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In my State of the Campus address, I invited all faculty, staff and students to undertake a grand challenge in which we leverage our unique strengths in Earth and space science and technology. We must look at how our strengths in these areas will expand our role in space innovation, entrepreneurship, workforce development and the understanding and shaping of how space-based science and technologies impact our lives, institutions and society.

My vision for the grand challenge is to create a collaborative environment among Earth and space sciences, engineering, business, law, social sciences and humanities faculty members, students and staff as well as public and private sector partners in order to explore, understand and influence how space-based innovations and technologies impact business, law and society.

Waleed Abdalati, Director of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) and Professor of Geography and Steven Leigh, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Anthropology, have agreed to serve as interim co-directors of the grand challenge and leaders of a steering committee that will help make our vision become a reality. Other members of the Steering Committee include:

• Penny Axelrad, Professor and Department Chair, Aerospace Engineering Sciences
• Dan Baker, Director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics and Professor of Physics
• Carol Cleland, Professor of Philosophy
• Paul Daugherty, Senior Instructor of Journalism
• John Davis, Associate Dean for Administration in the College of Music, Professor of Music
• Diane Dimeff, Scholar in Residence, Aerospace Engineering Sciences
• Sandra Firmin, Director, �鶹��Ѱ�����Art Museum
• Jason Glenn, Associate Professor of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, Center for Astrophyics and Space Astronomy faculty
• Joseph Jupille, Director, Colorado European Union Center of Excellence and Associate Professor of Political Science
• Daniel Kaffine, Associate Professor of Economics
• Derek Kiernan-Johnson, Colorado Law
• John Lynch, Director, Center for Research on Consumer Financial Decision Making
• Helmut Muller-Sievers, Director, Center for Humanities and Arts and Professor of Germanic and Slavic Language and Literature
• Kaye Orten, Coordinator of International Student Programs
• Valerie Otero, Professor of Science Education
• Scott Palo, Professor and Associate Dean of Research, Aerospace Engineering Sciences
• Cora Randall, Professor and Chair of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics faculty
• John Stevenson, Dean of the Graduate School and Professor of English

• Abby Benson, Assistant Vice President of Research and Federal Relations (ex officio member)
• Frances Draper, Vice Chancellor for Strategic Relations (ex officio member)

The most immediate charge for the grand challenge steering committee is to develop the next steps for the initiative and to help plan the Dec. 9 campus grand challenge “Imagination Summit.” All faculty, students and staff will be invited to the Imagination Summit to brainstorm on how we can leverage our many strengths to develop research, education and outreach programs that will accomplish our goals for the grand challenge.

We are uniquely positioned to assume a defining role in the “new space” era at the nexus of space, Earth and society. Please join Steve, Waleed and the steering committee members in shaping that role by providing feedback to the committee members.�� For more information on how to provide that feedback and about the Dec. 9 grand challenge Imagination Summit, watch for upcoming announcements in CU-Boulder Today.

Thank you,
Chancellor Philip P DiStefano

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