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Electrical and Computer Engineering

Anonymous — Tue, 07 May 2024 14:02:15 +0000

Electrical and Computer Engineering Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/07/2024 - 08:02

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Mechanical Engineering

Anonymous — Mon, 06 May 2024 22:30:12 +0000

Mechanical Engineering Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/06/2024 - 16:30

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Biomedical Engineering

Anonymous — Mon, 06 May 2024 22:24:46 +0000

Biomedical Engineering Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/06/2024 - 16:24

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Antonio M. Caravaca Aguirre (MElEngr’13; PhD’16)

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 22:19:55 +0000

Antonio M. Caravaca Aguirre (MElEngr’13; PhD’16) Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/14/2024 - 15:19

Antonio M. Caravaca Aguirre, 2024 Recent Alumni Award recipient

Engineering Alumni Awards

2024 Recent Alumni Award recipient

Antonio M. Caravaca Aguirre (MElEngr’13; PhD’16) is a distinguished leader in the field of optical wavefront shaping. He serves as vice president of engineering at Modendo, a pioneering startup dedicated to developing cutting-edge ultrathin endomicroscopes that provide high-resolution optical imaging and photostimulation in currently inaccessible regions of the body.

Caravaca Aguirre’s roots trace back to Guadalajara, Spain, where he spent his formative years. He embarked on his academic journey by completing his undergraduate studies in physics at the University Complutense de Madrid in 2009. With the support of a prestigious Fundación Ibercaja fellowship, he crossed the Atlantic to Boulder, Colorado, where he earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering (2013), followed by a PhD in electrical engineering in 2016. During his doctoral studies, Caravaca Aguirre focused on developing innovative computational imaging techniques for imaging in complex media for biomedical applications. His research spanned a wide range of cutting-edge technologies, including wavefront shaping and photoacoustic imaging. He also led initial research efforts using multimode optical fibers for endoscopy, including the first in-vivo experiments, positioning him as a trailblazer in the field.

After completing his PhD, Caravaca Aguirre was awarded the prestigious Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship from the European Commission to continue his research at the Université Grenoble Alpes, France. This fellowship allowed him to pursue his research in ultrathin endoscopy while collaborating with leading experts in the field and expanding his global network. Notably, Caravaca Aguirre's excellence in research was highlighted at the 2019 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting dedicated to physics, where he had the privilege of sharing his findings with 39 Nobel Laureates and over 500 international young scientists from 89 countries.

Upon returning to the United States, Caravaca Aguirre took on a pivotal role as a principal investigator (PI) for several high-profile research projects. He successfully secured funding through the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 1 programs, as well as an Advanced Industry Award from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, totaling more than $1.25 million. This significant funding reflects his exceptional skills in proposal writing and project management, as well as his commitment to translating innovative research into practical applications.

Throughout this time, Caravaca Aguirre has maintained a tight connection with the CU community, helping advance the commercialization of a disruptive CU technology through the launch of Modendo, a startup company, based on the work he had done at CU Boulder. He continues to collaborate with ongoing research at CU and participates in activities organized by Venture Partners, such as workshops and a SBIR panel. Beyond CU, Caravaca Aguirre is a reviewer for the top optics journal, and he has a strong interest in helping others, as demonstrated by his participation in outreach activities presenting optics experiments to high school students visiting CU and across the Front Range.

Today, as the vice president of engineering at Modendo, Caravaca Aguirre continues to push the boundaries of biomedical technology harnessing light propagation inside ultrathin fibers to unravel the next endomicroscopes generation. This mission, deeply rooted in the groundbreaking research from his PhD studies, envisions a future in which healthcare professionals wield state-of-the-art tools to diagnose and treat neurological conditions with unparalleled precision.

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Sanjeev G. Redkar (PhDChemEngr'94)

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 22:13:26 +0000

Sanjeev G. Redkar (PhDChemEngr'94) Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/14/2024 - 15:13

Sanjeev Redkar, 2024 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

Engineering Alumni Awards

2024 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

Sanjeev G. Redkar (PhDChemEngr'94) is the president, executive director and co-founder of Apollomics Inc., an oncology-focused company developing therapeutics for difficult-to-treat cancers harnessing the immune system and targeting specific molecular pathways. Redkar has 30 years of scientific, managerial and executive experience in hematology and oncology drug discovery and development, especially for small-molecule drugs. Redkar co-founded Apollomics, which was recently listed on Nasdaq (APLM), and has raised over $250 million in venture and private equity funding from leading investors. Apollomics’ late-stage programs include vebreltinib, which is being developed in non-small cell lung cancer and glioblastoma multiforme, and uproleselan, an E-Selectin antagonist that has the potential to be used adjunctively with standard chemotherapy to treat acute myeloid leukemia.

In his previous role, Redkar was senior vice president of product development at Astex Pharmaceuticals, an Otsuka company. He led the development of several oncology therapeutics through IND and global launch, including Dacogen®, Nipent™, Inqovi® and Mitozytrex™. Additionally, Redkar worked on multiple drugs through their FIH submission and clinical trials that led to the buyout of Astex to Otsuka for $886 million. He has over 25 peer-reviewed publications and 200 patents. Redkar earned his PhD from University of Colorado Boulder, MBA from St. Mary’s College of California, and bachelor’s from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. Redkar is an adjunct faculty and a board member at the University of the Pacific School of Pharmacy in Stockton, California; advisory board member and entrepreneur in residence at the Jie Du Center for Entrepreneurship; and teaches Design Thinking for Biotech Entrepreneurs at the Jie Du Center.

Redkar has shown a strong commitment to giving back to his community and teaching the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs, promoting innovation along the way. As a university instructor, he goes above and beyond by facilitating networking opportunities for students and bridging the gap between scientific expertise and entrepreneurial understanding. Redkar also has stayed engaged with the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at CU Boulder, including serving on the department’s external advisory board for four years. Over the years, Redkar has been a part of critical conversations to improve the biological engineering curriculum for undergraduate students, served as a guest lecturer and made connections between his vast network in the pharmaceutical industry and the department to facilitate student internship opportunities. Redkar continues to be a loyal and engaged alumnus of chemical and biological engineering and the college as whole, and his accomplishments as a scientist, manager and entrepreneur in pharmaceuticals has and will continue to leave major impacts in the industry.

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Diana Manning (MechEngr'84)

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 22:05:18 +0000

Diana Manning (MechEngr'84) Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/14/2024 - 15:05

Diana Manning, 2024 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

Engineering Alumni Awards

2024 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

Diana Manning (MechEngr'84) received her degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1984 and has used that knowledge to obtain over 35 years of experience working primarily in the aerospace industry. Her career spans several areas such as design, analysis and systems integration in addition to leadership roles. Most of those 35 years, Manning worked at The Boeing Company, working primarily with jet engines and other propulsion systems. While at Boeing, she worked on all of the Seattle-based commercial models, contributing to Boeing’s success in the creation and operation of 747, 757, 767, 777 and 787 aircraft, and finishing as the chief propulsion engineer for 787 before retiring in 2017. Manning also spent time as a consultant at Base 2 Solutions/Belcan, an engineering services firm. She used her experiences to ensure her clients successfully completed various engineering projects, ranging from autonomous cars and large airplane freighters to rocket engines.

During those 35 years in industry, Manning witnessed many changes in the technical world. Not only has technology changed and expanded, but the makeup of the workforce has shifted as well. Beyond Manning’s strong technical knowledge, she also understands the complexity of working with people. Her servant leadership style contributed immensely to her success in delivering positive results at Boeing. This success was amplified by her focus on employee development and mentorship, particularly in support of those she worked with in professional and personal matters.

In June 2022, Manning retired from Belcan. She keeps busy on various projects, including volunteering in several organizations (either as a board member or advisor) and as a mentor. She volunteered as a tutor in her local school district and coached underprivileged youth on problem-solving skills, helping to prepare them for college. Manning’s impact on developing future generations of engineers is clear through her community and professional activities, but she has also had an important impact on mechanical engineering students and the department at CU Boulder. As one of only a few women members of the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering’s advisory board, Manning has maintained her position as a vocal advocate for underserved and underrepresented members of the department. She consistently advocates for women and underrepresented minority faculty, staff, and students during meetings and with her actions. Notably, Manning was one of the contributing voices for the development of a course that is now required for professional master’s students in the department. She has generously given her time and expertise to this course, participating as a guest speaker every semester that it’s been taught. One of the most notable points of feedback received from a student after having her in a class session was, “This was one of the rare times where I actually did not want class to end.” These are just a few examples of the impactful work Manning has contributed to the department, the college and her community. She firmly believes engineering is the gateway to a better future, both for those working within it and society as a whole. Manning is passionate about sharing her many years of experience, both in engineering and management, with those just beginning their journeys.

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Michael D. Fricklas (ElEngr'81)

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 21:57:05 +0000

Michael D. Fricklas (ElEngr'81) Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/14/2024 - 14:57

Michael D. Fricklas, 2024 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

Engineering Alumni Awards

2024 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

Michael D. Fricklas (ElEngr'81) became chief legal officer and secretary of Advance in April 2018. From 1993 to 2017, he was one of the top executives at Viacom, for 19 years as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary, reporting to the CEO. Fricklas received a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Colorado’s College of Engineering and Applied Science in 1981 and a JD, magna cum laude, from Boston University School of Law in 1984. Fricklas’s practice started in Silicon Valley, representing technology companies in a variety of financing transactions and in technology licensing.

Since then, his career has focused on the intersection of copyright and technology, corporate governance, mergers & acquisitions, and large law department management. Fricklas is a member of the American Bar Association’s Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and the Law. He is a member of the board of trustees of Boston University; secretary and a member of the board of Jazz at Lincoln Center; a member of the board of directors of Equal Justice Works; and co-chair of the United Jewish Appeal entertainment and media group. He is past president of the Association of General Counsel.

Fricklas has shown a deep commitment to serving students and institutions of higher learning, believing deeply in the transformative impact that education can have on people’s lives. With his deep roots in technology and law, Fricklas has made impactful philanthropic contributions to CU Boulder, specifically to Colorado Law, the Flatirons Institute and the ATLAS Institute. Leveraging his expertise and experience, he has supported initiatives that blend legal education with technological innovation, fostering an environment where students can thrive at the intersection of these fields. His involvement exemplifies a commitment to nurturing future leaders and innovators through providing tangible career development opportunities like internships, mentorship and job placement support. At his other alma mater, Boston University School of Law, his achievements and impacts on the profession and the school were featured in a recent book celebrating BU Law’s 150th anniversary, honoring 150 people, places and precedents that have shaped our society.

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Daryl Bahls (AeroEngr'77)

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 21:45:26 +0000

Daryl Bahls (AeroEngr'77) Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/14/2024 - 14:45

Daryl Bahls, 2024 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

Engineering Alumni Awards

2024 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

In 2014, Daryl Bahls (AeroEngr'77) retired from The Boeing Company as a senior space systems engineer and associate technical fellow. He spent his 37-year career with Boeing and Martin Marietta Denver Aerospace as a space system mission analyst and system engineer. During his career, Bahls was fortunate to make contributions to programs ranging from earth resources and communication satellite systems, to launch vehicle development and interplanetary exploration, culminating with critical influences on many national security space programs. These contributions ranged from space flight trajectory optimization, space system architecture and constellation design to space system mission operations. In retirement, his role as the director of analytics for the Merriman Financial Education Foundation allows him to continue to apply his analytical skills by providing individual investors with evidence-based data to use in managing their investment portfolios.

Bahls was born in 1951 in Chicago and grew up in Iowa and Aurora, Colorado, during the heyday of the early “space race" that showed the way to his life’s work. In 1970, he enrolled at CU Boulder, majoring in aerospace engineering sciences. In 1981, he met his wife, Randy, in Boulder, and they married in Seattle in 1987. Bahls’ uncle, Carl R. Bahls, is also a CU Boulder alumnus — he attended CU on the GI Bill after World War II, graduating in 1948.

From mentoring junior staff members at Boeing to donating books from his personal astrodynamics library at the grand opening of the new Aerospace Engineering Sciences Building at CU Boulder, Bahls has been deeply involved in his communities, sharing his knowledge and resources along the way. His contributions in support of U.S. government defense programs, while often confidential, reflect his dedicated service to the nation. As one of Bahls’ former colleagues notes, “I have seen him explain complex design issues to presidential appointees and senior corporate executives with the same patience and professionalism he would to a junior engineer or review team. To me that exemplifies the integrity of a systems engineer — staying true to the discipline and rigor of the design, no matter where that leads.”

Starting in 2015, Bahls began work with the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences to craft an endowment to fund students working in space mission analysis and design. After collaborating with many, many people at the university, the agreement was completed and signed in 2017. Bahls frequently attends department functions, meets with faculty and students, and offers his insights into industry needs and ways to improve undergraduate and graduate curricula. In 2022, Smead Aerospace named a conference room in the new building on East Campus after him.

Prior to the endowment coming into full effect, a travel funding agreement was also implemented for students to use to present their work in space mission analysis and design to broader national and international peer audiences. This opportunity serves to raise the visibility of not only the individual student’s work, but also of Smead Aerospace and the Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research (CCAR). These resources have made it possible for CCAR students to attend top conferences in their field, to share their research, and to get to know the broader research and industry community. Having had the opportunity to personally see how the travel fund has been used and how it impacted students, Bahls is updating the endowment language to take advantage of these lessons learned and to provide better utilization of endowment resources to meet its goals.

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Undergrad works on small satellites through paid summer research program

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 18:04:27 +0000

Undergrad works on small satellites through paid summer research program Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 01/26/2023 - 11:04

Justin Pedersen, a senior majoring in aerospace engineering, participated in the program in the summer of 2022 through Professor Penny Axelrad’s group. He researched timing systems for small satellites through the program, a topic that is of interest to the private sector, and military and scientific groups working with satellites.

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IDEA Plan Progress Report AY 2021-22 - Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Anonymous — Mon, 23 May 2022 14:08:12 +0000

IDEA Plan Progress Report AY 2021-22 - Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/23/2022 - 08:08

The College of Engineering and Applied Science demonstrates a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through the various actions and initiatives occurring within departments, programs, and units. During AY 2020-21, the college identified specific goals and actions to contribute to the campus wide IDEA Plan. Departments, programs, and units created assessment plans and have been implementing various tactics to make progress towards diversity, equity, and inclusion goals during AY 2021-22. In preparation of year three, each department, program, and unit will develop and submit an Inclusion, Diversity, and Excellence in Academics (IDEA) Plan Progress Report to the director of inclusive culture, by May 16, 2022.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Audit

The ChBE department has a DEI committee that consists of faculty of all levels as well as staff and the department chair. The departmental DEI committee works closely with the Graduate Leadership Committee (GLC) DEI committee, which is comprised of graduate students in the department. Combined, the faculty and staff led DEI committee and the GLC DEI committee have organized several events, including DEI-themed coffee hours and faculty workshops on unconscious bias, hiring, and cultural competence. The faculty also held a DEI-focused mini-retreat last year with the goal of identifying DEI issues within the department and laying the groundwork for action items to improve the overall department culture.

College and Campus Partners

The department has engaged with various partners across the college and campus to promote DEI initiatives and host DEI-related events. For example, in organizing a PRIDE-themed DEI coffee hour, the department worked closely with the Center for Inclusion and Social Change. Additionally, the department partnered with several offices, including OIEC and the Center for Teaching and Learning, in organizing DEI training workshops for faculty. Moving forward, we hope to engage additional partners, including the Renewable & Sustainable Energy Institute with which we’ve already initiated discussions with about partnering on DEI issues such as establishing relationships with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Assessment Plan Progress

Goal/Outcome

Tactics/Actions Taken

Assessment Method(s)

Develop a process to analyze existing climate/culture data for trends and strategic planning

Widely advertised Campus Workplace and Culture survey to elicit participation from faculty, students, postdocs, and staff
Discussed process to analyze results of Campus Workplace and Culture survey and to share key findings with faculty
Developed mechanism for faculty, students, postdocs, and staff to anonymously share concerns and suggestions as well as provide positive feedback related to DEI issues

Will compare results of Campus Workplace and Culture survey to prior climate surveys to identify areas/issues that remain problematic
Will use results of Campus Workplace and Culture survey as baseline for future surveys

Create an Inclusive Graduate Recruiting Process

Developed a rubric for evaluating graduate student applicants to reduce bias
Modified recruiting weekends to promote DEI efforts and initiatives in the department to recruits
Advertised graduate program through NOBCChE
Hosted multiple virtual open houses to advertise grad program to students from diverse backgrounds

Will compare number of applications and offers for students from underserved groups to previous years
Will compare number of students that matriculate to CU from underserved groups to previous years
Will analyze results of survey about recruiting weekends from students that do not accept our offer to identify areas for improvement

Key Findings

Given that we are still in the process of analyzing the data from the Campus Workplace and Culture survey, we do not have any key findings to report yet. However, the DEI committee is planning to present the results to the faculty and staff as part of an annual retreat on DEI issues in the department later this summer. Additionally, we have been analyzing the results of our graduate recruiting efforts this year to understand how the changes to recruiting impacted our DEI numbers. Although we had fewer applications this year, the fraction of female applicants was significantly higher than previous six years. Furthermore, we had over 16,500 views of our advertisement through NOBCChE, which provided significantly visibility for our graduate program among diverse applicants.

Lessons Learned & Next Steps

As the outcomes from the actions taken become clearer, we will define next steps that target specific issues that remain problematic. The details of these steps will be defined through our department’s annual faculty DEI retreat as well as a series of DEI committee meetings. We will further use these outcomes to update our DEI strategic plan with clear goals and methods for assessing these goals.

Campus Culture Survey Strategy

As highlighted above, the faculty and staff led DEI committee together with the GLC DEI committee are putting together a comprehensive summary of the results from the survey. The summary will be presented to the rest of the faculty at a DEI-focused mini-retreat later this summer. We will also share the summary with the graduate students, postdocs, and undergraduate students in the department to ensure transparency of the findings either through a town hall or newsletter update.

Alignment to Campus DEI Goals

For the 2022-23 academic year, we will continue to prioritize understanding the gaps that must be addressed to improve community building and cultural competence in the department. As part of this overarching goal, we will continue to seek ways to improve the diversity of our graduate program through increasing the recruiting and retention of students from underserved groups. While increasing diversity, we will further identify ways to continue to build community both in our graduate program and department more broadly, which closely aligns with one of the major goals in the IDEA Plan. We also plan to place an increased focus on student achievement outcomes. We recently worked with the college to obtain and discuss student success in our courses and noted concerning gaps in success within certain courses for students of color. Our faculty discussed those gaps at a recent faculty meeting and identified potential action items to be pursued to address gaps (such as developing intensive “second-chance” courses at key points in the curriculum). These action items will be further discussed at the mini-retreat later this year.

Authors of Report

The following personnel contributed to this report:

Joel Kaar – Professor and Chair of ChBE DEI committee (joel.kaar@colorado.edu)
Will Medlin – Professor and Department Chair (medlin@colorado.edu)
Dom De Vangel – Senior Graduate Program Specialist (devangel@colorado.edu)

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