Allergy Busters, Preserving Language and a Rare Dinosaur Tree
UV Allergen Busters
Boulder researchers havediscovered that low-intensity ultraviolet light can disable common airborne allergens such as pet dander, dust mites, mold and pollen. The light alters the structure of the allergen proteins so the immune system no longer recognizes them. Using 222-nanometer-wavelength UV lights in a controlled chamber, the team found that allergen immunorecognition dropped significantly within 30 to 40 minutes. Because allergens persist indoors long after their sources are gone, this approach could offer a simple, fast and portable way to reduce allergy and asthma triggers in indoor environments.
Preserving Language
researchers hope that will protect and revitalize Arapaho, a language native to the Boulder area. Andrew Cowell, Boulder linguistics professor and faculty director of the Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies, along with students, community partners and native Arapaho speakers, have created two online databases (one lexical, the other for in-depth text) to help these efforts. The free lexical database a living dictionary with more than 20,000 entries, according to theArts and Sciences magazine. The text database, not publicly released to avoid online exploitation, contains more than 100,000 sentences of spoken Arapaho, including natural conversations and stories recorded over decades.
Space Policy and Law
As space activity worldwide increases, will become a hub for connecting technical expertise with governance, highlighted by the creation of the Hatfield Endowed Professor in Space Policy & Law, which is held byMarcus Holzinger (PhDAeroEngr’11). Alongside the launch of theColorado Space Policy Center, the university is fostering collaboration across academia, industry and government. These efforts aim to prepare students to apply technical knowledge to policy challenges and shape the future legal and regulatory frameworks for space exploration.
Campus Talk
“I can’t wait to lock arms, get to work, have some fun and build the future of Colorado Athletics.”
—Fernando Lovo, the new, after being introduced Jan. 5, 2026. Lovo comes to from the University of New Mexico. His predecessor Rick George will step into an advisory role and serve as director of athletics emeritus on campus in June.
Digits
Boulder is home to one of the oldest and rarest trees in the world
2025
YearJudy (PE’76; MEdu’06) andRod McKeever (ChemEngr’76) gifted a Wollemi pine
30th
Street location of the Boulder greenhouse where the pine, “Wally,” lives
1994
Year the Wollemi pine was rediscovered in Australia after it was previously thought to be extinct
91M
the pine fossil’s records date back, in years
200M
age of Wally’s plant family
Photos by Patrick Campbell (researcher) and Rachel Sauer (wollemi pine)