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Dear Infrastructure and Sustainability team,

I hope this first week of March finds you well. It is incredible to think that we are halfway through the spring semester already.

In recent weeks, we have seen a rapid decline in COVID-19 transmission on our campus, in �������� County and across the state, as well as a significant decrease in COVID-19-related hospitalizations. As such, the CU �������� campus will become mask-optional at 6 a.m. on Monday, March 7. Until then, masks continue to be required in all public indoor spaces, classrooms and laboratories.

At the same time, we recognize that some of our students, faculty and staff have different comfort levels in public spaces and that some members of our community have personal circumstances that may necessitate continued masking. While wearing masks will soon be optional on campus, we encourage those who prefer to do so to continue wearing them, and we support their decision.

In other news, last month, the Board of Regents approved CU ��������’s 2021 Campus Master Plan (CMP), which lays out a vision for the campus physical environment that best supports the university’s core mission of education and research. Just last week, we also released the supporting Energy Master Plan (EMP). Thank you to the many individuals who helped get both of these plans across the finish line, in particular Amy Kirtland and AVC Chris Ewing for their work on the CMP and Lindsey Schumacher and AVC Brian Lindoerfer for their work on the EMP.

I also want to thank Kelsey Draper for leading the discussion around DEI, and to our teammates: Alex Acosta, Claudia Acosta Lopez, Wayne Northcutt, Barry Sparks, Carolina Pire and Tim Lockhart for sharing their wonderful and inspiring stories. We are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive community that celebrates our differences with the knowledge that every single one of you brings a unique perspective and experience that will make us better, both in I&S and on the campus as a whole. We look forward to continuing to build a sense of belonging by hosting and participating in more events such as the "Seat at the Table" series with Professor Donna Mejia.

Finally, the program is a great tool to acknowledge your colleagues for their contribution to our team and to our campus. It’s a quick and easy way to recognize each other and as a reminder, your “points to send” balance is available through the end of the month, and then it will reset for the next quarter, so don’t forget to send recognition by March 31.

Stay healthy, stay safe, stay warm and take good care of yourself and each other.

With gratitude,
David Kang, vice chancellor for infrastructure and sustainability

How long have you been working at CU?����

10 years in total. I did my college internship at EH&S, and then was fortunate to get a full-time position in the biosafety group at EH&S a few years later.

What is your favorite thing to do outside of work?��

I have always loved to cook and try new recipes. Especially now having kids that can be picky eaters, I really enjoy trying to expose them to as many flavors as possible and get them excited about what they are eating!

Tell us something that might surprise us about you.

My family loves to ride dirt bikes together. Our 5-year-old daughter Claire crushes it on her little Yamaha PW50!

What do you love about CU ��������?����

The scenery can’t be beat, and the great people that I work with and interact with on campus each day.

What are you currently reading?��

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro.

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What does inclusive excellence mean for I&S? It goes beyond just talking about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and entails being proactive in building community and being an ally for those of all identities. Join the conversation by participating in campus events��or reading about efforts happening on campus this month:

• TRANSforming Gender Conference on March 5:��Sponsored by CU ��������’s Pride Office, the conference offers an opportunity to build community and a place for allies to learn more about transgender issues and identities, including queering biology, transgender youth advocacy, transgender in the workplace, interviews with trans activists and explorations of trans identities. The conference will be held virtually on March 5, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., and is free and open to CU �������� students, staff, faculty and community members.

• UndocuAlly sessions continue this spring:��The Center for Inclusion and Social Change invites you to attend a monthly UndocuAlly session coming up on and to provide resources to those who want to show their support for undocumented students and other members of the CU �������� community.

• �������� Athletics has unveiled its new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, a goal-targeted strategy that will help CU continue to build a culture that places the highest of values on core DEI principles. Read more at

Find more information and ways to get involved on the Infrastructure & Sustainability Inclusive Excellence Committee (ISIEC) website.