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A tardigrade floats against a dark starry background with various planets and vector shapes behind it.

On the Cover

Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from disruption and bounce back better than before.

2023

Resilience!

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Alan Rudolph, Vice President for Research, Colorado State University. March 29, 2023.

Publisher Letter

Coming out of an historic pandemic, we have faced resilience like very few times in history. My earliest scientific training was to apply an interdisciplinary understanding to resilience in nature, to extremes by which most life slows to a state of dormancy induced by extreme drought, temperature, or radiation.

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Colorado State University President Amy Parsons in a teal dress with a long bow standing in front of a building with white columns

Message from the President

This issue of "RESEARCH" magazine centers on the theme of resilience. It is dedicated to people at Colorado State University who study resilience, build resilient systems, and embody resilience.

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Big Changes Ahead for Research Universities

Gary Polakovic

Powerful economic and cultural forces reshaping America’s research universities present new risks and opportunities that will test Colorado State University’s resilience.

Confronting the Climate Crisis

Courtney Schultz

The Earth’s climate is changing fast and affects our daily lives more each year. It’s altering weather patterns and leading to more extreme events – unprecedented drought, fires, flooding, and storm patterns.

Economic Jolt? CSU is a Big Shock Absorber

Stephan Weiler and Tim Komarek

No matter where you live or your standing in life, you have likely felt more vulnerable in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted this vulnerability by showing us the fragility of our health and health care system.

Overcoming the Unsettled Workplace

Chrissi Alvarado

Humans are certainty-seeking machines. It’s no surprise the last three years have caused plummeting well-being and increased anxiety. No place is this more apparent than in the workplace.

New Tools to Fight Fires, Protect People

Tony Cheng

Fire has shaped life on Earth for eons, yet the big burns happening today are unlike anything experienced by modern civilization. A veritable explosion of destructive wildfires afflicts much of the world and especially the U.S. West.

CSU to USA: We Got Your Back Protected

Alan Rudolph and Wiley Barnes

A daunting array of national security threats – from cyberattacks to rising authoritarianism to global pandemic – have emerged since the turn of the century, driving us to emphasize resiliency in our personal lives and for society.

Getting Over Feeling Under Pressure

Deana Davalos

While memories of our COVID-19 lives slowly fade and life returns to a certain level of normalcy, we continue to struggle with the lasting effects of the pandemic. Mental well-being and a sense of thriving still evade many people.

Defending Democracy Under Duress

Benjamin Withers

The United States is the world’s oldest constitutional democracy, yet here and across the globe, democratic systems are at risk due to polarization, declines in institutional trust, enhanced partisanship, and a lack of understanding related to our complex systems of government.

Maximizing Student Mental Wellness

Haley Candelario

The University responds to the mental health crisis with compassion and robust services, including counseling, education and VR technology.

What’s on the Menu? Safe, Secure Food

Michael Carolan

Tumultuous events disrupted the global food supply the past few years. CSU has deep roots in the subject matter plus institutional assets and expertise to do what needs to be done to build more equitable and resilient food systems.

Student Researchers Making a Difference

Rachel Bull

One hot sunny day, Mireya Ortega was spraying soil in Colorado’s San Luis Valley. The ground was warm and dry and the air wicked sweat quickly as she and her pals were doing science.

New Treatments for an Aging Population

Hannah Halusker

In America, older adults are projected to outnumber children by 2035, creating a ticking clock for researchers to strengthen healthy aging outcomes. Experts increasingly focus on how people age rather than each individual disease.

Adios, Pandemic! You Taught Us Much

Tracy Nelson

We are all ready to say goodbye to the COVID-19 pandemic. The past few years have been arduous, exacting a terrible toll in human suffering, economic turmoil, and political strife.