Student Perspectives

"My favorite thing about CU Boulder is having the opportunity to work in one of the four national labs in the area. It is an excellent experience that allows me to work with state of the art equipment in one of the best cleanrooms and learn under some of the brightest physicists and engineers in their fields."

-Kristen Genter, 2nd Year (PhD), Victor Bright

"One thing that's become obvious to me being here is that CU can probably meet just about anyone's research desires. That is to say, no matter what you're interested in there's probably an adviser doing something along those lines (or close enough to advise that specific subject). Thus, from a research side CU is right for everyone. I love studying ME at CU because of the world-class researchers I get to work with, at the school, through collaborations with national resources such as NIST and NCAR, and through industry partners."

-Jason Christopher

“CU gives me the incredible opportunity to collaborate with several different national labs in Boulder as well as exceptionally talented engineers and physicists. My research uses frequency combs for spectroscopy applications in harsh environments such as thruster plumes and internal combustion engines. There’s nothing cooler than meeting one of Boulder’s many Nobel Laureate’s on your way to class, including Dr. John Hall the inventor of the frequency comb! On the weekends Boulder has so much to offer with the Rocky Mountains right outside your door, there are endless options for outdoor activities!”

-Amanda Makowiecki, 2nd Year (PhD), Advisor: Dr. Greg Rieker

"Attending GEARRS 2015 had a significant impact on my decision of where to attend graduate school. The research presentations that I watched showed me how the mechanical engineering department here is doing cutting edge research in a huge variety of fields – from atmospheric research using lasers to minimally invasive robots that conduct surgeries. Also, in the couple days I was visiting I got to attend many fun social events with current graduate students, which really showed me that the CU mechanical engineering department is like a family. I’m so glad I decided to come to CU and much of that decision was thanks to GEARRS!"

-Rachel Wilmoth, 1st Year (PhD), Advisor: Dr. Mark Rentschler and Dr. Virginia Ferguson