MechE News - January 2019
Alumni are changing the way students connect with industry, demonstrated by the 500+ students and 45 alumni attending ME Alumni Connect Day 2018. The third annual ME Alumni Connect Day was a huge success!
Alumni Spotlight
Jared Leidich receives Kalpana Chawla Outstanding Recent Graduate Award
Jared Leidich (MechEngr'09) brought a high-flying man safely down to Earth, but the trajectory of his career goes only upward. Leidich was awarded the Kalpana Chawla Recent Graduate Award for exceptional contributions to his field.
CU Boulder alumni continues work in biomedical imaging at Oxford
Alec Thomas (MechEngr'18) aims to solve a big problem in targeted delivery of therapeutics at his new position with the University of Oxford in England following the research he conducted as a PhD student at CU Boulder.
Research Spotlight
CU researchers go deep, design drones for subterranean search and rescue
Researchers from CU Boulder, CU Denver and the SSCI have partnered to design drones that can explore underground environments such as subway tunnels, mines and caves after receiving $4.5M in funding from DARPA.
'Chameleon' tattoos change color, may help diagnose illness
New tattoo inks are being designed to change color in response to signals that could alert people to changes in blood chemistry or help doctors diagnose illness. Carson Bruns spoke about his work at the TEDxMileHigh: Reset speaker series.
Fire ant colonies could inspire molecular machines, swarming robots
Think of it as mathematics with a bite: Researchers led by Franck Vernerey have uncovered the statistical rules that govern how gigantic colonies of fire ants form bridges, ladders and floating rafts, one of the most ingenious networks in nature.
Low cost, low energy cooling system shows promise
Researchers have scaled up a new low-cost cooling system that can provide efficient cooling for homes and beyond using minimal electricity. The system is built from a highly reflective glass and polymer material slightly thicker than aluminum foil.
ME faculty part of $2M NSF grant for soft robotics work
Soft robotics promises substantial advantages over traditional rigid robots. ME faculty are working toward widespread adoption and practical applications for soft robotic HASEL actuators through a new $2M award from the National Science Foundation.
Greg Rieker selected for the Peter Werle Early Career Scientist Award
Greg Rieker was selected for the Peter Werle Early Career Scientist Award, considered among the highest honors for young scientists in his field. He received the award while attending the sixth FLAIR international conference in September 2018.
Air pollution leads to millions of ER visits for asthma attacks worldwide
Nine to 33 million visits to the emergency room for asthma worldwide may be triggered by breathing in air polluted by ozone or fine particulate matter according to a study published by Associate Professor Daven Henze and collaborators.
Student Spotlight
ASME gaining momentum at CU Boulder
CU Boulder's student-led chapter of ASME is reaching new heights. With eyes on the future, ME students are not only connecting with their peers but have also started a series of events to build connections between students, faculty, alumni and the mechanical engineering community.
Outstanding Dissertation Award: Yao Zhai
Postdoctoral Associate Yao Zhai’s love for science began when he was young. He remembers looking up to his grandfather, who went from having nothing to establishing a manufacturing company all by himself. Zhai received the Outstanding Dissertation Award.
Outstanding Graduate for Research: Levi Pearson
Levi Pearson, Outstanding Graduate for Research, said his research gave him a strong base in control theory, showed him how to uncover what he doesn’t know to find a solution and taught him how to have confidence in himself.
Education & Outreach Spotlight
Jeff Knutsen awarded the Charles A. Hutchinson Memorial Teaching Award
Mechanical engineering Senior Instructor Jeffrey Knutsen was awarded the 2018 Charles A. Hutchinson Memorial Teaching Award in honor of Applied Math Professor Charles A. Hutchinson, recognizing his outstanding contributions to teaching.
Sustainable energy systems textbook furthers a legacy of protecting the planet
PhD Alumnus Charles Kutscher and Professor Jana Milford continue to lead the charge in sustainable energy after Frank Kreith's passing in January 2018. They published the third edition Principles of Sustainable Energy Systems textbook in September.
Alumni impart wisdom at Careers in ME Symposium
Over 260 sophomores learned from alumni and industry representatives at the third annual Careers in ME Symposium, sponsored by Phillips 66. Thirty-six volunteers shared career advice and inspired next generation mechanical engineers.