Colorado State’s New Ramtracks Tour Series Showcases University Highlights

Colorado State University is debuting RamTracks, a new specialized university tour series that will showcase the university’s top faculty and programs.

The new tour series, developed by the Office of the President at Colorado State, is open to the public and will expand community outreach efforts by offering the public a hands-on opportunity to learn more about interesting university research and programs that impact the state’s economic vitality and quality of life.

Each RamTracks tour will focus on an area of research and scholarly expertise at Colorado State – from the environment to cancer cures, from the performing arts to infectious disease. The program also will provide an opportunity for small group discussions with leading faculty members about the critical issues being addressed through their work at Colorado State.

"Our goal is to create greater awareness of Colorado State and the impact of higher education on the state’s economy and quality of life," said Stacy Dotson, coordinator of RamTracks at Colorado State. "We also want to provide Colorado taxpayers – the people who support our university – with more opportunities to learn about the important research and scholarship generated on our campus."

Tours will accommodate six to 12 people and will only be repeated once or twice a year. Individuals interested in attending tours may register online at www.ramtracks.colostate.edu. Registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and there is no charge to participate.

"Changing Climates" will be the inaugural public RamTracks tour from 2:30-4 p.m. Nov. 13. The tour will include an overview of our planet’s changing climate issues, a talk with English Professor Sue Ellen Campbell about the importance of infusing this topic across the curriculum, a tour of the new "green-built" Transit Center, and the option of joining a 4 p.m. university forum addressing "Changing Climates: The Challenges – Policy, Solar, Fuels and Engines."

RamTracks tours are open to the general public, including civic leaders, legislators, international delegations, community groups, industry teams, high-school teachers and counselors and anyone interested in learning more about Colorado State.

"A RamTracks tour is an intellectual experience, an opportunity to engage and explore some of the challenging issues and questions addressed by CSU faculty," Dotson said. "Rather than just walking through buildings and facilities, we want to take participants on a journey through the rich world of ideas at the heart of a major research university."

Examples of upcoming RamTracks tours include:     

– CSU Booklovers-Prologue to Epilogue: Have coffee with a published author and member of the Colorado State faculty and discuss the process of publishing a book from conception to print. Explore the CSU Library’s rare book collection and discover the art of book-making and preservation.

– University Center for the Arts: Backstage: Participants will be able to sit in on a rehearsal, talk with a faculty member and students as they prepare for a performance, get a backstage glimpse at CSU’s state-of-the-art performance facilities, and join a hard-hat tour of the newest construction and renovation projects.

– Solar Tour: Learn about the local and global impact of low-cost solar technology developed by CSU researchers, which is being mass produced locally by AVA Solar. A presentation by a lead faculty member on the project will be followed by a tour of the lab and a demonstration of the engineering developed through ground-breaking research to create the solar panels.

"RamTracks provides the general public an opportunity to get a close-up look at our research programs and interact firsthand with students and faculty as they engage in that research," said Colorado State President Larry Penley, who initiated the creation of RamTracks. "RamTracks will increase awareness of the research on campus and highlight Colorado State’s efforts to train the next generation of teachers, scholars, scientists, artists, business leaders and engineers.

"We are inviting the public on campus to personally experience the good things happening at Colorado State."

For more information about RamTracks or to register, contact Dotson at (970) 491-3858 or Stacy.Dotson@colostate.edu or visit www.ramtracks.colostate.edu.

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