College of Engineering and Applied Science's fall 2023 class includes 41% female students, up 27 percentage points from two decades ago.

In an era where gender diversity in STEM is more critical than ever, the University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) isn't just paying lip service. In the past two decades, CEAS has transformed its engineering landscape, growing its female undergraduate class from 18% in 2003 to 30% in 2023. The estimates that, in 2023, the percentage of women professionals in architecture and engineering is 16.7%. And while up from 9% in the 1990s, women are still underrepresented in these fields compared to their male counterparts.

The spotlight shines bright on CEAS’ first-year cohorts as well, particularly the fall 2023 class, which includes 41% female students, up 27 percentage points from two decades ago. This achievement underscores CU Boulder's status as a leader among Association of American Universities (AAU) Public Institutions, clinching a top spot in 2022 for the highest percentage of first-year female engineering students from the .

Keith Molenaar, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, said initiatives spearheaded by both the college and the broader CU Boulder campus over the last 10-15 years have propelled the growth.

“This is not only about fairness and equity, but about driving innovation, enhancing problem-solving capabilities, and expanding our engineering workforce that is in such high demand,” said Molenaar. “By fostering a diverse engineering team, CU Boulder is preparing students for the workforce and shaping a future where technology reflects the diversity of its users.”

The has recognized CU Boulder as a Top 5 public university for women in its first-year class as well as a Top 50 institution for awarding bachelor's degrees to women, and leading in female tenured or tenure-track faculty.

“Addressing global challenges, from sustainable development and healthcare, to rapidly advancing computing subfields such as AI, quantum and semiconductors, will require a diverse set of perspectives and solutions,” said Lucy Sanders, founder and executive in residence, . “Those with different lived experiences such as those who identify as women are pivotal in designing infrastructure and technologies that cater to the needs of our broad population.”

Boulder's journey towards gender parity in engineering is a clear signal that diversity in STEM is achievable.

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A team of University of Colorado Boulder researchers is leading a major military-oriented project for 5G wireless security.

The National Science Foundation’s has awarded CU Boulder $5 million for The goal of the work is to ensure American soldiers, businesses, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can use 5G cellular networks in foreign countries without untrusted or potentially hostile network operators being able to extract user information.

“This work is important for the United States because it inherently is about keeping our people safe,” said Eric Keller, a researcher on the project and an associate professor of electrical, computer, and energy engineering (ECEE).

While 5G signals are encrypted, preventing malicious operators from listening in on conversations, it is still possible to glean a wealth of data from transmissions. Accessible information includes the users on-line activities and physical location, as well as individual and organizational patterns of usage, according to Keith Gremban, principal investigator on the project and research professor in aerospace engineering sciences.

“We're addressing a problem most people haven’t even thought about,” said Gremban. “These larger issues with patterns of usage – what you’re doing on your phone, when, and where – reveals so much.”

The interdisciplinary team has developed systems to disguise cellular communications by anonymizing user data and locations, hiding pattern of usage information, and even generating intentional false flag communications to make observers believe groups of users are in one location when they are actually in another.

“We’re changing the way a phone or set of phones appears to a network operator,” Gremban said. “This is obviously important for soldiers but it’s so much more than that. A lot of companies and nonprofits operate in regions of the world that are less than stable. There have been a rash of kidnappings of corporate executives in some countries. They’re very interested in preventing people from tracking their cell phones.”

The team received a $750,000 Phase 1 grant last year for initial development of the technology. The new $5 million award is to combine the different components they have created into a single suite and commercialize the product.

“These tools will function as a set of software applications that run on your phone and are hidden so even if the phone is captured, people would have a tough time telling that there's anything unusual going on,” Gremban said.

Keller said the tools could make a big difference in hostile places.

“I've had the great fortune of being able to advise students at CU Boulder who were in the military, and hearing stories of situations they've been in really hits home the impact that GHOST could help keep them safer,” Keller said.

The GHOST Team in front of the Boulder Flatirons on campus.

A major business partner on the project is which builds and manages 5G networks. In addition to developing technology for user anonymization, Federated is helping test prototypes using real-world cellular equipment and is central to the team’s commercialization goals.

“Our work is focused on enhancing security of users of untrusted networks and streamlining private network provisioning,” said Kurt Schaubach, chief technology officer at Federated Wireless. “We are excited to work with university researchers to further enhance the security of private 5G networks for federal, defense, and commercial use."

Gremban said the team’s success in developing the initial technology demonstrates real promise for a forthcoming product.

“I’ve been working in wireless communications for a number of years, so I’m very concerned about wireless security,” Gremban said. “I’ve long had ideas in this area and being able to bring together an incredible team of people who also had ideas and then to turn our research into practice is very exciting.”

In addition to Gremban, Keller, and Schaubach, the team includes CU Boulder professors Alexandra Siegel of political science; Tamara Lehman of ECEE; and James Curry in applied math (APPM); as well as computer science (CS) research associate Stefan Tschimben; graduate students Zach Moolman of ECEE and Tyler Reiser of APPM/Data Science; and undergraduate student Isabella Bates of APPM/CS. Sal D’Itri, vice president of public sector at Federated Wireless, James Neel, senior technologist at Federated Wireless, and Joanna Crosby of RDM Pierce are also key contributors to the project.

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Five faculty in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at CU Boulder have earned Fulbright Fellowships in 2023 around critical topic areas such as air quality, renewable energy, and climate. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program offers opportunities to teach, research and conduct professional projects in more than 135 countries and to expand American partnerships and share knowledge. ​Recipients are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as a demonstrated leadership in their field.

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Eight faculty members from the College of Engineering and Applied Science have received CAREER Awards from the National Science Foundation in 2023. The total continues an impressive trend with the college, which had 12 in 2021 and six in 2022, said Dean Keith Molenaar.

"The University of Colorado Boulder has a research culture and infrastructure that provides new faculty with the opportunity to flourish," said Molenaar. "These seven faculty members are truly extraordinary, and I am elated with the well-deserved recognitions they are receiving. I look forward to seeing the impact of their work and supporting their growth as leaders in our community."

As of 2023, the College of Engineering and Applied Science has received over 100 NSF CAREER Awards. These awards — the most prestigious support of early-career faculty the NSF offers — provide approximately $500,000 over five years for those “who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.”

Past CAREER winners from the college come from all six departments and a represent a wide range of research disciplines. Over the last five years, the college has achieved 74% growth in external research funding while also launching internally funded research teams that are advancing knowledge in the areas of resilient and sustainable infrastructure; engineering education and AI-augmented learning; autonomous systems; multi-functional materials; hypersonic vehicles; and quantum engineering.

Here’s a look at the projects from the winners in our college this year:

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