Ninth Annual Event Honored Colorado’s
Top Scientists and Engineers
for Projects Having a Significant Impact on Society
From the quantum realm of bioscience to the vanguard of atmospheric physics, from the technology advancing new possibilities in manufacturing to crucial new assessments of severe weather – CO-LABS was proud to convene more than 200 fellow champions of science at Colorado's premier scientific research recognition event on October 5, 2017.
Researchers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, technology experts, STEM educators and government officials mingled and celebrated the exceptional and groundbreaking work of scientists and engineers from Colorado’s federally-funded research labs!
Presented By:
WINNER: JILA and Dr. Tom Perkins' New Twists in the Molecules of Life
Principal Investigator:
Thomas T. Perkins, Ph.D. Fellow of JILA & Adjunct Professor,
Dept. of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado
WINNER: Seeing More with a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST)
Principal Investigators:
Dr. Robert Keller, Leader, Nanoscale Reliability Group, NIST
Dr. Roy Geiss, Analytical Specialist TEM/SEM, Colorado State University
Dr. Katherine Rice, Applications Scientist, CAMECA
WINNER: GPS Reflections: Innovative Techniques
NOAA/CU-Boulder/UCAR
Principal Investigators:
Kristine Larson, Professor, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado
John Braun, Project Scientist, UCAR COSMIC Program
Eric Small, Professor, Dept. of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado
Valery Zavorotny, Physicist, Physical Sciences Division, Earth System Research Laboratory, NOAA
WINNER: GOES-16 the New Generation of Geostationary Weather Satellites
Cooperative Institute For Research in the Atmospheric (CIRA)
Principal Investigators:
Steven Miller, Senior Research Scientist, CIRA
Curtis Seaman, Research Scientist, CIRA
Daniel Lindsey, Research Meteorologist, NOAA/NESDIS/RAMMB
Watch their Spotlight Videos - and say "WOW!"
Read the Press Release
James Balog was the keynote speaker at the 2017 Governor’s Awards for High Impact Research event, speaking on “The Value of Scientific Research in the Anthropocene.” Mr. Balog is the world-renowned photographer featured in the Emmy Award-winning documentary Chasing Ice and founder of the Extreme Ice Survey. His insight into global environmental and societal trends, and the crucial role research plays in assessing complex factors shaping our world make him a compelling addition to this year’s CO-LABS Awards ceremony.
“I've always believed that photography is a way to shape human perception,” says Mr. Balog. “I look forward to joining the esteemed guests at the Governor’s Awards to discuss and share imagery that highlights the power of art and science to not only reveal incredibly profound forces in nature but also to be a source of inspiration and solutions to our most prevalent and pressing societal challenges.” (Read more about Mr. Balog below.)
History of the Governor’s Awards for High Impact Research:
Started in 2009, the annual Governor's Awards for High-Impact Research celebrates the brilliant ground-breaking discoveries and innovative research from Colorado’s ecosystem of federally-funded laboratories and institutions. That year, following the creation of CO-LABS in 2007, Governor Bill Ritter suggested hosting a celebratory and spotlighting event; the various labs were prompted to submit nominations and a Selection Committee was convened of professional researchers, technologists, academics and economic development experts to identify remarkable research having “high impact” on society.
Each year at this event, CO-LABS spotlights the men and women creating our future through brilliant technological and engineering discoveries in aerospace, energy, agriculture, public health, weather prediction, wildlife ecology, communication, earth science and dozens of other fields of research right here in our communities. Over the years Colorado Governors Ritter and Hickenlooper have presented winners with these awards and comments recognizing their impact on our country's leadership in science.