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Professor William Wood of the molecular, cellular and developmental biology department at the University of Colorado at Â鶹ӰԺ on Dec. 19 received the prestigious title of distinguished professor from the CU Board of Regents. Wood joins only 19 other CU-Â鶹ӰԺ faculty members who currently hold the title of distinguished professor.

Editors: Enclosed are names of the degree candidates from your area. This list is subject to final grade reports. Local students were among the 1,981 students who received degrees Dec. 20 during winter commencement at the University of Colorado at Â鶹ӰԺ. The ceremony was held in the Coors Events/Conference Center on the CU-Â鶹ӰԺ campus.

Ashley Larsen, a student at the CU-Â鶹ӰԺ Leeds School of Business, was awarded a $3,000 scholarship by the Travel Industry Association of America. Larsen was one of six undergraduates nationwide to receive the Travel Industry Association Foundation scholarship. Larsen is a senior who will graduate from CU-Â鶹ӰԺ this month.

Because an estimated 10,000 people are expected to attend the winter commencement ceremony at the University of Colorado at Â鶹ӰԺ on Dec. 20, those planning to drive to campus should arrive early. Commencement begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Coors Events/Conference Center and guests are expected to be in their seats by 9:10 a.m. to ensure that the ceremony begins on time.

Body language is often portrayed by the media as the key to understanding peoples' feelings, thoughts and behaviors. But according to new research by professors at the University of Colorado at Â鶹ӰԺ and Brigham Young University, body language -- while important -- is only part of the interpersonal communication picture. Focusing on body language alone in order to "mind-read" can cause serious misinterpretations, say CU-Â鶹ӰԺ communication department Professor Stanley Jones and BYU Professor Curtis LeBaron.

For centuries, Christians have celebrated the birth of Jesus on Dec. 25. But if you ask historians, they're uncertain what day Christ was actually born. "There's no way we can know," said religious studies Professor Lynn Ross-Bryant of the University of Colorado at Â鶹ӰԺ. "There is simply no historical record."

The man responsible for ensuring the beauty of the nationally admired University of Colorado at Â鶹ӰԺ campus will officially retire on Dec. 31. Campus Architect Bill Deno, 74, has been an integral part of the design and planning of buildings, land use, open space, signage and graphics, transportation and parking at CU-Â鶹ӰԺ for nearly 30 years. He has overseen design standards, coordinated construction projects, helped select consultants and worked with dozens of outside contractors on behalf of the campus.

Amid current uncertainty in the national and state economies, one anticipated bright spot will be a modest employment increase in most sectors of the Colorado economy in 2003, according to CU-Â鶹ӰԺ economist Richard Wobbekind. Wobbekind's announcement Monday was part of the 38th annual Business Economic Outlook Forum hosted by CU-Â鶹ӰԺ's Leeds School of Business at 1:15 p.m. at Denver's Marriott City Center.

The origin of light will be explained through a number of experiments at the CU Wizards show "Lasers and Light" on Saturday, Dec. 21. Henry Kapteyn and Margaret Murnane, physics professors at the University of Colorado at Â鶹ӰԺ, will present the free 90-minute show at 9:30 a.m. in Duane Physics room G1B30. Murnane is one of six CU-Â鶹ӰԺ faculty members who have received the MacArthur Fellowship or "genius grant."

The old adage that "you are what you eat" is now more telling from a biochemical standpoint than most people have thought, according to new research reported by two University of Colorado at Â鶹ӰԺ biologists.