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Nobel laureate Tom Cech will kick off a new lecture series at the University of Colorado at Boulder Dec. 13 spotlighting RNA science that features two distinguished Yale University experts in the fields of molecular biology and biochemistry.

University of Colorado at Boulder Chancellor G.P. “Bud” Peterson today announced that the first meeting of the Steering Committee on Strategic Planning: Flagship 2030 will be held Saturday, Dec. 9, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Eaton Humanities Building on the CU-Boulder campus.

Patrick Mason, a University of Colorado at Boulder associate professor of music, has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Classical Vocal Performance category for his album "Songs of Amy Beach." Grammy officials today named Mason, accompanied on the collection by pianist Joanne Polk, one of five artists nominated in the category.

Editors: Media are invited to attend final classroom presentations on Dec. 13. The class is scheduled to meet from 5 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. in Eaton Humanities Building room 1B80. University of Colorado at Boulder students are managing the design and building of several small products by an engineering company in India as part of a new, hands-on course focused on the trend of outsourcing. Called "Global Engineering," the course was offered for the first time this fall by the department of mechanical engineering. Fifty students are enrolled.

The "clogged and costly" U.S. patent system is in need of reform that will spur increased technological and scientific innovation and allow the United States to compete in an increasingly global marketplace.

The University of Colorado at Boulder today announced that the newly expanded and renovated building for CU-Boulder's school of business will bear the name of the Koelbel family, leaders in Colorado real estate development, construction and sales, in recognition of their long-time support of CU and the business school. The building will be known as Koelbel Hall and will honor Walter and Gene Koelbel for their many years of service, as well as their family, including their son, Walter A. "Buz" Koelbel, Jr., and his wife, Sherri.

Planning a ski vacation this winter but worried you are running out of time to get into decent shape before you hit the slopes? A University of Colorado at Boulder expert says it can be done and all it takes is one hour of exercise per day, three to four days a week.

The University of Colorado at Boulder's top advertising students will compete for some $5,000 in scholarships next week during a show to be judged by industry professionals from Denver, New York, Chicago and Boulder. Among the judges at the seventh annual Student Creative Advertising Show will be CU-Boulder alumnus Jason Hoff, co-creator of the cultural phenomenon and Las Vegas tagline "What happens here, stays here."

Three University of Colorado at Boulder faculty members have been named distinguished professors, the highest honor bestowed by CU on its teaching faculty. The prestigious designation was awarded to Andrzej Ehrenfeucht, professor of computer science; James Markusen, professor of economics; and Linda Watkins, professor of psychology, during the Dec. 5 meeting of the CU Board of Regents. They join 31 other CU-Boulder faculty members named as distinguished professors since the Board of Regents established the designation in 1977.

Colorado's economy will continue to grow at a stronger pace than much of the nation in 2007, but at a slower rate than it did this year, according to University of Colorado at Boulder economist Richard Wobbekind. Wobbekind's announcement was part of the 42nd annual Business Economic Outlook Forum hosted Dec. 4 by CU-Boulder's Leeds School of Business and Compass Bank. "We think Colorado will have a much more solid economy than the nation and that will feed migration to the state," Wobbekind said.