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Welcome to CU-Prime!

CU-Prime is a student-led, diversity-focused, and community-oriented organization in the physics department. Our goal is to improve the culture of physics at CU Boulder through equity and inclusion, allyship, and education. We offer three programs for undergraduate students:

• A semester-long academic class for first year students about what it looks like to do science.

• Bi-weekly research talks led by grad students that promote networking and awareness of research happening at CU.

• A long-term mentoring program that connects new physics students to graduate students and upper division undergraduate students.

Duane scavenger hunt (Orientation Week Fall 2021!)

(posted in August 2021)

On Friday, August 20th, the CU-Prime class (PHYS 1400) instructor team will be hosting an orientation event for all incoming STEM (or potential STEM) students (this includes first-years, transfer students, and any others who aren't too familiar with being on campus in-person)! The event will include a scavenger hunt, an egg drop, and free pizza! For further questions, reach out to phys1400@colorado.edu, and be sure to consider signing up for our 1-credit class.

Time: 11 AM - approx. 1 PM (Fri. 8/20/21)

Location: meet at the lawn on the south side of Duane

No RSVP needed; just show up ready to have fun!

Congratulations on awards!

(posted on Dec 3 2020, updated Jan 21 2021)

Several CU-Prime organizers are among the recipients of the (inaugural) Fall 2020 semester's CU Physics Department's graduate student excellence awards.

Congrats to Brynn Reiff, Ian Leahy, Katie Rainey, and Tyler McMaken!

Katie Rainey has been selected as a student recipient of the 2021 President's Diversity Award, due in part to her work in CU-Prime! This award recognizes significant achievements of CU faculty, staff, students, and units in developing a culturally and intellectually diverse university community reflective of inclusive excellence. Congrats, Katie!

in solidarity with Black Lives Matter

(posted on June 12, 2020)

CU-Prime organizers stand with others in outrage at the recent examples of racism in policing and vigilantism towards the African American and Black community. These examples include the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and Ahmaud Arbery, and follow a long, long, tragically long list of others. We’ve seen how this violence can dangerously and disproportionately impact African American and Black women as well as African American and Black members of the LGBTQIA community in less publicized ways. All of these actions are deplorable and indicate the depth and longevity of racial injustice that has been embedded within larger systems of oppression and have existed for a long time.

We recognize that statements like these are not solutions, and often ring hollow if not accompanied by direct action. On the other hand, we believe that the ideas behind such statements are important to communicate, amplify, and spread, and that it is our duty as an organization to do so. Organizers in CU-Prime are currently working on a range of fronts, within the department and nationally, to take action aligned with these values. At the moment, however, we wish to amplify the voices of two Black women who are organizing at CU Boulder to demand a response on the murder of George Floyd. They are circulating a petition here, which we urge you to read and consider signing.

In solidarity,

CU-Prime organizers

PS: This message borrows language from a message from the Access Network Core Organizers, with Karmela Padavić-Callaghan and Fidel Amezcua. CU-Prime thanks those folks for their work and their words.