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Campos Student Center celebrates community and future success

Alexander James Servantez — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 21:47:12 +0000

Campos Student Center celebrates community and future success Alexander Jame鈥� Fri, 09/05/2025 - 15:47

The College of Engineering and Applied Science honored the ribbon cutting ceremony of the newly named Campos Student Center in recognition of a $5 million investment for student success from Marco Campos and the Campos Foundation. Fourth-year mechanical engineering student Julia Wall weighs in on the importance of the center and how important the investment will be for its future.

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ME undergraduate student works to address methane crisis in summer project

Alexander James Servantez — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 18:06:04 +0000

ME undergraduate student works to address methane crisis in summer project Alexander Jame鈥� Fri, 08/29/2025 - 12:06

Alexander Servantez

Alex Hansen stepped foot in a landfill this summer for the first time to study the consequences of methane emissions. What he saw sparked a growing interest in climate change research and environmental data analysis.

Hansen, a rising senior in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, spent his summer break in 麻豆免费版下载Boulder鈥檚 Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR).

Alex Hansen (right) working alongside graduate student SPUR mentor Gabriela Cortes (left) in the Hannigan Air Quality and Technology Research Lab.

The program aims to increase undergraduate research engagement and interest by pairing nearly 125 engineering students from across the college in research labs with faculty members and graduate mentors. For 10 weeks, students foster unique, hands-on research experiences鈥攍ike a trip to a landfill in Los Angeles鈥攁nd develop crucial skills that serve them well beyond their undergraduate journey.

For Hansen, it was a special curiosity that led him to the SPUR program. One that started from a simple conversation.

鈥淚 spoke with someone I ran into one day a while back who worked at a landfill. He was telling me how dangerous methane is and how important it is to burn off methane,鈥� said Hansen. 鈥淚 was just so fascinated by it all. When I saw the project description on the SPUR website, I knew it was something I wanted to learn more about.鈥�

And dangerous is an understatement. Methane, one of Earth鈥檚 most potent greenhouse gases, is one of the primary contributors to climate change. Its atmospheric lifespan may be shorter than other greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, but it can trap significantly more heat per molecule, making it extremely hazardous to human and environmental health.

According to the UN Environment Programme, methane is 80 times more potent at warming than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. It鈥檚 also responsible for nearly 30% of global warming since pre-industrial times and is a key culprit for the formation of ground-level ozone, which causes one million premature deaths every year.

It鈥檚 a spiraling issue, but Hansen says his SPUR project titled 鈥�Characterizing Landfill Methane through a Low-Cost Ground-Based Sensor Network,鈥� looks to attack the crisis by addressing some of the world鈥檚 most prevalent methane emissions sites.

鈥淟andfills are one of the largest emitters of methane in the United States,鈥� Hansen said. 鈥淚 believe waste is about third for methane emissions across the entire world. If we are able to study a landfill and learn more about the way methane spreads in the atmosphere, maybe we can find a way to make improvements to landfill infrastructure and lower emissions.鈥�

To do this, Hansen and his lab mates in Professor Michael Hannigan鈥檚 Hannigan Air Quality and Technology Research Lab started working with a network of 24 low-cost air quality sensors called L-Pods that were deployed across a landfill in Los Angeles at the beginning of 2025.

The L-Pods are equipped with two metal oxide sensors that collect air pollutant data and another sensor that tracks temperature and relative humidity. The data is then stored locally and transmitted to the cloud every 10 seconds for ongoing monitoring.

These unique sensors may not be as individually powerful as the industry-grade technology used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but they are cheap and efficient. This allows the group the ability to position more sensors across a landfill than they previously could, giving them a precise methane reading that represents a much larger region.

Hansen showcasing the inner workings of an L-Pod air quality sensor.

Hansen spent a majority of his summer SPUR experience helping the team analyze the data gathered from the sensors. But he was able to see the sensors in action firsthand at the Los Angeles landfill where they are deployed.

It was crazy seeing how much trash we make and the operations needed to contain it all,鈥� said Hansen. 鈥淎nd these low-cost sensors were awesome to see, too. We can add so many more positions and measure way more often than traditional measuring devices. It鈥檚 super exciting to see the data we collect in real-time and how impactful it is.鈥�

Hansen鈥檚 journey through the SPUR program ended with a final presentation at the end of July. It was a chance for him to share his learning and reflect on his summer.

In many ways, he said it was a rollercoaster ride filled with highs and lows. Some seasoned researchers might call that the typical research experience.

But Hansen also said it was valuable and fulfilling. So much so, that he might be eyeing a future career in research.

鈥淏eing in the lab was definitely a learning curve at first. Just learning the terminology and trying to get up to speed as quickly as possible was tough,鈥� Hansen said. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 so many opportunities to make a big impact in research. I鈥檝e learned so much from amazing people this summer and I am definitely curious about pursuing research in a master鈥檚 program after graduation.鈥�

Rising senior Alex Hansen spent his summer break in 麻豆免费版下载Boulder鈥檚 Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) studying the consequences of methane emissions. His work analyzing data gathered from unique methane detection sensors can one day help researchers address the methane crisis at some of the world's most prevalent methane emissions sites.

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麻豆免费版下载Boulder advancing artificial intelligence research for real-world applications

Alexander James Servantez — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 20:06:30 +0000

麻豆免费版下载Boulder advancing artificial intelligence research for real-world applications Alexander Jame鈥� Tue, 08/26/2025 - 14:06

Professor Sean Humbert is one of many 麻豆免费版下载Boulder faculty members making important artificial intelligence (AI) discoveries. With the help of his lab group and other CEAS collaborators, Humbert is developing algorithms and autonomous systems that can process sensor data within milliseconds to operate in places and situations where direct human engagement creates unacceptable risk.

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鈥楥yborg jellyfish鈥� could aid in deep-sea research, inspire next-gen underwater vehicles

Alexander James Servantez — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 20:18:23 +0000

鈥楥yborg jellyfish鈥� could aid in deep-sea research, inspire next-gen underwater vehicles Alexander Jame鈥� Wed, 08/20/2025 - 14:18

Assistant Professor Nicole Xu first became fascinated with moon jellyfish more than a decade ago because of their extraordinary swimming abilities. Today, Xu has developed a way to harness their efficiency and ease at moving through the water in ways that could make some types of aquatic research much easier.

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Beyond Arrakis: Dune researchers confront real-life perils of shifting sand formations

Alexander James Servantez — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 19:25:46 +0000

Beyond Arrakis: Dune researchers confront real-life perils of shifting sand formations Alexander Jame鈥� Mon, 08/18/2025 - 13:25

Associate Professor Nathalie Vriend is leading a research effort exploring how sand dunes evolve over time, shifting and surging across the landscape. Her team ultimately wants to answer a pressing question: Can humans efficiently shift or even halt the flow of the planet鈥檚 largest dunes?

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Why are hourglasses filled with sand and not water?

Alexander James Servantez — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 20:29:47 +0000

Why are hourglasses filled with sand and not water? Alexander Jame鈥� Wed, 08/13/2025 - 14:29

Alexander Servantez

The hourglass, one of mankind鈥檚 earliest forms of timekeeping, is at the forefront of a new, interactive display in the basement of the Engineering Center.

A group of former seniors in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering designed a series of hourglass displays for their Senior Design capstone class this past semester. The project aimed to answer a simple question: why are hourglasses filled with sand and not water?

But be warned鈥攖he team鈥檚 Logistics Manager Max Van Cleave says the question isn鈥檛 as straightforward as you might think.

Associate Professor Nathalie Vriend standing in front of the hourglass display in front of her lab window.

鈥淲ater is governed by Bernoulli鈥檚 Law, which physically states that the flow rate changes as the fluid level changes. The more water you have, the faster it will flow out and vice versa,鈥� said Van Cleave. 鈥淪and is different鈥攊t creates force chains that transmit the load to the edges of an hourglass. The friction created keeps the sand particles together and allows the sand to descend at a constant rate.鈥�

There are other factors that play a role, as well. Things like the angle and shape of the hourglass, or even the size of the sand particles can affect the speed in which the sand and water flow down the funnel.

Van Cleave mentioned it was difficult for his team to account for all of these different variables. But he said it was also extremely interesting to see how much complexity and nuance can be packed into something as small and ancient as an hourglass.

鈥淭his question we answered鈥攊t鈥檚 not really a question you even think about until you absolutely have to. Everyone has used an hourglass, but they don鈥檛 realize how advanced they are,鈥� Van Cleave said. 鈥淭here was a lot of physics involved in this project and it was fun to play around with all of those factors.鈥�

A closer look at the detachable, lightweight aluminum frame the senior design team used to mount their hourglass display.

The project features three motorized hourglass units mounted on a lightweight aluminum frame. Two of them are filled with sand and one is filled with water.

Equipped with wheels, the detachable aluminum frame functions like a cart, allowing the group to transport the display with ease. It鈥檚 also fitted with modular components, making it easy to extend or adapt if needed.

With one click of a button on the control panel, users can flip the hourglass displays individually or all at once and observe various flow behaviors firsthand. Project sponsor and Associate Professor Nathalie Vriend says the display is a great way to demonstrate complex fluid dynamics principles in an understandable way.

鈥淚 chose the prompt because I was looking for something nice and educational to put in front of my lab windows,鈥� said Vriend. 鈥淭here鈥檚 some interesting science hidden in these hourglasses. It鈥檚 fun, interactive and we can use it to teach high school and middle school students at outreach events.鈥�

Van Cleave is returning to 麻豆免费版下载Boulder as a part of Rady Mechanical Engineering鈥檚 Bachelor鈥檚-Accelerated Master鈥檚 program. Every time he passes Vriend鈥檚 lab windows he will see his hard work front and center, like many others already have.

But he says the real fulfillment will come from how others interact with the project.

鈥淚t feels great to know that people enjoy it,鈥� Van Cleave said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to boil down granular flow principles into something anybody can engage with, so it鈥檚 awesome that people are already learning a thing or two from the display.鈥�

You can try out the hourglass display yourself in the Granular Flow Laboratory located at ECNW 1B90 in the basement of the Engineering Center.

A group of former seniors designed a series of hourglass displays for their Senior Design capstone class this past semester that currently sit in the window of Associate Professor Nathalie Vriend's Granular Flow Laboratory. The project, located at ECNW 1B90 in the basement of the Engineering Center, aims to answer a simple question: why are hourglasses filled with sand and not water?

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Racing toward innovation: Inside 麻豆免费版下载Boulder鈥檚 fastest student organization

Alexander James Servantez — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 15:25:54 +0000

Racing toward innovation: Inside 麻豆免费版下载Boulder鈥檚 fastest student organization Alexander Jame鈥� Mon, 08/04/2025 - 09:25

Madison Seckman

On any given weekend, tucked away in a Longmont workshop or tearing down a raceway in Daytona, 麻豆免费版下载Boulder students are doing something remarkable: building and racing their own cars. But 麻豆免费版下载Boulder Racing is far more than a high-speed hobby鈥攊t鈥檚 an engine of innovation, leadership, and community.

Led by Carson Malpass a senior in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, the team builds internal combustion race cars from the ground up to compete in the prestigious Formula SAE competition, travels the country racing endurance cars against professional teams, and is now venturing into the electric vehicle (EV) frontier. With about 300 members across engineering, business, arts and sciences, and even English majors, 麻豆免费版下载Boulder Racing is one of the university鈥檚 largest and most multidisciplinary student-run organizations.

"It鈥檚 not just a race team," Malpass said. "It鈥檚 a team where students become engineers, project managers, designers, and leaders."

The 麻豆免费版下载Boulder Formula Racing team at this year's Formula SAE competition in Michigan.

That transformation begins with Formula SAE, one of the most rigorous student engineering competitions in the world. Each year, student teams design, build, and race a new single-seater open-wheel vehicle guided by a thick rulebook and strict deliverables. 麻豆免费版下载Boulder鈥檚 Formula team has been on an upward trajectory鈥攑lacing 31st out of 120 teams in May 2025, their best finish since placing 20th in 2023. But the competition is about far more than speed. Teams are judged on design presentations, cost reports, business proposals, and how the car performs on the track.

A closer look at 麻豆免费版下载Boulder Racing's 2025 Formula SAE vehicle.

The competition, held each May in Michigan, begins with a heavy number of technical inspections. Teams must pass a tilt test, brake tests, decibel limits, and a comprehensive safety inspection before even qualifying for the dynamic events. This year, the team encountered a major challenge the night before departure: a seized wheel bearing due to improper lubrication. With the trailer already packed, members stayed up overnight chiseling out the frozen part and grinding away each ball bearing. They ultimately secured liquid nitrogen through a helpful alum to finish the fix. Despite these obstacles and racing most events stuck in a single gear, the team completed every major section and walked away as the top Colorado team.

"That was a proud moment," Malpass said. "The team was up all night solving a really technical problem and it all paid off. Those kinds of moments are what make this team special."

While the combustion team continues to fine-tune their design, 麻豆免费版下载Boulder Racing is charging into the future with a full-fledged electric vehicle initiative. Their EV team is currently designing a brand-new race car set to debut at Formula SAE Electric in June 2026. According to Malpass, building an EV is an entirely different challenge. Some components鈥攍ike suspension geometry鈥攃an carry over, but major systems like the frame and powertrain must be reimagined for electric power.

"There鈥檚 stuff you can tweak and carry over," he said. "But there鈥檚 also stuff that鈥檚 totally different. It鈥檚 a clean-sheet design in a lot of ways."

The transition has been years in the making, with early behind-the-scenes research now evolving into a dedicated team working on the design. As Malpass put it, "We鈥檙e optimistic. We know it鈥檚 a massive undertaking, but the team has the knowledge and motivation."

麻豆免费版下载Boulder Racing's endurance team standing alongside their endurance racing vehicle.

That same spirit of exploration and grit drives the team鈥檚 endurance racing efforts. 麻豆免费版下载Boulder Racing鈥檚 endurance division competes in production-based Mazda Miatas at tracks across the U.S., running in events that last anywhere from seven to 24 hours. Even club members with no driving experience are welcome to try out on their qualifying car.

"There鈥檚 a clear learning curve," Malpass said. "We have a lower-performance car to train people, and then the top drivers get into our 719 or 303 Miata. We鈥檝e had people start from scratch and become some of our best drivers."

And it鈥檚 not just for fun. The professionalism of the team has been noticed across the country. In some cases, 麻豆免费版下载Boulder Racing has even outperformed fully professional or dedicated senior design teams.

Mentorship is at the heart of that success. Now in his fourth year, Malpass has shifted from building cars to building people. The club runs its own internal workshops in areas like computer-aided design (CAD), finite element analysis, and design for manufacturing鈥攖opics that many students won鈥檛 see until late in their curriculum.

"We teach the stuff we wish we鈥檇 learned earlier," Malpass said. "So when members get to those classes or internships, they鈥檙e already ahead."

This year, the team brought a record 42 members to the Formula competition in Michigan. 鈥淪eeing them experience it for the first time鈥攕eeing the payoff for all those late nights in the shop鈥攖hat鈥檚 what keeps people coming back,鈥� he said.

That commitment to creating a supportive, inclusive space also drives the team鈥檚 Women in Motorsports initiative. Though racing and mechanical engineering remain male-dominated fields, CU Boulder Racing is working to change that. In recent years, they鈥檝e seen significant growth in female membership and leadership. Some students have even joined the team specifically because of the welcoming environment.

"It鈥檚 not just about optics鈥攊t鈥檚 about culture," Malpass said. "We鈥檝e hosted dedicated meetings, events, and conversations to make sure everyone feels like they belong here."

And it鈥檚 working. Female leads now play a major role across multiple divisions. The initiative, which started as a conversation, has become a structural pillar of the team鈥檚 recruitment and retention strategy.

麻豆免费版下载Boulder Racing's Women in Motorsports division.

The results speak for themselves. Alumni have gone on to become professional race car drivers, compete in European NASCAR, pursue advanced degrees in automotive engineering and even join Formula One teams like Mercedes.

"One of our former members, Liam Travis, recently got hired by the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team," Malpass said. "It鈥檚 wild to think that what starts in our little shop in Longmont can lead to that."

Malpass, who is also minoring in engineering management, credits the club with shaping both his resume and his mindset.

"The majority of what I talk about in interviews comes back to this team," he said. "Whether it鈥檚 solving problems, leading people, or learning how to design something that actually gets built鈥攊t all comes from here."

As 麻豆免费版下载Boulder Racing prepares for another year, they are gearing up to welcome new members. The club recruits each fall and spring at events like the Engineering Immersion and Be Involved Fair, where students can learn about both the Formula and Endurance divisions. Even those without prior experience are encouraged to dive in.

"You don鈥檛 need to know anything when you start," Malpass said. "Just show up and be ready to learn. That鈥檚 all it takes."

In a university filled with clubs and organizations, 麻豆免费版下载Boulder Racing stands out not just for its speed, but for its commitment to growth, inclusion, and real-world experience. Whether students are machining parts at midnight or giving their first design presentation, they鈥檙e gaining something far greater than trophies.

They鈥檙e becoming engineers. And in the process, they鈥檙e proving that college students don鈥檛 just compete鈥攖hey lead.

Carson Malpass isn't just a senior in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, he's the leader of one of 麻豆免费版下载Boulder's fastest student organization: 麻豆免费版下载Boulder Racing. The team builds internal combustion race cars from the ground up to compete in the prestigious Formula SAE competition, travels the country racing endurance cars against professional teams and is now venturing into the electric vehicle (EV) frontier.

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ME grad student probes industrial pollution in Mississippi neighborhood

Alexander James Servantez — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 21:55:39 +0000

ME grad student probes industrial pollution in Mississippi neighborhood Alexander Jame鈥� Fri, 07/25/2025 - 15:55

Caroline Frischmon is a graduate student leading a critical study documenting industrial pollution near the Cherokee Forest subdivision in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Her findings show that industrial activities are leading to negative impacts on human health and the residents of the neighborhood are looking to take action.

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Milford discusses the potential devastating impacts of EPA cuts

Alexander James Servantez — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 20:34:19 +0000

Milford discusses the potential devastating impacts of EPA cuts Alexander Jame鈥� Thu, 07/24/2025 - 14:34

Due to Trump administration research cuts, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced last week it will begin to dissolve its Office of Research and Development. Professor Emeritus Jana Milford says the decision could have wide-ranging impacts on human health and conservation efforts.

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ME startup Point Designs announces major prosthetics partnership

Alexander James Servantez — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 17:53:30 +0000

ME startup Point Designs announces major prosthetics partnership Alexander Jame鈥� Fri, 07/18/2025 - 11:53

Nine years ago, a group of researchers from the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at 麻豆免费版下载Boulder launched a pioneering medical device startup called Point Designs in an effort to commercialize prosthetic technology.

Today, those same researchers are announcing a new collaboration that can lift the company鈥檚 prosthetic innovation and patient care to another level.

Point Designs, a pioneering medical device startup launched by researchers and alumni from the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Boulder-based startup Point Designs has announced that it has entered an agreement of impending acquisition with Hanger, Inc., a leading provider of orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) patient care services and solutions. The company, co-founded by Research Professor Jacob Segil, Associate Research Professor Richard Weir at 麻豆免费版下载Anschutz, and Rady Mechanical Engineering alums Levin Sliker (MechEngr鈥�10; MS鈥�12; PhD鈥�15) and Stephen Huddle (MechEngr鈥�99; MS鈥�13), says the agreement can have a profound impact on the future of prosthetic design.

鈥淲e are very excited about the opportunity to join the Hanger family and to expand our ability to positively impact the lives of those with upper limb loss or limb difference,鈥� said CEO Levin Sliker. 鈥淗anger鈥檚 commitment to scientific research and innovation for the betterment of the global O&P community aligns perfectly with our values as a company.鈥�

Founded in 2016, Point Designs integrates advanced engineering with clinical insight to create rugged, ratcheting prostheses that restore function and independence. The company specializes in high strength, 3D-printed titanium prosthetic fingers for people with partial hand amputations.

With expertise in additive manufacturing and mechanical engineering and decades of research experience spanning neural interfaces, myoelectric control algorithms and upper limb prosthetic design, the Point Designs team believes the acquisition will help the two companies develop and expand a comprehensive ecosystem of products, services and care for patients across the globe.

Click here to read the full press release for more details

Point Designs, co-founded by Research Professor Jacob Segil, Associate Research Professor Richard Weir at 麻豆免费版下载Anschutz, and Rady Mechanical Engineering alums Levin Sliker (MechEngr鈥�10; MS鈥�12; PhD鈥�15) and Stephen Huddle (MechEngr鈥�99; MS鈥�13), is announcing a new collaboration that they believe can have a profound impact on the future of prosthetic design.

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A closer look at Point Design's prosthetic technology in action. (Credit: Point Designs)