New! Dr. Dan Howard Named New Dean for CLAS
The University of Colorado Denver has announced the selection of Daniel J. Howard, PhD, of New Mexico State University (NMSU) as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). Howard succeeds Jim Hageman, who has served as Interim Dean for the past year. At the end of June, Hageman will return to the Office of Research Administration and the Graduate School as Associate Vice Chancellor for Research. Howard’s appointment begins July 1, 2008. (Full story)
New! 2008 Dean's Awards Reception
Fri., April 25
All CLAS Faculty and Staff are invited to attend this year's Dean's Reception where retirees, outstanding faculty, outstanding undergraduate and graduate students, and outstanding staff will be honored.
Terrace Room, 2nd Floor, Lawrence Street Center
1:30-4:00 PM
(Invitation)
New! 2008 CLAS Outstanding Staff Award
Call for Nominations: Due April 4
A new annual award within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the CLAS Outstanding Staff Award recognizes a single staff member who demonstrates outstanding leadership, ability, initiative and/or achievement. These contributions must provide a significant benefit specifically for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Denver. The recipient will receive a $500 cash award, certificate, and have his/her name engraved on a plaque for the Dean’s Office. The award will be presented by the Dean and the nominating employee at the Dean’s Reception on April 25, 2008.
Who is eligible?
Any full-time, permanent classified, exempt professional, professional research assistant or senior professional research assistant staff member currently employed by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and who has been employed as a permanent staff member within CLAS for at least 12 consecutive months.
Nomination Process
Eligible employees must be nominated by a University employee using the CLAS Outstanding Staff Nomination form. Nominations must be submitted to electronically or in hard copy no later than 5:00 PM on Fri., April 4, 2008 to Heather Sours, HR Coordinator, Dean’s Office, Campus Box 144.
New! Downtown Campus Staff Award
Due Tues., April 1
The DDC Staff Council announces its annual Outstanding Staff Award (OSA) for classified staff and professional exempt employees on the Downtown Campus. The award is given to one eligible individual within the following areas: Academic Units, Library, General Admission, and Student Services. Recipients of the award will receive a $100 cash award to be presented at the May 21, 2008 Staff Recognition Luncheon.
(Eligibility and nomination information)
New! Denver Writing Project to Host Urban Sites Annual Conference: April 25-26
Reading and Writing for Understanding and Social Change in the Urban Classroom
The Denver Writing Project at the University of Colorado Denver is proud to serve as the host for this year's Urban Sites Network Conference for the National Writing Project. Conference highlights will include visits to area schools, as well as a writing marathon in Writer's Square downtown. Urban educators from across the country will explore how reading and writing leads to understanding and social change in urban classrooms. (More information)
New! Philosophy Department to Host Interdisciplinary Conference with Anschutz Medical Campus: April 10-11
"Mind, Brain, Experience: At the Intersections of Philosophy, Science, and Medicine."
The Philosophy Department is hosting an interdisciplinary conference including presentations by philosophers, physicians, medical researchers, and cognitive scientists. Keynote addresses will be given by Richard Grandy, McManis Professor of Philosophy and Cognitive Sciences, and Mark Johnson, Knight Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
(More information)
New! Committee Nominations
Due to Tammy Stone by April 15
It's time for nominations for committees beginning next academic year. Please send nominations to Tammy Stone no later than April 15 (if you nominate someone else please make sure they agree to the nomination). Elections will be held directly after the nominations are complete. Committee openings are noted in all capital letters in the attached document.
New! Denver Science & Engineering Fair
CLAS Sponsorships a Success
On February 28, CLAS sponsored and awarded the best and brightest middle school students in the Denver area for their innovative and exciting science and math projects that they had presented for the regional science and engineering fair. Dean Jim Hageman and Katy Brown presented student winners in eight categories with their awards, along with an invitation to return to campus for the Research and Creative Activities Day on April 11. While on campus, the students will have lunch with college professors and learn more about what UCD has to offer.
CLAS in the Spotlight
On March 20, Communication Professor and Associate Dean Brenda J. Allen presented a talk--“Communicating Difference Matters”--for the Harriet Elliott Lecture Series at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.
The UCD Partnership with Smart-Girl was featured on 850 KOA Monday, March 24 with an interview of Associate Professor of Psychology and Associate Dean Mary Coussons-Read. (listen)
Colorado History Day, where the regional middle and high school student winners will compete for the State competition, got a rave review from Terry Frei, a blogger for the Denver Post on March 16. Colorado History Day is now sponsored by our Department of History on the downtown campus. This year's competition will take place on Sat., May 3.
Denver Writing Project Fellows have been receiving some outstanding accolades for their work:
- Roxanne Banks, 2003 fellow, published three poems, titled "Meursalt," "I Try to Kill Her," and "And Now?" in the spring 2007 issue of Copper Nickel. Banks teaches English at Littleton High School.
- Jennifer Kirkpatrick, 2002 fellow, was named 2008 Teacher of the Year at Overland High School, where she teaches English.
- Mark Overmeyer, 2003 fellow, published "What Student Writing Teaches Us" in the December 2007 issue of Educational Leadership. Overmeyer is a literacy coordinator and an instructional coach in teaching writing for teachers at Cherry Creek Schools.
- Shelly Smith, 2007 fellow, received the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Leadership Development Award, Colorado affiliate. The award provides $500 for early-career teachers who have not attended an NCTE Annual Convention and who have demonstrated the capacity for professional leadership and the willingness to serve the affiliate during the academic year. Smith teaches English at Thornton High School.
Richard Miech, Program Director and Associate Professor of Health and Behavioral Sciences, was just notified that a proposal he wrote to the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR) and the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) was accepted for participation in the national conference on undergraduate curriculum development in public health this summer. This was a joint effort made by the Environome Science Signature Area and the Public Health Undergraduate Degree team.
A news release was issued on March 21 to announce that a transformation of eight middle school classrooms in the Englewood and Jefferson County School Districts will soon be underway. The change will be driven by Math Professor and Chair Mike Jacobson and backed by a $2.82 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant, appropriately called Transforming Experiences Learning Communities, will provide fellowships for graduate students to provide support in these area school districts. The first cohort of the GK-12 Fellows were named this week and include:
Rachel Fiala, Chemistry
Chelsea Campbell, Environmental Science
Erin Steiner, Environmental Science
Jeff Larson, Math (with training in Chemistry & Physics)
Matthew Nabity, Math
Deborah Batista, Math
Craig Tennenhouse, Math
Angela Harris, Math
REMINDERS: Important College Due Dates
Apr. 1: Graduate student nominations for the Alumni Association Graduate Scholarship are due to Jill Hutchison. The award is $2000 per academic year to each scholarship winner ($1000 each semester upon verification of their continuing eligibility).
April 4: Nominations are due for the CLAS Outstanding Staff Award to Heather Sours.
Apr. 15: Deadline for submitting original copies of complete, signed Classified Staff performance evaluations to the Human Resources Office. Evaluations should be sent to Campus Box 130, Attn: Evaluations. (additional information)
Apr. 15: Deadline for committee nominations are due to Tammy Stone.
Events
Computational Mathematics Colloquium
Gilles Zerah, CEA-Bruyeres, France
Monday, Mar. 31
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
CU Building 626
Seminar Title: "An $L^\infty$ error bound for the Feynman splitting"
Math Department, Operations Research Seminar
Elizabeth Untiedt, Department of Mathematical Sciences
Wednesday, Apr. 2
1:00 - 2:00 pm
CU Building, Room 626
Seminar Title: "The use of optimization in analyzing differentiable functions of fuzzy intervals"
Biology Spring Seminar Series
Carol English, Department of Biology
Friday, Apr. 4
Noon - 1:30 pm
NC 1539
Seminar Title: "Pollination Biology of the rare Colorado endemic, Penstemon degeneri"
Research and Creative Activities Symposium
Friday, Apr. 11, 2008
10:00am - 3:00pm
North Classroom Atrium
(information)
Student Literary Festival
Hosted by the Copper Nickel
Tuesday, Apr. 15
12:00 pm
St. Cajetan's Student Center
Winners of its first undergraduate writing contest will be announced.
(information)
IN THIS ISSUE:
Dan Howard: New Dean
Dean's Reception
CLAS Staff Award
Campus Staff Award
DWP: Urban Sites Conference
Philosophy Dept to Host Interdisciplinary Conference
Committee Nominations
Science & Engineering Fair a Success
CLAS in the Spotlight
Reminders
Events
ARCHIVES:
Past issues since Jan 21, 2007.
USEFUL LINKS:
CLAS Event Calendar
CLAS News
Faculty Resources
Staff Resources
Campus News
The CLAS Deans' Notes is a weekly newsletter
for college faculty and staff.
EDITOR:
Katy Brown
303.556.6663
Katy.Brown @cudenver.edu