Greetings Warner Colleagues –
Welcome back from Fall Break! I hope you had a relaxing holiday, recharged with loved ones, and enjoyed well-deserved downtime. With the semester ending just around the corner, I wish you all the best as you finish strong.
I look forward to celebrating the close of a successful semester with you at the Warner College Holiday Party later this week. The details are included below. I hope you’ll join us for an evening of camaraderie as we reflect on the semester and gear up for the winter break.
I am also very excited to announce that the proposal cycle to the Dean’s Fund for Transdisciplinary Approaches to Wicked Problems has been launched! Details for submissions are below. |
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This will be the third year offering these grants to catalyze more transdisciplinary, collaborative research. The first two years have yielded fantastic projects, bringing together faculty, researchers, and students from departments and centers at Warner College and all other colleges at CSU, including external partners.
The objective was to address significant questions and illustrate and explore novel approaches to breaking disciplinary silos and stimulate collaborative, inclusive ways to solve current environmental challenges. Projects have ranged from human-carnivore coexistence to exploring how informal greenspaces support communities and biodiversity, justice in social-ecological systems, groundwater management, connections between human health and nature, and investigating livestock management and conservation. These efforts demonstrate the power of transdisciplinary approaches in generating innovative solutions. Read about their accomplishments below.
This year, we’re introducing some exciting updates:
- Tier II Grants: Proposals for up to $50,000 can now span two years, with an option for a second year of project funding.
- Tier I Academic Focus: One of the two $25,000 Tier I grants will be dedicated to academic initiatives, such as developing new transdisciplinary courses or curricula.
We also continue our travel grants, encouraging researchers to explore conferences and meetings beyond their usual disciplinary focus. These opportunities are an excellent way to broaden your horizons and bring fresh perspectives to Warner College.
This program is made possible by the generosity of our college’s namesake, Ed Warner. Extending his support throughout the College has generated some excellent results, and I’m excited to see this year’s proposals. I encourage you to take advantage of this unique opportunity.
As we wrap up the semester, I hope to see many of you at our holiday party and commencement. If not, I wish you a restful and joyful winter break. Our newsletters will pause during the break, but we’re excited to reconnect with fresh updates and new ways to engage during the upcoming spring. Thank you for your hard work, patience, dedication, and contributions to making this semester a success! With gratitude, |
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Sarah King, research scientist in the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, was appointed to represent wild horse and burro research institutions by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service. |
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Emily Schmieding, conference and event coordinator for the Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, serves as the Administrative Professional Council secretary. Schmieding was recently recognized for her dedication and skills, and for continuously going above and beyond while serving on committees within the APC. |
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Kurt Fausch, professor emeritus in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, authored a book called A Reverence for Rivers: Imagining an Ethic for Running Waters. The book is being published by Oregon State University Press and is live for pre-order. |
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| Colorado State University graduate students presented their creative work, research, and entrepreneurship while competing for $24,050 in scholarships during the 2024 GradShow on November 20. A total of 241 participants represented special academic units and all eight colleges. Congratulations to all of the participants and award winners! |
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Nicki Bailey, ecology master's student working with John Mola, received the 2024 P-IE Master’s Student Achievement in Entomology Award from the Ecological Society of America in November. At the meeting, Nicki also received second place in the 10-Minute Student Paper Competition for her talk titled "Parks, Pollinators, and People: Does neighborhood affluence shape bee and butterfly diversity in Denver city parks?" |
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Warner College Holiday Party |
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Welcome back from fall break! Now it's time to celebrate this festive season with the Warner community at the Warner College holiday party. Heavy appetizers and drinks will be served. All faculty, staff, and graduate students are welcome to join us. No RSVP required. |
Wednesday, December 4 | 4 - 6 p.m.
Lory Student Center University Ballroom and Lounge |
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Today is Giving Tuesday and every Giving Tuesday, Rams rally together to fight food insecurity in our community. By giving to the Rams Against Hunger meal swipe program, you ensure that CSU students are not just surviving – they’re thriving. Last year, the collective generosity of more than 1,000 donors provided over 10,000 nourishing meals to students in need. Let's make it 12,000 today! |
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New Satellite Office for the Colorado State Forest Service |
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Residents of Leadville and Lake County now have a Colorado State Forest Service forester dedicated to their forestry needs. As of September 16, Forester Peter Albrecht staffs the one-person CSFS satellite office located on the Colorado Mountain College-Leadville campus. This office fills a need for local forest management and wildfire mitigation support.
“Lake County just updated its Community Wildfire Protection Plan, and that’s energized private landowners to do more forestry work to protect their homes and properties,” said JT Shaver, supervisory forester in the CSFS Salida Field Office. “Leadville is also seeing an increase in full-time residents, so the need for a local forester has been growing, too.” |
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Dean's Office Hours Through 2024 |
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Dean Aguirre would like to connect with faculty, staff, and students to stay engaged with the research and work taking place in the College. If you or your small group would like to meet with the Dean to discuss opportunities and challenges or even just update him on exciting developments in your current research, please use the SignUp Genius system below to schedule a meeting. Meetings can take place in person or virtually. If you have any questions about meeting details or logistics, don't hesitate to contact Mary Dolce, Assistant to the Dean. Check back in the new year for Spring 2025 hours.
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Director, School of Global Environmental Sustainability (SoGES) |
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Interim Director, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory
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DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION |
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The Journeys of First-Gen College Students |
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| Did you know CSU was the first university in the country to offer first-generation scholarships?
A new docuseries helps celebrate the 40th anniversary of Colorado State University’s landmark scholarship program for first-gen students. Meet eight students and recent graduates as they overcome obstacles while pursuing higher education and its benefits. |
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Warner College Business Services is your integrated support team for all
Financial Services, Human Resource Services, and Proposal Support Services |
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W-4 Completion and Multistate Tax Session |
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The Division of Human Resources is hosting an in-person session with the payroll team to go through the process of completing a W-4 form. This session is perfect for both new hires and anyone needing a refresher on essential payroll topics. The session will include step-by-step guidance to completing W-4's, as well as important considerations for employees working across state lines, including how to navigate out-of-state tax obligations. Get the information you need to stay compliant and avoid surprises at tax time. |
Tuesday, December 10 | 9 a.m.
Lory Student Center, Room 304-306 |
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Goal Surpassed and Fully Staffed |
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| The Warner College has raised $5,601,275.49 in total philanthropic support as of November 22, 2024! The CY24 goal is $4,250,000. |
The development team is now fully staffed and would enjoy meeting with teams during faculty or center meetings. Please let them know if you have availability during an upcoming meeting for them to join you for introductions and conversation. |
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❗Last Call - Cybersecurity Training❗ |
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Please complete the annual required cybersecurity training before December 20! For more information, please visit the Cybersecurity webpage. |
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Duo Change Effective December 18 |
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| The "Call Me" phone call authentication method will no longer be available effective December 18. Please see this solution article for more information. |
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IT Services Holiday Hours |
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The IT office will be closed during CSU holidays and operate with reduced staffing on wellbeing days. For more information, please visit the IT website. |
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Habitat loss and poaching have driven dramatic declines in African elephants, but it is challenging to measure their numbers and monitor changes across the entire continent. A new study has analyzed 53 years of population survey data and found large-scale declines in most populations of both species of African elephants. George Wittemyer, professor in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, one of the architects of the study and chair of the scientific board of Save the Elephants, said that identifying success stories where elephant populations are stable or increasing could help with their conservation.
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In celebration of the 75th anniversary of Aldo Leopold’s influential work, A Sand County Almanac, the Warner College of Natural Resources hosted a panel discussion titled People, Land, and Animals: The Keys to Conservation that Work. Spearheaded by Human Dimensions of Natural Resources professor emeritus Richard Knight, this event was held on October 30 in the Lory Student Center Theatre and welcomed conservationists, students, faculty and community members for a deeper exploration of the relationship between people, land and animals in advancing conservation goals.
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A Colorado State University-led team of scientists contributed to the previously understudied microbiology of rivers. Their work detailed the broad and specific information about the presence and function of microorganisms in rivers covering 90% of the watersheds in the continental U.S. One of the keys in opening this work to a broader audience was to make the information accessible in a user-friendly database. Matt Ross, associate professor in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability helped build the river microbiome data into a searchable, web-friendly platform.
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Students at Front Range Community College and Colorado State University have been working on projects to ease the movement of wildlife in the Livermore valley since 2020. One of those projects, a safe wildlife crossing using an existing underpass, caught the attention of workers with the state's transportation and parks and wildlife departments as they looked for ways to reduce the number of vehicle crashes involving wildlife along U.S. Highway 287 north of Fort Collins. “We take (the students) out into nature and show them the skills of how to make these private lands friendlier to wildlife. … They’re doing nature a favor, doing the land a favor, and it really gives the students a sense of doing something good for the planet,” said Rick Knight, professor emeritus in the Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources.
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The Hayman Fire burned through a huge swath of forest southwest of Denver in 2002. It left behind a massive burn scar. Workers quickly replanted thousands of trees to reestablish the forest. But more than two decades later, large areas of the Hayman burn scar still resemble a moonscape, with some scraggly young trees here and there. Camille Stevens-Rumann, assistant director of the Colorado Forest Restoration Insitute at Colorado State University, studies reforestation efforts after a wildfire. In a recent Scripps News story, Stevens-Rumann argues it’s time for a new approach to how we replant forests after wildfires.
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| Tourism is one of the biggest global industries in revenue and employment, and outdoor recreation is one of Colorado’s top industries. But the value of outdoor recreation and tourism goes beyond economics. Colorado State University research has shown that spending time outdoors improves health and well-being, and CSU experts say that sustainable tourism can benefit local economies and the environment. |
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Keep up with your Warner colleagues and their impactful work |
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4th World Conference on Forests and Parks for Public Health |
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The 4th World Conference on Forests and Parks for Public Health will be held in Luxembourg May 21-24, 2025 and abstract submissions are now being accepted. The deadline to submit is January 30, 2025. Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit original scientific work under the following thematic topics: |
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Environmental epidemiology, health geography, forest medicine, Global health, and other disciplines that are involved in documenting the associations that forests, parks and green spaces have with public health outcomes. Click the button below for more information on the conference and the guidelines for submitting an abstract. |
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Commitment to Campus; Off-Campus Discounts |
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Don't forget to check CSU's Commitment to Campus website for discounts on activities to do over winter break, or even discounts on holiday gifts. |
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Cost-Sharing Funding for Faculty Professional Development |
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The Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President and the Office of the Vice President for Research are collaborating to offer cost-sharing funding for professional development through the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity.
NCFDD’s signature program, the Faculty Success Program: Achieve Academic Success and Better Work-Life Balance, requires an additional fee for institutional members. This intensive, 12-week online program is their most popular program. It helps non-tenure track, tenure-track, and tenured faculty develop the skills necessary to increase research and writing productivity while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Please see the email from Susan James, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at CSU, for more information about this cost-sharing opportunity. |
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Albert C. Yates Leadership Award Nominations |
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The Colorado State University Alumni Association invites you to nominate your students for the 2025 Albert C. Yates Student Leadership Award. The Albert C. Yates Student Leadership Award is awarded annually to a graduating student who demonstrates strong involvement, leadership, and a commitment to upholding CSU's values, traditions, and spirit. The recipient of the Albert C. Yates Student Leadership Award will serve as the Commencement Old Main Bell ringer and will receive a Life Membership to the CSU Alumni Association.
For nomination criteria and form, please click the button below, and visit the website to view past recipients. Deadline to submit a nomination: Friday, January 31, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. |
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The Draper Natural History Museum, in partnership with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, is pleased to announce the 2025 Camp Monaco Prize. Only one $100,000 prize will be awarded for 2025. Projects with matching funds committed will be viewed favorably. The application period is open through Friday, January 31, 2025.
For full details and examples of previously funded research, please visit the Camp Monaco Prize webpage hosted by the Draper Natural History Museum or click the More Info button below. |
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| WARNER COLLEGE HOLIDAY PARTY |
⏰ Wednesday, December 4 | 4 - 6 p.m. |
📍Location: Lory Student Center Ballroom and Lounge |
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| ⏰ Saturday, December 14 | 9 a.m. |
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| WHAT'S UP, WARNER?
LIGHTNING TALKS |
⏰ Wednesday, February 5 | 5 p.m. |
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| WARNER ALL COLLEGE MEETING |
⏰ Tuesday, February 11 | 1 p.m. |
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You are receiving this Warner College digest because you are a member of the College community. If you would like to submit an update, announcement, or kudos for consideration, submissions are due by the last Monday of each month for inclusion in the following month’s digest. Please submit ideas to Director of Communications and Strategy, Rob Novak. |
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