 
College Builds on Research Strengths to Meet Needs of Society
The College of Engineering and Applied Science at CU-Boulder provides a vibrant and dynamic learning environment where students, faculty, and industry representatives work together as partners. This issue of CUTechnology has been expanded to reflect the wide range of important research and its benefit to the community at large. Even the projects detailed here, however, are but a small sampling of the contributions made by our 160-plus faculty and 3,500 students. When I became dean five years ago, I identified four research areas where the college could build on its strengths to meet the needs of the broader community. Bioengineering, energy and environment, information technology, and materials science and engineering have been the college's primary thrusts, while continuing our already well-established work in the space sciences. I am proud to report that significant advances have been made in each of the four areas I identified. In the area of bioengineering, the college now hosts three interdisciplinary research centers, including two that have formal partnerships with CU-Health Sciences Center. Advances are being made in pharmaceutical research and the use of polymers to improve human health. Exciting new work in MicroElectroMechanical Systems, or MEMS, has the potential to change the face of health care. The college also is home to the Colorado Institute for Research in Biotechnology, the Colorado RNA Center, and the Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Training Program, which offers a graduate certificate in biotechnology. Research into our environment and energy resources also is expanding with a new Center for Drinking Water Optimization being established by Professor Scott Summers. The center joins three others already doing considerable work in the areas of water resources, energy management, and combustion and environmental research. The college also has created a new undergraduate degree program in environmental engineering, offering multidisciplinary studies in water and wastewater engineering, air quality, chemical processing, and general environmental engineering. In the booming field of information technology, the college now hosts seven interdisciplinary research centers, including new centers working in information storage, power electronics, and technical standards. Research into post-PC computing artifacts, software for K-12 users, and computing technology to enhance group decision-making are just a few of the research areas. The college also has broadened the Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program, gaining faculty and support from other Boulder campus schools and colleges including business, arts and sciences, law, and journalism and mass communication. A proposed NSF engineering research center for high temperature systems and materials is the latest effort in materials science and engineering. If approved, the center would look at optical, electronic, and structural materials for use in the energy and environment industry. Membrane applied science and technology and aerospace structures are already established areas of research. Students, both graduate and undergraduate, are involved in all of these efforts. With the college's Discovery Learning Initiative and the new Discovery Learning Center in the design stages, their involvement is likely to increase. Graduating seniors report again and again that research experiences are the highlight of their years in the college, and we want to see even more students benefit from this culture of inquiry. If you are interested in finding out more about our world-class research and academic programs, we invite you to visit our web site at www.colorado.edu/engineering. The site has been updated and revised with new content in areas such as Prospective Students, Alumni & Corporate Relations, News and Events, and K-12 Outreach. You may also contact the college's Administrative Offices at 303-492-5071, for more information.  Engineering Home |
By Ross B. Corotis