cu boulder engineering tour

Engineering Honors Program

of the College of Engineering and Applied Science

Williams Village North is the home of EHP. Depending on the timing and length of your visit you may be able to do any or all of the following:

• Meet other EHP students
• Tour Williams Village North Hall
• Shadow an EHP student and attend a sample engineering class
• Sit in on an EHP course being held
• Dine at the Village Dining Center
• Meet with EHP Program Director, Professor Colin West (dependent on schedule)

If you are interested in a tour, please fill out this form . The more advanced notice the better.  

For more information regarding visiting the College of Engineering and Applied Science itself, please visit CU Boulder’s  Visit Us  site.

Take a look around the EHP space

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New aerospace engineering building launches, gets vip visits, popular searches.

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And liftoff. Today, visitors from across Colorado gathered at CU Boulder for an event celebrating the new Aerospace Engineering Sciences Building, home to the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences. This building, which occupies roughly 175,000 square feet on East Campus, will be the new home for faculty and students seeking to expand humanity’s presence in space—and explore our home planet, too.

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Self-guided tour: Notable places on campus

Ready to check out CU Boulder’s beautiful campus? Our self-guided tour highlights some of our most notable places on campus.

For reference, you can view our campus map here , or you can choose from one of our two online versions:

• Online map: Explore campus with a searchable and interactive replica of this printed map. Visit colorado.edu/map .
• Virtual tour: Learn more about different spaces and places on campus through our immersive virtual tour. Visit youvisit.com/tour/Colorado .

We start the tour at the CASE building; however, you can begin your self-guided tour at any point along the way.

Each number represents a stop on the tour and is reflected on the campus map.

• The Center for Academic Success and Engagement (CASE, G-5) is new to CU Boulder. This center contains classrooms, offices, study nooks and information about CU Boulder. *Photo op: Take in the beautiful views and grab a photo with the buffalo statue on the fourth-floor balcony.
• The University Memorial Center (UMC, F-5) is where students can find it all. Filled with restaurants, tables, conference rooms and the book store, the UMC is where students commonly gather to relax, eat and meet friends.
• Old Main (MAIN, D-4) Our first building, Old Main, was built in 1876 with donations from our generous community. Old Main once housed the entire university, including the president, the janitor, the library and all the classrooms. The third floor of this beautiful building is home to the CU Heritage Center— a free center that showcases the history of CU Boulder.
• Macky Auditorium (MCKY, D-4) Built in 1912, Macky Auditorium is one of Colorado’s premier concert halls. The 2,047-seat theater hosts classical and popular musical concerts, dance performances, lectures and films. Stop by to see the beautiful interior. *Photo op: Varsity Lake, just west of Macky Auditorium.
• Norlin Library (LIBR, D-5) The library features a learning commons, a research center, team technology rooms and a coffee shop. Norlin Library also houses the Writing Center, Center for Asian Studies, Faculty Teaching Excellence Program and Honors offices.

The Student Recreation Center (REC, D-6) The Rec Center was recently renovated and now houses three swimming pools (including an outdoor pool shaped like a buffalo!), an ice arena, a turf gym, 10,000 square feet of strength and cardio space, a climbing wall, six multipurpose wood courts and five fitness studios with more than 90 classes offered weekly.

Folsom Field ((D-8) Our breathtaking football field is where Ralphie, our live bison mascot, can be seen charging the field at every home football game in the fall. The student section of the stadium faces the Flatirons, so students can enjoy the view of the field as well as the Rockies.

Farrand Field (G-7) This grass field features a performance stage and recreational space for students to enjoy. Some of CU Boulder’s 24 residence halls frame Farrand Field, including:

Willard Hall (G-8) to the southeast, Farrand Hall (G-8) to the east and Baker Hall (F-7) to the northwest. * Photo op: Farrand Field offers one of the best views of the Flatirons. Snap a pic and don’t forget to share with #ViewsFromCU.

Roser ATLAS building (Alliance for Technology, Learning and Society) (ATLS, F-6) The ATLAS building has facilities for innovative learning, with spaces for information technology classes and research. The building features an auditorium, a 2,700-square-foot black box studio and a 1,000-square-foot production studio. It is here that art, tech and creative thoughts merge.

The Visual Arts Complex (VAC, F-5) This complex houses the Department of Art and Art History. It includes resources such as a woodshop, kiln yard, Visual Resources Center and more. It’s also home to the CU Art Museum, which is open to all visitors.

This is the end of your tour. We hope you enjoyed your time on campus, and be sure to share your visit experience @FutureBuffs! #ViewsFromCU.

Self-guided tour: Academic buildings

Interested in seeing academic buildings while on the self-guided tour? Feel free to explore our academic buildings during normal business hours.

College of Music: Warner Imig Music Building (MUS, G-6) The Warner Imig Music Building is a large complex of practice rooms, faculty studios, offices, ensemble rehearsal areas, seminar facilities and classrooms. Our College of Music not only offers traditional degrees in music, it also provides students with opportunities in music technology and entrepreneurship.

School of Education: Education Building FLMG, J-9) The School of Education has moved to a new home in the Fleming Building, with upgraded offices, collaborative and community spaces, new classrooms, and state-of-the-art teaching labs. CU Boulder is home to Colorado’s top-ranked school of education ( U.S. News & World Report, 2023 ).

College of Media, Information and Communications (CMCI): The Armory Building (ARMR, C-3) Located across the street from Varsity Lake, CMCI found its home in our historic Armory building, which was originally the site of the Colorado National Guard. CMCI was established in 2015, CU Boulder’s first new college in more than 50 years.

College of Arts and Sciences: Eaton Humanities (HUMN, D-5) The College of Arts and Sciences has the largest number of academic majors. And although fields of study for arts and sciences are housed across campus, Eaton Humanities is the College of Arts and Sciences’ home. This building offers state-of-the-art instructional technology, classrooms and offices.

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences: The Engineering Center (EC, F-10) This center houses our engineering offices, labs and classrooms. We offer top-ranked engineering programs in Colorado and across the Rocky Mountain region, and one of our own civil engineering professors founded the Engineers Without Borders NGO.

Leeds School of Business: The Koelbel Building (KOBL, G-10) Our business school is the eighth-oldest in the United States and consistently ranked one of the best in the nation by sources like Bloomberg Businessweek and U.S. News & World Report .

Program in Environmental Design: (ENVD, F-6) Dedicated to the creation of healthy and sustainable communities, the Program in Environmental Design emphasizes evidence-based practice and experiential learning.

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Access and Tour Information

The itl program and laboratory is open monday through friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm during the fall and spring academic semesters., gaining access to itl program resources,  remote access.

• The ITL Program Virtual Access Agreement will allow you to: Access software that can be downloaded to your personal device, sign-up for and participate in ITLP Skill Building Workshops, checkout equipment, tools, and supplies for coursework, purchase services available through ITLP website. The agreement does not  provide Buff OneCard access to the ITLL, or use of onsite computers and specialized laboratory equipment.

ITLL In-Person Orientation Tour

Tours take place Monday-Friday at 5:15pm and Sundays at 7:15pm beginning at the Launch Point on Level 1 of the ITLL near the 3D printers.  You do not need to register, please bring your Buff OneCard and plan for a 30-minute tour.

After completing the ITLL Orientation Tour you will have access to the following:

• Buff OneCard access to the ITL Laboratory during ITLL extended card access hours,
• Use of on-site  ITLL computers,
• ITLP cloud-based virtual computers,
• Sign up for and participate in ITLP Skill Building Workshops,
• Check out an extensive list of equipment, tools, and supplies for course work, and
• Purchase many of the services available through the ITLP website.

Building Card Access

Extended buff onecard access with completion of itll in-person orientation tour*.

• Monday - Thursday 7:30am-11:00pm
• Friday 7:30am-8:00pm
• Sunday 2:00pm-11:00pm

*You must complete an ITLL In-Person Orientation Tour to get extended card access. Tours take place every day M-F at 5:15pm, and Sundays at 7:15pm at Launch Point (Level 1 of the ITLL by the 3D Printers).

Break Periods (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall)

• Monday-Friday 9:00am-4:00pm* (card access for CU affiliates only)

*excluding University holidays

For card access information, please contact the ITL Progr am Front Desk .

For the Public, K-12 Students, Small Groups, and Large Groups

The ITL Laboratory is open for self-guided tours! To request more information about a tour, please contact: [email protected]

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Local News | ‘I can’t believe I made it’: Students celebrate…

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Local news | ‘i can’t believe i made it’: students celebrate at cu boulder’s graduation ceremony.

“I never thought I’d be able to do this … to be able to go through this is nothing short of a miracle,” Bargas said.

Bargas is one of more than 9,400 students who earned a degree from the University of Colorado Boulder during its graduation ceremony on Thursday at Folsom Field. Bargas, a first-generation college student from Thornton, said earning his degree in neuroscience wasn’t easy.

“In a degree where it’s very difficult in some classes you always feel like you don’t, I guess in a sense, belong,” Bargas said. “Like you’re not smart enough and all this, so just believing in yourself is always a struggle.”

Now, he’s excited and nervous for the future.

Students ages 20 to 63 were honored at CU Boulder’s graduation ceremony on Thursday. Despite the clouds hovering above the stadium, attendees made it through without any rainfall, enduring only slightly chilly temperatures and cloudy skies. The university awarded 6,882 bachelor’s degrees, 1,789 master’s degrees, 141 MBAs, 194 law degrees and 464 doctoral degrees.

“Honestly, I can’t believe I made it. I’m so excited, I’m so proud of myself and everyone else who’s made it this far,” graduate Isabella Caccia said. “College is not easy, so it’s a big accomplishment that should be celebrated.”

Caccia is graduating with a degree in integrative physiology and plans to take the MCAT exam to attend medical school and ultimately become a doctor.

“I think being in college has made me realize that you have to be the one to stand up for yourself because you can’t trust other people to stand up for you,” Caccia said. “You’ve got to be your own advocate, you’ve got to be your own support system because when those things fail in other people you don’t want to drown. You’ve got to make sure you support yourself.”

Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, delivered the commencement address. Wozniak attended CU Boulder from 1968 to 1969 before returning to California, where he co-founded Apple Computer Inc. with Steve Jobs in 1976. He holds an honorary doctorate in engineering, conferred in 1989, from CU Boulder.

“You’ve all been educated to be leaders, not followers,” Wozniak said. “Don’t do what everyone else tells you and don’t do what everyone else does. Think for yourself and decide what’s right and wrong.”

He advised the class of 2024 to “stay honest, keep smiling and pay your own successes forward by helping others.”

“You’ll forget a lot of your class material over time but one thing you’ll remember is the people you had experiences with and your time here at CU and today,” Wozniak said.

Graduate Davis Lapkin is happy to be done. He earned a degree in computer science and said the classes were often challenging and stressful.

“It’s definitely pretty relieving being able to say that I’m finished and I’m done now,” Lapkin said. “It’s definitely happy being able to say that.”

Lapkin will return to Florida after graduation to take time off before finding a job. He said his time at CU Boulder helped him be more outgoing.

“I was kind of shy and introverted when I first came into school and it’s definitely brought me out of my shell a lot, and the bigger school and bigger city helped with that,” Lapkin said.

Thursday’s ceremony was Chancellor Phil DiStefano’s last as chancellor. He said it’s particularly special for this group of graduates, many of whom arrived at CU Boulder during the pandemic in 2020.

“It’s extra special for our students, for their parents, their grandparents and it’s special for us to be able to celebrate with them since they didn’t have a high school graduation,” DiStefano said. “These are going to be wonderful graduates, wonderful alumni for the university and I look forward to what they do.”

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• LASP 75th Anniversary
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LASP designated first Center of Excellence for Capacity Building in CubeSat Technologies

• May 16, 2024

The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) has designated the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder a COSPAR Center of Excellence for Capacity Building in CubeSat Technologies. The partnership was announced by COSPAR President Pascale Ehrenfreund at a ceremony at LASP, which was attended by University of Colorado Boulder administrators, LASP senior leadership and scientists, and representatives from industry and NASA.

“For decades, the work of the Committee on Space Research has been a critical part of the international collaborations that are necessary to advance science and develop new space disciplines,” said University of Colorado Boulder Chancellor Phillip DiStefano in opening remarks at the LASP Space Technology Building. “It is exciting to have the opportunity to advance global collaboration through our work specifically with small satellites, and CU Boulder is thrilled to be recognized as COSPAR’s first Center of Excellence for Capacity Building in CubeSat Technologies.”

In announcing the partnership, Ehrenfreund cited LASP’s record of pioneering CubeSat missions and its leadership in the International Satellite Program in Research and Education (INSPIRE), a consortium of universities around the world formed to advance space science and engineering and further space science education in developing countries, which is spearheaded by CU Boulder and led by Amal Chandran, LASP CubeSat Program lead. 

“It is an honor and a privilege for LASP to be named the first COSPAR Center of Excellence for Capacity Building in CubeSat Technologies,” said LASP Director Dan Baker. “With science returned on all our small satellite missions to date, and a proven record of successfully miniaturizing a range of scientific instruments, LASP has become an established leader in the SmallSat revolution. We’re dedicated to using this expertise to build small satellite capacity to further scientific discovery and train the next generation of space scientists.”

The INSPIRE program was founded with the help of s eed funding from the University of Colorado Provost’s Office in 2015. The program  joins students, instructors, universities, industry, and space agencies around the world in an endeavor to educate new engineers and scientists, build and launch new space missions, and drive leading-edge scientific discovery and technology. 

Speaking on behalf of University of Colorado Provost Russ Moore at the event,  Vice Chancellor for Academic Resource Management  Ann Schmiesing  said,  “CU is proud to continue LASP’s long legacy of achievement in this exciting effort, and to play a vital role in this international capacity-building program, which will foster professional links and global collaboration.”

As of 2023, 43 COSPAR capacity building workshops have been held in 22 developing countries, with participation by more than 1,200 students from 70 countries. 

“Establishment of the COSPAR Center of Excellence aligns with COSPAR’s recent efforts in small satellites, specifically targeting institutes and universities in developing countries to engage in CubeSat technology development,” Ehrenfreund said. “It will help make space exploration accessible to everyone and empower the next generation of space scientists and engineers.”

Carlos Gabriel, Chair of the COSPAR Panel on Capacity Building, spoke about fostering excellence in developing countries, sharing scientific knowledge, and building capacity in science, which can also lead to improvements in applied science, health, and education. 

“While space science can be expensive, participation is possible on different scales, for example, through developing scientific instruments and encouraging scientists to use data from space missions,” Gabriel said. “Additionally, students can learn data analysis and software development.”

This summer, the first joint COSPAR-LASP SmallSat summer school will be held at LASP, with five COSPAR-sponsored interns from the National University of Engineering in Lima, Peru. The students will work on COSPAR satellites that will provide space weather data as part of the COSPAR Task Group for establishing a Constellation of Small Satellites (TGCSS), of which Baker and Chandran have been chair and vice chair, respectively, since its inception in 2020. 

The event also included tours of LASP facilities, a lunch with students and early career staff, and presentations on LASP SmallSat Programs including CSSWE / CIRBE by Xinlin Li, CUTE by Kevin France, DYNAGLO by Aimee Merkel, and  MinXSS-3 (DAXSS),  which is part of the payload of  INSPIRESat-1 , by Bennet Schwab.

The INSPIRE program aims to provide a constellation of Earth and space weather observing satellites and develop a university microsatellite platform to address some of the outstanding questions in quantifying climate change, atmospheric coupling processes, and space weather effects. INSPIRE offers participating universities and industry partners the opportunity for cutting-edge research in the earth sciences and developing spacecraft technologies.

Current INSPIRE universities are: University of Colorado Boulder; University of Iowa; University of Alberta, Canada; University of Versailles, France; Sultan Qaboos University at Muscat, Oman; The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, India; Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; The National Central University, Taiwan; Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan; Research Centre Jülich, Wuppertal University, Germany.

-By Sara Pratt, Senior Communications Specialist

Founded a decade before NASA, the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder is on a mission to transform human understanding of the cosmos by pioneering new technologies and approaches to space science. The institute is at the forefront of solar, planetary, and space physics research, climate and space-weather monitoring, and the search for evidence of habitable worlds. LASP is also deeply committed to inspiring and educating the next generation of space explorers. From the first exploratory rocket measurements of Earth’s upper atmosphere to trailblazing observations of every planet in the solar system, LASP continues to build on its remarkable history with a nearly $1 billion portfolio of new research and engineering programs, backed by superb data analysis, reliable mission operations, and skilled administrative support.

Recent News:

LASP’s Tom Woods awarded NASA Outstanding Public Leadership Medal

Get to Know a LASPian: Chip Bollendonk

LASP welcomes NASA Heliophysics leadership

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22 CU Boulder engineering students earn major National Science Foundation fellowships

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The national awards recognize and support outstanding grad students from across the country in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees.

Awardees receive a $37,000 annual stipend and cost of education allowance for the next three years as well as professional development opportunities.

CU Boulder is in the top universities 15 nationally for the NSF fellowship recipients for 2024, with 27 awardees across all majors . CU Engineering also has a strong track record with winning the fellowships — 28 students received GRFP awards in 2023, 23 students received them in 2022 , and 26 students received them in 2021 .

The 2024 Honorees

Emma Aldrich

Biological Engineering

Advisor: Kayla Sprenger Lab: Rationally Designed Immunotherapeutics & Interfaces Research Group

My research leverages computational tools to address questions in immunology, inflammation and cancer. Specifically, I aim to investigate novel therapeutics between Alzheimer’s Disease and glioma, using physics-based simulations to identify and target mechanisms that disrupt the tumor immunoediting process. One of my current projects is investigating how TREM2, a protein expressed on the immune cells of the brain, can mediate tumor suppression mechanisms of a platinum-IV chemotherapeutics in colorectal cancer. Creative applications of computational pipelines allow me to ask new questions at the interface of immunology, oncology and engineering, hopefully leading to solutions to urgent challenges. 

Timotej Bernat

Chemical Engineering

Advisor:   Michael R. Shirts Lab: Shirts Research Group

My research focuses on development of software and techniques for constructing and modeling general organic polymer systems at the atomic, molecular and nanoscale using molecular dynamics. Polymer design is essential to many active research areas including identifying suitable sustainable and recyclable plastics, compatibilizing polymer-biopolymer interfaces for biomedical engineering and therapeutics, and designing self-healing materials with dynamic covalent networks. However, systematic exploration of chemical and morphological polymer design spaces is practically impossible using experimental methods alone and requires assistance from computational structure-function models. I am currently active in two sustainability-driven collaborations with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), dealing with high-throughput screening of biomass-derived replacements for petroleum plastic monomers and lignin-derived replacements for common commercial plasticizers, respectively.

Chemical and Biological Engineering

Advisors:  Wyatt Shields  and  Ankur Gupta Labs: Shields Lab and Laboratory of Interfaces, Flow and Electrokinetics (LIFE)

The goal of my research is to build a deeper understanding of active particle systems for improving targeted systems, such as targeted drug delivery. By leveraging both computational frameworks and experimental methodologies, I will gain a holistic understanding of how we can fabricate microparticle systems and integrate them into biological environments safely and effectively. In doing so, I hope to develop a framework that allows researchers to bridge the gap between the lab bench and patient bedsides. I look forward to starting my  PhD at the University of Michigan this fall! 

Bryan Durham

Advisors: Iain Boyd and Daniil Andrienko Lab: Nonequilibrium Gas and Plasma Dynamics Laboratory (NGPDL)

I'll be investigating the coupling effects between high-energy, short-duration fluid-laser, and material-laser interactions. The aim of the project is to try to understand the physical processes that occur when an ultra-short femtosecond laser interacts with a surface adjacent to a high-speed chemically reacting flowfield.

Mikaela Felix

Advisor: Hisham Ali Lab: Magnetoaerodynamics and Aerospace Plasmas Laboratory (CU-MAPLAB)

I will be focused on Entry, Descent, and Landing research.

Shantae Gallegos

• Biomedical Engineering

Advisor: Corey Neu Lab: Soft Tissue Bioengineering Laboratory

My research addresses the emerging and multifaceted field of Cartilage-Bone Crosstalk (CBC), a key factor in musculoskeletal health and disease, yet its underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Cartilage and bone transmit mechanical forces within joints, but alterations in their structure and function can disrupt cellular communication, leading to diseases like osteoarthritis. To understand CBC, it is crucial to experimentally replicate both healthy and pathological tissue structures. A major challenge has been the lack of an in vitro platform that accurately mimics the joint’s mechanical environment, essential for studying cellular interactions. Our research will address this by developing a new on-chip system that introduces mechanical stimuli to effectively simulate the joint environment, thereby providing insights into how mechanical forces influence cellular communication and contribute to musculoskeletal health and disease. This innovative approach will advance our understanding of disease mechanisms, pave the way for breakthroughs in drug discovery, and accelerate the development of precise therapies for joint-related disorders.

Dylan Hamilton

Materials Science

Advisors: Michael Toney and Donal Finegan Labs: Toney Group and the NREL Center for Integrated Mobility Systems

Solid-state Li-ion batteries present a promising pathway to safely increase energy density for longer-range electric vehicles. The use of a solid electrolyte in solid-state batteries creates chemo-mechanical issues as the cathode expands/contracts with cycling that can lead to capacity fade and have yet to be fully understood. My research involves using a suite of advanced X-ray computed tomography characterization techniques (similar to a medical CT scan) to better understand these degradation processes to inform improvements on solid-state batteries.

Olivia Irvin

Advisor: Timothy Whitehead Lab: Whitehead Research Group

In my research, I use protein engineering to make better influenza vaccine immunogens. I use computational design tools, yeast display and deep sequencing techniques to redesign viral proteins. Upon immunization with these proteins, the immune system should more robustly target regions of the influenza protein that offer broader protection against a variety of flu strains. 

Reegan Ketzenberger

Mechanical Engineering

As a recent graduate of the materials science & engineering department at the University of Michigan, I became interested in materials for renewable energy after working as a summer R&D intern at a hydrogen electrolysis company as well as conducting energy justice research with Dr. Sita Syal at U-M throughout the school year. At CU Boulder, I look forward to pursuing research in the field of electrochemistry and energy storage throughout my graduate studies. Traditional methods of hydrogen production such as coal gasification and natural gas steam reforming rely on fossil fuels, but electrolysis, the reaction that involves splitting water with an electric current to produce hydrogen and oxygen, offers a clean alternative. My proposed research project seeks to understand the impact of porosity and tortuosity of sintered titanium porous transport layers on titanium passivation and in situ mass transportation limits in proton exchange membrane electrolyzers.

Cate Leszcz

Advisor: Iain Boyd Lab: Nonequilibrium Gas and Plasma Dynamics Laboratory (NGPDL)

My research is in the field of hypersonics, specifically computational modeling of planetary entry flows. I will be using NGPDL’s hypersonic Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code to model the entry environment for the ice giant planets, which are a top priority for the next NASA flagship mission. Hypersonic flows are typically characterized by speeds 5 times the speed of sound or greater, which cause massive heat loads to the vehicle and chemical reactions to occur within the surrounding flow. The goal of my research is to determine the sensitivities of radiative heating predictions from NGPDL’s hypersonic CFD code to the atmospheric composition of the ice giant planets, which is not well characterized. Understanding these sensitivities is important to create a robust spacecraft design for future missions.

Ryan Menges

Advisor: Daniel Scheeres Lab: Celestial Spaceflight Mechanics Lab (CSML)

My research lies at the intersection of dynamical systems theory and spacecraft navigation. In my current work, I am developing semi-analytical methods for spacecraft state propagation and navigation in cislunar space utilizing high-fidelity dynamical models. I am particularly interested in enabling advanced spacecraft autonomy.

Dylan Meyer

Electrical Engineering

Advisor: Scott Diddams Lab: Frequency Comb & Quantum Metrology Lab

My research proposal is the development of highly stable and robust millimeter wave time and frequency (T&F) transfer, supporting T&F transfer between atomic clocks. T&F transfer is used to create clock networks that are essential for positioning and navigation, such as GPS and essential infrastructure like the Internet and power grid. These technologies support up to $1 billion dollars of trade and financial transactions a day. In addition, these clock networks are capable of fundamental science experiments capable of probing new and exciting questions related to physics and geodesy.

Madeline Pernat

Civil Engineering

Advisors: Joseph Kasprzyk and Edie Zagona Labs: Kasprzyk Research Group and the Center for Advanced Decision Support for Water and Environmental Systems (CADSWES)

My research focuses on large-scale water management in the Colorado River Basin and Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the largest reservoirs in the basin. The current policies governing operations are set to expire at the end of 2026, necessitating the development of new "post-2026" policies. My research utilizes multiobjective optimization to generate new potential operating policies. This approach is used due to the presence of many conflicting objectives within the basin, such as ensuring water deliveries, producing hydropower, and meeting environmental flow requirements. Multiobjective optimization is used to search for a set of policies, where each policy strikes a unique balance among the objectives. The generated policies cover a wide range in terms of performance characteristics, enabling stakeholders to identify policies that cater to their interests while also understanding tradeoffs and potential shortcomings. Secondly, I am developing a novel visual framework to enhance the decision-making process. This framework will enable stakeholders and decision-makers to visualize the array of potential future scenarios, while also illustrating how various policies would perform across them.

Advisors:   Cody Scarborough and Robert MacCurdy Lab Groups:   Electromagnetic Metamaterials Research Group and Matter Assembly Computation Lab

My research proposal is on the application of multi-material additive manufacturing techniques for metamaterial antennas. Metamaterial antennas are capable of more sophisticated capabilities and unique form-factors compared to conventional antennas. By leveraging multi-material additive manufacturing, there are more degrees-of-freedom for the shape and composition of the metamaterials. This research would enhance the design flexibility and capabilities of next-generation antennas to meet the growing performance demands of future wireless systems.

My research uses computational tools, namely molecular dynamics simulations, to determine the protein-ligand binding mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, I aim to understand how an immune receptor protein known as TREM2, and its soluble form, modulate neuroinflammation. The ultimate goal of my project is to combine computational and wet lab tools to design novel Alzheimer's therapeutics. 

Aliza Siddiqui

Advisor: Joshua Combes Lab: Combes Theory Group

My proposal involves creating a new benchmarking/testing framework for the next generation of error-corrected quantum computers. Given the noise of physical qubits, recent work has suggested combining the state of several physical qubits to create a logical qubit. I will collaborate with Dr. Josh Combes and Sandia National Labs for my PhD. Through this work, the quantum community will have a tool-kit that will help us determine how well a quantum computer performs, diagnose what and where the issues are and create solutions to realize full-scale, error-corrected quantum systems. 

Advisor: John Pellegrino Lab:  Membrane Science & Technology

I did my undergrad in Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech before coming to Boulder for my PhD in Mechanical Engineering. For the past two years, I've been working on the characterization, tuning, and scale-up of graphene-based membrane electrodes (grMEs). The funding from the GRFP will allow me to pursue low technology readiness level (TRL) electrochemical device development using these grMEs. In particular, I plan on exploring hybrid electrophoretic/size exclusion-based separations for biopharmaceutical development and processing.

Katie Trese

Advisor:   Wyatt Shields Lab: Shields Lab

Some immune cell types are particularly good at migrating to sites of inflammation, such as solid cancer tumors. The goal of my project is to harness this capability of immune cells to bring drug-loaded nanoparticles directly to diseased tissue. To do so, I will investigate nanoparticle engineering, the ability of sound waves to purify cells, and the effect of nanoparticles on immune cell behavior. My hope is that the work done in this project will improve accessibility and patient outcomes for cell-based immunotherapies for a variety of treatment scenarios. 

Jennifer Wu

Advisor: Daven Henze Lab: Henze Group

My research will involve using computer simulations and environmental observations to investigate the impact of atmospheric constituents on air quality and climate change. By coupling satellite observations with state-of-the-art air pollution models, I aim to provide more accurate estimates of emissions to better inform climate and public health policy. Previously at Caltech, I worked closely with scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in analyzing methane and carbon monoxide measurements in the Los Angeles Basin.

Callie Wynn

Advisor: Torin Clark Lab: Bioastronautics Lab

I will be studying the impacts of hypo and microgravity on the human body. While I will be exploring multiple research interests, I plan to study SANS (Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome) and the proposed theories as to why this condition develops during prolonged spaceflight, including a headward fluid shift and elevated intracranial pressure. Additionally, I will be conducting research regarding the neurovestibular changes experienced by pilots and astronauts. I will be testing various countermeasures to limit the impact of each condition before, during, and after spaceflight, helping to ensure the safety of future missions.

William Xie

• Computer Science

Advisor:  Nikolaus Correll Lab: Correll Lab

Xie's research is focused on enabling accessible & assistive robotics in the open world: in our homes, sidewalks, schools, and stores. Of the manifold components to this problem, his proposal seeks to address three key research areas in the context of a supermarket: 1) understanding human preferences for interacting with assistive robots, hand in hand with 2) developing robust and generalizable robot manipulation with multimodal foundation models, in order to 3) build end-to-end human-robot interaction systems which can be deployed in real-world, cluttered, and dynamic environments.

Raquel Yupanqui

Advisor: Theodora Chaspari

I will be working with Latino communities and will hope to make a positive impact, promoting inclusivity and diversity in tech. I am very excited to pursue a new research project in a field I am passionate about.

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Departments

• Ann and H.J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences
• Chemical & Biological Engineering
• Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering
• Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering
• Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering
• Applied Mathematics
• Creative Technology & Design
• Engineering Education
• Engineering Management
• Engineering Physics
• Environmental Engineering
• Integrated Design Engineering
• Materials Science & Engineering

Affiliates & Partners

• ATLAS Institute
• BOLD Center
• Colorado Mesa University
• Colorado Space Grant Consortium
• Discovery Learning
• Engineering Honors
• Engineering Leadership
• Entrepreneurship
• Herbst Program for Engineering, Ethics & Society
• Integrated Teaching and Learning
• International Programs
• Mortenson Center for Global Engineering
• National Center for Women & Information Technology
• Western Colorado University