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Former CU ��«��Ƶ engineering professor wins presidential award

Emily Adams — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 19:57:36 +0000

Former CU ��«��Ƶ engineering professor wins presidential award Emily Adams Tue, 01/07/2025 - 12:57

Scott Anderson

Kristina M. Johnson, who served as a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the ��«��Ƶ from 1985 to 1999, has been awarded the National Medal of Technology by President Joe Biden.

At a ceremony held in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 3, Johnson and eight others received the nation’s highest honor recognizing exemplary achievement and leadership in science and technology.

Johnson distinguished herself through groundbreaking research in optoelectronics, photonics, and nanotechnology that led to 46 U.S. patents. Her innovations have contributed to advancements in the sustainable energy, manufacturing, quantum computing, and medical fields.

An engineer who grew up in Denver’s entrepreneurial environment, Johnson co-founded ColorLink, which focused on innovations in microdisplays and color polarizing technology. She was also the chief executive officer of Cube Hydro Partners, LLC, a clean energy company and a joint venture between a company she founded, Enduring Hydro, and a private equity firm.

Johnson’s career has included leading the National Science Foundation-funded Engineering Research Center for Optoelectronic Computing Systems at CU ��«��Ƶ and Colorado State University. She also served as undersecretary of energy at the U.S. Department of Energy during the Obama administration.

Johnson was the president of Ohio State University from 2020 to 2023. From 2017 to 2020, she was chancellor of the State University of New York. She’s been inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame and the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame.

Arati Prabhakar, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, awards Kristina Johnson, right, the National Medal of Technology and Innovation during an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 3. (Courtesy Photo/Ryan K. Morris and the NSTMF)

Kristina M. Johnson served as a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the ��«��Ƶ from 1985 to 1999.

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Kristi Anseth recognized with international VinFuture Prize for Women Innovators

Susan Glairon — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 16:14:56 +0000

Kristi Anseth recognized with international VinFuture Prize for Women Innovators Susan Glairon Fri, 12/06/2024 - 09:14

Susan Glairon

Kristi Anseth, a Distinguished Professor and Tisone Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, has been awarded the prestigious VinFuture Special Prize for Women Innovators in recognition of her pioneering research in tissue engineering.

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CU Engineering advances innovation through startup success

Caroline Harrah — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 19:42:51 +0000

CU Engineering advances innovation through startup success Caroline Harrah Mon, 12/02/2024 - 12:42

Caroline Harrah

The ��«��Ƶ's College of Engineering and Applied Science continues to establish itself as a leader in innovation, with 22 startups emerging from its research labs in the past fiscal year. This achievement reflects the college's commitment to translating transformative research into solutions that address real-world challenges.

CU Engineering successfully launched 22 startups in fiscal year 2024, in the following industries: Sustainability (6), Medical Device (3), AgTech (2), Quantum/Photonics/Optics (2), Energy & Storage (2), Robotics (2), Software (1), Diagnostics (1), Security (1), Biotech (1), AI (1).

“CU Engineering bridges the gap between research and application by fostering collaboration and creating pathways for impact," said Keith Molenaar, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science. "Through mentorship, funding opportunities and state-of-the-art facilities, we empower our scholars to transform discoveries into technologies that benefit humanity.”

CU Engineering’s entrepreneurial ecosystem moves research beyond the lab and into the world, nurturing concepts from inception to market. Educational programs, workshops, and events help students and faculty develop entrepreneurial and problem-solving skills to explore and validate ideas in the early stages of product and company discovery. Access to cutting-edge research labs, maker spaces, and entrepreneurial hubs enables them to move from concept to creation, prototyping and refining their work to develop real-world applications.

Collaboration with entities like Venture Partners at CU ��«��Ƶ ensures researchers have access to critical commercialization resources, including funding, licensing expertise and industry connections. The college recently strengthened its entrepreneurial initiatives with the appointment of Wil Srubar as the first Deming associate dean for innovation and entrepreneurship in 2024.

"Innovation doesn’t end in the lab—it thrives when it can be applied to real-world challenges," said Wil Srubar, Deming associate dean for innovation and entrepreneurship. "At CU Engineering, we are building a culture where researchers and students don’t just ask ‘what if’ but take steps to turn those questions into solutions."

The success of CU Engineering’s ecosystem reflects the diversity and impact of its startups.

Over the past year, these ventures have tackled critical challenges in renewable energy, water purification, advanced manufacturing and biomedical devices. Each startup represents a blend of cutting-edge research, interdisciplinary effort and entrepreneurial vision.

This year’s Lab Venture Challenge (LVC) exemplifies the strength of CU Engineering’s entrepreneurial pipeline. The LVC awarded $875,000 to seven engineering-led ventures supporting innovative technologies with market potential.

With 22 startups launched this past year and more to follow, CU Engineering’s entrepreneurial efforts reflect its dedication to innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration. By preparing students and researchers to bring ideas to market, the college is shaping future leaders in engineering and advancing workforce development. These efforts foster connections across disciplines and industries, building a foundation for continued progress.

CU Engineering Winners, 2024 Lab Venture Challenge

Codebreaker
Platform for generating variant genomes at scale using an AI framework. Technology drives variant genome design and machine learning to map significance broadly across human diseases and drug responses.

EcoValeric Innovations
Electrochemical process converting biomass-based levulinic acid into 4-hydroxyvaleric acid (HVA), a versatile intermediate for producing biodegradable plastics, biofuels and green solvents. Renewable process reduces reliance on fossil fuels and enhances sustainability.

IntraLumenus
Robotic capsule endoscope for minimally invasive colorectal procedures. Capsule enables advanced mapping and localization with dual-channel tool access, eliminating the need for traditional surgical openings.

OsmoPure Technologies
High-efficiency membrane for ultrapure water production tailored to electronics, aerospace and green hydrogen sectors. Technology achieves significant energy efficiency by using pressure-driven distillation rather than heat.

SteriO3
Compact, portable units using Peroxide Enhanced Germicidal Irradiation (PEGI) for low-temperature sterilization of surgical equipment and microbial contaminants. Units are adaptable for sterilizing advanced medical tools, including 3D-printed materials.

Tierra Metrics
High-spatial-density sensors for real-time characterization of the soil nitrogen cycle. Innovation helps land managers improve efficiency, profitability and soil health while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

WHISPER Energy
Wireless, battery-free sensor platform for smart buildings that uses machine learning to reduce energy consumption by over 30 percent . Platform provides real-time data to optimize energy use and reduce emissions.

CU Engineering continues to establish itself as a leader in innovation, with 22 startups emerging from its research labs in the past fiscal year. This achievement reflects the college's commitment to translating transformative research into solutions that address real-world challenges.

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Video: Undergrad research prepares engineering students to solve the world’s critical problems

Michelle Wiese — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 21:38:57 +0000

Video: Undergrad research prepares engineering students to solve the world’s critical problems Michelle Wiese Thu, 11/14/2024 - 14:38

Undergraduate engineering students have many opportunities to engage in real-world research under the guidance of faculty and graduate student mentors at the ��«��Ƶ.

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CU ��«��Ƶ among top colleges for Indigenous students

Charles Ferrer — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 20:34:04 +0000

CU ��«��Ƶ among top colleges for Indigenous students Charles Ferrer Wed, 11/13/2024 - 13:34

Charles Ferrer

The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) has recognized CU ��«��Ƶ as one of the top 200 colleges for Indigenous students in its 2024-2025 national rankings.

CU ��«��Ƶ's AISES chapter attends the 2024 national AISES Conference in San Antonio.

AISES, a national organization dedicated to increasing Indigenous representation in STEM fields, evaluated schools based on the strength of their support programs for Native students, as well as undergraduate enrollment and graduation rates.

The AISES chapter at CU ��«��Ƶ serves as a community for Indigenous students in the College of Engineering and Applied Science and across campus, connecting those interested in STEM and supporting them academically and professionally. This recognition reflects CU ��«��Ƶ’s commitment to fostering an environment where Indigenous students can thrive in STEM—a commitment embodied by the leaders of its AISES chapter.

Noelle Bagola, the chapter’s treasurer, said her journey with AISES has empowered her professionally and personally.

“Being part of AISES allowed me to grow as a leader,” she said.

Through her involvement, Bagola developed skills in areas she once found challenging, like connecting with professionals at conferences and building strong peer relationships.

“Now, I feel confident communicating with people and stepping up to help others. Becoming a leader has been my biggest accomplishment with AISES.”

For Shellene Redhorse, AISES chapter president and a third-year aerospace engineering student, the chapter’s impact extends beyond CU ��«��Ƶ’s campus.

“A lot of what AISES does is about supporting our members and the Indigenous community,” she said. “The Indigenous community at CU ��«��Ƶ may be small, and the STEM students within that community are even more rare, but we are here.”

One of her proudest achievements was taking students to this year’s national AISES conference in San Antonio, where they connected with other Native scientists. Redhorse also highlighted the chapter’s outreach to Indigenous students in Denver, where they host hands-on STEM activities, including rocketry demonstrations at Lake Middle School.

“We’re hoping to inspire middle-schoolers by showing them what a future in STEM could look like,” she said.

“When I was in school, I didn’t think a STEM career was possible for me until I got to work on hands-on projects. I know many Native students don’t have those opportunities, so we’re working to change that.”

Looking forward, AISES aims to establish a more permanent support network for Native students in Denver, opening more pathways into STEM fields.

Indigenous Knowledge and STEM

AISES participated in the 2023 First Nations Launch as the ‘CU Trailblazers’, sweeping first place in all their categories and a grand prize trip to the Kennedy Space Center.

Both Bagola and Redhorse draw from Indigenous knowledge to inform their approach to STEM.

Redhorse, who is of Navajo (Diné) and Chickasaw descent, described how her cultural heritage shapes her engineering perspective.

“In our culture, we observe nature closely—how animals act, how weather patterns shift, even how the stars guide us. Our ancestors used this knowledge for everything from growing crops to building structures,” she said.

Inspired by these traditions, she incorporates Indigenous wisdom into school projects.

“I remember building a small rover in sixth grade based on how a beetle moved away from light. It’s that respect for nature and deep observation that really inspires me.”

Redhorse often reflects on Navajo understandings of stars and space, which she sees as especially relevant to her studies in aerospace. She also appreciates Indigenous approaches to sustainability, noting how Native architecture adapts to harsh climates in environmentally mindful ways.

“Whether it’s the way water moves around structures or how a hogan—a traditional dwelling and ceremonial structure—retains heat, these hold incredible value in my engineering work.”

Bagola, an integrative physiology student and a member of the Navajo (Diné) and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes, finds similar connections in her field.

“For us, health is not just physical—it’s about mind, spirit, and experience,” she explained.

“Indigenous medicine, like using sweat lodges, plays an important role in healing. Staying connected with your spirit is essential to being truly healthy.”

Community and Advice for Indigenous STEM Students

“AISES is a really welcoming community for Native students here at CU,” Redhorse said. “It’s a safe space where we can connect, share and rejuvenate. Our meetings are open to anyone, you don’t have to be Native. We welcome anyone who wants to learn about our culture and support us.”

Campus Organizations and Community Resources

Like Bagola, Redhorse also said her involvement with AISES has helped her grow as a leader. Recently, she was invited to welcome the keynote speakers at CU ��«��Ƶ’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day plenary event—a role she could not have imagined for herself as a first-year student.

Chantal Baca, academic services manager for the BOLD Center, has served as the AISES faculty advisor for the past academic year. She noted the inclusive community for Indigenous students and credits AISES’ executive student board and members over the last five years.

“The AISES chapter is a remarkable group of student leaders who embody the vision, achievement and STEM student success,” said Baca. “Their membership has made a significant impact in the College of Engineering and Applied Science.”

Student leaders offer heartfelt advice to Indigenous students interested in STEM.

“It’s OK to feel alone sometimes, but find your community, and don’t be afraid to ask for help,” said Bagola. “Joining AISES helped me step out of my comfort zone, gain confidence and start reaching out to my professors and others in my field.”

“In engineering, there were five women in a room of 50 students—and being Native added another layer,” said Redhorse. “But, I’d tell anyone in that position: keep going.”

“Our people are resilient, and if you push through and find your community, you’ll thrive.”

The American Indian Science and Engineering Society has recognized CU ��«��Ƶ as a top college for Indigenous students in its 2024-2025 national rankings.

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How prisons fall short in protecting the incarcerated from climate disasters

Susan Glairon — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 19:05:45 +0000

How prisons fall short in protecting the incarcerated from climate disasters Susan Glairon Thu, 11/07/2024 - 12:05

In a new paper, drawing on accounts from nearly three dozen previously incarcerated people, CU ��«��Ƶ researchers reveal a disturbing story of how prisons and jails in Colorado have failed to provide humane protections from growing environmental hazards brought on by climate change.

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Using nanoscale membranes to clean water on the Moon

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 14:47:43 +0000

Using nanoscale membranes to clean water on the Moon Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/16/2024 - 08:47

Jeff Zehnder

Kian Lopez (L) and Anthony Straub (R) in the lab.

Anthony Straub is making major advances in water purification technology for industry and human consumption on Earth and in space, with his work on a nanotechnology membrane process taking a major step toward commercialization, thanks to a new NASA grant.

An assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at the ��«��Ƶ, Straub’s research focuses on using membranes to improve water treatment.

“The membrane technology that is widely used now is essentially half a century old, and it has well-known limitations,” Straub said. “ It works well for many applications, but it has a tendency to let certain impurities through and it degrades if exposed to certain harsh chemicals.”

NASA has awarded Straub and one of his PhD students, Kian Lopez, a phase one Small Business Innovation Research award to develop a pilot water purification system for astronauts to use on a future Moon base.

Current space water purification systems are bulky and prone to repairs. The technology Straub’s lab has developed only requires a pump to pressurize water, reducing size and weight. Low weight is especially important in moon missions, where every kilogram of cargo can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

“Current membranes remove impurities based on size and charge and, as a result, allow for small impurities to bypass the membrane,” Straub said. “What we’ve designed traps a very small layer of air inside a membrane and the only way for the water to cross the barrier is by evaporating and then re-condensing on the other side, which impurities inherently cannot do.”

The entire process occurs over a 100 nanometer span, a distance 160 times smaller than the width of a human hair, and the water that results is nearly pure H2O – distillation quality — since it has been turned to steam and then back to liquid.

These new membranes can be made from a wide variety of materials; the advance is in modifying them to create the air trapping layer. Although the work has been a longtime focus of Straub, he had not considered space applications or commercialization until Lopez returned from an internship at NASA.

Schematic of the membrane process.

“My mentor at NASA said this technology looks promising and the biggest impact we could have would be to start our own company,” Lopez said.

Straub and Lopez decided to attend the New Venture Launch class together in the CU ��«��Ƶ Leeds Business School, participating in campus technology transfer initiatives, including the New Venture Challenge and Lab Venture Challenge. They founded Osmopure Technologies, Inc. in January of this year.

Space is but one application. Other potential is in municipal water systems and industry, particularly semiconductor or computer chip manufacturing, which requires ultrapure water.

Although ultrapure sounds like a marketing buzzword, it has a formal definition: water free of all minerals, particles, bacteria, microbes, and dissolved gasses. The needs go far beyond water that is safe for human consumption.

“The minimum for ultrapure water in chip manufacturing is a 14-step process right now. The final product must contain less than one 10-nanometer particle per milliliter of water, which would be the density equivalent of having only a single person on the entire planet Earth,” Lopez said.

Semiconductor chips are manufactured in clean rooms, and ultrapure water is necessary to maintain temperature and humidity as well as to wash away residue produced during chip etching. Even the tiniest water impurities can damage the chips.

“Our work starts with NASA, but the beachhead market here on Earth is in ultrapure water production for semiconductors,” Straub said. “This is a huge potential market, and we have filed a provisional patents with Venture Partners at CU ��«��Ƶ.”

Straub is optimistic the grant will enable them to make significant progress in the coming months.

“This has been a four-year process, and at the beginning we didn’t know if it would work,” Straub said. “We started with theory and then went into the lab to test. The fabrication has gone through several iterations here in the CU labs. Now we are moving towards a commercial product, and the performance is impressive.”

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CU ��«��Ƶ will share atmospheric science tech, expertise through new grant

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 22:27:53 +0000

CU ��«��Ƶ will share atmospheric science tech, expertise through new grant Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/07/2024 - 16:27

Jeff Zehnder

Drone technology and atmospheric science instruments developed by the ��«��Ƶ will be available to researchers nationwide through a new grant.

The National Science Foundation has awarded CU ��«��Ƶ a three-year, $1 million grant to establish a Community Instruments and Facilities program titled Mobile Uncrewed Systems for Atmospheric Science (MUSAS).

“We have a track record for atmospheric research with the equipment we’ve created and the campaigns we’ve partnered in. Whenever atmospheric scientists need to collect data in environments they can’t get other ways, that’s where we come in,” said Brian Argrow, principal investigator for the grant.

Argrow, a professor in the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, is a nationally recognized expert in uncrewed aerial systems. He and CU ��«��Ƶ colleagues have spent decades developing fixed-wing and quad-copter-style drone systems to study weather and other atmospheric conditions.

Their work has spanned the globe, including in extreme conditions like the North Pole and several campaigns in the United States to analyze supercell thunderstorms that spawn tornadoes.

The new grant will provide the larger scientific community access to CU ��«��Ƶ’s instrumentation and know-how.

“We’re bringing aerospace to the atmospheric sciences community,” Argrow said. “We have the expertise, the drones, the deployment systems, and regulatory approval to fly in the national airspace system.”

Although the program does not officially begin until Nov. 1, Argrow said they have already been contacted by a university with a partnership proposal.

Inspecting a RAAVEN drone while on deployment.

“By increasing access to small uncrewed aerial systems, we’ll increase the amount of data available to the broader community to help solve some of the toughest problems in atmospheric science. Our technology can sample the physics and chemistry of the lower atmosphere and offer new perspectives on this environment,” Argrow said.

MUSAS joins a network of NSF-supported initiatives across the country that allow universities to share research equipment and expertise.

Through the program, partners will have access to CU ��«��Ƶ’s personnel as well as the RAAVEN and Super RAAVEN fixed-wing drones and the CopterSonde 3 quad-copter, along with deployment and tracking vehicles.

Argrow anticipates an array of research to come from the partnerships, including into boundary layer processes, coastal circulations, aerosol processes, turbulence and turbulent fluxes, surface-atmosphere exchange, high-latitude environments, and severe weather.

“Building on the initial investment from the CU Grand Challenge Initiative, we have assembled infrastructure which is unique,” Argrow said. “CU ��«��Ƶ has extensive experience operating and developing these systems, and this gives us the opportunity to expand our impact.”

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CU ��«��Ƶ partners with Notre Dame to improve housing resilience

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 20:32:55 +0000

CU ��«��Ƶ partners with Notre Dame to improve housing resilience Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/07/2024 - 14:32

Susan Glairon

CU ��«��Ƶ’s Abbie Liel and Notre Dame’s Susan Ostermann are leading a collaborative NSF-funded study on resilient housing in disaster-prone areas lincluding Maui, Alaska and Puerto Rico. Their research combines Liel’s expertise in structural engineering with Ostermann’s background in political science and law, aiming to find solutions for safer, more resilient housing.

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CU ��«��Ƶ and Colorado Mountain College launch guaranteed admission agreement for engineering students

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 15:07:57 +0000

CU ��«��Ƶ and Colorado Mountain College launch guaranteed admission agreement for engineering students Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/24/2024 - 09:07

Colorado Mountain College students are now eligible for guaranteed admission to the ��«��Ƶ’s College of Engineering and Applied Science if they complete four specific courses at CMC, thanks to a new partnership between the two institutions. The agreement creates a guaranteed admission and transfer pathway for CMC students, enabling a seamless transition for those pursuing a bachelor’s degree in engineering at CU ��«��Ƶ.

Kathryn Regjo, vice president of academic affairs at Colorado Mountain College, emphasized the importance of the partnership for local communities.

“This agreement will have a profound impact on students from our mountain communities, who often face geographical barriers when pursuing higher education,” Regjo said. “Now, they can begin their engineering journey right here at CMC and seamlessly transition to CU ��«��Ƶ, opening opportunities that might have previously seemed out of reach.”

Through this innovative guaranteed admission agreement, students enrolled at CMC — including high school students taking concurrent coursework — will have access to a clear path toward admission at CU ��«��Ƶ’s top-ranked engineering school, provided they meet specific academic requirements. This agreement marks a significant milestone in expanding access to engineering education for students in the mountain communities CMC serves.

“This agreement supports CU ��«��Ƶ’s mission to broaden access to our engineering programs,” said Keith Molenaar, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at CU ��«��Ƶ. “We’re excited to welcome more students from Colorado’s mountain communities into our engineering school.”

Students in two categories are eligible to participate in the guaranteed admission program:

High school students enrolled in CMC courses with no post-high school credit hours earned.
Current CMC students

Eligible students must complete two college-level calculus courses, along with either calculus-based Physics 1 or General Chemistry 1 with lab, and an additional advanced math or science course. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required, and students must earn grades of B or better in core math and science courses.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with CU ��«��Ƶ on this initiative, which reduces barriers and provides a direct and achievable pathway for our students,” said John Lawrence, dean of CMC’s School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. “This partnership provides multiple options for CMC students to earn a world-class engineering degree, building on the academic foundation they’ve established here at CMC.”

“As the flagship public university in the state of Colorado, we embrace our responsibility and are deeply committed to serving the students of our state,” said Chris Anderson, senior director of academic success and transfer pathways with CU Engineering. “Collaborative partnerships like this allow us to continue to remove barriers, create better transparency in the transfer process and further expand access for our rural and mountain communities.”

Students interested in the transfer pathway can learn more by visiting CMC's pre-engineering website.

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Top Feature

Former CU ��«����Ƶ engineering professor wins presidential award

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Kristi Anseth recognized with international VinFuture Prize for Women Innovators

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CU Engineering advances innovation through startup success

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Video: Undergrad research prepares engineering students to solve the world’s critical problems

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CU ��«����Ƶ among top colleges for Indigenous students

Indigenous Knowledge and STEM

Community and Advice for Indigenous STEM Students

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How prisons fall short in protecting the incarcerated from climate disasters

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Using nanoscale membranes to clean water on the Moon

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CU ��«����Ƶ will share atmospheric science tech, expertise through new grant

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CU ��«����Ƶ partners with Notre Dame to improve housing resilience

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CU ��«����Ƶ and Colorado Mountain College launch guaranteed admission agreement for engineering students

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Former CU ��«��Ƶ engineering professor wins presidential award

CU ��«��Ƶ among top colleges for Indigenous students

CU ��«��Ƶ will share atmospheric science tech, expertise through new grant

CU ��«��Ƶ partners with Notre Dame to improve housing resilience

CU ��«��Ƶ and Colorado Mountain College launch guaranteed admission agreement for engineering students