Giving in Action

CU engineering center renamed in honor of Campos Foundation's $5M gift

Megan Maneval — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 19:05:47 +0000

CU engineering center renamed in honor of Campos Foundation's $5M gift Megan Maneval Fri, 08/15/2025 - 13:05

The College of Engineering and Applied Science has received $5 million from the Campos Foundation, founded by alumnus and longtime donor Marco Campos, to support the BOLD Center and amplify its impact on student success. In recognition of this generous investment, the college is renaming the center as the Campos Student Center.

An engineer can define life on their own terms, and that’s powerful. I want that for everybody.” –Marco Campos, alumnus and donor

The center will continue its existing mission—to support engineering students’ success by expanding access to opportunities, community and leadership. To amplify this work, the Campos Foundation's gift will create a permanent endowment to secure the center’s long-term future and bolster its programming, including academic support, leadership development, professional programs and networking.

“The Campos Foundation’s generous gift is a powerful example of how philanthropy can create meaningful impact,” said CU Boulder Chancellor Justin Schwartz. “By investing in our students’ futures, this gift will help ensure the Campos Student Center remains a beacon of opportunity for generations to come, empowering CU Boulder’s engineering students to become the leaders and innovators our world needs.”

When fully funded over the next five years, the endowment will provide $200,000 annually to strengthen the center's programs, which serve students from all backgrounds.

“Engineering is hands-down the best undergraduate degree you can get,” said Campos, who graduated in 1998 with a degree in civil engineering. “You learn how to think critically, to take calculated risks—you learn common sense, how to build, how to sequence things. An engineer can define life on their own terms, and that’s powerful. I want that for everybody.”

Continuing the BOLD legacy

The BOLD Center was founded in 2008 when the college combined two existing programs: the Multicultural Engineering Program and the Women in Engineering Program. Since then, the center has made significant progress in supporting and retaining engineering students from a variety of backgrounds, earning recognition as a top engineering college for women and Indigenous students.

The Campos Student Center focuses on undergraduate engineering students who have a scholarship from the center or a partner-affiliated scholarship, as well as those who are members of various student societies.

Through scholarships, academic support and professional programs, the center equips students with the skills, mentorship and networks necessary to succeed in engineering and address complex societal challenges.

“The Campos Foundation's gift will ensure the Campos Student Center’s long-term sustainability and excellence,” said Keith Molenaar, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science. “With this support, we can continue to provide the engineers of tomorrow with the tools, communities and resources to help them succeed—both while they’re here at CU and after they graduate, ready to make a positive impact in their communities.”

Campos Student Center fast facts

2,500 unique student participants

1,700 engineering undergraduate participants (about 25% of the college's undergraduate population)

9 affiliated student societies

Over 1,000 student society participants

265 student tutoring participants

Support the Campos Student Center

The partnership between the Campos Student Center and the Campos Foundation represents a shared vision and commitment to student success—all of which would not be possible without the unwavering dedication of the center’s staff. Their commitment to fostering a positive environment has been crucial in creating a space where students can thrive—and where the foundation’s significant gift can continue that impact.

“The center’s incredible staff and faculty have cultivated an environment where students feel seen, supported and empowered to achieve their academic and career goals,” said Amy Moreno-Sherwood, senior director of the Campos Student Center. “This gift allows us to build on that momentum and carry it well into the future.”

From scholar to supporter

Marco Campos and the Campos Foundation have been critical partners in supporting engineering student success at CU Boulder and in schools, colleges and universities around Colorado.

The Campos Foundation is financially supported in whole by Campos Companies, a portfolio of energy infrastructure companies focused on engineering, construction and fabrication throughout North America. Campos Companies donates 1% of its revenues to supporting underrepresented communities in STEM through the Campos Foundation.

A CU graduate and first-generation college student himself, Campos is committed to giving back to other aspiring engineers.

“My first day of college was the first time I’d ever been on a college campus,” he said. “The BOLD Center—then the Multicultural Engineering Program—was a fabulous asset for me throughout my college career.

“As a foundation, we've made it one of our purposes to support student success centers [like CU Engineering’s Campos Student Center] because we know they’re so meaningful. They’re a powerful mechanism to elevate students and improve retention.”

Campos’ support for CU Boulder has included funding for the EngiNearMe program, $1 million for the renovation of the BOLD Center in 2020 and scholarships for the first cohort of the Lattice Scholars Program in 2023.

Earlier this year, he even surprised a graduating senior by agreeing to pay off his remaining student debt at the civil, environmental and architectural engineering recognition ceremony.

By investing in the next generation of engineers, CU Boulder and the Campos Foundation are helping to ensure all students have access to the mentorship, resources and community they need to thrive and lead.

Said Campos: “I want people to understand that a first-gen student like me, who didn’t have much, can do it. If you bring passion, grit and skillset to the table, these students can do whatever they want.

“I hope students are inspired by my story and know I’m just a regular guy who cares about them—and that they learn to pay it forward.”

Read more impact stories.

The BOLD Center is getting a new name—the Campos Student Center—and will continue its mission of broadening engineering student opportunities, community and leadership.

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Spruce Gulch land gift enhances future ecological and academic studies at CU Boulder

Megan Maneval — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 17:41:33 +0000

Spruce Gulch land gift enhances future ecological and academic studies at CU Boulder Megan Maneval Tue, 08/12/2025 - 11:41

Jessica Winter

CU Boulder has received a momentous 476-acre land gift, the Spruce Gulch Wildlife and Research Reserve, alongside endowment funds to support ecological and academic work at the site. Donated by Linda Holubar Sanabria (A&S’67), the gifts are valued at a combined total of $10.4 million and managed by the university’s Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR). INSTAAR’s faculty and students have conducted research at the Spruce Gulch Reserve for almost 25 years, and the gifts will support current and future on-site studies across the sciences, humanities and fine arts.

The donated land, located in Boulder County, was previously owned by Holubar’s family for almost 100 years. Holubar’s grandmother, Irma Freudenberg, purchased part of it in 1927, and Holubar’s parents, Alice (A&S’33) and LeRoy Holubar (ElEngr’36), expanded it. The site was once hunting grounds for Indigenous peoples like the Arapaho, but later sustained mining and logging operations, grazing and agriculture, plus wildfires and floods.

After inheriting the land in 1994 and managing it as a natural reserve since 2001, Holubar and her spouse, Sergio Sanabria (A&S’66; Arch’70; MArtHist’75), concluded a conservation easement with the county prior to donating the site to CU Boulder. The wildlife reserve and endowment funds were officially transferred to the university on June 24.

“Our gift to the university was conditional on the easement and additional preservation terms,” said Holubar. “Having grown up on this land and having it be a part of my family for almost a century, I view it as my heart and soul and want nothing more than to protect it.”

The donations consolidate Holubar’s dedication to environmental conservation and CU Boulder’s long-standing relationship with the wildlife reserve.

“The Spruce Gulch property has had a real impact on CU Boulder research studies over the years, and it’s inspiring to consider the ways in which this will continue to grow,” said Chancellor Justin Schwartz. “Through her land and endowment gifts, Linda Holubar is fostering hands-on learning opportunities and strengthening the university as a leading research institution.”

A symbiotic friendship

For nearly 25 years, CU Boulder has carried out ecological research studies on the Spruce Gulch Reserve, led by ecology and evolutionary biology Professor Emeritus Tim Seastedt from INSTAAR. The university’s symbiotic relationship with the land began in 2001, when Holubar contacted Seastedt for assistance with an invasive plant on the land.

“My lab had just reported the results of a successful demonstration project, in which biological control insects could reduce densities of a particular weed infestation,” said Seastedt. “Those using this approach saved thousands of dollars in management costs.”

At the time, a similar plant was dominating over 50 acres of the Spruce Gulch Reserve. Seastedt and his lab group thought they could help while avoiding the use of toxic herbicides, which would have contaminated the drinking water and wells.

“Linda’s enthusiasm and persistence to use non-chemical management approaches was inspiring,” said Seastedt. “We organized volunteer groups to assist our insects and set up monitoring plots where the only treatment was the presence of the insects. The projects were often a lot of fun, empowering and certainly good exercise.”

Over time, and with the assistance of volunteer weeding efforts, the project proved successful and Holubar agreed to CU Boulder conducting more experiments on the property. As of early 2025, the Spruce Gulch site has aided CU faculty and students in research for 29 scholarly publications, plus chapters in six doctoral dissertations, three master’s theses and four undergraduate honors theses.

Volunteers from a co-sponsored U.S. Forest Service event remove invasive spotted knapweed from an upland meadow on the Spruce Gulch Reserve. (Photo: Tim Seastedt)

“Field ecologists don’t pass up opportunities to leverage a new field site, and this one is special,” said Seastedt, who serves as director of the reserve.

The varied landscape of the wildlife reserve includes canyons and cliffs intermixed with forest, savanna and prairie meadows. In addition to offering multiple research opportunities, the land also provides “solitude and adventure,” said Seastedt.

Land of possibilities

While CU Boulder has primarily used the property for ecology studies, the gifts open new educational possibilities across disciplines.

“Sergio was a professor of architecture for 42 years and understood the necessity of weaving many disciplines into his teaching,” said Holubar. “It seemed particularly important to extend that approach to a research site where ecology would be a central discipline. We wanted to discourage an inevitable disciplinary blindness by opening the site to as many different world views as possible.”

Holubar’s long-term vision for the wildlife reserve is that its complex landscape offers intellectual and creative opportunities across the university. The reserve and its endowment will enrich and support studies by academics of many departments—from biologists to visual artists. CU affiliates and other local organizations can inquire with Seastedt about research, education and conservation initiatives and opportunities on the land, which is not open to the public.

The endowment will mainly fund student and faculty research projects, and it will also aid in the maintenance of access trails and the future construction of a modest educational center and research support facility.

Through her gifts, Holubar hopes CU Boulder will steward her family’s legacy of environmentalism into the future.

“The history of CU’s environmental efforts includes some of the largest and most significant contributions to our understanding of high-elevation systems,” said Seastedt. “The acquisition of Spruce Gulch now allows us to pursue essential science relevant to the grasslands and foothills region, where most of us live. Therein lies the magnitude of this gift.”

To learn more about the Spruce Gulch Wildlife and Research Reserve, or to inquire about research and conservation opportunities on the land, visit the INSTAAR Spruce Gulch Reserve webpage.

Reference the Alumni Association's degree abbreviations.

Preserving a century of family legacy, a transformative $10.4 million land and endowment gift will turn CU Boulder's Spruce Gulch Wildlife and Research Reserve into a living laboratory for generations of scholars, scientists and artists.

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Employer gift matching multiplies donor impact

Megan Maneval — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 15:06:40 +0000

Employer gift matching multiplies donor impact Megan Maneval Thu, 08/07/2025 - 09:06

Employer gift matching empowers CU Boulder donors to double their impact through simple, yet transformative giving.

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$10M investment to invigorate sustainability education at CU Boulder

Megan Maneval — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 18:47:50 +0000

$10M investment to invigorate sustainability education at CU Boulder Megan Maneval Tue, 08/05/2025 - 12:47

Left to right: Vice Chancellor for Sustainability Andrew Mayock, alumnus and donor Spike Buckley, and Chancellor Justin Schwartz at the signing ceremony.

A $10 million gift from a CU Boulder alumnus will transform the way sustainability is taught at CU Boulder—empowering students and faculty to create a more environmentally sustainable future in the face of a changing climate.

Through a venture-style investment designed for rapid impact, the gift from Spike Buckley will establish the Buckley Center for Sustainability Education. Buckley’s donation will provide $2 million annually for the next five years to implement a robust sustainability curriculum across campus, advance faculty impact and educate students for a more sustainable future.

“CU Boulder is already a powerhouse in sustainability and climate research,” said Chancellor Justin Schwartz. “Spike's remarkably generous gift will allow us to better support the growing number of students across disciplines who are seeking the knowledge, skills and experiences to lead and thrive in a rapidly changing world.”

Investing in a more sustainable future

Universities play a key role in helping students engage with the environmental challenges shaping our future. The new Buckley Center for Sustainability Education will guide this work at CU Boulder, providing resources to students, faculty and staff to deepen their knowledge and strengthen their ability to integrate sustainability into the curriculum.

In this way, the center will help respond to the growing demand for sustainability education and support students in their pursuit of meaningful work.

Through course development, teaching collaborations, learning modules and tech tools, the center will create best practices and offer support for integrating sustainability concepts into courses across campus. The center will also support faculty in effectively teaching sustainability concepts—for example, through a fellowships program, curriculum ambassadors, professional development and recognition for outstanding sustainability educators.

“The Buckley Center will use a hub-and-spoke approach to accelerate this work, serving as the central coordinator for sustainability-related curricular efforts on campus,” said Andrew Mayock, CU Boulder’s vice chancellor for sustainability.

“By fostering a collaborative and dynamic environment for learning, research and real-world application, the center will not only prepare students to tackle environmental challenges but empower them to lead global solutions.”

Lastly, all students on campus will have the opportunity to participate in experiential learning, civic engagement, career pathways and leadership development related to sustainability, including through a new, competitive Buckley Scholars Program for students committed to sustainability work.

CU Boulder is uniquely equipped to continue its leadership role in sustainability education. By combining its legacy of environmental leadership—including its fifth STARS Gold rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education—with world-renowned research institutes, academic programs and local partners, the university is an ideal hub for advancing innovative learning.

“The impact of these efforts will resonate around the world, preparing graduates who are equipped to shape a sustainable future for all,” Mayock said.

A legacy of impact

Spike Buckley is a proud graduate of CU Boulder’s economics program and a successful real estate redeveloper with four decades of experience across the U.S. and Canada. A longtime environmental philanthropist and advocate, Buckley founded the nonprofit Earth’s Call Fund in 2019 and One Earth Philanthropy in 2021 to help discover and fund climate solutions.

He has been recognized for his leadership in climate action, including with the Earth Legacy Leadership Award from the American Renewable Energy Day Summit in 2019. He has also served on the boards of several organizations focused on climate, public health and technology, and actively supports a wide range of environmental and conservation causes.

Buckley's gift to establish the Buckley Center for Sustainability Education underscores his confidence and commitment to advancing education in areas critical to the planet’s future.

“Thanks to recent initiatives, events and awards, CU finds itself uniquely positioned to take a leadership role among universities in the drive toward a more sustainable world,” said Buckley. “It is my fervent hope that CU students, faculty and alumni will ultimately see the Center for Sustainability Education as their vehicle to make the world a better place for future generations.”

This gift is part of CU Boulder’s strategic vision and investments in a more sustainable future. For more information, visit colorado.edu/sustainability.

Sustainability at CU Boulder

Recognition and rankings

First university to earn and maintain a STARS Gold rating for five consecutive cycles

Ranked 11th in the U.S. for sustainability by QS World University Rankings (2024)

Top five global rankings in earth and atmospheric sciences

Pioneering achievements

First U.S. campus with a student-run Environmental Center (1970)

Launched the nation’s first campus recycling program (1976)

Among the first universities to commit to carbon neutrality (2007)

First major college football stadium with a zero-waste program

First university to sign the UN’s Sports for Climate Change Action Framework

Academic and research leadership

Sustainability to be integrated across all colleges and schools through the Sustainable Futures Common Curriculum

Home to leading institutes and centers like CIRES, RASEI, INSTAAR, LASP, IBS and NSIDC

Strong national and global research collaborations with federal labs, NGOs and industry partners

Established the campus-wide Sustainability Research Initiative (SRI) in 2024

Climate action and innovation

Climate Action Plan targets 50% emissions reduction by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050

Investments in solar, geothermal and electric fleet upgrades

Zero-waste and net-zero initiatives in athletics facilities

Eliminated single-use beverage plastics on campus (2025)

National leadership and partnerships

Founding member of the University Climate Change Coalition (UC3)

Member of the Board of Directors of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)

Co-hosted the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit with the UN (2022)

Transformative gift to help elevate Leeds School community, mission

Megan Maneval — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 15:25:25 +0000

Transformative gift to help elevate Leeds School community, mission Megan Maneval Mon, 07/21/2025 - 09:25

A significant gift to the Leeds School of Business at CU Boulder will expand experiential learning, enhance student success and mental health, and support faculty excellence—all in service of the mission to elevate business as a force for good.

“This transformative gift to Leeds expands experiential learning for students, empowering them with real-world opportunities,” said Chancellor Justin Schwartz.

“This investment aligns with CU Boulder's broader applied education initiatives across campus, providing tomorrow’s leaders with access to a broad toolkit of resources for their academic and professional success.”

Amplifying experiential learning

In honor of his mentor and friend, CU Boulder alumni John Cumming and the Cumming Foundation are launching the Nicholas Dante Badami Office for Experiential Learning. The new, high-impact initiative will bring together and amplify existing experiential efforts, serving as a hub to strengthen student career outcomes, foster leadership and entrepreneurial mindsets, and ensure professional readiness, better equipping students for lifelong success.

Cumming’s desire to advance experiential learning stems from Badami’s guidance and his own professional experiences.

“Nick used to say, ‘Management starts where the fingertips end,’” said Cumming. “What he meant by that was that management is not just formulaic. It’s not just what is in the job description. It is human.

“I also took it to mean that it requires enhanced EQ [emotional intelligence]...To know how to manage people, I had to have interpersonal relationships and experiences, and I had to navigate existing human organizations. I worked in every department, in every location, with different managers, in different roles, and I learned that the job description wasn’t the only parameter for success.”

Experiential learning deepens students’ understanding of the concepts learned in the classroom and how that knowledge can be applied to careers. Through project-based engagements, students will work in dynamic environments to learn to solve challenges and develop skills that empower them to contribute in professional settings on day one of their careers.

“Students will gain invaluable real-world experiences that deepen their learning, broaden their perspectives and prepare them to lead with confidence, empathy and purpose,” said Vijay Khatri, Tandean Rustandy Endowed Dean at the Leeds School of Business. “This gift will help close the gap between classroom knowledge and real-world impact, shaping the future of business education.”

Business faculty and student excellence

In addition to supporting the new Office for Experiential Learning, the Cumming Foundation’s donation will establish programs that promote well-being and community within Leeds, with a special emphasis on mental health initiatives that foster connection and belonging.

Lastly, the investment will establish two endowed faculty professorships and four fellowships for faculty whose work advances high-impact, cross-disciplinary education in the business school.

These roles strengthen CU Boulder and Leeds’ ability to attract top-tier educators and students while maintaining a reputation for academic excellence. Having exceptional faculty means students can obtain a high-quality education with engaged mentors.

This holistic focus on the student experience, including experiential learning, reinforces CU Boulder’s standing as a national leader in applied business education.

Impactful year for Leeds

Read more impact stories

This transformational gift marks the culmination of Leeds’ best-ever fundraising year, totaling a record-breaking $41.6 million. That total includes a $15 million gift last fall to establish the Klump Center for Real Estate and support student wellness—part of the inspiration for the Cumming Foundation’s own donation.

Cumming is the founder and chairman of POWDR, an adventure lifestyle company. With his foundation’s gift, he honors his mentor Nicholas Dante Badami by naming the new Office of Experiential Learning and associated endowed funds after him.

A pioneering figure in the ski industry and former chairman of the United States Ski Association, Badami shared Cumming’s passion for the outdoors and experiential learning. He played a key role in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and was later inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame.

The Cumming family’s generosity amplifies CU Boulder’s commitment to experiential education and student success. The foundation's transformative gift will strengthen the university’s leadership in applied learning—ensuring students graduate with the skills, experience and confidence to thrive in the job market and lead in the business world.

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Supporting future business and engineering leaders by paying it forward

Megan Maneval — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 18:06:07 +0000

Supporting future business and engineering leaders by paying it forward Megan Maneval Wed, 07/02/2025 - 12:06

Terry and Charlotte Quarton turned their gratitude into impact by creating a scholarship fund at CU Boulder. Through tax-wise giving, they support future business and engineering leaders.

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New endowed professorship in space policy and law to expand frontiers of global collaboration

Megan Maneval — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 19:30:44 +0000

New endowed professorship in space policy and law to expand frontiers of global collaboration Megan Maneval Mon, 06/23/2025 - 13:30

A $2.5 million donation will establish a new endowed professorship in space policy and law, with broad implications for national security, global communications, navigation, weather forecasting and international collaboration.

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Jazz swings forward at CU Boulder thanks to Thompson endowment

Megan Maneval — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 19:17:06 +0000

Jazz swings forward at CU Boulder thanks to Thompson endowment Megan Maneval Thu, 04/10/2025 - 13:17

In the fall, alumni and longtime donors Jack and Jeannie Thompson expanded their endowment, adding a vocal jazz degree option to the Thompson Jazz Studies Program in CU Boulder’s College of Music.

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Buffs All In—tomorrow’s the day!

Megan Maneval — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 14:47:39 +0000

Buffs All In—tomorrow’s the day! Megan Maneval Wed, 03/05/2025 - 07:47

March 6 is CU Boulder’s annual giving day. When you give, it shows your belief in the life-changing work that happens here. Be part of Buffs All In’s collective impact.

Plus: Don’t miss the chance to celebrate with the Buffs community. Stop by Farrand Field from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy free games, giveaways and food. Together, we’re all in.

Explore different causes and donate today!

Tomorrow is CU Boulder’s annual giving day. When you give, it shows your belief in the life-changing work that happens here. Be part of Buffs All In’s collective impact.

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Every dollar counts: The impact of collective giving at CU Boulder

Megan Maneval — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:50:06 +0000

Every dollar counts: The impact of collective giving at CU Boulder Megan Maneval Wed, 02/12/2025 - 09:50

When it comes to philanthropy, it’s easy to get caught up in the multimillion-dollar donations that often make headlines. While these gifts are undeniably transformative, every gift—large and small—adds value.

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Giving in Action

CU engineering center renamed in honor of Campos Foundation's $5M gift

Continuing the BOLD legacy

From scholar to supporter

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