Recent Alumni Award

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2013 Awardee

Elliot Goldman (BS/MS MechEngr '04)

Elliot Goldman was selected to receive the inaugural Recent Alumni Award for his achievements in the aerospace industry and his continuing service to Engineers Without Borders, the college, and other organizations.

Since earning his BS and MS concurrently in mechanical engineering in 2004, he has been employed at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, where he has focused on structures and mechanism design for several of the company’s flagship projects. He was responsible for designing the avionics enclosure for the Jupiter-bound JUNO spacecraft and the solar array panels for MAVEN, which will be headed to Mars this year. He currently leads the design of the OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule, which will return to Earth from Asteroid RQ36 in 2023.

In addition to the company awards he received for his work on these ventures, he received awards from NASA recognizing his achievements on the Phoenix Mars Lander in 2009 and JUNO in 2012. He also holds a U.S. patent for a lightweight shielded connector back shell, which is based on his discoveries working on harness packaging for the Phoenix Mars Lander.

Goldman has been an active volunteer with Engineers Without Borders as well. He founded and serves as president of the South Denver EWB Professional Chapter, and he has continued his association with EWB-CU, serving as a professional mentor on the implementation of an irrigation system for an orphanage in Rwanda. He also volunteers on other service projects, and is mentoring CU students on a senior design project in aerospace engineering.
 

The CU Engineering Recent Alumni Award recognizes outstanding recent alumni for professional achievements, continued service to the college and/or university, and outstanding personal characteristics within 10 years of graduation from the College of Engineering and Applied Science. The award is given to one deserving recipient each year, who is recognized alongside the college's Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award winners at the Engineering Awards Banquet, traditionally held in April.

Nominations for the 2014 award are due on February 1, 2014. Nominations will remain active for 3 years, meaning a nominee not selected for the award the year the nomination is submitted will have two additional years of consideration.

The Recent Alumni Award program is managed and administered by the Engineering Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) Board.

Who is Eligible?

Alumni who have graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science with a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree within the last 10 years, as counted from the year of graduation for the most recent degree. (example: A May 2003 BS and May 2005 MS graduate would have eligibility through December 2015; December 2005 graduate would have eligibility through December 2015).

Nomination Requirements

  • Completed nomination form (pdf - click to download)
  • Letter of nomination (written by nominator – self or other)
  • Minimum of 1 and maximum of 3 additional letters of support
  • Nominee’s Resume or CV
  • No more than 2 pages of additional attachments (ie. articles, list of patents, supplemental biography, etc.) - optional

Nominations for candidates who do not meet the eligibility requirements will not be considered. Nominations that are received after the deadline or are not complete by the deadline will be deferred until the following year. Nominations that do not conform to the stated guidelines (including the stated minimum/maximum number of supporting letters) will be returened to the nominator.

A complete package of the nomination materials listed above must be submitted on or before February 1, 2014 via email, sent to engalumni@colorado.edu (combined PDF is preferred) OR sent by postal mail to:

Recent Alumni Award Selection Committee
c/o Director of Alumni Relations
College of Engineering and Applied Science
422 UCB
Boulder, Colorado 80309

Award Criteria

The award selection process will be judged on the following weighted criteria:

(50%) – Career accomplishments and professional development: Has made significant or distinct contribution to organization, business, or cause since graduation from the college. This may include: Demonstrated experience or knowledge of field. Examples: formal recognition/awards, patents, innovations, key projects. Active membership and involvement in professional organizations. Leadership roles in professional groups or boards, or in the company /industry in which they are employed. Training and certifications, advanced education, and licenses.

(25%) – Continued involvement with CU and CEAS: Actively participates in University or CEAS sanctioned/organized events or activities and/or gives back to the college/university in the form of time or money. Examples: student mentorship, senior design involvement, departmental engineering boards, engineering societies, freshman projects, alumni events, financial contributions, speaker, industry recruiter, etc.

(25%) – Character, growth, and service: Exhibits exemplary personal qualities and development, as seen through some or all of the following – proven  leadership skills or qualities, passion for interests, demonstrated integrity and ethical decision making, and commitment of time, experience and/or recurring involvement with volunteer, non-profit, or outreach work.

Winners must be present to accept the award in person at the Engineering Awards Banquet (April 26, 2013). A nominee who is chosen for the award but unable to attend the banquet will be returned to the pool for consideration the following year so long as the nomination is still within its three year "active" status.

Winner Selection

A Recent Alumni Award Selection Committee comprised of (5) voting members drawn from the following groups:

  • Engineering Advisory Council (current members)
  • Industry
  • GOLD Board (current and past members)
  • CEAS Faculty
  • Past winners

and (2) non-voting ex officio members from:

  • College of Engineering and Applied Science Dean’s Office
  • CU Foundation (Engineering Development)

This selection committee will meet after the nomination deadline each year to review the nominations and recommend a winner for dean approval. Winners and nominators will be notified of the outcome of each year's selection process following the selection meeting and well in advance of the Engineering Awards Banquet.

Important Announcements

Summer Session
Planning for Summer 2013? Check out the engineering course offerings posted on our website.

Show your CU Engineering Pride!
Wear your status as a CU Engineer wherever you go (or give a gift to a graduating student) with merchandise from the CU Book Store.

CUEngineering magazine
Keep up with the latest news about the college by reading the 2013 issue of CUEngineering magazine online.

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