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A groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 5 at 4 p.m. will kick off a $63 million project to renovate and expand the Student Recreation Center at the °µÍø½ûÇø. The ceremony, located on the pool patio, will include light refreshments and remarks by Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano and other campus and student leaders at 4:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $12 million grant to a CU-Boulder-led team to explore ways to maximize the benefits of natural gas development while minimizing negative impacts on ecosystems and communities.

Excited as she was about being at CU-Boulder, Melanie Ferraro’s freshman year got off to a rocky start. Ferraro was eventually able to find her footing, however, in a class she was required to take as a Norlin Scholarship recipient, called Constructions of Knowledge. It wasn’t the class itself that led to her transformation from scared and unhappy to confident and successful. It was the connections and friendships she made with the other students.

The °µÍø½ûÇø’s Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology building has received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, platinum rating -- the highest possible evaluation -- from the United States Green Building Council.

The °µÍø½ûÇø has hired its first Colorado Chair in Environmental Studies, an endowed chair awarded to Daniel Doak, a conservation biologist known for his quantitative analysis of how different government policies could affect the populations of species ranging from sea otters, California condors, corals and rare plants. The endowed chair in environmental studies was made possible by $4 million in gifts made anonymously in 2009 and 2010 toward the chair.

Colorado business leaders’ attitudes remained almost unchanged going into the fourth quarter, according to the most recent quarterly Leeds Business Confidence Index, or LBCI, released today by the Leeds School of Business . The LBCI’s reading remained positive, above the critical mark of 50, but fell from 53.6 in the third quarter to 51.6 in the fourth. A reading greater than 50 indicates positive expectations, while one lower than 50 indicates negative expectations.

Colorado business leaders’ attitudes remained almost unchanged going into the fourth quarter, according to the most recent quarterly Leeds Business Confidence Index, or LBCI, released today by the °µÍø½ûÇø’s Leeds School of Business. The LBCI’s reading remained positive, above the critical mark of 50, but fell from 53.6 in the third quarter to 51.6 in the fourth. A reading greater than 50 indicates positive expectations, while one lower than 50 indicates negative expectations.

On Sept. 6, more than five hundred Boulder campus staff turned out to enjoy sunshine and ice cream on the east terrace of the Center for Community. The event included a DJ and more than 20 vendor and campus benefit program tables, and proved a fun and informative day for the attendees. Two additional Staff Council events are scheduled for the fall semester.

The °µÍø½ûÇø will host Buff Essentials Week, an annual event held to support freshmen in acclimating to college life, Oct. 1-6. First-year students in the College of Arts and Sciences are required to attend at least three events before registering for spring semester classes in November. Students can choose sessions related to academic advising, research opportunities, nutrition, career counseling, note taking, study abroad and others. All students, staff and faculty are invited to participate in the events.

Buff Essentials Week, an annual event held to support freshmen in acclimating to college life, will be held Oct. 1-6. First-year students in the College of Arts and Sciences are required to attend at least three events before registering for spring semester classes in November. Students can choose sessions related to academic advising, research opportunities, nutrition, career counseling, note taking, study abroad and others. All students, staff and faculty are invited to participate in the events.