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NSF Media Contact: Joel Blumenthal, (703) 306-1070/ jblument@nsf.gov University of Colorado at Â鶹ӰԺ Contacts: Dennis Mileti, (303) 492-6818/ Dennis.Mileti@Colorado.edu Peter Caughey, (303) 492-4007/ Caughey@Colorado.edu

Three vacant administrative positions have been filled in the division of student affairs at the University of Colorado at Â鶹ӰԺ, according to Ron Stump, interim vice chancellor for student affairs, pending approval by the Board of Regents.

Well-known local author and retired English Professor Reg Saner of the University of Colorado at Â鶹ӰԺ, was named the city's first poet laureate by the Â鶹ӰԺ Planet at the Â鶹ӰԺ Literary Festival on April 28. Saner, whose writing and poems have been featured in more than 140 magazines and 40 anthologies, said he is "really tickled that the Â鶹ӰԺ Planet would sponsor such an event" and recognize poetry in a town more known for its world-class runners than its poets.

Three vacant administrative positions have been filled in the division of student affairs at the University of Colorado at Â鶹ӰԺ, according to Ron Stump, interim vice chancellor for student affairs, pending approval by the Board of Regents.

Editors: Enclosed are the names of degree candidates from your area. This list was accurate as of April 30, and is subject to change pending final grade reports. Local students were among the more than 3,800 who received degrees May 14 in spring commencement exercises at the University of Colorado at Â鶹ӰԺ. Of the degrees awarded, 2,872 were bachelor's degrees, 686 were master's degrees, 187 were doctoral degrees and 131 were law degrees. Dennis Van Gerven, professor of anthropology and 1998 Colorado Professor of the Year, gave the commencement address.

Being good has its rewards in this life, as well as in the next. Research conducted partly at the University of Colorado at Â鶹ӰԺ has found that regular churchgoers live longer than people who seldom or never attend worship services. For the first time, that extra lifespan has been quantified. While there are differences between genders and races, in general those who go to church once or more each week can look forward to about seven more years than those who never attend.

The university honored a number of distinguished CU Law School alumni, Saturday, May 10, at the 18th Annual Alumni Awards Banquet. The recipients of the 1999 Distinguished Achievement Awards included: o In the government category, Karen Steinhauser of the Denver District AttorneyÂ’s Office. o In the private practitioner category, John Wittemyer of Â鶹ӰԺ. o In the small firm category, Frank Cooley of Meeker. o In the judicial category, the Honorable Richard Paynter of Denver.

Lia Baros, a junior in the Minority Arts & Sciences Program (MASP), will be spending her senior year as a freshman again. Her outstanding academic record and personal achievements so impressed the admissions interviewing team at the CU School of Dentistry that she was admitted a year early. Lia will be a student at the Health Sciences Center in the fall, completing her bachelor's degree and starting dental school at the same time.

The highest award given to undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences at CU-Â鶹ӰԺ, the prestigious Jacob Van Ek Award, will be presented to 18 students tomorrow (May 13). No more than 20 students each year receive the award for their outstanding academic achievement and contributions to the university community. The award includes a $200 check to assist with college expenses.

John Taylor, a nationally renowned physics professor at the University of Colorado at Â鶹ӰԺ, has been selected to receive the Hazel Barnes Prize, the University of Colorado at Â鶹ӰԺ's highest recognition for teaching and research. The prize includes an engraved University Medal and cash award of $20,000. Chancellor Richard L. Byyny announced that Taylor, creator of the popular CU Wizards program, will be recognized during summer commencement exercises, held Aug. 7 in the Norlin Quadrangle.