Message from the Dean 2024
Keith Molenaar
Dear CU Engineering community,
As we close out another year and celebrate the class of 2024, I am filled with gratitude. Our students, faculty, staff and alumni create a remarkable, innovative community. I am more optimistic than ever for our future, and that鈥檚 why we are calling this edition of CU Engineering magazine 鈥淣ew Frontiers.鈥
The theme came to us in the fall, when we had the honor of hosting the National Academy of Engineering鈥檚 Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering Symposium. This prestigious event brought together around 100 early-career engineers to discuss cutting-edge developments in various fields. It got us thinking about all of the ways CU Engineering is pioneering new ideas in research, education and more.
In this issue, you鈥檒l meet two students who are part of our first Lattice Scholars cohort. This program is leading the way in offering debt-free engineering education to Pell Grant-eligible, first-generation college students from Colorado. I鈥檓 personally so proud of Lattice and so thankful to the supporters, faculty, staff and students who make it possible.
Our commitment to accessible education also took a significant step forward with the launch of new community college pathways with the Colorado Community College System, the first cohort of our LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate program and the inaugural graduating class of the CU 麻豆影院-Western Colorado University Partnership Program. You鈥檒l read more about those initiatives in the College News section.
We remain dedicated to assuring that all students leave CU Engineering with the skills they need to join the engineering workforce of the future. To that end, we recently celebrated the second graduating class of our interdisciplinary Biomedical Engineering Program. In fall 2025, we will welcome the first graduate students to our Robotics Program, another interdisciplinary initiative that is among just a handful of programs of its kind in the U.S. You鈥檒l also learn more about how we are grounding all of these educational opportunities in ethics and responsible engineering.
On the research side, CU Engineering is building on CU 麻豆影院鈥檚 long legacy of accomplishments in applied science to open new frontiers in quantum engineering. From work happening in labs across the college to new entrepreneurial ventures, we鈥檙e exploring the boundaries of what鈥檚 possible in the new quantum era.
Thank you for your continued support and engagement with our college. Together, we are shaping the future of engineering, making a positive impact on the world, and exploring new frontiers.
Go Buffs!
Keith Molenaar
Dean