Ever since its humble beginnings with two professors and two students in a lone building on an empty expanse of Boulder land in 1883, what has now become the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has grown on a foundation of hope and dreams.
In his 2024 State of the Campus address “Driving Discovery, Inspiring Hope,” Chancellor Don Elliman told the story of how the 256-acre campus has transformed into a world-class hub of life-saving research and healthcare.
“On this campus, I believe, we are in the business of hope,” Elliman told an audience in a packed Elliman Conference Center at the Anschutz Health Sciences Building on Oct. 29. “We inspire hope by training outstanding future leaders, by exploring new frontiers and by setting the standard for quality of care.”
Elliman talked of the faculty’s continued record-breaking success in attracting the funding and gifts needed for its premier research and the high rankings it has earned for its science that "has not gone unnoticed.”
And the chancellor shared examples of the tales of hope that happen regularly on campus, including a student fulfilling her dreams, a husband and father extending his life indefinitely after being given only months to live, and singer Céline Dion finally finding help for a rare disease that had sidelined her career.
Below are by-the-number highlights and video clips from the presentation. Watch the full address video here.
With its premier hospital affiliates, the CU Anschutz Medical Campus serves as an economic engine for the state while providing world-class healthcare for its residents right in their own backyard. Both hospitals – UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital Colorado – consistently rank No. 1 in the state.
Last year, the university generated:
With our hospital partners, the campus generated:
Fulfilling the campus mission of transforming healthcare requires securing funding, and CU Anschutz faculty continue breaking records in the highly competitive health sciences arena. Last year, campus attracted:
Highlights include a:
All CU Anschutz philanthropists are stars, as their generosity literally saves lives, funding next-generation treatments and the search for cures. This past year, a renowned star, singer Céline Dion, joined the list. Support included:
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Video: Céline Dion thanks her doctor, Amanda Piquet, MD, of the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, at the world premiere of the singer's documentary "I Am: Céline Dion." |
Taking CU’s top science from the lab to the marketplace and the broadest number of patients who can benefit from the life-changing discoveries requires experts in building industry partnerships. CU Innovations excels in commercialization ventures. Achievements since its founding in 2016 include:
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Watch the video of Doug Scanlon's story, which began with a Stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis and an estimate of less than two years to live. It ended with a visit to the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, where he found hope. |
Elliman ended by acknowledging special guest Doug Scanlon, who sought treatment on campus looking for options beyond the standard care for colon cancer that had spread to his liver. Once told he had two years at most left to live, Scanlon's successful treatment at CU Anschutz has given him years back with his wife, Kendra, and three children.
Elliman reminded the CU Anschutz community that such stories happen regularly on campus and called on each member to continue doing what they do. “Together, I believe, we can make CU Anschutz a beacon of hope and a place where dreams come to life.”