The University of Colorado Board of Regents has for 2025, including five ���������� Boulder affiliates.

Given since 1882, the regent awards include:

• Honorary degrees, which recognize outstanding achievement in one or more of the following areas: intellectual contributions, university service, philanthropy and/or public service.
• Distinguished service awards, which recognize those persons whose achievements and contributions are particularly associated with the state and/or nation.
• University medals, which recognize those persons whose achievements and contributions are particularly associated with the university.

The 2025 ���������� Boulder awardees are Joseph American Horse, David Chang, Yvonne DiStefano, Ashok Srivastava and Lynn Waelde. They will be honored in a campus ceremony.

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Noting former ���������� Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano’s longstanding tenure and impact on campus, Congressman Joe Neguse in December made remarks for the congressional record.

Neguse, previously a ���������� regent and student, represents Colorado’s 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Highlighted in the Dec. 18, 2024, were DiStefano’s inpirational journey as a first-generation student, half century at ���������� Boulder and contributions to support the university’s mission and people. Neguse stated DiStefano’s legacy will have lasting effects. 

The chancellor and dean emeritus is on the faculty of the School of Education and is the Newton Chair in Leadership and senior executive director of ���������� Boulder’s Center for Leadership.

Neguse‘s remarks:

Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate Dr. Phil DiStefano, a man whose 15 years of leadership as Chancellor of the University of Colorado Boulder and a half-century of dedication to ���������� Boulder have left an indelible mark on the university. I’ve had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the profound impact that Chancellor DiStefano’s leadership has had on ���������� and across our state. Phil’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. A first-generation college student from Steubenville, Ohio, his academic and professional path has taken him from Ohio to the heights of leadership at one of our Nation’s top universities. His journey is a testament to the transformative power of education and the potential that lies within each of us. While he may have started in Ohio, Colorado is his home today, and our state has greatly benefited from his presence. Throughout his tenure as Chancellor, Dr. DiStefano was committed to making ���������� Boulder a nationally recognized research institution that shapes tomorrow’s leaders and positively impacts society. Under his leadership, ���������� Boulder has awarded nearly 117,000 degrees and raised over $2 billion in philanthropic gifts. Through his work in technology transfer, Chancellor DiStefano has paved the way for substantial growth in the university, including the creation of 40 startup ventures and the signing of 223 license and option agreements. The university’s research and innovation efforts have had a significant influence not only on the local economy but also on the entire Nation. Over the past five years, ���������� Boulder’s commercialization activities alone generated a domestic economic impact of $1.9 billion, supporting an estimated 11,545 jobs and contributing $1.2 billion to the state’s economy, and has ensured that ���������� Boulder remains at the forefront of research.

As Dr. DiStefano transitions to his new role as Senior Executive Director of the ���������� Boulder Center for Leadership, we know that his legacy of student success, faculty excellence, and campus sustainability has elevated ���������� Boulder to the top tier of academic institutions, making it a beacon of excellence across the country. I want to personally express my gratitude to Chancellor DiStefano for his service to our community, Colorado, and our Nation. His contributions will be felt for decades to come. I thank Phil for his leadership and dedication to ���������� Boulder. It has been an honor to work alongside him.

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Joining past awardees such as Jane Goodall, Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein and Marie Curie, INSTAAR Faculty Fellow Katharine Suding is being recognized for her “transformative contributions to restoration ecology.“

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Kristen Ahner, a doctoral student, is advancing the science of autonomous space exploration and being honored as a leading engineering student worldwide.

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Briggs and Welner of the School of Education have been elected to the esteemed National Academy of Education. They join a group of just 22 colleagues, nationally and internationally, who provide outstanding scholarship and leadership related to education and who were elected. 

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Ten graduate students participated in this year’s final competition for a chance at prize money and to represent ���������� Boulder at the regional competition.

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Starbird was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the U.S. government’s highest honor for early-career researchers. Now at the University of Washington, Starbird’s groundbreaking research in crisis informatics and disinformation highlights the value of interdisciplinary engineering and design.

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Lucy Pao, the Palmer Endowed Chair Professor in the Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at ���������� Boulder, was honored by a global control systems society. 

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Roselinde Kaiser, a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist, is being recognized for her research on the science and treatment of adolescent depression.

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���������� Boulder is the No. 1 post-secondary institution for plant-based dining and sustainability according to  the Humane Society of the United States’ 2025 College and University Protein Sustainability . ���������� Boulder stands out as the only university with more than 50% plant-based  offerings, with a bold commitment to ramping up to 75% this year.

“We’re honored to be recognized for our efforts to provide ���������� Boulder students more climate-friendly, plant-based menu items,” said Eliah Golden, chef and associate director for residential dining and culinary operations. “We’re committed to offering students delicious, nutritious and sustainable food options to help fuel their academic success and create lifelong habits that contribute to healthy bodies and healthy minds.”

The Humane Society’s first biannual scorecard analyzed climate-friendly, plant-based menu items offered by the nation’s largest colleges and universities. The Humane Society focused on schools with the largest undergraduate populations and self-operated dining programs and sent surveys to 39 schools in June 2024, with 26 completing the survey.  

“A shift toward plant-based foods is the most impactful way food service providers can reduce their impact on the planet and reach their sustainability goals. Higher education institutions are positioned to have a tremendous positive influence,” said Kate Watts, director of Food Service Innovation at the Humane Society. 

���������� Boulder Dining Services’ 318 full-time team members and 600 students serve 3.5 million meals annually across its catering, retail and residential services. The university’s dining services takes a comprehensive approach to sustainability from waste redirection, community gardens, local sourcing and tracking greenhouse gas emissions.

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