Campus News Briefs Spring 2021
Leeds + Techstars Elevate
A new partnership created in November 2020 between the Leeds School of Business and Techstars, a startup accelerator, offers students and graduates thousands of job opportunities with companies in the Techstars Portfolio, like the email platform SendGrid and the fitness subscription platform ClassPass. The program also offers students the chance to become associates of Techstars’ accelerator teams around the world. Sharon Matusik, dean of the business school, described the program as a “game-changer” for both students and alumni.
Honoring Inclusive Excellence
In February, the Board of Regents approved a resolution to rename two buildings honoring alumni who embody inclusive excellence. The education building will be renamed for Lucile Berkeley Buchanan (Ger1918) in recognition of her lifelong career in education teaching students in the South during the Jim Crow era and in Chicago public schools. Temporary Building 1 will be renamed “Albert and Vera Ramírez Temporary Building 1” to honor the academic and community engagement contributions of Professor Emeritus Albert Ramírez and his late wife, Vera.
Electronic Skin— the New FitBit?
chemistry and mechan-ical engineering researchers have developed an “electronic-skin” made from screen-printed wires and self-healing material that could potentially replace wearable fitness devices. According to the research, led by mechanical engineering associate professor Jianliang Xiao and chemistry professor Wei Zhang, this electronic skin can help quell electronic waste, which is projected to pass 55 million tons by 2021. “We want a device that is easy to recycle,” said Xiao.
Heard Around Campus:
“The US is responsible for about 25% of historic CO2 emissions and needs to take leadership in addressing climate change. We have already experienced severe impacts, including extreme storms, extensive droughts and record wildfires.” — Professor Charles Kutscher Dec. 16, 2020 in an interview with Boulder Today.