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While weather likely has been a common topic of conversation since ancient humans first learned to articulate their thoughts millennia ago, one of the hottest topics today among scientists is space weather.

Engineering doctoral student Michael Neylon has been selected as the first recipient of the Teets Family Doctoral Fellowship, a new endowment supporting student research in microsystems and nanosystems at the University of Colorado at Â鶹¹ÙÍø. Neylon is a second-year graduate student in aerospace engineering sciences, working on research in microfluid mechanics with Professor Kamran Mohseni. His work focuses on developing and modeling microfans for microscale mixing in channels, particle separation and microprocessor cooling.

The University Memorial Center at the University of Colorado at Â鶹¹ÙÍø will celebrate the completion of a two-year expansion and renovation on Friday, Sept. 6, from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. "I believe our students and the rest of the campus community will be excited about all the new facilities and services," said Carlos Garcia, UMC director. "It's the start of a great new era at the UMC."

The University of Colorado at Â鶹¹ÙÍø has taken several steps, many as part of long-term programs, to help ensure the safety and well-being of its students for the fall semester.

Editors: Reporters and photographers are welcome to attend Professor Wieman's class the week of Sept. 3 and later if they call him in advance at (303) 492-6963 to arrange. Nobel laureate Carl Wieman, distinguished professor of physics at the University of Colorado at Â鶹¹ÙÍø, will teach a large undergraduate class of non-science majors on "The Physics of Everyday Life" during the 2002-03 school year.

Harold Bruff, dean of the School of Law at the University of Colorado at Â鶹¹ÙÍø, has announced his resignation as dean effective in June 2003. Bruff, who will stay at CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø as a law professor, said he wants to spend more time with his family and is "eager to resume the life of teaching and writing that has been my principal career." Now in his seventh year as dean of CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø's law school, Bruff announced his resignation to the faculty on Aug. 13.

Which undergraduate degree programs at the University of Colorado at Â鶹¹ÙÍø enroll the most students? The answers might surprise you. The largest department at CU, based on spring figures, is psychology by a long-shot. Almost twice as many students study psychology - 1,446 - as the No. 2 major, communication. However, if the number of students in both the molecular (733) and environmental (719) biology departments are combined, biology gets the top spot at 1,452.

The University of Colorado at Â鶹¹ÙÍø has teamed with the Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation to create the "Colorado Food Waste Composting Guide." The 29-page planning guide, which was prepared by CU Recycling Services with funding from OEMC, is designed specifically for Colorado institutions to help them choose the best method of food waste composting. CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø was selected for this project because of its extensive experience in recycling and availability of student researchers, according to Jack DeBell, director of the project.

Alcohol offenses could cost an out-of-state CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø student more than $12,000 this semester -- the cost of lost tuition, room and board -- or about $4,900 for an in-state student. University officials are notifying students via posters, email bulletins and letters to parents, that the university's "3 Strikes" policy for alcohol and two strikes for drug-abuse offenses will continue into the 2002-2003 school year.

The annual party for incoming freshmen at CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø's University Memorial Center will be held on Friday, Aug. 23, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. following the New Student Convocation at the Norlin Quadrangle. Welcome Fest, formerly known as the UMC Crawl, returns this year with a new name and a newly renovated facility to provide an evening of entertainment and free prizes. According to Leasa Weimer, director of student programs for the UMC, Welcome Fest is a great way for new students to meet each other, be entertained and explore the student union facility.