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The following clips feature CU-Boulder experts commenting on top news stories. For more information, contact Dirk Martin, 303-492-3140.
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Job prospects for college graduates
May 7, 2012
Another sign that the economy appears to be recovering is that there are now more job opportunities for college graduates then in recent years, says CU-Boulder Career Services Director Lisa Severy.
How the European financial crises might impact the recovering U.S. economy
April 13, 2012 Jay Kaplan
The key to continued economic recovery in the U.S. might rest in the hands of European banks. According to CU-Boulder economist Jay Kaplan, if the financial crises in Greece spreads to other European countries, causing large European banks to falter, then U.S. banks that invested in credit default swaps with those banks could face a financial catastrophe that would impact the U.S. economy.
Students, jobs and social media
April 2, 2012
Getting students to use social media is a no brainer – but getting them to use it in a professional manner can sometimes be a challenge. Yet with 89 percent of recruiters using social media in 2011, CU-Boulder Career Services director Lisa Severy says focusing on a professional online presence is crucial for today’s students.
Obama vs. Republican candidates – what the polls say
March 23, 2012 Kenneth Bickers
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s commanding win in the Illinois primary on Tuesday now gives him a lead of 300 delegates over Rick Santorum. According to some political analysts, this puts him in the driver’s seat to win the GOP presidential nomination.
With that in mind, how does he fare in the race for the White House? That depends on which poll you trust. One poll has him trailing President Obama by as much as 12 points while another poll has them tied with the president. But according to CU-Boulder political science professor Kenneth Bickers, it’s too early to put any stock in the polls.
Warmer spring temperatures compounding pine beetle epidemic
March 14, 2012 Jeffry Mitton/Scott Ferrenberg
Because of decades of warmer springtime temperatures, mountain pine beetles are now maturing sooner and flying earlier, according to a CU-Boulder study led by ecology and evolutionary biologist Jeffery Mitton.
The result, says Mitton, is instead of producing only one generation of tree-killing offspring annually, some populations of pine beetles are now reproducing two generations per year.
Saints, heroes and legend
March 14, 2012 Ira Chernus
According to folklore, Saint Patrick drove snakes from Ireland. Considering snakes are not indigenous to the shamrock isle, the tale is just one of many legends surrounding this most celebrated Irish icon. But true or not the snake lore is an example of a need by people, says CU-Boulder religious studies professor Ira Chernus, to create human-like figures with legendary powers.
Could there be a brokered GOP convention?
March 9, 2012 Ken Bickers
His six victories on Super Tuesday gives Governor Mitt Romney 415 delegates – more than twice as many as any other candidate. But with only a few winner-take-all primaries remaining, can Romney reach the 1144 delegates needed to win the GOP nomination before the August convention? Some political analyst say he’ll have at least 50 percent of the 1541 total delegates by that time, but will that be enough to make him the clear-cut winner? If not, could we see a brokered convention? It’s that possibility that has political experts like CU-Boulder professor Ken Bickers saying this convention could be one of the most entertaining since 1976.
Can the Oglala Sioux Tribe win a $500 million lawsuit against the world’s largest beer makers?
March 1, 2012
A $500 million law suit filed by the Oglala Sioux Tribe against some of the world’s largest beer makers, claiming they willfully contributed to destructive alcohol-related problems on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, is concise, fact based and tells a compelling story, says CU-Boulder law professor and Indian law expert Sarah Krakoff.
Why Mitt Romney is struggling
Feb. 27, 2012
Why is it that a few weeks ago, before the Colorado primary, it looked like Mitt Romney was firmly in control of getting the delegates needed to win the Republican presidential nomination, but now he’s in a dead-heat battle with Rick Santorum? One word can explain why, says CU-Boulder political science professor Ken Bickers.
Why gas prices affect presidential approval ratings
Feb. 24, 2012
Soaring gasoline prices at the pump could spell trouble for President Obama. According to CU-Boulder political science professor Ken Bickers, history has shown that gasoline prices can have a direct impact on presidential approval ratings.
Cross-disciplinary research at CU-Boulder
Feb. 17, 2012 Tom Cech
A smarter way of getting more out of its research dollars has taken hold at the University of Colorado Boulder. It’s called cross-disciplinary research and for students and faculty at the Biofrontiers Institute this approach offers them a better opportunity to advance human health.
CU-Boulder study shows global glaciers, ice caps shedding billions of tons of mass annually
Feb. 8, 2012 John Wahr
A team of CU-Boulder scientists have completed the first comprehensive satellite study of the world’s glaciers and ice caps outside of Greenland and Antarctica and have found these regions are shedding roughly 150 billion tons of ice annually. The research team used satellite data gathered from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, or GRACE, for the study, says physics professor John Wahr (Waar).
The misperception of American political polarization
The misperception of American political polarization
Feb. 3, 2012 Leaf Van Boven
The American flag is red, white and blue but when it comes to politics Americans see the nation as Red and Blue. News outlets such as CNN and The New Yorker describe the growing political polarization between Republicans and Democrats. But according to Leaf Van Boven, a psychologist at CU-Boulder who just completed a study on polarization, data shows Americans are much less polarized politically then many people believe.
Nutrition labels can lead even most health conscious consumers astray
Jan. 2010 Donald Lichtenstein
Your food choice may not be as healthy as you think. New research by Donald Lichtenstein, CU-Boulder professor of the Leeds School of Business, reveals how food manufacturers are trying to make their products appear more nutritional. It’s a tactic he calls the “Health Framing Effect.”
A quick GOP presidential nomination? Not so fast!
The Republican Party has implemented new rules this primary that could lead to a longer nomination process without a clear frontrunner. In a race, unlike any before in the GOP’s history, this year’s nomination process will be one to watch, says CU-Boulder Political Science Professor Ken Bickers.
As Voyager 1 nears edge of solar system, CU scientists look back
CU-Boulder planetary scientist Larry Esposito remembering the Voyager mission.
CU-Boulder expert on Middle East talks about turmoil in Iraq
An arrest warrant charging Iraqi Vice President Tariq Al-Hashemi, the country's highest-ranking Sunni political figure, that he ran hit squads targeting government officials, may signal the beginning of the end of national reconciliation between Sunnis and Shiites, says Nabil Echchaibi (Ek-Sha-Be), an assistant professor of journalism and media studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. Echchaibi's research includes identity, religion and the role of media in shaping and reflecting modern religious perspectives among Muslims in the Middle East.
CU-Boulder researchers to study water resources in Asian mountains
The United States Agency for International Development has asked a University of Colorado Boulder research team to find out how much snow and glacier melt actually contribute to water resources originating in the high mountains of Asia that straddle ten countries.
CU-Boulder researcher Richard Armstrong says the study came about after erroneous reports surfaced that glaciers were melting faster in the Himalayas than anywhere else in the world. Though the reports were unfounded, he says they were causing concern in the region that catastrophic flooding might happen in the future.
CU-Boulder Leeds School of Business 2012 Colorado economic forecast
Colorado continues on the road to recovery, adding jobs in 2012 following a positive year in 2011, says economist Richard Wobbekind of the University of Colorado Boulder’s Leeds School of Business. Listen to his comments on the overall forecast for Colorado, the Nation and the various regions of the state and sectors of the economy.
Dealing with holiday stress
The winter holidays can be filled with family fun, parties and laughter. At the same time, the busy holiday schedule, along with family expectations, can create tension and stress. Jan Johnson, a psychologist at CU-Boulder's office of Counseling and Psychological Services, offers some tips on how to deal with holiday stress.
Thanksgiving combines myths, traditions and truths
Over the centuries Thanksgiving in America has meant many things to many people. But, did you know that this traditional day of thanks is full of myths and half-truths, says Chris Lewis, an American Studies instructor at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Preparation key to stretching shopping dollar
Holiday shoppers prepare! That's what Donald Lichtenstein, a business professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, is urging holiday shoppers to do this year. He says, take the time to prepare yourself, including researching price, quality and brands, before you hit the stores or Internet.
First ever cast bronze artifact unearthed in Alaska
A team of researchers led by the University of Colorado Boulder has discovered something out of place for the region – a prehistoric bronze artifact made from a cast - the first ever found in Alaska. According to CU-Boulder researcher John Hoffecker, the artifact is a small, buckle-like object that was found in an ancient Eskimo dwelling estimated to be about 1,000-years-old.
Six months after bin Laden assassination: United States – Pakistan relations
Since the killing of Osama bin Laden six months ago by American forces in Pakistan, relations between the two countries remain strained.
Growing global CO2 emissions huge cause for concern
Reports of growing global CO2 emissions is a huge cause for concern, says Jim White, director of the CU-Boulder Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research and an expert on ice cores and climate change.
La Niña to influence winter weather again
For the second winter in a row, La Niña will influence weather patterns across the country but instead of the near record snowpack that buried much of the Colorado mountains last winter, chances are we’ll be looking at only slightly above average precipitation this winter, says Klaus Wolter, a CU-Boulder and NOAA atmospheric scientist.
Ski fitness tips
Recent snowstorms in the mountains have Colorado skiers dreaming about fresh powder.
A decade later: Afghanistan, the Taliban, Al Qaeda and the war on terrorism
In Oct. 2001, the U.S. attacked Afghanistan to eliminate the terrorist stronghold of the Taliban and al Qaeda. Months later both had been routed, their leaders fleeing across the border into Pakistan’s tribal region. The war was over. Or so everyone thought.
CU-Boulder team discovery of ancient Mayan road could be clue to how villagers survived volcanic blast
An excavation team led by University of Colorado Boulder researchers has uncovered another piece to the puzzle of a small village frozen in time.
The team, led by anthropologist Payson Sheets, recently discovered a road called a “sacbe” (SOCK-bay) that was used by the people of the ancient Mayan village of Ceren in El Salvador - a village that was buried by a volcanic eruption some 1,400 years ago.
Will the President’s jobs plan work?
President Obama is barnstorming the country to promote his American Jobs Act bill with the premise that spending money now will pay off later for the country. According to CU-Boulder economist Jay Kaplan, the president’s claim is based on basic economic principles.
Are we heading towards another recession?
The International Monetary Fund issued a warning that Europe’s debt problems and a sluggish U.S. economy is in danger of undermining global economic growth and sending us into another recession. But, according to Jay Kaplan, an a senior instructor in economics at the University of Colorado Boulder, depending on how you look at it we’re already in a recession or will be there soon.
Super committee designed to fail, says CU-Boulder political science professor
The congressional “super committee,” a joint select committee of six Democrats and six Republicans, begins work this week on creating a bi-partisan plan to cut at least $1.2 trillion from the federal budget by the end of the year. Many political analysts, including University of Colorado Boulder’s Ken Bickers, says this is a daunting task that has little chance of success.
Colorado business leaders’ confidence wanes slightly going into third quarter, says CU Leeds School Index
Colorado business leaders remained confident, although generally less optimistic about the economy looking ahead to the third quarter, according to the most recent quarterly Leeds Business Confidence Index, or LBCI, released by the University of Colorado Boulder’s Leeds School of Business.
America’s deadliest war also is most memorialized, says CU-Boulder professor
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War. Within months after the South Carolina militia fired the first shots at Fort Sumter in April of 1861, the largest armed forces ever gathered on the North American continent met at Manassas, Virginia, launching the country into four years of brutal fighting. More than 600,000 soldiers, Union and Confederate, would die by war’s end making this the deadliest American conflict and the most memorialized.
United States debt limit dilemma
Pres. Obama and U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner have warned that if Congress does not raise the national debt ceiling by Aug. 2, the government is at risk of defaulting on its debt obligations and triggering a global financial crisis.
Just how serious is this assessment? According to CU-Boulder economist Jay Kaplan, it's pretty serious.
CU-Boulder study indicates thawing permafrost will likely accelerate global warming
Up to two-thirds of Earth’s permafrost likely will disappear within the next two hundred years because of warming temperature, unleashing vast quantities of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere says a new study by CU-Boulder’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences.
CU-Boulder ranks No. 1 nationally for Peace Corps volunteers
For the first time in its history, the University of Colorado Boulder is ranked No. 1 in the nation for graduates serving as Peace Corps volunteers in 2011 with 117 undergraduate alumni currently serving overseas, the Peace Corps announced today.
The protest in Egypt
Jan. 29, 2011
Haytham Bahoora, assistant professor of Arabic studies in the Asian languages and civilizations department, talks about the current social and political issues contributing to the protests and civil unrest in Egypt and Yemen. Bahoora lived and studied in Cairo and also can comment on modern social and political movements.
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