What’s happening at CSU Spur

Stay up to date on all the latest developments and exciting changes as CSU Spur continues to grow.

Aerial view of a rooftop garden.

Science takes the stage at CSU Spur

Visitors to CSU Spur have the opportunity to engage with science from the moment they enter each building. For scientists at CSU Spur, the frequent need to communicate with different audiences reflects a decade-long planning and design process that centered on developing a new model for connecting the public with researchers and the steps they take to address societal problems.

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Building under construction.

BizWest: CSU Spur nears completion near Stock Show complex

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word “spur” could mean “a goad to action, a stimulus.” It also could refer to “a pointed device secured to a rider’s heel and used to urge on the horse.” And finally, it could describe “a railroad track that branches off from a main line.”

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River with a city skyline in the background.

Symposium will bring together global experts in water

This year’s CSU Spur Water in the West Symposium, to be held Nov. 2-3 in downtown Denver, will bring together policymakers, researchers, and experts from the business, nonprofit, and agriculture sectors to look globally for lessons and strategies with the potential to inform how Colorado and other western states respond to the region’s water challenges.

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A group of people stand in front of a large touch screen mounted on a wall.

Interactive map portrays CSU System’s global impact

The CSU Impact Map—or Impacto, in Spanish—provides a glimpse of the System’s global reach while providing a chance for users to explore specific ways CSU System faculty, staff, students, and alumni are working to solve problems, support communities and create impact in far-flung corners of the world.

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Exterior of a tall building.

Terra Blossoms

The science of food is sprouting in Terra – the second of three buildings to open at the new CSU Spur campus in Denver – and the public can get a taste of new programming at the unique, urban setting starting in early June.

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Four young people stand around a tall kitten statue.

CSU Spur: Bring on the school buses

Field trips at CSU Spur are custom-built to fit the needs of educators and their classes. In the first CSU Spur building – Vida, which opened Jan. 7 – experiences can include watching therapy with horses that live onsite as part of the Temple Grandin Equine Center, trying virtual reality programming, exploring interactive exhibits, seeing equine athletes walk on underwater treadmills, and more.

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Boy stands in a field surrounded by people working.

Together we grow

Diversity inspires innovation. So, this think tank based at CSU Spur draws together some of the world’s largest food and agriculture companies to promote a skilled and diverse workforce for the industry that feeds the world.

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Greenhouses at sunset.

Oh, the places you’ll grow

Glimpse the future of urban agriculture at CSU Spur. Displays explore city spaces as logical places to grow fruits and vegetables, with the aim of sustainably delivering fresh produce right where it’s most needed.

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A woman, two kids, and a dog in a cone sit in an exam room.

A window on veterinary medicine

A nonprofit veterinary hospital run by the Dumb Friends League at CSU Spur will offer sorely needed care for the pets of local residents, while also training CSU vet students. Visitors are invited to observe it all – even surgeries.

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River with a city skyline in the background.

What a river reveals

A revitalized South Platte River will be a major feature of the National Western Center – and the site of many water programs at CSU Spur. Already, scientists are tallying a surprising variety of plants and animals as the riverway undergoes restoration.

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Side profile of a horse head with a CSU logo on the bridle.

A gift horse

The Temple Grandin Equine Center honors a renowned CSU professor who struggled with autism and found her footing with horses. At CSU Spur, the center will host 7,500 therapy sessions a year to help people with a range of disabilities and challenges.

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Black and white photo of fair grounds with several large tents.

Ties that bind

No wonder the CSU System jumped to build the educational anchor at the National Western Center: CSU and National Western Stock Show have partnered since the iconic event began in 1906. Read about people, events, and programs that have defined the partnership for 116 years.

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Woman in an orange sweater raises her hand in front of a group of kids seated on the floor.

Presenting: CSU Spur

It began as a concept in 2008. Now, the new, one-of-a-kind campus will rev up innovation through public education, research, and community outreach – all focused on the critical global needs of food, water, and animal and human health.

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Building with lots of glass windows and snow on the ground in front.

See, do, learn

Visit the CSU Spur campus when it opens in January, and you’ll find veterinary patients, therapy horses, and a virtual reality lab teaching anatomy, among other attractions. Here’s a guide to all the campus offerings and coming attractions.

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NAAAN "A"

Feeding people matters

Chancellor Tony Frank’s keynote address to the North American Agricultural Advisory Network in conjunction with the World Food Prize.

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Rendering of Vida.

When Vida opens at CSU Spur in January, get ready to see it all

One of the first things you’ll notice when you arrive at CSU Spur is all the glass. The new Colorado State University System campus at the National Western Center in Denver will be home to research collaborations, student engagement opportunities, and industry partnerships. but more than anything, it’s being built for the public.

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Michelle Kelley headshot

CSU Spur hires general manager for Denver campus

Michelle Kelley started Monday as the general manager of CSU Spur, bringing more than 20 years of property manager experience in managing multi-use campuses and a commitment to creating excellent experiences for both visitors and staff.

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Indoor area under construction with piles of boxes

Denver Post: New arena, public market and other National Western Center upgrades put on hold as Denver faces economic woes

City officials plan to use $274 million in bonds — yet to be approved by the City Council — for long-planned early-phase upgrades and expansions to the National Western Center and the Colorado Convention Center. But later phases at the National Western Center including a new 10,000-seat arena, an exposition hall and a public market in the to-be-renovated 1909 Stadium Arena are on hold.

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NAAAN "A"

GFRAS update Jan. 2021

January update from the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS), including the official launch of the NAAAN (North American Agricultural Advisory Network), the newest of the GFRAS-affiliated regional networks, in partnership with CSU Spur.

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Water in the West graphic

Water in the West Symposium looks to inspire action

True to its mission as an initial offering of the CSU Spur campus opening in 2022, the Water in the West Symposium brings together diverse speakers to discuss water issues in the West and beyond — a topic of increasing importance as fires and droughts top headlines.

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Rendering of the Hydro alley.

CSU Spur: Anchored in community

Even before construction on its CSU Spur campus is completed in 2022, the CSU System has been following an anchor institution model of engaging and working with the communities surrounding the future site.

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Kerri Wright Platais headshot

Food for Thought: Kerri Wright Platais [AUDIO]

Kerri Wright Platais, special advisor to the chancellor on international agriculture for CSU Spur, and host Matt Barry of the National Western Center discuss Kerri’s work creating the North American Agriculture Advisory Network (NAAAN), its role in disseminating biodefense best practices, and how these efforts relate to current and future pandemics.

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Spur logo

Spur announces first call for artists

Colorado State University System’s Spur campus at the National Western Center, in partnership with Denver-based art consulting and curatorial firm NINE dot ARTS, today announced the first call for artists

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