In many households across Colorado, this week is all about Ralphie versus CAM the Ram. The rest of the year, however, Ralphie and CAM are more partners than rivals, as our universities work together to advance our state and develop solutions to society’s most difficult problems.
Colorado State University and the University of Colorado Boulder team up each day to serve Colorado through groundbreaking research and exceptional education that sustain our state’s economy, health, climate and quality of life.
Last year, combined research expenditures by CU Boulder and CSU Fort Collins totaled more than $1 billion. The CSU and CU systems employ more than 56,000 people in Colorado, while spinoff companies created from our universities’ research have created thousands more private-sector jobs across the state.
Our alumni represent our most important contribution. Some are well-known, like CSU graduates astronaut Kjell Lindgren, Olympic champion Amy Van Dyken, and Tuskegee Airman and civil rights activist Lt. Col. John Mosley; and CU Boulder alums Matt Stone of Southpark fame, Supreme Court Justice Byron White, and journalist Savannah Sellers. Our alumni include leaders in every field, with more than 417,000 graduates of CU and CSU systems living and working in Colorado.
Given the success of our graduates and the incredible impact our universities are having across the state, our message today is simple: Colorado’s aspiring college students can and should remain in Colorado for a top-notch education that enables lifelong success. No matter your interests, ambitions, or background, you can find what you seek at CSU or CU Boulder – or with degrees from both!
A core purpose of a public institution is to support our state’s workforce and graduate tomorrow’s leaders. Last year alone, the CSU and CU systems delivered 67% of the bachelor’s degrees earned in Colorado; 76% of master’s degrees; 91% of doctoral and professional degrees; and 100% of MD and DVM degrees.
In addition to granting the majority of degrees in the state, CSU and CU Boulder are among the nation’s top public research universities. Outside the stadium, both are breaking ground on the most important challenges we face today, including sustainability, climate and health.
Over many decades, CU Boulder has established itself as a leader in translating climate research and data into meaningful climate solutions both across the globe and close to home. CSU has blazed a similar path, being the first university to earn a platinum ranking through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System while simultaneously developing and implementing impactful climate solutions across the world. Our universities have a prominent history of global leadership in climate research and sustainability, and we continue to accelerate this important work.
Today CSU and CU Boulder are engaged in dozens of collaborative research projects that protect our land, air and water. Together, CU Boulder and Colorado State University researchers have co-authored more than 1,900 published research articles across numerous fields, illustrating our commitment to working across campuses. Our researchers also work independently, using expertise unique to each university to achieve shared goals that aid all of Colorado.
A startup from CU Boulder, LongPath Technologies, harnesses Nobel Prize-winning technology to identify and stop methane leaks. CSU’s AgNext is slashing emissions in animal agriculture with the largest greenhouse gas emissions testing facility in the country. At CU, bioscience research is making advances in treating disease and developing vaccines, including recent discoveries into the origins of the neurodegenerative disease ALS. CSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences has a long tradition of moving discoveries from the laboratory to medical practice, creating new knowledge benefiting human and animal health, including breakthroughs in cancer treatment and orthopedics.
Our institutions are also dedicated to public service and to supporting prosperous and equitable communities around the world. In fact, the Peace Corps has its roots at CSU, where it was conceived and championed. And CU Boulder is recognized among the top five Peace Corps volunteer-producing universities. In all, CU Boulder and CSU count 4,339 alumni who have served as Peace Corps volunteers. Closer to home, CU Boulder coordinates hundreds of programs that engage communities around the state to address public needs, while CSU’s land grant mission includes on-the-ground outreach to residents in all 64 Colorado counties.
Leading up to Saturday’s Rocky Mountain Showdown, we will each enjoy favorite pregame rituals: one of us having a burger at “Grill the Buffs” in Fort Collins, and the other cheering at Boulder’s Pearl Street Stampede.
We anticipate a spirited clash of hooves and horns this weekend. But what’s most important isn’t what happens across four quarters on Saturday, but what our universities are accomplishing together across our 300 combined years of excellence in service to Colorado and beyond. It’s a legacy that Colorado’s prospective students would be wise to join.
Go Rams and Sko Buffs!
Amy Parsons is the president of Colorado State University and Philip DiStefano is the chancellor of the University of Colorado.
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