News

Myron Gutmann's study analyzing historical agricultural census data and ecosystem models to estimate the magnitude of annual greenhouse gas emissions from all agricultural sources in the Great Plains from 1870 to 2000 demonstrates the potential to completely eliminate agricultural greenhouse gas emissions from the region. This is an important research milestone about the ways that population change shapes the environment. The article is set to appear in the the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Myron also appeared on KGNU Radio's program, "How on Earth" August 4, 2015, to discuss this research. Listen to the show here.

James Meldrum's research findings from a multi-agency study of homeowners' perceptions of risks concerning wildfire hazards and hazard mitigation techniques have gotten great media coverage in the Daily Camera, 7 News, Fox 31, and the Durango Herald. Read the 7-News Denver story here.

Research findings from a new study led by Rick Rogers and co-authored by Jason Boardman, Philip Pendergast, and Elizabeth Lawrence, show surprising results in linking drinking behaviors with mortality.  The study, involving some 40,000 people across the nation, aged 21 and older,  indicates that social and psychological problems caused by drinking generally trump physically hazardous drinking behaviors when it comes to overall mortality rates.  The strongest associations between problem drinking and mortality involved cases in which physicians, family members, or friends intervened to suggest reduced drinking. Losing one's job because of drinking problems within their lifetime was strongly linked to mortality risk. Social risks were equally or more strongly linked to mortality than physiological consequences of alcohol abuse such as lifetime reports of needing a drink to stop shaking or getting sick.  Most importantly, these associations were evident despite statistical controls for alcohol consumption levels and demographic, social, economic, behavioral, health, and geographic factors.

 “What this study really shows is that researchers and policymakers need to look at the nuanced complexities tied to alcohol consumption,” said Rogers. “Alcohol consumption does not have a clear dose-response relationship like smoking, for instance. We have seen that alcohol does have a benefit at low levels in some cases, but it also can create social problems for some individuals who are only light to moderate drinkers.”

The article is published online in Drug and Alcohol Dependence here: http://www.drugandalcoholdependence.com/article/S0376-8716%2815%2900153-2/fulltext

Read the CU News Headlines article here: http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2015/04/28/new-study-links-drinking-behaviors-mortality

Lori Hunter discussed her research on the relationship between human migration and the natural environment on Inside Higher Ed's Academic Minute, June 8. Listen to the podcast and access a transcript here.

Lori Hunter and visiting FIRST Scholar Robert McLeman were guests on KGNU Radio's show "It's the Economy", focused this week on disasters and displacement, May 28. Listen to the broadcast here. Twitter link here.

Kathleen Tierney and Nnenia Campbell presented their research at the 21st Annual Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) Exhibition and Reception on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, April 29, 2015.  The Natural Hazards Center was selected by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research to travel to Washington DC to represent CU at the annual exhibition and reception sponsored by the Coalition for National Science Funding, a group that works to promote and sustain funding for federally sponsored science research, especially research that is funded by the National Science Foundation. As part of the CNSF event, Kathleen and Nnenia spent an afternoon on Capitol Hill and met with staff in the offices of Senators Michael Bennett and Cory Gardner and Representatives Jared Polis and Ed Perlmutter. They then hosted a booth at the Capitol Hill CNSF reception, which was attended by a number of representatives from funding agencies such as NSF, NASA, and the Department of Energy, representatives from professional associations such as ASA and the Coalition of Social Science Associations (COSSA), as well as Congressional staffers from House and Senate committees that approve and appropriate budgets for science research and some members of Congress. A major focus of their discussions on the Hill and at the NCSF reception was proposed cuts to social science research at the National Science Foundation, where the Republican budget would reduce funding for NSF's Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate by 45%. They also expressed opposition to proposed Republican budget cuts to scientific programs focusing on climate change.

Courtney Welton-Mitchell's research on earthquakes and hazards response are featured on an interview on KGNU Radio. Read more and listn here: Nepal earthquake interview 'CU researcher on earthquake in Nepal . Courtney also recently participated in the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute's Reconnaissance Mission to Nepal. An associated presentation (with audio) is available here: Social, psychological, and cultural factors influencing recovering and rebuilding in Nepal.

On January 1, 2015, Myron Gutmann officially took the helm at the Institute of Behavioral Science (IBS). Dr. Gutmann took leave from positions at NSF and the University of Michigan to become director of IBS and professor of history at the University of Colorado.  Dr. Gutmann is well recognized for his pioneering visions for the social sciences, which he has continued to advance as director of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) and then as head of NSF's Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences.

Liesel Ritchie has been named a NIST Disaster Resilience Fellow. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has engaged nine experts in fields ranging from transportation and water infrastructure to societal dimensions of disasters to further its ongoing effort to draft a disaster resilience framework for U.S. communities. Recognized leaders in their fields, NIST's new "disaster resilience fellows" were chosen to complement the knowledge and skill sets of agency researchers developing the framework — a guidance document to help communities prepare for hazardous events and to restore vital functions quickly if disruptive incidents occur. The fellows also will assist NIST staff in establishing a Disaster Resistance Standards Panel. With initial funding from NIST, this independent body will be responsible for updating the framework and identifying new priorities for standards development and other actions that will help communities to better prevent natural and human-caused hazards from becoming disasters. For more information on the fellows and the NIST-led community disaster resilience effort go to: http://www.nist.gov/el/building_materials/resilience/