University of Colorado, A Message from the President
September 2014
 

Dear Alumni and Friends,

When CU's Denver campus transitioned from a satellite of the Boulder campus to its place as a full-fledged campus of the University of Colorado 40 years ago, part of its charge was to bring a full range of quality CU programs to Denver. CU Denver has delivered on that promise and then some. It has emerged as one of the leading urban universities in the United States and is a key contributor to the vibrancy of the metro area.

CU is taking the next step in its service to our state and the Denver metro region thanks to the vision and generosity of Dave and Gail Liniger, who recently donated The Wildlife Experience facility – the popular Douglas County wildlife art and natural history museum – to the university. Their gift, valued at $40 million, is the largest real estate donation in CU's 138-year history.

The Liniger Building at CU South Denver (off I-25 and Lincoln Avenue) allows us to build on our legacy of service to the city and state by expanding our offerings in the fast-growing south metro area. Our partnership began in the spring, when we teamed with the Linigers to convert 11,000-square feet of the 151,000-square foot facility to classroom and laboratory space. We began offering classes there this fall, with CU Denver and the CU Anschutz Medical Campus leading the way. In January, CU will take over operation of the building. CU Denver will manage the facility for us, but it will house programs from each of our four campuses.

I applaud the Linigers for their vision. The Wildlife Experience has been a touchstone cultural offering in south Denver since opening in 2002, so bringing the quality of CU programs to the area is a natural fit.

Before we entered into our initial collaboration with The Wildlife Experience or offered classes, we surveyed some of the key businesses and professional organizations in the area as part of a needs assessment. We found some gaps in workforce development and educational offerings in areas such as health care and public health, engineering, finance, aerospace and others. We are tailoring our offerings to meet the particular needs of the south metro area, which is home to about one-third of the population of metro Denver.

We look forward to serving the greater metro community by growing our presence in south Denver and continuing to work with the area's businesses. It's a natural extension of our mission and a wonderful complement to the vision of the Linigers.

As we know from the experience of our Denver campus, higher education is a key component of economic vibrancy and quality of life. We trust that CU South Denver will have that kind of impact on the south metro region. We are grateful to Dave and Gail Liniger for their generosity. Their transformational gift will have a substantial impact for decades to come.

For feedback, contact officeofthepresident@cu.edu

Sincerely,
Bruce D. Benson
Bruce Benson
President


A wonderful addition to CU's downtown Denver presence
A wonderful addition to CU's downtown Denver presence
The newly opened 146,000-square-foot CU Denver Student Commons Building is a signature building at the Auraria Campus and will help create a sense of community among students, faculty, staff, alumni and the Denver community.
New building>>

CU researchers awarded impressive increase in funding
CU researchers awarded impressive increase in funding
University of Colorado faculty researchers attracted an outstanding $861.04 million in research awards in the 2013-14 fiscal year, based on preliminary figures. That total investment in discovery and innovation taking place at CU campuses represents an increase of 11.7 percent over the previous year's total, $770.53 million.
Research dollars>>

Spotlight on Alumni:
CU alumnus, Qatar's doctor
Spotlight: CU alumnus, Qatar's doctor
Dr. Hajar A. Hajar Al Binali earned his bachelor's degree from CU-Boulder in 1969 and a medical degree from the CU School of Medicine in 1973. He went on to modernize health care in his homeland, Qatar, by setting up an appointment system, initiating computerization of the medical record system and establishing a database of cardiac diseases.

Qatar's doctor>>


CU For Colorado: Outreach Programs Serving The State

CU on the Weekend: Programs in Boulder, CU South Denver
CU on the Weekend offers free programs in Boulder, CU South Denver
The public is invited to attend free, Saturday programs led by CU-Boulder faculty on popular topics as part of the CU on the Weekend series, which began Sept. 6. Topics range from the stories behind musical compositions to the micro-level study of bacteria.

CU on the Weekend>>


News from our campuses
University of Colorado
Boulder

The latest buzz:  Scientists getting up close with Colorado's bees with help from citizen volunteers in "Bees' Needs" program.

University of Colorado
Colorado Springs

Student enrollment at record numbers:  More than 11,100 students enrolled for the fall 2014 semester, a new record, and more than 5 percent larger than last year's record student enrollment.

University of Colorado
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Architecture students assisting small towns:  The University Technical Assistance program matches undergraduate and graduate students with small Colorado communities that have special planning and design needs.

University of Colorado
Anschutz Medical Campus

CU dental faculty make 5280's Top Dentists:  Annual guide recognizes top providers in the state.


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Office of the President, University of Colorado
1800 Grant Street, Suite 800, Denver, CO 80203
General Phone: 303 860 5600 | Fax: 303 860 5610
www.cu.edu | officeofthepresident@cu.edu
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