Education

ME outreach program brings big engineering dreams to small rural towns

Alexander Servantez — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 21:56:29 +0000

ME outreach program brings big engineering dreams to small rural towns Alexander Servantez Wed, 04/01/2026 - 15:56

Associate Research Professor Daniel Knight and Professor Michael Hannigan are leading an outreach program that connects CU Boulder students with rural high schools to introduce hands-on engineering experiences in the classroom. The initiative, known as the Science and Engineering Inquiry Collaborative (SCENIC), serves 12 schools and nearly 700 high school students across rural Colorado each year, turning local questions about air and soil quality into real-world research projects.

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How CU Boulder built a biomedical engineering powerhouse

Alexander Servantez — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 21:01:58 +0000

How CU Boulder built a biomedical engineering powerhouse Alexander Servantez Wed, 03/25/2026 - 15:01

When the first biomedical engineering class graduated from CU Boulder in 2023, about a dozen students walked across the stage. Today, that once-small start has evolved into a powerful engine for biomedical innovation and education. But how does a program go from modest beginnings to powerhouse in such a short time?

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ME senior project turns waste heat into clean energy savings

Alexander Servantez — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 20:53:21 +0000

ME senior project turns waste heat into clean energy savings Alexander Servantez Wed, 03/25/2026 - 14:53

Many industrial facilities rely on cryogenic gases for processes such as cooling, materials testing or energy transport. But before those gases can be used, they must be vaporized with electricity-intensive equipment that can cost companies tens of thousands of dollars each year. A team of seniors are working to address that problem by developing a heat-exchange device for their senior capstone project that captures waste heat circulating through refrigeration systems.

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Kiewit Design-Build Scholars Program extends impact through 2032

emad5542 — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:21:53 +0000

Kiewit Design-Build Scholars Program extends impact through 2032 emad5542 Mon, 03/02/2026 - 12:21

April Driver

The 2024-25 Kiewit Scholars cohort

A renewed commitment from Kiewit Corporation will empower engineering students at the University of Colorado Boulder to lead in the infrastructure and construction industries for years to come.

The Kiewit Design-Build Scholars Program at CU Boulder bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world engineering, offering students hands-on experiences to prepare them to thrive in a rapidly evolving workforce. Through mentorship, site tours, internships, professional development and a vibrant community network, the program combines academic excellence with industry engagement. Scholars gain the technical skills, confidence and professional connections they need to shape the future of infrastructure and construction.

CU Boulder recently received a generous $2.5 million pledge from Kiewit Corporation to continue the program through 2032, expanding opportunities for students and strengthening a partnership that has become a model for industry and academic collaboration.

"Kiewit Corporation's continuing investment will empower our students with unmatched opportunities to innovate, lead and shape the future of engineering and construction," said Keith Molenaar, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science. “The Kiewit Design‑Build Scholars Program is a model for how industry–university collaboration translates student potential into impact. This partnership doesn’t just benefit our students; it amplifies the collective economic impact that CU Boulder and Kiewit make across Colorado.”

Preparing students to lead from day one

The Kiewit Design-Build Scholars Program ensures CU Boulder engineering students graduate ready to make an immediate impact. Scholars benefit from professional development sessions, mentorship from experienced engineers and guaranteed summer internships—experiences that set them apart in the job market.

“At the Engineering Career Hub, our mission is to help students chart their career path, gain professional experience and build professional networks,” said Ben Weihrauch, EdD, senior director of student professional development at CU Engineering. “This is exactly what the Kiewit Design-Build Scholars program does. Kiewit Scholars graduate from CU Engineering ready to make an impact on society. The program is second-to-none.”

Students agree. One scholar shared that the most beneficial aspect of Kiewit’s program is the ability to prepare for careers after school through valuable experiential opportunities and inside looks at the design and construction industry.

Expanding access to engineering education

Along with the expanded commitment through 2032, Kiewit’s contribution will increase scholarship funding to $8,000 annually for each of the program’s 26 scholars, helping relieve financial stress and making an engineering education more accessible.

This gift reflects Kiewit’s dedication to supporting higher education through workforce development. As one of North America’s largest and most respected construction and engineering organizations, Kiewit designs and builds projects across power, transportation, water, oil, gas and chemical, marine, building, industrial and mining markets.

With Kiewit’s continued support, CU Boulder is setting the standard for industry and academic partnerships that prepare students to tackle the infrastructure challenges of tomorrow. Together, Kiewit and CU Boulder are shaping future leaders who transform the built environment and strengthen communities across the globe.

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Brewing engineers: Inside CU Boulder’s new food engineering program

Alexander James Servantez — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 22:25:43 +0000

Brewing engineers: Inside CU Boulder’s new food engineering program Alexander Jame… Wed, 12/03/2025 - 15:25

Faculty member Carmen Pacheco is the architect behind the Food Engineering Graduate Certificate, one of CU Boulder's most innovative academic ventures. Launched in 2024, the program was designed to introduce engineering students to the science behind their favorite foods and career opportunities in the food industry, but it can also reinforce scientific concepts that students can apply to any engineering discipline.

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Skydiving into a PhD

Jeff Zehnder — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 19:07:56 +0000

Skydiving into a PhD Jeff Zehnder Thu, 10/16/2025 - 13:07

Jeff Zehnder

Adam Harris is advancing the frontiers of aerodynamics as a non-traditional student, finishing up a doctoral program in which he never expected to enroll.

“I’m writing computational fluid dynamics and finite element codes to study flow control by phononic materials and structures. A phonon is the quantum of vibrational energy, a quasi-particle that could give birth to a whole new species of technology,” Harris said.

A PhD student in the materials science and engineering program, Harris began his college journey in 2012 as a psychology major, but his time at CU Boulder did not last long.

“I didn’t show up to classes and just really didn't care. I was placed on academic probation my first semester and academic suspension my second,” Harris said.

A native of Miami, he elected to stay in Boulder, working in construction and landscaping. In 2014, Harris enrolled at Front Range Community College for an associate’s degree in business.

Skydiving Hobby

Harris also started skydiving as a hobby, hanging out at Vance Brand Airport in Longmont, making up to 10 jumps a day. Eventually, he was hired there for a paid ground crew position.

“I was surrounded by people who were monitoring weather, maintaining aircraft, and discussing flight mechanics. I started teaching myself basic aerodynamics, watching TED talks and physics documentaries online. It all became more and more interesting to me,” he said.

After finishing at Front Range, Harris decided to continue onto a four-year business degree at CU Boulder. Because of his past suspension, enrolling required an appointment with an admissions advisor. The meeting would change the direction of his life.

Changing Gears

“I told her about all the science, engineering, and physics I was being exposed to. She looked at me suspiciously and said, ‘Are you sure you want to study business?’ Nope, put me down for physics,” Harris said.

He steamrolled through his courses, earning As and Bs in subjects where he had previously shown little interest. In the five years since his first stint at CU Boulder, Harris had grown significantly.

“Turns out I really love math. I think my success was a product of motivation and how much I enjoyed where I was, the people around me, what I was learning, and relevance to my passions. I have a GPS in my skydiving helmet and I would always try to connect course concepts to data acquired from wingsuit flights,” he said.

As he was completing his bachelor’s, a connection with Mahmoud Hussein, a professor in the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, opened the door to graduate school.

Graduate School

“I was still enjoying classes but I paid for undergrad myself, so I didn’t want to continue accumulating debt. I started talking to Mahmoud, and when I learned engineering PhD programs cover tuition and living expenses, there was no question. What an opportunity,” Harris said.

Hussein became his graduate advisor as Harris earned two master’s degrees – in aerospace and materials science. He expects to finish his PhD in materials science next spring.

His dissertation is centered on phononic subsurfaces (PSubs), which could lead to radical increases in fuel economy for jet aircraft and hypersonic vehicles. It has been a focus of Hussein’s lab for 15 years, beginning at the theoretical level and now approaching the applied stage, thanks in part to a major Office of Naval Research grant awarded last year.

“This started with purely computational work and now we’re 3D printing PSubs. We can validate the PSub’s tuned frequency response with a laser vibrometer, and we have candidate prototypes that yield the response we expect. We’re going to begin the first wind tunnel tests in collaboration with the Experimental Aerodynamics Laboratory at CU Boulder very soon,” Harris said.

What's Next?

As he writes his dissertation, Harris’s research background offers a wealth of career opportunities, but he is hoping for a particular dream job that would combine fluid dynamics and computational modeling with his love of skydiving.

It may sound like a fantasy. It is not.

“There’s a company in California that builds parachutes used for space craft atmospheric re-entry,” Harris said. “The job description is everything I’m doing at CU Boulder, plus a requirement of parachute rigging experience, which I have.”

Wherever Harris lands, he is a long way from his beginnings in Boulder as an 18-year-old psych major.

“I think this is where I was supposed to be all along,” Harris said. “I just wasn’t aware of it back then. The synchronicity is really cool.”

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CU Engineering ranked No. 15 among public peers

Emily Adams — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 13:54:14 +0000

CU Engineering ranked No. 15 among public peers Emily Adams Tue, 09/23/2025 - 07:54

Aerospace, environmental and civil lead the way with top 10 specialty rankings.

Learn more

CU Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science is the No. 15 best undergraduate engineering program in the U.S. when compared to its public peers, U.S. News and World Report announced today.

Our engineering program was ranked No. 28 overall when compared to 210 other public and private universities that also offer PhD programs. CU Engineering was tied with Ohio State University, the University of Minnesota and the University of Southern California.

“CU Engineering’s rise to No. 15 among public institutions is a testament to the extraordinary dedication of our faculty, staff, students and alumni,” Dean Keith Molenaar said. “It reflects our commitment to innovation and the transformative impact of engineering education and research. While we focus on our mission and not our rankings, it is good to be recognized in such high regard by our peers.”

In the engineering and computing specialty rankings, five CU Boulder engineering degrees were also ranked in the top 15 amongst publics:

The rankings were released on the U.S. News and World Report website on Sept. 23. Undergraduate rankings are based solely on the judgments of deans and senior faculty at peer institutions who participated in a peer assessment survey. Read more about the methodology.

Our engineering program was ranked No. 28 overall when compared to 210 other public and private universities that also offer PhD programs.

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CU Engineering builds on sustainability leadership with new MS in sustainable engineering

Caroline Harrah — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 17:36:05 +0000

CU Engineering builds on sustainability leadership with new MS in sustainable engineering Caroline Harrah Mon, 09/22/2025 - 11:36

Caroline Harrah

The University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Engineering & Applied Science is building on its leadership in sustainability research and education with the launch of a new Master of Science in Sustainable Engineering.

Guided by the principle of sustainability “by design,” the program integrates a systems-level approach with advanced engineering in the context of ecological integrity, economic viability and human well-being, preparing graduates to tackle the world’s most urgent challenges with durable, real-world solutions.

From extreme weather to systems strained by growing demand to aging infrastructure, communities worldwide face mounting challenges in engineering systems that are resilient, efficient and human-centered. Meeting these needs requires engineers who can balance technical rigor with an understanding of economics, policy and the human and environmental trade-offs that shape decision-making.

Yet the shortage of professionals with this breadth of expertise has slowed progress at the very moment when industries and communities are seeking sustainable pathways forward.

“Our world is at a tipping point where sustainable engineering is essential to ensure resilient energy and water systems, infrastructure and materials for the future,” said Karl Linden, chair of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering. “CU Boulder brings together world-class faculty, cutting-edge research and Boulder’s culture of innovation to prepare students not just to respond to this demand but to lead the global transition to a more sustainable future.”

CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Sustainable Engineering features an integrated curriculum that brings together expertise from CU Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science, the College of Arts and Sciences and the Leeds School of Business. Alongside engineering coursework, students participate in classes on business strategy, policy, management and data storytelling, a unique interdisciplinary approach among engineering programs.

This combination equips graduates with the ability not only to design sustainable technologies but also to evaluate their economic viability, navigate regulatory frameworks and communicate solutions in ways that influence decision-makers. A capstone project with industry or government partners ensures that students leave with hands-on experience applying these skills to real-world challenges.

The program’s interdisciplinary approach is anchored in CU Boulder’s world-class research across core pillars of sustainable engineering that students will experience.

Graduates of the program will be prepared for careers that span energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, water and sustainable materials. Possible roles range from power systems and energy storage engineers to sustainability managers, environmental process engineers and green product designers.

Equipped with both deep technical expertise and the interdisciplinary skills to lead complex projects, they will be ready to lead organizations and communities through the urgent global transition to a sustainable future.

The program is now accepting applications for fall 2026!

Learn more about the program and admissions requirements:

MS in Sustainable Engineering

Sustainable Engineering Faculty & Research

In resilience, faculty members including Abbie B. Liel (infrastructure and housing resilience, structural systems under hazard loading), Shideh Dashti (multi-hazard risk, transportation/slope and embankment resilience), Srikanth S. C. Madabhushi (soil-structure interaction, liquefaction, dynamic loading via centrifuge modeling), Amy Javernick-Will (post-disaster shelter & reconstruction, organizational risk management) and Evan Thomas (resilience in water, sanitation, and environmental systems under disaster and global health contexts) are advancing earthquake-resistant infrastructure, disaster recovery and new methods to assess and strengthen critical systems.
In climate and water systems, faculty members including Edith Zagona (water resource modeling and management), Balaji Rajagopalan (climate impacts on infrastructure and Colorado River hydrology), Ben Livneh (hydrologic prediction and climate resilience), Aditi Bhaskar (climate effects on streams), Michael Gooseff (watershed hydrology), Joseph Kasprzyk (multi-objective water systems planning), and Zhi Li (flood prediction and risk assessment) are advancing modeling, prediction and design methods to create climate-resilient water and infrastructure systems.
In water quality, treatment and reuse, faculty including Karl Linden (advanced disinfection and water reuse technologies), Sherri Cook (sustainable water and wastewater infrastructure), Cresten Mansfeldt (microbial ecology and biogeochemical cycling), Sheldon Masters (drinking water quality and lead corrosion), Julie Korak (treatment process design and contaminant removal), Mark Hernandez (air and water microbiomes), and Joe Ryan (contaminant transport and geochemistry) are developing innovative approaches to purify, recycle and manage water resources. Their work advances safe, sustainable water systems that protect public health and enable communities to adapt to growing demand and environmental change.
In sustainable materials, researchers such as Mija H. Hubler (microstructure-designed concrete, engineered living building materials, fracture mechanics, durability), Wil V. Srubar III (carbon-storing / biologically augmented concretes, low-carbon alternative materials) and Cristina Torres-Machi (recycled pavement materials, full-depth reclamation, decision and optimization models for sustainable road and pavement rehabilitation) are pushing forward innovations that reduce environmental impact and enable circular economies.
Faculty leading sustainability analysis, such as Torres-Machi (life-cycle cost analysis, optimization, data-driven decision making for pavement and infrastructure asset management) and Sherri Cook (life cycle assessment/costing, resource recovery, and decision-frameworks under uncertainty for water, sanitation, and civil systems), are bringing forward new models that integrate long-term cost, carbon, environmental and social metrics into evaluations of infrastructure and service systems.
In power systems, faculty members such as Kyri Baker (smart grids, optimization of renewable integration, building-to-grid systems, algorithms for large-scale grid stability and real-time controls) are optimizing the integration of renewable energy sources and grid stability using advanced computational tools.
In sustainable building design, CU Boulder teams including Gregor P. Henze (advanced controls, model predictive and reinforcement learning control of HVAC and mixed-mode systems, and integration of building operations with the grid), Moncef Krarti (optimal retrofit and envelope design with glazing, insulation, dynamic façades, and controls for HVAC and lighting, as well as renewable energy integration) and John Z. Zhai (indoor environmental quality, passive and hybrid ventilation, thermal storage, and innovative building envelope and sustainable systems) are pioneering energy-efficient HVAC systems, building automation, and holistic building approaches that minimize resource use while promoting human well-being.
In sustainability education, CU Boulder faculty such as Jay Arehart ( life-cycle assessment and sustainability analysis) are preparing future engineers to integrate sustainability principles into infrastructure, materials and system design. Through curriculum innovation and applied coursework, students gain hands-on experience with the tools and methods needed to address pressing environmental and societal challenges.

The world needs engineers to help lead the transition to a sustainable future. CU Engineering is answering that call with the new Master of Science in Sustainable Engineering, preparing graduates to design resilient systems that balance ecological integrity, economic viability and human well-being.

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Building community around electrochemistry and energy innovation

Susan Glairon — Sat, 13 Sep 2025 15:26:41 +0000

Building community around electrochemistry and energy innovation Susan Glairon Sat, 09/13/2025 - 09:26

Co-organized by Professor Mike Toney, the 2025 Front Range Electrochemistry Workshop (FREW) broadly addressed electrochemical science, with this year’s focus on batteries reflecting their growing importance to everything from electric vehicles to renewable energy infrastructure.

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Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering welcomes new faculty for fall 2025

Charles Ferrer — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 15:55:32 +0000

Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering welcomes new faculty for fall 2025 Charles Ferrer Mon, 08/11/2025 - 09:55

The Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering Department at the University of Colorado Boulder is welcoming four new faculty members. Meet our new faculty and see why we're excited about these talented individuals!

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