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Nobel laureate Carl Wieman, distinguished professor of physics at the University of Colorado at Boulder, says the use of an electronic feedback system and other innovations are improving learning in his undergraduate class of non-science majors. Wieman said last spring's class on "The Physics of Everyday Life" was "spectacularly successful" and he looks forward to seeing how the same techniques will work in the fall semester's larger class. His current class has a capacity enrollment of 216 students and had a substantial list of students wanting to get in.

The Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at the University of Colorado is part of an industry-university research team selected to fast-track development of a botulism vaccine for use against bioterrorism. The team, led by DynPort Vaccine Co. of El Segundo, Calif., has received an $11 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to develop a safe and effective vaccine within five years that will protect against all known forms of botulinum, a bacterium commonly found in soil that can contaminate food.

With the 2002 drought behind Coloradoans, avid quaking aspen viewers in search of gold, yellow and red landscapes this autumn should be looking forward to a colorful viewing season in the state, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder professor. "In general, the aspen look quite healthy this year," said Professor Michael Grant of the ecology and evolutionary biology department. "If we have a normal fall progression in the weather, it should be a very good year for aspen viewing."

For the first time in its 100-year existence, the University of Colorado at Boulder Museum of Natural History has been granted the highest recognition for a museum, accreditation by the American Association of Museums, according to museum officials.

The Hubble Space Telescope's "greatest hits" will be highlighted at CU-Boulder's Fiske Planetarium on Friday, Sept. 19, and Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 7:30 p.m. Doug Duncan, director of the Fiske Planetarium and Sommers-Bausch Observatory at the University of Colorado at Boulder will present his live show on "Hubble Space Telescope and Beyond." "During the show, we'll highlight some of the most remarkable images the Hubble has obtained during its 12-year lifetime," Duncan said.

Editor's Note: Reporters and photographers are invited to a press conference on Friday, Sept. 12, at 10 a.m. at Bartkus Oil, 3501 Pearl St. in Boulder. City, CU-Boulder and Blue Sun officials will be on hand with a fleet of buses, passenger cars, tanker trucks and utility vehicles demonstrating the utility of biodiesel in different engine types. After the press conference, a CU Biodiesel Rally featuring actor Woody Harrelson will be held at noon at the University Memorial Center at Euclid Avenue and Broadway. Call Carol Rowe at (303) 492-7426 for information.

The clash between the war on terrorism and traditional civil liberties will be examined by distinguished scholars at this year's University of Colorado at Boulder Morris Colloquium on Sept. 11 and Sept. 12. "Balancing Liberty and Security After 9/11" coincides with the second anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. All colloquium events are free and open to the public. The first session, "Civil Liberties Challenges After 9/11," will take place in Old Main Chapel on Sept. 11 at 5 p.m.

Editors: Contents embargoed until 2 p.m. EDT on Thursday, September 4. A new University of Colorado at Boulder study has shown that microbes living under the tundra snow pack ramp up their populations in late winter, a finding with implications for changing estimates of carbon dioxide levels in Earth's atmosphere.

Car and bike thieves and other criminals beware - students at the University of Colorado at Boulder are staking out the campus and alerting authorities of suspicious activity. The Stakeout program is among many CU-Boulder Police Department programs designed to prevent crime and create a safe environment for students and staff. Stakeout program students are trained community services aides, said CU Police Lt. John Kish, and are kept out of harm's way. If a crime or suspicious activity is spotted, an aide radios police officers to respond and investigate.

The University of Colorado and Boulder communities are invited to share in the festivities as the University Memorial Center on the CU-Boulder campus celebrates its 50th anniversary with free concerts the week of Sept. 15. All concerts will take place from noon to 1 p.m. on the UMC's South Terrace. "The UMC has always been in the hearts and minds of the student body," said Carlos Garcia, UMC director. "For the past five decades, the UMC has contributed to the personal growth and development of practically every CU student."