51³Ô¹ÏÍø

Mechanical engineering students Jack Mulvaney, Josh Shrewbridge, Hayden Dondlinger, Kai Groudan, Duncan Laird and Gregory Reilly shined at this year's Colorado Sustainable Challenge, receiving nearly $8,500 in awards during the two-week hackathon-style event designed for anyone passionate about solving problems and building a solution to impact sustainability.

Assistant Professor Longji Cui and ME alum Jafar Makrani (MMechEngr'25) have each won $125,000 in startup funding along with their respective teams as part of this year's Lab Venture Challenge competition. Their startups, Synergia and Agami Zero, specialize in developing cutting-edge technology that offer cost-effective, clean energy solutions.

Professor Victor Bright and mechanical engineering PhD students Eduardo Miscles and Mo Zahrabi have recently collaborated on a new study that demonstrates how a fluid-based optical device known as an electrowetting prism can be used to steer lasers at high speeds for advanced imaging applications.

Assistant Professor Nicole Xu has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering. The award provides some of the nation’s most promising early career scientists and engineers flexible funding to test novel ideas and lead research that drives real-world impact.

Assistant Professor Robert MacCurdy and fourth-year PhD student Charles Wade have created an open-source design system software package that uses functions and code to map not just shapes, but where different materials belong in a 3D object. The project, called OpenVCAD, has the potential to transform 3D printing by enabling engineers to design multi-material objects smarter and more efficiently.

Associate Professor Nathalie Vriend has been selected as a 2025 Outstanding Postdoc Mentor of the Year Award recipient. The postdoc-nominated award recognizes faculty members who provide exceptional mentoring, training and leadership to postdoctoral scholars at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø. Vriend is described by her nominators as an "unparalleled mentor who not only guides research but also creates a profoundly supportive environment" for postdocs in her lab.

The Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø is welcoming five new faculty members this fall semester. From responsive biomaterials and unique teaching environments to additive manufacturing, these talented scientists and engineers bring a wealth of knowledge and passion to our teaching and research missions.

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.

Rising senior Alex Hansen spent his summer break in 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s 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.

Professor Sean Humbert is one of many 51³Ô¹ÏÍø 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.