Celebrating William Cotton’s 45 years at CSU

William Cotton began his long, impressive career at Colorado State University in 1974 as an assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric Science. Over the course of 45 years, Cotton supervised and mentored 44 Ph.Ds., as well as M.S. students.  

When Cotton first started at CSU, the campus was smaller and quieter, although not as quiet as today with all teaching and learning happening online. With the Atmospheric Science Department settled on the Foothills Campus to the west of the main campus, faculty and researchers formed a pretty close-knit family within the department. Over time, it has grown into a stronger department, according to Cotton. 

“Throughout my time at CSU, the department has been a vibrant professional environment, attracting leading professors and having the pick of the top graduate student applicants,” Cotton wrote in his 2019 memoir, The Setting Sun: A Life’s Adventure. 

Read the full CSU Life article, “William Cotton: Celebrating 45 Years at CSU.”