Colorado State University President Larry Penley Urges “Reaching for Greatness” in 2006 State-of-the-University Address
Colorado State University must accept nothing less than greatness as a major driver of Colorado's economic prosperity and quality of life, President Larry Edward Penley said in his September Fall Address.
In his talk, President Penley highlighted some of Colorado State's achievements, including the launch of CloudSat, the world's first cloud-profiling radar in orbit, and a $30 million gift from alumnus Ed Warner to support the Warner College of Natural Resources. He also spoke of ongoing challenges such as budget issues and the importance of access to education for Colorado residents.
President Penley urged all areas of the University community to strive for excellence, highlighting particular areas of focus. He said the University must: expand faculty; promote Colorado's quality of life and economic prosperity through more rapid technology transfer, through developing "Superclusters" built around multidisciplinary research and with programs such as the Colorado State Diversity Conference; help shape a viable agricultural industry for the 21st century; enhance Colorado's global competitiveness in high-cost, technologically important majors by encouraging fundamental change to how Colorado higher education is funded; ensure access to Colorado State for all students, particularly those from lower income backgrounds.
President Penley lauded state leaders for their continuing support of higher education this past year, particularly the passage of Referendum C, which helped the Colorado State University System increase its budget by $17.1 million and provided more than $11 million for the system's controlled maintenance and capital construction needs. He said this funding forestalled further budget reductions and allowed the University to make some much-needed investments. Other achievements in the past year included implementing the University's strategic plan through a reorganization that created several new positions, including a coordinated outreach position.
Former EPA Administrator Joins University as VP for Research
Dr. Bill Farland, the highest ranking career scientist at the Environmental Protection Agency, will bring his decades of interdisciplinary research leadership experience to Colorado State this fall as the new Vice President for Research. Dr. Farland begins his new post on Oct. 16. He will report to Dr. Tony Frank, Provost and Senior Vice President.
At the EPA, Dr. Farland was Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science in the Office of Research and Development. He also directed the EPA's Office of the Science Advisor, which serves as the authority on integrating sound science in regulatory decisions. He served as Acting Agency Science Advisor throughout 2005.
"Dr. Farland has been at the forefront of creating national and international policy on environmental research and is a highly respected member of the scientific community," said Larry Edward Penley, President of Colorado State University. "His proven track record of pulling agencies and people together to solve problems of global importance will continue to move Colorado State - already one of the nation's premier land-grant research institutions - forward."
One-third of Colorado State's budget encompasses research. The University ranks among national leaders in research funding per faculty member; in 2004, Colorado State was ranked among the top five universities in annual growth of research grants. Colorado State lists research and discovery as one of five key areas of growth with particular emphasis on supporting areas of institutional strength and societal need such as infectious disease research, increasing multidisciplinary collaboration, improving research facilities and increasing external funding.
"I'm pleased to be a part of Colorado State University's outstanding research enterprise," Dr. Farland said. "I view this as the capstone to my long federal career. I've focused my career on science in service of the public, and I look forward to bringing that experience to Colorado State."
