Dear Friends,

This semester the Peace Corps honored University of Colorado Boulder alumni for their No. 1 ranking in Peace Corps service for the second consecutive year.

Civically engaged students go on to become service-oriented citizens as evidenced by 112 CU-Boulder graduates, 21 to 77, working as Peace Corps volunteers. This is a reflection of our students and alumni, and their overall commitment to a broad range of service in their local communities and around the world.

This spring also brings the opening of the Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building, uniting hundreds of leading scientists in multiple fields working together to advance everything from biomedicine to biofuels for a healthy and sustainable future. It will create collaboration between our academic scientists and Colorado's biotech industry while offering research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.

The opening of this state-of-the-art biotech facility comes on the heels of CU-Boulder's selection as host for the National Solar Observatory, the nation's primary site for research of the sun, solar physics and space weather with important implications for global communications and power grids.

I am also proud that CU-Boulder is a leader in meeting the nation's need for math and science teachers through innovative programs to keep our country competitive in these fields.

Our entrepreneurial spirit and innovations improve lives, create and attract companies, and offer students unusual opportunities to learn and contribute to important societal advances. We are a place of learning and transformation in a rapidly changing world. It's a role we embrace.

Sincerely,


Philip P. DiStefano, Chancellor
University of Colorado Boulder