Boettcher Scholars, Teachers, Investigators and Grantees in the News

26 Apr Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce: Message of Regional Collaboration at State of the City

By Denver Metro Chamber Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Although metro Denver has seen COVID-19 cases decline, the region is still in the midst of a pandemic that requires a collaborative response from citizens, local governments and the business community. That was the sentiment shared by three mayors, including Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock, at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Annual State of the City on Wednesday, Aug 12, 2020. Mayor Hancock gave the keynote address at the virtual event, which had over 550 attendees. Then, Kelly Brough, Chamber president and CEO, moderated a Q&A discussion where Mayor Hancock was joined by Lone Tree Mayor Jackie Millet and Arvada Mayor Marc Williams. “Our goal is to bounce back better than before,” Mayor Hancock said, noting that the suddenness of this economic downturn presents different challenges than the nation experienced during the Great Recession. “We will bounce back, but it’s going to take all of us.” ...

26 Apr Boulder Daily Camera: Colorado’s life sciences community is taking on COVID-19

By Jennifer Jones Paton Boulder Daily Camera Beating COVID-19 requires an unprecedented, multi-front global health care response. Colorado BioScience Association salutes the tens of thousands of health care workers and first responders on the front lines of this crisis. We also must shine a spotlight on health researchers and innovators — hidden heroes working to save lives with new tests, treatments and eventually, a COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 crisis offers a crash course on the challenges of creating new, reliable and effective treatments for a devastating disease. Biomedical research and development programs offer hope for significant, lasting medical and economic recovery. It’s no surprise that Colorado’s vibrant and growing life sciences ecosystem has such a large footprint in this critical work. Life sciences companies and organizations around the world are leading work to detect, prevent and treat COVID-19. Close to 40 Colorado companies and organizations, many of them Boulder based, are part of the global effort. Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and our state’s other nationally ranked academic and research institutions are running dozens of projects to better understand how to identify and treat the disease. ...

23 Apr The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo County Youth Advisory Council salutes graduates

By Jon Pompia The Pueblo Chieftain The mission of the Pueblo County Youth Advisory Council is to provide youth feedback, community service, and leadership opportunities. The council, which is open to young people ages 13 to 22, assists youth-serving agencies to develop better practices and to improve the overall quality of life for young people in Pueblo County. Four contributing members of that council, Jacelynn Trujillo, Xavier Ada, Caitlin Johnston, and Carlos Mabrey, have graduated from high school and will be attending college in the fall. “All four of these outstanding young people have been dedicated and active council members, working alongside their council peers serving the community by giving a voice to Pueblo’s youth,” said Jesse Sena, an executive board member of the council. ...

23 Apr La Junta Tribune Democrat: Sophie Russell of Swink earns Boettcher Scholarship

By Christian Burney La Junta Tribune-Democrat Sophia (Sophie) Russell, graduating senior and Co-Valedictorian at Swink High School, was selected to be a recipient of the Boettcher Foundation Scholarship. The Boettcher Scholarship provides funding and access to educational opportunities to the Colorado’s top students, the Foundation said in a news release sent to the Russell family. “Boettcher Scholars are selected for their academic achievement, outstanding character, and service and leadership in their schools and communities,” said Katie Kramer, president and CEO of the Boettcher Foundation in the news release. “The Boettcher Scholarship is an investment in our state’s future gamechangers. It not only recognizes their past achievements but also their future impact on the State of Colorado.” ...

23 Apr Aurora Public Schools: Rangeview Student Earns Prestigious Boettcher Scholarship

By Aurora Public Schools Staff Aurora Public Schools Congratulations to Rangeview High School 2020 graduate Helen Do for earning the Boettcher Foundation Scholarship! The Boettcher Scholarship is one of Colorado’s most prestigious, merit-based scholarships, providing students with a full ride to any in-state, four-year college or university. The scholarship honors academic excellence, leadership skills, community service, and noble character. Do is one of only 42 students who endured an intense application and interview process and came out as a prized recipient. Nearly 1,500 students applied. Do, Rangeview’s Class of 2020 salutatorian, has enjoyed a busy and challenging high school career. She participated in girls tennis, Stellar Xplorers, and Interact Club. She plans to attend the University of Colorado Boulder and major in mechanical engineering with an emphasis in biomedical. ...

23 Apr CU Boulder Today: Why developing a successful COVID-19 vaccine is only half the battle

By Kelsey Simpkins CU Boulder Today Step 1: Create a vaccine for COVID-19. Step 2: Distribute it across the world. This second step may be even more challenging than the first, which is why CU Boulder researchers and the CU spinoff VitriVax Inc., are so focused on finding a way to get vaccines to 7.8 billion people. This multidisciplinary team is working to build a pilot-scale system capable of producing 10,000 to 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines per run that would be ready for use as human trials of vaccines begin in the next year. The research team is able to do so with funding, licensing and startup support from Venture Partners at CU Boulder, the university’s commercialization arm. They also received a recent grant from the Boettcher Foundation, which has awarded nearly $1 million to researchers from Colorado's top universities and hospitals to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic. “It has to be a solution that is suitable for the entire world,” said project lead Theodore Randolph, Gillespie Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and co-director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. ...

23 Apr Colorado Politics: In a small community, the center makes a difference

By Lynn Bartels Colorado Politics KERSEY — This town’s new community center opened in January to the delight of senior citizens who met Tuesdays and Thursdays for lunch and activities, and of parents who booked the venue for graduation parties and baby showers. “It’s a new, bright space and we love it,” said James Neill, the recreation director for the town of Kersey. These days, the center is locked as part of the state’s coronavirus shutdown. But those few weeks it was open were glorious. Neill’s still at the community center on Tuesdays and Thursdays, along with recreation assistant Kaylee Guerin, assembling meals and driving them to the seniors, who are now shut in their homes for the most part. ...

23 Apr Elbert County News: 9 Douglas County teachers receive Boettcher recognition

By Elbert County News Staff Elbert County News Nine Douglas County School District teachers are recipients of the Boettcher Foundation's Teacher Recognition Award. According to a news release, the annual award honors educators for their exemplary influence in educating some of the state's top students. Each teacher was nominated by a student, who is a finalist for the Boettcher Scholarship. The recipients of the Boettcher Teacher Recognition Award receive a plaque, a personalized tribute from the student who selected him or her, and a $500 grant to be used for a project or activity to benefit students. ...

23 Apr CU Connections: 2020 Class of Boettcher Investigators includes five University of Colorado researchers

By CU Connections Staff CU Connections The Boettcher Foundation has announced its 2020 class of Boettcher Investigators, including five University of Colorado biomedical researchers. The $1.88 million in awards from the Foundation’s Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Awards program support promising, early career scientific researchers, allowi­ng them to establish their independent research and make it competitive for major federal and private awards. Recipients each are awarded $235,000 in grant funding to sustain up to three years of biomedical research. This year’s class, the 11th, brings the total number of CU-based Boettcher Investigators to 49, representing research awards of $11.4 million. ...

23 Apr CSU Source: CSU cancer researcher named 2020 Boettcher Investigator

By Lauren Mingus CSU Source Dan Regan, an assistant professor in Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, was recently selected to receive the Boettcher Foundation’s 2020 Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Award. The award supports promising early-career scientific investigators, allowi­ng them to establish their independent research and make it competitive for major federal and private grants. Recipients, known as Boettcher Investigators, are awarded $235,000 to sustain up to three years of biomedical research. Regan joins seven other recipients from five of Colorado’s top research institutions and is the 12th scientist at Colorado State University to receive the award. “I am grateful to the Boettcher Foundation for their commitment to biomedical research,” said Regan. “This award provides a fantastic opportunity to gain momentum and make an impact in my field.” ...