What’s happening at CSU Spur

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

Group photo in front of a blue wall.

A taste for food innovation

Twelve full-time students started the Agribusiness and Food Innovation Management masters program in the fall of 2023, taking classes on food innovation, marketing, and accounting on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights.

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Sign seeking taste testers at the CSU Spur sensory lab.

Westword: CSU Spur is seeking taste testers

Sign up to become a CSU Spur taste tester to participate in various sensory science experiments. In return, you’ll get to try a variety of foods and receive snacks, and sometimes even cash, as compensation. The Sensory Lab is part of the Food Innovation Center located on the first floor of the Terra building.

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A group of people interact with a stream table.

2nd Saturdays at CSU Spur provide free Denver activities for entire family

While CSU Spur is always free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week, it opens its doors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every second Saturday of the month for a variety of activities and special events. Dates for 2nd Saturday in 2024: Feb. 10, March 9, April 13, May 11, June 8, July 13, Aug. 10, Sept. 14, Oct. 12, Nov. 9, and Dec. 14.

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Three Ram Handlers in grey jackets walk CAM the Ram down a street in downtown Denver.

Taking stock of a long-term relationship

During this year’s National Western Stock Show running Jan. 5-21, more than 12,000 people visited Spur at the National Western Center. That includes close to 1,500 people who stopped by during CSU Day at the Rodeo on Jan. 13 in spite of a stubborn arctic air mass that kept temperatures from climbing above zero.

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Water close-up

Water in the West panel will explore outdoor industry’s future

Three panelists will address water and the state’s outdoor industry at this year’s CSU Spur Water in the West Symposium. The theme of the day-long event is “Next Gen Water: From AI to Gen Z.” three panelists who will address water and the state’s outdoor industry at this year’s CSU Spur Water in the West Symposium. The theme of the day-long event is “Next Gen Water: From AI to Gen Z.”

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People interact with a stream table full of sand.

A gateway to life-changing education

The informal and sometimes serendipitous leaning that occurs at CSU Spur on 2nd Saturdays or during week-day visits falls on an educational spectrum that extends from school programs and adult learning to professional development and degree options.

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Group photo.

Denver Startup Week welcomes CSU to the stage

Colorado bills itself as the epicenter of entrepreneurship and innovation, and the three CSU Spur buildings in the heart of the National Western Center in Denver illustrate how one university is looking to retain its original mission while preparing for the future.

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Aerial view of a landscaped backyard area.

Rivers run through it

Along a stretch of the South Platte River once blocked by above-ground sewer pipes, visitors to the National Western Center in north Denver will soon find meandering trails, playground equipment, and an open-air amphitheater.

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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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