Philip DiStefano, interim chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder, will meet with Pueblo officials on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 20-21, as part of a two-day Pueblo tour.
Joining DiStefano will be Peter Boag, professor and chair of the history department; Steve Jones, assistant dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication; and biology Professor David Armstrong.
DiStefano, who was dean of CU-Boulder's School of Education before becoming provost and interim chancellor, will meet with area legislators, officials from Pueblo Community College, and teachers and advisers from Pueblo School Districts 60 and 70 to solicit input on academic programs of importance in Pueblo and southern Colorado.
At 10 a.m. Thursday, DiStefano will join Armstrong and Carol McLaren, director of CU's Science Discovery program, at the Pueblo Zoo for a professional development workshop for District 60 life science teachers. In all of his meetings, DiStefano will provide information about CU-Boulder's faculty outreach programs, such as the High School Journalism Program and Colorado History Day, as well as undergraduate educational opportunities at CU-Boulder.
"I am interested in hearing from people in Pueblo about how CU-Boulder can better serve their needs through education, research and outreach," said DiStefano. "I also want to remind people of the positive resources of the university -- and all of our colleges and universities -- that benefit the entire state, from creating an educated populace to driving innovation in technology and new businesses that benefit the state as a whole."
In addition to meeting with local officials, DiStefano will host both dinner and breakfast events in Pueblo. The dinner on Thursday evening will host CU-Boulder alumni, parents of current students and friends of the university. Friday morning DiStefano will host a breakfast meeting with the Pueblo Hispanic Education Foundation board.
DiStefano met with educators and legislators on the Western Slope last June including Grand Junction, Montrose, Durango and Steamboat Springs and had similar meetings in Fort Collins and Greeley in September.