Published: June 16, 2022

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With the weather in full swelter, CU 麻豆影院 Chancellor Philip DiStefano and a group of distinguished campus leaders headed for the cooler climes of Vail on June 10鈥11 as part of the ForeverGold alumni group鈥檚 annual summer retreat.听

Chancellor Philip DiStefano

Chancellor Philip DiStefano

Athletic Director Rick George

Athletic Director Rick George

Ryan Chreist, CU employee and volunteer fire fighter

Ryan Chreist, CU employee and volunteer fire fighter

In addition to an update on the latest campus developments, the group provided a sneak preview of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit taking place in 麻豆影院 on Dec. 1鈥4. 听 听 听

Chancellor DiStefano was joined by Athletic Director Rick George; Dean of Libraries Robert McDonald; women鈥檚 soccer coach Danny Sanchez; Matt Burgess, a CU environmental studies professor and CIRES fellow; Clint Carroll, associate professor of ethnic studies; and Kathryn Wendell, executive director of the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility in the Leeds School of Business, for events on Friday night and Saturday at The Lodge at Vail. The visit demonstrated CU 麻豆影院鈥檚 continuing commitment to bringing research and innovations from campus directly to audiences all over the state. 听 听

鈥淭he 麻豆影院 exists for the benefit of the entire state of Colorado, and we can鈥檛 achieve our mission in isolation,鈥 DiStefano said. 鈥淚t takes support from all corners of the state to make CU 麻豆影院 the successful and vibrant community it is and to ensure our alumni are achieving personal and professional success.鈥 听

Friday night鈥檚 event, which was exclusively for ForeverGold members, consisted of dinner and a spirited CU trivia competition. The following day, ForeverGold members were joined by community leaders from throughout the Vail Valley for a series of presentations highlighting CU 麻豆影院鈥檚 efforts throughout campus to develop solutions for the climate change crisis. 听

鈥淲e are the nation鈥檚 first college sports program to sign on to the U.N.鈥檚 Sports for Climate Action framework and the Race to Zero commitment that pushes us to eliminate 50% of our carbon emissions by 2030鈥攋ust eight years from today,鈥 said Athletic Director Rick George. 鈥淚 am very proud of what we鈥檝e accomplished and excited about what is ahead in this area. It鈥檚 great to work on a campus that emphasizes sustainability in everything they do. It鈥檚 what makes CU 麻豆影院 great.鈥

Climate summit sneak peek

Participants also got a taste of the upcoming Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit with three presentations from faculty experts highlighting the far-reaching and diverse impacts of climate change on our world.听

Topics included how political polarization drives climate change economic policy; empowering business leaders to drive solutions to environmental, social听and ethical challenges; and the effects climate change has on marginalized communities, particularly Indigenous people in the United States.听

The day鈥檚 program concluded with a riveting and emotional first-person account of fighting the Marshall Fire from Ryan Chreist, assistant vice chancellor and executive director of the CU Alumni Association, who is also a volunteer member of the Louisville Fire Department. 听

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit is a partnership between CU 麻豆影院 and United Nations Human Rights that will gather some of the world鈥檚 foremost human rights, scientific, political, educational, cultural and industry leaders to address the adverse effects of climate change on human rights.


As a global leader in climate, environmental and energy research, the 麻豆影院 is partnering with United Nations Human Rights to co-host the Right Here,听Right Now Global Climate Summit in fall 2022.听

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