richard Iversen

    VISITING TEAM INFORMATION

      • DRESSING ROOM – Visitors’ locker room – High School PE locker rooms.
      • BUS PARKING – PLEASE PARK IN THE NORTH DIRT SCHOOL PARKING LOT (DRIVE TO THE WATER TOWER AND TAKE A LEFT AND FOLLOW THAT TO BEHIND THE SCHOOL)
      • BENCH AREA – East side-lines.
      • PRE-GAME – North end of field.
      • PRE-GAME & HALFTIME – Visitors’ locker room – High School.
      • SECURITY – Administrator will provide you with a locker room key.
      • TRACK – Please cross the track on the protective cover when entering and exiting the field.
      • UNIFORMS – White, road uniforms.

    FAN INFORMATION

      • PARKING – SPECTATOR PARKING IS LOCATED AT THE MAIN (HIGH SCHOOL & ACROSS THE STREET) BUILDING (56729 E. Colorado Ave). THERE ARE 2 ENTRANCES, MAIN GATE IS OFF CIRCLE DRIVE & EAST GATE BY WATER TOWER PARKING LOT
      • ONLY APPROVED SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AND TEAM PERSONNEL WILL BE ALLOWED INSIDE FENCE ALONG TRACK AND/OR ON SIDELINES.
      • Admissions prices: $6.00 for adults $5.00 for students (K-12)/seniors (60+).
      • Accepted passes: CHSAA, CHSCA and media credentials only.
      • No artificial noisemakers (cowbells, drums, whistles, air horns, thunder sticks, etc.) per the Colorado High School Activities Association.
      • Dogs are not permitted, with the exception of service dog
      • Restrooms (Port-a-Potties) are located on the east side of the football field.

    Thank you and good luck!

     

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  • Gardner Tours Native American Artifact Site Outside of Durango

    Gardner Tours Native American Artifact Site Outside of Durango

    Washington, DC – Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) toured an extensive site of Native American artifacts outside of Durango this week. During a site survey by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) ahead of construction on the US Highway 550 project, a network of well-preserved ruins and artifacts was unearthed. The artifacts are likely more than 1,000 years old and will be preserved before construction begins, which is anticipated for spring 2020. 

    “It was remarkable to see the archaeological process to uncover the ruins and artifacts from Native Americans who called Colorado home long before any of us,” said Senator Gardner. “Collecting and preserving this part of history will give us a better understanding of those who came before us and provide educational opportunities for future generations.” 

    The archaeologists said the findings will give a much better understanding of what life was like in the late 800s and early 900s. A spokeswoman for CDOT said any human remains and artifacts associated with a burial will be returned to the tribes to honor their traditions. 

     

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  • CALL FOR NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN FOR 2019 COLORADO APPRENTICESHIP AWARDS

    CALL FOR NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN FOR 2019 COLORADO APPRENTICESHIP AWARDS

    (DENVER) – The Business Experiential Learning (BEL) Commission in collaboration with the Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Higher Education, the Colorado Workforce Development Council and CareerWise is celebrating outstanding apprenticeship programs, employers and apprentices across Colorado.

    An awards program will be held on November 5 at the Governor’s Executive Residence in Denver.  Awards will be presented to businesses, individuals and organizations in four categories.

    Apprentice Awards

    Individuals who demonstrate that hard work and ambition can be a great route into skilled employment will be honored.  These apprentices have made a real difference in the business they work for and are laying the groundwork for their professional success.  This award honors their exeplary performance and capabilities.

    Mentor Awards

    Behind every great apprentice is a trusted advisor, a person who has always been available for support, recommendations and training. Mentors forge a unique and meaningful relationship with apprentices when they need it most.  This award pays tribute to those who help build skills, set goals and offer real world insights into getting things done.

    Employer Awards

    This category provides awards to businesses who have made an extraordinary commitment to improve the availability and accessibility of apprenticeship programs.  These employers are providing an invaluable opportunity to apprentices to hone skills, develop new skills and gain a first-hand understanding of an industry.

    Program/Partnerships Awards

    Partnerships between businesses, educators, and other community organizations maximize the capacity of each to provide crucial services to expanding the apprenticeships model in Colorado.  This award recognizes the best practices that are bolstering apprenticeships and inspiring new collaborations across the state.

    If you know an apprentice who is making exceptional contributions to his or her workplace or a mentor who is providing guidance and helping apprentices overcome challenges; If there is a business that is growing its own talent with apprenticeships or a program or partnership that has made noteworthy strides in helping Colorado meet its talent needs, this is an opportunity to recognize those achievements.

    You can read about last year’s award winners here.  Nominations for 2019 should be submitted at the website, http://bit.ly/CAANoms.  The deadline is September 15.  Questions about the nominating process can be directed to .

     

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  • CSU Early Childhood Center, Washington School celebrate historic milestones Sept. 7

    The Colorado State University Early Childhood Center made history in 2013 when it moved into the Poudre School District’s former Washington School. This year, the ECC is celebrating its 90th anniversary, as well as the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Washington School building.

    To mark the rich history of both institutions and their impact on children’s lives, the Early Childhood Center is inviting the community to an open house at the ECC on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 10 a.m. to noon.

    Original location on Laurel

    What is now the ECC in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies was launched as a summer preschool program in 1929 by the Department of Home Economics.

    The preschool was originally located at 212 W. Laurel St. in the building that is now occupied by the Rainbow Restaurant. In 1933, the preschool moved out of the Laurel location temporarily to 129 S. Meldrum St., but returned to the Laurel location in 1934 when it became the Home Economics Practice House.

    As recorded in department history, the site on Laurel Street was a cheerful, sunny building, and the big porch was perfect for active play when it was too wet or cold to be outdoors. There was a large playground shaded by a beautiful tree, and the playground had easy access to the CSU Oval for trike rides, dance and swim classes in Ammons Hall, the Geology Building’s rock collection, and many other campus wonders. Just as today, the trains were a feature of campus. The children enjoyed watching the 11:20 a.m. passenger train to Cheyenne as it rolled by.

    West of Ammons Hall

    In 1936, the preschool moved to a building located directly west of Ammons Hall and east of the current entrance to the Lory Student Center parking lot. This was the former location of the CSU apiary (bee hives), according to a history written by Dean Schachterle, retired general manager of CSU Central Receiving. The preschool remained at this location until 1972.

    Marie Macy served as director of the Preschool Laboratory for 18 years, from 1955 to 1973. The school served as a learning lab for students in the College of Home Economics. The 22 children in the school attended from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day, and the staff at the preschool taught graduate and undergraduate classes in the afternoon. “Those years were certainly an invaluable and memorable opportunity for me to have been associated with such excellent students, children, parents, staff, and faculty,” she wrote. Learn more about Macy’s memories of her time at the Preschool Laboratory on her Legacies web page.

    Move to Gifford 

    The building housing the lab school was torn down in 1973, and Rockwell Hall was the new location of the preschool starting in 1972, until it moved to a building in Aggie Village in 1974. In 1976, it was relocated to the west end of the new Gifford Building on campus, where it remained until moving to its current location in the Washington School in 2013. Barbara McCornack was the director of the Early Childhood Laboratories starting in 1979 until her retirement in 1996. The Gifford Building housed two half-day preschool programs, and the Village Child Care Center across the street was the home to a full-day program. Phyllis Sakarada was the long-time cook for the early childhood programs and prepared the lunches in the Gifford kitchen.

    A toddler program was added in 1982, and the two programs were combined into one located in the Gifford Building. McCornack remembers that at one point, children from 20 different language backgrounds were enrolled, most of whom were children of CSU students, staff, or faculty. In fall of 1992, in collaboration with the Poudre School District, children with special needs were integrated into the morning classrooms. McCornack wrote about her experiences in the department history: “So many good memories and friendships were made with children, parents, staff, and student teachers, but what I’ll always cherish is the look in the eyes of a child who has discovered something new – that ‘a-ha’ experience that is at the heart of the teaching and learning experience.”

    Historic Washington School

    The Washington School location has allowed the ECC to greatly expand its childcare offerings to include space for infants and to remain open year round. The Washington School has its own rich history as part of the fabric of Fort Collins. It was built in 1919 to fill the need for more grade schools to serve the growing population. Paul Havenar worked for Poudre School District as a teacher and a principal. His first assignment as a principal in the district was in 1979 at the Washington School, where he remained until 1987. “It was a fun eight years,” he said. As a small school, Washington School was originally combined with Dunn Elementary and housed K-2. Some of the staff, including Havenar, was split between both schools.

    There was originally an apartment in the basement for an onsite custodian for the school. Schachterle even recounts a story of a baby being born in the basement apartment in 1923 to the niece of the custodian and his wife. More recently, Washington School served as the site of the Lab School for Creative Learning in the Poudre School District. As the 21st century unfolded, the needed upgrades to the aging building became too expensive, and Poudre School District sold the building to CSU in 2011. It subsequently underwent extensive renovation before opening in 2013 as the ECC.

    Through the many different locations, the mission and philosophy of the Early Childhood Center has remained constant: teaching, research, and service – involving students in observational and applied experiences with young children, providing a resource for faculty to conduct research, and serving the Fort Collins and CSU communities with high-quality early care and education. An outreach mission is also emphasized, and grant monies are available to help CSU student parents afford the cost of childcare.

    “The importance of the first five years of life cannot be overstated,” said current ECC Executive Director Karen Rattenborg. “The ways that children are nurtured during this time are critical to their future health and development. This is why the Early Childhood Center is so beneficial. We not only support the development of the children in our care, we also train the next generation of professionals so that they can implement best practice for children and families.”

    Each year, the ECC serves approximately 150 children (ages 6 weeks to 6 years) while simultaneously training more than 130 students from various departments across campus including Food Science and Human Nutrition, Human Development and Family Studies, Occupational Therapy, the School of Education, and the School of Theatre, Music, and Dance.

    “For 100 years, the Washington School has served a variety of purposes in different ways, but all educational, and now it serves the vital role as the home of the ECC,” said Havenar.

    The Early Childhood Center is in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.

     

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  • WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MONTH KICKS OFF SEPTEMBER 1ST

    WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MONTH KICKS OFF SEPTEMBER 1ST

    (DENVER) — September is National Workforce Development Month and the month-long celebration will feature workshops, open houses, hiring events (both in person and online), employer seminars, presentations and symposiums throughout Colorado.

    The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), state and county-run Workforce Centers and partners will be showcasing resources and services to both employers and jobseekers, while also highlighting initiatives and career opportunities within some of Colorado’s key industries.

    The first week of Workforce Development Month is focused on apprenticeships, where CDLE will be highlighting apprenticeship opportunities throughout the state. Apprenticeships across many industries continue to emerge nationally. In the years ahead, apprenticeships will play a significant role in virtually all industries and, in fact, in the future of work.

    In weeks two, three and four, Workforce Development Month will concentrate on several industries that are having a broad, statewide impact on Colorado’s future.  The second week will be devoted to the education sector, with an emphasis on career paths, specifically within early childhood education. Week three will spotlight healthcare and week four will target energy.

    Just a few of the scheduled events include:

    Wednesday, Sept 4: Seven Steps to Getting the Job You Want (Greeley)

    8:30am – 12:30 pm, 918 10th St, Greeley, CO 80631

    Thursday, Sept 5: Correctional Services Hiring Event (La Junta)

    9am – 11am, La Junta Workforce Center, 308 Santa Fe Ave, La Junta, CO 81050

    Tuesday, Sept 10: Government Job Fair (Englewood)

    1pm – 4pm, 1000 Englewood Parkway, Englewood, CO 80110

    Wednesday, Sept 11: Job Search Safari (Boulder)

    9am – 12pm, 5755 Central Ave, Suite B, Boulder, CO 80301

    Wednesday, Sept 18: Path to Payday Job Fair (Denver)

    11am – 1pm, 1200 Federal Blvd, Richard Castro Building, 1st floor, Denver, CO 80204

    A full calendar of events and Colorado Workforce Center locations is available at www.COWorkforce.gov. Throughout the month, events will also be posted to CDLE’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

     

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  • Colorado State University remains first in public engagement in 2019 Sustainable Campus Index

    Colorado State University has once again been recognized as a leading performer in the 2019 Sustainable Campus Index, achieving the highest spot in public engagement. CSU was also recognized for research and campus engagement, and ranked fourth overall for universities that grant doctoral degrees.

    The Sustainable Campus Index, published by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, recognizes top-performing colleges and universities overall and in 17 sustainability impact areas, as measured by the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, also known as STARS.

    The index also highlights innovative and high-impact initiatives from institutions that submitted STARS reports in the most recent calendar year.

    Among the highlights, CSU tied for second place with 18 other universities in the research category, and shared third place spot in campus engagement with four universities. Nearly 80 percent of departments at CSU engage in sustainability research.

    CSU ranked fifth in well-being and work, which includes student and employee wellness programs and employee compensation, satisfaction, health and safety. The University also placed eighth in curriculum, which covers courses, living laboratory initiatives, immersive experiences, sustainability literacy and faculty development.

    Lynn Johnson, vice president for university operations, said CSU’s decision to invest in sustainability and related efforts is based on a passion to protect the environment and people. Everyone in the university community helps to encourage sustainability, she said.

    “The efforts we’ve made include students, faculty, staff, the city of Fort Collins and our researchers,” Johnson added. “We once again ranked as a top performer because everyone comes together to collaborate on and advocate for sustainability.”

    Engaging the public

    CSU Extension offers numerous classes on sustainability topics across the state, including energy and climate change, transportation alternatives, home energy audits and building efficiency.

    In addition, the University has aligned its climate action plan goals with the city of Fort Collins. CSU also partners with the city on ClimateWise, a free, voluntary program that offers solutions to help businesses save money and gain recognition for achievements in energy and water conservation, waste reduction, alternative transportation and social responsibility.

    CSU’s Eco Leaders — peer educators who raise awareness about sustainability and encourage environmentally responsible behaviors by students — manage recycling stations during move in. And the student-led Zero Waste Team hosts waste diversion and up-cycling events at football games at Canvas Stadium, as well as craft nights and potlucks held on campus.

    “Being recognized as a top performer in six different categories ranging from research and curriculum to well-being and work demonstrates the University’s comprehensive commitment to sustainability across campus,” said Tonie Miyamoto, co-chair for the President’s Sustainability Commission and director of communications and sustainability for Housing & Dining Services.

    “Students, faculty and staff at CSU should be very proud of this accomplishment,” she added.

    In 2015, CSU was the first university in the world to have its sustainability efforts rated Platinum by STARS. In 2017, CSU achieved the Platinum rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education for the second time.

    “The institutions being recognized as top performers in this year’s Sustainable Campus Index exemplify the leadership higher education institutions are showing in addressing sustainability challenges,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser.

    CSU is also one of 26 schools that made the 2020 Green Honor Roll, produced by The Princeton Review. Nearly 700 colleges received Green Rating scores from The Princeton Review this year.

     

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  • Ajay Menon named President and CEO of the Colorado State University Research Foundation

    Ajay Menon, a two-time dean at Colorado State University, has been named the next leader of the Colorado State University Research Foundation, the CSURF Board of Governors announced this week. Menon, who currently serves as dean of CSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences, will step into the new role October 1, following the retirement of long-time CSURF leader Kathleen Henry.

    “CSURF is extremely lucky in that we have had a real superstar in Kathleen, and we are hiring a real superstar in Ajay. We look forward to a dynamic future,” said CSURF Board Chair Don Marostica.

    As President and CEO of CSURF, Menon will be responsible for the protection, management and commercialization of intellectual property resulting from research at CSU and will oversee the services that CSURF provides to both CSU and the CSU System. These services include the coordination and management of non-campus real estate holdings on behalf of CSU, CSU-Pueblo, CSU-Global and the CSU System and the provision of debt financing expertise and capabilities to those entities.

    Menon has served as dean of CSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences and director of the Colorado Agriculture Experiment Station since July 2015. Prior to this appointment, from 2002 until 2015, he served as the dean of the CSU College of Business.

    From November 2011 to August 2013, as appointed by Governor John Hickenlooper, Menon served in a dual role as the state’s first Chief Innovation Officer. In that role, he helped establish and lead the Colorado Innovation Network to develop an ecosystem in Colorado that cultivates entrepreneurial and innovative activities.

    In his role as Dean of the College of Business, Menon led the college’s transformation to a high-performing and entrepreneurial school within a large land-grant state university. While leading the College of Agricultural Sciences, he was involved in guiding the college toward a vision of unquestioned global preeminence.

    “I want to recognize and thank Kathleen Henry for her outstanding service to CSURF and our University community – and to congratulate the CSURF Board for persuading Ajay Menon to step into the role with her retirement,” said CSU Chancellor Tony Frank. “Ajay is a respected and visionary leader who has a remarkable capacity to work thoughtfully with a wide range of constituents and industries. Having led two of our most publicly engaged colleges and served in the Governor’s Cabinet, his experience, reputation, and deep knowledge of the university and state have prepared him exceptionally well to head up the innovation arm of the University.”

    Menon holds a Ph.D. in Marketing and joined CSU in 1991 as a member of the Marketing Department faculty. His teaching and research expertise lie in the areas of International Marketing, New Product Development and Management and Strategic Market Planning. His research interests lie in the areas of customer loyalty, new product management and strategy implementation. Menon’s research has appeared in numerous preeminent publications in the field, including the Journal of Marketing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science and Journal of Business Research.

    In addition to his academic and administrative work, Menon has served as a management consultant to local and multinational companies on issues related to customer satisfaction and loyalty. He has also served on the Boards of Directors or Advisors to for-profit and non-profit organizations including the Colorado Innovation Network; Junior Achievement – Rocky Mountain, Inc.; Colorado National Bancorp; World’s Fresh Waters, Chile; Convera Corporation; Women’s Vision Foundation; Envirofit Corporation; and the Better Business Bureau of Northern Colorado.

    Menon has received numerous teaching awards, including “Professor of the Year” from the CSU College of Business.

     

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