麻豆影院

听On the Ball

The partnership between Ball Corp. and the 麻豆影院 dates back to the very dawn of the space program.

At that time, Ball was a glassmaker facing declines in its core home canning business. It was looking for the next big thing and, after putting feelers out across the country, connected with a few CU 麻豆影院 faculty members working on early space research.

It was a new industry and a radical change for the company, but 60 years later, it is still paying dividends for Ball and CU. Ball has sponsored aerospace senior design projects, collaborated with faculty on research and hired hundreds of engineering graduates.

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The partnership was broadened campuswide in 2018 with the first Ball Career Day. Engineering, business and communications students fanned out across the Denver area to tour various Ball manufacturing, administrative and research facilities before reconvening on campus for a networking reception with Ball employees.

鈥淗aving company senior leadership surrounding us like this is miraculous,鈥� senior aerospace major Alejandro Corral said during the reception. 鈥淚t was insane that one leader greeted me and shook my hand and started talking to me. Speaking to the company leaders like that was an experience you wouldn鈥檛 get at a career fair.鈥�

2018 also marked the second year of the 鈥˙all Sisters program, which works to 鈥╯upport women in engineering through a mentoring initiative that matches female students with a 鈥渟ister鈥� employee at Ball. Since its inception, the program has 鈥╠oubled in size, from 25 to 50 pairs.

鈥淚t is so rewarding to have a program that allows us opportunity to mentor our budding aerospace sisters,鈥� said Michele Miller, Ball鈥檚 director of missions and systems engineering. 鈥淭hese future leaders from CU are able to leverage our various talents and experiences, and along the way, we also get to learn a thing or two from them. It鈥檚 fun!鈥澨�

As CU 麻豆影院 looks forward to new collaborations and opportunities, those who know Ball鈥檚 contributions to the aerospace program can already vouch for the benefits they bring to the university.听

Above and beyond: New global aerospace degree

CU Engineering now offers a global aerospace engineering degree track, allowing students to graduate with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in aerospace engineering, minor in computer science, study abroad experience and co-op work experience in just five years.

The innovative new track provides students with the education and experience they need to be even more competitive in the aerospace job market, while also providing value for students and their families.

Students spend the first two-and-a-half years following the regular progression of aerospace courses and taking foundational courses in the computer science minor. In their third year, they will apply to a study abroad program with a strong basis in computer science. Currently, pre-approved study abroad programs in computer science are offered at nearly two dozen highly regarded universities in 13 countries.

While abroad in fall of their fourth year, students will continue working toward the computer science minor and take humanities and social science courses, while also applying for co-ops. When they return stateside, students will work alongside professionals through the spring and summer, earning valuable real-world experience and, 鈥╥n many cases, competitive wages. They鈥檒l return to campus in fall for their fifth and final year of aerospace engineering courses.

A BOLDer Celebration

In November, the College of Engineering and Applied Science celebrated the 10th anniversary of the BOLD Center, our award-winning program to support women and minorities in engineering.

The celebration at a 麻豆影院 art gallery brought 170 students, alumni and staff together to celebrate BOLD and the two programs it brought together鈥攖he Multicultural Engineering Program and Women in Engineering Program, which were started in the 1970s and 鈥�80s, respectively.听

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鈥淪ome of our students used to have to choose between belonging to MEP or WIEP, or they would have to split their time in two places,鈥� said Beverly Louie, former director of WIEP.
鈥淏OLD solved that. In the BOLD Center, our students can embrace all of their identities as whole individuals.鈥�

Earlier in 2018, BOLD was honored by the Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity as its Program of the Year. CoNECD is a forum for exploring current research and practices to enhance diversity and inclusion of all underrepresented groups in the engineering and computing professions.听

Two CU engineers elected to National Academy of Engineering

The National Academy of Engineering has elected Ann and H.J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences professor Penina Axelrad and alumnus (AeroEngr鈥�72) as new members in 2019. Axelrad is the Joseph T. Negler Professor and immediate past chair of Smead Aerospace at CU 麻豆影院. Agonafer is the Jenkins Garrett Professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Texas Arlington.

Expansion will unite business and engineering

In June, CU 麻豆影院 will break ground on the Business + Engineering Expansion, connecting the Engineering Center with the Koelbel Building. This 60,000-square-foot addition will improve collaboration between CU Engineering and the Leeds School of Business, provide additional classroom space and create a hub for university entrepreneurial endeavors. The expansion is targeted for completion 鈥╥n December 2020.

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A CU Engineering degree, grounded 鈥╥n Gunnison

A new collaboration between the College of Engineering and Applied Science and Western State University in Gunnison, Colorado, will allow students to earn their degrees in mechanical engineering and computer science, including computer science with an emphasis in software engineering, as graduates of CU 麻豆影院.听

They will complete their first two years as Western students, and the balance 听as CU 麻豆影院 students, all while remaining on the Western campus. Graduates will receive a Bachelor of Science degree and diploma from CU.

鈥淏y expanding the number of qualified students who have access to a technological education, this partnership between Western and CU will help meet the demands of our state鈥檚 rapidly expanding high-tech industries,鈥� Dean Bobby Braun said. 鈥淭his partnership is good for the economic competitiveness of our state and will allow CU to continue to expand our reach across the Western Slope.鈥�

On the road again: Dean鈥檚 State Tour

The second annual Engineering State Tour took Dean Bobby Braun and his wife, Karen, on a more than 900-mile trip around the Eastern Plains 鈥╥n September.

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In addition to visits to several 鈥↘鈥�12 schools and community 鈥╟olleges, Bobby also spent some 鈥╰ime at Colorado State University 鈥╝nd the University of Northern Colorado to talk about future collaboration and partnership opportunities. On the industry front, wind energy was a common theme 鈥ㄢ�� stops included NextEra Energy 鈥╥n Calhan, Northeastern Junior College鈥檚 wind technology 鈥╬rogram and Vestas in Greeley.

The dean鈥檚 mission is to travel to all four corners of Colorado to connect with industry partners and alumni, and to search out the best and brightest students. Future tours could also branch out into New Mexico and 鈥╫ther surrounding states.

Creating community college connections

CU 麻豆影院 is taking a leading role on a new $10 million National Science Foundation grant to increase the number of community college students who go on to study engineering at four-year colleges, a move intended to help pave the way for a more diverse workforce.

Millions of U.S. students finish high school ill-prepared in math, despite their aptitude for it. If they enroll at a community college 鈥� as many low-income, first-generation, minority and working college students do 鈥� they鈥檙e often so far behind that it鈥檚 hard to gain proficiency for timely transfer to a four-year engineering degree program.

The CU 麻豆影院 team and partners aim to help community college students study math intensively by providing specialized resources, 鈥╯uch as tutoring and STEM internships, and by lowering 鈥╟ommon barriers, such as financial aid and access to appropriate transportation and childcare.

鈥淪ociety needs more engineers, and more diversity in engineering,鈥� said Sarah Miller, one of CU 麻豆影院鈥檚 principal investigators and an assistant dean in the College of Engineering, who is directing the initiative in partnership with Saddleback College in California. 鈥淎merica鈥檚 community colleges have a vast trove of talented students, and we need to make the pathway to engineering for them accessible.鈥澨�

The college is also taking the lead in a three-year grant awarded through the NSF Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program.听

Sean Shaheen, associate professor of electrical, computer and energy engineering, and Janet Yowell of CU 麻豆影院鈥檚 Center for STEM Learning are directing the Authentic Research Experiences for Teachers (ARETe) program, which uses a train-the-trainer model to match community college faculty with CU 麻豆影院 engineering faculty to conduct research on the 麻豆影院 campus.听

The program provides community college faculty with professional development, mentoring and training on how to conduct research. Faculty will use what they鈥檝e learned to create in-class research experiences at their home colleges, multiplying an effect that will connect community college students across the Front Range to research at CU 麻豆影院 鈥╢or years to come.

Introducing Technology, Cybersecurity and Policy

CU Engineering has launched a new cybersecurity program that combines the expertise of the longstanding Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program with new strengths in defense and entrepreneurship.

The program, rebranded as the Technology, Cybersecurity and Policy Program, aims to give all undergraduates exposure to the topic, offering a new introductory cybersecurity course that doesn鈥檛 require a computer science background. 听

Because 鈥渃yber鈥� now impacts not just the internet, but everything from autonomous vehicles to medical devices, CU Engineering is committed to pushing the boundaries of how we think about cybersecurity and its future. For example, recent studies reveal that cyber attackers still rely heavily on human factors and especially 鈥渟ocial engineering.鈥� This means that our approach will take into account issues of confidentiality, authenticity, integrity, risk management and adversarial thinking.

New classes already announced:

• Introduction to Blockchain

• Immersive Cyber Defense

• The Business of Fintech

• The Mathematics of Cryptosystems

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Dear World: Breaking the ice through stories

During their first week on campus, our freshman class participated in a unique interactive experience that encouraged them to build community by sharing their personal stories.

Organizers said they brought Dear World to campus because being able to work as a team is vital in engineering, and teamwork requires personal connection. Students worked with their classmates to develop their stories, then wrote a phrase from their stories on their bodies for a photo shoot with Dear World facilitators. Senior aerospace engineering student Connie Childs was among the current students and alumni who volunteered to share their stories as part of the event. Visit the online edition of CU Engineering to watch a Dear World wrap-up video and to listen to a podcast interview with Childs.听

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Students who serve

CU 麻豆影院 launched a student chapter of the in February 2018. SAME is a national organization that leads efforts to confront national security and infrastructure challenges. CU鈥檚 chapter wants to connect CU students with SAME members and companies in these fields through guest presentations and field trips to government sites and projects. Their goal is to foster an inclusive environment for all students interested in these fields.

Timothy Barentine (EngrPhys鈥�18) of Cascade, Colorado, and Joseph Crawford of Durango, Colorado, who will graduate in May with a degree in environmental engineering, were selected for the U.S. Navy鈥檚 prestigious Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program.

鈥嬧赌�

Midshipman Gemma Nowak, U.S. Navy ROTC, a senior in mechanical engineering, received the RADM Michael R. Johnson, CEC, USN Scholarship from the NY City Post, Society of American Military Engineers (SAME). Cadet Zachary Donovan, U.S. Air Force ROTC, a senior in aerospace engineering, received the Charles H. Sells Scholarship from the NY City Post.

Opening in fall 2019

Our new aerospace hub is just weeks away from opening! Smead Aerospace faculty and staff will begin moving in this summer, and we will celebrate the grand opening on Aug. 26. Check out the fall edition of CU Engineering magazine for an inside look at this new campus focal point for aerospace research and education.

New Aerospace Building