Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó

Dear members of the Lynx community, 

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a month since I officially joined this community as your Chancellor. I want to thank all of you for the incredibly warm welcome you have given me and for helping me to get to know this very special institution. I did my homework as a candidate for this job, but find myself inspired each day as I learn more about the impact of our academic and student success programs, innovative research initiatives, and hear personal stories about the ways a Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó education has uplifted our students and alumni. In every corner of this institution, important work is being pursued in service of our vital mission and charge to make education work for all.

These are the reasons we come to work each day, even in times of real challenge—and there is plenty of challenge in the current landscape ranging from enrollment trends to budget stability to issues stemming from the federal transition. We continue to work to directly address emerging issues in each of these areas, including by interpreting the latest guidance following the Department of Education’s recent Dear Colleague Letter. One of the things that sets Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó apart is the genuine care our faculty and staff feel for our students and their success. It’s one thing on which we can all agree, and I’ve seen it for myself in your work and commitment. And yet, we must continue to center our students in everything we do if we are going to realize our fullest potential as an institution where every student—and each one of you—can meet their moment. Our mission endures as does our commitment to ensure that each member of our community feels valued, safe and welcome in their pursuit of excellence.

This commitment is vital not just for the success of our current students and future alumni—as if that weren’t reason enough. We must continue to relentlessly innovate to transform student retention and graduation rates, further strengthen our reputation in an increasingly competitive market for student enrollment and grow if we are to improve our revenues and budget outlook and achieve the sustainable and thriving future we deserve. We must similarly innovate in our pedagogy as well as our degree and course offerings to be certain we are preparing our graduates with the knowledge and experience to excel in their careers, as well as the resilience and skills to adapt to an ever-changing world. Expanding our learner base, offering market-aligned and competitive degrees, credentials, microcredentials, and other non-degree options to support learners who seek growth in their current field or branch into a new one cannot be understated. Finally, we should recognize that today’s and tomorrow’s learners have individual needs on their pathways to success that require us to support them differently than we have in the past.

Each month, I plan to send a message as part of my commitment to you to be transparent and communicative in my work on behalf of our community. While the focus might vary, each message will close by celebrating a few successes from our remarkable community of students, scholars and practitioners that exemplify the essence of what makes this place so special.

Professor Linyue Gao of the College of Engineering, Design and Computing was This grant worth more than $500,000 will support research investigating how extreme weather affects wind turbines and find ways to improve their efficiency during these events. Collaborators on the grant include Professor Hui Hu from Iowa State University, Professor Lian Shen from the University of Minnesota (for facilities), and the industry partner Xcel Energy. CAREER awards are highly competitive and recognize early career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education. With more than 10% of energy in the United States being created from wind power and Colorado’s rising position in the market, this work will improve the resilience of renewable energy systems and positively impact the lives of millions.

Jarrick Brown, Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó’s Director of Student Life & Campus, was NACA is a non-profit organization that empowers members to amplify the campus experience through inclusive learning, meaningful connections, and engaging entertainment that transforms college communities. Jarrick oversees student engagement, leadership programs, and campuswide initiatives at Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó. He joined Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó in 2023 with more than a decade of experience. NACA previously recognized Jarrick’s service to students with the Outstanding Diversity Achievement Award and Legacy Award.

On Feb. 28, the Division of Strategic Enrollment and Student Success (SESS) welcomed prospective students who are current Girl Scouts as part of that will result in guaranteed admission for Scouts who have received their Gold Award and meet certain criteria. 

Thank you again for the very warm welcome to Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó and for everything you do in service of our mission. I am humbled to serve our community as Chancellor and, if we haven’t had a chance to meet yet, I hope you will stop by our event this Thursday, March 6, and say hello. You can find more information about the event and . I also hope to see a strong showing from our community as we celebrate our spring 2025 graduates in May. You can learn more about opportunities to participate in Commencement .

Wishing you all a productive week,