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The University of Colorado at Boulder School of Law has announced the appointment of Mark Squillace as director of the Natural Resources Law Center. Squillace comes to CU from the University of Toledo College of Law where he was the Charles Fornoff Professor of Law and Values. He replaces acting director Sarah Krakow, an associate professor of natural resources and American Indian law at CU.

Before they begin classes, new students at the University of Colorado at Boulder will participate in a variety of fun and information-packed activities starting Aug. 15 including biking and hiking tours, a "Global Jam" carnival and concert. The activities are planned to allow students a chance to get acquainted with the campus and surrounding community before fall semester begins Aug. 22. The activities are in addition to the usual array of orientation sessions that cover the details of class registration, policies and student services at each college.

Note to Editors: Contents embargoed until 12:01 a.m. EDT on Aug. 9. Color images of the research site are available by contacting Jim Scott. An experiment in a dry Antarctic stream channel has shown that a carpet of freeze-dried microbes that lay dormant for two decades sprang to life one day after water was diverted into it, said a University of Colorado at Boulder researcher.

The loss of only two pets during Hurricane Charley last year shows the nation is making progress in protecting pets and farm animals during natural disasters and other emergencies, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder sociology professor. Many improvements have been made since approximately 1,000 healthy dogs and cats had to be euthanized after Hurricane Andrew struck Florida in 1992 because there was no space to house them, said Leslie Irvine, CU-Boulder sociology professor. More than 3 million pets and farm animals died in Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

Note to Editors: Janelle Knox is currently working in Washington, D.C., but is reachable at the cell phone number listed above. She will not be returning to Colorado before leaving for England in September. A photo of Knox is available by contacting Mike Liguori at CU News Services, (303) 492-3117. A $300,000 graduate scholarship has been awarded to Janelle Knox, a Cortez, Colo., native who graduated summa cum laude from the University of Colorado at Boulder last year with three majors and a black belt in kung fu.

New images of Saturn obtained by a University of Colorado at Boulder-led team on June 21 using an instrument on the Cassini spacecraft show auroral emissions at its poles similar to Earth's Northern Lights.

While legislators are forced to consider short-term energy needs and budget constraints, a University of Colorado at Boulder energy expert is hoping he and his students can clarify long-term options to counter growing energy needs and costs in Colorado and across the country. Paul Komor, a lecturer in environmental studies and civil engineering, focuses his research on energy efficiency, renewable sources of electricity and methods to meet future energy demands.

Note to Editors: Although this event is not open to the public, reporters and photographers are welcome to attend. Photographers are welcome to take pictures of anything except the team members and equipment of the Buckley Air Force Base Civil Support Team for WMD. The University of Colorado at Boulder's Environmental Health and Safety Department will host an Aug. 10 event for local emergency personnel who would respond to hazardous materials spills or incidents involving weapons of mass destruction.

Laura DeLuca, a University of Colorado at Boulder instructor who was among the first group of Westerners invited into Sudan since the civil war began to abate, expressed concern over the recent death of the country's vice president in a helicopter crash July 30. John Garang, a former rebel leader, had played a key role in the Jan. 9 peace agreement that represented the end of a 21-year civil war fueled by historical, religious and resource conflict, she said. The helicopter crash was believed to have been caused by bad weather.

The University of Colorado at Boulder's Buff Energy Star Program has announced a new program that will award cash bonuses of $1,000 to building proctors and their residence hall counterparts who reduce energy use in their buildings by at least 5 percent per square foot for 2005-06.