CU Engineering Magazine News 2025

Alumna Sarah Gillis speaks to CU Boulder aerospace students about her experience as an astronaut.

Astronaut comes home to Boulder

Sarah Gillis

Sarah Gillis (AeroEngr’17), an astronaut on the successful Polaris Dawn SpaceX crew, visited CU Boulder in November.

During a standing-room-only appearance at Fiske Planetarium, she shared with students what life was like in space for the four-member crew, and provided details of the science and engineering that brought them to orbit and safely home.

Gillis, whose post showing her playing her violin aboard the Polaris Dawn went viral, credits a space class at CU Boulder for non-aerospace majors as being a key step in her remarkable journey.

College welcomes largest PhD class

The College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Colorado Boulder celebrated a milestone in fall 2024, welcoming its largest-ever cohort of doctoral student. With more than 1,100 students currently pursuing PhDs and a 25% rise in PhD enrollment year over year, CU Engineering continues to solidify its reputation as a leader in graduate education, particularly among women and students from minoritized communities.

The incoming class includes a record percentage of female doctoral students, with women making up 37% of new PhD enrollees, surpassing the national average of 29%, according to data from the American Society for Engineering Education. CU Boulder stands as the top large public institution for the percentage of women doctoral students enrolled — among institutions with more than 1,000 PhD students — holding a lead over peer institutions.

The overall PhD enrollment at CU Engineering now has 10% of its students from minoritized communities, higher than the national average of 7%.

Four with CU ties elected to National Academy of Engineering

Scott Diddams, professor of electrical, computer and energy engineering, and Hanspeter Schaub, chair of the Ann and HJ Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

According to the NAE website, “election is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. NAE members are among the world’s most accomplished engineers from business, academia, and government.”

Also elected as part of the 2025 class were Dan Frangopol, professor emeritus of civil, environmental and architectural engineering and current faculty member at Lehigh University, and alumnus Chuck Hull (EngrPhys’61).

Arati Prabhakar, Ph.D., Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), left, awards Kristina M. Johnson the National Medal of Technology and Innovation during an awards ceremony in Washington, DC. Photo by Ryan K. Morris

Former faculty member earns presidential medal

Kristina M. Johnson, who served as a professor of electrical and computer engineering at CU Boulder from 1985 to 1999, was awarded the National Medal of Technology by President Joe Biden.

At a ceremony held in Washington, D.C., Johnson and eight others received the nation’s highest honor recognizing exemplary achievement and leadership in science and technology.

Johnson distinguished herself through groundbreaking research in optoelectronics, photonics and nanotechnology that led to 46 U.S. patents. Her innovations have contributed to advancements in the sustainable energy, manufacturing, quantum computing and medical fields.

Johnson was the president of Ohio State University from 2020 to 2023. From 2017 to 2020, she was chancellor of the State University of New York.

Landmark bill supports Colorado water quality

Evan Thomas

In summer 2024, Gov. Jared Polis signed into law Colorado Senate Bill SB24-037, titled “Study Green Infrastructure for Water Quality Management.” Sponsored by Sens. Cleave Simpson and Jeff Bridges, along with Reps. Mike Lynch and Karen McCormick, this legislation aims to enhance water quality and environmental sustainability in Colorado.

The bill directs the team at the University of Colorado Boulder Mortenson Center in Global Engineering & Resilience and Colorado State University’s Energy Institute to work directly with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to identify new pathways to restore rivers and watersheds in Colorado, improve water quality, and reduce emissions associated with water and wastewater treatment.

“It has been a rewarding experience to propose this idea and work with Sen. Simpson and other elected representatives and state officials in Colorado to bring it to life, and we’re looking forward to what this could mean for Colorado’s water and air,” said Evan Thomas, director of the Mortenson Center.

Zoya Popovic

Jerome Fox

Two professors recognized by National Academy of Inventors

Distinguished Professor Zoya Popovic was among 162 inventors named 2023 fellows of the NAI. Election as a fellow in the academy is the highest professional distinction awarded to inventors.

Jerome Fox, an associate professor of chemical and biological engineering, was also named a senior member of the NAI. Senior membership recognizes faculty, scientists and administrators for their contributions to innovation, including patents, licensing, commercialization and technologies aimed at benefiting society.

Engineering Education Program launched

The College of Engineering and Applied Science has introduced a new program aimed at improving the education of engineers at all levels.

The Engineering Education Program, which welcomed its first cohort in fall 2024, offers a PhD degree, with the goal of eventually adding graduate and undergraduate education offerings.

The program is a collaboration with the School of Education and other discipline-based education research groups at CU Boulder. It offers a flexible curriculum designed for students with a background in engineering who want to conduct research in engineering education and learn to effectively teach engineering subjects.

New community college pathway launches

Colorado Mountain College students are now eligible for guaranteed admission to the University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science if they complete four specific courses at CMC, thanks to a new partnership between the two institutions. The agreement creates a guaranteed admission and transfer pathway for CMC students, enabling a seamless transition for those pursuing a bachelor’s degree in engineering at CU Boulder.

Through this innovative guaranteed admission agreement, students enrolled at CMC — including high school students taking concurrent coursework — will have access to a clear path toward admission at CU Boulder’s top-ranked engineering school, provided they meet specific academic requirements. This agreement marks a vsignificant milestone in expanding access to engineering education for students in the mountain communities CMC serves.