Giving thanks for the good people, good work and good forces in our lives is always important, but it feels essential right now, and not just because of the upcoming holiday. Gratitude is simple to convey, yet it has a powerful and positive effect.

I’m incredibly grateful for the University of Colorado community, and I’m humbled to be part of it. I’m thankful to work with and among people who understand that our job at CU is to teach, discover, learn, debate and discuss. Now more than ever, the CU community demonstrates we can speak our minds civilly and peacefully. 

That’s not happening everywhere in our nation. Yet the role of a university – and especially our university – is to help foster intellectual development and advance knowledge. We do so in large measure through honest and critical dialogue. I’m thankful for how CU lives up to the ideal of higher education.

I am particularly thankful for the people who make up our community. Our students, our faculty, our staff, our alumni, our donors and our friends.

CU’s extraordinary faculty have brilliant minds, inquisitive natures and a deep commitment to students and to their disciplines. They engage in transformative research, scholarship and creative works, and they help CU advance the state, nation and world. Faculty such as our President’s Teaching Scholars, who are committed to excellence and serve as models and mentors for their respective campuses – and far beyond. Two of our President’s Teaching Scholars from CU Boulder – Noah Finkelstein, professor of physics, and Valerie Otero, professor of science education – recently were honored on the world stage as joint recipients of the prestigious Svend Pedersen Award and Lecture from Stockholm University. The honor is given annually to a researcher who makes a “major and lasting contribution” in the fields of mathematics education or science education internationally. Finkelstein and Otero, founding co-directors of CU Boulder’s Center for STEM Learning, were recognized for their collaboration in developing a learning model that has been adopted by more than 120 colleges and universities worldwide.

I’m grateful for our amazing CU staff who work so hard behind the scenes doing everything from helping our students navigate their college experience, to taking care of our campuses and keeping them safe, to amplifying our work around the state. These unsung heroes often don’t get the thanks they deserve, and they deserve ALL our thanks. At the November Board of Regents meeting, held at UCCS, we learned more about the staff working to support military-affiliated students on campus, who make up nearly a quarter of the student population at UCCS. Veteran and Military Affairs staff – many of whom are themselves military affiliated – support UCCS veteran and active military students and their family members as they work toward their educational goals. They provide both academic and social support, including benefits processing and counseling, success coaching, resource referrals, math tutoring, general advising, and much more, even coffee and snacks.

I’m grateful for our incredible CU students, who are the reason we’re here. We’re counting on them to help make the world a better place, but they’re also counting on us to help them achieve their educational goals. Each student has a special story that enriches our campus communities, making them vibrant places to live, learn and work. Our first-generation students, for example, are pioneers in their families and communities, and I’m thankful they’ve chosen CU to position themselves for future success. CU Denver, where first-generation students make up half of the total student population, is nationally recognized as a center for first-generation student success. From college preparatory programming to summer academies for entering first-generation students to peer mentoring, CU Denver’s commitment to first-generation students is deep. The campus gives these students the tools to transition to college, excel in the classroom, thrive as a CU Denver community member and graduate on time.  

I’m grateful to our generous donors, who make so much of what we do possible. Their philanthropic investments in CU have a transformational impact on our students, our work and our campus communities. They help us lead in research, innovation and discovery. They help us attract the best and brightest students and faculty to CU. They help make a CU education accessible to all who want it. CU School of Medicine alum – and successful inventor and entrepreneur – George “Doc” Lopez is one example of this, providing full-tuition scholarships for numerous CU medical students from underrepresented communities. He’s said he’s simply paying forward the support he received while a student at CU, but he’s doing so much more. He’s making an immeasurable impact on countless lives when you consider the ripple effect of his generosity and its outcomes.

I’m grateful to live in and work in service to our beautiful state. Aren’t we lucky to have Colorado’s majestic mountains within walking or short-driving distances from our campuses? We’re fortunate to have 300 days of sunshine each year and plenty of snow (that will be here soon) for our favorite winter activities. We’re blessed with a diverse and resilient economy and a terrific quality of life. And we love our Colorado way that embraces community, independence, creativity and humility.

Finally, I’m grateful for my family and for you. I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season, and hope for health, happiness and peace in 2024.