Colorado State University broke ground in December on a $42 million, 90,000-square-foot Diagnostic Medicine Center that will be critically important to the state’s livestock and biomedical industries. Scheduled for completion in December 2009, the center will house the University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Clinical Pathology Laboratory, Animal Population Health Institute, and the Extension veterinarian.

Collectively, the four entities monitor animal health throughout Colorado, test for such disorders as mad cow and chronic wasting diseases, establish diagnoses, and recommend treatments. The facility will help the University meet the health and safety needs of the local community, state, and nation by identifying and tracking infectious diseases among animals that could infect humans.

Expert diagnostic testing
New animal diseases and bioterrorism threats have increased the need for diagnostic testing. The use of infectious and zoonotic diseases (diseases that spread from animals to humans) as weapons against the nation’s health or economy is a national security concern.

The new building will enable the University to provide expert diagnostic testing that could not be conducted outside of specialized laboratory space, said Lance Perryman, dean of CSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “This new facility is desperately needed to meet the increasing needs for veterinary diagnostic services for private residents and state and national agencies.”

Worldwide contributions
Professionals in the University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and Clinical Pathology Laboratory – which provide services to livestock owners, pet owners, and government agencies – diagnose and recommend treatments for sick animals in addition to monitoring the health of animals across Colorado.

The diagnostic laboratory houses the testing services for avian flu in poultry and wild birds for the entire state, while the clinical pathology laboratory provides such services as blood, fluid, and urine analyses to identify diseases and illnesses in animals. The veterinary diagnostic laboratory is one of seven labs in the nation selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to test for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease.

The Animal Population Health Institute encourages collaboration in veterinary epidemiology among scientists at Colorado State and government agencies throughout the world, focusing on multidisciplinary research to improve the health of animal populations, prevent and control infectious diseases of animals, and contribute to national and international animal disease policymaking.

The University’s Extension veterinarian provides services and education to the state’s animal owners to help protect the health of animals and the economic viability of the state’s animal-driven economy.

January 23, 2008

Two-day teach-in on global warming solutions

Colorado State University will participate in Focus the Nation, an unprecedented teach-in on global warming solutions, on Jan. 30-31. The university will host a two-day teach-in with presentations by roughly 50 faculty members, students, community members and local elected officials. Most of the presentations will be held in the Lory Student Center on CSU’s campus and are free and open to the public.

More than 1,100 universities and colleges participating

Focus the Nation is an educational initiative on global warming solutions for America occurring simultaneously at more than 1,100 universities and colleges in all 50 states. As the largest teach-in in U.S. history, Focus the Nation is preparing students to become informed citizens and leaders in what may be one of the greatest challenges of the future.

“There’s no better place than a land-grant university like CSU to offer good information about real-world issues, and the speakers who will take part in this event have much to teach us about the causes, likely effects, and possible solutions to global climate change,” said Sue Ellen Campbell, Colorado State English professor and co-director of the CSU’s Focus the Nation event.

“Additionally, Focus will deepen the multi-disciplinary climate change teaching initiative we have already initiated here on campus with the new Changing Climates @ CSU program,” said co-director John Calderazzo, Colorado State English professor. Changing Climates is a lecture series on climate change started by Calderazzo and Campbell in the fall.

Panel discussion with local politicians on Feb. 1

In addition to the two-day event, Colorado State has invited local politicians to participate in a panel discussion on Feb. 1. State Reps. John Kefalas and Randy Fisher and state Sens. Steve Johnson and Bob Bacon will discuss how the government can get involved in providing solutions to growing climate change problems. The panel discussion is from 3-5 p.m., Feb. 1 in Eddy Hall Room 212.

Colorado State is internationally known for research into the development of clean energy solutions including alternative fuels, clean engines, photovoltaic devices and other solar energy production capabilities, intelligent electric power grid, wind engineering, water resources, and satellite-based atmospheric monitoring and tracking systems. The university’s interdisciplinary approach leads directly to innovative research, new startup companies, and economic development with a global impact.

CSU Committee on Sustainability and the Environment

As part of that effort, President Larry Edward Penley established a Committee on Sustainability and the Environment to advance sustainability activities on campus. That includes investigating new academic curriculum and enhanced campus-wide conservation and energy efficiency, among other things.

For the complete schedule, visit the Changing Climates @ CSU program at http://changingclimates.colostate.edu.

For more information, also visit http://www.focusthenation.org or contact John Calderazzo at (970) 491-6896.

Rocky Mountain News
Saturday, January 19, 2008

Colorado’s university and college presidents warned lawmakers Friday that funding for higher education could plummet during the next recession by 36 percent, triggering tuition spikes and losses throughout the state’s economy.

University of Colorado President Hank Brown said that when he was a lawmaker in 1972, Colorado spent 27 percent of its annual budget on higher education. Brown estimated that percentage will shrink to 11.5 percent this year and could slip to 9 percent in future years when recessions hit.

Even with increased revenues from Referendum C - a voter-approved measure that boosted funding for health care and both K-12 and higher education - lawmakers have barely kept higher education spending level with 2002 spending.

Brown told a joint meeting of the Colorado House and Senate Education Committees that mandated spending in other areas will force lawmakers to slash spending on higher education.

“You will have no choice but to impose a 36 percent cut to higher education,” Brown said.

Economist Tucker Hart Adams conducted a study for the Colorado Department of Higher Education. She found that the higher education sector creates about 100,000 jobs in Colorado, which generate $4.25 billion in wages and almost $387 million in state and local taxes every year.

“The public higher education sector is one of the largest employers in the state, bigger than mining, heavy construction, telecommunications or the federal government,” Hart Adams said. “It accounts for over half of all state government jobs.”

Thriving institutions of higher learning dramatically boost earning power for their graduates, Hart Adams said. A degree from a community college boosts a high school graduate’s earning potential by 37 percent. A 4-year-degree doubles a person’s earning potential, and the percentage soars to 239 percent for graduates with doctorates and 316 percent for those with professional degrees such as lawyers. Hart Adams said that if Colorado doesn’t spend more on higher education, lawmakers will have to boost funding for prisons.

“Sadly, Colorado ranks 48th in the nation, behind Vermont and New Hampshire, on higher education spending. Yet we are the eighth-wealthiest state,” Hart Adams said.

The university and college presidents said the annual funding crisis means they have trouble maintaining their infrastructures and attracting and retaining professors - including those who bring lucrative grants. The presidents called on lawmakers to create a long-term vision for sustainable funding.

This year’s higher education funding request amounts to nearly $60 million, including $10 million in financial aid. The Joint Budget Committee will begin reviewing that request next month.

If state funding continues to shrink, Brown said fewer Colorado students will be able to afford a college education. All the presidents said they were struggling to curb tuition increases and keep a college education attainable for most students. But, as state funding has fallen, students and their parents have had to pick up more of the tab.

“It’s obvious that there will be some students who will not be able to go to college,” Brown said.

January 11, 2008

Colorado State University’s participation at this year’s National Western Stock Show will include student-raised cattle, informational booths, 4-H Day, a rodeo on CSU day and other events and opportunities for alumni and friends.

Exposition Hall booth

CSU will host a booth on the third floor of the Exposition Hall throughout the duration of the National Western Stock Show. Ag Ambassador and College of Agricultural Sciences students will be available to answer questions regarding student admission, the college and CSU. All NWSS visitors are invited to stop by the booth for stickers and other handouts.

CSU groups of interest at this year’s event will include the following:

- Turfgrass and Horticulture (Jan. 14) Hands-on learning about the various grasses, turf and horticulture grown in Colorado. A turfgrass specialist will be on hand to answer any questions from lawn care to golf course management.

- CSU Enrollment and Access (Jan. 15): CSU Enrollment and Access staff will be available for prospective students and parents to answer questions about admission, tuition, enrollment and more.

- Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (Jan. 18): This research group will display an educational exhibit including slide shows about the shortgrass steppe, animal skulls, snakes-in-a-jar, small mammal specimens and more.

- Alumni Association and CAM the Ram (Jan. 19): Alumni and friends are invited to stop by and have pictures taken with CAM, learn about exciting new developments in the Alumni Association and enjoy other CSU activities.

- Rodeo on CSU Day (11 a.m., Jan. 19): Join thousands of CSU alumni and friends as Colorado State University is featured at the Pro Rodeo on CSU Day. Celebrate Western heritage, a Denver tradition and Ram Pride by purchasing discounted tickets through the Alumni Association at http://www.csualum.com/nwssticket.

- Animal Sciences Social (3-5 p.m., Centennial Room, 3rd floor of the Exposition Hall, Jan. 19) : The Department of Animal Sciences regularly hosts the Animal Sciences Social during CSU Day at the National Western Stock Show. All alumni and friends of the College of Agricultural Sciences are invited to attend and enjoy refreshments and a cash bar. The department also traditionally announces the Livestock Leader of the Year at the event.

- Equine Sciences (Jan. 20): Learn about the largest program in the College of Agricultural Sciences that attracts students from across the country. The Equine Sciences program (a joint program between Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine) prepares students for a career in equine business management, marketing and sales, research, veterinary medicine and more.

- CSU Morgan Library (Jan. 21-25): The Morgan Library at CSU, a leading expert in archiving and preservation, will showcase the Colorado Agriculture Archive Collection. Photos and documents highlight some of the historical collections that document Colorado’s agrarian past. Children may enjoy stickers of historical photos in the archive collection, and memory scrapbooks will introduce them to the idea of archiving through a fun activity at the National Western Stock Show.

- 4-H Day (Jan. 23): National Western Stock Show 4-H Day brings together the entire statewide Colorado State University Extension 4-H program, part of Colorado State University Extension. More than 19,000 school youth participate in these tours annually since 1994, receiving a pre-tour orientation, class time and a post tour briefing.

- Operation Military Kids Mobile Technology Lab public unveiling (4-H booth, Jan. 23): This lab is equipped with 10 laptop computers, two digital cameras, two video recorders, two printers/scanners and the necessary software and materials the labs allow children and youth to send personal messages or create cards and letters to their deployed loved one. It is available across the state to facilitate connections between deployed soldiers and children at home. CSU Extension/4-H will take the mobile lab to locations across the state and include workshops in atmospheric science, GPS and other hands-on technology to engage Colorado’s youth in Colorado’s future.

- Entomology Club (Jan. 26): The Entomology Club from CSU’s Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management will host a creepy-crawly display with live insects, spiders, a cockroach race track and more fun activities.

- Seedstock Merchandising Team (Jan. 12-19): The 10-member team will show six registered bulls at the National Western Stock Show as part of a student project emphasizing learning from, networking with and competing against experts. The team will show against professionals at the NWSS Hereford bull classes on Jan. 17 and the Angus bull classes on Jan. 19. Since September, the students have been feeding, leading, washing and drying their bulls in preparation for the stock show. The process teaches students about the cattle industry and what it takes to manage a professional operation.

     The Seedstock Team will have a booth near the entrance of the stockyards section of the NWSS complex to house their bulls and serve as an information point regarding the CSU program and the cattle industry. Students will be present at the booth 6 a.m.-4 p.m. from Jan. 12-19 to answer questions and care for the bulls.

- Ag Adventure (Jan. 12-27): Ag Adventure is a CSU student-run program that introduces all aspects of agriculture to elementary-aged children. At the National Western Stock Show, Ag Adventure will teach school groups and other visitors about livestock production, crop production, animal husbandry, land stewardship and the “farm-to-plate” process through hands-on activities.

- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (Jan. 12-27): The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences will be hosting a booth along with the Equine Sciences Program near the Pony Trails area at the Stock Show. Anatomy specimens will be on display, and veterinary medicine students will be available to answer any questions.

- NWSS Scholarship Recipients (Jan. 9, 16 and 25): The National Western Stock Show is the largest individual scholarship donor to the College of Agricultural Sciences, providing significant financial assistance to 24 students each year. The 2007-2008 scholarship recipients will volunteer at a number of events during the Stock Show including Coors Art Red Carpet Reception (Jan. 8); Citizen of the West Award Dinner (Jan. 16); and Auction of Junior Livestock Champions (Jan. 25).

The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences broke ground in December on its $42 million Diagnostic Medicine Center north of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The 90,000-square-foot building, which is scheduled for completion in December 2009, will house the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Clinical Pathology Laboratory, Animal Population Health Institute and the office of the Extension veterinarian.

“This new facility is desperately needed to meet the increasing needs for veterinary diagnostic services for Colorado residents, as well as state and national agencies,” said Dr. Lance Perryman, Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “This state-of-the-art building will enable us to increase productivity and provide expert diagnostic testing that could not be conducted outside of specialized laboratory space.”

Diagnostic testing is on the rise because of new animal diseases, zoonotic infections and national security concerns over bioterrorism. The building will provide highly specialized laboratories and space for state-of-the-art equipment to detect these diseases and infectious agents.

The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (D-Lab) and Clinical Pathology Laboratory provide services to pet owners, livestock owners and government agencies including the Colorado Division of Wildlife. The laboratories diagnose and recommend treatments for ill animals in addition to monitoring the health of animals across the state. The D-Lab houses the testing services for avian flu in poultry and wild birds for the entire state. The clinical pathology lab conducts blood, tissue and fluid analysis to identify diseases and illnesses in animals.

The D-Lab is one of seven labs in the nation selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to test for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease.

The Animal Population Health Institute encourages collaboration and information exchange in veterinary epidemiology among scientists at Colorado State, collaborating institutions and government agencies throughout the world. The institute focuses on collaborative, multidisciplinary research to improve the health of animal populations, to prevent and control infectious and other important diseases of animals, and to contribute to national and international animal disease policymaking processes by providing a better understanding of disease epidemiology and pathogenesis.

The University’s Extension veterinarian provides services and education to the state’s animal owners in an effort to protect the health of animals and the economic viability of the state’s animal-driven economy.

Water resource management led to travel abroad

Maurice “Maury” Albertson has always been fascinated with visiting countries and cultures new to him. During his trips, he not only taught others about new innovations in his field of water resource management, but he discovered many different ways of life in environments outside the United States.

It was this passion that prompted his colleagues at other colleges in 1958 to suggest that he be the one tapped to help build an engineering college on the Mekong River - to be known as the Asian Institute of Technology - in Bangkok, Thailand, under the authority of the Southeast Asian Treaty Organization.

Passion to spread good will to underdeveloped nations

At the time, Albertson couldn’t have known that his drive to disseminate knowledge, provide leadership, and spread good will to underdeveloped nations would have a lasting influence on the students of Colorado State and on more than 180,000 people throughout the country who have volunteered for the Peace Corps over the past 46 years.

Students who have signed on for a 27-month Peace Corps mission hail the experience as an opportunity to be immersed in new cultures by putting education to work soon after finishing school.

“Aside from an amazing cultural experience, I found that I was able to use the skills right away that I learned through earning my degree,” says Tami Wolff, who graduated from Colorado State in 1998 and went to the Solomon Islands to teach English.

Peace Corps initiated in the early 1960s

Albertson arrived at Colorado A&M (now CSU) in August 1947 to help bolster the College of Civil Engineering’s water-resources management program. By 1958, Albertson had moved from being a professor in the college to overseeing all research projects on campus.

As the establishment of the Asian Institute of Technology neared completion, Albertson began to hear murmurs in the early 1960s of a new project called Point 4 Youth Corps. Given his background, Albertson was interested in conducting a study on how the program should operate. The program eventually was named Peace Corps.

Albertson’s study became the operational groundwork of the Corps

He tracked down the people who were conducting the search for the right person to design the program. By his own admission, Albertson was tenacious.

“I found an excuse to contact the people who were going to make the decision,” Albertson says. “I had an excuse to contact them every week for four months. It worked.”

With the help of his assistant, Pauline Birky-Kreutzer - who would eventually spent years working for the Peace Corps in Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan - Albertson compiled a study that was accepted by Sargent Shriver, the politician and Kennedy family member charged with forming the Peace Corps. That study became the operational groundwork of the organization.

“I’ve never talked to a guy who caught on so fast,” Albertson says of Shriver. “He was an amazing guy.”

Volunteers are launched

On April 1, 1962, President John F. Kennedy addressed the first-ever class of Peace Corps volunteers, telling them their “influence may be far-reaching and will go far beyond the immediate day-to-day tasks that you may do in the months that are ahead.”

Part of the reward for Peace Corps volunteers is the ability to use their experience toward a master’s degree, says Martha Denney, director of International Education at Colorado State. Students can complete a portion of their master’s through the Masters International Program before heading out on 27-month volunteer commitments. Upon their return, students complete the program, using their experiences as a basis for a thesis. Students studying natural resources, English education, agriculture, and nutrition can participate in the program.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for them to transition back and debrief everything they took in during their volunteering,” Denney says, adding that 55 Masters International Program students at the University currently are volunteering in the Peace Corps.

More than 1,400 Colorado State alumni have been Peace Corps volunteers

Colorado State ranks 12th in the nation among large colleges and universities in the number of alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers, according to 2006 rankings by the Peace Corps. Since the organization’s inception in 1961, more than 1,400 Colorado State alumni have volunteered. The Peace Corps has experienced an increase in applications to 12,242 in 2006 from 8,917 in 2001.

The majority of volunteers are put to work in educational positions, according to the organization. Others go into health-related fields, business development, environment, youth development, and agriculture.

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Originally published in Colorado State Magazine, Winter 2007-2008.