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The stewardship of material collections is vital for education and the preservation of culture and history. The museums and libraries all began with the purpose of building and preserving collections to serve as educational tools. Through these institutions, �鶹��Ѱ�����now holds millions of books, specimens, art pieces, and artifacts spanning across cultures and natural sciences from pre-history to the present day. Each collection has a rich history of growth driven by dedicated curation: The Campus Library began in 1877 with just a few books and has since grown to millions; the Museum of Natural History started in 1902 when Junius Henderson volunteered to curate a collection small enough to “fit into a good sized wagon”; the Art Museum was established in 1939 as a dedicated resource for the campus; and the Heritage Center was founded in the 1980s by alumni to preserve CU’s culture through photographs, yearbooks, newspapers and memorabilia. Together, these archives across campus allow history to be awakened and utilized.

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Photo: Students listen to a CUMNH staff member. �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder Heritage Center.

When the university first began, students were allowed two curricular paths towards a bachelor’s degree: the classical course or the scientific course. For early students interested in pursuing a science degree, classes were available in biology, botany, physics, chemistry, astronomy, physiology, maths and logic. In 1878, legislature approved $7,000 for laboratory equipment to create the first chemical laboratory, weighing room and chemical store-room built in one-half of the top floor of Old Main which was further expanded and built out with state-of-the-art equipment including work tables, furnaces, balances, chemicals and chemical apparatus. By 1880, the University Catalog stated that “the laboratory is complete. ... equal to the best laboratories of older institutions in the country.” In 1893, the first physics demonstration classroom appeared in the basement of Old Main. The investment in these two early laboratories provided the foundation for early academic and scientific research at the university.

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Photo: Students in a chemistry lab, 1946. Coloradan yearbook, �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder Heritage Center.

The Department of Medicine and Surgery began in 1883, with President Sewall and Dr. W.R. Whitehead teaching chemistry, anatomy and physiology. Until the medical building’s completion the following year, half of the third floor of Old Main served as a dissection room and chemical laboratory. The new building was a hospital that could accomodate 30 patients and it included anatomy rooms, a small museum and general lecture rooms. The medical school later moved to Denver in 1892-93, and the building became Kent Hall, the dormitory for law and medical students. In 1898 the medical program moved back to Boulder, and part of the move included the construction of a new hospital on the north end of campus. In 1898, a training school for nurses was also added. Today medical training occurs at the �鶹��Ѱ�����Anschutz School of Medicine in Denver.

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Photo: Medical Building. �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder Heritage Center.

Astronomy has played a role in the foundations of campus life since the university’s founding. The first observatory on campus was built at the end of 1892 and became operational by 1893. Originally this observatory was located on what is now known as the Norlin Quad, and had a revolving hemispherical dome that was opened on clear nights to make observations. The telescope inside was described as an 11-inch reflector that allowed students and faculty to clearly view the planets and their satellites, the rings of Saturn, double stars, star clusters, nebulae and details on the surface of the moon.

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Photo: S-Lick Observatory behind the University Library (now the University Theatre building). Photo by J. Raymond Brackett, �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder Heritage Center.

Francis Ramaley began the university’s study of mountain biology when he established the Tolland Summer Biology Camp in 1909. Students used basic tools in those early years: shotguns, butterfly nets and shovels. Over the years, this camp developed into the Summer School of Mountain Biology at Tolland, and in 1913, at an altitude of 8,899 feet, students took part in informal classes in forestry, geology, ornithology, ecology, zoology and climatology. During the classes, students were close to the mountain laboratory where miscroscopes and reference books were set up. His camp closed in 1919, but these early beginnings of mountain biology and field research would pave the way for the establishment of INSTAAR.

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Photo: Ramaley (seated) with friends, ca. 1900. �鶹��Ѱ�����Libraries.

The Distinguished Research Lectureship is among the highest honors bestowed upon a faculty member at �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder. Beginning in 1936, the university embarked on an annual series called the “Lecture on Research and Creative Work.” This event began with a lecture by Dean Oliver C. Lester, a professor in physics, and has ran for 90 years with lectures from Karl F. Muenzinger, Muriel Sibell Wolle and Gilbert F. White, among others. While the name of the lecture series has changed over time, the core belief remains: provide public access to and highlight the research and creative work of professors on campus who have made considerable constributions to their fields.

Source: Research & Innovation Office
Photo: Kristine Larson, 2018 lecturer. Photo by Glenn Asakawa, �鶹��Ѱ�����.

Psychology has been a part of the academic classes offered since the beginning of the university. The official Department of Psychology was established in 1910 and was connected to education. In 1923, Karl F. Muenzinger joined the faculty. Over his 29-year career, Karl helped build the graduate program framework, promoted empirical research and encouraged growth in all areas of study. The Muenzinger Psychology Building, built and completed in 1971, was named after Karl who through decades of dedication had lasting impact on shaping the department. In 2008, the department embraced the growing contribution of neuroscience by changing its name to the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, and by 2013 undergraduate students were able to receive degrees in both fields.

Source: Psychology & Neuroscience
Photo: Karl F. Muenzinger. �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder Heritage Center.

After graduating in 1928 with special honors in an electrical engineering, Frank M. Starr worked for General Electric making contributions in the field of central station design and power distribution. He received the American Institute of Civil Engineer’s prize in 1932 for his book Equivalent Circuits II. In 1936, he was selected as America’s outstanding young electrical engineer during the midwinter convention of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. His name was the first outstanding young engineer to be inscribed on a large bronze bowl, which was kept on display in the Engineering Societies building in New York.

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Photo: Frank Starr headshot. Alumnus magazine, �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder Heritage Center.

In 1944, the Economics, Sociology, Political Science and Anthropology Department was established and located in what is now Hellems. The multi-disciplinary department was renamed Social Science in 1950. By 1956, sociology became an independent department with economics, political science and anthropology following suit and becoming standalone degrees. This separation allowed for more in-depth research opportunities for students.

Source: Sociology
Photo: Hellems building soon after opening, 1921. �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder Heritage Center.

After earning her Ph.D. from Yale in 1941, Hazel Barnes spent much of her career at �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder as a philosphy professor, translator and America’s preeminent Sartre scholar who coined the term “humanistic existentialism” to encapsulate the philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone Beauvoir and Albert Camus. In 1979, Barnes became the first woman to be named distinguished professor at the university. In recognition of her long tenure and service, in 1991 the university established the Hazel Barnes Prize for faculty who best embody “the enriching interrelationship between teaching and research.”

Source: �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder Today
Photo: Hazel Barnes. �鶹��Ѱ�����Libraries.

Co-founded in 1957 by Richard Jessor, the Institute of Behavioral Science (IBS) brings together researchers from across the social and behavioral sciences to better understand some of society’s most pressing challenges. IBS researchers study the root causes and consequences of social, environmental and health issues and develop knowledge that can inform prevention, policy and practice. Today, IBS includes five major research programs: environment and society, population, health and society, problem behavior prevention and positive youth development, and international development. IBS programs host specialized research centers including the Natural Hazards Center and �鶹��Ѱ�����Center on Crime and Justice. The Institute’s interdisciplinary approach draws on experts in sociology, economics, psychology, political science, geography and other disciplines, while providing opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to participate in research. IBS is directed by Lori Hunter, a professor of sociology whose research examines the relationship between human populations and the environment.

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Photo: Institute of Behavioral Science.

After earning his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder in 1966, Spencer Silver went on to work as a senior scientist at 3M. In his work he developed new adhesives for a wide range of uses. In 1968, he discovered a new pressure sensitive adhesive characterized by tiny spheres that allowed it to stick to surfaces without leaving residue behind. Initially, 3M had no use for Silver’s weak adhesive. The adhesive was given an opportunity to shine when Arthur Fry, one of Silver’s colleagues, thought that it may be useful for keeping his bookmarks in place. As it turned out, the adhesive was perfect, and it soon took off internally at 3M and eventually launched nationwide. The Post-it now sells more than 50 billion products in 100 countries each year with Silver’s original adhesive still used.

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Photo: Post-its inside a book.

John Andrews joined the �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder Department of Geological Sciences and the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) in 1968. His research focuses on Quaternary geology and glaciology. Andrews’ decades-long work in the Canadian Arctic helped redefine scientists’ understanding of the Laurentide Ice Sheet — the mass of ice that stretched across North America during the last ice age. Andrews investigated a series of ancient climate shifts, called Heinrich events, that caused partial collapses of the ice sheet. During his career, he also continually developed cutting-edge modeling tools, including creating a three-dimensional numerical ice sheet model, which he developed with graduate student Molly Mahaffy. He received the Penrose Medal from the Geological Society of America in 2016.

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Photo: John Andrews at sea during the INSTAAR-BIO Sedimentology of Fjords Experiment, Baffin Island, Canada. Photo by Jaia Syvitski.

Sister Mary Dominic Ray founded the American Music Research Center at Dominican College in 1967 to support the study, preservation and performance of American music. The AMRC is the oldest center devoted to the study of American music in the country. She dedicated time to research and personally collect early sheet music, recordings, books and papers. Due to Sister Mary’s imminent retirement and Dominican College’s inability to sustain the AMRC, the University of Colorado was able to secure the transfer of the archival material in 1989. Today the AMRC is home to a rare music repository that supports the research, performance and preservation of all music of the Americas with an emphasis on music from the United States.

Source: American Music Research Center
Photo: American Music Research Center.

Dr. Tom Cech was awarded the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry alongside Dr. Sidney Altman for discovering that RNA can trigger biological reactions, a function thought to exclusively belong to protein enzymes. The breakthrough came while researching the RNA splicing mechanism of a unicellular pond organism. By carefully controlling which molecules were present during the reaction, his team concluded that it was not proteins but the RNA itself that catalyzed the splicing. Catalytic RNA molecules like these, called ribozymes, are unique in that they can both carry genetic information and function as an enzyme. Their discovery set off an RNA revolution which continues to examine RNA’s role in catalysis, gene expression and protein synthesis. RNA’s demonstrated flexibility has since led to the “RNA world” theory of evolution, suggesting that early life may have utilized RNA for both storing genetic information and triggering biological reactions before DNA and most proteins evolved.

Source: �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder Today
Photo: Tom Cech leads RNA splicing dance as part of BioFrontiers Institute Professor John Rinn’s biochemistry class in April 2018. Photo by Glenn Asakawa, �鶹��Ѱ�����.

Mark Meier was a world-renowned glaciologist and expert on sea level rise. Born in Iowa 1925, Meier completed a Ph.D. in glaciology from the California Institute of Technology in 1957, and went on to found the glaciology department at the U.S. Geological Survey. A previous stint in the Navy introduced him to technology that he later utilized to measure glacial melt via radar. In 1985, Meier moved to Boulder to become the director of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) and a professor of geological sciences at �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder. Meier’s work played a central role in raising scientific awareness of sea level rise due to global warming. During his career, he received awards from the American Geophysical Union, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the USSR Academy of Sciences. His work remains foundational to scientists’ understanding of Earth’s glaciers.

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Photo: An example of Mark Meier’s cartography, a map of the Wind River Mountains, Wyoming, drawn in 1950. Mark Meier.

CU’s first satellite to be entirely designed, built and operated by students was deployed by plane on Feb. 25, 1998. After winning a $4.4 million proposal for a NASA funding program called the Student Explorer Demonstration Initiative, students began developing the Student Nitric Oxide Explorer (SNOE) with expertise from engineers at LASP, Ball and NCAR. Administrated by the Universities Space Research Association, the program aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of cost-effective satellite construction coupled with student leadership. SNOE operated successfully under students at LASP and returned over two years of data on the effects of solar energy on nitric oxide in Earth’s atmosphere before de-orbiting in December 2003. The LASP student mission operations team provided commanding, telemetry, downlink, data capture and data processing for all five years of the SNOE mission.

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Photo: SNOE Spacecraft in the Building 836 cleanroom. LASP.

The Renée Crown Wellness Institute’s “As You Are” program was designed with girls and young women to help young people challenge societal messages about appearance. The program teaches skills to create a world that values people not for what they look like, but who they are and what they do. Body dissatisfaction at a young age is a significant risk factor for mental health challenges, including eating disorders. The program is designed with a peer and near-peer mentorship model that helps young people build skills to question and counteract cultural messages. Studies of the program over nearly a decade have shown improvements in body confidence, agency, well-being and belonging, and reduced vulnerability to appearance pressures and disordered eating.

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Photo: As You Are on college campuses. Crown Institute.

While it was never her intention to become an expert on dinosaur droppings, known as coprolites, Dr. Karen Chin found that they contain secrets to the ancient world. Karen is both a professor and a curator of paleontology at the Museum of Natural History and became one of the first in her field to look at coprolites to learn more about interactions among ancient organisms. Coprolites highlight what foods dinosaurs were eating, what plants and animals coexisted and how smaller organisms helped decompose and recycle waste products. The study of these materials provides a fuller picture than bone and plant fossils can on their own. One of her major discoveries was that herbivores, when nesting, were feeding on rotting wood full of arthropods — likely because it provided nutrients they needed. Dr. Chin believes that by studying ancient ecosystems we gain insight into our modern world, helping us learn and discover more about our current environment.

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Photo: Dr. Karen Chin in the field.

Laura Devendorf, associate professor and director of the Unstable Design Lab, blends computer science and materials research through the lens of weaving and textiles. Her research and work helps build a community of artists, artisans, engineers and designers dedicated to exploring new realms of textile technology. She has created experimental woven forms that can record and replay sensory data, behave in novel and useful ways and can be programmed. She believes if e-textiles are to become part of our everyday lives, they need to be more playful and soothing —closer to a favorite sweater than a sleek smartphone. Laura aims to change our minds about the importance of craft and expand where we consider solutions for challenges in everything from space suits to stents to treat coronary disease.

Source: ATLAS Institute
Photo: Unstable Design Lab.

Professor Mike McGehee, one of the world’s most cited materials scientists, has spent years researching the next generation of solar panels. His work focuses on tandem solar cells, which place a thin layer of material called perovskite on top of conventional silicon. Since each material absorbs different wavelengths of light, tandem cells could potentially produce 50% more energy. However, perovskite is unstable and can degrade when exposed to moisture, heat and sunlight. To combat this, McGehee founded the TEAMUP Consortium, bringing together U.S. academic, commercial and federal laboratories to improve durability. The project also aimed to make U.S. solar manufacturing more competitive as solar becomes one of the cheapest and fastest-growing energy sources. Even at a time when solar energy faces opposition, the collaborators are pushing forward to address the challenges associated with the durability of tandem perovskite solar cells.

Source: �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder Today
Photo: Anatomy of a tandem solar cell. Credit: Daniel Morton/�鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder.

James Balog received his master’s degree in geomorphology from the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) at �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder, but later discovered that he was more passionate about documenting science than doing it. He began a photography career documenting endangered animals against unique backdrops. Then, as his concern about global climate change grew, he pivoted to capturing images of changing Arctic ice. In 2007, Balog began the Extreme Ice Survey, which set out to document melting glaciers and ice sheets through time-lapse photography in some of the most austere locations on Earth. His work produced visual records of arctic ice masses as they melted and retreated, capturing would-be-forgetten landscapes. The project was then chronicled by director Jeff Orlowski in the award-winning documentaries Chasing Ice and Chasing Time. The films emphasize Balog’s devotion to these disappearing landscapes and his drive to sound the alarm on global climate change. Balog’s photography and these films have reached millions of viewers.

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Photo: Extreme Ice Survey Founder and Director James Balog in Greenland at -30 degrees F.,Disko Bay, Greenland (2008).