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The University of Colorado at Boulder's Alliance for Technology, Learning and Society Institute, or ATLAS, has won one of the highest awards given by a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the use of technology in higher education. The Award for Systemic Progress in Teaching and Learning was made to the ATLAS program by EDUCAUSE, an association of nearly 1,900 colleges and educational organizations formed to advance higher education through information technology. The award is sponsored by Collegis, an EDUCAUSE Bronze Partner.

Christopher Schmidt has been named assistant director of the Office of Judicial Affairs at the University of Colorado at Boulder, according to director Matthew Lopez-Phillips. "Chris brings a wealth of experience to our office as well as a deep understanding of the university and its various components as a former graduate and hall director," said Lopez-Phillips. "I am very pleased that Chris is a member of the Judicial Affairs team."

CU Buffaloes fans can enjoy performances by the University of Colorado at Boulder Golden Buffalo Marching Band and appearances by university basketball players and coaches at a new annual fundraising event for CU bands, Sept. 28 at the Coors Events/Conference Center.

Stewart Udall, James Watt and Bruce Babbitt are among five former Secretaries of the Interior scheduled to speak at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2003-04 as part of a series focusing on their roles in shaping the West. Udall will kick off the series Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. in the Glenn Miller Ballroom of the University Memorial Center. All of the talks are free and open to the public.

Complying with changes in state law and to provide added security for students, the University of Colorado at Boulder is no longer using social security numbers as the university ID for new students. Since June 27, new records created in the University of Colorado student database system have been assigned nine-digit ID numbers starting in the 800 range. At CU-Boulder, system-assigned student ID numbers begin with "810."

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

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

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

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

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