Colorado State University’s Warner College of Natural Resources recently announced the establishment of an endowment to create the Charles C. Gates Boone and Crockett Chair for Wildlife Conservation, funded by an initial $3 million gift from the Boone and Crockett Club whose members promote land and wildlife conservation.

The chair will enhance the opportunities for research in the Warner College of Natural Resources’ Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology and encourage the creation of collaborations to solve state, national and international issues facing wildlife populations.

CSU will raise private support to match the $3 million gift from Boone and Crocket to endow the chair completely.

Colorado State’s Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology is one of the oldest and most prestigious in the country and has consistently ranked as one of the top programs in terms of scholarly productivity.

“The Boone and Crockett Chair is a unique opportunity to help solve a number of pressing wildlife issues such as chronic wasting disease and impacts of oil and gas development that are affecting Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region,” said Ken Wilson, head of the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology.  

The Charles C. Gates Boone and Crockett Chair will create a tenure-track faculty position that will allow the department to continue and expand its research into wildlife and big game conservation.

The department has a long and distinguished history in education and research of wildlife populations and in cooperation with federal and state agencies such as the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Such research has provided shared learning and training of future wildlife professionals to ensure the management and conservation of wildlife.

The Boone and Crockett Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1887 by Theodore Roosevelt. The organization is a coalition of conservationists and sportsmen who provide the leadership needed to address the issues that affect hunting, wildlife and wild habitat.

The Colorado State University Foundation permanently invests funds that are given to establish endowed chairs, and the interest generated is used to support the chair. The principal is never used, so endowments allow continuous funding to supplement the chairholder’s salary, graduate student work, and research and activities tied to the chairholder’s program.

Former assistant state engineer, longtime faculty member and Colorado State University alumnus Bob Longenbaugh and his wife Eulalia have named Colorado State’s College of Engineering the beneficiary of a $1 million estate gift.

Planned gift supports engineering students

The planned gift will supplement the Longenbaugh Endowed Scholarship in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The scholarship supports undergraduate civil and environmental engineering students who have an interest in water resources and who demonstrate significant financial need.

“Bob Longenbaugh has always been generous to Colorado State University,” said Sandra Woods, dean of the College of Engineering. “We will always be grateful for his support, advocacy for and dedication to the university. This gift will enable the civil engineering department to attract qualified students and enables our mission to engineer global solutions.”

Longtime Colorado State connections

Bob Longenbaugh, a two-time alumnus of the university’s agricultural engineering program, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1957 and master’s degree in 1962. His parents, the late Harry and Frances Longenbaugh, graduated from Colorado State University, then Colorado A&M, in 1927.

Bob Longenbaugh spent 19 years on the civil engineering faculty at CSU before being named assistant state engineer, a position he held for 11 years before retiring.

“The Longenbaugh gift will transform the lives of students through scholarship support, additional funding for water resource research and state-of-the art equipment, In addition, the gift will allow us to renovate and update some of our water resource laboratories,” said Luis Garcia, chair of the civil and environmental engineering department.

Groundwater research legacy

Longenbaugh’s groundwater research is a principal component of the Groundwater Data Collection in the CSU Water Resources Archive in the Morgan Library, which is a joint effort of the University Libraries and the Colorado Water Resources Research Institute. Longenbaugh conducted research across the state of Colorado, concentrating mainly on the eastern Plains and the South Platte Valley.

The Longenbaughs live in Colorado. Bob Longenbaugh continues to volunteer and organize groundwater education programs for Colorado residents, and he visits campus regularly to help maintain CSU’s strong water program.

Colorado State University has announced a $3.1 million gift from the Monfort Family Foundation to extend its renowned Monfort Excellence Fund. The fund, which began in 1999 and will continue until 2014, provides money for Monfort Scholars, Monfort Professors, Monfort Professors-in-Residence and the Monfort Lecture Series.

The Monfort Excellence Fund has had a tremendous impact on Colorado State University students, faculty and the Northern Colorado community through its scholarships for exceptional students, its support of outstanding faculty and its public lectures delivered by international leaders.

Extraordinary legacy

“Members of the Monfort family have built an extraordinary legacy in Colorado through their business successes and through their decades of service to the state and its people,” said President Larry Edward Penley. “They have been strong advocates for higher education, and their pride in Colorado State University is reflected in their longstanding support of the Morgan Library, the University Center for the Arts, the prestigious Monfort Scholarships and many other initiatives. This generous gift to continue the Monfort Excellence Fund is the latest testament to their belief in the importance of education – and their willingness to invest in future generations of Colorado leaders and professionals. We are grateful to the entire Monfort family for their continued support.”

“The Monfort Family has been supporting Colorado State University students for a number of years,” said Dick Monfort, trustee and treasurer of the Monfort Family Foundation. “We want to support bright kids who would not have been able to take advantage of a college education without these scholarships. It’s all about giving kids an education.

“The rest of the Monfort Excellence Fund, the Monfort Professors, Monfort Professors-in-Residence and the Monfort Lecture Series broadens and deepens their educational experience by providing the best professors, leaders in industry and national and international figures to speak on world events.”

Commitment to improving quality of life for many Coloradans

Joyce Berry, vice president for Advancement and Strategic Initiatives at Colorado State, said the gift demonstrates the Monforts’ commitment to improving the quality of life for many Coloradans. “The Monfort Family Foundation and members of the Monfort family have again shown their remarkable dedication to Colorado State University and the entire Northern Colorado community with this very special gift,” Berry said. “The increase in scholarship gifts, in particular, demonstrates the Monforts’ commitment to Colorado students and their academic and lifelong successes.”

Monfort Scholars

The Monfort Scholars program, established by the late Kenny Monfort and his wife, Myra, in 1999, was created to offer annual full scholarships to Colorado’s top students. Monfort Scholars are some of Colorado State’s pre-eminent scholarship recipients, and 20 students per year benefit from these prestigious scholarships and awards. Scholarship graduates have put their skills to work and are counted among leaders in the local, national and global communities. Scholarship recipients receive full tuition and fees, a room-and-board stipend and a book allowance for four years. Selection of scholars is based on superior scholastic ability, leadership, service to community and school and outstanding character.

Monfort Professors

The gift also provides funding to the Monfort Professors program, one of the university’s top honors, established through an original gift from the Monfort Family Foundation in 2002 to help recruit and retain top-quality faculty. Selection of the Monfort Professors comes from an in-depth selection process that includes nominations from all eight colleges at Colorado State. Monfort Professors include:

- Randy Bartels, Department of Electrical Engineering;

- David Thompson, Department of Atmospheric Science;

- N. LeRoy Poff, Department of Biology;

- Tomislav Rovis, Department of Chemistry;

- Karolin Luger, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology;

- Ranil Wickramasinghe, Department of Chemical Engineering;

- John Belisle, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology;

- Kathleen Pickering, Department of Anthropology;

- A. Scott Denning, Department of Atmospheric Science; and

- Yian Shi, Department of Chemistry.

Monfort-Professor-in-Residence

The Monfort-Professor-in-Residence program brings accomplished leaders from business, government and the arts to campus to interact with students and enrich their learning experiences. Some of the leaders who have visited the Colorado State campus as part of the program include:

- Barbara Barrett, business and aviation attorney, owner and president of Triple Creek Guest Ranch, and member of several corporate and public policy boards;

- Sylvia Earle, marine biologist and explorer-in-residence at the National Geographic Society; Carl Williams, civil rights attorney;

- Robert Fornaro, president, AirTran Airways; and

- Kent Rominger, former NASA space shuttle commander and vice president of Advanced Programs, ATK Launch Systems.

Monfort Lecture Series

The gift also will provide funding for the Monfort Lecture Series for three years. The series provides students, faculty and community members the opportunity to learn from some of the world’s most powerful, engaging and influential leaders. Previous speakers brought to Colorado State by the Monfort Lecture Series include:

- United Nations Messenger of Peace, Jane Goodall;

- Ernesto Zedillo, president of Mexico from 1994 to 2000;

- Mikhail Gorbachev, former Soviet leader;

- Madeleine Albright, first female United States secretary of state;

- Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu; and

- Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf.

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Learn more at http://monfort.colostate.edu.

Colorado State University launched the renovation of its historical Industrial Sciences Building at a ceremony April 24, that marked unprecedented partnerships with industries and the University.

Donations from 13 area firms

The building, constructed in 1883, will be completely renovated with donations from 13 area construction and mechanical contracting firms. The renovation will feature a state-of-the-art preconstruction laboratory, classrooms, lecture hall, study lounge, technology center, and public spaces. Several renovated rooms will bear the names of the firms that donated to give new life and a more useful future to one of the University’s historical landmarks.

“This project will prepare students to work in collaborative teams and integrated industry models, including concept, design, project management, estimating, marketing, and presentation,” said Mostafa Khattab, head of the Department of Construction Management. “Most important, students are seeing companies that are usually in competition come together in teamwork and collaboration for the benefit of the program.”

Work set to begin later this spring

Work is set to begin later this spring on this $4 million Preconstruction Center, all privately funded through donations and in-kind products and services.

Ed Haselden, president of Haselden Construction in Centennial and a member of the Board of Governors of the CSU System that oversees the University, led with the initial donation to renovate current classroom and laboratory space into the preconstruction laboratory, a space that will offer six large cubicle spaces for students to form their own “companies.” These capstone experiences will prepare students to be industry-ready before their internships or employment after graduation.

Investing in well-educated, professional workforce

“Ed Haselden demonstrated the same vision and determination in championing this project that he brings to his role on the Board of Governors,” said Larry Edward Penley, president of Colorado State. “The industry leaders who have supported this center are investing in a well-educated, highly professional workforce that will be uniquely prepared to hit the ground running when they graduate, entering the professional world with the background to be successful and to contribute to the success of the construction industry overall.”

Saunders Construction Inc., another Denver-area based company, will fund the renovation of old laboratory space into the preconstruction lecture hall. PCL Construction of Edmonton, Alberta, with offices in Denver, has committed funds for the Laurel Street entrance lobby and adjoining classroom. Hensel Phelps Construction of Greeley will fund the northwest classroom, and G.E. Johnson of Colorado Springs and Denver is sponsoring renovations to the lobby and entrance off CSU’s historic Oval. Gerald H. Phipps‘ support will renovate a student study room in the heart of the building.

The second floor technology lab will be requested to be named for a group of mechanical contractors who are coming together to fund the building’s plumbing and heating operations. They include Mechanical Contractors Association, U.S. Engineering, Trautman and Shreve, Murphy Company and Braconier Plumbing and Heating.

Renovation of the courtyard off the Oval will be sponsored in partnership by Concrete Frame Associates and Valley Crest Landscaping of Denver.

“The common theme among all these companies is how industry and University can work together to benefit the construction management program and, ultimately, the students, who will come through the program uniquely prepared in this collaborative model,” said April Mason, dean of the College of Applied Human Sciences.

Built in 1883 during the historic Pioneer Era

Built during the historic period known as the Pioneer Era during 1870-1909, the Industrial Sciences building represents Colorado Agricultural College’s move toward a broad-based concept of education beyond the disciplines of Agricultural Studies. It is one of the few remaining structures from this period of campus development.

Formerly known as the Mechanic Shop, its name was changed in the 1890s to The Mechanical Engineering Building. In 1959, the name changed to the Arts Building, in 1969 to Arts-Industrial, and in 1972 to Industrial Sciences. The foundry in the building played an important part in World War II by serving as a valuable production center during the war.

Originally constructed for work in mechanical engineering, it now serves the Department of Construction Management.

AVA withdrawal surprises but does not derail plans
BY PAT FERRIER
PatFerrier@coloradoan.com
AVA Solar’s recent change of heart – moving its proposed manufacturing plant from the planned Colorado State University research park to southern Weld County – appears to have flown under the radar but has not derailed efforts to establish Fort Collins and CSU as leaders in clean and renewable energy technology.

“The research park will be critical to CSU in spinning out new businesses, joint ventures and partnerships,” said Mark Wdowik, president of CSU Ventures.
 
“It’s in the right location, close to CSU, I-25 with good airport access, and … I still see it as a very important aspect of what we’re doing at CSU,” Wdowik said.

Thursday’s announcement – a bombshell for CSU, where AVA Solar’s technology was developed, the city of Fort Collins and economic developers – came with little forewarning.

“No one had any fore-knowledge of this; it was company driven entirely,” said Larry Burkhardt, CEO of the Upstate Colorado Economic Development Corp. in Greeley, which will now jump in to help AVA with its potential move.

AVA Solar plans to lease a 128,000-square-foot building just south of the I-25/Colorado Highway 119 interchange at Del Camino, Burkhardt said.

The move, bringing with it up to 600 new jobs, is a significant boon for southwestern Weld County, which is “teeming with a quality work force that now commutes out of the area,” Burkhardt said.

Larimer County economic developers remain hopeful the manufacturing plant is still close enough to benefit workers here.

What went wrong?
While Weld County gets ready to welcome AVA, Fort Collins is left wondering what happened to the deal it thought was solid.

AVA Solar was to be the anchor of the new CSU Research Foundation research campus at I-25 and Prospect Road, showcasing Northern Colorado’s commitment to renewable and clean energy.

The deal was almost done when AVA announced Thursday it had decided to move the bulk of its manufacturing operations to Weld County.

Company officials said a new building would take longer than expected and moving into an existing building would allow the company to get products to market faster than originally believed possible.

AVA Solar expects to start receiving production equipment in April.

“It’s disappointing, yes, but the reality is that, if the company has to get into a constructed building right now because it’s receiving a bunch of equipment, then they need to get into the building,” said Maury Dobbie, president and CEO of Northern Economic Development Corp. “It’s a speed-to-market thing happening here.”

AVA officials have not returned repeated phone calls seeking comment.

Company officials said in a statement it still intends to begin pilot production of its cadmium telluride thin film photovoltaic modules at its existing Fort Collins facility later this year and plans to keep its headquarters here, a move that is easing some of the disappointment.

“It’s not as ideal as we all wanted it to be,” Dobbie said, “but let’s remember it is still in Northern Colorado and our work force is going to benefit from them going where they’re going.”

Dobbie said she shared with AVA Solar’s CEO Pascal Noronha that “there are people who are fairly upset about this. He’s well aware of that, but it’s a business decision and we in business can understand.”

Despite the blow to CSU and the city, AVA’s decision should not affect plans for the research campus, city and university officials said Thursday.

“The research park is a concept that leverages not just the AVA relationship but all things ongoing in the energy space,” Wdowik said. The region has reached critical mass and core competency in the area of clean and renewable energy to the point it is drawing attention from the “outside world.”

While he hopes CSU spinoffs such as AVA Solar give back to their community, Wdowik said they can do that in several ways, such as job creation, location in the region or continued research and development collaborations with CSU.

Having a manufacturing plant separate from the R&D facility, which AVA maintains will remain in Fort Collins, is not unusual, Wdowik said. And CSU’s interest is mainly in the R&D collaborations.

The city swapped the 143 acres to CSU several months ago in an $8 million deal heralded as a jump-start for economic development and cooperation among the city and CSU.

Dobbie said it was a disappointing lesson, but the city, CSU and NCEDC “learned that nothing is a given and that nothing is 100 percent. That’s why all of these take so much time. There’s a lot of anxiousness that goes with that when we’re all trying to do a good thing for the region.”

Fort Collins City Manager Darin Atteberry said Thursday the news was “terribly disappointing for Fort Collins. I was under the impression that Fort Collins was the home of their company and that’s where they were going to stay.”

Carbon Valley benefits
A recent study by Northern Colorado Economic Development Corp. and Upstate in Greeley showed more than 45,000 people within a 30-mile radius of I-25/U.S. 34 were unemployed or underemployed.

That means a large employment base available for AVA and other companies interested in the I-25 corridor from Longmont to Wellington.

NCEDC had been working on training issues for AVA Solar, “now someone else will have to pick that up,” Dobbie said.

The addition of AVA will undoubtedly help a Carbon Valley work force that largely travels out of the region every day for work.

A survey conducted by the Carbon Valley Chamber of Commerce of 417 households in Frederick, Firestone and Dacono showed 75 percent of households commute more than 21 miles in one direction.

The vast majority of those drive south to Denver or west to Longmont and Boulder, Carbon Valley Chamber president Steve Burton said.

If AVA Solar ramps up to several hundred jobs, as it expects, it could easily become one of the largest employers in the Carbon Valley, Burton said. “We certainly hope it will help our housing market here.”
 

Business Week magazine this week ranked Colorado State University’s College of Business as one of the top undergraduate business programs in the country.

Student surveys and corporate recruiter interviews

The magazine surveyed more than 80,000 graduating seniors at 127 eligible programs on such topics as the quality of teaching and overall student satisfaction. The magazine also interviewed 618 corporate recruiters on where to find the best graduates, curricula and career services.

CSU ranked No. 73 – 32nd among all public schools

Colorado State ranked No. 73 – 32nd among all public schools listed in the 2008 Business Week rankings.

The other Colorado schools ranked in the Business Week report were the University of Denver at No. 67 and the University of Colorado at No. 83. A complete list of schools is at http://www.businessweek.com.

Dedicated faculty and staff

“The College of Business undergraduate program is successful because of the high caliber of its faculty and students,” said John Olienyk, senior associate dean in the college. “Our students learn from a team of dedicated faculty and staff who are committed to creating and delivering the best possible undergraduate experience.”

The Business Week honor is yet another example of the international acclaim the college has obtained for its programs.

Kudos as one of top 10 best administered programs

The Princeton Review, a New York-based education services company, consistently names Colorado State’s MBA program in the College of Business one of the best in the nation. The college has earned kudos for having one of the top 10 best administered programs three years in a row.

Colorado State is one of 290 colleges listed in the 2008 edition of Princeton Review’s annual guide, featuring two-page profiles on the school’s academics, student life, admissions and career/placement programs. A complete list of the schools is posted on The Princeton Review Web site at http://www.PrincetonReview.com.

International acclaim

Other recent recognition for the college:

-In its 2008 rankings, U.S. News and World Report magazine listed the college in the top tier of public and private doctoral universities and 59th among all public research universities

- Kiplinger magazine has named the MBA program as one of the top “big name” programs in the country that offers the degree at a distance.

Colorado State’s College of Business includes the departments of Accounting, Computer Information Systems, Finance and Real Estate, Management, and Marketing. The college also houses the Center for Entrepreneurship, the Center for Business Ethics and Social Issues, the Everitt Real Estate Center, the Institute of Transportation Management and the Center for the Study of Global Business.

Newest program focuses on global social and sustainable enterprise

The newest program in the college – a master of science in business administration with a focus on global social and sustainable enterprise – ultimately will help some of the world’s three billion people who live on less than $3 a day. Students began their first classes in Fall 2007 for this 18-month master’s degree, which will teach students to use entrepreneurial, sustainable approaches to address great global challenges of poverty, environmental degradation and poor health.

To date, the university has received a total of 13,377 applications from potential freshmen.
February 29, 2008

Colorado State University freshman applications are up 19 percent overall compared to last year. Nonresident applications are up 32 percent and Colorado resident applications are up 9 percent.

13,377 potential freshmen applications to date

To date, the university has received a total of 13,377 applications from potential freshmen. Colorado students make up 7,138 of the total; 6,239 are out-of-state applicants.

Colorado State’s freshman enrollment target for fall 2008 is about 4,650. Last fall, there were 4,392 incoming freshmen.

National visibility evident

“We are well on our way to meeting our target enrollment numbers,” said Robin Brown, vice president of Enrollment and Access. “We have certainly gained national visibility in the admissions marketplace this year.”

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Learn more about applying to Colorado State University and make plans to visit campus by visiting:

http://admissions.colostate.edu

Larry Edward Penley, president of Colorado State, was the only academic keynote speaker at the Sun Microsystems Worldwide Education and Research Conference in San Francisco on Feb. 26.

February 27, 2008

Environmental commitment

When it comes to an environmental commitment, universities must do more than change the light bulbs on campus, Penley said in his speech. They need to develop the clean-energy technologies to safeguard human health and the planet as well as offer the programs to educate the new energy workforce.

“Our universities are society’s greatest sources of ideas and innovation and they have the capacity to go beyond generating awareness to generate fundamental solutions to the global challenge of environmental sustainability and climate change,” Penley said.

What sets Colorado State University apart

-Research and spinoffs have made CSU a global leader in clean and renewable energy solutions. Stanford has recognized one of the university’s spinoffs, Envirofit International, as one of its top 10 most innovative technology companies that are creating global social change. Envirofit has also captured the attention of The Shell Foundation, which has invested $25 million in the company to design and disseminate 10 million cookstoves across the developing world in the next five years.

-CSU is redefining the technology-transfer operations which tend to be slow and process-burdened at universities, adding unnecessary years to get ideas to the marketplace. To tackle this issue, CSU recently developed a new model to expedite the process of commercializing cutting-edge research.

-Campus efforts include building one of the first university-owned wind farms to provide enough power for the campus and surrounding areas plus converting university fleets to biofuels to planting xeriscape. The university has 100 faculty teaching and conducting research in new energy fields with more than 30 courses focused on the environment, population and sustainability – a number that is expected to grow.

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Sun Microsystems Inc. is a longtime contributor to Colorado State University. Most recently, the company donated Sun Thin Client computers and servers to the Engineering Building in the new Academic Village, allowing for a workstation for each student in the building, and provided equipment to enhance the computing environment in the electronic classroom.

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Contact: Brad Bohlander
Email: Brad.Bohlander@colostate.edu
Phone Number: (970) 491-6621
 

Can Forests Meet Our Energy Needs?
Feb 21 – Lory Student Center Theater
This conference is for anyone with an interest in reducing dependence on fossil fuels as well as those who promote forest health. Experts from academia, environmental groups, government, industry, and other non-governmental organizations will share their respective insights on current happenings and future trends in biomass policy development as they pertain to the state.

Analyses will focus on economic, environmental, and social limits to utilization and possible solutions to not only our current energy dilemma but also to threats facing our forests as the two issues intersect and overlap.

The community is invited to help CSU defend its title Tuesday
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Colorado State will attempt to repeat its Mountain West championship in the annual conference-wide blood drive Tuesday, February 19, and the school needs the help of its students and supporters.

CSU again is asking the university and Fort Collins communities to team up and donate blood. The conference school with the most donors gets a trophy to go along with bragging rights.

The drive, sponsored locally by the Garth-Englund Blood Donation Center of Poudre Valley Hospital, and the Rams’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), offers two locations in and near Moby Arena.

Donors have the option of either the Hall of Fame Room (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.), on the south concourse, accessible via the ramp near the softball diamond, or the blood drive bus (12 p.m. – 5 p.m.) in the main arena parking lot off Shields Street. Everyone should bring a photo ID.

For more information, contact Angela Wyss at 970/491-2630.