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A relative newcomer to campus, the ATLAS Institute's genesis and evolution span a 20-year period, and many of the prime movers responsible for establishing the organization remain involved in CU С����Ƶ and ATLAS today. This timeline attempts to touch on turning points and key accomplishments. 

1997

ATLAS (Alliance for Technology, Learning and Society) forms 

The ideas around the ATLAS Institute coalesce in the late 1990s in conversations between С����Ƶ campus Chancellor Richard L. Byyny and Vice Provost for Academic and Campus Technology and Chief Information Officer Bobby Schnabel. Recognizing the growing importance of computing and information technologies in every field, and in the practices of higher education, Byyny and Schnabel envision a center that broadens the benefits of the information age by providing multidisciplinary curricular, research and outreach programs that integrate information technology with a wide variety of disciplines and people, both inside and outside the university.

Following a campus-wide academic strategic planning process that involved administrators, faculty and students from every school and college, as well as internal and external advisory boards, ATLAS is formed in 1997. A steering committee forms to manage planning and implementation of the new ATLAS initiative. Bobby Schnabel is named the first ATLAS director. A faculty member since 1977, Schnabel served as chair of the Department of Computer Science from 1990 to 1995 and as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Engineering and Applied Science from 1995 to 1997."

1998

Evaluation and Research Group founded 

Lecia Barker is named director of the newly formed ATLAS Evaluation and Research Group. The group collaborates with faculty, scientists and outreach partners in conducting evaluations and research in increasing participation of under-represented groups in the information technology workforce, technology curricula, student technology use, information technology in instruction, digital libraries, and the development and use of web-based, self-contained learning modules.

External Advisory Board established

The ATLAS Advisory Board is created, composed of prominent business and technology leaders from Colorado and the nation. The board meets quarterly and plays a major role in ATLAS’ strategic planning and external relations.

Technology, Arts and Media program proposed

Two campus-wide committees, drawn from every school and college, explore the possibilities for the creation of the Technology, Arts and Media (TAM) program. One committee plans curriculum; one creates initial multidisciplinary projects courses for the TAM program. Diane Sieber, an assistant professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, becomes the first TAM director. David Schaal becomes the first ever TAM instructor. The TAM undergraduate certificate program is created in 1999.

ATLAS Center program plan envisions building

A campuswide committee of deans and faculty members unveils the ATLAS Center Program Plan, which envisions an ATLAS building to house interdisciplinary, active-learning instructional programs; a design studio approach to teaching and learning; performance and production studios; educational technology support, and facilities for the Technology, Arts and Media program and the Film Studies program.

1999

First Technology, Arts and Media (TAM) student graduates 

Nathalie Nunez becomes the first Technology, Arts and Media (TAM) program graduate. She later moves into a career as a graphic artist, web designer and silkscreen teacher for Warehouse 21, a Santa Fe, New Mexico youth center that provides an arts community for a mix of teens from different cultures, sub-cultures and socio-economic backgrounds. She becomes the first alumna member of the external ATLAS Advisory Board in January 2006.

2000

Diane Sieber named co-director of ATLAS 

Diane Sieber, the first director of the Technology, Arts and Media (TAM) program, is named co-director of ATLAS with Bobby Schnabel. A member of ATLAS planning committees since 1997, Sieber received her master’s degree and PhD in romance languages and literatures from Princeton University and is an associate professor in the CU С����Ƶ Department of Spanish and Portuguese.

Tuskegee University partnership

With a $450,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, ATLAS and Tuskegee University — a predominately black university in Alabama — forge a faculty and student exchange agreement. The agreement allows the two institutions to share research, technology, curricula and cultures and allows the С����Ƶ campus to share its ATLAS program and accompanying curriculum for the Technology, Arts and Media (TAM) certificate program.

Jim and Becky Roser donate $2.25 million for ATLAS Center 

Jim and Becky Roser, co-chairs of the external ATLAS Advisory Board, donate $2.25 million toward the construction of the new ATLAS building. Jim Roser is a partner in Roser Ventures L.L.C., a С����Ƶ-based venture capital firm. Becky Roser is a CU С����Ƶ graduate, member of the CU С����Ƶ Music Advisory Board, the CU Foundation Board and a former director of the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Clinic at CU С����Ƶ.

2001

Plans, drawings unveiled for new ATLAS building 

The С����Ƶ Campus Planning Commission reviews plans and drawings of the new ATLAS building, to be located on the north half of the Hunter Science Building. The building would be two stories below ground and three stories above ground and will host ATLAS programs and include an experimental performance studio.

Campus committee proposes ATLAS as an institute

A campus-wide committee reviews proposals for campus information technology initiatives involving ATLAS and other parts of the university. One proposal is to designate ATLAS as an institute. Another would create a new college, combining ATLAS and computer science; a third proposal would combine ATLAS and computer science within a new school in the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

Slumping state economy delays ATLAS building construction

State lawmakers, facing tough decisions within a bleak outlook for the state’s economy, delay several higher education construction projects, including construction of the new ATLAS building. The state funds the demolition of the Hunter Science Building, which is the first phase of the ATLAS construction project. Demolition begins in December 2002.

Colorado Institute of Technology funds ATLAS educational program

The Colorado Institute of Technology awards ATLAS $197,000 to fund ATLAS courses that emphasize computer-programming and technical skills to supplement the Technology, Arts and Media certificate program. These courses help create the Multidisciplinary Applied Technologies program within ATLAS and TAM.

2002-2003

Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) forms 

Leaders from ATLAS, education, government and industry propose a national coalition among academic, industry, and social institutions to address the shortage of women and girls in information technology fields. The result is the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT). ATLAS becomes a co-founder of NCWIT along with Lucy Sanders, who has worked in R&D and executive positions at AT&T Bell Labs, Lucent Bell Labs and Avaya Labs. Sanders becomes chief executive officer of NCWIT and an executive-in-residence for ATLAS. The National Science Foundation awards NCWIT $3.25 million in 2004.

Digital CUrrents Summer Workshop program created

Several units of ATLAS collaborate in research and outreach to seek ways to increase the participation of girls, women and minorities in information technology fields. The Evaluation and Research Group receives a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for research to increase interest in technology careers among middle-school girls in Denver and nationwide. The National Center for Women in Information Technology coordinates the annual Digital CUrrents summer workshop program, which involves a team of university and high school faculty, Denver high school and middle school students (largely from underrepresented minority groups), and research activities on the effective use of information technology in K-12 education. The effort is assisted by a Colorado Institute of Technology grant totaling $45,000 in 2004.

Funding for higher education construction projects cut

State lawmakers, facing tough economic times, do not fund several higher education projects, including the construction of the ATLAS building.

2002

ATLAS Forms Partnership with Dillard University

ATLAS forms a partnership with Dillard University, a historically black liberal arts college in New Orleans, following a $550,000 grant from the Carnegie Foundation to establish a 15-month demonstration project, titled “Liberal Arts Curriculum in a Technological Age.” The partnership involves sharing course materials in calculus and humanities using web-based technologies and video-conferencing. The Carnegie Foundation suppports the partnership with an additional $350,000 grant.

2003

ATLAS wins top award from EDUCAUSE 

EDUCAUSE, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the use of technology in education, awards ATLAS the “Systemic Progress in Teaching and Learning” award, one of the highest awards given by EDUCAUSE.

ATLAS becomes an institute

Chancellor Richard L. Byyny approves the proposal to formally designate ATLAS as an institute—the first new institute on campus in 35 years. The designation specifies the structural role of the organization and enables ATLAS to host centers and establish a program of faculty affiliations. The Board of Regents concurs, and ATLAS Institute is born.

Technology, Arts and Media certificate program grows

The Technology, Arts and Media (TAM) program graduates 27 students; the program, created in 1999, now enrolls about 200 students. The ATLAS Collaborative Arts, Media and Performance program is created through a collaboration between art, film, journalism, music, theater and dance and other disciplines. The campus-wide program is charged with creating interdisciplinary curriculum and creative work and new academic programs in the proposed ATLAS building.

2004

CU С����Ƶ student government funds ATLAS building 

The student government at the University of Colorado С����Ƶ approves phased-in student fees to help fund the construction of buildings on campus, including the new ATLAS building. The fees, which begin at $100 a year and increase to $400 a year over a three-year period, are approved by the CU Board of Regents.

ATLAS cited for promoting diversity

The ATLAS Institute receives a Chancellor’s Advisory Committee for Minority Affairs Service Recognition Award for its work to promote diversity on campus and beyond. The award recognizes the continuing efforts of ATLAS to create a diverse and supportive learning, working and living environment, as well as the institute’s commitment to promote understanding of multicultural issues.

Faculty Fellows program inaugurated

Seventeen faculty members from a wide variety of campus departments are selected as founding ATLAS Faculty Fellows. The purpose is to provide overall guidance for future directions, and to participate in multidisciplinary teaching, learning, research and outreach activities related to information technology.

New faculty joins ATLAS

Aileen Pierce (Fall), Ian Hales (Fall)

2005

ATLAS PhD program proposed 

The ATLAS Fellows propose a PhD program in Technology, Media and Society. The program, intended for highly motivated students whose interdisciplinary interests at the intersections of technology, media and society are not met well by traditional PhD programs, would involve dozens of faculty from disciplines ranging from the arts, humanities and social sciences to the sciences, engineering, business and law. The CU Board of Regents approves the degree in October 2006.

Jim Johnson becomes director of Collaborative Media, Arts and Performance program

Jim Johnson, a former chair of the Department of Art and Art History, becomes director of the Collaborative Arts, Media and Performance program for ATLAS. He works with faculty across campus to create an interdisciplinary curriculum within the production and performance studios in the proposed ATLAS building. The program becomes a center in 2006, when it is renamed the Center for Media, Arts and Performance.

Groundbreaking held for ATLAS building 

A multimedia groundbreaking for the $31 million ATLAS building is held in January. The area of the building housing the campus’ programs to enhance the quality of teaching and learning is named the Byyny Teaching and Learning Center. The naming honors the leadership, inspiration and vision for ATLAS provided by Chancellor Richard L. Byyny, and his emphasis on the practice and scholarship of the highest quality teaching and learning at CU С����Ƶ.

New faculty joins ATLAS

Joel Swanson (Spring)

2006

ATLAS center opens 

Construction of the $31 million, 66,000-square-foot Roser ATLAS Center is completed; the building opens in August. Funding for the building includes $20.7 million from the student-approved annual fee; $3 million in federal funding; $1.6 million from the state, and $6 million from private fundraising, including the $2.25 million donation from the Rosers. A plaque honoring the student fee support for the building is placed in the ATLAS lobby. The student plaque states: “The ATLAS building was constructed with student fees and is dedicated to students of the University of Colorado at С����Ƶ. The University of Colorado Student Union made this building possible by going above and beyond its duties to support a capital construction fee when traditional sources were limited.” Some 6,000 students study in the building each semester. An open house celebrating the new building is held Oct. 13.

ATLAS Center Gets Gold Environmental Rating

The ATLAS building achieves the U.S. Green Building Council’s gold rating under its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, the U.S. benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. To achieve a gold rating, a building must meet high standards, including sustainable site development; water-saving features; high levels of energy efficiency; use of green construction materials; extensive recycling of construction waste; and high indoor environmental quality.

2007

John Bennett Named ATLAS Director 

John Bennett, associate dean of engineering and applied science and an ATLAS Board member who helped create the ATLAS PhD program, in 2006, becomes the director of ATLAS. Bennett, the Archuleta Professor of Computer Science, holds joint faculty appointments in electrical and computer engineering and interdisciplinary telecommunications. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Rice University in electrical and computer engineering and a doctorate in computer science from the University of Washington, Seattle.

Joel Swanson Named Director of TAM Program

Joel Swanson, an artist and instructor in the Technology, Arts and Media (TAM) program, is named curriculum director of the TAM program. A TAM graduate himself, Swanson later received an MFA in digital art at the University of California, San Diego. His works include installations, both physical and virtual, that explore the nature of language and its embodiment.

Rebekah West Named Director of Center for Arts, Media and Performance

Rebekah West, a multimedia artist whose creative works include theater, dance, video, television, photography and writing, is named director of the Center for Arts, Media and Performance. Her experience also includes 10 years as producing director of the Space for Dance Theatre/С����Ƶ Dance Alliance.

2008

Jill Van Matre named associate director of ATLAS 

Jill Van Matre is named the associate director of ATLAS. Van Matre has a law degree from the University of Colorado С����Ƶ and a bachelor’s degree in finance and international studies from Indiana University. Prior to law school, she worked for Lucent Technologies and Microsoft Corporation. Van Matre, a research fellow with CU С����Ƶ's Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology and Entrepreneurship, leads the ATLAS PhD seminar. She also teaches a writing seminar in the Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program. 

ATLAS confers first PhD

Revi Sterling graduates in December with the ATLAS Institute’s first doctorate degree in Technology, Media and Society. Sterling’s dissertation on advancement through interactive radio deals with efforts to link disadvantaged Kenyan women with local community radio stations and other community-based resources such as non-governmental organizations and extension programs. Sterling accepts a position as director and developer of the new ATLAS master’s degree program in Information and Communication for Development (ICTD).

ATLAS board holds retreat

Members of the ATLAS Advisory Board and ATLAS staff generate ideas about future directions for ATLAS during a retreat at Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Tabernash, Colorado. ATLAS Associate Director Jill Van Matre facilitated a discussion of graduate education and research; Advisory Board member and Computer Science professor Clayton Lewis illustrated possible directions for undergraduate education; ATLAS Outreach Director Lucy Sanders directed discussion about outreach; and Center for Arts, Media and Performance Director Rebekah West facilitated discussion about the center.

2009

Michael Theodore becomes director of Center for Media, Arts and Performance 

Michael Theodore, associate professor of composition in the College of Music, is appointed director of the ATLAS Center for Arts, Media and Performance. Theodore is a composer, visual artist and technologist. He has studied at the New England Conservatory, Amherst College, the Yale School of Music and the University of California San Diego. Theodore has taught music composition and interactive technology and has been involved with ATLAS as a CU С����Ƶ faculty member since 1998 and worked with others on campus to help create the center. The center’s mission is to foster interdisciplinary curriculum and creative works involving technology and the arts. The center later is renamed the Center for Media, Arts and Performance.

2010

Master of Science in Information and Communication Technology for Development Launches (MS-ICTD) 

The ATLAS master’s degree in Information and Communication Technology for Development launches with seven students entering the program for the fall. The MS-ICTD degree prepares students for careers in the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to advance people and communities in developing nations and underserved or impoverished regions. The two-year program includes three semesters in residence and a one-semester practicum in an internship or service project with a company engaged in ICTD efforts. Revi Sterling, the first ATLAS PhD graduate, is the founding director of the program.

Technology, Arts and Media program expands with new minor degree

The Technology, Arts and Media (TAM) program adds a 21-credit minor degree option as well as a certificate in Digital Media. The minor provides a broad multidisciplinary perspective that integrates technological skills with a critical, theoretical and historical understanding of technology, media and the arts. The certificate provides a fundamental understanding of information technology and digital media production and motivates students to think critically about technology and its impacts upon society.

ATLAS is Gold Academic Sponsor of Grace Hopper Celebration of Women and Computing

Ten women from the ATLAS Technology, Arts and Media program, the new Master of Science in Information and Communication Technology for Development, and the PhD program in Technology, Media and Society attend the 2010 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women and Computing. The event is the premier annual gathering of technical women from industry, academia and government laboratories, drawing approximately 2,000 people. ATLAS is one of three Gold Academic Sponsors of the conference.

New faculty joins ATLAS

Kevin Hoth

2011

ATLAS building named in honor of Roser family 

The ATLAS building is named the Roser ATLAS Center in honor of the generous support and leadership of the Roser Family, and in particular Becky Roser and the late Jim Roser, who were the founding co-chairs of the ATLAS Advisory Board. 

BDW Post-Digital Studio progra