Students

Engineering physics senior explores radio astronomy through summer research

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 19:05:06 +0000

Engineering physics senior explores radio astronomy through summer research Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 08/02/2024 - 13:05

Engineering physics senior Angel Hernandez completed a boot camp on radio astronomy at the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia. Now he’s at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s Research Experience for Undergraduates program, where he continues to explore the field.

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Mechanical engineering juniors build drill-powered vehicles

Anonymous — Tue, 21 May 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Mechanical engineering juniors build drill-powered vehicles Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/21/2024 - 00:00

Students partnered with the Idea Forge to design, build and test drill-powered vehicles as part of the capstone project in a component design class. The project culminated in a day of friendly competition to test their vehicles in a drag race, a maneuverability course, uphill challenges and an endurance race.

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22 ��ƷSM��ӰƬ engineering students earn major National Science Foundation fellowships

Anonymous — Thu, 16 May 2024 16:09:12 +0000

22 ��ƷSM��ӰƬ engineering students earn major National Science Foundation fellowships Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/16/2024 - 10:09

Jeff Zehnder

The National Science Foundation has bestowed 22 prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship Program awards to ��ƷSM��ӰƬ engineering students.

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.

��ƷSM��ӰƬ 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.

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��ƷSM��ӰƬ students launch hybrid rocket

Anonymous — Thu, 16 May 2024 16:01:35 +0000

��ƷSM��ӰƬ students launch hybrid rocket Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/16/2024 - 10:01

Jeff Zehnder

Blastoff! The rocket soared over the prairie, its unique engine screaming in unison with cheers from more than two dozen students. The months of work, late nights, calculations, and validations had all been worth it.

Three ��ƷSM��ӰƬ aerospace senior design teams had come together and successfully designed, built, and launched a 10’ tall, 50 lb. hybrid liquid/solid fuel rocket at Pawnee National Grasslands in rural Weld County.

“This was a really hard design challenge, a very difficult technical dance,” said Matt Rhode, teaching assistant professor in the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences and the lead faculty advisor on the project. “A hybrid motor is very difficult technically, requiring analysis in structures, fluids, propulsion, aerodynamics, remote sensing and control. This is a true triumph.”

All ��ƷSM��ӰƬ aerospace seniors spend two semesters tackling a capstone project that brings together their education with real-world engineering challenges. There are myriad project options for students, from space mission prototypes to reconnaissance drone concepts.

The 36 students of the rocket teams signed up for a project that had bedeviled years of previous seniors.

“I liked the challenge,” said senior Matt Bechtel, who served on the ground system team. “It was something completely different than any other project and had a practical endpoint. We would be able to test it in the exact environment it was designed for, which had a bigger appeal to me than any other project.”

The project saw its genesis more than 20 years ago, when a student approached Rhode about hybrid rockets, which are safer than solid fuel propulsion and not subject to the same U.S. government export restrictions that the turbo pumps necessary for liquid rockets are.

The complexity of the project presented a unique challenge for senior design, and proved to be more than could be accomplished by a single team in just two semesters. This academic year, Rhode split the project into three separate parts: ground systems, airframe, and engine. With dedicated teams for each, they made it to the finish line.

“This project was bigger than any of us,” said senior Gavin Morales, who was project manager for the engine team. “We had highs and lows. Our lowest point was when our second static fire test had an actuation failure with the main valve and just burned out. But we came back, and everybody had the attitude that we’re going to do whatever it takes.”

The rocket mid-flight.

The students designed and built everything themselves. Even the rocket fuel and oxidizer was manufactured on campus.

“All the mixes went well. The solid propellant was aluminum powder with HTPB, which is a rubbery binder. It’s a non-standard fuel but has high thrust initially, and we were really concerned about getting off the pad, so it made sense,” Morales said.

Each team worked separately toward their portion of the project goals while interfacing regularly to stay aligned. As students like Morales tackled engine design, others were perfecting the embedded systems and dual-deploy parachute systems necessary for the ground station and airframe.

Hybrid solid/liquid rockets are unusual in industry, with Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser and Virgin Galactic as the primary users in the United States. Team members, however, discovered commercial interest is high, as the project helped numerous students get post-graduation jobs.

“I’ve been hired by a defense contractor and during the interview process I got to give specific examples from this project that were relevant to their work,” Morales said. “Another team member got a job at SpaceX doing exactly what he did on this project and a member of the ground team posted on LinkedIn about the launch and someone else from SpaceX tagged their boss about hiring him.”

Watching the students progress over two semesters, Rhode was impressed with their commitment to the project.

“These were a bunch of good students,” Rhode said. “They were motivated and dedicated and spent a lot of extra hours and got it done. Students don’t build this kind of rocket because it’s so hard, but this department has outstanding faculty and a world-class program, and these students got the job done.”

Preparing for the final launch, team members spent 36 hours setting up the rocket and ground equipment. Although there were some final hiccups with a load cell and morning fog that took far longer to clear than hoped, when the final countdown came the rocket went up without a hitch.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so stressed and I don’t think I’ve ever had such instant relief,” Bechtel said.

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Meet Our Undergrads: Ada Forsner of WOAA

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 19:09:59 +0000

Meet Our Undergrads: Ada Forsner of WOAA Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/24/2024 - 13:09

Charles Ferrer

We sat down with fourth-year aerospace engineering student Ada Forsner, who is also minoring in space and engineering management, to share about her CU Engineering experience!

Ada serves as the Internal Coordinator for the Women of Aeronautics and Astronautics (WOAA) at ��ƷSM��ӰƬ for the 2023-2024 school year.

What inspired you to pursue a STEM-related major?
In high school I enjoyed taking vehicle shop classes and introductory engineering courses which really got me interested in what engineering could be. Growing up with Legos and playing with trucks and tow cars got me really interested in STEM in general.

When did you know that aerospace engineering was meant for you?
I always loved space, but I never knew to what extent until I took an astronomy course in high school back in Illinois and fell in love with the idea of space. That’s how I knew I would go try to pursue aerospace engineering.

What are some of your future plans after graduating?
I hope to be a systems engineer, which is a kind of engineering that requires a top down view of the entirety of any project. I love airplanes, spacecraft and space itself, as well as studying atmospheric effects and other planets. Becoming a systems engineer allows me to pretty much work on any aspect of aerospace.

What has been an eye opening experience as a student leader of WOAA?
Our first conference we organized in the Aerospace Building during the fall semester was one of the biggest memorable experiences. Being a part of planning the conference opened my eyes to what we can provide for other students and how I can help them grow in ways that I want to grow, as well. Hosting that conference allowed us to learn how to communicate and interact with professionals working in industry, which are important for all of us to gain.

Why should someone join WOAA?
We create a really open community to all women in STEM, not just those studying aerospace. This might be cliche, but literally joining a club, any club, does make a difference and it helps you gain leadership experience. Most freshmen may not have too much on their resume, but being part of WOAA and other clubs can help you build your resume. We make sure to provide opportunities for students to put themselves out there by talking with professionals and getting in contact with them. It can be scary at times, but it doesn’t have to be!

What are other campus organizations you’re a part of?
I used to be a part of the Hiking Club, which I highly recommend anyone join. That club inspired me to do more of my own hiking. Being a course assistant for a freshman engineering projects course has helped me become a leader in the classroom and provide guidance for younger students.

What has been an intriguing engineering class you’ve taken so far?
This one was hard to answer! I would have to say engineering economics, which is part of my engineering management minor. At first, I thought I was not going to enjoy it, but I've actually ended up learning so much from it. It’s encouraged me to do my own research on finance, sustainability, business and how it connects with my personal life and engineering.

Anything else on your ��ƷSM��ӰƬ bucket list you hope to check off?
This one’s embarrassing, but I haven’t been to a CU football game yet! I have one more fall season to figure it out.

We hear you’re an avid reader. Any shameless plugs on a book you recommend for others?
Last semester, I read “True North” by Bill George. The book has helped me find my path in life and I’ve learned to follow a path no matter what other people make you think. That really opened my eyes and has made me more confident with who I am.

We sat down with fourth-year aerospace engineering student Ada Forsner, who is the internal coordinator of WOAA, to share about her CU Engineering experience!

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Meet Our Undergrads: Sara Leschova

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 14:51:29 +0000

Meet Our Undergrads: Sara Leschova Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 03/26/2024 - 08:51

Charles Ferrer

We sat down with third-year mechanical engineering student Sara Leschova to share about her CU Engineering experience! Sara serves as the Director of Special Events & Advocacy for the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) at ��ƷSM��ӰƬ for the 2023-2024 school year.

What inspired you to pursue engineering or STEM in general?
Neither of my parents are engineers but both of them are very curious and love to learn new things. Growing up, my dad used to do science experiments with me and my brother and we would play with Legos and watch science documentaries all the time. That made me interested in understanding science and how it affects the world around me. When I got to high school and started enjoying my math and science classes, my mom was the first one who brought up that I should look into engineering. I guess that stuck with me and pretty soon after that I was focused on going to college for engineering!

When did you know you wanted to study mechanical engineering?
I actually applied to and started in our biomedical engineering program. During my third semester, though, I realized that biology wasn’t for me, and learning about engineering through the lens of the human body made me queasy so I decided to change my major.

I think the reason I didn’t originally apply to mechanical engineering was that I only associated it with cars and the automotive industry. When I got to ��ƷSM��ӰƬ, I realized that mechanical engineering spans so many industries and is involved in the design of almost any technological component which is what convinced me to pursue it.

What challenges do you hope mechanical engineering can solve in the future?
I hope that mechanical engineers can contribute to finding solutions to climate change. The energy, manufacturing and transportation sectors have been major contributors to global warming and I hope mechanical engineers can make advancements to our current technology and create new, clean and affordable solutions that will help mitigate its impacts.

What are some of your memorable experiences at CU Engineering?
There are so many – but a majority of them come back to the community and friends I have here. My friends and I joke that when we get our degrees we should get them as a group because we wouldn’t have made it through college without each other’s help and support. No matter whether we are working on homework late into the night, studying for exams together or applying to internships, I know that my friends are there for me and are always willing to help me when I need it. I hope that’s what I’ll remember when I think back to college when I am a few years into my career.

What are your favorite aspects of being involved with SWE?

Being part of our chapter of the Society of Women Engineers has been rewarding in so many ways, both on and off the leadership board. The events are fun and welcoming and give me a break from studying when I need one. I have learned so much from being in a leadership role from maintaining professional communication to thinking on my feet when events don’t go to plan, all of which I use outside of SWE almost every day.

My favorite part of SWE is the community. I have had the opportunity to interact with CU members, as well as members from the professional section of SWE and everyone I have met has been nothing short of friendly and kind. I have been to two SWE conferences which helped introduce me to SWE at the larger international organization and exposed me to so many professional and learning opportunities.

Why should someone consider joining SWE?
It’s a fun way to meet new people, get industry contacts and give back to the community! You will learn a lot along the way. My only regret is not getting involved sooner.

Top Photo: Sara hiking Grizzly Peak and Cupid Peak with the CU Hiking Club. Bottom Photo: Celebrating birthdays with SWE friends on Pearl Street.

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Meet Our Undergrads: Mia Lonergan

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 15:10:45 +0000

Meet Our Undergrads: Mia Lonergan Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 03/19/2024 - 09:10

Charles Ferrer

We sat down with graduating fourth-year environmental engineering student Mia Lonergan to share about her CU Engineering experience! Mia has served as treasurer for the ��ƷSM��ӰƬ Society of Women Engineers (SWE) during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years.

What inspired you to pursue engineering or STEM in general?

I always had a love for math and chemistry. I was always interested in understanding how things worked and why certain objects could function. This helped to align my interests in technology with STEM and pursue a career in engineering.

When did you know you wanted to study environmental engineering?

I was heavily involved in 4H in elementary, middle and high school. Being part of the organization fostered my interest in sustainability and the needs of the future. I knew I wanted to study environmental engineering, as it offered a focus on energy conversion. Specifically, I wanted to pursue a career in the renewable energy sector, leading me to later pursue a minor in energy engineering in addition to my degree.

What challenges do you hope environmental engineering can solve in the future?

I hope that environmental engineering can solve the energy crisis in the future, assisting in a clean transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Fossil fuels will always be used for transportation and electricity generation. However, incorporating a larger ratio of renewable energy like wind, solar, microgrids and hydrogen, will allow us to shift to a cleaner future.

What stood out to you about ��ƷSM��ӰƬ as you considered college options?

��ƷSM��ӰƬ stood out to me when I considered college options, as it offered both beauty and brains. I was interested in attending a university with a top-ranked engineering program that offered networking opportunities, resources for students and active hands-on learning experiences. CU Engineering offered various opportunities to make connections with other students, professors and industry professionals.

Specifically, the BOLD Center stuck out to me as it offers resources, tutoring, networking, professional development, student society involvement, and more to underrepresented students in engineering. Finally, Boulder offers plenty of outdoor activities including hiking and snowboarding nearby: two of my favorite hobbies. Not to mention, you can’t beat the view of the Flatirons every morning!

What are some of your memorable experiences at CU Engineering?

Some of my memorable experiences at CU Engineering include participating in the Mechanical Engineering Senior Design project on the CU Buffwind Team. It has been an amazing experience contributing to a project that will be presented at the Department of Energy NREL Collegiate Wind Competition this May. Another memorable experience included participating in BuffProjects where I got to work with a group of students on an industry project. Finally, I have been heavily involved in the Society of Women Engineers where I unlocked countless experiences and connections.

What are your favorite aspects of being involved with SWE?

My favorite aspects of being involved with SWE include mentorships, networking opportunities, industry exposure and the opportunity to meet women and other minorities in both STEM and engineering fields here at CU.

Our mentorship program has connected me with various undergraduate students as well as fostered connections with industry mentors. I have had the opportunity to network with 50+ companies here on campus and 200+ companies at both national and local conferences through the ��ƷSM��ӰƬ Society of Women Engineers.

This is my second year serving on the executive board as treasurer. It has allowed me to partake in SWE on both a national and local level and assist the section in achieving our goals. SWE has truly transformed my experience at the ��ƷSM��ӰƬ.

Why should someone consider joining SWE?

Someone should consider joining SWE if they want to meet new people within the school of engineering; practice networking; partake in STEM-related activities with younger audiences including elementary school students, middle school students, high school students, and Girl Scouts; travel to national and local conferences where you can meet engineers of all ages in all industries; partake in professional development; or do a fun activity with other students at one of our weekly meetings!

Are you involved with other student organizations on campus?

During my time here at CU, I have participated in Engineers Without Borders Rwanda, the Society of Environmental Engineers, the CU Energy Club and currently the CU Wind Energy Club.

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to take some time to travel during the summer before starting with Mortenson as a wind energy group field engineer on their wind team. I look forward to working on-site during the construction of wind farms.

We sat down with graduating environmental engineering student Mia Lonergan from the Society of Women Engineers to share about her CU Engineering experience! Mia has served as treasurer for the ��ƷSM��ӰƬ Society of Women Engineers (SWE) during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years.

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Meet Our BOLD Students: Sarah Mesgina

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 22:52:41 +0000

Meet Our BOLD Students: Sarah Mesgina Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/07/2024 - 15:52

We sat down with graduating fourth-year electrical and computer engineering (ECE) student Sarah Mesgina to share about her CU Engineering experience and why ECE matters!

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Former BOLD students honored with college alumni awards

Anonymous — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Former BOLD students honored with college alumni awards Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/21/2024 - 00:00

Charles Ferrer

The College of Engineering and Applied Science recognizes alumni achievements with annual awards. We are pleased to announce our 2024 recipients representing the BOLD Center!

2024 Alumni Engagement Medal Award recipients:

DEAA honors graduates and friends who have distinguished themselves through outstanding personal qualities, knowledge, and significant contributions to their fields

Denzil Ekow Bilson (CompSci'23)

Denzil is a current GRAD CSEN-MS student and a long-time student of the BOLD Center. His journey began back in 2019 as undergraduate BOLD Scholar where he immediately demonstrated student leadership. Denzil was a stellar student and BOLD Scholar and contributed in a number of ways such as Peer Mentoring, Lead Tutoring, and student leader in the BOLD Center.

Denzil has built many connections and relationships with students, staff, and faculty within BOLD and in the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Though he finished his undergraduate coursework and student employment last year, he still engages with the BOLD Center as a Lead Volunteer Tutor and has expanded his portfolio as a TA in CSEN.

Read Denzil's bio

Briana Santa Ana (CivEngr'20)

Briana Santa Ana earned her BS degree in civil engineering at ��ƷSM��ӰƬ, where she was also active in undergraduate research, a GoldShirt Scholar, a peer mentor in the BOLD Center, and a longstanding member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. While an undergraduate student, Santa Ana had two internships at the Colorado Department of Transportation and a local construction firm. Upon graduation, she worked for a general contractor and a concrete contractor, before moving to Dallas, Texas, where she is a city project engineer.

In an effort to bring attention and awareness to issues around discrimination and diversity in the construction industry, Santa Ana helped organize the Construction Diversity Summit, which took place in April 2022 with nearly 200 attendees. Briana was fully engaged in the planning process, which included coordinating three breakout session speakers and a panel of industry leaders. She joined two of her peers who represented recent graduates and shared their stories with the audience. The summit enabled participants to learn new communication strategies and skills, recognize the importance of DEI work on the jobsite, and better understand the challenges underrepresented populations face in the construction industry.

Read Briana's bio

All awardees will be honored at the Engineering Awards Banquet in April 2024.

The College of Engineering and Applied Science recognizes alumni achievements with annual awards. We are pleased to announce our 2024 recipients representing the BOLD Center!

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Asteroid named for ��ƷSM��ӰƬ aerospace grad student

Anonymous — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 17:02:11 +0000

Asteroid named for ��ƷSM��ӰƬ aerospace grad student Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 02/15/2024 - 10:02

Jeff Zehnder

PhD student played key role on NASA’s DART Mission

Alex Meyer is an astrodynamics expert, engineer, PhD student, and now, a part of the night sky. The International Astronomical Union has officially named an asteroid after him.

Asteroid 2000 ND17 is now (33974) Alexmeyer.

“It’s pretty cool and quite an honor,” Meyer said. “You look around at other asteroids and the people they’re named after; it’s very good company to be in.”

As a fifth year aerospace PhD student at the ��ƷSM��ӰƬ, Meyer is being recognized for fundamental research he conducted on the dynamics of binary asteroid systems and how they are affected by close planetary flybys.

His work is part of NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, which in 2022 intentionally crashed a space probe into an orbiting binary asteroid to study deflection technology.

“Alex’s research was fundamentally relevant to the DART mission,” said Dan Scheeres, a distinguished professor of aerospace at ��ƷSM��ӰƬ and Meyer’s advisor.

Scheeres nominated Meyer for the naming honor.

“He played such a big role and the work he provided was really unique. He developed simulations on what would happen to this asteroid after the impact and provided advice on the science to other engineers,” Scheeres said.

The naming is made all the more impressive by the fact that Meyer’s contributions began somewhat unexpectedly.

“When I started at ��ƷSM��ӰƬ I was interested in orbital mechanics, but was playing around in a couple different areas of research. Then a more senior grad student who had responsibility with DART was leaving, and Dan asked if I could take over,” Meyer said.

He dove in with aplomb.

“Binary asteroids gave me the opportunity to work on cutting edge missions and I just kept finding new and interesting things to study,” Meyer said. “The dynamics of these binary systems can be quite complicated. Asteroids don’t look like spheres; they’re weird shapes and their orbits are quite close together. So the gravity between them becomes really complex.”

A personal ambition toward advanced research and analysis is what drove Meyer’s interest in graduate school and specifically ��ƷSM��ӰƬ.

“This is one of the best astrodynamics schools in the country, and being able to apply myself on these real world problems as a PhD student is a great opportunity. I was one of the main dynamicists on the mission,” Meyer said.

The research has become a key part of his PhD thesis. Meyer intends to graduate this summer and is currently at work on his dissertation. After graduation, he hopes to work full time in a research laboratory.

Meyer’s asteroid orbits as part of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Approximately 7 km (4.35 mi) in diameter, it was originally spotted in 2000. It is possible to see with a large personal telescope, but it requires at least an 18” mirror, and so is best viewed from an observatory.

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Students

Engineering physics senior explores radio astronomy through summer research

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Mechanical engineering juniors build drill-powered vehicles

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22 ��ƷSM����ӰƬ engineering students earn major National Science Foundation fellowships

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��ƷSM����ӰƬ students launch hybrid rocket

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Meet Our Undergrads: Ada Forsner of WOAA

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Meet Our Undergrads: Sara Leschova

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Meet Our Undergrads: Mia Lonergan

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Meet Our BOLD Students: Sarah Mesgina

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Former BOLD students honored with college alumni awards

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Asteroid named for ��ƷSM����ӰƬ aerospace grad student

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22 ��ƷSM��ӰƬ engineering students earn major National Science Foundation fellowships

��ƷSM��ӰƬ students launch hybrid rocket

Asteroid named for ��ƷSM��ӰƬ aerospace grad student