Room 155 was overflowing with visitors on the cold afternoon of Tuesday, January 28. Folks from across the University of Colorado as well as state and local government representatives gathered in the largest conference room at the Institute of Behavioral Science (IBS) to celebrate a momentous occasion: our new building name.
The IBS building is now the Richard Jessor Building, named in honor of behavioral science pioneer and IBS co-founder, Dr. Richard Jessor. Jessor attended with his children, Kim and Tom Jessor, and wife, Jane Menken. Jessor was given an award at the event commemorating his decades of service to the Institute and commitment to finding solutions to society’s most pressing challenges. He remarked that the event “was the capstone event of his entire career.”
The name change was approved by CU Boulder’s Board of Regents back in September 2024. A few months later, Dr. Jessor celebrated his 100th birthday. Jessor was then honored by the City of Boulder with a designated “Dick Jessor Day” on December 19, 2024.
Read more about the legacy of Richard Jessor:
The event began with an introduction by IBS Director, Lori Hunter, as well as commentary from CU Boulder Chancellor, Justin Schwartz. The event also featured flash talks from all five IBS programs:
- Director of the Natural Hazards Center, Lori Peek, represented the Environment and Society Program with her talk, “What Do you Do When the Earth Shakes? Earthquake Early Warning and Schools in the Western United States.”
- IBS Fellow, Jaroslav Tir, represented the Program on International Development with his talk, “Terror Attack Blame and the Rally Around the Flag Phenomenon.”
- IBS Fellow, Jessica Finlay, represented the Health and Society Program with her talk, “Cognability: How environments matter for dementia risk.”
- Director for the Population Program, Amanda Stevenson, represented her program with the talk, “How access to contraception impacts Coloradans’ lives.”
- Sarah Goodrum represented the Prevention Science Program with her talk, “A Comprehensive Approach to School Safety: Lessons Learned from Research and Practice.
Representative Joe Neguse, a CU Boulder alum, also made an appearance. He affirmed his commitment to funding the important research at the Institute and CU Boulder at large. In addition to Neguse, IBS hosted a staff member from State Representative Gabe Evans of Colorado District 8, a staff member for State Representative Brittany Pettersen of Colorado District 7, and the senior policy advisor for the Colorado Lt. Governor Primavera. We also hosted representatives from the Boulder City Council and the Mayor of Boulder, Aaron Brockett.
After the ribbon cutting, guests had time to explore the Richard Jessor Building and all 11 Institute programs and centers that call it home. Each floor featured different programs and centers, along with unique catering and an overview video. Notable attendees included several members of the Youth Violence Prevention Center – Denver’s “Game Changers”, a program initiated by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV).
The success of this event is in large part to the excellent team at IBS, including Byung-Jun Choe, Meg Quiat, Tamara Tiner, Kelly Holguin and Lori Hunter. We are excited for the next chapter of IBS at the Richard Jessor Building, and we hope the event helps our community know more about the incredible work we do.
