Virtual programs bring CSU Spur to schools across Colorado
Colorado is a big state, and for many school districts – especially those in rural communities – making the trip to Denver to visit CSU Spur isn’t always possible. That’s why Molly Dunn and the CSU Spur education team offer virtual programs aimed at bringing those career “a-ha” moments to Colorado students regardless of where they live.
Denverite: The search is on for Denver’s next great shade tree
Jon Martin, a research scientist at CSU, is trying to find trees capable of withstanding the tough conditions ahead. He planted an experimental grove in late 2024 at CSU Spur. It now contains 80 trees surrounded by irrigation tubes and sensors. By deliberately limiting water, Martin hopes to discover how different cultivars — both rare and common varieties — can best handle drought stress.
Inaugural class of Spur Start students celebrates a historic first year
Spur Start allows first-year students who live in the Denver metro area to begin their CSU education while living at home and commuting to the Spur campus at the National Western Center. Over the course of the program’s first year, this cohort of 22 students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of experiential learning opportunities on the Spur campus.
Unique Spur Start course offers up-close look at environmental public health in action
Throughout the spring semester of 2026, ERHS 220 allowed eight first-year undergraduate students enrolled in the Spur Start program to see environmental public health in action. This experiential learning course incorporated a variety of speakers, including Westminster Mayor Claire Carmelia, multiple representatives from the Denver County Department of Public Health and Environment, and former Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn.
CSU Spur’s Hydro building receives LEED Platinum certification
The Hydro building on the Colorado State University Spur campus in Denver has received the highest sustainability certification from the internationally recognized organization Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Hydro is now one of four CSU buildings with an LEED Platinum certification, a testament to its innovative design featuring on-site solar renewable energy, a graywater reuse system, and multiple green roof research plots.
CSU Spur inspires teen to foster 49 animals and pursue veterinary medicine
A little more than two years ago, now-14-year-old AzaiLia Briscoe had the opportunity to peer into her future. No, she wasn’t looking into a crystal ball, but instead through the glass windows that give visitors the chance to watch live veterinary surgeries at Colorado State University Spur in Denver.
What does the dry winter mean for Front Range trees?
Colorado’s winter and spring have set records for heat and lack of moisture, according to the Colorado Climate Center, and the double whammy could hurt urban forests throughout the state by making them more vulnerable to disease and pests. Jon Martin is a research scientist at the Urban & Community Forestry Hub at CSU Spur. He monitors Spur’s research grove to measure urban tree water use and to identify the species best suited to withstand current and future climate pressures.
New CSU Spur artist-in-residence to connect art and science
During a six-month artist-in-residence program beginning at CSU Spur in April, Kalliopi Monoyios will collaborate with researchers from the Colorado State Forest Service’s Denver-based Urban and Community Forestry Hub to bridge art and science through exhibitions, workshops and public programs that explore climate, ecosystems and stewardship.
A biotech startup at CSU Spur is bringing new hope to breast cancer survivors
A doctoral student at CSU founded a startup called GenesisTissue, based at CSU Spur, to develop and commercialize a novel scaffold used to regenerate breast tissue for patients who have undergone lumpectomies and mastectomies during cancer treatment. The implanted scaffold is made with biocompatible material and is created with a 3D printer; it holds fat cells that replace lost breast tissue.
We dare you to spend 5 minutes looking at the ag mural at CSU Spur
Denver artist Thomas “Detour” Evans’ new mural, which was commissioned by the Colorado Department of Agriculture in honor of the state’s 150th anniversary, is currently on display on the bridge connecting the Terra and Hydro buildings at the Colorado State University Spur campus in Denver. It tells the story of the past, present, and future of agriculture in Colorado.
