Braun Voyage: Inaugural State Tour of Engineering Wraps

As part of our vision for CU Engineering, we want to reach out to all corners of Colorado to find the best and brightest students who reflect the state’s diverse demographics. To begin making that happen, Dean Bobby Braun and his wife, Karen, set out on an inaugural tour of the state from Sept. 19-22.

From meeting future engineers at Animas High School to lunch with students at Front Range Community College, Bobby and Karen covered a lot of ground. At stops in Durango, Alamosa, Pueblo, Colorado Springs and Longmont, the Brauns visited students, teachers and school administrators to discuss the future of engineering in Colorado and beyond, learn more about the communities around Colorado, and plan future educational collaborations. Each evening, they met with local alumni to discuss the impact CU Engineering is having on the state and nation.

• ​Tuesday, Sept. 19, kicked off with visits to the project-based learning classes at Animas High School and computer science classes at Durango High School. Braun also visited Fort Lewis College to meet with physics and engineering faculty. 
• Wednesday, Sept. 20, began with meeting Adams State University leadership. Then it was off to tour the Teen Tech Academy at Alamosa High School, followed by a schoolwide assembly and lunch with students at Monte Vista High School. The day wrapped with a visit to Pueblo Community College’s STEM Center and a meeting with Arts and Sciences Dean Jeffrey Alexander.
• Thursday, Sept. 21, began with an assembly for pre-engineering students at Coronado High School, followed by a stop at Pikes Peak Community College to meet with President Lance Bolton and math and science faculty. 
• Friday, Sept. 22, started with presentations about STEM fields at Longmont High School. Braun then headed to Front Range Community College for an “Engineering the Future in Colorado” talk for students before capping off the day with a tour of the Innovation Center at Skyline High School. 

Learning from students, families and educators across the state who are interested in engineering sharpened Braun’s focus on the need for increased access and opportunity to the educational pathways provided by CU’s College of Engineering and Applied Science. Read more about the tour in The Daily Camera.

Braun plans to make the trip an annual affair, visiting different parts of the state each time he hits the road. For more information about the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Colorado Boulder, sign up for updates.