MechE News - February 2020
Alumni Spotlight
Fresh start at CU Boulder leads to a lifetime of success for World War II veteran
CU Boulder gave World War II veteran Bill Jann (MechEngr’49) a fresh start after he returned from combat. He went on to work on the Pershing Weapon System during the Cold War.
Connecting beyond the classroom at annual ME Alumni Connect Day
Thanks to over 50 mechanical engineering alumni volunteers, students were able to engage with alumni over lunch and breakfast, on 12 class panels and during more than 90 mock interviews at ME Alumni Connect Day.
Research Spotlight
Keck funded research offers new tool to understand cells better
New research at CU Boulder, funded by a $1 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation, aims to create a new system to study the mechanical properties of cells using surface acoustic waves.
CU researchers to explore 3D printing in reduced gravity with NASA grant
Gregory Whiting and his research group are preparing for the thrill of a lifetime: two parabolic flights, each expected to provide around ten total minutes of reduced gravity to test and model how 3D printing of functional materials works in lunar gravity.
Drones go underground in high-stakes competition
Over three years, teams of researchers from across the world will vie against each other to push their robotics knowledge to the limits—designing vehicles that can navigate underground environments.
Robotic skin could transform manufacturing, human robot interactions
A talented group of researchers across the college is creating skins for robots to maximize their local sensing capabilities, improving operational safety and human-robot interaction along the way.
New ways of estimating, tracking pollution earn student Harvard postdoc spot
PhD student Zhen Qu has been interested in air quality since she was a child growing up in Beijing, China when the air was highly polluted from emissions and dust storms. Now, she will soon begin a postdoctoral position at Harvard University.
CU researchers recognized with 3 governor’s awards for high-impact research
Researchers from RASEI, NIST and CIRES were awarded the 2019 Governer's Award for High-Impact Research for commercializing a dual-comb spectrometer for use in oil and gas fields.
Student Spotlight
Grad student Josh Taca helps make prosthetic sockets out of recycled plastic
PhD student Josh Tacca traveled to Quito, Ecuador last year and saw a need for well-fitting prosthetics for amputees. Tacca worked with the Range of Motion Project (ROMP) to provide prosthetic and orthotic care to people without access to these services.
Podcast: Veteran's Day Special with Lieutenant Colonel Brodie Hoyer
Lieutenant Colonel Brodie Hoyer, a current PhD student shares about military activity on campus, his experiences studying and teaching at West Point and the research he is conducting in the Advanced Medical Technologies Laboratory.
Morgan Kauss, MechEngr'20
Senior Morgan Kauss says the #ILookLikeAnEngineer hashtag means you don't have to fit a mold to study or work in the engineering field. Physical appearance and background should be unrelated to intellect and interest in any field of study.
Puppy Pal Prosthetics: Giving Dogs a Leg Up on Disability
Seniors Bruno Geoly and Niki Duer founded Puppy Pal Prosthetics (PPP) to help canines with disabilities live their lives to the fullest as part of their engineering capstone design course.
Outreach & Education Spotlight
Student Experiential Education transforms professional development for mechanical engineers at CU Boulder
A generous donation began the official launch of Student Experiential Education, an effort designed to enhance connections between students and industry.
Industry input sparks new experiences for manufacturing students
CU Boulder’s manufacturing class now incorporates guest speakers, company tours, a manufacturing industry panel and a variety of active learning opportunities thanks to input from industry professionals.
ME educators recognized by college for supporting students beyond the classroom
The College of Engineering and Applied Science awarded Katherine McConnell the Outstanding Staff Award and Julie Steinbrenner the Charles A. Hutchinson Memorial Teaching Award.
Professor John W. Daily retires after over 30 years at CU Boulder
Professor John W. Daily retired after over 30 years at CU Boulder. In his "Last Lecture," Daily addressed not only his gratitude for a career as a professor but also shared personal words of wisdom about caring for one’s mind, body, spirit and relationships.