Published: April 29, 2021

As one of only 36 U.S. public research institutions in the Association of American Universities (AAU), the University of Colorado Boulder is all about realizing the positive impacts of new knowledge.

To demonstrate this, CU Boulder is collaborating with AAU and other member institutions on a series of national videos aimed at raising awareness about the role of public research universities in times of significant global challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. From assisting communities in developing response strategies to increasing testing capacity, researching possible vaccines and treating people who have contracted the novel coronavirus, universities are working tirelessly to address the full impact of this pandemic and others that may come in the future.

CU Boulder is highlighting work by environmental engineering Professor Mark Hernandez and his team who have partnered with Denver and Boulder schools to improve indoor air quality as children return to in-person classes. The team is collecting real-time data on the ventilation rates in more than 100 classrooms to help schools reduce the spread of COVID-19. The work will also help kids to breathe healthier air even after the pandemic is over.

This kind of research is made possible by a robust government-university partnership that has fueled much of the greatest medical, technological and economic breakthroughs of the last 70-plus years, including the development of the polio vaccine. 

Read more about COVID-19 research at CU Boulder. 
Learn more about COVID-19 research across the AAU.