Education
In 2017, a former team of mechanical engineering alums developed an adjustable, heated bench system for their senior capstone project that helps NBA players stay warm and ready for action when their number is called during games. Today, the project has turned into a commercially-licensed technology that has achieved over $1 million in sales, been installed by four total teams across the world鈥檚 top basketball league and been nominated for the Sports Business Journal鈥檚 2026 Best Technology Collaboration award.
The Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering graduate program at 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 was ranked 14th amongst public institutions for 2026-27, according to U.S. News and World Report鈥檚 Best Graduate Schools rankings. Up three spots from last year, the program continues to build on its growing national reputation.
Associate Research Professor Daniel Knight and Professor Michael Hannigan are leading an outreach program that connects 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 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.
Starting in fall 2026, the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering is rolling out two major curriculum changes鈥攇uided by student feedback鈥攖hat 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.
Faculty member Carmen Pacheco is the architect behind the Food Engineering Graduate Certificate, one of 蜜桃传媒破解版下载'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.
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.
The CU 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.
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.
Aria Mundy, a dual-major mechanical engineering and applied mathematics student graduating this fall has been selected to receive the 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 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.
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鈥檚 engineers aim to create.