The site, www.socolo-edu.org, is intended to show low- and moderate-income students they can be the first in their families to pursue education after high school. The site was produced by the Southern Colorado Higher Education Consortium, a collaboration of all ten public colleges and universities in southern Colorado.

University of Colorado Colorado Springs Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak leads the project and continues to seek ways to provide families in southern Colorado opportunities to attend college.

“We know that attending college can seem like an impossible dream,” Shockley-Zalabak said. “This website aims to take the mystery out of applying for college, is clear about the costs of attendance and the help that can be provided as well as the multitude of interesting, high-demand fields of study that students can select while staying close to home.”

Fueled by a $750,000 Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the SCHEC is working cooperatively to increase the number of southern Colorado residents who attend college. The website will help families in southern Colorado connect with local colleges and understand requirements to enroll in post-secondary education. Unemployment rates are generally lower for people with education after high school and the Bureau of Labor predicts increased demand for employees with higher levels of education.

By fall, the group hopes to offer ten new college-level courses to students who are enrolled in high school, a feature rare in rural districts that dominate southern Colorado. The challenge of the consortium is to offer courses that are accessible, interesting, and engaging for students who have done well in high school but might not be at the top of the class. The goal of offering the new courses to high school students is to show them that they can succeed at the next level. Along with the new course offerings, each campus will offer a summer campus-based program that aims to introduce students to college expectations, campus life, and academic preparation techniques.

The graphic identity for the project, SóColo Reach, uses the Spanish concept of the Zócalo, or city plaza, combined with the southern Colorado outreach effort. The colleges represented in the SóColo Reach project include Adams State University, Colorado State University-Pueblo, Fort Lewis College, Lamar Community College, Otero Junior College, Pikes Peak Community College, Pueblo Community College, Trinidad State Junior College, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and Western State Colorado University.

For more information about SóColo Reach, contact Phillip Morris, project coordinator, 255-3300 or pmorris@uccs.edu.

But could the disadvantages outweigh the advantages?

That’s what a class of 25 master’s-level business students at UCCS investigated. They will release their findings at a public meeting at 4:45 p.m. May 11 in Dwire Hall 121 on the UCCS campus. The meeting is open to the public. Parking is free.

The comprehensive project researched environmental impact, economic impact, and oil and gas profitability in the county.

“Successful energy exploration and development could create hundreds of well-paying jobs, diversify the tax base, and increase local GDP by as much as 5 percent,” Fred Crowley, senior instructor, College of Business, and associate director of the Southern Colorado Economic Forum, said

Crowley said oil and gas exploration could provide a more than $1 billion boost to the local economy.

“The challenge for us is, how do we capture those jobs and incomes plus the jobs and incomes of the related service industries that don’t even exist here yet?” Crowley said.

The students have invited public and private decision makers to the presentation in the hope that their research will aid in the decision making process as local governments and business organizations grapple with policymaking related to the emergence of this industry.

The UCCS College of Business was established in 1965 and has more than 1,300 undergraduates and 400 MBA and Distance MBA students.  The College of Business and Administration awards the Bachelor of Science in Business and Bachelor of Innovation degrees. The Graduate School of Business Administration awards the Master of Business Administration degree. More than 8,000 alumni of the College of Business live and work around the world.

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs, is one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The university offers 36 bachelor’s degrees, 19 master’s and five doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls more than 9,300 students annually.

WHY: For three years, demand for on-campus living spaces has exceeded space available. UCCS currently has 900 spaces for students to live on campus. About 600 students live in campus resident halls as part of the Summit Village and 300 live in apartment-style housing called Alpine Village.

HOW: Rent paid by students living in UCCS housing will repay bonds issued for construction. No tuition or state tax dollars will be used for the project.

WHO:  Representatives from the Office of Student Residential Life, Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak and CU Regent Chair Kyle Hybl will lead the groundbreaking ceremony.

WHEN:  2 p.m. April 23

WHERE: Near the corner of Mountain Lion Way and Regent Circle on the western edge of the UCCS campus. For a campus map, visit www.uccs.edu/map.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Tom Hutton, Office of University Advancement, (719) 255-3439, (719) 351-6519, or thutton@uccs.edu

MEDIA PARKING:  Marked media vehicles do not need a parking pass and may park in any legal parking space at UCCS. Drivers of unmarked media vehicles should call Tom Hutton, (719) 351-6519 to make arrangements for parking.

Burns will trace the 13.7 billion year old history of the universe in his 9 a.m. April 28 address at Gaylord Hall on the Colorado College campus, kicking off a daylong event where more than 450 undergraduates from the three institutions will share their work in areas as diverse as arts, business, mathematics, engineering, natural sciences and social sciences.

UCCS Provost Peg Bacon will attend the event to offer a welcome. She will introduce Burns, known for his eloquent tracing of the history of cosmology as well as his work with supernovae, massive exploding stars. His research led to the 1998 discovery of the accelerating expansion of the universe.

“In this talk, I hope to show how the interplay of theory and observation led the very convincing, but arguably bizarre, scientific story of creation,” Burns said.

Following Burns’ address, students will participate in oral and poster presentations at the Cornerstone Arts Center on the CC campus. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.uccs.edu/csurf. The events are free for currently enrolled undergraduates from the three institutions and open to the public.

UCCS leaders initiated the Colorado Springs Undergraduate Research Forum in 2003 to highlight the accomplishments of students at the three leading area higher education institutions. The event initially focused on natural sciences but was later expanded to other disciplines to reflect the strengths of the event partners. The forum rotates between CC, UCCS and USAFA.

For more information about the forum, contact Margie Oldham, assistant to the dean, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, moldham@uccs.edu or 255-4552.

UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs, is one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The University offers 36 bachelor’s degrees, 19 master’s degrees, and five doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 9,300 students annually.

An estimated 400 middle and high school students from around the state will meet in Berger Hall and the Gallogly Events Center at 9 a.m. Participants are given four hours to complete five essay-style problems.

 A week later, at 2 p.m. April 27, Alex Soifer, CMO chair and professor, Interdepartmental Studies, will review solutions to the problems and give a lecture, “Birth of a Problem: The Story of Creation in Seven Stages.”

An awards ceremony will follow at 4 p.m.

The CMO is a chance for middle and high school students to test their talents and ingenuity while competing for medals, scholarships and other prizes.

The CMO is the largest mathematical competition in the United States with participants competing against one another, grades 6 through 12. Annually, prizes are provided by the competition sponsors, such as Intermap Technologies, Wolfram Research and Texas Instruments.

UCCS Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak will offer gold, silver and bronze medalists a scholarship to UCCS. Other prizes include Casio calculators and math software, and book by Alexander Soifer.

Student participation is free and open to all students grade 6-12. There is no limit on the number of schools or students who may participate. Everyone is welcome.

The Colorado Math Olympiad is supported by Casio Inc., Wolfram Research, the Office of the Chancellor, College of Letters, Arts, & Sciences, School District 20 and School District 11.

For more information about the Math Olympiad, and to view problems from previous years, visit http://www.uccs.edu/olympiad.

UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs, is one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The University offers 36 bachelor’s degrees, 19 master’s, and five doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 9,300 students annually.

Culver, 39, was selected following a regional search. His appointment was announced by Steve Kirkham, director, Athletics. Culver replaces Russ Caton who coached the men’s Mountain Lion basketball team from 2006 to 2012.

Jeff Culver

Culver’s appointment is scheduled for formal approval by the CU Board of Regents at a meeting scheduled for April 17-18.

“I am very excited to have Jeff join the Mountain Lion family,” Kirkham said. “He brings a passion for basketball and has proven he can win games in an academic environment. It is time for UCCS men’s basketball to take a step forward in competitiveness in a very tough NCAA Division II conference.”

Culver served as Johnson and Wales’ athletic director since 2008 and its men’s basketball coach since 2006. As coach, he led the Wildcats to three Association of Independent Institutions Conference championships and three National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Invitational Tournaments. In 2009, 2010, and 2011 Culver was named AII Conference Coach of the Year. As athletic director, Culver led a $7 million renovation to campus athletic facilities and added men’s and women’s programs in volleyball and cross country in addition to managing the department’s budget and 12 coaches.

Prior to joining the Johnson and Wales staff, Culver was an assistant men’s basketball coach at the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley. He also served as assistant director of basketball operations at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, and head varsity basketball coach at Alexander Dawson High School, Lafayette, and operated two small businesses in Fort Collins. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Michigan.

“I am very excited about the future of UCCS men’s basketball,” Culver said. “I am also very thankful to Chancellor Shockley-Zalabak, Vice Chancellor Burnett and Director Kirkham for giving me this opportunity to take the program to the next level.”

UCCS has 13 athletic teams. Since 1996, UCCS student-athletes have competed in NCAA Division II. The university is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. For more information, visit http://www.gomountainlions.com/

UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs, is one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The University offers 36 bachelor’s degrees, 19 master’s degrees, and five doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 9,300 students annually.

The donation of Agilent InfiniiVision 3000 X-Series oscilloscopes was made in recognition of the long-term, strong relationship between Agilent and the UCCS College of Engineering and Applied Science. A celebration of the donation was held today during an unveiling ceremony at the university.

“Our gift to the College of Engineering and Applied Science at UCCS aligns with Agilent’s education support objectives,” said Jay Alexander, vice president and general manager of Agilent’s Oscilloscope Products Division. “It allows us to give back to the community in which we do business and support the engineering college’s research in a collaborative way.”

In accepting the equipment, UCCS Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak, also noted Alexander’s leadership role.

“Jay is an important member of the college’s Leadership Council, and this donation is a special example of his and Agilent’s philanthropic spirit,” Shockley-Zalabak said.

Dan Dandapani, dean, College of Engineering and Applied Science, also spoke at the ceremony, noting the special relationship the college has with Agilent. He mentioned the company’s willingness to lend advanced measurement equipment in support of student research projects and its history of employing UCCS graduates.

Mark Wickert, professor, College of Engineering and Applied Science, said: “These new oscilloscopes provide our students and research faculty with cutting-edge measurements to help them develop new, breakthrough technologies.”

The award was made through Agilent’s University Relations program.

“We are confident that this will be an important contribution to the educational program of the college’s electrical and computer engineering department, and we hope it will foster even closer ties between our organizations,” Alexander said.

 About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies is the world’s premier measurement company and a technology leader in chemical analysis, life sciences, electronics and communications. The company’s 18,700 employees serve customers in more than 100 countries. Information about Agilent is available at www.agilent.com.

About the UCCS College of Engineering and Applied Science

The UCCS College of Engineering and Applied Science is nationally ranked by U.S. News and World Report and features the mechanical and aerospace engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and computer science departments. It is one of six colleges at UCCS.

UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs, is one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The University offers 36 bachelor’s degrees, 19 master’s degrees, and five doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 9,300 students annually.

Shaffer will be celebrated for her work in building the largest locally-owned staffing firm in southern Colorado, as well as her tireless community service.

Shaffer founded ADD STAFF in 1984 with one employee and has expanded to 16 employees. Her true impact, however, is measured by the more than 41,000 people in the Pikes Peak region her company has helped find temporary and permanent jobs.

“We are proud to honor Cari Shaffer with this award because she models the traits we want our students to emulate,” Venkat Reddy, dean, College of Business, said.  “Through hard work, determination, self-discipline and a priority to help people, she has shown us all how we can build our own successful futures.”

Past recipients are Gary Loo, Bruce Shepard, and Joe Woodford, all of Colorado Springs.

The award luncheon is a fundraising event to support College of Business scholarships and efforts to strengthen alumni, student, college, and community connections. The luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. May 11 in Berger Hall. Dean’s Circle sponsors of the award luncheon are ANB Bank, Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, Nunn Construction, Inc., and Stockman Kast Ryan + Co., and the UCCS College of Business. Businesses wishing to sponsor a table or individuals wishing to purchase tickets at $150 each may contact Samantha Bruner at (719)255-5174 or sbruner@uccs.edu.

Shaffer is an ardent supporter of the community and serves on many local boards including the Penrose –St. Francis Foundation, Colorado Springs Police Foundation, UCCS Chancellor’s Round Table, and the YMCA Foundation. Shaffer is the first woman president of the Winter Night Club and was the founding chairman of four organizations: the Colorado Springs Human Resources Association, the Education Foundation of the Better Business Bureau, the Women’s Business Council of the Chamber of Commerce, and the Pikes Peak Coalition of Chambers. She also is one of only four women to chair the board of directors of the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce in its 114-year history. Shaffer also funded the Cari Shaffer Scholarship Fund through the Pikes Peak Community Foundation.

The luncheon keynote speaker is Al Davis, professor, College of Business.  In addition to teaching and research, Davis is an experienced entrepreneur, business strategist, consultant, teacher, avid world traveler, author, and lifelong student.

The UCCS College of Business was established in 1965 and has more than 1,300 undergraduates and 450 MBA and distance MBA students. The College of Business and Administration awards the Bachelor of Science in Business and Bachelor of Innovation™ degrees. The Graduate School of Business Administration awards the Master of Business Administration degree. More than 8,000 alumni of the College of Business live and work around the world.

UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs, is one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The University offers 36 bachelor’s degrees, 19 master’s degrees, and five doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 9,300 students annually.

William Malone, a noted classical and jazz saxophone player, will perform “Images in Sound for Saxophone and Piano.” He will be accompanied by Sara McDaniel and Abe Minzer. The concert is free and open to the public.

Malone is chair of the Pikes Peak Community College Department of Music and an adjunct instructor at UCCS. Malone is well-known for specializing in 20^th Century woodwind performance techniques, having recorded and performed chamber music with such notable groups as the Lydian String Quartet and Videmus as well as appearing at festivals including the New Hampshire Music Festival and the NOW Music Festival. Prior to joining PPCC, Malone was an instructor of saxophone and jazz studies at Otterbein College. At UCCS, he teaches courses in jazz history, music appreciation and non-Western music history.

Pianist Abe Minzer is an instructor at PPCC and an adjunct instructor at UCCS. He performs throughout the U.S. and has appeared with the Pittsburgh Symphony in addition to performances at Colorado College. He is the director of “Classically Alive” which hosts more than 40 musicians and other artists and features diverse monthly at-home music and arts salons in addition to programs across Colorado.

Pianist Sara McDaniel is regionally known as a performer, teacher and clinician. She specializes in chamber music and regularly collaborates with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and faculty of local colleges. She gives piano pedagogy workshops and master classes throughout Colorado and other states. McDaniel teaches at both PPCC and UCCS.

The trio will present the music of Luciano Berio, Andre’ Caplet, Pozzi Escot, Ryo Noda, and Toru Takemitsu.

For more information, contact Laura Kluckman, program marketing intern, Department of Visual and Performing Arts Music, (719) 505-2165, lkluckma@uccs.edu.

UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs, is one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The university offers 36 bachelor’s degrees, 19 master’s, and five doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 9,300 students annually.

Peter Braza, a member of the UNF faculty for 24 years, was selected following a national search. His appointment was announced by Peg Bacon, provost. Braza visited UCCS Feb. 23 and participated in on-campus interviews.

Peter Braza

“Peter Braza brings excellent academic credentials and a wealth of experience that should serve LAS well,” Bacon  said. “I am excited about the energy and ideas he will bring to campus.”

Braza will begin as dean of the largest UCCS college Aug. 1. The UCCS College of Letters, Arts and Sciences is one of six colleges at UCCS and enrolls more than 5,100 students annually. Braza will replace Tom Christensen who will return to full-time teaching and research after serving as dean since 2005.

Since 2010, Braza has served as acting associate provost at UNF. Previously, he served as interim dean of the College of Computing, Engineering and Construction and associate dean of the UNF College of Arts and Sciences. He joined UNF in 1988 as an assistant professor of mathematics, was promoted to associate professor in 1994 and professor in 2008. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and master’s and Ph.D. in applied mathematics from Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.

UNF, located in Jacksonville, is part of the State University System of Florida and was established in 1969. The university enrolls more than 16,500 students.

“During my visit, I was much impressed by the people and the positive culture at UCCS,” Braza said. “I am honored to be selected as the new dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. I will be proud to be a dean and faculty member at UCCS, and I hope to establish even greater ties with the community, for both faculty and students.”

In addition to teaching graduate courses in applied engineering mathematics, honors mathematics courses, and graduate courses in chaotic dynamical systems, Braza served on numerous committees including the Intercollegiate Athletic Committee, Foreign Culture Committee, University Technology Committee, and alumni giving program. He founded and coached the UNF Mathematical Modeling Team for five years, and he received a university undergraduate teaching award In 2003. He has been a member of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics and the Mathematical Association of America.

UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs, is one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The university offers 36 bachelor’s degrees, 19 master’s, and five doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 9,300 students annually.