2023 CU Engineering Magazine

The extra mile

Anonymous — Fri, 19 May 2023 21:32:12 +0000

The extra mile Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/19/2023 - 15:32

The Catalyze CU summer business accelerator will soon celebrate its 10th anniversary. Since 2014, it has been providing mentorship and funding to CU �鶹ӰԺ students, faculty and staff with promising business ideas.

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Diving In

Anonymous — Fri, 19 May 2023 16:23:47 +0000

Diving In Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/19/2023 - 10:23

Elsiana Kaelika Taitano

Not only will Carolyn Goodwin be one of the first students to graduate from the Western Colorado University-CU �鶹ӰԺ engineering partnership program in May 2023, she is also the first Western partnership student to participate in the Colorado Science and Engineering Policy Fellowship.

Goodwin majored in mechanical engineering and minoring in engineering management in the Western-CU partnership — one of 14 members of her cohort. She was drawn to the program by a scholarship and the chance to swim as an NCAA Division II student-athlete.

Through the policy fellowship, Goodwin got real-world experience meeting with legislators and staffers to learn more about lawmaking processes.

“There needs to be more STEM researchers in politics. The more people who view policy through the research lens, the better decisions will be made,” she said.

Goodwin said she encourages STEM students to consider representation of scientists and engineers in government.

“There’s more that you can do as an engineer than just being an engineer,” she said. “There’s a whole other world that you can get into.”

The Western Colorado University Partnership Program launched in 2019 and was supported by Western alumnus and CU �鶹ӰԺ Engineering Advisory Board member Paul M. Rady, chairman and CEO of Antero Resources.

The program gives students the opportunity to earn a mechanical engineering or computer science degree from CU �鶹ӰԺ, entirely from the Western campus in Gunnison.

In addition to small class sizes and athletic opportunities, Goodwin said she also enjoyed being part of building an engineering community at Western. She is a member of the campus Society of Automotive Engineers chapter, as well as a founding member of its American Society of Mechanical Engineers and Society of Women Engineers chapters. In summer 2022, Goodwin interned at Sundyne, an engineering firm in Arvada, Colorado.

Goodwin attributes her success in part to relationships she built with faculty, including Jenifer Blacklock, director of the partnership program. She said Blacklock’s dedication to students and fine-tuning the program’s structure has positively impacted the student experience.

“Jeni was really helpful and would accommodate our time to meet with her,” Goodwin said. “She also invited professors from the CU �鶹ӰԺ campus to share their experience in research and industry,” said Goodwin.

The first graduating class of the Western-CU partnership program is completing the program this spring.

Not only will Carolyn Goodwin be one of the first students to graduate from the Western Colorado University-CU �鶹ӰԺ engineering partnership program, she is also the first Western partnership student to participate in the Colorado Science and Engineering Policy Fellowship.

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'A model of what's possible'

Anonymous — Fri, 19 May 2023 16:23:32 +0000

'A model of what's possible' Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/19/2023 - 10:23

Grace Wilson

Since graduating with her PhD in technology, media and society through the ATLAS Institute in 2013, Heather Underwood has worn a lot of hats, from professor to nonprofit co-founder.

Today, she is CEO of EvoEndo, a company that specializes in endoscopes small enough to be used with unsedated patients.

Underwood sees EvoEndo as a result of successful collaborations, “where everyone comes to the table with an open mind, when people are curious and respectful of other people’s unique experiences.”

Heather Underwood

By crossing disciplines and experiences, Underwood said, people are able to get the best solution to a problem — one that is deeply understood by all stakeholders.

In the case of EvoEndo, it was by working closely with pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Joel Friedlander at Children’s Hospital of Colorado that Underwood came to understand the real need for unsedated endoscopies for children and adults. Children have fragile intestinal walls, and general anesthesia can carry significant risks for both children and adults.

Before she joined EvoEndo, Underwood was an assistant professor in the clinical teaching track at CU Denver. There, she directed Inworks, an interdisciplinary and collaborative space for human-centered design, innovation and prototyping in partnership with CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

“I absolutely loved getting to work across all the departments. We had students from architecture, medicine and fine arts learning how to work together,” Underwood said.

Underwood traces her passion for interdisciplinary medical solutions to her experiences as an ATLAS Institute PhD student.

“I was writing software for midwives and nurses in Kenya and lived in Nairobi for a while. We completed studies showing the success of the platform that we built, and that was when I really fell in love with health care,” she said. Underwood said she completed hundreds of interviews with midwives, physicians and administrative staff to understand if the technology being built was really the right solution.

“Even if you do think that you have a good solution, you have to take those extra steps to really validate the need,” she said. “You can’t work in a silo — you just can’t.”

Underwood encourages others to keep a beginner’s mind and to understand that collaboration and conflict are two sides of the same coin.

“Rejoice in successful collaboration and learn skills to effectively resolve conflicts,” she said. “It’s inevitable, because different people have different approaches. Take it as an opportunity to learn and be curious. It’s an opportunity for personal growth.”

Underwood regularly shares her lessons on entrepreneurship and collaborative problem-solving with current ATLAS graduate students.

“Getting to interact with a group of students gives me energy for days,” said Underwood, who was awarded an Alumni Engagement Medal in 2022. “I love it very, very much, which is why I’ve stayed involved. The program at ATLAS is just so unique and beneficial for students.”

Ruscha Cohen and Jill Dupré, co-directors of ATLAS’s graduate programs, said they appreciate Underwood’s commitment to making the world a better place, adding that the graduate students who interact with Underwood admire her greatly.

“She’s seen as a model of what is possible,” Cohen said.

ATLAS PhD prepares alumna to explore boundaries of entrepreneurship, health care

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Research in real time

Anonymous — Thu, 18 May 2023 17:36:35 +0000

Research in real time Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/18/2023 - 11:36

Michael Lock Swingen

“The urgency of the pandemic meant when people had data, they shared
it openly on platforms like Twitter.”

For the scientists and engineers who were part of CU �鶹ӰԺ’s Pandemic Scientific Steering Committee and Science Team, the gravity of the situation overrode the typical priorities of academic life.

As the COVID-19 virus began to sweep across the U.S. in March 2020, the university convened a group of experts who would help shape the campus response. The priority of “the Team,” as the committee came to be known, quickly became the safety of the CU �鶹ӰԺ community.

Assistant Professor Cresten Mansfeldt, an environmental engineer who worked on a monitoring program to detect the virus in campus wastewater, said everyone felt a sense of urgency.

“If you had a need or problem, you could reach out to somebody, and they’d immediately be trying to find resources and solutions for you,” he said. “Everyone had laser focus.”

The group of experts was highly interdisciplinary, recruited from a wide range of academic disciplines and administrative units.

“What I got out of it was just a real, deep appreciation of the incredible, diverse scientists that we have and the talent that we have,” said mechanical engineer Shelly Miller, who was recruited for her work in indoor air quality. “I know these scientists are on campus, but you don’t get to see what they do, day in and day out, except in this remarkable situation.”

But the formation of the Team did more than break down the silos between academic disciplines. The need to gather data and make informed decisions in real time led to a streamlined version of peer review, the hallmark process through which academics vet research papers for publication.

“The urgency of the pandemic meant when people had data, they shared it openly on platforms like Twitter, before it had been submitted to journals,” said computer scientist Dan Larremore, who works in computational social science and analysis of large-scale networks. “The online community of academics and researchers reviewed the information immediately and amplified the important stuff.”

When the team of scientists and engineers handed off their recommendations on how to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on campus, the broader CU �鶹ӰԺ leadership wasted no time in implementing it.

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Educational on-ramps

Anonymous — Wed, 17 May 2023 20:35:32 +0000

Educational on-ramps Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/17/2023 - 14:35

Susan Glairon

CU Engineering has one overarching goal when it comes to educational partnerships: Empowering students to earn a degree in a way that best suits their needs when it comes to location, finances or learning environment.

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What skills will a future engineer need?

Anonymous — Wed, 17 May 2023 15:56:18 +0000

What skills will a future engineer need? Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/17/2023 - 09:56

Josh Rhoten

Researchers in the Mortenson Center in Global Engineering & Resilience hosted a virtual workshop series in 2022 that included more than 100 participants from universities, foundations, government agencies and industry partners.

On the agenda: What does the global engineer of the future look like? What skills and knowledge do they need to join the field in the next decade and beyond?

The collaboration resulted in a report in the journal Development Engineering that they hope will help align learning objectives and approaches in graduate programs. Here’s a glimpse at some of their takeaways:

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Designing classrooms of the future

Anonymous — Tue, 16 May 2023 20:39:06 +0000

Designing classrooms of the future Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/16/2023 - 14:39

Josh Rhoten

Illustration by Hanna Nordwall

Researchers explore how AI will integrate with STEM education

What will classrooms look like in 20 or 30 years?

Will students build vocabulary through coaching from a smart speaker in the wall, getting feedback in real time? Will teachers consult with AI-powered software to understand where their class is falling behind and how to get back on track quickly? Maybe both?

CU �鶹ӰԺ researchers are taking the first steps to develop the foundational theories, technologies and technical know-how needed to build these future classrooms — as well as the workforce needed to power them.

Their research applies across grade levels and may change how future engineers learn about, engage with and teach STEM disciplines.

Sidney D’Mello is well positioned to talk about the dizzying potential and the roadblocks interdisciplinary researchers are addressing to get there. D’Mello is a professor in the Institute of Cognitive Science and in the Department of Computer Science, and he leads the National Science Foundation-funded AI Institute for Student-AI Teaming (iSAT).

Sidney D'Mello

“Current implementations of AI in the classroom have made great progress in supporting personalized learning with individual students, for example,” D’Mello said. “We are building off that type of work to start to envision the next-generation learning environment holistically as places where all students thrive in rich learning experiences co-created by students and teachers with the help of advanced technologies such as AI and machine learning.”

He added that inclusion and collaboration are a key focus for the center’s work.

iSAT launched in 2020 as a partnership between university researchers and nearby school districts. In the first two years of operation, the institute has collected hours of classroom data, made advances in the integration of gesture and content analysis in teaching, and led workshops with high schoolers to help understand what students want and need from future AI partners.

“We have also made great strides in helping teachers implement our curriculum on AI literacy, reaching more than 2,500 middle school students in Colorado to date,” D’Mello said. “The institute has really proven to be a great way to bridge the 14 research areas from nine universities. The hope is that the end product of our multidisciplinary efforts will be greater than the sum of the individual parts contributed by each discipline.”

Many of the faculty involved with the institute are also part of the Engineering Education and AI-Augmented Learning Interdisciplinary Research Theme in the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Both groups are deeply invested in developing a diverse workforce of future researchers, administrators, policy officials and teachers in this space, said Co-Director Angela Bielefeldt.

Angela Bielefeldt

“The theme focuses specifically on education around STEM disciplines up through college versus more general primary school classrooms. But there are some large questions we are looking at as well that are applicable across this discussion,” said Bielefeldt, a civil engineering faculty member who also directs the Integrated Design Engineering Program. “One is the best way to design personalized educational materials developed by and along with AI. Another is how to best ensure equity, equality and inclusion for all students in these newly defined classroom spaces who are faced with new technologies.”

D’Mello said the AI institute will continue to organize activity in this research area across campus in the coming years. The current roster of researchers includes experts who understand how to create inclusive learning experiences that empower students with diverse identities, as well as those familiar with the latest research around the theories and frameworks needed to orchestrate student and teacher interactions with AI technologies.

“We also have researchers who can advance the foundational research needed for AI to

be capable of monitoring, participating in, and facilitating collaborative learning conversations — all in the same place,” he said.

“The center allows for a tremendous amount of knowledge sharing across all of those disciplines where CU �鶹ӰԺ has both traditional strength and is well positioned to lead for the next 10 years.”

Researchers explore how AI will integrate with STEM education

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Community Access

Anonymous — Tue, 16 May 2023 20:32:59 +0000

Community Access Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/16/2023 - 14:32

Jeff Zehnder

Azadeh Bolhari

“We’re giving the community access to labs, tools, knowledge and expertise.”

Azadeh Bolhari is turning traditional engineering research on its head, opening her lab to the public for input on research.

“As engineers, historically we’re trained that we went to engineering school and we’re the experts, but I want to find solutions working with a community so they have a voice that’s equal to mine,” Bolhari said. “We’re giving the community access to labs, tools, knowledge and expertise. I also learn from them, too.”

Bolhari, an associate teaching professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering, created a novel rain barrel project that combined sustainability and recycling in an underserved Latinx community in central Texas.

In an area plagued by drought, she invited community members to build rain barrels by mixing leftover paint with cement. Acrylic concrete made of 80 percent paint and 20 percent Portland cement is increasingly being recognized as a uniquely strong and flexible material for home and industrial uses.

Participants made rain barrels and catchment systems and installed them at home. They were also given tools to collect samples weekly to track water quality and safety.

“This community values using what they have rather than going to Home Depot and buying a $100 rain barrel system. And they’re proud of what they designed and are sharing it with their neighbors. If they had just bought something, there wouldn’t be that additional interest,” Bolhari said.

She sees the project as a way to tap into community strengths in an environmentally friendly way.

“This is a solution that works with a neighborhood so they can be more drought resilient,” Bolhari said. “I’m passionate about tapping into strengths and resources that are already there.”

It is a mindset she also brings into the classroom. Bolhari uses participatory action research to transform the way she teaches, particularly for students on the autism spectrum.

“A significant percentage of engineering students identify as being on the spectrum, but retention for them is so low even though research shows their contributions to engineering science are huge,” Bolhari said. “Boeing has a specific job line for people on the spectrum because they acknowledge the value of that viewpoint. So I want to know how neurodivergent and neurotypical students can both feel included in lectures.”

Through a National Science Foundation grant, Bolhari has recruited students on the spectrum to develop a study on ways to teach equitably and enhance students’ self-efficacy.

“Both projects are the difference between quantitative research, which we’re trained on as engineers, and qualitative research,” she said. “When I started with participatory action research, I knew nothing about social science; I was purely engineering. Now I’m in between, in this interdisciplinary gray zone. It’s a whole new environment and has real potential for positive change.”

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Saving space for women in engineering

Anonymous — Thu, 11 May 2023 21:23:56 +0000

Saving space for women in engineering Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/11/2023 - 15:23

Christy Predaina at the Women in Engineering event on International Women's Day.

More than 80 alumni, students, prospective students, faculty and staff gathered on International Women’s Day in March for the college’s second-annual Women in Engineering event. Panelists for this year’s event included (from left to right) Casey Waggy (MAeroEngr’10), Christy Predaina (CompSci’05), Lale Lovell (PhDChemEng’01) and Maithreyi Gopalakrishnan (PhysEng’16), who spoke about their journeys in engineering, from career successes and challenges to advice for other women in the field.

The panel was moderated by Samiha Singh, president of the CU �鶹ӰԺ chapter of the Society of Women Engineers and a graduating senior in the Environmental Engineering Program. Acting Associate Dean for Research Shideh Dashti served as the emcee for the event.

View event photos on Flickr

More than 80 alumni, students, prospective students, faculty and staff gathered for the college’s second-annual Women in Engineering event.

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Message from the Dean

Anonymous — Thu, 11 May 2023 17:34:10 +0000

Message from the Dean Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/11/2023 - 11:34

Keith Molenaar

Dear CU Engineering community,

In this space last year, I wrote what I thought would be my last letter as the acting dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

While I had not originally intended to continue beyond my interim role, I realized last spring that I still had a vision for the college and a true passion for leading the CU Engineering community. I decided to put myself forward for the permanent position and was humbled and honored to be selected by the search committee and provost.

Once my selection was announced in June, I immediately got to work. In the fall, the college’s faculty and staff kicked off a strategic planning process that is helping to define our values and who we want to become as a college. We’ve identified goals we want to pursue around education, research and innovation, and inclusion, which I look forward to sharing more publicly in the coming months. I believe our alumni and friends will be proud of and excited by some of the initiatives we are pursuing.

To better support college-wide goals around diversity, equity and inclusion, we have also been working to solidify our leadership structure, including hiring two new assistant deans, who you’ll meet on page 46. We want to become leaders in engineering recruitment and retention through inclusive, innovative efforts focused on students, staff and faculty — solidifying our internal organization was a first step toward that goal.

We are also undertaking an exciting initiative to support our students who need it the most. Through the generous donations of our alumni and corporate partners, we are providing full cost of attendance at CU �鶹ӰԺ for all of our incoming first-generation, Pell Grant-eligible engineering students from Colorado. These students have the opportunity to make generational changes for their families and contribute to our engineering workforce with their grit. However, these students leave CU Engineering at three times the rate of our majority students. Data shows that financial need is one of the primary reasons these students don’t complete their engineering education. We can’t wait to see what these determined, hard-working students can accomplish when that barrier is removed.

We would not be able to pursue all of these goals without the support of our industry and academic partners — not to mention our alumni and research communities. “Collaboration” is the theme of this issue of CU Engineering magazine. In the following pages, you’ll meet students who have found their pathways through our partnership programs with Western Colorado and Colorado Mesa universities. You will learn about pioneering research collaborations and see how our faculty are working across campus to have real-world impact.

If you haven’t done so lately, I hope you will find a way to engage with CU Engineering in the near future. I look forward to connecting with more of our alumni and learning more about what inspires you.

Go Buffs!

Keith Molenaar
Dean

In this space last year, I wrote what I thought would be my last letter as the acting dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

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