Community /instaar/ en Vice chancellor for sustainability visits the Mountain Research Station and Niwot Ridge /instaar/2025/07/15/vice-chancellor-sustainability-visits-mountain-research-station-and-niwot-ridge <span>Vice chancellor for sustainability visits the Mountain Research Station and Niwot Ridge</span> <span><span>Gabe Allen</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-07-15T10:30:00-06:00" title="Tuesday, July 15, 2025 - 10:30">Tue, 07/15/2025 - 10:30</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-07/20250709%20VC%20MRS%20visit%20Emery.jpg?h=84071268&amp;itok=8h0wj4m6" width="1200" height="800" alt="Hikers walk along a thin dirt path in the alpine tundra toward a military-style alpine shelter"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/183"> Community </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/396" hreflang="en">Emery</a> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/131" hreflang="en">Kettner</a> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/141" hreflang="en">Lovenduski</a> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/127" hreflang="en">Taylor</a> </div> <a href="/instaar/gabe-allen">Gabe Allen</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p dir="ltr"><span>Recently, 51³Ō¹ĻĶų vice chancellor for sustainability&nbsp;</span><a href="/chancellor/andrew-mayock-biography" rel="nofollow"><span>Andrew Mayock</span></a><span> joined INSTAAR faculty for an excursion to&nbsp;</span><a href="https://nwt.lternet.edu/explore-the-ridge" rel="nofollow"><span>the Mountain Research Station and the Tundra Lab</span></a><span>, essential field sites for environmental research at CU.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Chancellor Justin Schwartz&nbsp;</span><a href="/today/2025/02/13/cu-boulder-announces-vice-chancellor-sustainability" rel="nofollow"><span>appointed Mayock to his role earlier this year</span></a><span>, citing his long track record implementing sustainable infrastructure and business practices. Mayock&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGQSZG8eUaE" rel="nofollow"><span>led the Biden administration's efforts to green up the federal government</span></a><span> — just one of many senior positions he has held over the past three decades.</span></p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-large"><div class="ucb-callout-content"> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-07/20250709%20VC%20MRS%20visit%20Lovenduski%20Kettner%20Willbern%20Emery.jpg?itok=6uA_Zv3O" width="1500" height="1760" alt="A group of people pose for a photo in the mountains"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p><em>INSTAAR members pose with the vice chancellor. Left to right: Andrew Mayock, Nicole Lovenduski, Nancy Emery, Austin Willbern and Albert Kettner. Photo courtesy of Nicole Lovenduski.</em></p> </span> </div></div><p dir="ltr"><span>Despite all of his experience, Mayock sees his role at CU as the chance to dive into something new. While his career has mostly focused on sustainability as an operational goal, he is new to supporting the scientific research that underpins these efforts. Fortunately, his visit to the Mountain Research Station provided an up-close look at some of the longest-running climate and ecological monitoring efforts in the country.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>ā€œThank you all for an extraordinary day. It provided a real opportunity to appreciate the great work you do.ā€ Mayock told INSTAAR leadership after his visit. ā€œI look forward to supporting and amplifying your efforts, and all we can do together.ā€</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>After touring the station, Mayock and the rest of the group hopped into vehicles and drove up past the C1 climate station. Located at nearly 10,000 feet, the station has gathered climate data continuously since 1953. Its counterpart, dubbed D1, is located at more than 12,000 feet, making it the highest continuously operating weather station in North America.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>At 10,500 feet above sea level, the group parked at the ā€œcable gateā€ and continued on foot. The next stop was ā€œT-vanā€ , a climate station located just below the saddle of Niwot Ridge. Here,&nbsp;</span><a href="/instaar/austin-willbern" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="ca4e250c-b26b-49da-9af1-5974e28ed8da" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Austin Willbern"><span>Niwot Ridge field technician Austin Willbern</span></a><span> helped Mayock take an air sample for later analysis. INSTAAR scientists in the stable isotope lab plan to present the vice chancellor with a readout of the sample’s contents the next time he comes to visit the institute.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Some clouds were starting to form, but the group decided to brave a jaunt up to the saddle anyways. After reaching the ridge,&nbsp;</span><a href="/instaar/nancy-emery" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="c6470032-09d9-487b-8d63-512c3655f99d" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Nancy Emery"><span>Niwot Ridge program director and professor of ecology and evolutionary biology Nancy Emery</span></a><span> talked about the diversity of research projects underway at the site this summer. Mayock was also curious about&nbsp;</span><a href="https://nwt.lternet.edu/" rel="nofollow"><span>the long-term ecological monitoring project</span></a><span> on Niwot Ridge, which has gone uninterrupted for more than 40 years.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>As the clouds darkened, the group began to hike back toward the cars. They made it just in time — thunder boomed in the distance.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>On their way back to the station, the group discussed further collaborative efforts between INSTAAR and the chancellor’s office.&nbsp; Both the vice chancellor and faculty were eager to explore ways that INSTAAR’s environmental research can complement campus efforts toward sustainability.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><em><span>Click to zoom.</span></em></p><div class="row ucb-column-container"><div class="col ucb-column"> <div class="align-center align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-07/20250709%20VC%20MRS%20visit%20Willbern%20sample.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: Andrew Mayock and Austin Willbern in the T-van climate station on Niwot Ridge. Photo by Nicole Lovenduski. "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-07/20250709%20VC%20MRS%20visit%20Willbern%20sample.jpg" alt="Andrew Mayock and Austin Willbern in the T-van climate station on Niwot Ridge. Photo by Nicole Lovenduski."> </a> </div> </div><div class="col ucb-column"> <div class="align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-07/20250709%20VC%20MRS%20visit%20Taylor%20Emery%20Kettner.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: Scott Taylor chats with Andrew Mayock on Niwot Ridge. Left to right: Andrew Mayock, Scott Taylor, Albert Kettner, Nancy Emery. Photo by Nicole Lovenduski. "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-07/20250709%20VC%20MRS%20visit%20Taylor%20Emery%20Kettner.jpg" alt="Scott Taylor chats with Andrew Mayock on Niwot Ridge. Left to right: Andrew Mayock, Scott Taylor, Albert Kettner, Nancy Emery. Photo by Nicole Lovenduski."> </a> </div> </div><div class="col ucb-column"> <div class="align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-07/20250709%20VC%20MRS%20visit%20Taylor%20station.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: Andrew Mayock checks out a climate monitoring station on Niwot Ridge. Photo by Nicole Lovenduski. "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-07/20250709%20VC%20MRS%20visit%20Taylor%20station.jpg" alt="Andrew Mayock checks out a climate monitoring station on Niwot Ridge. Photo by Nicole Lovenduski."> </a> </div> </div></div><p>&nbsp;</p><div class="row ucb-column-container"><div class="col ucb-column"> <div class="align-center align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-07/20250709%20VC%20MRS%20visit%20sample.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: Andrew Mayock looks at a research log at the T-van climate station. Photo by Nicole Lovenduski. "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-07/20250709%20VC%20MRS%20visit%20sample.jpg" alt="Andrew Mayock looks at a research log at the T-van climate station. Photo by Nicole Lovenduski."> </a> </div> </div><div class="col ucb-column"> <div class="align-center align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-07/20250709%20VC%20MRS%20visit%20Taylor%20ridge%20convo.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: Scott Taylor (left) and Andrew Mayock on the way up to Niwot Ridge from the Mountain Research Station. Photo by Nicole Lovenduski. "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-07/20250709%20VC%20MRS%20visit%20Taylor%20ridge%20convo.jpg" alt="Scott Taylor (left) and Andrew Mayock on the way up to Niwot Ridge from the Mountain Research Station. Photo by Nicole Lovenduski."> </a> </div> </div><div class="col ucb-column"> <div class="align-center align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-07/20250709%20VC%20MRS%20visit%20Emery%20ridge%20convo.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: Andrew Mayock chats with Nancy Emery on the way up to the Tundra Lab on Niwot Ridge. Photo by Nicole Lovenduski. "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-07/20250709%20VC%20MRS%20visit%20Emery%20ridge%20convo.jpg" alt="Andrew Mayock chats with Nancy Emery on the way up to the Tundra Lab on Niwot Ridge. Photo by Nicole Lovenduski."> </a> </div> </div></div><p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>51³Ō¹ĻĶų’s Andrew Mayock recently toured the Mountain Research Station, a high-altitude climate station and the Tundra Lab at Niwot Ridge. INSTAAR faculty were eager to meet the vice chancellor and discuss future collaborations.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-07/20250709%20VC%20MRS%20visit%20Emery.jpg?itok=RrNFt9jo" width="1500" height="1125" alt="Hikers walk along a thin dirt path in the alpine tundra toward a military-style alpine shelter"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>Nancy Emery (closest) and Andrew Mayock (next closest) hike toward the tundra lab on Niwot Ridge.</p> </span> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Tue, 15 Jul 2025 16:30:00 +0000 Gabe Allen 1714 at /instaar A tropical ā€˜snakebird’ just landed in 51³Ō¹ĻĶų, and it’s turning heads (CPR) /instaar/2025/06/19/tropical-snakebird-just-landed-boulder-and-its-turning-heads-cpr <span>A tropical ā€˜snakebird’ just landed in 51³Ō¹ĻĶų, and it’s turning heads (CPR)</span> <span><span>Gabe Allen</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-06-19T11:00:00-06:00" title="Thursday, June 19, 2025 - 11:00">Thu, 06/19/2025 - 11:00</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-06/Anhinga.jpeg?h=ac0ce0b0&amp;itok=eqoDZ4Jd" width="1200" height="800" alt="A large bird with black and white coloration perches on a dead branch above a calm body of water"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/183"> Community </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/127" hreflang="en">Taylor</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Ornithologists and amateur birders alike are flocking to a pond on 95th street to catch a rare glimpse of a tropical anhinga in 51³Ō¹ĻĶų. INSTAAR fellow and Mountain Research Station director Scott Taylor was interviewed for this piece in CPR News.</div> <script> window.location.href = `https://www.cpr.org/2025/06/17/anhinga-bird-boulder/`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Thu, 19 Jun 2025 17:00:00 +0000 Gabe Allen 1695 at /instaar Get to know INSTAAR’s 2025 summer scholars /instaar/2025/05/29/get-know-instaars-2025-summer-scholars <span>Get to know INSTAAR’s 2025 summer scholars</span> <span><span>Gabe Allen</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-05-29T14:04:37-06:00" title="Thursday, May 29, 2025 - 14:04">Thu, 05/29/2025 - 14:04</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-05/Summer%20Scholars%20tile.jpg?h=11319824&amp;itok=WOmrJq8T" width="1200" height="800" alt="Headshots of two young men side by side: Harry Allbrook (left) and Hunter Geist-Sanchez"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/183"> Community </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/135" hreflang="en">SepĆŗlveda</a> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/161" hreflang="en">Suding</a> </div> <a href="/instaar/gabe-allen">Gabe Allen</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-large"><div class="ucb-callout-content"> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-05/Summer%20Scholars%20tile.jpg?itok=rKlzUsTE" width="1500" height="1500" alt="Headshots of two young men side by side: Harry Allbrook (left) and Hunter Geist-Sanchez"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p><em>INSTAAR 2025 summer scholars Harry Allbrook (left) and Hunter Geist-Sanchez. Photos courtesy of Harry Allbrook and Hunter Geist-Sanchez.</em></p> </span> </div></div><p>Each year, INSTAAR selects two graduate students for the <a href="/instaar/diversity/underrepresented-groups/instaar-summer-scholarships-grad-students" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="729f3a07-4d38-410b-8451-286112a22a87" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="INSTAAR Summer Scholarships for grad students">INSTAAR summer scholarship</a>, which provides funding for ongoing research over the summer months. These scholars are engaged in multi-year research efforts in the Earth sciences, and the scholarship amplifies their ability to produce high-impact, rigorous work.</p><p>In 2025, PhD student <a href="/instaar/harry-allbrook" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="0d22b23b-cf11-43df-8b43-327b52095f41" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Harry Allbrook">Harry Allbrook</a> and MS student <a href="/instaar/hunter-geist-sanchez" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="9fe02bf0-a804-4fa1-b7e1-d8ad6ae0183a" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Hunter Geist-Sanchez">Hunter Geist-Sanchez</a> were awarded the scholarship. Allbrook studies marine microbial communities in <a href="/instaar/julio-sep%C3%BAlveda" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="7700af20-363d-4f77-b46e-2da40bf8fae1" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Julio SepĆŗlveda">Julio SepĆŗlveda</a>’s lab. Geist-Sanchez is a restoration ecologist studying plant communities from a rangeland management perspective under <a href="/instaar/katharine-suding" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="046a5124-6d3d-49d4-a187-2c7561acd1cc" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Katharine Suding">Katharine Suding</a>.</p><p>This week, INSTAAR sat down with Allbrook and Geist-Sanchez to discuss their summer plans.</p><h2>What are you working on this summer?</h2><p><strong>Harry Allbrook:</strong> I’m analyzing data from semi-controlled mesocosm experiments, where we simulate marine environments within an enclosed space. In particular, I’m exposing marine microbial communities to environmental stressors by manipulating oxygen, PH and nutrient levels, and seeing how they respond.</p><p>This summer, I will transform raw measurements (from liquid chromatography mass spectrometry analyses) into lists of molecular identities using open-source analytical methods. This will allow me to investigate the phenomenon of ā€œlipid remodelingā€ in these mesocosms, whereby microbes adapt their cell membranes in response to environmental stress.</p><p>Microbial membranes serve as a source of nutrition for higher trophic organisms, like the fish essential to marine fisheries and indigenous communities. They also serve as fingerprints of ecosystem health, which are preserved in geologic sediments for thousands of years.</p><p><strong>Hunter Geist-Sanchez: </strong>I’m managing two research projects. In the first, I’m hoping to identify plant species that can improve rangeland restoration efforts. Specifically, I’m testing whether certain species are more successful in bare ground interspaces within semi-arid and arid rangelands along the Front Range. If we can identify species with traits that promote establishment in these bare areas, we may be able to reverse ongoing degradation in these systems and instead promote vegetation recovery.</p><p>The second project is a long-term drought study, now in its eighth year, which stems from a partnership with the international <a href="https://droughtnet.weebly.com/" rel="nofollow">Drought-Net network</a> and <a href="https://bouldercolorado.gov/government/departments/open-space-mountain-parks" rel="nofollow">51³Ō¹ĻĶų Open Space &amp; Mountain Parks</a>. In this study, we are manipulating precipitation to simulate extreme drought and excess rainfall, respectively. We also incorporate seasonal livestock grazing. The goal is to better understand the interactions between drought, excess precipitation and grazing on plant life.</p><p>Rangelands make up about one-third of terrestrial ecosystems in the U.S. and provide vital services, such as food, clean water and outdoor recreation. Climate change is increasing temperature and precipitation variability, which makes understanding these dynamics critical to preserving the ecological, cultural, and economic value of these systems.</p><div class="row ucb-column-container"><div class="col ucb-column"> <div class="imageMediaStyle medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/medium_750px_50_display_size_/public/2025-05/20250528%20Geist%20Sanchez%20Field.jpg?itok=4_0OQj1M" width="750" height="563" alt="A young man in glasses takes a selfie with three other field scientists in an open pasture with rocky hills in the background at midday"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p><em>Suding lab members set up equipment at a research site for Drought-Net in South 51³Ō¹ĻĶų. From left: Hunter Geist-Sanchez, Sam Ahler, Sarah Elizabeth Stockman and Tom Merchant. Photo courtesy of Hunter Geist-Sanchez.</em></p> </span> </div><div class="col ucb-column"> <div class="imageMediaStyle medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/medium_750px_50_display_size_/public/2025-05/20250528%20Allbrook%20field%20cropped%202.jpg?itok=h-rifZt6" width="750" height="563" alt="A young man loads research equipment onto the deck of a boat at golden hour with gently choppy seas in the background"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p><em>Harry Allbrook loads equipment aboard the German research vessel RV Sonne in the Port of Talcahuano in Chile. Photo courtesy of Harry Allbrook.</em></p> </span> </div></div><h2>How will the summer scholarship support this work?</h2><p><strong>Harry Allbrook:</strong> The scholarship will enable me to complete a vital step in my thesis project. I’m also looking forward to developing educational outreach tools (ā€œmicrocosm in a mason jarā€) that enhance ocean literacy and share my team's work with middle-school students.</p><p><strong>Hunter Geist Sanchez: </strong>With my summer funding covered by the scholarship, I’m able to use other grant funds to hire undergraduate research assistants and purchase essential equipment. This includes soil temperature and moisture sensors as well as soil nutrient testing tools to assess how drought conditions affect nutrients in the soil.</p><p>I’ve hired two current CU undergraduates and a 2025 CU graduate to assist with both projects. They will get hands-on experience in ecological research, preparing them for a career in rangeland health and management.</p><h2>What do you like to do when you’re not doing research?</h2><p><strong>Harry Allbrook: </strong>When I'm not doing research, I love to rock climb, cook, collect vinyl records (particularly electronic music) and paint with watercolors!</p><p><strong>Hunter Geist-Sanchez: </strong>Outside of research, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, hiking and doing other outdoor activities, cooking, and traveling!<br>&nbsp;</p><hr><p>To support INSTAAR's summer scholarship for graduate students, <a href="https://giveto.colorado.edu/campaigns/50869/donations/new?amt=50.00" rel="nofollow">you can make a donation to our general fund here</a>.</p><p><em><span>If you have questions about this story, or would like to reach out to INSTAAR for further comment, you can contact Senior Communications Specialist Gabe Allen at&nbsp;gabriel.allen@colorado.edu.</span></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>A Q&amp;A with PhD students Harry Allbrook and Hunter Geist-Sanchez, INSTAAR’s 2025 summer scholarship recipients. The scholarship will go toward the students’ continued research in marine biology and grassland restoration throughout the summer.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Thu, 29 May 2025 20:04:37 +0000 Gabe Allen 1688 at /instaar Former INSTAAR research librarian and polar climate data expert passes on /instaar/2025/05/22/former-instaar-research-librarian-and-polar-climate-data-expert-passes <span>Former INSTAAR research librarian and polar climate data expert passes on</span> <span><span>Gabe Allen</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-05-22T13:04:36-06:00" title="Thursday, May 22, 2025 - 13:04">Thu, 05/22/2025 - 13:04</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-05/20250522-01-Martha-Andrews-obit.jpg?h=46a1eeee&amp;itok=6q8qLmMG" width="1200" height="800" alt="Martha Andrews"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/183"> Community </a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-large"><div class="ucb-callout-content"> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-05/20250522-01-Martha-Andrews-obit.jpg?itok=803Zpb9w" width="1500" height="2000" alt="Martha Andrews"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p><em>Martha Andrews</em></p> </span> </div></div><p class="lead"><span><strong>Martha Andrews</strong> passed away on May 5, 2025 at her home in 51³Ō¹ĻĶų with her husband, </span><a href="/instaar/john-t-andrews" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="7c3d3bc3-2edb-4e22-8eae-08174531a5ae" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="John T. Andrews"><span>John Andrews</span></a><span> by her side. Martha was an early member of the INSTAAR Directorate and served as INSTAAR’s research librarian&nbsp;from 1973 until she retired in 2003.</span></p><p><span>Martha was born in Schenectady, NY to Margaret and John Tuthill. She was the valedictorian of her 1956 High School class, after which she enrolled at Northwestern University. During her sophomore year, she transferred to Clark University in Worcester, MA so she could be near her mother, who had fallen ill at the new family home in Vermont.&nbsp;At Clark, she heard a lecture about climate research at the South Pole. Captivated, she approached the speaker and, that summer, devoted herself to entering paper temperature records into a database on an early computer.</span></p><p><span>Her interest in Polar regions led her to apply to a graduate program in the geography department at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, which at that time had major research programs in the Canadian Arctic.&nbsp;She arrived in Montreal in September 1960, and there met her husband-to-be, John Andrews, who had just returned from a field season on the Labrador coast. They were married in December, 1961. Martha obtained her MA from McGill University, and when John accepted a job with the Canadian government in 1962, they moved to Ottawa.&nbsp;Martha worked at Carleton University in Ottawa abstracting Arctic research papers for the </span><em><span>Arctic Bibliography</span></em><span>—a project funded by the US Library of Congress. In 1968, the couple moved to 51³Ō¹ĻĶų, CO when John accepted a faculty position at the department of geological science and INSTAAR at the University of Colorado, 51³Ō¹ĻĶų.</span></p><p><span>Martha continued her studies and, in 1973, obtained an MA in library science from the University of Denver and became INSTAAR's Librarian. She was a friend and essential resource for many graduate students who learned library research skills from her. During her career, she led the establishment of many international polar and environmental data bases, obtaining grants from the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation and travelling for her work to Canada, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, the UK, and Alaska.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>She will be deeply missed by her family, numerous friends, and many former students, who recall her exceptional help with literature searches and her sharp wit. A celebration of Martha's life will be held later this summer at INSTAAR in the SEEC building on east campus.&nbsp;</span></p><p class="clear-margin"><em><span>See also:</span></em></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/boulder-co/martha-andrews-12364104" rel="nofollow"><span>Martha Andrews (1938-2025) obituary</span></a><span> - Dignity Memorial</span></li></ul><hr><p class="text-align-center lead"><em><span>Click to zoom and see captions</span></em></p><p class="text-align-center small-text"><em><span>(Want to add your photo of Martha? Email it and a caption to </span></em><a href="/instaar/david-lubinski" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="430d1a12-83fd-4b84-b228-2760033a353f" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="David Lubinski"><em><span>David Lubinski</span></em></a><em><span>)</span></em></p> <div class="align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-02-Martha%20Andrews%20for%20INSTAAR_5_25.png" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: Martha Andrews near Iqaluit in the 1970s. "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-02-Martha%20Andrews%20for%20INSTAAR_5_25.png" alt="Martha Andrews near Iqaluit in the 1970s."> </a> </div> <div class="align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-03-John%26Martha.2002.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: John and Martha Andrews (2002). "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-03-John%26Martha.2002.jpg" alt="John and Martha Andrews (2002)."> </a> </div> <div class="align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-04-JTAMarthaKids%2089.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: The Andrews family - Thomas, Martha, John, and Melissa (1989). "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-04-JTAMarthaKids%2089.jpg" alt="The Andrews family - Thomas, Martha, John, and Melissa (1989)."> </a> </div> <div class="align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-05-JTA%20Iqaluit%201975%20adjusted.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: The Andrews family - Thomas, Melissa, John, and Martha in Iqaluit (1975). "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-05-JTA%20Iqaluit%201975%20adjusted.jpg" alt="The Andrews family - Thomas, Melissa, John, and Martha in Iqaluit (1975)."> </a> </div> <div class="align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-06-JTA%20AWS%202011%20Montreal%20adjusted.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: A group photo at the Arctic Workshop in Montreal (2011). L to R: Giff Miller, John Andrews, Martha Andrews, Art Dyke, Ray Bradley, TBD, John England, and Catherine La Farge-England. "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-06-JTA%20AWS%202011%20Montreal%20adjusted.jpg" alt="A group photo at the Arctic Workshop in Montreal (2011). L to R: Giff Miller, John Andrews, Martha Andrews, Art Dyke, Ray Bradley, TBD, John England, and Catherine La Farge-England."> </a> </div> <div class="align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-07-Martha%20and%20Nancy%201999.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: Francesca (Smith) McInerney, Nancy Weiner, Martha Andrews, and Kathy Licht (1999). "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-07-Martha%20and%20Nancy%201999.jpg" alt="Francesca (Smith) McInerney, Nancy Weiner, Martha Andrews, and Kathy Licht (1999)."> </a> </div> <div class="align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-08-JTA.Martha.Thom_.QGG2007.sm_.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: Martha Andrews, John Andrews, and P. Thompson Davis at a GSA Quaternary Geology &amp; Geomorphology awards event (2007). John received a Distinguished Career Award. "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-08-JTA.Martha.Thom_.QGG2007.sm_.jpg" alt="Martha Andrews, John Andrews, and P. Thompson Davis at a GSA Quaternary Geology &amp; Geomorphology awards event (2007). John received a Distinguished Career Award."> </a> </div> <div class="align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-09-Clark.Barber.Licht_.Martha.QGG2007.JPG" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: Peter Clark, Kathy Licht, Don Barber, and Martha Andrews applaud at a GSA Quaternary Geology &amp; Geomorphology awards event (2007). John Andrews received a Distinguished Career Award. "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-09-Clark.Barber.Licht_.Martha.QGG2007.JPG" alt="Peter Clark, Kathy Licht, Don Barber, and Martha Andrews applaud at a GSA Quaternary Geology &amp; Geomorphology awards event (2007). John Andrews received a Distinguished Career Award."> </a> </div> <div class="align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-10-John%26Martha.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: Martha and John Andrews look at a cake, surrounded by participants of the Arctic Workshop at an evening social event (year TBA). "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-10-John%26Martha.jpg" alt="Martha and John Andrews look at a cake, surrounded by participants of the Arctic Workshop at an evening social event (year TBA)."> </a> </div> <div class="align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-11-JTA%2CMartha%2C%20Hollin.midfinger.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: John Hollin, Martha Andrews, and John Andrews (year TBA). "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-11-JTA%2CMartha%2C%20Hollin.midfinger.jpg" alt="John Hollin, Martha Andrews, and John Andrews (year TBA)."> </a> </div> <div class="align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-12-Martha%20Andrews%20for%20INSTAAR_5_25.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: Martha Andrews "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250522-12-Martha%20Andrews%20for%20INSTAAR_5_25.jpg" alt="Martha Andrews"> </a> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Martha Andrews spent 30 years of her exceptional career in library science and polar environmental record-keeping at INSTAAR. She will be missed by family, friends and former students and colleagues.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Thu, 22 May 2025 19:04:36 +0000 Gabe Allen 1685 at /instaar INSTAAR honors students and faculty at spring celebration luncheon /instaar/2025/05/14/instaar-honors-students-and-faculty-spring-celebration-luncheon <span>INSTAAR honors students and faculty at spring celebration luncheon</span> <span><span>Gabe Allen</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-05-14T17:02:16-06:00" title="Wednesday, May 14, 2025 - 17:02">Wed, 05/14/2025 - 17:02</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-05/20250514%20Luncheon%20Arcuri.jpg?h=8a10baeb&amp;itok=ioSOxQJj" width="1200" height="800" alt="scientists line up to scoop food from hotel trays with smiles on their faces"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/183"> Community </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/239" hreflang="en">Morse</a> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/299" hreflang="en">Rozmiarek</a> </div> <a href="/instaar/gabe-allen">Gabe Allen</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p dir="ltr"><span>On the day before 51³Ō¹ĻĶų commencement, INSTAAR faculty and students gathered in SEEC C120 for an end-of-year celebration luncheon. The mood was jovial as scientists filtered in and loaded up plates with rice, roasted veggies, chicken and tofu. The institute has had a busy year of cutting-edge research, new collaborative initiatives and outreach efforts.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Once everyone had a chance to settle in, INSTAAR director Nicole Lovenduski got the ceremonies started. As per tradition, institute leaders took the opportunity to highlight impressive and passionate efforts from a few of its members. Here are the awardees from this year:</span></p><p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p><hr><h2>&nbsp;<i class="fa-solid fa-trophy">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<span>Sarah Crump Memorial Graduate Fellowship</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><a href="/instaar/2025/04/04/juliana-ruef-awarded-sarah-crump-graduate-fellowship" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="57c89f32-87f2-432c-8c94-909788f1d016" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Juliana Ruef is awarded the Sarah Crump Graduate Fellowship"><span><strong>Juliana Ruef</strong> is the recipient of the 2025 Sarah Crump memorial graduate fellowship</span></a><span>. Ruef is the third annual recipient of the summer fellowship created in honor of a now-passed INSTAAR alum. She will use the funding for snow science research on the Juneau Ice Field in Alaska this summer.</span></p> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-05/20250514%20Luncheon%20Ruef%20Miller%20Crump%20Family.jpg?itok=9qDMMuRa" width="1500" height="735" alt="five people pose for a portrait in a well-lit conference room"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p><em><span>Gifford Miller, Sarah Crump’s graduate advisor during her PhD at INSTAAR, and Juliana Ruef pose with the Crump Family. Left to right: Gifford Miller, Liz Anderson, Juliana Ruef, John Crump and Nodin de Saillan.</span></em></p> </span> <p>&nbsp;</p><hr><div class="row ucb-column-container"><div class="col ucb-column"><h2><i class="fa-solid fa-trophy">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<span>INSTAAR Summer Scholarships for Graduate Students</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>This year’s summer scholars are </span><a href="/instaar/hunter-geist-sanchez" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="9fe02bf0-a804-4fa1-b7e1-d8ad6ae0183a" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Hunter Geist-Sanchez"><span><strong>Hunter Geist-Sanchez</strong></span></a><span><strong> </strong>and&nbsp;</span><a href="/instaar/harry-allbrook" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="0d22b23b-cf11-43df-8b43-327b52095f41" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Harry Allbrook"><span><strong>Harry Allbrook</strong></span></a><span>. The scholarships will fund their continued research efforts this summer. Geist-Sanchez is a restoration ecologist studying plant communities from a rangeland management perspective under&nbsp;</span><a href="/instaar/katharine-suding" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="046a5124-6d3d-49d4-a187-2c7561acd1cc" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Katharine Suding"><span>Katharine Suding</span></a><span>. Allbrook studies microbial communities in the ocean in&nbsp;</span><a href="/instaar/julio-sep%C3%BAlveda" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="7700af20-363d-4f77-b46e-2da40bf8fae1" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Julio SepĆŗlveda"><span>Julio SepĆŗlveda</span></a><span>’s lab.&nbsp;</span></p> <div class="imageMediaStyle medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/medium_750px_50_display_size_/public/2025-05/20250514%20Luncheon%20Allbrook%20Geist-Sanchez.jpg?itok=iWP2naEn" width="750" height="620" alt="Two young men pose with commemorative plaques "> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p><em>Hunter Geist-Sanchez (left) and Harry Allbrook (right) pose with their awards.</em></p> </span> <p>&nbsp;</p></div><div class="col ucb-column"><h2><i class="fa-solid fa-trophy">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<span>Professional Research Assistant Award</span></h2> <div class="align-right image_style-small_500px_25_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle small_500px_25_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/small_500px_25_display_size_/public/2025-05/20250514%20Luncheon%20Morse.jpg?itok=EiCixvJq" width="375" height="546" alt="A female scientist in a black outdoor layer poses with a plaque"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p><em><span>Jennifer Morse poses with her award.&nbsp;</span></em></p> </span> </div> <p dir="ltr"><span>2025’s PRA of the year is&nbsp;</span><a href="/instaar/jennifer-morse" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="51e6b39e-07d0-4148-b3b5-875d1be86eeb" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Jennifer Morse"><span><strong>Jennifer Morse</strong></span></a><span>. Morse is the climate, water and snow technician and director of the mountain climate program at the&nbsp;</span><a href="/mrs/" rel="nofollow"><span>Mountain Research Station</span></a><span>. She is also pursuing an M.S. in geography under&nbsp;</span><a href="/instaar/noah-p-molotch" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="cd03a51b-31dd-46b5-96ec-1a0b912bc8e0" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Noah P. Molotch"><span>Noah Molotch</span></a><span>.&nbsp;</span></p><p dir="ltr"><a href="/instaar/gifford-h-miller" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="2758155e-9c5b-40c2-b950-a4d2192a2f3b" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Gifford H. Miller"><span>INSTAAR senior fellow Gifford Miller</span></a><span>, who presented the award, read a statement written by the Mountain Research Station’s director,&nbsp;</span><a href="/instaar/scott-taylor" rel="nofollow"><span>Scott Taylor</span></a><span>, and principal investigator,&nbsp;</span><a href="/ebio/nancy-emery" rel="nofollow"><span>Nancy Emery</span></a><span>.</span></p><blockquote><p class="lead" dir="ltr"><span>ā€œJen is an essential and critical force in the success of the MRS,ā€ Miller read. ā€œJen’s tangible contributions are a combination of impressive technical skills, a fierce work ethic and an inexhaustible growth mindset.ā€</span></p></blockquote></div></div><p>&nbsp;</p><hr><h2><i class="fa-solid fa-trophy">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<span>Graduate Student Community Awards</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>This year’s graduate student community awards went to&nbsp;</span><a href="/even/adam-odorisio" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Adam Odorisio</strong></span></a><span> and&nbsp;</span><a href="/instaar/kevin-rozmiarek" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="d862e67c-dc7b-4fae-802d-a400972b5d99" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Kevin Rozmiarek"><span><strong>Kevin Rozmiarek</strong></span></a><span>. Odorisio was commended for his efforts to&nbsp;</span><a href="https://aspenjournalism.org/rare-earth-elements-found-in-lincoln-creek-raise-new-questions/" rel="nofollow"><span>make his lab’s research on rare earth minerals in the Roaring Fork River available to affected communities</span></a><span>. Rozmiarek was commended for his work as the graduate student representative on the&nbsp;</span><a href="/instaar/about-instaar/governance" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="add837d7-38e1-42b6-a91b-9f10a5f52da2" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Governance"><span>INSTAAR directorate</span></a><span>. He is also spearheading an effort to create a community gear closet of cold-weather gear for INSTAAR students.&nbsp;</span></p><div class="row ucb-column-container"><div class="col ucb-column"> <div class="imageMediaStyle wide_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/wide_image_style/public/2025-05/20250514%20Luncheon%20Odorsio%202.jpg?h=cc4b85bd&amp;itok=8bjo6YLk" width="1500" height="563" alt="A young man poses with a plaque in front of a screen that displays his name, adam odorosio"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p><em><span>Adam Odorisio poses with his award.</span></em></p> </span> </div><div class="col ucb-column"> <div class="imageMediaStyle wide_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/wide_image_style/public/2025-05/20250514%20Luncheon%20Miller%20Rosmiarek.jpg?h=3164c64d&amp;itok=uAGovL1F" width="1500" height="563" alt="A man speaks at a podium while another, younger man stands in front of a screen and looks his way"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p><em><span>Gifford Miller presents the second graduate student community award to Kevin Rozmiarek.</span></em></p> </span> </div></div><p>&nbsp;</p><hr><h2><i class="fa-solid fa-medal">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<span>The Commemorative Shovel</span></h2><p><span>This year’s ceremony featured a final one-off award. Professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology&nbsp;</span><a href="/instaar/tim-seastedt" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="f45e4b91-dc40-4bf0-9980-77c2adec589e" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Tim Seastedt"><span><strong>Tim Seastedt</strong></span></a><span> has worked tirelessly for more than two decades to conduct research, volunteer efforts and invasive species eradication at the Spruce Gulch Wildlife Reserve. This spring, a private donor will hand over the reins of the reserve to INSTAAR, and Seastedt will take over as the acting director (more details TBA).&nbsp; At the end of the luncheon, Lovenduski and Suding presented Seastedt with a bright green shovel to commemorate his hard work at the site.&nbsp;</span></p> <div class="align-center image_style-medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/medium_750px_50_display_size_/public/2025-05/20250514%20Luncheon%20Seastedt.jpg?itok=32M7Nkhr" width="750" height="786" alt="A man poses with a bright green commemorative shovel"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p class="text-align-center"><em><span>Tim Seastedt poses with a commemorative shovel given to him for his efforts in the formation of the Spruce Gulch Wildlife Reserve.</span></em></p> </span> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p><hr><h2><i class="fa-solid fa-utensils">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp; More luncheon highlights</h2><p>Click to zoom and see captions:</p><div class="row ucb-column-container"><div class="col ucb-column"> <div class="align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250514%20Luncheon%20Lovenduski.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: INSTAAR director Nicole Lovenduski reflects on some of INSTAAR’s high-impact outreach efforts in 2025.&amp;nbsp; "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250514%20Luncheon%20Lovenduski.jpg" alt="INSTAAR director Nicole Lovenduski reflects on some of INSTAAR’s high-impact outreach efforts in 2025.&amp;nbsp;"> </a> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p></div><div class="col ucb-column"> <div class="align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250514%20Luncheon%20Lovenduski%20Mogen.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: Nicole Lovenduski places a doctoral hood on her advisee, Sam Mogen. Mogen was the only student to elect to be hooded at the luncheon. He published five peer-reviewed journal articles and participated in multiple community outreach efforts during his candidacy. "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250514%20Luncheon%20Lovenduski%20Mogen.jpg" alt="Nicole Lovenduski places a doctoral hood on her advisee, Sam Mogen. Mogen was the only student to elect to be hooded at the luncheon. He published five peer-reviewed journal articles and participated in multiple community outreach efforts during his candidacy."> </a> </div> </div><div class="col ucb-column"> <div class="align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250514%20Luncheon%20Gooseff.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: Michael Gooseff speaks about INSTAAR 2025 PhD graduate Anna Wright's candidacy in his lab. "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250514%20Luncheon%20Gooseff.jpg" alt="Michael Gooseff speaks about INSTAAR 2025 PhD graduate Anna Wright's candidacy in his lab."> </a> </div> </div><div class="col ucb-column"> <div class="align-left col gallery-item"> <a href="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250514%20Luncheon%20Michel%20Jennings.jpg" class="glightbox ucb-gallery-lightbox" data-gallery="gallery" data-glightbox="description: Sylvia Michel and Anne Jennings chat at the 2025 INSTAAR spring celebration luncheon. "> <img class="ucb-colorbox-square" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250514%20Luncheon%20Michel%20Jennings.jpg" alt="Sylvia Michel and Anne Jennings chat at the 2025 INSTAAR spring celebration luncheon."> </a> </div> </div></div><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>And the winner is… INSTAAR presented four awards and three summer scholarships at the annual spring celebration luncheon last week. Recipients were commended for their impactful efforts at the institute, in the scientific community and beyond.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-05/20250514%20Luncheon%20Arcuri.jpg?itok=s6bh1EtC" width="1500" height="1458" alt="scientists line up to scoop food from hotel trays with smiles on their faces"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p><em>Grad student Josie Arcuri and other INSTAARs load up their plates.&nbsp;</em></p> </span> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Wed, 14 May 2025 23:02:16 +0000 Gabe Allen 1681 at /instaar An apple a day? It’s the 51³Ō¹ĻĶų way (Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine) /instaar/2025/05/12/apple-day-its-boulder-way-colorado-arts-and-sciences-magazine <span>An apple a day? It’s the 51³Ō¹ĻĶų way (Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine)</span> <span><span>Gabe Allen</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-05-12T16:04:54-06:00" title="Monday, May 12, 2025 - 16:04">Mon, 05/12/2025 - 16:04</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-05/Apple%20orchard%20blossoms%20cropped.jpeg?h=1c1cee37&amp;itok=N80mBSMT" width="1200" height="800" alt="white apple blossoms hang from a young branch among green leaves close up"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/183"> Community </a> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/177"> Research </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/161" hreflang="en">Suding</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>The 51³Ō¹ĻĶų Apple Tree Project, led by INSTAAR fellow Katharine Suding, has broken ground on a new apple orchard on 30th Street in 51³Ō¹ĻĶų. The orchard will provide shade, fruit and a site for agroecology research. It is supported by a $90,000 sustainable CU grant.</div> <script> window.location.href = `/asmagazine/2025/05/08/apple-day-its-boulder-way`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Mon, 12 May 2025 22:04:54 +0000 Gabe Allen 1678 at /instaar 51³Ō¹ĻĶų chancellor Justin Schwartz visits the Mountain Research Station /instaar/2025/05/02/cu-boulder-chancellor-justin-schwartz-visits-mountain-research-station <span>51³Ō¹ĻĶų chancellor Justin Schwartz visits the Mountain Research Station</span> <span><span>Gabe Allen</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-05-02T09:48:22-06:00" title="Friday, May 2, 2025 - 09:48">Fri, 05/02/2025 - 09:48</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-05/20250501%20Schwartz%20Ruzenne%20chancellor%20MRS.jpg?h=19f14c2c&amp;itok=PjWbDve1" width="1200" height="800" alt="Two men in winter gear stand on a bare patch of tundra with a snowy research station in the background"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/183"> Community </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/131" hreflang="en">Kettner</a> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/141" hreflang="en">Lovenduski</a> <a href="/instaar/taxonomy/term/127" hreflang="en">Taylor</a> </div> <a href="/instaar/gabe-allen">Gabe Allen</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p dir="ltr"><span>Most of 51³Ō¹ĻĶų campus is nestled beneath the flatirons where the plains meet the foothills, but there is one facility tucked away high in the mountains.&nbsp;</span><a href="/mrs/" rel="nofollow"><span>The Mountain Research Station</span></a><span> sits in the boreal forests of the Indian Peaks at 9,500 feet, 25 miles west of town. The station has been a launchpad for research and in alpine environments for more than a century.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Recently,&nbsp;</span><a href="/chancellor/about" rel="nofollow"><span>51³Ō¹ĻĶų chancellor Justin Schwartz</span></a><span> and&nbsp;</span><a href="/mechanical/massimo-ruzzene" rel="nofollow"><span>senior vice chancellor for research and innovation Massimo Ruzzene</span></a><span> visited the station and met with the INSTAAR faculty and staff that lead operations at the high-elevation outpost.&nbsp;</span></p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-xlarge"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><blockquote><p>ā€œThis place is one of the pillars upon which our sustainability culture has been built over years.ā€</p><p class="text-align-right">—Chancellor Justin Schwartz</p></blockquote></div></div><p dir="ltr"><span>After making it up the winding dirt road to the station, chancellor Schwartz and vice chancellor Ruzzene joined&nbsp;</span><a href="/instaar/scott-taylor" rel="nofollow"><span>Mountain Research Station director and associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology Scott Taylor</span></a><span> in the John W. Marr laboratory building for an overview of historical operations at the site. Of particular interest were the climate stations,&nbsp;</span><a href="https://nwt.lternet.edu/explore-the-ridge" rel="nofollow"><span>which gather weather data autonomously at various elevations</span></a><span>.&nbsp;</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>ā€œD-1,ā€ located at nearly 12,300 feet above-sea-level, has been in operation since 1957, making it the highest continuously operating, high-altitude climate station in North America. A bit lower down is ā€œC-1,ā€ where researchers at the Global Monitoring Division of NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory have maintained a record of atmospheric greenhouse gases concentrations for nearly 60 years.</span></p> <div class="align-center image_style-large_image_style"> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-05/20250501%20Taylor%20Schwartz%20Ruzenne%20chancellor%20MRS%20portrait.jpg?itok=IMN62K8b" width="1500" height="1000" alt="A man points to a map on a wall in a hallways with warm lighting while two other man look on"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p><em>Scott Taylor points to a map of Mountain Research Station operations at the John W. Marr laboratory. Patrick Campbell, 2025.&nbsp;</em></p> </span> </div> <p dir="ltr"><span>Taylor also spoke about his research at the station. In one experiment,&nbsp;</span><a href="/lab/taylor/" rel="nofollow"><span>Taylor and collaborators are training local chickadees to use computerized bird feeders that are programmed to open only when birds with specific ankle tags land on a perch</span></a><span>. The results will yield insight into the genetic basis of memory and cognition.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Next on the agenda was a trip to Niwot Ridge, the site of&nbsp;</span><a href="https://nwt.lternet.edu/" rel="nofollow"><span>the Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research Program</span></a><span>. Before departing, the group was joined by&nbsp;</span><a href="/instaar/sammy-yevak" rel="nofollow"><span>lead aquatic research technician Sammy Yevak</span></a><span>, who gave a safety talk before firing up the Snowcat, an all-terrain vehicle designed to travel across snow. After donning winter gear and ski goggles, they headed up the hill.</span></p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-xlarge"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><blockquote><p>ā€œThe people here really take their work to heart and have a high level of personal conviction,ā€</p><p class="text-align-right">—Massimo Ruzzene</p></blockquote></div></div><p dir="ltr"><span>At the end of a long and bumpy ride, Yevak pulled the snowcat into the Tundra Lab, a staging area for researchers. There, the Chancellor toured the facilities with&nbsp;</span><a href="/ebio/nancy-emery" rel="nofollow"><span>Niwot Ridge principal investigator and associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology Nancy Emery</span></a><span>. Emery explained that scientists have maintained records of ecological change on the ridge since the National Science Foundation first funded the project in 1980. This data has led to important insights into alpine ecology and climate change.&nbsp;</span></p><p dir="ltr"&