ON WHERE WE HAVE BEEN

Dear readers,

This semester marks CSU’s final season as a member of the Mountain West Conference, and we are energized as we prepare to join the Pac-12 on July 1. The Pac-12 is a highly competitive conference that includes some of the nation’s leading research institutions, and this historic transition represents a meaningful step forward for Colorado State University. It offers an exceptional opportunity to further elevate our profile in academics, athletics, and research – while expanding the reach of our mission to serve students and society.

A strong Division I athletics program provides an unmatched platform to drive enrollment, strengthen institutional reputation, and connect people to CSU in powerful ways. Through the Pac-12’s comprehensive media rights package, CSU will gain tremendous national television exposure, increasing awareness of our university across the country. As a member of the Pac-12 Board of Directors, I can already see the momentum and shared ambition of this conference, and I believe the potential of this new chapter for CSU is truly expansive.

As we look ahead this spring, we are also commemorating 150 years of Colorado statehood – an anniversary that invites reflection about where we have been and where we are headed. For a century and a half, CSU has played a central role in shaping Colorado’s growth and prosperity. Many of the most pressing challenges we address today – water management, agriculture, and stewardship of natural resources – are the same issues that called CSU into being. Then, as now, our interdisciplinary collaborations across the university and throughout the state are rooted in a commitment to practical solutions, innovation, and service to the public good.

These moments of transition and commemoration also arrive as our nation approaches its 250th anniversary, a reminder that enduring institutions succeed by honoring tradition while continuously adapting to meet the needs of the future. At CSU, that balance has always been guided by our land-grant mission and our focus on students – preparing them not only to succeed in their careers, but also to lead, contribute, and help solve the challenges facing Colorado, the West, and the world.

This issue of STATE magazine highlights initiatives and individuals who embody that mission. The cover story explores CSU’s formative role in Colorado’s early history. In two columns, Chancellor Tony Frank and I reflect on the significance of land-grant institutions and how CSU has used its founding purpose to strengthen democracy. Another feature spotlights a CSU professor serving as river master of the Pecos River, a U.S. Supreme Court-appointed role critical to water planning in the West. CSU Professor Todd Bandhauer, recognized on the TIME100 Climate 2025 list, is featured for his work with AtmosZero, and a final article highlights AgNext’s progress in reducing methane emissions and advancing animal agriculture.

I hope these stories leave you, as they do me, feeling optimistic about CSU’s future – grounded in our history, energized by new opportunities, and steadfast in our commitment to students and to the people of Colorado.

With gratitude,