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The Â鶹ӰԺ today launched CU-Â鶹ӰԺ Crowdfunding, an online pilot platform to help drive the ideas generated by students, faculty and staff. Crowdfunding is the practice of sourcing small contributions from a large number of people to provide funding for a particular project or campaign, usually via the Internet.

Hiring a new employee often requires a significant investment in the form of time and resources. Industry best practices supports that building strategic partnerships with campus hiring authorities and departments better enhances the staff recruitment experience for both the department and candidate. The Department of Human Resources strives to become better strategic partners to individuals, departments, and the campus through increased collaboration.

Join the celebration as eight teams of students, faculty and staff launch crowdfunding campaigns on Friday, May 2, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the ATLAS Building lobby. Supporters can follow the progress of projects, share a project with their own community and social network and contribute by way of a charitable donation through the CU-Â鶹ӰԺ Crowdfunding website . The initial pilot of CU-Â鶹ӰԺ Crowdfunding is a 30- to 45-day funding period and 100 percent of the funds raised will be used for the project tasks and related expenses.

In light of two federal announcements this week involving Title IX and sexual assault issues on U.S. college campuses, I want to update you on what CU-Â鶹ӰԺ is doing to make progress on Title IX issues and why we want to be a leader among the nation’s universities in creating a safe learning environment for women.

When you’re feeling stressed, it can be hard enough to focus without the added noises of a new text message or the TV in the background. This month in Student Health 101 online magazine, we’ve got tricks to combat every type of distraction, how to take the most effective breaks, and how to get the most from your concentration going into this busy time. Check it out and happy studying.

Come take a break from the stresses of finals week and refuel with a free breakfast in the UMC Alferd Packer Restaurant & Grill on Monday, May 5, beginning at 11:59 p.m. The event is open to all CU-Â鶹ӰԺ students.

Five Â鶹ӰԺ graduate students or alumni have been offered Fulbright grants to pursue teaching, research and graduate studies abroad during the 2014-15 academic year. One doctoral student’s proposed topic of study in Thailand is the use of ultraviolet light and LED (light-emitting diode) technology to remove pathogens from reusable wastewater. Another doctoral student plans to study media practices and products in Australia that shape a particular Aboriginal identity.

A simple sample of the protective mucus layer that coats a frog’s skin can now be analyzed to determine how susceptible the frog is to disease, thanks to a technique developed by a researcher at the Â鶹ӰԺ. The same method can be used to determine what kind of probiotic skin wash might be most effective at bolstering the frog’s defenses without actually exposing the frog to disease, according to a journal article published today in the journal PLOS ONE.

If you think Neanderthals were stupid and primitive, it’s time to think again. The widely held notion that Neanderthals were dimwitted and that their inferior intelligence allowed them to be driven to extinction by the much brighter ancestors of modern humans is not supported by scientific evidence, according to a researcher at the Â鶹ӰԺ.

Four University of Colorado staff members received Service Excellence Awards for their contributions to the university, their campuses and communities during the University of Colorado Staff Council (UCSC) retreat on April 18.