Buff Bulletin Board

The Buff Bulletin Board, a listing of campus announcements, is a service of Campus Communications.

 

Paid study on understanding the emotions of others

Interested in your moods and brain? Participate in a paid neuroimaging study to understand your own emotions and the emotions of others on the CU Boulder campus in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience (IRB# 17-0358).

Earn between $15 and $25 per hour to participate in studies involving answering questions about your thoughts and feelings, watching brief videos, playing computer games and having an MRI brain scan taken. Study includes up to three separate visits (first is 4–5 hours, second is 3 hours, third is 1–2 hours). Option for additional paid follow-ups.

To qualify, you must be between the ages of 18 and 55 years old and either have:

  • Diagnosis of bipolar disorder
  • History of depression
  • No history of mental health conditions

Please fill out a brief survey to apply.

If you have questions, please contact us: gruberpeplab@colorado.edu or 303-735-7547.

Mentor high school students, earn $800 for your lab

Hello world

The CU Science Discovery paid mentorship program partners highly motivated high school students with researchers at the CU Boulder campus and CU Anschutz Medical Campus. 

In this four-week summer program, CU faculty and graduate students act as mentors to two high school students interested in gaining real-world laboratory experience. Students will shadow mentors in the lab and be utilized wherever necessary. Tasks could include taking data, analyzing data, taking pictures, doing background research on an area the mentor would like to explore or setting up a new piece of equipment, to name a few. The goal of this program is to have students involved in projects that help the lab move forward. 

The students are expecting to work 30–35 hours per week, while getting a taste of real research. Participants will have the opportunity to attend a research methods seminar where they will learn proper writing techniques, the process for creating a scientific poster, how to do a literature search and the process for getting work published. During the course of this program, participants will be developing a poster to present at the culminating Research Expo on July 26.

This program will run July 1–26. Mentor applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. For ease of scheduling, please apply now.

Participating mentors receive an $800 grant for their lab. 

Paid survey study on CU college experience, mental health

Did you know one out of three college students experience significant emotional difficulties? We want to understand your experience as a first-year student at CU. Earn $30 by completing an online survey sharing your own experiences, thoughts and feelings.

This research is being conducted by researchers in the CU Department of Psychology and Neuroscience (IRB#18-0483) as part of a partnership with the Office of Undergraduate Education, the University Exploration and Advising Center, the Center for STEM Learning and the Office of Data Analytics. 

Additional opportunities to participate in paid research may be available.

To qualify, you must be a freshman at CU, ages 18–25, and fluent in English.

Please contact gruberpeplab@colorado.edu with the subject line “EMERGE Study” and we will send you a survey link to complete at your convenience.

Students: Join the UMC Board

Want to get involved on campus and develop your leadership skills? Apply to join the UMC Board by March 5! The board actively governs the UMC on behalf of CU Student Government and works with the UMC director to ensure the UMC fulfills its mission of providing programs, facilities, services and educational opportunities that enrich the campus experience for the whole CU community. This is a great leadership opportunity for new and returning CU students! You must be able to attend the board meetings from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays.

RTD reschedules Longmont meeting, now Feb. 20: Bus rapid transit to Boulder

Due to a weather cancelation, the Regional Transportation District (RTD) has rescheduled a public meeting (originally scheduled for Feb. 6) in Longmont to gather input and provide an update on proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service between Boulder and Longmont.

The new meeting is slated for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, at the Longmont Senior Center, 901 Longs Peak Ave.

In addition to BRT service, there will be updates on other options to improve transit service, travel time and roadway improvements along State Highway 119 between the two cities, also known as the Diagonal Highway. The Colorado Department of Transportation will also present information on a proposed bikeway along Highway 119.

Paid research study on engaging with nature

If you are a female CU Boulder student between the ages of 18-24, you’re invited to participate in a research study. After completing a brief online survey, you will be invited to campus for a 30 minute in-person session, which will include online surveys and computer-based tasks involving short video and/or audio clips related to nature. 

Participants will earn a $5 Amazon gift card.

If you are interested, please follow the link below to enter contact information and scheduling availability, or email kirby.peterman@colorado.edu

Win $500: Thompson Awards for Western American Writing, due March 19

Calling all CU Boulder graduate and undergraduate students: We are pleased to announce the 20th annual Thompson Awards for Western American Writing Contest is open for entries, due 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, March 19.

Regardless of whether you call the West your home or you are just passing through, as a student at CU Boulder you live, breathe, eat, drink and sleep the West. Here is an opportunity to transform your unique perspective on this region into cash simply by putting it to paper. And you can do so in whichever genre suits your creative impulse: poetry, memoir, fiction, creative nonfiction or academic nonfiction. You can even enter work in each of the categories. 

What is Western writing?

It’s writing about the West. And what is that? In many ways that’s for you to decide. It could be the spiny ridge of the continental divide; or a random rodeo you stumbled upon on a road trip; or the road trip itself; or branding time on the ranch; or your experience growing up in a border town; or the skinning of a deer; or environmental conservation; immigration; or public lands management. The potential topics are endless!

Five $500 prizes will be awarded to CU Boulder students in spring 2019 for writings on Western American topics in the following categories:

  • Fiction: Including short stories and excerpts of novels, plays and screenplays
  • Poetry: Single poems only (no collections)
  • Memoir: Autobiographical essays
  • Creative Nonfiction: Journalism, journalistic essays and writing aimed at a wide general audience
  • Academic Nonfiction: Research papers or other academic writing

Search your hard drive for poems, stories and papers you have written on Western-related topics—or write something new—and enter the contest. With no entry fees, there is nothing to lose. So go ahead and #WriteWest!

Open to CU Boulder students only.

For contest rules and more information, visit centerwest.org/academics or call 303-735-1399. For more information on the Center of the American West, visit centerwest.org or call 303-492-4879.

Paid mentorship opportunities for faculty, graduate students

Two people work in a lab.

The CU Science Discovery paid mentorship program partners highly motivated high school students with researchers at the CU Boulder campus and the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

In this 4-week summer program, CU faculty and graduate students act as mentors to two high school students interested in gaining real-world laboratory experience. Participating mentors receive $800 for their lab! Apply today.

Student orgs: Apply for UMC office space, lockers by March 1

The UMC is accepting applications from student organizations for free office space or lockers during the fall 2019 semester.

Pick up an application in the UMC Executive Director’s Office (UMC 305) or CUSG (UMC 125), or download an application from our website. Groups with current space must reapply!

Applications must be submitted by noon Friday, March 1.

Act now! Help your organization succeed with a central office location. Questions? Call 303-492-8832.

Be part of exciting new research on hearing loss

The CU Hearing Research Laboratory is recruiting participants for a research study on how our ability to hear interacts with our ability to listen (focus our attention) in difficult listening situations, such as distorted or noisy speech. We are interested in whether measures of attention and memory can help us choose hearing aid settings that make speech more clear. You may be eligible if you are age 18 years or older with normal hearing or with hearing loss in both ears. Please contact us if you may be interested in participating in this study. Contact the Hearing Research Lab at hearlab@colorado.edu or call 303-492-0067 for more information.

1st- and 2nd-year undergrads: Get rewarded for your opinion

Strategic Relations and Communications is seeking first and second year undergraduates to participate in a 60-minute focus group on Feb. 18, Feb. 19, Feb. 20 and Feb. 22. The focus groups will be conveniently held in the CASE building.

We want to hear your opinions about different CU Boulder offerings and programs. Participation is confidential, and all responses will be anonymous.

As a token of appreciation, we are offering each participant a small campus cash deposit to their account.

Find a date and time that works for you and reserve your spot. Participation will be on a first-come, first-served basis—so sign up today!

Win $500: Thompson Awards for Western American Writing, due March 19

March 19 is the deadline for a chance to win $500 in the 20th annual Thompson Writing Awards.

The contest is open to all CU Boulder students at both graduate and undergraduate levels. Prizes are $500 in each of five categories: fiction, memoir, poetry, academic non-fiction and creative non-fiction. 

Enter your writing in any or all of the categories. Your work may touch on any theme relevant to the American West—past, present or future. To name some examples: growing up in a Western town; visiting a Western place for the first time; Native American history; immigration; mining; public lands; myth and stereotype in movies and books about the West; ranching; prairie dogs; wolves; wild horses; wild fires; water, dams and drought; tourism.

Visit our website for details, the entry form, and to read winning entries from past years. Contact us with your questions at academics@centerwest.org or 303-735-1399.