Features

Interdisciplinary Research Themes

Interdisciplinary Research Themes

Over the next several years, the college will be investing in six major interdisciplinary research themes. It’s part of our strategic vision to build on college and campus strengths, prepare for future research opportunities, and accelerate positive impacts on our state and nation.

Nikolaus Correlle

Cross-disciplinary effort will make robots small, smart and efficient

Every day, it seems that robots are becoming more realistic-looking and capable, from Sophia, the humanoid robot that was granted citizenship in Saudi Arabia, to robots that can assist in surgeries. But for computer scientist Nikolaus Correll, robots are still missing something—they’re falling short of the complexity and elegance of...

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Engineering on the cutting edge of quantum theory

Hundreds of years ago, as the use of ships increased for trade and exploration, British fleets established themselves as superior in navigation to those of almost all other countries. The main ingredient in their success, according to Scott Palo of Smead Aerospace Engineering, was accurate time-keeping devices. While ships are...

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Biomaterials hold promise for better disease diagnosis and treatment

There’s no one in the world quite like you. It’s a sweet sentiment for greeting cards and love songs, but when it comes to treatment of disease or injury, your individuality may be less of a benefit and more of a burden. The complexities that make you who you are...

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Timeline: Celebrating 125 Years of Engineering

Do you have a personal milestone or story you want to share about the College of Engineering and Applied Science? Submit it here !

Profiles

Steven Dourmashkin

Specdrums designer turns attention to business side

While he’s taking some time to hone his business skills, Steven Dourmashkin will remain forever an engineer. The aerospace engineering PhD student is taking a leave of absence from his studies to further develop musical rings he began working on as an undergraduate at Cornell. Called Specdrums, the rings allow...

Mustafa Naseem

Better Water for All: ATLAS expert wants to improve quality and equity

Each year, nearly 41,000 children in Pakistan die from diarrhea caused by contaminated water supplies. Mustafa Naseem, who grew up drinking from those same water supplies, wants to change that. Naseem is an expert-in-residence for the Information and Communication Technology for Development program at the ATLAS Institute . In September,...

JIM RICE

NASA engineer’s down-to-earth mission

As Hurricane Harvey tore through south Texas last August, Jim Rice (MAeroEngr’99) knew that people in the heavily flooded areas were going be severely affected by impassable roads, cut off from clean water and necessary services. So Rice, who has been flying small planes for 25 years, contacted Patient AirLift...

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Alum’s experience inspires nonprofit to help veterans

Thirty years ago, Rob Brazell (MCompSci’98) was diagnosed with AIDS and given a year to live. He survived the ordeal, but it took him 15 years to fully recover. Rather than return to work as an aerospace engineer, Brazell celebrated his second chance at life by vowing to help disabled...

Irene Peden

Antarctic trip was tip of the iceberg for this alumna

Irene Peden (ElEngr'47) looked out across the frozen landscape. She had made it: Antarctica. Obstacle after obstacle had been placed in front of her, but she had become the first woman to live and conduct scientific research in the Antarctic interior as a principal investigator “The Navy really didn’t want...

Patrick Sullivan at Oceanit

Hawaii tech company innovates at the fringes

Does every problem have a solution? Alumnus Patrick Sullivan (EngrPhys’78) thinks so, and he has dedicated his career to bringing together scientists and engineers from disparate fields to create technological solutions that disrupt our global community for the better. He calls the approach Intellectual Anarchy™, and he’s spent more than...

College News

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Aerospace hub is on the rise

On a sunny Colorado day, workers in fluorescent hard hats zip across a crowded job site, their breath visible in the cold air. As the Flatirons tower in the background, concrete is being poured, arc welder sparks pulse against steel, and a 100-foot crane lifts supplies into position. Construction of...

A student works on a microchip

CMU, CU Boulder announce addition to engineering program partnership

Colorado Mesa University and the University of Colorado Boulder will add a third engineering program to their growing partnership, giving students the opportunity to complete another engineering degree while remaining on the Western Slope. CMU President Tim Foster and Dean Bobby Braun announced that the Electrical and Computer Engineering program...

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Building to withstand disasters pays off big

For every dollar the government spends to make existing buildings more resistant to wildfires, earthquakes, floods and hurricanes, $6 is saved in property losses, business interruption and health problems, according to a new study led by CU Boulder Professor Keith Porter. The study also found that for every $1 spent...

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Engineers demonstrate ‘germ trap’ for hospitals

When an infectious airborne illness strikes, some hospitals use negative pressure rooms to isolate and treat patients. These rooms use ventilation controls to keep germ-filled air contained rather than letting it circulate throughout the hospital. But in the event of an epidemic, these rooms can quickly fill up. Now, a...

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Lockheed Martin research pact recognizes ECEE faculty members

Building on a $3 million partnership announced in 2016 to establish new academic programs focused on radio frequency (RF) systems, Lockheed Martin and CU Boulder announced a follow-on Master Research Agreement in August 2017. The agreement structures future research and academic programs aimed at creating the technologies, industries and workforce...

Student working on a laptop

Innovation in engineering education

CU Engineering isn’t just breaking new ground in our research efforts. We’re also developing new ways to educate students, with two exciting new degrees launched in the past year. MOOC Master’s Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MS-EE) Launching Fall 2018 The Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering is...

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New spaces for CU Engineers

Take a video tour of newly remodeled spaces in the Engineering Center.

#ILookLikeAnEngineer

#ILookLikeAnEngineer

What does a CU engineer look like? Let us show you! The College of Engineering and Applied Science, in collaboration with the BOLD Center , has joined the #ILookLikeAnEngineer campaign to showcase the diverse range of people who pursue engineering.

Joanne Reid

ATLAS grad competes in Olympic biathlon

When the Olympic Games opened in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in February, a CU Engineering graduate was among the U.S. athletes, competing against the best of the best. A month after receiving her graduate degree in Information and Communication Technology for Development from the ATLAS Institute, Joanne Reid was named to...

JT Abate skiing

Q&A: Junior JT Abate serves as Olympic forerunner

JT Abate, a junior mechanical engineering student, was invited to serve as forerunner for the ski events at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang. He's spending 21 days in South Korea forerunning the downhill, super-G and super combined for both the men and women's events. Q: What does an Olympic forerunner...

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New expertise in cybersecurity

Did you know that your smart refrigerator could be hijacked to carry out a denial-of-service attack on a bank? Or that your car’s emergency alert system could be used to flood the 911 system with calls? Professor Dan Massey has seen it happen firsthand, and it’s why he is on...

John Holdren podcast with a female student

Obama advisor kicks off Dean’s Speaker Series

Former Obama science and technology advisor John P. Holdren stopped by in November for the first edition of the Dean’s Speaker Series , sitting down for a chat with Bobby Braun in front of a packed house of more than 500 people in the Glenn Miller Ballroom. Holdren, a vocal...