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Director's Letter of the Month:

December 2025

December 2025

Dear CU Boulder Community & Supporters of the CHA,

December 30, 2021. I remember looking at a plume of smoke in the distance from my home – wondering why someone was burning leaves on a day that was so blustery. Of course what I and everyone else in Boulder County quickly realized is that a massive fire was tearing through Louisville and Superior. News of what was happening was slow to reach me, so I turned to Twitter (it will always be Twitter for me, never X—and it’s not a platform I’m on anymore) and got updates about what was happening—including advice that I should evacuate and take a video of the contents of my home in the event that the fires reached us. Being in the pre-evacuation zone, my husband, corgi, and I piled into our cars and we ended up spending the night in the CHA offices in Macky Auditorium (I figured campus was a safe place to be because Macky is on radiator heat, has secure wifi, and there’s a kitchenette we could use—though friends offered to shelter us, with our dog we didn’t want to run into any problems with our friends’ animals). We watched in horror as news stations showed images of the Marshall Fire tearing through Boulder County.

My story is not very dramatic or traumatic—which I’m thankful for. Others are not so lucky. I have friends who lost their home—and it is a miracle that only 2 humans died, and it is tragic that over 1000 pets were lost. I know this last statistic, in part, through the work of Dr. Kate Goldfarb, Lucas Rozell, and Emily Reynolds, a research team who partnered with the Louisville Historical Museum to record stories of those who were impacted by the Marshall Fire. You can read about their work and some of the stories they recorded in “,” part of American Ethnologist’s.

Looking ahead to 2026, it's still not too late to join the where we’ll be reading David Owen’s Where the Water Goes: Life and Death along the Colorado River (Riverhead Books 2017). Our last event of the semester takes place on Wednesday, December 10 (6:00-7:30pm) where we will have our final 2026�� Conversation with our Colorado Chautauqua partners on – as in: we should not be normalizing the times we are in. Because the times we are in include having a university student trying to surprise her family on Thanksgiving be with no due process or knowledge of what led to her kidnapping and deportation. This is not normal—and we should not be afraid to say what we believe to be true. And arts and humanities help give us language to say what is true—to bear witness, to speak truth to power, to protect the vulnerable. And in the case of , to use to comment on how not normal things are.

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Jennifer Ho

Director, Center for Humanities & the Arts

PS. This is the final year of my second term as CHA Director. I know that a survey was sent out last Spring about my reappointment – a committee was formed and a recommendation was made. However, the CHA boards (both internal and external) were made aware that it was premature to have me reviewed, and the Dean of the Graduate School (and the CHA is under the umbrella of the Graduate School) has said that he will convene a committee for my reappointment this year—which hopefully will be soon since our bylaws require that the committee be appointed during the Fall semester in the final year of the CHA Director’s last term. Whether I am reappointed or not for a third and final term, I want to end 2025 by saying how it has been a privilege and honor to serve as the Center for Humanities & the Arts fourth director. I will always work to support arts and humanities, on and off campus, whether I am formally the CHA director or a faculty member who believes in the mission and vision of the CHA: that arts and humanities give meaning to our lives.��

CHA Upcoming Opportunities

📅 Thursday, December 10
🕕 6:00–7:30 PM
📍 Colorado Chautauqua’s Community House

The Israel–Gaza conflict has become a deeply sensitive issue here in Boulder. Join us for an open conversation that seeks to lower the temperature while ensuring all voices are heard.

This event is part of the Difficult Dialogues series in partnership with Colorado Chautauqua’s Voices at Chautauqua.

✅

Arts & Humanities Opportunities Across Campus

Visual Evidence Lab at the ��������

We’re thrilled to announce the official launch of the Visual Evidence Lab at the �������� — a new interdisciplinary hub dedicated to advancing equitable and responsible visual technology in the pursuit of justice.

Learn more about our mission and projects:
🔗 colorado.edu/lab/visualevidence

Follow us on LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Instagram, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to stay connected and engaged:
👉

Stay tuned for next week’s release of our inaugural report:
📘 “Video’s Day in Court: Advancing Equitable Legal Usage of Visual Technologies and AI.”

Let’s work together toward a more just and transparent future through visual evidence.

Funding Opportunity, Kahn Family Community Teaming Fund

The College of Arts and Sciences is thrilled to announce the Kahn Family Community Teaming Fund, supporting community outreach initiatives across the arts & humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

💡 What: Funding of up to $1,500 for community-focused projects involving faculty, staff, and students. Examples include service initiatives, K-12 programs, public events, workshops, and conferences.

📅 Deadline: Friday, December 12, 2025, by 5 PM MT

📧 Questions & Proposals: Dana Takeuchi, Dana.Takeuchi@colorado.edu

All faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to apply—let’s make an impact together! 🌟
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🚨 Upcoming Webinar: DOE NNSA Graduate Fellowships 🚨

📅 Wednesday, December 10
🕐 1 PM CT
💻 Zoom –

Join the Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship (SSGF) and Laboratory Residency Graduate Fellowship (LRGF) teams for an informational application webinar!

In this one-hour session, you’ll:
✅ Get an overview of both programs
✅ Receive guidance on applying
✅ Have the chance to ask questions live in our Q&A

Can’t attend live? No worries! A recording will be posted on both fellowship websites by December 15.

🌎 New Spring 2026 Course!

GEOG4022 / MCEN4228: Climate Action Planning — Reducing CU Boulder’s Emissions

Want to help shape CU Boulder’s climate future? Learn climate action fundamentals and work on real projects that reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions.

📅 Spring 2026
🕒 T/Th 3:30–4:45 PM
📍 GUGG 206
✨ Open to all majors — no prerequisites!

In this hands-on, student-led course, you’ll:
• Work on interdisciplinary teams
• Analyze real CU Boulder emissions data
• Develop solutions aligned with the 2024 Climate Action Plan
• Present your findings to campus leadership
• Build skills in climate policy, organizing, and community engagement

Perfect for students interested in sustainability, climate justice, project-based learning, or making real climate impact on campus.

Join us and be part of the change! 🌱

🌟 Exciting Grant Opportunities & Resources for Artists! 🌟

CCI is opening applications for our next round of Folk and Traditional Arts Project grants on January 27, 2026.

🎨 Creative West Artists Fund
Supporting artists across 16 western states and jurisdictions, this fund emphasizes self-determination for artists and their communities.
Apply here:

🎶 Living Traditions: Folk Arts and Beyond Grant
Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, this grant celebrates and invests in cultural practices and creative expressions connecting communities across the Creative West region.
Apply here:

💡 Capacity Building Webinar Series
Join us monthly on the second Tuesday, 4–5:30 PM MT, for expert-led sessions on skills and strategies to support your creative work.
Register here:

Perfect for students interested in sustainability, climate justice, project-based learning, or making real climate impact on campus.

Join us and be part of the change! 🌱