Faculty

Four new faculty members joining the ME department for Fall 2026

alse6588 — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 15:50:04 +0000

Four new faculty members joining the ME department for Fall 2026 alse6588 Tue, 09/22/2026 - 09:50

Alexander Servantez

The Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� is welcoming four new faculty members this fall semester.

From renewable energy technologies and robotic optimization to engineering education and computing, these talented scientists and engineers bring a wealth of knowledge and passion to our teaching and research missions.

Please join us in welcoming them to our college and campus community!

Samuel Greene

Assistant Professor

Greene received both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Chicago. He then spent two years at the University of Oxford, where he earned another master’s degree in physical and theoretical chemistry. Finally, Greene earned his PhD in chemical physics from Columbia University and worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas at Austin’s Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences before arriving at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ��.

Greene’s research involves using and developing atomic-scale simulation methods to study materials for energy storage and other renewable energy technologies. His research focuses on ion and electron transport in solid-state electrolyte and electrode materials for next-generation batteries, with a particular focus on beyond-lithium battery chemistries, and molecular adsorption in nanoporous materials such as metal-organic frameworks for heat storage and carbon capture.

“Despite dramatic reductions in the cost of renewable energy over the past few decades, our society still depends strongly on fossil fuels due to a lack of widespread energy storage infrastructure,” said Greene. “Our research helps guide the development of new energy storage and conversion technologies to one day reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.”

Greene says he is excited to learn from his colleagues and find new opportunities for collaboration in Rady Mechanical Engineering’s “open, collaborative culture.” He’s also eager to enjoy Colorado’s beautiful mountain scenery from his own backyard.

Julie Jarzemsky

Assistant Teaching Professor

Jarzemsky received her bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin Madison in 2013. Then, she worked as a software engineer and product manager for various companies and startups in Austin, Texas. She also taught K-12 computing workshops throughout college and during her years in industry, making a leap later on to teach computing and media full-time at a vocational school.

However, Jarzemsky isn’t new to Colorado. She earned her master’s degree in computer science from ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� in 2023 and has been teaching computer science in the Western-��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Engineering Partnership Program ever since.

Now, Jarzemsky is transitioning from teaching computer science courses to mechanical engineering courses related to computing, such as circuits and computational methods. She focuses on engaging students with computation through real-world projects, community-engaged design and the integration of ethics and societal considerations into technical coursework.

By connecting engineering education with computing, ethics and real-world community needs, Jarzemsky helps prepare engineers to make thoughtful technical decisions and design solutions that positively impact the communities they work within.

“I look forward to continuing collaborations with local organizations, such as the Gunnison Arts Center, that provide students with opportunities to design and build projects that serve the broader community,” Jarzemsky said.

Ellie Pond

Assistant Teaching Professor

Pond received two bachelor’s of science degrees in mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering from the University of Florida. She then received her PhD in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech in 2026, where she conducted research on techniques to guarantee safe robotic control and developed optimization algorithms designed to operate asynchronously.

However, Pond joins the Colorado Mesa University Partnership Program with a different focus: engineering education. She says these interests include the integration of sociotechnical thinking, the study of group dynamics and project-based learning.

By implementing evidence-based teaching practices, Pond aims to create a classroom environment that cultivates curious, collaborative and confident engineers. She also hopes to bring new experiences and educational opportunities for students in the program.

“I am excited to get to know the students and the culture of the western slope,” said Pond. “I am also looking forward to developing an elective class for the spring semester.”

Heather Swenson

Assistant Teaching Professor

Swenson received her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Colorado State University before earning her master’s degree in aerospace engineering from ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ��.

After that, she worked at companies like Lockheed Martin and ExoTerra Resource for nearly two decades as a mechanical test engineer, systems engineer and mission analyst for human spaceflight and CubeSat missions.

In 2023, Swenson joined the Western-��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Engineering Partnership Program as a lecturer. This year, she is stepping into a new role as an assistant teaching professor in the program.

Swenson has lived in Colorado for over 30 years and is excited to continue mentoring the next generation of mechanical and aerospace engineers.

The Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� is welcoming four new faculty members this fall semester. From renewable energy technologies and robotic optimization to engineering education and computing, these talented scientists and engineers bring a wealth of knowledge and passion to our teaching and research missions.

Off

Traditional

White

Five mechanical engineering research projects win PACES awards

alse6588 — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 16:13:12 +0000

Five mechanical engineering research projects win PACES awards alse6588 Tue, 08/11/2026 - 10:13

Alexander Servantez

The Office of Outreach and Community Engagement (OCE) at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� has awarded five Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship (PACES) grants to faculty and students from the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering.

These awards connect research, creative work, and teaching and learning activities of faculty, staff members and students across campus with partners from Colorado communities and beyond. More than $7 million in funding, benefiting 5.5 million people, has been granted since 1999.

“We are proud of the rigorous, community-engaged work our faculty and staff are doing,” said PACES Assistant Vice Chancellor David Meens. “These public-serving projects highlight ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� powerful service throughout Colorado and beyond.”

According to OCE, this year’s application process was extremely competitive. Across campus, PACES received 31 proposals totaling $571,728 in funding requests.

Of these requests, PACES was able to fund 22 total proposals totaling $400,000. Read below to learn more about the Rady Mechanical Engineering faculty and students whose projects earned PACES funding this year.

Professor Michael Hannigan (left) and Associate Research Professor Daniel Knight (right).

SCENIC26: Environmental Sustainability Through Rural School Wildfire Inquiry (Daniel Knight, Michael Hannigan and Joseph Polman)

Wildfires are becoming an increasingly common part of life across Colorado, but many rural schools have limited access to engineering education and environmental monitoring tools.

That’s why Associate Research Professor Daniel Knight and Professor Michael Hannigan will expand the Colorado Science and Engineering Inquiry Collaborative (SCENIC) by introducing a new wildfire-focused curriculum to high schools across the state.

Students will investigate how wildfires affect local air and soil quality using monitoring technology developed at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ��, while engineering students will serve as mentors throughout the school year. By combining hands-on research with community partnerships, the project aims to inspire the next generation of engineers while helping students explore environmental challenges affecting their own communities.

Professional Research Assistant Evan Coffey (left) and Teaching Professor Shalom Ruben (right).

Listening to Communities: Co-developing Toolkits to Measure Sound and Air Pollution (Evan Coffey, Ellen Considine and Shalom Ruben)

When residents of Denver's Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods raised concerns about noise and air pollution, they asked researchers for help gathering the data needed to better understand the problem.

Professional Research Assistant Evan Coffey and Teaching Professor Shalom Ruben are striving to provide that help by working alongside community members to develop affordable sensor toolkits capable of measuring both sound and air pollution.

Residents will help determine where sensors are deployed, learn how to interpret the results and use the findings to support future community-led environmental assessments and policy discussions. The project also gives ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� students hands-on experience in community-engaged research and environmental monitoring.

Professor Emerita Shelly Miller.

Pilot Monitoring of Urban Pesticides for Human Health and Biodiversity Protection in Boulder, Colorado (Riley Mulhern, Karen Bailey and Shelly Miller)

Pesticides used in residential neighborhoods can affect both human health and local ecosystems, yet little data exists on how they move through urban environments.

A new PACES project led by Professor Emerita Shelly Miller will partner with the City of Boulder to monitor common residential pesticides using low-cost silicone samplers placed in yards and on dog collars.

The research will pair environmental measurements with biodiversity data and community input to better understand pesticide exposure and develop a blueprint for long-term monitoring that can help guide future public health and environmental policy.

Building Community Infrastructure for Air Quality Monitoring at San Lazaro Mobile Home Park (Enrique Lopez and Shelly Miller)

Residents of San Lazaro Mobile Home Park in Boulder are preparing for a multi-year coal ash excavation at the nearby Valmont Power Plant, raising concerns about potential air quality impacts.

Building on an existing community partnership, the PACES project will support the next phase of the project by training bilingual community health leaders, expanding air quality education and helping residents create their own response plan if pollution levels become concerning.

Rather than simply collecting environmental data, Miller and her team will focus on ensuring families understand what the information means and how to use it to protect their health long after the research concludes.

The Office of Outreach and Community Engagement (OCE) at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� has awarded five Public and Community-Engaged Scholarships (PACES) to faculty and students from the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering. These awards connect research, creative work, and teaching and learning activities for faculty, staff members and students across campus with partners from Colorado communities and beyond.

Off

Traditional

White

Ban takes next-generation battery research global with Fulbright award

alse6588 — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 19:24:06 +0000

Ban takes next-generation battery research global with Fulbright award alse6588 Tue, 07/14/2026 - 13:24

Alexander Servantez

Chunmei Ban, a professor in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ��, has received a Fulbright Global Scholar award to explore the future of energy storage through next-generation battery technologies.

The prestigious program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, supports international academic and cultural exchange in the form of multi-regional projects involving research and teaching activities.

The award will support collaborations with researchers in Singapore, the United Kingdom and Germany, where Ban will study safer battery materials, investigate emerging non-lithium battery alternatives and strengthen global partnerships in battery research and education.

“I am extremely grateful for all my collaborators, mentors and students for helping me reach this incredible milestone,” said Ban, who is also affiliated with the Materials Science & Engineering Program. “Our lab group has spent a long time developing and even commercializing electrochemical materials for energy storage. This project is a wonderful opportunity for us to dive deeper into new battery materials and applications.”

Powering the future

The project is built around three central priorities. The first is identifying more sustainable battery materials.

According to Ban, most current battery technologies—including lithium-ion batteries—contain high levels of fluorine that allows them to have improved cycling stability at high operating voltages.

Professor Chunmei Ban and her students in the Ban Surface Science and Engineering Research Group.

However, fluorine compounds often break down when they are exposed to water, creating a highly corrosive acid that can cause both environmental harm and unwanted reactions.

“Can we reduce fluorine content in batteries without sacrificing performance?” Ban asked. “Finding that balance and commercializing those options is one of the key points of the project.”

The second goal is to expand the possibilities of energy storage by exploring battery technologies beyond lithium.

While lithium batteries have their strengths, such as high energy density, Ban says emerging technologies based on different materials could provide other advantages where certain performance characteristics are needed.

“Every battery chemistry has its own properties,” said Ban. “There is no such thing as better or worse. It’s about finding the right battery and the right chemistry for every individual application.”

One promising alternative is sodium-ion technology. Unlike lithium, sodium provides low energy density and is one of the most abundant materials in the world, making it a cost-effective battery option.

By investigating these alternatives and building a more diverse battery landscape that is less dependent on lithium, Ban believes the project can help solve supply chain restrictions, ease geopolitical tensions and better meet the needs of different communities and industries.

Professor and Fulbright awardee Chunmei Ban.

The last goal of the project is education.

During her visits overseas, Ban will lead a series of workshops and talks inviting undergraduate students, graduate students and even scholars to learn more about battery technology.

She hopes to bridge the gap between culture and engineering to inspire student involvement in battery science and encourage collaboration with ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ��.

“This is one of my favorite parts of the project because I don’t believe science should have any borders,” Ban said. “We all only have one Earth and it’s our responsibility to work together so we can maintain its health and our own quality of life. To do this, communication is super important, so I’m really excited to lead the charge, open the conversation and start exchanging ideas.”

But it’s not just a chance for Ban to educate others. It’s a chance for her to learn, as well.

“In Germany, I will be visiting a leading manufacturing facility that has done a great job supporting the commercialization of new battery materials, designs and cell configurations,” said Ban. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for me to learn more about the manufacturing process and how we can improve it using AI, machine learning or other advanced tools that we use in our lab on a daily basis.”

Chunmei Ban has received a Fulbright Global Scholar award to explore the future of energy storage through next-generation battery technologies. The award will support collaborations with researchers in Singapore, the United Kingdom and Germany, where Ban will study safer battery materials, investigate emerging non-lithium battery alternatives and strengthen global partnerships in battery research and education.

Off

Traditional

White

New blood clot technology could transform emergency medicine

alse6588 — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 21:50:59 +0000

New blood clot technology could transform emergency medicine alse6588 Mon, 06/08/2026 - 15:50

Alexander Servantez

Blood clotting is one of the body’s oldest survival mechanisms—a biological defense that has protected humans from dangerous bleeding for millions of years.

But when severe injuries strike, nature’s solution can sometimes fall short.

Rong Long, associate professor in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Now, researchers in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� are helping test a new type of engineered blood clot that forms faster and is more durable than the ones found in nature. The new technique could one day transform how doctors treat traumatic injuries and manage life-threatening blood loss.

“This is a new biomaterial with the potential to save many lives,” said ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Associate Professor Rong Long.

The work, recently published in the journal Nature, was led by Associate Professor Jianyu Li in the Laboratory of Biomaterials Mechanics at McGill University. Long and his group, along with researchers from the University of British Columbia, the University of Toronto and the Versiti Blood Research Institutes, were contributing authors in the study.

The manufactured clots are built from red blood cells. By rapidly linking the blood cells into durable networks, the multi-university team created a reinforced blood clot that forms faster and is far stronger than the body’s natural version.

Long and his team in the Nonlinear Mechanics Laboratory helped uncover the mechanical principles behind the engineered clot, using computational models and tests to study its properties. The testing demonstrated how much pressure the engineered clot could withstand, as well as its strength and how fast it formed.

“We found the material to be 13 times tougher and four times more adhesive than native blood clots,” Long said.

Strengthening nature’s first responders

Blood clots tend to have a bad reputation. When they form in the wrong place or abnormally, they can lead to serious medical emergencies such as strokes and heart attacks.

However, blood clotting is crucial in many situations, from a cut finger in the kitchen to a scraped knee from a bike fall.

A graphic showing our body's blood clotting process.

Even during these routine situations, blood clotting is what prevents excessive blood loss. But according to the new study, that natural response isn’t always fast or effective enough for more severe circumstances.

“There’s a protein called fibrin. When we bleed, platelets and fibrin form a network to help seal the wound,” said Long. “These native blood clots are impressive, but they are brittle and slow to form. A soldier dealing with a gunshot wound or a patient experiencing a hemorrhage needs faster clotting that is more resistant to rupture.”

One day, Li—the senior author of the study— shared with Long a bold idea.

Li, alongside first author Shuaibing Jiang, a PhD student in Li’s lab and now a postdoctoral associate at Harvard Medical School, showed Long a new type of blood clot that uses a novel technique to reinforce natural clots with a second network of red blood cells.

The natural and reinforced networks combined to create an engineered clotting system tougher and faster than any natural blood clot seen before.

“It was so exciting,” Long said. “From there, we began building models and studying the mechanics behind this incredible material.”

Creating a new biomaterial

The technique, otherwise known as “click clotting,” uses a special chemical reaction to link red blood cells into a gel-like structure.

Because the reaction doesn’t interfere with normal blood chemistry, it can work alongside the body’s natural clotting process. This allows the cell-based gel network to act as a second support system layered on top of the body’s natural fibrin-platelet clot.

During laboratory tests and live experiments on rodents, the strengthened clots absorbed stress by dissipating energy, rapidly stopping bleeding and preventing the clot from breaking apart. They also formed extremely fast, taking shape in just five seconds.

Shuaibing Jiang (left), a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard Medical School, and Jianyu Li (right), an associate professor at McGill University, led the research.

But perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the click-clotted clots is their biocompatibility.

Previous efforts to recreate blood clots often used polymers and other synthetic materials foreign to the body. However, Li’s cytogel clots are built from red blood cells—the body’s own cellular building blocks.

That natural composition gives the engineered clots a unique advantage: they can easily degrade over time, transforming the stigma of blood clots from risky medical hazards into controlled, life-saving biomaterials.

“Blood cells have an ‘expiration date.’ Over time, they die just as all life eventually does,” said Long. “Using red blood cells as the foundation of these reinforced clots makes them temporary. They can naturally break down in a short time, preventing blockages and other health issues that occur when they are in the body for too long.”

During testing, the bio-safe clots showcased a unique ability to support tissue healing and reduce inflammation, as well. Long says these characteristics have great potential in areas such as wound healing and emergency bleeding treatment, with possible applications in trauma care and operating rooms worldwide.

But the researchers also believe the strategy of linking cells together could extend far beyond just blood clots.

Long envisions a day where Li’s technology can be used to repair defected tissue or target localized areas of the body for drug delivery and treatment. And while the work is still in its early stages, the team thinks it points toward a broader shift in how biological materials can be engineered for medicine.

“Our work shows that, when engineered appropriately, red blood cells can play a central structural role, enabling the design of stronger and more functional biomaterials,” said Li in a news release by McGill University.

Blood clotting is one of the body’s oldest survival mechanisms, protecting humans from dangerous bleeding for millions of years. But when severe injuries strike, nature’s solution can sometimes fall short. Now, Associate Professor Rong Long and his team are helping test a new type of engineered blood clot that forms faster and is more durable than the ones found in nature. The new technique could one day transform how doctors treat traumatic injuries and manage life-threatening blood loss.

Off

Traditional

White

Staple-like particles reveal new path to strong materials

alse6588 — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:18:17 +0000

Staple-like particles reveal new path to strong materials alse6588 Tue, 04/14/2026 - 11:18

Alexander Servantez

A tightly packed ball of office staples can be surprisingly strong.Try to pull it apart and the tangled metal resists like a solid object.

But with the right movement or vibration, that same bundle can quickly fall back into loose pieces.

A team of engineers and materials scientists in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� are exploring how this uncanny combination of strength and flexibility could inspire a new class of materials built on interlocking particles. By mimicking the way staples lock together and release, the researchers believe these emerging materials can one day form structures that are strong, adaptable and even recyclable.

“We’ve been playing around with the idea of building blocks and geometry for many years, but we started looking at interlocking, entangled particles only recently,” said Professor Francois Barthelat, the leader of the Laboratory for Advanced Materials & Bioinspiration. “We are excited about the combination of properties we can get out of these systems and we believe this technology has the potential to go in many directions.”

Unraveling the research

A bird nest made out of interwoven sticks and fibers.

The work, recently published in the Journal of Applied Physics, focuses on what the researchers call “entanglement”—when multiple particles become intertwined with one another, creating a link.

It’s not a new concept. In fact, nature is filled with examples of objects or materials that tangle and interlock with each other to create strong structures. Think about that giant bird nest on the tree in your neighborhood made out of interwoven sticks and fibers, or the interplay of hard minerals and soft proteins in your bones.

But how can scientists recreate that kind of natural entanglement in manufactured materials? The researchers in Barthelat’s lab say the answer revolves around one key concept: particle shape.

“Let’s take sand as an example. Sand is smooth and convex-shaped, meaning it cannot interlock from grain to grain,” PhD student Youhan Sohn said. “However, we found that if we change the shape of a grain of sand, we can drastically affect its behavior and mechanical properties, including the particle’s ability to link with other particles.”

Once the group came to this realization, they began running Monte Carlo simulations, a type of computational analysis, to predict exactly how the particles interlock with each other. Their goal was to find the optimal geometry that delivered the maximum entanglement.

A video demonstrating a pickup test used to analyze particle entanglement.

After finding the optimal shape, the team performed pickup tests to see how the entangled particles actually behaved.

The tests showed that a “two-legged” particle—similar in shape to a staple—had the greatest potential for entanglement. But the researchers also discovered several unexpected advantages that made the design even more intriguing.

The first was its rare blend of tensile strength and toughness, a combination the researchers say conventional materials rarely achieve simultaneously.

“Our entangled granular material using the staple-like particle demonstrates both high strength and toughness at the same time,” said PhD student Saeed Pezeshki.

Next, was its unique ability to rapidly assemble—and just as quickly come apart.

By applying different vibrational patterns to the material, the team was able to change its level of entanglement on demand. A light vibration, for example, could be used to interlock and strengthen the particles, while a larger vibration could cause them to completely unravel.

“It’s a strange material because it’s obviously not a liquid. However, it’s also not quite solid. This opens new and intriguing engineering possibilities,” Barthelat said. “Handling a bundle of these entangled particles feels very remote and exotic.”

Professor Francois Barthelat at the Triple E Fair showcasing his team's research to help middle school students explore engineering.

PhD student Youhan Sohn guiding middle school students through a series of pickup tests to help them visualize particle entanglement.

PhD student Saeed Pezeshki demonstrating the mechanical behavior of staple-like particles for middle school students.

Reassembling the impact

A close look at a free-standing arch made of crown-leg staples.

One of those possibilities comes in the realm of sustainability. The group believes that one day, large buildings and structures like bridges can be designed using entangled materials, allowing them to be disassembled when no longer needed or even fully recycled.

Or maybe entangled materials can make their way into the world’s next great robotic systems, sort of like the ones you’ve seen in some of your favorite sci-fi movies.

“I was talking with other students who believe this technology can be used in swarm robotics—where small robots can entangle, do a task and then disentangle when they are done,” said Pezeshki.

“Yes, kind of like that liquid metal T-1000 in Terminator 2 who can change shape to slide under a door and then transform back to a human’s size on the other side,” added Barthelat. “It’s expensive and scaling up is a challenge, but it’s something that’s on everybody’s mind.”

A close-up photo showing two spiky burrs in nature.

For now, the group is focused on building out the next phase of their research. They are currently testing a new particle shape with added protruding “legs”—similar to those spiky plant burrs that stick relentlessly to your shoes when you step on them—which they believe can generate even stronger entanglement properties.

But no matter what project they are working on, the team says the most important thing about their work is maintaining the passion and excitement.

“We’re not quite sure where this is going to go, but we’re going to continue the fun,” Barthelat said. “Most people don’t think about making strong materials in this way out of something like staples, because they think it’s counterintuitive. Until they try breaking a bundle of staples in half and see that it’s impossible.

“We love to take a difficult project like this and dig in.”

A tightly packed ball of office staples can be surprisingly strong. Try to pull it apart and the tangled metal resists like a solid object. But with the right movement or vibration, that same bundle can quickly fall back into loose pieces. Professor Francois Barthelat and his team are exploring how this uncanny combination of strength and flexibility could inspire a new class of materials built on interlocking particles.

Off

Zebra Striped

White

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 ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� 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 ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� 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 ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� 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.

Off

Traditional

White

Welker receives Exceptional Graduate Faculty Mentor Award

alse6588 — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:19:33 +0000

Welker receives Exceptional Graduate Faculty Mentor Award alse6588 Mon, 03/30/2026 - 15:19

The ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Graduate School has announced that Assistant Professor Cara Welker has earned one of this year's Exceptional Graduate Faculty Mentor Awards. The award honors faculty members for their outstanding contributions either to mentoring individual graduate students, improving the overall climate of graduate education within their program, or improving the graduate program itself.

Off

Traditional

White

Why do we get a skip in our step when we’re happy? Thank dopamine

alse6588 — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 20:09:04 +0000

Why do we get a skip in our step when we’re happy? Thank dopamine alse6588 Fri, 02/27/2026 - 13:09

Professor Alaa Ahmed is leading a study that highlights the central role that dopamine, a brain chemical associated with reward, seems to play in making people move faster when they want something. The findings could one day help scientists understand and even diagnose a range of human medical conditions, including Parkinson’s disease and depression.

Off

Traditional

White

What causes snow slopes to collapse? Vriend explains, with tips for surviving

alse6588 — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 20:48:14 +0000

What causes snow slopes to collapse? Vriend explains, with tips for surviving alse6588 Thu, 02/19/2026 - 13:48

Avalanche deaths are rare inside the boundaries of ski resorts, but the risk rises in the backcountry. Thirty backcountry avalanche deaths were reported in the U.S. during the 2022-23 season, 16 the following year, and 22 in 2024-25. In this article published by The Conversation, Associate Professor Nathalie Vriend explains what happens in an avalanche and techniques for surviving one.

Off

Traditional

White

Global collaboration to limit air pollution flowing across borders could save millions of lives

alse6588 — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 17:44:38 +0000

Global collaboration to limit air pollution flowing across borders could save millions of lives alse6588 Fri, 02/13/2026 - 10:44

A first-of-its-kind study, led by Professor Daven Henze and collaborators at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom, assesses how health benefits of aggressive climate policy travel across international borders. The researchers say that ambitious climate action to improve global air quality could save up to 1.32 million lives per year by 2040.

Off

Traditional

White