Kudos

Scott Taylor elected councilor of the American Ornithological Society

Rachel Sauer — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 15:33:13 +0000

Scott Taylor elected councilor of the American Ornithological Society Rachel Sauer Tue, 08/11/2026 - 09:33

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder researcher will serve as a member of the Society’s governing body and promote its mission to support science that advances the understanding and conservation of birds

Scott Taylor, a �鶹��Ѱ�� professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and director of the Mountain Research Station, has been elected a councilor of the American Ornithological Society (AOS).

In this three-year volunteer term, Taylor, who also is a fellow of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, will serve as a member of the AOS governing body, which “establishes the direction and strategy of the AOS, makes high-level decisions about AOS’ priorities, oversees the sound financial management of AOS’ resources and ensures legal and ethical integrity of the organization,” according to the organization.

The AOS’ mission is to connect ornithologists, science and bird conservation by “supporting science that advances the understanding and conservation of birds, promoting broad access to ornithological science, supporting ornithologists throughout their career paths and fostering a welcoming, diverse, supportive and dynamic ornithological community.”

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder scientist Scott Taylor has been elected a councilor of the American Ornithological Society.

In his councilor candidate statement, Taylor noted that he is deeply committed to the AOS “as both a scientific home and a community that has shaped my career. Having benefited from AOS through collaborations, mentorship networks and opportunities to engage with cutting-edge research, I am motivated to give back in a leadership role.”

His involvement with AOS has included serving on committees, organizing symposia and building inclusive community spaces at annual meetings

“I am particularly interested in helping the Society continue to foster a vibrant, inclusive and forward-looking ornithological community while supporting early-career scientists, strengthening connections across disciplines and engaging in effective outreach,” he noted in his candidate statement.

Taylor, who grew up in rural southern Ontario, earned his undergraduate degree in wildlife biology at the University of Guelph and his PhD at Queen’s University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and worked as a field biologist in South America.

As principal investigator of the Taylor Lab, he leads research focused on hybridization, speciation, evolutionary ecology and population genomics, primarily of birds. He and his colleagues pursue research using natural hybrid zones and recent radiations to understand the genetic bases of traits involved in reproductive isolation, population divergence and speciation, and the impacts of anthropogenic change, including climate change, on species distributions, interactions and evolution.

Taylor also is host of the podcast “Okay, But… Birds,” which has addressed topics ranging from whether birds invented music to how wildfire smoke affects birds and a rumination on whether birdwatching is the original Pokémon with Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Ed Yong.

“Being elected to AOS Council is an honor,” Taylor said. “I have long worked to help the AOS become a more inclusive society and am impressed by the dedication of the society to their members. In my new role, I’ll continue this work at a larger scale, supporting the next generation of ornithologists and ornithological research.”

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�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder researcher will serve as a member of the Society’s governing body and promote its mission to support science that advances the understanding and conservation of birds.

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Top image: a flock of pelicans in Peru (Photo: Scott Taylor)

National honor recognizes physics teaching excellence

juch8046 — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:31:53 +0000

National honor recognizes physics teaching excellence juch8046 Mon, 08/03/2026 - 08:31

Carl Wieman, Katherine Eggert (interim dean, �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder College of Arts and Sciences), Tobin Munsat, Noah Finkelstein and Erika Randall (dean and vice provost of undergraduate education, �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder) celebrate the recognition on Monday, August 3, for �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder's Department of Physics. Photo: John Eisele

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Department of Physics named inaugural recipient of the Carl E. Wieman Award for Excellence for sustained commitment to high-quality undergraduate education

The �鶹��Ѱ�� Department of Physics has received national recognition as an inaugural recipient of the Carl E. Wieman Award for Excellence, a new honor presented by the Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities (UERU).

The award recognizes research university departments and offices that demonstrate a sustained commitment to teaching excellence and high-quality undergraduate education. UERU also recognized the Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Programs, Student Success, and Effectiveness at the University of Illinois Chicago with a Wieman award.

Carl E. Wieman, one of the �鶹��Ѱ��Department of Physics' most distinguished faculty members, received the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics while a faculty member, sharing the prize with �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder physics professor and JILA fellow Eric Cornell. Photo: John Eisele

For the Department of Physics, the recognition reflects the department’s longstanding commitment to scientific discovery, physics education research and student success. It also carries special significance because the award is named for Carl E. Wieman, one of the department’s most distinguished faculty members.

Wieman received the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics while a faculty member at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, sharing the prize with �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder physics professor and JILA fellow Eric Cornell. Their groundbreaking work achieved the world’s first Bose-Einstein condensate. Wieman and Cornell’s scientific accomplishments helped elevate �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s international reputation in physics.

Wieman’s impact extends well beyond the laboratory. Following his Nobel Prize-winning research, he launched the PhET initiative focused on improving science education and went on to become an internationally recognized scholar of teaching and learning. He later returned to �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder as a science education advisor and collaborator, helping advance efforts to improve teaching effectiveness and student learning across STEM disciplines.

Today, his influence continues through research, mentorship and scholarship, including his recent book, How to Learn to Think Like a Skilled Engineer or Scientist and How to Teach It.

That legacy is reflected in the work now being recognized. According to UERU, the Department of Physics was selected for its leadership in rethinking teaching evaluation. Drawing on the department's internationally recognized contributions to physics education research, faculty leaders developed approaches that use multiple measures to evaluate instructional excellence and support effective teaching. Led by Vice Chair Noah Finkelstein and other faculty partners, the effort helped shape teaching evaluation reforms across multiple colleges at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder.

“Our department is remarkable in its impact and commitment to excellence in all its activities including education, research and service,” Finkelstein said. “This community continues to innovate and keep our students at the center of what we do. We are so grateful for this recognition from UREU - a national leader in advancing our collective capacities in undergraduate education.”

The department’s success has been strengthened through participation in national initiatives focused on undergraduate STEM education, including the AAU STEM Education Initiative, APLU’s Network of STEM Education Centers, the former Bay View Alliance and UERU’s Raising the Bar Initiative, and the Transforming Higher Education–Multidimensional Evaluation of Teaching project, which culminated in the 2026 Harvard Education Press book, Transforming College Teaching Evaluation: A Framework for Advancing Instructional Excellence.

“This award is enormously meaningful for our department, especially because it bears Carl Wieman’s name,” said Tobin Munsat, chair of the Department of Physics. “Carl showed us that groundbreaking research and a deep commitment to teaching can, and should, go hand in hand. This recognition affirms our commitment to giving students the best education we can.”

Steven P. Dandaneau, UERU Executive Director and Associate Provost at Colorado State University, noted that both universities receiving the inaugural Carl E. Wieman Award for Excellence “demonstrate that excellence in undergraduate education is not the product of isolated innovators, but of intentional systems, leadership and accountability.”

The recognition underscores the department’s role as a national leader in the ongoing effort to improve undergraduate education at research universities. "This award emphasizes accountability, an often-overlooked component of educational excellence," said Wieman. "By recognizing departments that have built systems to support and assess excellence in teaching and learning, this award shines a light on models worthy of attention and emulation."

In many ways, the recognition comes full circle. An award named for a Nobel laureate whose career helped redefine both modern physics and science education now honors the department where much of that work began. For the department, which earned the No. 4 spot among public universities in the latest U.S. News & World Report graduate program rankings, the award reflects the department's longstanding commitment to research excellence, outstanding teaching and the education of future physicists.

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�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Department of Physics named inaugural recipient of the Carl E. Wieman Award for Excellence for sustained commitment to high-quality undergraduate education.

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Photo by Nikita Palenov / Unsplash

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Top photo: Nikita Palenov / Unsplash

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder graduate student wins DOE award, joins NASA-DARES

Rachel Sauer — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 15:53:07 +0000

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder graduate student wins DOE award, joins NASA-DARES Rachel Sauer Tue, 06/16/2026 - 09:53

Kayleigh Wood

Earth science PhD candidate Catherine Fontana will pursue cyanobacterial biofilm research at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Catherine Fontana, a geobiology PhD candidate in the �鶹��Ѱ�� Department of Earth Science and the Interdisciplinary Quantitative Biology Program, was recently selected for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) award for her research on cyanobacterial biofilms.

The highly competitive program offers PhD candidates in various STEM fields the opportunity to advance their thesis research at one of DOE’s research facilities alongside a DOE national laboratory scientist. Additionally, awardees are eligible to receive a stipend for general living expenses and inbound and outbound transportation.

“The DOE SCGSR program allows me to study microbial processes using cutting-edge analytical techniques and world-class facilities that are a hallmark of the Department of Energy national laboratories,” Fontana says.

PhD candidate Catherine Fontana was recently selected for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science Graduate Research (SCGSR) award for her research on cyanobacterial biofilms.

In the Department of Earth Science, Fontana is co-advised by stable isotope geochemist Boswell Wing and microbial physiologist Sebastian Kopf. Her research on cyanobacterial biofilms seeks to understand the connections between microbial physiology, mineral precipitation and stromatolite (a layered, rock-like formation built by microbial communities) formation using stable isotope geochemistry and experimental evolution.

From October 2026 to April 2027, Fontana’s SCGSR award will support her study at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, where she will work closely with Rhona Stuart, who leads the DOE’s MicroBiospheres Scientific Focus Area. The DOE laboratory offers Fontana the opportunity to leverage a stable isotope technique called NanoSIMS to track variation in stable isotope composition at the micron-scale level.

The project, “Tracking Carbon Flow in Cyanobacteria Biofilms and Their Mineral Byproduct,” explores “how carbon moves through cyanobacterial biofilms and the extent to which this carbon contributes to minerals they make, like carbonate, that eventually turns them into rocks, like stromatolites,” she explains, adding that her work is especially meaningful in the context of developing next-generation biotechnologies in which cyanobacteria and their biofilms may be an innovative foundation for bioeconomy products.

Charting the future of NASA astrobiology

Additionally, after a highly competitive open-call application, Fontana was selected as one of nine early-career scientists to serve on the 49-member NASA-DARES Task Force 2. Composed of members of the astrobiology community, NASA-DARES, or NASA’s Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy, will serve as a roadmap for the organization’s future astrobiology research, which aims to understand life’s origins, evolution and distribution across the universe.

Since January, NASA-DARES Task Force 2 has been building on the nine major focus areas—which include comparative planetology to understand habitability and astrobiology in society, among others—identified by Task Force 1 by gathering community input through virtual webinars and public discussions. Task Force 2 is currently synthesizing community perspectives into a document outlining contemporary astrobiological interests, available opportunities and the diverse scientific approaches and disciplines in motion across NASA Science.

As the executive secretary of Focus Area 8, Early Career and Workforce Development, Fontana has worked with her team to solicit and synthesize community input regarding how NASA can best support early-career astrobiologists and develop the field over the next decade.

“As an early career researcher passionate about the future of astrobiology, I am profoundly honored to be part of NASA-DARES,” says Fontana. “As the only early-career member of the ‘Early Career and Workforce Development’ focus area, I feel a strong responsibility to represent early-career voices and perspectives. This role provides me with a unique opportunity to help shape the chapter’s findings and contribute to pivotal conversations about the future of astrobiology.”

NASA-DARES is still soliciting feedback: The public comment period for NASA-DARES is open this month and close July 2. The final NASA-DARES document will be shared at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting in December.

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Earth science PhD candidate Catherine Fontana will pursue cyanobacterial biofilm research at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

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Undergraduate Isabella Perrin named 2026 Cech Fellow

Rachel Sauer — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 23:12:39 +0000

Undergraduate Isabella Perrin named 2026 Cech Fellow Rachel Sauer Wed, 06/03/2026 - 17:12

The newly established fellowship, named in honor of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Professor Thomas Cech, gives students opportunities for research, professional mentorship and career exploration

Isabella Perrin, a �鶹��Ѱ�� undergraduate student studying molecular, cellular and developmental biology and public health, has been selected as one of 176 inaugural Cech Fellows by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).

The fellowship, awarded to an inaugural cohort of undergraduates from 109 institutions in 36 states and territories, is named in honor of Nobel laureate Thomas Cech, a �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder distinguished professor of biochemistry, former HHMI president and current HHMI investigator.

The Cech Fellows will spend nine weeks this summer conducting hands-on research with HHMI scientists at universities and research institutions across the country, as well as at HHMI’s Janelia Research Campus in Virginia. They will contribute to research while receiving professional mentorship and exploring potential careers in biological and biomedical research.

"I’ve always believed that getting students into real research environments early is one of the most powerful things we can do for them and for science,” said Cech. “I’m deeply honored that this program carries my name, and I look forward to seeing what this first cohort of Fellows will go on to achieve.”

Leslie Vosshall, HHMI vice president and chief scientific officer, noted that a single summer in the right lab can kickstart a scientific career: “By asking real questions alongside scientists at the top of their fields, this year’s Cech Fellows will have the opportunity to see what a life in science actually looks like.”

Perrin, who is working with researchers at the University of California Berkeley this summer on immunology research about the pathways and mechanisms that relate to autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, has previously conducted RNA research with Robin Dowell, a professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology, and Mary Ann Allen, a research associate professor with the BioFrontiers Institute.

“As a Cech Fellow, I’m honored and excited to join a diverse community with engaging and curiosity-filled science research,” Perrin said. “I value this opportunity not only to learn from mentors and peers about how to conduct meaningful research but also to engage in research that, at its core, is based in bettering individuals’ quality of life.

“I hope to learn and use new skills to contribute to the field in a rigorous manner, and to use a creative mindset to approach challenging questions. I love learning about the capabilities and quirks of the immune system and am thrilled to be a part of a lab that focuses on applying this work to human health conditions.”

Summer research experiences are “often where undergraduates discover their passion for scientific inquiry,” said Joshua Hall, HHMI lead senior director and scientific program officer at HHMI. “The Cech Fellows Program gives talented students direct access to some of the most exciting science happening anywhere in the country, and we’re thrilled to welcome this inaugural cohort.”

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The newly established fellowship, named in honor of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Professor Thomas Cech, gives students opportunities for research, professional mentorship and career exploration.

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Matthew Olm named a 2026 Boettcher Investigator

Rachel Sauer — Fri, 29 May 2026 17:10:55 +0000

Matthew Olm named a 2026 Boettcher Investigator Rachel Sauer Fri, 05/29/2026 - 11:10

Grant will support Olm’s research on how diet and lifestyle shape the infant gut microbiome and immune disease risk

Matthew Olm, a �鶹��Ѱ�� assistant professor of integrative physiology, has been named a member of the 2026 class of Boettcher Investigators.

Olm is one of eight early-career biomedical researchers at four leading Colorado academic and research institutions who each will receive a $250,000 grant through the Boettcher Foundation’s Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Awards Program to fund up to three years of independent scientific research.

The Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Awards provide critical early-career support and position recipients to compete for additional private, state and federal research funding while helping Colorado retain top scientific talent, according to the Boettcher Foundation.

Matthew Olm, a �鶹��Ѱ�� assistant professor of integrative physiology, has been named a member of the 2026 class of Boettcher Investigators.

“The awards are critical to Colorado’s future because of the investment in researchers at one of the most important stages of their careers, when bold ideas have the potential to create lasting impact,” said Katie Kramer, president and CEO of the Boettcher Foundation, in an announcement of the awards. “Colorado’s leadership in bioscience depends on ensuring that emerging researchers have the resources to pursue innovative work.”

The Boettcher grant will support Olm’s research on how diet and lifestyle shape the infant gut microbiome and immune disease risk.

“Immune diseases like asthma, allergies and type 1 diabetes have exploded in industrialized countries over the past 100 years, but they are still rare in non-industrialized settings,” Olm says. “The microbes that colonize infant guts in the first year of life appear to be critical for training the human immune system, and we hypothesize that something about modern life is disrupting this process. This funding gives us the ability to compare infant microbiomes across the globe using cutting-edge immunological and bioinformatics techniques. We hope this work will ultimately lead to the development of strategies to restore the infant microbiome to its historical state to prevent immune diseases before they start.”

Olm, who earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh and his PhD at the University of California Berkeley, leads the Integrative Microbiome Research Laboratory, where he and his research colleagues study the human microbiome as “an entire ecosystem of microscopic organisms that live on our skin and inside our body. These microbes are integrated into our immune, digestive and nervous systems and are critical to our overall wellbeing.”

Olm and his colleagues aim to increase understanding of the human microbiome and its connections to physiology and to apply these findings to improve human health using cutting-edge, computer-based analysis and experimental techniques to study the microbiome.

The lab’s current research topics include:

From where do we get our microbiome? How do our microbes spread from person to person?
How does the infant gut microbiome influence the development of allergies and auto-immune disease?
How does our intestinal immune system control our gut microbiome? How do failures in this control lead to disease?

About the awards program

Since it began, the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Awards Program has supported 121 Boettcher Investigators, including this year’s class, and awarded almost $29 million in grant funding. These researchers have gone on to secure more than $150 million in additional research funding from federal, state and private sources. The Boettcher Foundation’s Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Awards strengthen the state’s long-term competitiveness by helping emerging investigators accelerate breakthroughs for patients.

“Colorado’s future as a leading hub for health innovation depends on bold scientific thinking and sustained investment in emerging researchers,” said Elyse Blazevich, president and CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association, in an announcement of the awards. “The Boettcher Investigators are advancing high-impact discoveries across some of the most urgent challenges in human health while strengthening Colorado’s position as a center for biomedical research and innovation. These awards help accelerate breakthrough science, support exceptional talent, and reinforce the collaborative research environment that sets Colorado apart.”

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Grant will support Olm’s research on how diet and lifestyle shape the infant gut microbiome and immune disease risk.

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Winning films commemorate �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder at 150

Rachel Sauer — Thu, 07 May 2026 23:05:12 +0000

Winning films commemorate �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder at 150 Rachel Sauer Thu, 05/07/2026 - 17:05

Student filmmakers participating in the 150 Years of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder film competition had five minutes or fewer to tell a story from the university's expansive history

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the �鶹��Ѱ��--a milestone that is inspiring both reflections on those first 150 years and visions of what the next 150 might bring.

To commemorate and celebrate �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder's first 150 years, the Department of Cinema Studies and Moving Image Arts issued a challenge to students: Create a film that's three to five minutes long, incorporates archival material from University Colorado Publicity Collections and/or photographs from the �鶹��Ѱ��Campus Building Collections and tells a story from �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder's first 150 years.

The winning films by Doug Conway and Benjamin Albuisson incorporate both historical photos and videos, telling stories of a spot in Boulder, Colorado, where communities grew, where ideas flourished and where innovation with potential to change the world happened.

Winning film by Doug Conway

Winning film by Benjamin Albuisson

Honorable mention film

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Student filmmakers participating in the 150 Years of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder film competition had five minutes or fewer to tell a story from the university's expansive history.

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Jennifer Stratford wins 2026 Cogswell Award for Inspirational Instruction

Rachel Sauer — Mon, 04 May 2026 19:26:06 +0000

Jennifer Stratford wins 2026 Cogswell Award for Inspirational Instruction Rachel Sauer Mon, 05/04/2026 - 13:26

Stratford, a teaching professor of psychology and neuroscience, is recognized for her warmth, creativity and dedication to making science accessible to every student

Jennifer Stratford, a �鶹��Ѱ�� teaching professor of psychology and neuroscience, has been named the 2026 Cogswell Award for Inspirational Instruction winner.

The Cogswell Award is named in honor of and supported by a generous donation from Craig Cogswell, a three-time alumnus of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder. It recognizes outstanding instruction in the College of Arts and Sciences, honoring individuals for their inspirational qualities and teaching abilities.

Drawing on her past connections to the Modern Human Anatomy program, Jennifer Stratford is helping to develop accurate, detailed 3-D models of the human brain that anyone with an inexpensive 3-D printer can produce.

Stratford earned her MS and PhD degrees at Florida State University, where she researched sex differences in how sweets and fats are detected within the tongue. She then joined the Rocky Mountain Taste and Smell Center at �鶹��Ѱ��Anschutz Medical Campus as a postdoctoral fellow, eventually transitioning to a faculty position in the Modern Human Anatomy program at the �鶹��Ѱ��School of Medicine, where she studied the interplay between taste and post-ingestive (gut) detection of food.

Guided by a lifelong love of teaching, Stratford left the �鶹��Ѱ��School of Medicine in 2016 to pursue a full-time teaching career at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder. Since joining the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, she has taught an unusually broad spectrum of courses, from large lower-division offerings such as General Psychology to advanced upper-level courses such as Clinical Neuroscience, and nearly every required class for the psychology major in between.

Her commitment to teaching also shapes her current research, which focuses on making neuroanatomy accessible to everyone. Drawing on her past connections to the Modern Human Anatomy program, Stratford is helping to develop accurate, detailed 3-D models of the human brain that anyone with an inexpensive 3-D printer can produce. While commercial brain models can cost hundreds of dollars, the models she is helping create can be made for a small fraction of that cost, making high-quality teaching tools more readily available to classrooms, students and curious learners.

In the classroom, Stratford is widely known for her kindness and enthusiasm, with a goal of making every class fun and memorable. For instance, students often comment that seeing and holding a real human brain in one of her courses is among the most memorable experiences of their college careers.

Her teaching philosophy is simple—make learning physical. Complicated biological processes, she believes, are far easier to understand when you can act them out, and she practices what she preaches. In a single day, she might help students mount brain tissue onto glass slides, get on her hands and knees to demonstrate how anatomical terms shift between humans (who walk on two legs) and other animals (who walk on four), and then join an impromptu class dance party to act out how neurons in the brain abnormally synchronize during an epileptic episode.

Above all, Stratford’s goal is to give students the knowledge and skills they need to advocate for themselves and the people they love.

“I'm honored and humbled to receive the Cogswell Award,” Stratford said. “There are so many gifted, devoted educators at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder that any recognition like this is partly a matter of luck, but I hope it draws attention to the care that passionate teachers bring to their work every day. More than anything, I see this award as an acknowledgment of the important, effective work that my students and I share in the classroom."

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Stratford, a teaching professor of psychology and neuroscience, is recognized for her warmth, creativity and dedication to making science accessible to every student.

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�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder scholars elected members of the National Academy of Sciences

Rachel Sauer — Fri, 01 May 2026 20:47:49 +0000

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder scholars elected members of the National Academy of Sciences Rachel Sauer Fri, 05/01/2026 - 14:47

Lee Niswander and Bethany Ehlmann recognized ‘for their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research’

Two �鶹��Ѱ�� scientists have been elected members of the National Academy of Sciences, joining a cohort of more than 140 scholars around the world who are recognized for their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

Lee Niswander, a distinguished professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology, and Bethany Ehlmann, a professor of geological sciences and director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, join an academy whose members include Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Richard Feynman and Jennifer Doudna, among other scientists.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution that was established under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It recognizes achievement in science by election to membership, and—with the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine—provides science, engineering and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations.

Lee Niswander is a distinguished professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology.

Pursuing clinical therapies

Niswander is head of the Niswander Lab, where she and her group investigate mouse models of embryonic development to provide insights into fundamental developmental processes, major human birth defects and potential clinical therapies. Her studies have revealed the molecular mechanisms that control formation of the central and peripheral nervous system, as well as lung, limb and neuromuscular development.

Niswander’s current focus is on early brain formation and birth defects that arise when normal brain formation goes awry, like failure of neural tube closure or maintenance of neural progenitor cells, resulting in spina bifida or microcephaly.

The Niswander Lab uses the mouse embryo and human-induced pluripotent stem cells as models of human development. The lab’s studies encompass genetics, epigenetics, environmental factors and live imaging to couple molecular insights to cell behaviors. Through collaborative efforts, Niswander Lab researchers are also exploring the genetic causes of neural tube defects in humans.

Niswander recently received the Hazel Barnes Prize, which celebrates the enriching interrelationship between teaching and research. It is the largest and most prestigious award funded by the university. This summer she will be honored with an Edwin G. Conklin Medal, which is awarded annually by the Society for Developmental Biology (SDB) to recognize a developmental biologist who has made and is continuing to make extraordinary research contributions to the field and is an excellent mentor, helping train the next generation of outstanding scientists.

Niswander received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, her master’s degree in biochemistry and genetics from University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (now �鶹��Ѱ��Anschutz) and her doctorate in genetics from Case Western University. She performed her postdoctoral training in developmental biology at the University of California San Francisco.

“I am deeply honored to become a member of the National Academy of Sciences,” Niswander says. “I am grateful to the numerous trainees and their research discoveries that provided the foundation of this honor. I am excited to join the Academy in their mission to advise on scientific matters important for human health.”

Bethany Ehlmann is a professor of geological sciences and director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics.

Studying space

Ehlmann is a planetary scientist who, in addition to her roles as director of LASP and professor of geological sciences, holds the faculty roles of Provost’s Chair in the Research and Innovation Office and affiliate professor in the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences. Her research focuses on water in the solar system, the evolution of habitable worlds and remote sensing techniques and instruments for planetary missions.

Ehlmann is a science team member of multiple missions, including the Jupiter-bound Europa Clipper; the Earth-orbiting EMIT imaging spectrometer; the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover; the Mars2020 Perseverance rover; the ExoMars rover; and orbiting and landed spectrometers for the Artemis lunar program. Previously, she was a science team member for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter CRISM instrument, the Dawn mission during its exploration of the asteroid Ceres, the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity and principal investigator of Lunar Trailblazer.

Active in science policy and outreach, Ehlmann is president of the board of directors of The Planetary Society. She served as a member of the National Academies Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey and the National Academies Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science. She is a fellow of both the American Geophysical Union and the Mineralogical Society of America, and has authored a children's book, “Dr. E's Super Stellar Solar System,” with National Geographic.

Ehlmann earned a bachelor’s degree from Washington University, where she double majored in earth and planetary sciences and environmental studies with a minor in math; two master’s degrees from the University of Oxford, in environmental change and management and geography; and master’s and doctoral degrees in geological sciences from Brown University.

“Election to the National Academy of Sciences is an honor,” Ehlmann said. “I’m grateful for this recognition and look forward to supporting the Academy’s mission to guide and advance scientific discovery, especially at a moment when humanity is extending our scientific exploration of the Moon, Mars and other planets.”

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Lee Niswander and Bethany Ehlmann recognized ‘for their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.’

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Finishing what she started

Rachel Sauer — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:20:41 +0000

Finishing what she started Rachel Sauer Thu, 04/23/2026 - 17:20

Bradley Worrell

Against the odds, �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder student Valeria Mendoza Frutos prepares to graduate in May, thanks in part to the Division of Continuing Education’s Finish What You Started program

As Valeria Mendoza Frutos approaches graduation day in May, excitement mixes with a twinge of uncertainty.

“It’s a little scary,” she admits. “Actually facing the reality that I’m going to be done with school in a month—I don’t know what’s going to happen after.”

It’s a feeling many graduating college students likely share, but for Mendoza Frutos, getting to the finish line didn’t follow a traditional, linear route. Instead, by her own account, it’s been a journey marked by stops and starts, academic setbacks and personal loss, but also one ultimately shaped by resilience and the realization that it’s OK to ask for help.

For Valeria Mendoza Frutos, the road to graduation next month had been a journey marked by stops and starts, academic setbacks and personal loss, but also one ultimately shaped by resilience and the realization that it’s OK to ask for help.

Feeling out of place: college, COVID and self-doubt

Mendoza Frutos first arrived at the �鶹��Ѱ�� in Fall 2020—during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her introduction to college life was different than what she had imagined. Most classes were taught remotely, she and other students were housed in hotel rooms rather than dorms and the sense of community she hoped to find was largely absent.

“It was a very weird semester,” she recalls. “Most of my classes were online and everything just felt off.”

What’s more, after graduating from KIPP Northeast Leadership Academy, a small, tightknit high school in northeast Denver with a graduating class of about 80 students—many of whom were Hispanic—the transition to a large, predominantly white institution felt overwhelming at times.

“I felt like I didn’t belong,” she says. “Being Hispanic and surrounded by mostly white students was a huge change for me. There was that voice in my head telling me, ‘You don’t belong here.’”

That sense of not belonging followed her into the classroom. Even when professors encouraged participation, Mendoza Frutos says she struggled with self-confidence. “They would always say ‘there is no such thing as a dumb question,’ but I never believed that,” she says.

Outside of school, Mendoza Frutos’s life was equally complicated. After her first year at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, she decided to move back home and commute to college. A self-described “mom’s girl,” she was deeply involved in helping raise her younger siblings while her mother worked.

“People laugh,” she says, “but I tell my mom I see her more like my partner, because I was the one at home helping raise my brother and sister.”

Family demands, financial pressures, the challenges of balancing work and school and the stress of commuting all weighed heavily upon her, and her grades suffered, leading to academic probation. Then came a devastating personal loss: the death of her beloved grandmother in 2022.

“I just lost it,” she says. “I was going through a lot and that was the semester I had all Fs.”

As grief took its toll, Mendoza Frutos stepped away from college altogether. For nearly a year, she wasn’t sure she would ever return.

“I think in my head I was like, ‘I’ll go back one day,’” she says, ‘but it took a lot for me to understand that I needed help.”

‘It’s OK to accept help’

That help arrived unexpectedly in early 2024, when Mendoza Frutos received an email from Ann Herrmann, program manager and advisor for Finish What You Started, a federal initiative designed to support students who paused their education and wanted to return that was administered at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder by the Division of Continuing Education. Herrmann had reviewed Mendoza Frutos’s academic profile and reached out with a simple but powerful message: Help was available.

Valeria Mendoza Frutos (center, white dress) with her family.

“At first, I wasn’t sure,” Mendoza Frutos recalls. “But we met and I told her everything I had been through. She didn’t judge me; she just helped me figure out a path forward.”

Herrmann helped Mendoza Frutos withdraw from classes she previously started but had not completed, which were hurting her GPA, and worked with her to rebuild a realistic academic plan. Soon after, Mendoza Frutos was paired with Michelle Pagnani, a senior academic and career coach for Finish What You Started.

Although hesitant at first—“I kind of ghosted her a few times,” Mendoza Frutos admits, but adds that Pagnani’s persistence made the difference. “She was always calling me, like, ‘Hey, when do you want to reschedule?’”

Over time, the relationship grew into one of trust and encouragement. “Now me and Michelle and me and Ann have a really good bond,” she adds.

With their guidance, Mendoza Frutos returned to school step by step—starting with summer classes, then fall, then continuing forward. If coursework ever became overwhelming or life intervened, she says Pagnani and Herrmann were there to offer assistance. And for the first time, she says, she felt supported not just academically, but personally.

“I realized it’s OK to accept help,” she says. “It doesn’t make you less than; it just makes your journey easier. That’s what the program did for me.

“Being a first-generation college student made it harder. I didn’t really have anyone guiding me before, but Ann and Michelle gave me the support I needed.”

Advancing in school and at work

While rebuilding her academic life, Mendoza Frutos was also building her career. In February 2024, she began working as an intake specialist for the Frank Azar law practice, fielding calls from clients and potential clients, after connecting with the company at a LinkedIn job fair.

Mendoza Frutos says the work required accuracy, empathy and strong communication skills. She says her bilingual skills became an asset almost immediately, as being able to connect with Spanish-speaking clients helped the firm respond faster and build trust.

�鶹��Ѱ��Complete

As Finish What You Started winds down, its success is informing a redesigned and expanded effort: �鶹��Ѱ��Complete. This successor program aims to carry forward the most effective elements of FWYS while creating a longer-term, institutionally funded model for degree completion.

Learn more

Despite juggling a full-time job with a demanding courseload, her dedication stood out. The firm closely tracks performance metrics including contracts sent, follow-through and client satisfaction—all of which she excelled in. As a result, after about a year on the job, Mendoza Frutos was promoted to the role of investigator, which she attributes to her strong work ethic.

“I’m very dedicated and passionate when I like something—and I really enjoy my job. I like learning and there’s always something new to learn at work,” she says. “This job feels very fulfilling.”

Equally important was how her employer supported her as a student—something she had not experienced before. Mendoza Frutos says she left a previous job after it would not accommodate her schedule once she planned to return to campus to complete her degree.

When she asked her current employer if they could temporarily reduce her work hours so she could concentrate on finishing college, they accommodated her, she says, adding that flexibility has allowed her to succeed in both school and work.

Today, Mendoza Frutos is completing a degree in Spanish for health professions, with a certificate in health resilience. For now, she plans to continue working for the law firm after graduation, where she sees opportunity for growth and advancement.

At the same time, the idea of attending law school—once unimaginable—now feels possible. That shift came during a quiet moment with Pagnani, who once casually guided Mendoza Frutos into the Wolf Law Building under the guise of taking a campus walk.

“I didn’t finish alone. And now I know—I don’t have to do everything by myself.”

“She didn’t tell me her plan,” Mendoza Frutos says, laughing. “But standing there, getting information, I realized that someone outside my family believes I could do this.”

For a first-generation student who once felt invisible, that belief mattered.

“It made me very emotional,” she says. “It was like, damn—you really do care about me.”

Looking ahead: moving forward

In May, Mendoza Frutos will walk across the graduation stage with family in attendance, including relatives traveling from Texas. Her mother is even planning a graduation party. It will mark not just the completion of a degree, but a journey defined by resilience, growth and the power of support.

Looking back, Mendoza Frutos is clear about one thing: Without Finish What You Started, she would not be graduating. “If it wasn’t for that email, I wouldn’t be here.”

There are many beneficial programs on campus, Mendoza Frutos notes, but it’s the people behind them that make the difference. “I’m very lucky to have Ann and Michelle,” she says. “They really care.”

As she looks toward the future—continuing in her career and possibly pursuing law school one day—Mendoza Frutos carries a hard-won lesson.

“I didn’t finish alone,” she says. “And now I know—I don’t have to do everything by myself.”

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Against the odds, �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder student Valeria Mendoza Frutos prepares to graduate in May, thanks in part to the Division of Continuing Education’s Finish What You Started program.

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All photos courtesy Valeria Mendoza Frutos

Jun Ye elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Rachel Sauer — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 18:14:01 +0000

Jun Ye elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Rachel Sauer Thu, 04/23/2026 - 12:14

Election recognizes Ye's extraordinary contributions to physics and quantum science, including pioneering advances in optical atomic clocks, precision measurement and quantum many-body physics

�鶹��Ѱ�� scientist Jun Ye has been named a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Ye is a professor of physics at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder and physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He holds the Monroe Endowed Professorship in Physics and is a fellow at JILA.

Learn more about Ye's honor

Election recognizes Ye's extraordinary contributions to physics and quantum science, including pioneering advances in optical atomic clocks, precision measurement and quantum many-body physics.

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