2015RamResearchin Review

JANUARY 2015 ‘Tongue Mapping’ >A team of CSU engineers developed a hearing device

that bypasses the ear altogether and puts words in the

mouth. The tech relies on a Bluetooth-enabled earpiece

to detect sound and send electrical impulses to an

electrode-packed retainer that wearers press their

tongue against to “hear.” Learn more

< FEBRUARY 2015 ‘CSU leads new federal research center on disaster resilience’

CSU was selected to establish a federal center devoted to helping local

governments decide how to best invest resources to lessen the impact of

extreme weather and other hazards on buildings and infrastructure — and to

recover rapidly in their aftermath.

Learn more

MARCH 2015

John Mizia, a research associate at the Energy Institute,

works with scientists from North Carolina’s Research

Triangle Institute and Duke University to engineer a toilet

system for the developing world that requires no

electricity or sewer infrastructure, sanitizes human waste

and is easy to maintain.

Learn more

CSU research is in the toilet. Literally.

APRIL 2015CSU cuts ribbon on research, education center in Mexico

CSU celebrated the ribbon cutting of its first international

research, academic and outreach center, located in Todos

Santos, Mexico, on Sunday, April 19. The buildings and

grounds were donated to CSU by MIRA, a development

company.

Learn more.

MAY 2015Space radiation: CSU studies risks

for astronauts going to Mars

A new research facility at CSU – the only one of its kind in the

world – was established with a $9 million grant from NASA to

help reveal the effects of long-term exposure to space

radiation as the nation prepares for a manned mission to

Mars. Learn more.

JUNE 2015

Fort Collins was featured in “Places of Invention,” an exhibition at the National Museum of American History. Of the 6 people featured from Fort Collins, 4 are from CSU:

-Bryan Willson, founder of the Engines and

Energy Conversion Lab and professor of

engineering

-Amy Prieto, creator of new battery tech to

revolutionize electric vehicles and professor of

Chemistry

-Sunil Cherian, founder and CEO of Spirae,

developing smart grid technology

-Ed VanDyne, creator of VanDyne SuperTurbo.

Learn more.

CSU part of Smithsonian’s ‘Places of Invention’ exhibit

To recognize the discovery of a landmark clean chemistry technology, the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded a Presidential Green

Chemistry Award to CSU Professor of Chemistry Eugene Chen for developing

green condensation reactions for renewable chemicals, liquid fuels, and

biodegradable polymers. Learn more.

JULY 2015‘Research Rockstar’ honored for

green chemistry research

Dr. Nicole Ehrhart assumed the Wilkins University

Chair, which included a $3 million endowment

ensuring the research continues in perpetuity.

Ehrhart is the first woman at Colorado State

University appointed to an endowed University Chair.

“It’s the removal of another glass ceiling,” said

Ehrhart. Learn more.

Legacy for $3 million: Professor earns funding for musculoskeletal trauma and cancer research

AUGUST 2015

< SEPTEMBER 2015: Interdisciplinary agriculture team joins national sustainability organizationCSU’s Innovation Center for Sustainable Agriculture (ICSA) joined the sustainable

agriculture group Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture.

Field to Market is a diverse coalition working to create opportunities across the

agricultural supply chain for continuous improvements in productivity, environmental

quality, and human well-being. Learn more.

OCTOBER 2015: Communicating #science on Twitter works

Researchers from Warner College of Natural

Resources studied live tweets from a

professional conference to study Twitter’s

science communication effectiveness. They

found that 140-character tweets relayed

science to a more diverse audience beyond

conference attendees, and tweets often

accurately captured presenters’ intended

messages. Learn more.

NOVEMBER 2015Science and ceremony herald the return of bison to northern Colorado grasslands

The Laramie Foothills Bison Conservation Herd, a

genetically pure, Brucella abortus-free bison herd

was released in the City of Fort Collins Soapstone

Prairie Natural Area and Larimer County Red

Mountain Open Space, November 1, 2015,

National Bison Day. Learn more.

In a recent paper, CSU researchers have reported a breakthrough in recyclable

polymers, which can be transformed back into their original molecular states

using heat. Their breakthrough could lead to truly recyclable plastics. The

innovation is from the lab of Eugene Chen, professor of chemistry. Learn more.

DECEMBER 2015Recyclable bioplastics cooled

down, cooked up in CSU chem lab

With a new year comes endless possibility.

Here’s to 2016.

#RamResearch