News

Twenty-two faculty recognized as exceptional mentors

Cay Leytham-Powell — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:14:30 +0000

Twenty-two faculty recognized as exceptional mentors Cay Leytham-Powell Thu, 03/26/2026 - 14:14

The Exceptional Graduate Faculty Mentor Award recognizes the work that faculty mentors do to improve the graduate student experience

Twenty-two faculty have been recognized with this year’s Exceptional Graduate Faculty Mentor Award, the Graduate School announced this week.

These faculty were nominated by students, department or program administrators, faculty or staff for their outstanding contributions either to mentoring individual graduate students, improving the overall climate of graduate education within their program, or improving the graduate program itself.

“The support and enhancement of mentoring is a priority initiative of the Graduate School and that work couldn’t be done without faculty support,” said Scott Adler, dean of the Graduate School and vice provost for graduate affairs. “The faculty members recognized by this award have demonstrated their willingness to go above and beyond as a trusted mentor for their students and we’re excited to be able to honor these excellent leaders.”

This year’s recipients include:

Hisham Ali, aerospace engineering
David Boromisza-Habashi, communication
David Brain, astrophysical and planetary sciences
Eleanor Browne, chemistry
Theodora Chaspari, computer science
Alison Cool, anthropology
Carolyn Crow, geological sciences
Andrew Grotzinger, psychology and neuroscience
Emily Jensen, robotics
Sungyun Lim, history
Karl Linden, environmental engineering
Mike McDevitt, journalism
Alexis Palmer, linguistics
Nicholas Reinholtz, marketing
Raul Saucedo, philosophy
Anand Sokhey, political science
Sara Staley, education
Katherine Stange, mathematics
Aneesh Subramanian, atmospheric and oceanic sciences
Cara Welker, mechanical engineering
Aaron Whiteley, biochemistry
Erin Willis, advertising, public relations and design

More information about the award is available on the Graduate School website.

The Exceptional Graduate Faculty Mentor Award recognizes the work that faculty mentors do to improve the graduate student experience.

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Get involved with Graduate Student Appreciation Week, April 6–10

Cay Leytham-Powell — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 17:06:51 +0000

Get involved with Graduate Student Appreciation Week, April 6–10 Cay Leytham-Powell Thu, 03/19/2026 - 11:06

Join faculty, staff and students in celebrating Graduate Student Appreciation Week, a national event that recognizes graduate students’ many contributions to the university’s community and academic excellence

Join faculty, staff and students in celebrating Graduate Student Appreciation Week (GSAW), a national event that recognizes graduate students’ many contributions to the university’s community and academic excellence. GSAW offers a variety of free events, workshops and services to С�� Boulder graduate students, and the Graduate School will be raffling off a prize from the bookstore during the Graduate Student Appreciation Breakfast.

Keep an eye on this page for more events, including unit-specific events, as they get finalized.

April 6

Get Noticed by Employers: How to identify and effectively promote the skills developed in graduate school that employers appreciate

12–1 p.m. Virtual

Learn how to identify the skills you have developed in graduate school that are valuable to employers. Discover potential jobs that align well with these skills and how to effectively articulate them to employers.

Graduate Student Appreciation Lemonade Stand

12–2 p.m. Visual Arts Complex, Breezeway

International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) is excited to show our appreciation for the amazing Graduate Students here at С�� Boulder by hosting a lemonade stand! Free lemonade and light snacks will be handed out while supplies last as a token of our appreciation. If you are an International Graduate Student, bring your BuffOne Card to the Lemonade Stand to enter a raffle to win two tickets to the Colorado Rapids Game (transportation included) on Saturday, April 11, 2026!

What can I do with a PhD in the humanities: Exploring career options outside academia

2–3 p.m. Virtual

Participate in a guided discovery process and collaborative environment with other graduate students in the humanities who are interested in exploring broader career options. Learn about resources for job searching and how to begin the process of developing effective application materials. Students in any field whose work involves humanistic inquiry are welcome to participate.

Trivia Night *

7 p.m. University Memorial Center (UMC), The Connection

Think you’ve got the brains to beat the best? Grab your friends (or fly solo) and head to The Connection for a free night of trivia, laughs and prizes!

April 7

Grad+ Weekly Write-In for Grad Students

8 a.m. – 12 p.m. CASE E313 & SEEC S225

Time to show up and write! Do you need a dedicated space to help you focus on your academic writing? Sign up to attend our weekly write-in sessions. The goal of these sessions is to devote a few hours to your writing each week to help build your writing habit, to promote accountability with your peers by working independently alongside your fellow graduate students, and by tracking your progress regularly.

Graduate Student Appreciation Breakfast

8:30–10:30 a.m. UMC 235

Kick off your day at our Graduate Student Appreciation Breakfast. Join Dean Adler and the Graduate School staff for coffee and a selection of breakfast treats as we celebrate you during Graduate Student Appreciation Week.

Food and beverage available while supplies last. Buff One Cards are required at check-in.

Grad+ Seminar Series: Fundamentals for Academic Success or Advanced Learning Lab

10 – 11:15 a.m. & 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. Zoom

The Grad+ Seminar Series, led by Leslie-Ellen Blood, consists of weekly check-ins to support goal setting and planning, and to provide an understanding of how values should drive goals and habit structures. Students will find that these seminars provide a solid foundation which should reduce stress and help them find their place in the graduate community.

There are two options:

Fundamentals for Academic Success, Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Advanced Learning Lab, Tuesdays, 10–11:15 a.m.

Mindfulness Practices for Graduate Students: Understanding the Brain and Stress Response/ Mindful Behavior vs Autopilot Behavior

12–12:45 p.m. Zoom

Learn the neuroscience behind stress, fight-fight-freeze response and how mindfulness techniques help calm and reset. Key practices covered include stress mapping, journaling stress triggers and CALM breathing when activated.

What can I do with a PhD in the social sciences: Exploring career options outside academia

12–1 p.m. Virtual

Participate in a guided discovery process and collaborative environment with other graduate students in the social sciences who are interested in exploring broader career options. Learn about resources for job searching and how to begin the process of developing effective application materials.

Walk-in Massages

3–5 p.m. Wardenburg Health Center

Join Medical Services for a special massage experience to support your wellness and relaxation for your mind and body! To redeem, come down to the waiting room on the first floor.

April 8

Free Coffee at Laughing Goat

All Day Norlin Library

Mention you're a graduate student to redeem your free drip coffee of any size at the Laughing Goat in Norlin Library.

Walk-in acupressure/ear seeding

10–12 p.m. Wardenburg Health Center

Join Medical Services to experience the power of acupuncture, a form of traditional Chinese medicine that dates back thousands of years and can be an integrative approach to your health and wellbeing today. To redeem, come down to the waiting room on the first floor.

Defining Self-Care for Graduate Student Appreciation Week

2–3 p.m. Zoom

During this workshop, participants will:

Dismantle common myths about "self-care"
Learn about a framework for conceptualizing health and well-being practices
Discuss challenges related to practicing self-care in graduate school
Brainstorm realistic, affordable practices that can help student well-being
Use guided questions to set a personally relevant well-being goal

April 9

Free Drip Coffee

8 a.m. to 2 p.m. SEEC Cafe (east campus)

Present a voucher (which will be distributed to your graduate program assistant on April 6) to redeem your free 20 oz drip coffee at SEEC café on east campus.

Walk-in Massages

11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Wardenburg Health Center

Join Medical Services for a special massage experience to support your wellness and relaxation for your mind and body! To redeem, come down to the waiting room on the first floor.

Sound Bath Meditation

1–2:30 p.m. С�� Art Museum

Please join us for a special extended sound bath meditation in honor of Graduate Student Appreciation Week! Designed to relax your body and mind with healing music. The sound vibrations will help guide your consciousness toward a calm and peaceful state of mind.

Fiske Thursdays *

7–8 p.m. Fiske Planetarium

Show your BuffOne card at the Box Office and experience С�� Boulder’s immersive 360-degree theater to watch NASA’s Lucy Mission: Updates and Mainbelt Encounters.

Learn more

April 10

Mindfulness Practices for Graduate Students: Noticing Body Sensations: Release Tension for Reduced Stress

12–12:45 p.m. Zoom

Understand why noticing body sensations matters and how it helps release tension. Key practices covered include body scan, mindful movement and tense-release exercises.

International Coffee Hour

4–5:30 p.m. Center for Community, S350

Stop by for free coffee, tea, snacks and conversation! International Coffee Hour is open to all members of the С�� Community. Students, faculty, staff—everyone is welcome!

Graduate Student Bowling Night

6:30 – 8:30 p.m. University Memorial Center (UMC), The Connections

Join the Graduate School and the Graduate and Professional Student Government for a free night of bowling (including rental shoes), billiards, ping pong and video games. Don’t miss this chance to connect, unwind and have fun.

This event is free for graduate students.

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift - Program Council Friday Night Film x С�� Car Club *

8 p.m. Benson Earth Sciences, Benson Lawn

Join Program Council and the С�� Car Club to watch Tokyo Drift on the big screen, with free popcorn and concessions—for free!

Throughout the Week

Free Rec Center Access

All Day Recreation Center

In celebration of Graduate Student Appreciation Week, the Rec Center is offering free access to all graduate students. Enjoy a free fitness class, free skate rentals during Rec Skate, and free bouldering (from 12 – 4 p.m.) at the climbing gym

A Buff OneCard is required for entry. 

Unit Specific Events

Please find your unit below to see if it's participating. Please note that these events are just for the graduate students in those units and not open to all graduate students.

Education

Breakfast Burritos Grab & Go

April 6, 9–10 a.m. MBE 300A

Sandwich Bar Lunch

April 7, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. MBE 260

Afternoon Snack Break

April 7, 4–5 p.m. MBE First Floor Lobby

Engineering & Applied Sciences

Free Coffee and Snacks for Engineering Graduate Students

April 8, 9–11 a.m. Engineering Center Main Lobby & Jennie Smothers Caruther Biotech Building (JSCBB) Gallery

Join the Graduate Students' Advisory Board as we celebrate the work and contributions of all graduate students with free coffee and snacks from Espresso Affair!

Geological Sciences

Coffee Social Event

April 6, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Benson Earth Sciences, Room 380

A special, dedicated Coffee Social Event to celebrate GEOL graduate students and their many fantastic and lasting contributions to our department and scientific community.

Free coffee, enhanced breakfast foods and department swag for Geological Sciences students.

* = Not affiliated with Graduate Student Appreciation Week

The Graduate School would like to thank our partners for this event: Career Services, С�� BookStore, MSPTIC - Medical Services, Health Promotions, ISSS, Laughing Goat, С�� Rec Center, GPSG, CALM Center, С�� Collar Scholars and Student Life

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Graduate School announces Entry Point! partnership

Cay Leytham-Powell — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 18:57:09 +0000

Graduate School announces Entry Point! partnership Cay Leytham-Powell Fri, 02/27/2026 - 11:57

This AAAS program will allow the Graduate School to better target students with disabilities for its longstanding SMART program

The Graduate School’s Office of Graduate Access and Retention (GAR) is one of the 2026 partners for Entry Point!, a nationally recognized, signature program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the organization announced last month.

Beginning in summer 2026, Entry Point! will partner with GAR’s long-standing Summer Multicultural Access to Research Training (SMART) program, a summer research program that helps get students from historically excluded backgrounds access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) research.

Through this partnership, GAR will expand recruitment for SMART and increase access and consideration for talented STEM students with disabilities who are exploring doctoral pathways at С�� Boulder.

“This partnership helps us reduce structural barriers, enhance recruitment and cultivate supportive academic communities that recognize disability as a valued dimension of diversity in STEM,” said Christina Alston, director of the Office of Graduate Access and Retention. “We’re very excited for what this will allow us to do.”

"This partnership helps us reduce structural barriers, enhance recruitment and cultivate supportive academic communities that recognize disability as a valued dimension of diversity in STEM."

The AAAS Entry Point! program was created in response to the realization that students with disabilities, even those with strong academic records, were not getting hired as part of the talent pool for STEM employment. Since the program’s inception in 1996, 85% of alumni now work as scientists and engineers who have inspired new ideas, supported innovation and advanced new research.

Entry Point! does that by connecting industry, government and university partners with highly qualified STEM students with disabilities for paid summer placements and research-based internships. This year, they will be partnering with GAR and the SMART program to intentionally recruit qualifying students to take part in the 10-week long summer research program.

Since the SMART program launched in 1989, hundreds of undergraduate students from around the country have participated. During their time at С�� Boulder, the students get placed in prominent laboratories, and provided with the necessary training, skills and experience to pursue graduate study through weekly, provided coursework as part of a one credit hour undergraduate course. Additionally, participating students complete a research project, which they present at the end of the program.

The hope is that the program will create a pathway where students can see themselves pursuing a STEM graduate education. Over the years, it’s estimated that roughly half of participants have gone on to attempt a MS or PhD at С�� Boulder and elsewhere.

GAR will also be working closely with Disability Services and faculty across STEM disciplines to ensure that all the recruited students through this partnership—regardless of background, disclosure status or accommodation needs—are supported, accommodated and welcomed into inclusive STEM research environments where students feel they belong.

This year’s SMART program will run from Monday, June 1, to Friday, July 31, with a campuswide poster session on the final day that’s open to the public.

More information about SMART and upcoming recruitment opportunities will be shared with the campus community as the partnership continues to develop.

This AAAS program will allow the Graduate School to better target students with disabilities for its longstanding SMART program.

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С�� Boulder launches Sloan Scholars program

Cay Leytham-Powell — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 23:27:32 +0000

С�� Boulder launches Sloan Scholars program Cay Leytham-Powell Mon, 02/09/2026 - 16:27

This program will use a recently awarded grant for systemic change from the Alfred P. Sloan foundation to recruit and retain highly qualified STEM doctoral students

The Graduate School at the University of Colorado Boulder has a long-standing commitment to supporting the university’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs and to recruiting and preparing the next generation of scientists and engineers. A new grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which was announced recently, will advance that work further.

The Sloan Center for Systemic Change implementation grant provides funding for the formation of the Sloan Scholars program, a new initiative for doctoral students in certain STEM departments. Through this program, the Graduate School, in partnership with units around campus, will intentionally recruit, enroll and support highly qualified doctoral students as they navigate their way to graduation and beyond.

"We’re proud to partner with units across campus to support their work as they help students succeed. This grant opens up exciting new opportunities, and I’m eager for what we’ll be able to accomplish together."

Building off work already underway from a previous seed grant to promote systemic change, this program aims to identify and remove entrenched barriers to graduate student success, improve student outcomes, and create educational environments that are more effective and support every graduate student.

“The Graduate School is very excited about the Sloan Scholar program and what this means for our doctoral STEM students,” said E. Scott Adler, dean of the Graduate School, vice provost for graduate affairs and the principal investigator on the grant. “Mentorship, inclusion and student well-being have long been among our priorities, and this grant allows us to improve that access and the services that we offer by cultivating a sustainable framework that we can use for years to come.”

One of the goals of the Sloan Center for Systemic Change implementation grant is to identify and remove existing challenges within doctoral programs that can hamper student success. With this funding, С�� Boulder will work with faculty and participating departments to improve pathways and access to support across campus so that graduate students can more confidently navigate the system and earn their degree.

During the initial seed grant from Sloan, six departments—chemical and biological engineering, ecology and evolutionary biology, environmental studies, astrophysical and planetary sciences, integrative physiology and computer science—were provided professional development and planning to strengthen graduate student mentoring in a structured and intentional way, and to identify and remove barriers to student success. They will now play host to the initial Sloan Scholars when they come to campus.

With this new funding from the Sloan Foundation, the Graduate School will also expand that program to more STEM departments.

None of this would have been possible, Adler said, without the support of other units around campus, including the College of Arts and Sciences, the Office of Leadership Support and Programming, the Center for Teaching and Learning and the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

“We’re proud to partner with units across campus to support their work as they help students succeed,” Adler said, adding, “This grant opens up exciting new opportunities, and I’m eager for what we’ll be able to accomplish together.”

More information about the program, including an announcement about the first cohort of students, will be available soon.

This program will use a recently awarded grant for systemic change from the Alfred P. Sloan foundation to recruit and retain highly qualified STEM doctoral students.

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From the Dean: Join me Feb. 18 for a conversation with the provost

Cay Leytham-Powell — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 23:13:25 +0000

From the Dean: Join me Feb. 18 for a conversation with the provost Cay Leytham-Powell Wed, 02/04/2026 - 16:13

This event will be an opportunity to ask the provost questions and engage in a dialogue about your graduate education

To join

Date: Feb. 18

Time: 3 to 3:55 p.m.

Location: Zoom

Dear graduate students,

I’d like to invite everyone to join me in a conversation with Provost Ann Stevens on Feb. 18, from 3 to 3:55 p.m., via Zoom.

This virtual event is your chance to meet our new provost, ask questions about your graduate education, and engage in a dialogue regarding the activities of the Graduate School and Academic Affairs at С�� Boulder.

Registration for the event is not required and a separate Zoom link will be sent directly over email. I hope you can attend, and I look forward to hearing your ideas, concerns or questions. Thank you for all that you do for С�� Boulder.

Take care,

Scott Adler

Dean of the Graduate School
Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs

This event will be an opportunity to ask the provost questions and engage in a dialogue about your graduate education.

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Announcing the 2026 Three Minute Thesis Winners

Cay Leytham-Powell — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 02:47:03 +0000

Announcing the 2026 Three Minute Thesis Winners Cay Leytham-Powell Thu, 01/29/2026 - 19:47

Eleven students participated in this year’s final competition for a chance at prize money and a chance to represent С�� Boulder at the regional competition.

Artificial intelligence (AI) news anchors, the detection of hazards in water, and improving the structure of nanocrystals were a few of the topics presented during the ninth annual Three Minute Thesis Competition on Jan. 29, 2026.

This event challenges graduate students to craft a three-minute elevator pitch for their complex—and sometimes difficult to make sense of—research in a way that even an everyday person could understand.

This year, the eleven competitors did just that to a packed Glenn Miller Ballroom and a panel of judges who evaluated the competitors on comprehension, content, engagement and communication.

“Now, more than ever, it’s of vital importance that the public understand the valuable work that our researchers and scholars are doing every day, and how it can impact them in meaningful and lasting ways, and the Three Minute Thesis competition allows for graduate students to do just that,” said Scott Adler, dean of the Graduate School and vice provost for graduate affairs. “Congratulations to all of the graduate students that participated in this year’s competition and to those that won. You all did amazing and make me proud to be your dean.”

The 2026 winners are:

First Place

Loraine Loretta B. Smith Glidewell, teacher learning, research and practice, From Fish guts to Fireflies: Finding the Magic of Rural Education in Pre-Service Teacher Learning

Second Place

Mackenzie Bowden, environmental engineering, Detecting Hidden Hazards in Our Water

People’s Choice

Loraine Loretta B. Smith Glidewell, teacher learning, research and practice, From Fish guts to Fireflies: Finding the Magic of Rural Education in Pre-Service Teacher Learning

Smith Glidewell is only the second person in С�� Boulder's history to win both 1st place and People's Choice. She will receive $2000 in prize money and will represent С�� Boulder at the Western Association of Graduate Schools competition. Bowden will also receive $750 in prize money.

This year's judges include Lori Bergen, dean of the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information; Sammy Ramsey or "Dr. Sammy," an assistant professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a science communicator who is an international 3MT winner; Leopold Beuken, an assistant teaching professor in robotics and a former С�� Boulder 3MT finalist; and Aaron Brockett, City of Boulder mayor. Bud Coleman, professor emeritus and former chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, was the event’s emcee.

More information about the 2027 Three Minute Thesis Competition will be available on the Three Minute Thesis competition web page this fall.

Eleven students participated in this year’s final competition for a chance at prize money and a chance to represent С�� Boulder at the regional competition.

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Know before you go: Three Minute Thesis final competition, Jan. 29

Cay Leytham-Powell — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 21:10:38 +0000

Know before you go: Three Minute Thesis final competition, Jan. 29 Cay Leytham-Powell Fri, 01/23/2026 - 14:10

This annual event, which showcases graduate student’s ability to distill their nine-hour thesis down to three minutes, comes back Jan. 29 at 4 p.m.

What is the best way to distill a multitude of information into just three minutes?

That’s the question that 11 graduate students will be wrestling with as part of the Graduate School’s ninth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) final competition, which will be held in the University Memorial Center’s Glenn Miller Ballroom on Jan. 29, 2026, from 4 to 6 p.m.

This event challenges students to explain their thesis to the general public. They are then evaluated by a panel of judges from across the university and Boulder community. Winners of the event will be announced at the end of the program and the audience will have the opportunity to vote for the People’s Choice award.

While the event is free and open to the public, space is limited and registration is required for in-person attendance. The event will also be live-streamed.

If you go

Date: Jan. 29, 2026

Time: 4 to 6 p.m.

Location: University Memorial Center’s Glenn Miller Ballroom

This year’s competitors include:

Muhammad Ali, journalism, "AI Anchors, Real Concerns: Journalism at Crossroads"
Yorick Andeweg, physics, "From Pendulums to Atoms: How to Keep Clocks Ticking Without Disturbing Them"
Mackenzie Bowden, environmental engineering, "Detecting Hidden Hazards in Our Water"
James Cannon, aerospace engineering, "Measuring Electron Puddles in our Atmosphere"
Rosanna Garris, biochemistry, "How Cyanobacteria Solve the Carboxysome Puzzle"
Loraine Loretta B. Smith Glidewell, teacher learning, research & practice, "From Fish Guts to Fireflies: Finding the Magic of Rural Education in Pre-Service Teacher Learning"
Ben Hammel, materials science and engineering, "Looking at Nanocrystals"
Laurie Lawson, information science, "'That’s Not How I Remember it' We’re Lost in Translation"
Krithik Ranjan, creative technology and design, "Lights, Camera, Interaction! Designing for Creative Computational Thinking"
Phani Arvind Vadali, civil, environmental and architectural engineering, "The Challenge of Electrification: Light Through SABER"
Shreya Venkatesh, mechanical engineering, “Breast Cancer in Bone: A Vicious Cycle of Destruction”

The 3MT competition began in 2008 when the state of Queensland, Australia, suffered from a severe drought. To conserve water, residents were encouraged to time their showers, and many people had a three-minute egg timer fixed to the wall in their bathroom. The then-Dean of the University of Queensland Graduate School, Emeritus Professor Alan Lawson, challenged graduate students to present their research in the same amount of time, launching what would become a global academic tradition.

At С�� Boulder, 3MT competitors are tasked with delivering a compelling, jargon-free explanation of their thesis in just three minutes using a single static slide.

To prepare, students participated in a series of fall-semester workshops focused on storytelling, writing, presentation skills, and improv comedy techniques. They then competed in a preliminary round, from which eleven finalists were selected to advance to the final competition. At the finals, participants will be evaluated by a panel of judges on comprehension, content, engagement, and communication.

The first-place winner of the competition will receive $1,500 in prize money and will have the chance to compete at the state and regional competitions as the University of Colorado Boulder’s representative. The runner-up and the People’s Choice winner, voted on by the live audience, will also receive prize money.

More information about the competition is available on the Graduate School's 3MT web page.

This annual event, which showcases graduate student’s ability to distill their nine-hour thesis down to three minutes, comes back Jan. 29 at 4 p.m.

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Announcing the Dean’s Alumni Fund from the Graduate School

Cay Leytham-Powell — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 18:24:07 +0000

Announcing the Dean’s Alumni Fund from the Graduate School Cay Leytham-Powell Tue, 12/02/2025 - 11:24

This new opportunity to donate will fund current graduate students at С�� Boulder

The Graduate School at С�� Boulder is pleased to announce the Graduate School’s Dean’s Alumni Fund, launching spring 2026.

This new giving opportunity will fund current graduate students as they navigate their experience at С�� Boulder, including providing funds for critical basic needs support, as well as general funding for students as they pursue their research, scholarship and/or creative work.

More information about the specifics of this new fund will be available in the spring.

This fund will be rolled out as part of С�� Buffs All In, an annual giving day campaign. Beginning March 1, 2026, and culminating on a massive day of giving on March 31, this campaign is an opportunity for the С�� Boulder campus community to celebrate the impact of philanthropy through sharing stories and by giving back.

More information about giving to the Graduate School is available on the Graduate School website.

This new opportunity to donate will fund current graduate students at С�� Boulder.

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Save the Date for the 2026 Three Minute Thesis Final Competition, Jan. 29

Cay Leytham-Powell — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 15:46:21 +0000

Save the Date for the 2026 Three Minute Thesis Final Competition, Jan. 29 Cay Leytham-Powell Fri, 11/21/2025 - 08:46

This annual event, which challenges graduate students to distill their nine-hour thesis to just three minutes, returns to campus this spring

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) final competition, an annual event hosted by the Graduate School that showcases the creativity, communication skills and research excellence of С�� Boulder graduate students, will take place on Jan. 29, 2026, from 4 to 6 p.m., in the University Memorial Center’s Glenn Miller Ballroom.

Save the Date

Date: Jan. 29, 2026

Time: 4 to 6 p.m.

Location: UMC's Glenn Miller Ballroom

Eleven students will be competing in this event, which is free and open to the public but registration is required. This year's competitors include:

Muhammad Ali, journalism, "AI Anchors, Real Concerns: Journalism at Crossroads"
Yorick Andeweg, physics, "From Pendulums to Atoms: How to Keep Clocks Ticking Without Disturbing Them"
Mackenzie Bowden, environmental engineering, "Rethinking Water Risks: Making Sense of Chemical Mixture Effects"
James Cannon, aerospace engineering, "Measuring Electron Puddles in our Atmosphere"
Rosanna Garris, biochemistry, "How do cyanobacteria assemble the carboxysome puzzle?"
Loraine Glidewell, education, "From Fish Guts to Fireflies: Finding the Magic of Rural Education in Pre-Service Teacher Learning"
Ben Hammel, materials science and engineering, "Looking at Nanocrystals"
Laurie Lawson, information science, "'That’s Not How I Remember it' Investigating How Collective Memory is Lost in Translation"
Krithik Ranjan, creative technology and design, "Lights, Camera, Interaction! Designing for Creative Computational Thinking"
Phani Arvind Vadali, civil, environmental and architectural engineering, "The Challenge of Electrification: Light Through SABER"
Shreya Venkatesh, mechanical engineering, "Breast Cancer in Bone: A Vicious Cycle of Destruction"

At С�� Boulder, 3MT competitors are tasked with delivering a compelling, jargon-free explanation of their thesis in just three minutes using a single static slide.

To prepare, students were asked to participate in a series of workshops focusing on storytelling, writing, presentation skills and improv comedy techniques over the course of the fall semester. They then held a preliminary competition and whittled the competition down to the eleven finalists above who will compete at the final competition, where they will be evaluated on comprehension, content, engagement and communication by a panel of judges. This year's judges include Lori Bergen, dean of the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information; Sammy Ramsey or "Dr. Sammy," an assistant professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a science communicator who is an international 3MT winner; Leopold Beuken, an assistant teaching professor in robotics and a former С�� Boulder 3MT finalist; and Aaron Brockett, City of Boulder mayor.

Recordings of past competitions, including of last year’s winner, Aoife Henry of electrical, computer and energy engineering whose presentation was “Directing Wind Turbines with Foresight: The Shepherd and the Sheepdog Find a Crystal Ball,” are available on the Graduate School website.

More information about the competition is available on the 3MT web page.

This annual event, which challenges graduate students to distill their nine-hour thesis to just three minutes, returns to campus this spring.

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С�� Boulder graduate student named a Google PhD fellow

Cay Leytham-Powell — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 19:14:22 +0000

С�� Boulder graduate student named a Google PhD fellow Cay Leytham-Powell Fri, 10/24/2025 - 13:14

Hye-Young Jo of computer science and the ATLAS Institute will be using the funding to research human-computer interactions

Hye-Young Jo, a PhD student in computer science, has been named a recipient of the 2025 Global Google PhD Fellowship, Google announced this week.

These fellowships recognize outstanding graduate students who are conducting exceptional and innovative research in computer science and related fields, specifically focusing on candidates who seek to influence the future of technology.

Jo, who is also part of the ATLAS Institute, will be using the support from Google.org to research human-computer interactions. She is only the second С�� Boulder student to receive the fellowship, and the first since 2022

“We strongly believe that supporting fundamental science leads to a generation of new knowledge, which fuels innovation and ultimately drives broad societal impact. We are excited to support the fellows’ work and see the profound impact they will have on the future of technology and the world,” Google said in its press release.

Google’s fellowship program provides vital direct financial support for PhD pursuits and connects each fellow with a dedicated Google Research Mentor, “reinforcing our commitment to nurturing the academic community,” Google said, adding:

“We look forward to partnering with them as they continue to become leaders in their respective areas.”

Jo is a member of Assistant Professor Ryo Suzuki’s Programmable Reality Lab. Jo’s recent research focuses on enhancing motion learning and digital content authoring through eXtended Reality (XR), AI and haptic technologies.

Jo holds a BFA in fine art (painting and media arts) from Seoul National University and an MS in industrial design from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology. Before getting into research, she worked as a film VFX (visual effects) compositor and XR generalist in the Korean film industry.

Since the PhD fellowship’s inception 16 years ago, Google has supported over 950 students globally, representing 44 countries and 227 institutions. This year’s fellowship will provide over $10 million to support 255 PhD students across 35 countries and 12 research domains, committing to a generation of researchers who understand that accelerating scientific discovery is vital to solving the world’s toughest challenges.

More information about the fellowship, including details on how to apply next year, is available on Google’s research website.

Hye-Young Jo of computer science and the ATLAS Institute will be using the funding to research human-computer interactions.

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