Education

С�� Boulder mechanical engineering graduate program ranks top 15

alse6588 — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:52:22 +0000

С�� Boulder mechanical engineering graduate program ranks top 15 alse6588 Tue, 04/07/2026 - 09:52

The Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering graduate program at С�� Boulder was ranked 14th amongst public institutions for 2026-27, according to U.S. News and World Report’s Best Graduate Schools rankings. Up three spots from last year, the program continues to build on its growing national reputation.

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ME outreach program brings big engineering dreams to small rural towns

alse6588 — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 19:30:17 +0000

ME outreach program brings big engineering dreams to small rural towns alse6588 Wed, 04/01/2026 - 13:30

Alexander Servantez

For many high school students in rural Colorado, engineering once felt distant—something that happened somewhere else, by someone else.

But over the past decade, an outreach program in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering has been working to change that reality.

The program, known as the Science and Engineering Inquiry Collaborative (SCENIC), connects С�� Boulder students with rural high schools to introduce hands-on engineering experiences into the classroom, turning local questions about air and soil quality into real-world research projects.

Today, the initiative serves 12 schools and nearly 700 high school students across rural Colorado each year. Its origins, however, were far more modest.

The early evolution

Launched in 2012 with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the program began as a research endeavor. At the time, there was only one graduate student working on the project. They were tasked with using an environmental air quality monitor, positioned at Paonia High School, to investigate the impacts of fracking.

A close look at an air quality monitor, otherwise known as a Y-pod, developed in the Hannigan lab.

But it wasn’t long before the monitors proved they could do more than just collect data—they could spark learning.

“One day, a teacher at the high school saw the monitor up on the roof and thought it would make for a good tool in the classroom,” said Daniel Knight, an associate research professor in mechanical engineering and SCENIC co-founder. “It’s a small monitor that could easily fit in the hands of students. We saw the potential and decided to develop a high-school curriculum using the monitor as a way to deliver engineering education.”

By summer 2013, the curriculum was ready and the monitoring device had been redesigned for classroom use. The following year, Knight and his small team were ready to scale the program, expanding their outreach to four rural high schools.

However, the group soon realized that sustaining rapid growth meant recruiting more college students to lead the high school classrooms. That’s when they decided to introduce a new course in mechanical engineering called Project Based Learning (PBL) in Rural Schools.

Developed alongside professor and fellow SCENIC co-founder Michael Hannigan, the year-long class takes a two-pronged approach. During the first semester, college students learn to master the monitoring technology and become confident classroom leaders. In the second semester, they travel to their assigned rural high schools and help teachers implement the engineering curriculum.

“We piloted the course for the first time in the 2015-2016 school year with just eight students and it really worked,” Knight said. “From there, we were fortunate enough to attract more funding, allowing us to add more students and schools. We even brought С�� Boulder’s School of Education onboard to help monitor the program and identify ways we can improve our outreach efforts going forward.”

A broader impact

Now, nearly 30 undergraduate and graduate students enroll in the class each year, guiding rural high schoolers through projects that range from testing indoor air quality to analyzing soil conditions on local farms.

A group of students at Northfork High School in Hotchkiss, Colorado running a soil burning activity to determine the impact of fire on soil quality.

It’s a unique opportunity for rural high school students to turn their own towns into living laboratories. But Knight says it’s also an opportunity for the university to reach students who might otherwise never see themselves in engineering.

“Engineering and science education is very limited in these rural places,” said Knight. “Our goal is to bring a more interesting, project-based approach to their classrooms. That way we can get the word out about engineering and even just about attending college.”

Knight believes that establishing a more robust engineering identity in rural Colorado could benefit local communities, as well.

Rady Mechanical Engineering is already building that pipeline through partnerships with Western Slope universities that help rural students earn engineering degrees. Maybe one day, rural high schoolers inspired by the department’s outreach can return to their hometowns as engineers, bringing new ideas and solutions to their communities.

Or maybe they return to the program, this time as mentors, guiding students at the same rural high school that first sparked their interest in engineering.

“We offer our partnership program students the opportunity to take a remote section of the PBL course, and sometimes students we once mentored in high school come back as college students to take it,” Knight said. “When they are trained and ready to go, we like to send them back to the high schools they came from to mentor the next generation of students. It’s really rewarding to see that full circle moment come to fruition.”

With the program’s NSF award funding set to expire this year, Knight and his team are preparing a new grant proposal to try and keep their outreach alive. But they say maintaining the status quo isn’t enough—they want the program to strengthen and evolve.

“For years, the program has been mainly centered around air and soil science. However, we are also working to add another avenue of inquiry focused on wildfires,” said Knight. “It’s a topic that is extremely important in our state, especially in rural and mountainous areas of Colorado. We hope that adding wildfire questions into our curriculum gives high school students another meaningful way to engage with engineering and real-world problem solving.”

Associate Research Professor Daniel Knight and Professor Michael Hannigan are leading an outreach program that connects С�� Boulder students with rural high schools to introduce hands-on engineering experiences in the classroom. The initiative, known as the Science and Engineering Inquiry Collaborative (SCENIC), serves 12 schools and nearly 700 high school students across rural Colorado each year, turning local questions about air and soil quality into real-world research projects.

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Student feedback drives major ME curriculum changes for fall 2026

alse6588 — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:52:20 +0000

Student feedback drives major ME curriculum changes for fall 2026 alse6588 Wed, 02/04/2026 - 09:52

Alexander Servantez

Mechanical engineering students at С�� Boulder can expect some big changes to their curriculum coming soon.

Janet Tsai, associate teaching professor and associate chair for undergraduate education, said the changes will help improve student learning experiences for all current and prospective students.

Here’s a breakdown of what students can expect starting fall 2026:

1. Splitting MCEN 1025 into two courses

The first change involves MCEN 1025, currently a four-credit computer-aided design (CAD) and fabrication course required of all mechanical engineering undergraduate students.

Students performing fabrication work in the Idea Forge.

The course will be split into two courses:

A three-credit CAD class (MCEN 1026) that will include classroom lectures and activities centered on learning the basics of CAD software.
A one-credit fabrication class (MCEN 2026) that will allow students to perform hands-on fabrication work in the Idea Forge machine shop.

Student feedback indicates the change will help resolve scheduling issues and improve flexibility—especially for transfer students—as they move through their college journey.

Tsai said the new class structure will also help create a clearer progression of hands-on experiences for students throughout the curriculum.

“The nice thing about the fabrication course is that it will be a 2000-level class,” Tsai said. “Currently, students take MCEN 1025 during their first year and have a year-long gap before their next hands-on course. But starting in the fall, there will be opportunities for hands-on, project-based learning in every year of the curriculum.”

2. Adjusting credit allocations across multiple courses

The second change tackles a student concern about class workloads not matching credit hours.

Many students expressed that certain classes were much more time consuming and difficult than the course’s allocated credit hours suggested. In order to address this issue, the department is restructuring credit allocations to better represent the amount of time and work students should expect in their courses.

Starting in the fall, students will no longer be required to take a three-credit standalone Math/Science Foundations class. The department will also be eliminating the lab component in MCEN 1030: Introduction to Engineering Computing and reducing the course’s credit hours from four to three.

Students studying in the Discovery Learning Center.

This frees up four total credit hours that the department will allocate to four other three-credit classes in need of adjustment. The classes that will receive an increase in credit hours are:

MCEN 3025: Component Design
MCEN 4026: Manufacturing Processes and Systems
MCEN 4043: System Dynamics
MCEN 4045: Senior Design I

Tsai believes the changes will help streamline degree requirements and stay compliant with registrar guidelines without adding or removing any credit hours. If students get caught between the old and new requirements, they will work very closely with them to ensure they can graduate on time.

“Right now, first- and second-year students are being advised of these changes so that they can schedule accordingly,” said Tsai. “Most juniors and seniors have achieved a majority of the old curriculum so they are still on track. But there are a couple of students in the middle that we are working on moving credits around with and they will definitely graduate just fine.”

Both of the changes were guided by a series of department-led student town hall meetings that began during the fall 2024 semester. The events served as a direct venue for students to voice any concerns they have regarding department leadership, programming or education.

“We believe it’s very important to hear directly from our students,” Tsai said. “So far it’s already led to a lot of great ideas and solutions that leadership and students are looking to build upon together.”

For example, the department is working to create a student advisory board, which will include students with a wide range of journeys and experiences. Tsai and her team are reviewing student-submitted applications to find a cohort that can help represent the student ecosystem and foster healthy discussion.

Above all, Tsai wants mechanical engineering students to know their changes and efforts are always implemented with their best interests in mind.

“These credit changes are something that we’ve been talking about for a long time and will greatly benefit our students,” said Tsai. “We want to show them that we are actively listening to their feedback and evolving to ensure they are getting credit for their work and receiving the best hands-on experience possible.”

Starting in fall 2026, the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering is rolling out two major curriculum changes—guided by student feedback—that aim to rebalance credit allocation and streamline degree requirements. Janet Tsai, associate teaching professor and associate chair for undergraduate education, said the changes will help improve student learning experiences for all current and prospective students.

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Brewing engineers: Inside С�� Boulder’s new food engineering program

Alexander James Servantez — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 21:00:27 +0000

Brewing engineers: Inside С�� Boulder’s new food engineering program Alexander Jame… Wed, 12/03/2025 - 14:00

Alexander Servantez

For Carmen Pacheco, food isn’t just something you eat. It’s a complex, interconnected set of culture, stories and engineering that she is using to build one of С�� Boulder’s most innovative academic ventures.

Pacheco, a faculty member in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, is the architect behind the Food Engineering Graduate Certificate. Launched in 2024, the program was designed to introduce engineering students to the science behind their favorite foods and career opportunities in the food industry.

The certificate program, inspired by a pioneering Design of Coffee course at UC Davis, is among the first of its kind in higher education. Pacheco says it can reinforce scientific concepts that students can apply to any engineering discipline.

“We use universally recognized products like coffee and cacao as mediums to learn engineering principles, but they also have the ability to provide transferable skills,” said Pacheco. “We aren’t trying to produce baristas or chocolatiers. We want students to gain an understanding of engineering systems—understanding and evaluating the process from the beginning all the way to the final product.”

Early path to food engineering

Growing up in an immigrant family, Pacheco felt a close connection to food. She learned all the cultural dishes that embodied her youth, even creating a bilingual cookbook to preserve her family’s traditional recipes.

Faculty member Carmen Pacheco (middle) working with students in the Design of Coffee course.

As her cooking skills grew stronger, Pacheco found herself thinking about food in a new way. It wasn’t just recipes anymore—she also began questioning the functions of ingredients and thinking about the ratios of spices and herbs.

One day, while selling her homemade mole sauce, Pacheco asked herself an interesting question: How can food become a fun educational tool for teaching engineering students?

“I used to bring salsa into my freshman-level chemistry class to teach mechanical engineers about acidity, like the pH of a tomatillo versus a roasted tomato, or understanding hydrogen-ion concentration,” Pacheco said. “The students had a nice response to using food in the classroom, and I became extremely passionate about it.”

That next semester, Pacheco founded the university’s first food engineering course: Design of Coffee.

“Boulder is a mecca for natural foods and people love coffee here. I pitched the class to my faculty chair, explained its importance, demonstrated the teaching and before we knew it there was a class,” she said. “I didn’t know if people were going to sign up for it, but they did.”

Crafting a complete student experience

After the success of the Design of Coffee class, Pacheco was given the opportunity to take the one-off idea and sculpt it into a complete student experience. She added two additional food engineering courses—Design of Chocolate and Design of Beer—and worked with Associate Teaching Professor Dan Riffell to curate the curriculum and align the classes with a wide range of elective offerings, creating a full-fledged graduate certificate program.

But Pacheco’s vision for the program wasn’t just about brewing coffee or malting beer.

Students working together in groups to brew coffee in the Design of Coffee course.

According to Pacheco, all foods have a story and understanding that story is crucial to its creation.

Take chocolate, for example. Over 75 percent of cacao is harvested in Africa via slavery and exploitation of cheap labor. It’s then shipped in bulk, often to privileged countries like the U.S. and Europe.

However, Africa sees little, if any, economic value, from its hard work.The profit is seen in countries where cacao is developed into chocolate bars and other treats.

“When the students learn the history of chocolate and its journey, they value and appreciate it more,” Pacheco said.

Coffee also has a story. Coffee trees take three to five years to mature and are extremely sensitive to climate change. They require heavy maintenance and chemicals to survive, which can be harmful to the environment.

That’s why Pacheco emphasizes sustainability as a key pillar in the course’s curriculum. Students learn to process coffee from scratch, using the least amount of energy possible.

“It’s important to educate students to close the gap between consumers and producers,” said Pacheco. “If consumers know where their food comes from or how it's made, they are more likely to be engaged in conversations about sustainability.”

The future of the program

In just one year, Pacheco has seen encouraging enrollment numbers. But she believes there’s room to grow.

She envisions a day when students will have access to a food engineering lab—a one-stop shop equipped with everything they need to roast coffee, process chocolate or malt beer.

She also hopes the program can one day be opened to a broader range of students across campus. Right now, only engineering students can apply, but allowing students from other majors could enrich classroom conversations.

The potential is endless, but Pacheco says the program’s core values will always stay the same.

“At the end of the day, engineering is not just math and machines—it’s the story of the people behind all of these materials,” Pacheco said. “We want this program to be a sustainable resource for both the local community and beyond.”

Faculty member Carmen Pacheco is the architect behind the Food Engineering Graduate Certificate, one of С�� Boulder's most innovative academic ventures. Launched in 2024, the program was designed to introduce engineering students to the science behind their favorite foods and career opportunities in the food industry, but it can also reinforce scientific concepts that students can apply to any engineering discipline.

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Game plan: ME alum scores a data science job with the Broncos

Alexander James Servantez — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 17:14:40 +0000

Game plan: ME alum scores a data science job with the Broncos Alexander Jame… Wed, 06/25/2025 - 11:14

Scott Flaska (MechEngr'14) was once a competitive and interdisciplinary student in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering. Now, he's the data mastermind behind one of Colorado's most beloved professional sports teams.

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С�� Boulder students win big at collegiate hydropower competition

Alexander James Servantez — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 22:32:51 +0000

С�� Boulder students win big at collegiate hydropower competition Alexander Jame… Wed, 06/18/2025 - 16:32

Alexander Servantez

A powerhouse group of graduating seniors from the University of Colorado Boulder made waves in a sustainable challenge that’s all about energizing the future.

The С�� Hydropower Team took part in this year’s Hydropower Collegiate Competition, where 12 teams from universities across the country were tasked with developing unique energy solutions using fresh, moving water—one of the Earth’s oldest forms of renewable energy.

The С�� Hydropower Team holding up their award-winning testing apparatus on competition day.

But they weren’t just participants. They were overwhelming winners, earning first-place honors in a variety of contests within the competition, including the highly coveted Overall Best Team award.

“We had a great group and a really good workload sharing system,” said Logistics Manager Miles Salzer. “We weren’t really sure how we were going to do or what the outcome would be. There were a lot of challenges, but we overcame them and we’re proud of what we were able to accomplish.”

The competition, sponsored by the Department of Energy and the Water Power Technologies Office, was launched in 2022. It allows teams to showcase their engineering prowess by conceptually designing plans for either an electricity generating power dam or a functioning closed-loop pump storage facility.

The team chose to tackle the closed-loop pump storage facility—a novel hydropower solution that features two independent reservoirs that transport water back and forth, much like the sand in an hourglass. The system is also hydrodynamically sealed, preventing water from exiting the system.

CAD Engineer Jack Printup says this new pump storage concept is currently growing in popularity as a clean energy and sustainable alternative, but there are still some environmental risks involved.

“It’s basically a big water battery that lasts longer and is more consistent than other nonrenewable sources, but like nuclear plants, they can cause some damage to the area around it,” Printup said. “Our task was to choose and develop a site for our pump storage facility that was safe and could be implemented in the real world.”

С�� Hydropower team members Sascha Fowler (left) and Pisay Suzuki (right) working on their testing apparatus in preparation for the competition.

But the competition doesn’t just focus on technical design. Judges also assessed the team’s ability to manage their facility’s finances and cybersecurity.

They even measured the group’s ability to use digital tools to increase community awareness or quickly pitch their plan to a panel of “investors” in an environment reminiscent of the hit TV show “Shark Tank.”

Luckily, Salzer said the group was perfectly equipped to handle the interdisciplinary obstacles with a well-rounded force of their own. The team featured students from the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Environmental Engineering Program, Integrated Design Engineering, the Department of Computer Science and even the Leeds School of Business.

“I think the different backgrounds made our group really unique,” said Salzer. “Hydropower—and renewable energy in general—are large and complex infrastructure projects. One of our team’s biggest strengths compared to other teams was our varied skill sets that allowed us to handle all of the challenges.”

Most importantly, however, the competition is designed to help college graduates develop skills, connections and interest in the hydropower industry.

Printup says increased activity and engagement in hydropower can be crucial, and this competition really sparked his passion.

“There are spurts in the hydropower industry—you build a large plant and then 60 years later it needs to be refurbished or new facilities need to be built,” Printup said. “I’m going into hydropower to continue developing this incredible technology, but also make sure public safety is at the forefront.”

The С�� Hydropower Team had a strong showing in this year's Hydropower Collegiate Competition, bringing home multiple awards including the best design award, the cybersecurity award, the best quick pitch award and the highly coveted first-place honor in the overall competition.

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From left to right: Maximilian Schmid, Pisay Suzuki, Jack Printup, Patrick Liu, Luke Shaw, Sara Leschova, Charlie Loewenguth, Sascha Fowler, Miles Salzer, Tristan Wrable and Landon Nattrass.

Burleson earns 2025 Exceptional Graduate Faculty Mentor Award

Alexander James Servantez — Tue, 13 May 2025 20:53:08 +0000

Burleson earns 2025 Exceptional Graduate Faculty Mentor Award Alexander Jame… Tue, 05/13/2025 - 14:53

Assistant Professor Grace Burleson has earned the Graduate School's 2025 Exceptional Graduate Faculty Mentor Award for her outstanding contributions to mentoring individual graduate students and improving the overall climate of graduate education.

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Graduating student Aria Mundy receives the CEAS 2024 Outstanding Undergraduate Award

Alexander James Servantez — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 21:53:39 +0000

Graduating student Aria Mundy receives the CEAS 2024 Outstanding Undergraduate Award Alexander Jame… Tue, 12/17/2024 - 14:53

Alexander Servantez

Aria Mundy, a dual-major mechanical engineering and applied mathematics student graduating this fall, has been selected to receive the С�� Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science 2024 Outstanding Undergraduate Award.

The award is given to an undergraduate student who maximized their educational experience in a holistic way, with accomplishments across several areas.

Mundy is the fourth ME student to win the award since 1994.

A home-grown love for engineering

Aria Mundy, recipient of the CEAS 2024 Outstanding Undergraduate Award.

Born and raised in the Boulder area, Mundy always dreamed of studying engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. She loved math, she loved science and with encouragement from her early educators, she learned the importance of women in engineering.

“I was one of just a few girls in my physics class during high school,” Mundy said. “One of my teachers encouraged me to pursue a career in STEM and inspired me to explore engineering.”

Mundy started her undergraduate journey in the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at С�� Boulder. But after her freshman year, she decided to explore different areas of study in the college, eventually settling on the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering.

“The awesome part about ME is how versatile it is,” she said. “I’ve held some different internships across different industries. It’s been awesome to jump around and get exposure to many exciting areas.”

Success in-and-out of the classroom

During her time at С�� Boulder, Mundy demonstrated a talent for academic success. She was awarded a scholarship by the BOLD Center and was a part of the С�� Boulder Esteemed Scholars Program and С�� Engineering Honors program. In her sophomore year, she was accepted into the Kiewit Design-Build Scholars Program.

Aria Mundy crossing the finish line at the USA Cycling Collegiate National Championships.

Mundy also exhibited success outside of the classroom. She has been a part of the С�� Cycling and Triathlon Teams all throughout her college career, holding leadership positions on both teams. In the 2024 USA Cycling Collegiate National Championships, Mundy brought four national championships back to Boulder, taking first in the Women’s Club Team Time Trial, Road Race, Criterium, and Omnium events.

Success has found Mundy as a member of the С�� Boulder Wind Team, as well. In 2023 and 2024, the squad took home two top-3 finishes in the Collegiate Wind Competition.

“Being a part of the different scholarship programs helped expand my opportunities and community,” Mundy said. “As for athletics, being a part of sports has always been my escape whenever I feel overwhelmed in class.

“It’s been amazing to find some success at races. But at the end of the day, it’s really just about being a part of such a great community and finding balance alongside academics.”

Creating an inclusive culture

Mundy attributes her success in multiple arenas to the support of peers and mentors who took her under their wings.

Aria Mundy guiding middle school students through a science experiment.

“When I was a freshman, stepping into sports felt intimidating at times. Cycling has few women and engineering has long been male-dominated,” she said. “But I’ll never forget the women who went out of their way to make me feel included. As I grew older, I felt the responsibility to create that same sense of belonging for others, too.”

In many ways, Mundy was on the front lines fighting for diversity and gender parity in engineering. As a member of С�� Boulder’s Society of Women Engineers (SWE), she helped organize local workshops encouraging young women to explore STEM career opportunities.

She also participated in the Project-Based Learning in Rural Schools Soil Quality Inquiry Program (SQIQ). This experience took her to Paonia, Colorado where she partnered with Paonia K-8 to guide young students through soil-quality experiments, fostering their curiosity about science and research.

“С�� Boulder is a very welcoming place for women and underrepresented students,” Mundy said. "I strive to share my excitement and enthusiasm for engineering and community, showing others that they have a support system and can succeed in this environment.”

Making a broader impact

A strong love for engineering and outreach opened the door for Mundy to make an impact beyond the С�� Boulder campus, too.

Aria Mundy during her time at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

In summer 2022, Mundy traveled to Rwanda as a member of the С�� Engineers Without Borders (EWB). She worked with her peers to design and implement a rainwater catchment system. She said it was “a true embodiment of what it means to be an engineer.”

“This project was a powerful reminder of how engineering can bring people together to create solutions that make a lasting difference,” Mundy said.

She also completed internships at companies in various engineering industries such as Tendeg, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, NIST, Specialized Bicycle Components and LASP. Mundy’s award nominator says she has contributed to new ideas and technologies at each company.

“My philosophy has been to try as many different things as possible,” Mundy said. “I’m truly grateful to receive this award, and for С�� Boulder’s support in providing so many avenues for me to learn and grow.

“If I had more time, I would love to keep exploring new things. I’m sad my journey is coming to a close, but I’m excited for what comes next.”

The Outstanding Undergraduate Award will be presented to Mundy at the College of Engineering and Applied Science Graduation Ceremony on Dec. 19. Mundy is considering pursuing a master’s in mechanical engineering while exploring full-time opportunities.

Aria Mundy, a dual-major mechanical engineering and applied mathematics student graduating this fall has been selected to receive the С�� Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science 2024 Outstanding Undergraduate Award. Mundy has displayed a vast level of achievement during her time on campus in areas such as academics, outreach, professional development and inclusion.

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Aria Mundy during her time in Rwanda as a member of the С�� Engineers Without Borders (EWB).

New PhD research area allows students, faculty to explore engineering design in a wider context

Alexander James Servantez — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 19:04:13 +0000

New PhD research area allows students, faculty to explore engineering design in a wider context Alexander Jame… Wed, 11/27/2024 - 12:04

Alexander Servantez

At the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, the process and application of design is everywhere.

Students are constantly designing tools and technologies. Faculty members are launching successful startups on the backs of their own designs. In just the past two years, Venture Partners at С�� Boulder has supported 10 new startups featuring inventions designed by ME faculty and students.

But earlier this fall, the department took nearly a decade of development to a whole new level by introducing a new research area in design. This focus area, geared toward PhD students, involves the study of the design process and how various contexts (environmental, psychological, political, etc.) affect the artifacts that today’s engineers aim to create.

It’s the next step in the department’s design growth, building on the current MS design framework and the large network of undergraduate design courses made possible by Design Center Colorado. ME faculty and staff have worked tirelessly over the years to build this infrastructure and weave elements of design throughout all the other focus areas in the department. The new design PhD focus area represents the next iteration.

Grace Burleson, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, was a key player, among others, in the creation of this new concentration. She believes the focus area will help С�� Boulder researchers enhance the practice of design, and advance design methodologies throughout many engineering disciplines to tackle the difficult societal challenges we see today.

“Design has been happening in the department since the beginning. It’s embedded in mechanical engineering and our other focus areas,” Burleson said. “However, that framing makes it challenging to focus on design as a scientific study.

“Our engineers are being asked to solve much more complex issues than ever before, and we need to expand our thought of design in order to be successful.”

From interdisciplinary beginnings

Grace Burleson, assistant professor in mechanical engineering. Burleson is one of over 20 faculty members affiliated with the new design focus area.

The inspiration behind Burleson's research can be traced all the way back to summer 2015, nearly 8,517 miles away from Boulder.

Burleson, at the time an undergraduate student at Oregon State University, was on a research trip in Uganda studying global health and sustainable development. While conducting her research, she quickly realized that her typical engineer’s rationale was not enough to foster successful design processes. An understanding of social contexts and a whole new perspective was needed in order to do her work the right way.

From there, a whole new spark of curiosity was formed. A spark that led Burleson down a dual path threading the needle between mechanical engineering and anthropology. She studied the two areas and applied principles from each to her own work until she found a true relationship: the impact of design.

“Applied sciences have always been a pillar of design in engineering, and they always will be,” Burleson said. “But I learned that we have to broaden the scope of sciences that we are using to design our artifacts. There are cultural considerations we need to understand in order to find the effective and equitable solutions to our design problems.”

After receiving her PhD from the University of Michigan, Burleson’s next project was finding a home that allowed her to foster the next great design minds. She joined С�� Boulder’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, whose interdisciplinary approach and faculty support made it easy for her to make her mark.

“Design has been a strong focus in our department long before I joined, and I received strong encouragement from other faculty members to start the process for formalizing the focus area,” Burleson said. “I met with faculty who led design research, and we all agreed that we needed to do this.”

To the first iteration

Nicole Xu, assistant professor in mechanical engineering, showcasing her lab's bio-inspired design for robotic jellyfish.

The Design Focus Area launched in fall 2024 with over 20 faculty members from very diverse backgrounds. Some faculty members tackle design questions in the areas of air quality and sustainability. Others practice design through the lens of materials and mechanics.

This interdisciplinary structure is a staple in the field of design, which Burleson calls a “horizontal discipline.” While other focus areas might require in-depth, vertical research into one topic, design requires a wide range of knowledge in a handful of topics. It’s a holistic approach that invites students with diverse backgrounds who are looking to study design.

“When I’m recruiting PhD students, I’m looking for those diverse backgrounds,” Burleson said. “We have students from mechanical engineering, physics, even theater and law. It really lends a unique perspective to the focus area.”

Even the current research that faculty and students are conducting is multi-dimensional and exciting. Nicole Xu, another assistant professor in mechanical engineering, focuses on biology-inspired design elements for robotic mechanisms. Her lab creates aquatic vehicles that mimic the movements of live organisms for environmental monitoring.

“Engineering is often seen as a purely logical field, but we need to think more broadly about other aspects of design,” Xu said. “In my work, we apply design principles from animals to improve or expand our available underwater technologies. For other faculty, the perspective could be the emotional contexts of design science, like teamwork and collaboration.

“Design is already inherent in every engineering project, with all the different types of research in our department. But it’s never been brought to the forefront like it is now with this new focus area.”

On to the next evolution

James Harper, assistant teaching professor in mechanical engineering.

Burleson says the focus area will continue to expand as engineers apply and advance new sciences. She also mentions rumors of an increased emphasis on design practice and research across campus to leverage the university’s vast consortium of design expertise.

Assistant Teaching Professor James Harper echoes those same sentiments, saying there is ample opportunity to enhance the curriculum going forward. He even says that prospective PhD students have the opportunity as they are here to leave their mark on the department, and change the way design is taught college-wide based on their research.

“Engineers are not taught to talk to people,” Harper said. “We’re taught the technical side of things. But design relies on engineers understanding people and how products are actually used. Good design requires gathering contextual data, as well as entrepreneurial skills, and we’ve begun to teach these topics even in undergraduate engineering courses, too.”

One of Burleson’s design-track PhD students, Mark Henderson, recognizes the impact he could have on future generations. As a patent attorney, Henderson has seen lots of creators receive patent rejections on their inventions because their designs were “too similar” to others.

His research in the focus area revolves around one question: what design choices would engineers make if they already knew the “state of the art”?

“Here at С�� Boulder, I have the opportunity to use these classes and this community for design research,” Henderson said. “But there is also potential in the broader Boulder area to do industry research with the large companies that are here.

“I really couldn’t believe the fit when I chose to study design at С�� Boulder.”

The Paul M. Ray Department of Mechanical Engineering has launched a new research area in design. The new focus area, geared toward PhD students, involves the study of the design process and how various contexts (environmental, psychological, political, etc.) affect the artifacts that today’s engineers aim to create.

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Triple honors for mechanical engineering graduate

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 22:31:16 +0000

Triple honors for mechanical engineering graduate Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 12/20/2023 - 15:31

Jeff Zehnder

Above: Palmer Dick-Montez working on electronics with an oscilloscope.
Headline Photo: Palmer Dick-Montez at the Grand Canyon.

Palmer Dick-Montez is receiving major kudos as he graduates with a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Colorado Boulder.

He is a 2023 recipient of three separate College of Engineering and Applied Science Outstanding Graduate Awards for Academic Engagement, Community Impact, and Research.

“It’s humbling. I didn’t really expect to be honored like this. It especially feels good to be recognized for making an impact on the С�� Engineering community outside myself, helping others,” Dick-Montez said.

His contributions have been substantial. He is a course assistant in the mechanical engineering senior design program and is part of Engineering Fellows, a college initiative that assists students at risk of falling behind or dropping out.

“It’s peer mentoring, review sessions, office hours for students who are struggling,” he said. “It offers not only academic support but also a community of other students. I’ve really benefitted from peer mentors and TAs and wanted to be that support for other students.”

Julie Steinbrenner, an assistant teaching professor in the Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, particularly praises Dick-Montez’s efforts as part of senior design.

“Palmer is a dedicated student, a role model and mentor for other students. He held his senior design team to high standards and is a go-to resource for his classmates because he’s thoughtful and motivated,” Steinbrenner said.

His impact extends outside the classroom into research. Last year, Associate Professor Nathalie Vriend invited him to assist on an avalanche analysis study. He dove in with gusto, analyzing a massive dataset probing how a simulated snow bed behaves, settles, and flows after an avalanche event.

“This is a hard analysis for any PhD student. Palmer took up the challenge as an undergraduate with confidence and produced an excellent body of work in only three months,” Vriend said.

He is working on a paper related the work, which the team hopes to publish next year. Vriend is also organizing a larger follow-up experiment that Dick-Montez hopes to assist with after graduation.

“I really enjoyed the process of working on something there isn’t a lot of literature on and figuring out the cause and effect of things,” Dick-Montez said.

While Dick-Montez loves engineering, he is equally drawn to studying the past, earning a minor in anthropology alongside his mechanical engineering degree. He also spent two years as co-president of the С�� Boulder Anthropology Club.

Immediately following graduation, he intends to join a six-month archaeological dig in Oaxaca, Mexico, studying a pre-Hispanic, indigenous Mexican village site.

“I did a study abroad in Mexico for archaeology with the same professor and I loved it and want to do more,” he said. “I’m very interested in both engineering and anthropology, but there are more career possibilities in engineering. I can continue with anthropology outside of a career.”

Following the dig, he will pursue an engineering job in either aerospace or marine robotics, which was the focus of his senior design project.

“I’d like to stay in Colorado; I grew up here, but I know if I go into marine robotics I will not be staying in a landlocked state,” Dick-Montez said.

Palmer Dick-Montez is receiving major kudos as he graduates with a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Colorado Boulder. He is a 2023 recipient of three separate College of...

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