Published: Dec. 28, 2017

2017 was another celebration-worthy year among our community, one that brought countless innovations, visionary leadership from every area of campus and positive impacts near and far. It was a year marked with new discoveries, academic and career achievements, high-profile visitors, our beloved Ralphie's 50th anniversary, philanthropic legacies and much more. Enjoy this recap of another outstanding year and some of our proudest Buff moments.

One small step ...

The future of aerospace at CU Boulder is taking off with the groundbreaking of a building and a naming gift.


 

    Cool technology headlines our innovation ecosystemCU boulder researchers demonstrating their newly engineered material

    A newly invented material cools objects under direct sunlight with zero energy and water consumption ... just one example of an innovation ecosystem dedicated to moving humanity forward by working together in anticipation of what's next.

    Read the stories:

    Your view of CU

    Take a look at campus and community as shared through your lens.

    Student snowboarding at Farrand Field

    50 and fabulousRalphie stampedes onto Folsom Field in celebration of her 50th anniversary

    Celebrating the greatest live mascot in all of college sports, we bid the happiest of anniversaries to the iconic Ralphie.

    Addressing student costs

    CU Boulder announced a major step in reducing the cost of attendance, eliminating $8.4 million per year in course-related fees.

    Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano makes announcement at State of the Campus 2017

    High-profile guestsLaverne Cox speaking on campus

    Thousands of people attended a variety of talks and events hosted on campus across the year, featuring thought-provoking individuals like Milo Yianapoulos, Laverne Cox, Indigo Girls, Robert Gates, Dava Newman, Rick Bayless, Lizz Winstead, Kate Fagan, GZA, Brené Brown, John Holdren, Chris Mosier and more. Every effort is made to bring speakers who will intellectually stimulate and challenge the student body and the Boulder community.​

    Bears, a badger and Buffs, oh my!

    Wildlife sightings of badgers to bears reminded us that nature is an exciting part of our beautiful campus. Even our domestic four-legged friends enrich our experience.


     

    Competing on a national stage

    Women's DMR relay team

    Women's DMR relay team, NCAA Indoor Champions

    Women's lacrosse made its first post-season appearance, and many of our teams showed they're among the best in the country.

    Cassini mission’s grand finale

    The Cassini spacecraft signed off from Saturn after a highly successful 20-year mission.

    Rendering of Cassini and Saturn

    Sustainability stewardshipGrounds technician Pedro Vasquez uses a machine that provides hot steam to safely kill weeds

    From welcoming the campus’s first chief sustainability officer to fighting weeds with steam, the campus furthered its legacy of environmental stewardship.

    Read the stories:

    Setting the stage for the next 100 years

    In support of student opportunities and in celebration of its 100th birthday, the College of Music embarked on its first major fundraising campaign called music+.

    Students pose for photo at music+ kickoff event

    Buffs give backDonating blood

    In 2017, our Buffs time and again contributed to the greater good.

    Read the stories:

     

    For many, a once-in-a-lifetime look

    Campus seemed to stop for a moment and folks stepped outside to take in an astronomically awesome sight.

    Students sit on campus watching the Great American Eclipse

    Wilderness can tame sleep rhythms

    Camping over just a weekend can help reset the body's clock, researchers discovered.

    People hiking in the snow

      Tapped for the benchU.S. Supreme Court building

      Visiting professor Neil Gorsuch was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court and Professor Melissa Hart was appointed to the Colorado Supreme Court.

      Read the stories:

      A feast for the eyes

      CU Boulder opened the new Village Dining Center and Community Commons with a view towards sustainability ... and the mountains.

      Village Center Dining and Community Commons west dining hall

        Be socialStudents hang out at Norlin Quad

        The @cuboulder community celebrates the highlights of the year.

        From Facebook:

        • Celebrate the Class of 2017 with us! Watch the video.
        • The first day of classes is almost here and we cannot wait to see all of our students, faculty and staff back on campus. Welcome home, Buffs. Watch the video.
        • Travel + Leisure recently named our campus the most beautiful in the state of Colorado! We'd have to agree, we're lucky to call Boulder home. See the full post.
        • U.S. News and World Report national rankings for Graduate Programs are out, and we are No. 1 in atomic/molecular/optical physics, No. 5 in ceramics, No. 6 in environmental law, No. 9 in environmental engineering and No. 10 in aerospace engineering sciences, to name a few. See the full post.
        • We love welcoming visitors to campus! These two were playing outside of Sewall Hall earlier this week. Thanks to Alexander Ulanch for sharing this awesome video! Watch the video.

        From Twitter:

        From Instagram:

        • Looks like @katiesinstys found a pretty great way to spend the last day of classes ... See the photo.
        • Happy first day of winter from Boulder, Buffs! See the photo.
        • Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! The first snowfall of the semester is here. Stay warm out there, Buffs! See the photo.
        • Happy move-in, Buffs! See the photo.
        • This Buff bulldog has CU spirit! Good boy, @rudy.frenchbully. See the photo.
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