Announcements & Deadlines

Students take 3rd place with design for Denver-area wastewater utility

Megan Maneval — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 15:23:57 +0000

Students take 3rd place with design for Denver-area wastewater utility Megan Maneval Fri, 11/22/2024 - 08:23

College of Engineering and Applied Science

A team of CU Boulder environmental engineering undergraduates has earned national recognition for a wastewater treatment project.

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Koa String Quartet wins graduate student competition

Megan Maneval — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 15:09:52 +0000

Koa String Quartet wins graduate student competition Megan Maneval Fri, 11/22/2024 - 08:09

College of Music

The College of Music’s current graduate string quartet in residence—violinists Kisa Uradomo and Leah Pernick, violist Thomas Chafe and bassist Heewon Lee—studies with the Takács Quartet and recently won $2,000 for its performance of works by Joseph Haydn and Kevin Lau as part of the Ekstrand competition.

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Hellems renovation features multiple upgrades that enhance sustainability, inclusivity

Megan Maneval — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 14:33:43 +0000

Hellems renovation features multiple upgrades that enhance sustainability, inclusivity Megan Maneval Fri, 11/22/2024 - 07:33

Completed in 1921 with wings added in 1938, Hellems Arts & Sciences is the first building on CU Boulder’s campus that embodied Charles Klauder’s signature Tuscan vernacular style. In addition to an overall refresh, the 95,000-square-foot facility needed health and safety improvements, accessibility improvements and energy-efficiency upgrades.

Sustainability upgrades

Enhancing the building envelope is one of the key initiatives to make Hellems more efficient. This includes adding spray foam insulation to all exterior walls, many of which lacked insulation. There will also be a new layer of insulation on the roof, which required removing the original clay tiles and adding a new waterproofing layer. In an effort to repurpose materials, more than 80% of the original tiles will be reused, and hardwood floors, terrazzo and transoms will be refurbished instead of replaced.

The Hellems renovation will reduce the building’s energy use intensity (EUI)—a measure of how much energy a building uses relative to its size, measured in kilo British thermal units (kBtu) per square foot—by 68%.

“Our target EUI was 50, but with all the upgrades, we are trending toward 35 EUI, down from 109, even with the addition of air conditioning,” Vice Chancellor for Infrastructure and Resilience Chris Ewing said. “Adding insulation and high-performance windows allowed us to remove perimeter heating systems from the outer walls of the building, which is a big factor that contributes to the EUI decrease.”

All original windows in Hellems were single pane and will be replaced with triple-pane glass. Fluorescent lights will be switched out for LEDs and new skylights will bring in natural light. Corridors are also being relocated to exterior walls in the classroom wing and additional windows on the basement level will bring in more daylight.

“An important part of the Hellems design was prepping it for our eventual low-temperature hot-water heating conversion, which is a critical strategy toward our campus decarbonization efforts,” said Ewing, who also noted the university is targeting LEED Gold certification for the building through the renovation.

Inclusivity improvements

The north entrance to Hellems originally faced a blank wall, behind which originally sat the dean’s office. The redesign includes removal of the wall to create an open, bright and welcoming entry lobby with a view out to Mary Rippon Theatre. New outdoor patios will further enhance the space for all users.

“The design has turned this space back over to the students,” Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Resource Management Zack Tupper said. “This big entrance will now be a communal area that belongs to everyone, creating more flow through the building with better wayfinding.”

Previously, Hellems had only one ADA-accessible entrance. When the building reopens, four of the building’s entrances will be accessible for everyone. The increased accessibility into Mary Rippon Theatre will be a major benefit for the babyֱ��app Shakespeare Festival as well. Both existing elevators are also being upgraded to access every floor.

Several of Hellems’ restrooms will be all-user, multi-stall with shared sinks. These all-user restrooms will be accompanied by single-stall and binary restrooms. A wellness suite will accommodate nursing parents and those otherwise in need of a quiet space.

“The Hellems renovation is more than just an upgrade of bricks and mortar—it’s an investment in the future of the humanities,” said Dean of Division, Arts and Humanities John-Michael Rivera. “It reflects our belief that the study of human culture, history and thought is not just essential, but vital to shaping a thoughtful, informed society. By creating an environment that fosters creativity, dialogue and scholarly growth, we are investing in the minds that will shape the future of our world.”

Project managers have been particularly thoughtful about honoring the land’s history. CU Boulder’s land acknowledgement will be at the main entrance and on the east side of the building, where medicinal and native plants will be planted, along with engravings in seating areas and indigenous art.

“At least 85% of students who graduate from CU Boulder take a class in Hellems, so it needs to be inclusive,” Tupper said. “This design was a collaborative effort; we held more than 30 workshops with building occupants and various student groups who helped with design recommendations.”

The $105.2 million Hellems renovation is receiving 40% of its funding from the state of babyֱ��app, with the university covering 60%. Construction updates are being posted on the Facilities Management Cone Zone website. Hellems is scheduled to reopen for the spring semester of 2026.

On track to be completed by the spring semester of 2026, the Hellems building renovation project includes elements of sustainability and inclusivity that will help modernize the building and address deferred maintenance.

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CIRES researcher Matt Mendoza receives babyֱ��app Governor’s Award

Megan Maneval — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 14:23:33 +0000

CIRES researcher Matt Mendoza receives babyֱ��app Governor’s Award Megan Maneval Fri, 11/22/2024 - 07:23

CIRES

A prestigious CO-LABS award highlights Matt Mendoza’s work as a visiting fellow and postdoctoral researcher in geoscience at CU Boulder, where he worked with CIRES Fellow Anne Sheehan.

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Act now: Complete these important year-end tasks

Megan Maneval — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:01:17 +0000

Act now: Complete these important year-end tasks Megan Maneval Wed, 11/20/2024 - 10:01

The new year is fast approaching, which means tax season is just around the corner. Before the year ends, verify that your personal information and pay is accurate now to ensure a worry-free tax season.

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Chancellor’s office invites nominations for Hazel Barnes Prize

Megan Maneval — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 16:52:36 +0000

Chancellor’s office invites nominations for Hazel Barnes Prize Megan Maneval Wed, 11/20/2024 - 09:52

One of the most prestigious awards at CU Boulder, the Hazel Barnes Prize focuses on the enriching relationship between teaching and research. Nominations are open through Feb. 28 for the 2025 prize.

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Weimer Research Group wins 3 national poster awards

Megan Maneval — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 15:36:24 +0000

Weimer Research Group wins 3 national poster awards Megan Maneval Wed, 11/20/2024 - 08:36

College of Engineering and Applied Science

Three undergraduate researchers received national poster awards at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers annual meeting. They were selected from more than 400 presenters and judged by approximately 100 professionals.

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CU Boulder takes 2nd place in national design-build competition

Megan Maneval — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 15:09:45 +0000

CU Boulder takes 2nd place in national design-build competition Megan Maneval Wed, 11/20/2024 - 08:09

A team of five students from the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering took second place in the national Design-Build Institute of America student competition held earlier this month.

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Leigh Holman to lead commencement ceremony as new marshal

Megan Maneval — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 20:22:56 +0000

Leigh Holman to lead commencement ceremony as new marshal Megan Maneval Tue, 11/19/2024 - 13:22

Leigh Holman, director of CU Boulder’s Eklund Opera program, has been named the new commencement marshal.

Holman, a CU Boulder alumna who has been with the university for 15 years, replaces Bud Coleman who has led the spring commencement ceremony since 2018.

“On behalf of our entire college, we're proud of Leigh Holman assuming the role of the university's next commencement marshal,” said College of Music Dean John Davis, also noting Holman's transformative role as director of the college's highly regarded Eklund Opera Program and New Opera Workshop (CU NOW).

"Leigh's work advances our mission to develop multiskilled, multifaceted universal musicians with flexible career options, thereby also amplifying momentum toward more interdisciplinary collaborations across our campus. In that spirit, as commencement marshal, Leigh perfectly represents not only the College of Music, but also our increasingly interconnected campus community.”

The role of commencement marshal is mostly behind the scenes, until the day of the ceremony when Holman will be front and center on stage before thousands of graduates and their guests. It’s a role she relishes and is excited to take on.

“As a performer, I feel comfortable being on stage. And part of the job of being commencement marshal is emceeing the event, so I feel very comfortable in that role,” she said.

“The main thing I’m excited about is being a part of this special day for our students, a day that hopefully they’ll never forget.”

Holman took some time to talk with CU Boulder Today about herself, her time at CU Boulder and her new role as commencement marshal.

Director, Eklund Opera Program

I am the director of opera for the College of Music, and that means I’m the director of the program administratively, but I’m also the resident stage director. I am in charge of working with my team to cast shows, choose the operas we will be performing and, more importantly, I come up with the vision for the show…what it’s going to look like, what it’s going to feel like and what the characters will be like.

So I’m really a storyteller, and I use acting and visual elements on stage to tell that story. That’s what a stage director does, and that’s my role here at CU.

New Opera Workshop

In the summer we have a program that I started called the New Opera Workshop (CU NOW). It’s a really exciting program where we bring in opera composers who are working on new projects and pair them with our wonderfully talented students who then bring the opera’s characters and the music to life. So the composers get to work on their project in a beautiful setting here in Boulder, and our students get the opportunity to work with some of the most renowned creators of opera in the world.

Road to CU Boulder

My grandparents went to CU Boulder in the 1920s. After graduating—my grandmother graduated too, which was almost unheard of back then—they moved to Tennessee. When I was growing up, we lived in Tennessee but my grandparents had moved back to babyֱ��app, so we went to visit them every summer.

After completing my undergraduate and graduate degrees and working for a while, I decided that I wanted to teach voice and direct operas. I had a few schools on my list, and CU was one of them. So, in my 30s I went back to school and got my doctorate. After teaching at the college level for a few years and working with Opera babyֱ��app, I came to work at CU Boulder. I feel very lucky to have my dream job. It’s pretty awesome to be a teacher where my grandparents went to college.

Passion for singing and opera

I’ve been a singer since birth. I think the first time I ever sang in public I was 4 years old, and I sang the song “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head.” I’ll never forget it. I was a voice major in college where I studied classical music. I am a mezzo soprano, which is fun because it is one of the lower soprano voices, so you get cast in roles such as witches. So I sang, went to college to study voice and started doing opera. And then after college, I did opera professionally.

People would be surprised to know…

I think people would be surprised that I ride a motorcycle. One other thing…When I was in high school I was a Congressional page in Washington, D.C. I was from this little rural town in Tennessee, and I was asked by my Congressman to come to D.C. to be a page. I served during the end of the Carter administration.

Leigh Holman, director of CU Boulder’s Eklund Opera program, has been named the new commencement marshal.

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Librarians of the Future enters 2nd year

Megan Maneval — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 19:31:28 +0000

Librarians of the Future enters 2nd year Megan Maneval Mon, 11/18/2024 - 12:31

CU Boulder’s three-year curated residency program known as Librarians of the Future aims to bring new librarians with diverse perspectives and backgrounds to the University Libraries.

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Announcements & Deadlines

Students take 3rd place with design for Denver-area wastewater utility

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