MechE Student News - August 2020

MechE Students,

This summer, our department has been hard at work planning the best possible educational experience for fall 2020. Though the semester will look different, we are committed to delivering a high-quality engineering experience. A great example of this has been the birth of the ME Summer Design Intensive and ME SPUR programs which have given our students opportunities to learn and grow as engineers despite the challenges of canceled internships and working remotely. We know that you may be facing life situations that are challenging during this time. We want to reassure you that we will make every attempt to be flexible and compassionate in our support and guidance. We are excited to have you back for a great semester and want you to know we are here to help.  

Go buffs,

Mike Hannigan
Department Chair

Rising Engineering Plus senior Adrian Gutierrez successfully developed an automated bag valve mask, a device he hopes will help those with coronavirus in Mexico, his home for 18 years.

Mohammed Alwakeel, Jonathan Bosnich, Morgan Kauss, Luke Pagni, Gabe Rodriguez, Paul Salame and Sam Simons-Wellin received honors for their service, international engagement, research, and academic achievement.

Artimus Robotics, a spinout company of the mechanical engineering department, recently received $225,000 through the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research Phase I program. 

Researchers are gradually and safely returning to campus to continue their work in the lab. Read about Assistant Professor Kaushik Jayaram and graduate student Parker McDonnell's return to research.

Researchers are gradually and safely returning to campus to continue their work in the lab. Read about Assistant Professor Nicole Labbe's return to research.

Researchers Philipp Rothemund and Christoph Keplinger in the mechanical engineering department recently uncovered new information that could revolutionize the design of electrohydraulic soft actuators to enable robots to perform at faster speeds.

The novel coronavirus may be able to travel from person to person through tiny particles floating in the air, according to a recent letter signed by 239 scientists from across the globe.

The challenges of COVID-19 have inspired innovation among staff, faculty and students, leading to the development of two summer programs for 38 participating students: the ME Summer Design Intensive and ME SPUR.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Greg Potts, Idea Forge machine shop coordinator, joined many others in pursuing a new hobby: mask-making. He has made over 250 masks and plans to sew at least 100 more.

Nathan McNeill, a mechanical engineering instructor in the program for the last eight years started his new position leading the CMU-CU Engineering Partnership Program on July 1.

Our students and faculty meet the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic as they provide accurate information for the public, take on and solve key research questions rapidly and collaborate with everyone at the table to solve problems. 

• NPR: Coronavirus sparks new interest in using ultraviolet light to disinfect indoor air
• Denver Post: Kids and COVID-19: What experts do (and do not) know about how the virus affects children
• AAAS Science: Is it safe to strike up the band in a time of coronavirus?
• Denver CBS: Thousands volunteer to be infected with coronavirus to possibly speed up vaccine
• Denver CBS: CU Boulder engineering students come up with a way to keep NBA players warm
• ​9News: How many germs are spread when a band plays?
• WBUR: What you should know about COVID-19, air conditioning and indoor air quality
• IEEE Spectrum: HAMR-Jr is a speedy quadrupedal robot the size of a penny

ME Summer Design Intensive Online Showcase - now live
Meet Your Major for new ME students (Zoom link will be emailed) - Sat, 8/22 from 10–11:30 a.m.
Virtual Engineering Immersion (more info to come) - Tue, 8/25–Thur, 8/27
First day of fall semester - Mon, 8/24
Virtual Careers in ME Symposium - 9/7, 9/9, 9/11 from 12–12:50 p.m.
ME Alumni Connect Day (virtual format planning underway) - October

Share Your Good News for a Feature in the ME Newsletter What else would you like to see in MechE Student News? Send feedback to mecheng@colorado.edu.