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Professor Ron Duren profiles the EMP and our mission in tech leadership:

John Svoboda — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 17:54:14 +0000

Professor Ron Duren profiles the EMP and our mission in tech leadership: John Svoboda Fri, 01/30/2026 - 10:54

At the �Թ�� of Colorado Boulder, we remind our engineers that even the most brilliant design is meaningless if it can’t be manufactured, marketed, and sold in a way that sustains a business. Innovation is vital...The EMP and Leadership

Professor Ron Duren profiles the EMP and our mission in tech leadership.

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Amy H. Moore Ph.D. brings prodigious biomedical experience as new EMP faculty: Profile interview

John Svoboda — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 23:59:33 +0000

Amy H. Moore Ph.D. brings prodigious biomedical experience as new EMP faculty: Profile interview John Svoboda Tue, 06/24/2025 - 17:59

Amy H. Moore Ph.D.

Today we are speaking with Dr. Amy Moore, a new Scholar in Residence at the EMP.

Amy’s background is in biomedical product development, project management and commercialization. She has previously taught physiology and neurobiology courses while also leading a research laboratory. Amy transitioned into medical commercialization by supporting both bio-med entrepreneurs as well as the companies evaluating new technologies for investment. In addition, Amy has had multiple leadership roles in product development, intellectual property, licensing, and strategy.

Amy will be joining the EMP faculty in the Fall of 2025. Amy holds a PhD in Neuroscience from UCLA and an MBA from the �Թ�� of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Amy and her husband are proud parents to two college-aged kids.

EMP: Amy Moore- thank you so much for spending some time with us today.

Dr. Amy Moore: Absolutely.

EMP: Let’s start at the beginning—can you tell me something about your early life that you feel really shaped your career path?

Amy Moore: I was that kid—the one always asking, “Why is it like that, Mom?” “How does that work, Dad?" I had a relentless curiosity. I never liked being boxed into just one thing—I got good grades, played multiple instruments, competed in sports, loved marching band (which is basically a sport actually), and I loved heavy metal (and its aggressive hairstyles).

EMP: That’s an amazing mix. So when did tech or engineering start to take center stage in your thinking?

Amy Moore: Funny enough, I was actually planning to go to college for music. But then I saw this colorful PET scan in my high school psych class—one of a musician’s brain next to a non-musician’s. That image changed everything for me. I ditched the conservatory plans and enrolled in college with a focus on Neuropsychology and Neurobiology under Cognitive Science

EMP: That’s a big shift! What was it about that moment or that image?

Amy Moore: Something clicked. - how was one brain different from another, different enough that could be captured in these images. I got hooked on brain research and tools used to see the brain—just completely fell in love with it. In undergrad, I’d spend all my spare time in the lab—running data, analyzing it, interpreting with my lab mates. Then in grad school, I got involved in building a PET system to detect metabolic changes in rodent brains. At the time, I didn’t think of it as engineering—I just saw it as a tool to understand impact of and recovery from brain injury. But looking back, that was my first real taste of engineering.

EMP: Do you remember a favorite subject during undergrad?

Amy Moore: Besides the direct neurobio and lab classes? Linguistics, hands down. It amazed me how different cultures could have such similar communication structures. It totally broadened how I saw human connection.

EMP: Let’s talk career. What was your first job after school?

Amy Moore: I went straight from undergrad to PhD to postdoc to a faculty position – just as I had planned. Every role came through networking. Conferences, research circles, that kind of thing. My most memorable interview moment was for a faculty role, and the computer system crashed so I couldn’t show the beautiful brain slides I had prepared. I had to do a literal chalk talk—on a blackboard—about brain inflammation. I think I even referenced Monsters, Inc. somehow! But the chair told me they were impressed by my ability to adapt and I got the offer the next day.

EMP: That’s incredible. Did you have any mentors who really guided you during those early stages?

Amy Moore: Oh, absolutely. My undergrad mentor—she loved undergraduate teaching and involving students in research. She passed up offers to run a larger lab with grad students and postdocs without a requirement to teach courses because she knew that here passion was with teaching and advising undergrads. In grad school, my mentor emphasized ethics and equity for early-career scientists. And in business school, I had a mentor who taught me that communication between teams is critical—because no one, especially patients, benefits when egos get in the way.

EMP: How would you say your career evolved over time? And what role did your graduate education play?

Amy Moore: Career counselors always say, “play to your strengths,” and honestly, one of mine is being a student. I like having coursework that backs-up my work. For example, I once got an offer to teach music in elementary school. I had my neuroscience background and my music past, but I still felt weird not having formal training. So, while I was a postdoc, I enrolled at Eastman School of Music. I loved it.

EMP: Great. But you mentioned ending up in industry—was that part of the plan?

Amy Moore: Not planned - not even a little. As mentioned early, my career goal was always to do neuroscience research and teach undergraduate students – and I had achieved that! But I had the opportunity to enroll in a full-time MBA program as a Forte Foundation Fellow. Going to business school in my 40s completely changed how I saw the world. I started to better understand how decisions get made outside academia. It pushed me to see where a bench scientist like me could add value beyond R&D. That shift was huge.

EMP: Can you share a project or accomplishment you're especially proud of?

Amy Moore: I am most proud of supporting 150+ faculty, post docs, and grad students to develop business plans and start-up launch strategies for their biomedical innovations as a program manager for a federally-funded commercialization program.

EMP: Do you feel your university experiences helped prepare you for life outside the lab?

Amy Moore: Definitely. One thing I miss about academia is the luxury of being able to ponder - to think deeply, critically, and collaboratively. That kind of intellectual freedom is rare and so valuable.

EMP: How about networking? Has that played a big role in your career?

Amy Moore: Huge. And I’m still learning. I’ve gotten better at researching events ahead of time, so I know who’ll be there and what they care about. I practice a 30-second response to “so tell me what you do?” question. I jot down quick notes after conversations to personalize follow-ups. I still struggle to start conversations though as it is natural for me to revert to the part of me that is so comfortable alone in a lab or studying a dataset. —that’s my work-in-progress.

EMP: You’re transitioning to a new role as EMP faculty. What drew you to this opportunity?

Amy Moore: After being part of a team that brought a therapeutic to market, I realized how much I missed that early-phase energy—discovery, prototyping, entrepreneurship, all of it. When this job posting came up, the timing just felt perfect.

EMP: What excites you most about teaching?

Amy Moore: I love learning what drives students to take the course. I get energized by staying up to date with the material and constantly finding better ways to communicate it. It’s exciting to hear how students respond—it helps me improve for the next time.

EMP: Let’s talk AI—it’s transforming engineering. Where do you think it’s having the biggest impact?

Amy Moore: I see AI as a tool—its power comes from the intent of the person using it. What I find fascinating is how different people define AI or misunderstand how it’s created. Those conversations force us to reflect: How do we assess truth? What level of confidence makes us trust—or reject—information? Those are deep questions.

EMP: Last one: If you could give your 25-year-old self one piece of advice about careers or employers, what would it be?

Amy Moore: My value isn’t tied to the protein I studied or the number of papers I published. I have a mindset and skillset that are useful in all kinds of organizations—if I’m willing to explore. Working well in teams benefits everyone -get comfortable with colleagues communication styles and be clear on your own—it’ll save you stress. And seriously, don’t wait until you’re 42 to take your first accounting and economics classes!

EMP: Dr. Moore- thank you so much for your time today.

Amy Moore: Of course- thank you!

A brief interview with Amy H. Moore Ph.D, the EMP's new Scholar in Residence, discusses biomedical research, commercialization, teaching, and career trajectories.

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Todd Mosher brings deep aerospace background to EMP Faculty

John Svoboda — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 22:10:26 +0000

Todd Mosher brings deep aerospace background to EMP Faculty John Svoboda Mon, 06/23/2025 - 16:10

The Engineering Management Program and the College of Engineering and Applied Science are pleased to announce the addition of a dynamic new Scholar in Residence, Todd Mosher.

Todd J. Mosher, Ph.D., is a strategic leader with 36 years of aerospace engineering and program management experience on human spaceflight, satellite, and launch vehicle programs. He is currently a �Թ�� of Colorado Engineering Management Scholar in Residence. As an entrepreneurial leader, he helped one small company go public and assisted two others in exiting to an acquisition. He led and authored successful proposals resulting in over $5B in opportunities from defense, civil, and commercial space customers. Todd has taught at four universities, with CU becoming the fifth. He was a NASA astronaut finalist in 2008 and a Presidential Leadership Scholar in 2024. Todd is a first-generation college graduate and a fourth-generation Coloradan.

Todd is the holder of four college degrees, including a Ph.D. and M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the �Թ�� of Colorado. He has been married for 35 years to his wife Sally and has three adult children.

Todd will be joining the EMP faculty for the Fall 2025 term.

Welcome Todd!

Todd J. Mosher, Ph.D., brings 36 years of aerospace experience to the CU Boulder EMP faculty

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EMP welcomes new faculty with deep biomedical background.

John Svoboda — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 21:46:15 +0000

EMP welcomes new faculty with deep biomedical background. John Svoboda Mon, 06/23/2025 - 15:46

Amy H. Moore Ph.D.

The Engineering Management Program and the College of Engineering and Applied Science are pleased to announce the addition of a dynamic new Scholar in Residence, Amy Moore.

Amy H. Moore is a biomedical product development strategist who focuses on efficient cross-functional communication and project management across the commercialization process. She held faculty roles which enabled her to teach physiology and neurobiology courses while also leading a research laboratory. Amy transitioned to the medical industry by supporting entrepreneurs in business development as well as companies evaluating new technologies for investment. In addition, Amy has had multiple leadership roles in product development, intellectual property, licensing, and strategy within an ecosystem of health and life science companies.

Amy holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from �Թ�� of California at Los Angeles and an MBA with Medical Industry Specialization from the �Թ�� of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Amy and her husband are proud parents to two college-aged kids.

Amy will be joining the EMP faculty for the Fall 2025 term.

Welcome Amy! “

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New EMP faculty brings deep aerospace background: Profile interview with Todd J. Mosher, Ph.D.

John Svoboda — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 20:43:27 +0000

New EMP faculty brings deep aerospace background: Profile interview with Todd J. Mosher, Ph.D. John Svoboda Mon, 06/23/2025 - 14:43

EMP Staff

Todd J. Mosher, Ph.D., is a new Scholar in Residence at the EMP.

Todd’s career includes 36 years of aerospace engineering and program management experience. As an entrepreneurial leader, he helped one small company go public and assisted two others in exiting to an acquisition. He led over $5B in contracts from defense, civil, and commercial customers. Todd is a first-generation college graduate and has four degrees, including a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from CU. He has been married for 35 years to his wife Sally and has three adult children.

EMP: Todd- great of you to spend some time with us. Can you tell us about something from your early life that influenced your career path?

Todd Mosher: Absolutely. My dad worked at the Jet Propulsion Lab for five years during an exciting time in planetary science, right when I was starting elementary school. He was part of the Viking Mars lander team, and his name is even on the Voyager records that are now out past the edge of our solar system. With astronaut wallpaper on my bedroom walls and an astronaut G.I. Joe, it’s safe to say I was hooked on space from an early age.

EMP: Fantastic. When did you start thinking seriously about a career in engineering?

Todd Mosher: I’m a first-generation college student. Since my dad had worked closely with engineers, he was pretty convinced early on that both my brother and I should go into engineering—before we’d even really thought about it ourselves. Turns out, he was right. We both became engineers.

EMP: What was it about aerospace engineering that drew you in?

Todd Mosher: For me, the dream of becoming an astronaut was the motivation. If you want to be an astronaut, it makes sense to understand the vehicles you’d be flying. But beyond that, I was as excited about designing them as I was about flying them.

EMP: Absolutely. Did you have a favorite subject in college?

Todd Mosher: Definitely. I’ve always had a love for communication—both writing and speaking. I enjoyed journalism because I liked the challenge of telling stories clearly and effectively.

EMP: Can you recall your first job after college- how did it happen?

Todd Mosher: My first job was with General Dynamics Space Systems, working on Atlas rockets. I got the job thanks to a connection—my uncle’s friend helped me out. That taught me something important. Personal connections often open more doors than a stack of resumes ever will.

EMP: Excellent advice. Did you have a mentor who made a difference early in your career?

Todd Mosher: I’ve been lucky to have several great mentors, and I still do. One in particular encouraged me to go back to grad school full-time at the �Թ�� of Colorado, even after I had already earned a master’s degree from the �Թ�� of Alabama in Huntsville. That push really shaped the direction of my career.

EMP: How has your career path evolved over time, and what role did graduate education play?

Todd Mosher: I’ve been fortunate to work across a wide spectrum of projects—from robotic spacecraft and human spaceflight to launch vehicles. I’ve worked for major companies like Amazon. I have helped one startup go public and supported two others through acquisitions. I’ve also taught at four universities, with CU being the fifth. Without a doubt, graduate education opened a lot of those doors. It’s a reminder that learning should never stop.

EMP: Completely agree. Is there a particular project or accomplishment you're especially proud of?

Todd Mosher: In 2024, I was honored to be selected as a Presidential Leadership Scholar. It’s a competitive program where leaders learn from the experiences of presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon Johnson. I got to meet both Presidents Bush and Clinton, as well as top officials, scholars, and business and civic leaders. Being part of that network has been eye-opening and broadened my perspective.

EMP: Besides technical skills, how did your university experiences prepare you for your career?

Todd Mosher: �Թ�� life gave me a chance to explore a wide variety of topics, which helped me appreciate the importance of being well-rounded. Grad school, and especially a Ph.D., forces you to go deep into one area—but that deep dive still happens in a setting where you're exposed to many other ideas. That cross-pollination is so valuable.

EMP: A perspective your students no doubt benefit from. How important has networking been in your career, and do you have any advice on doing it well?

Todd Mosher: Networking has played a huge role in every step of my career. But I think the key is not to treat it as a transaction. Instead of asking, “What can I get from this person?” ask, “How can I help them?” When you approach it with that mindset, you’ll find that the benefits come back to you many times over.

EMP: You are a new member of the EMP faculty. What inspired that change?

Todd Mosher: I’m at a point in my career where leaving a legacy matters more than chasing titles. Teaching and sharing what I’ve learned is one of the best ways I know to leave something meaningful behind.

EMP: What excites you most about teaching?

Todd Mosher: What I love about teaching is the immediate feedback. In most jobs, you’re always waiting—for a promotion, for a proposal to be accepted. But in the classroom, you can tell right away if students are getting it. That real-time connection lets you adjust and improve on the fly.

EMP: With AI becoming more common in engineering, what’s your take on its impact?

Todd Mosher: AI is just another tool—and like any tool, it depends on how we use it. I don’t think it’s something to be afraid of. Instead, those who learn to use AI effectively will be able to accomplish more and work more efficiently. Of course, it can be used for both good and bad, so it’s on us to make the right choices.

EMP: If you could give your 25-year-old self one piece of career advice, what would it be?

Todd Mosher: Time is your most valuable asset. At 25, it feels unlimited—but later, you’ll wish you had more of it and had used it more wisely. Don’t fear mistakes—they’re how you learn. Just make sure you grow from them. And this doesn’t just apply to your career; it’s true for every part of life that makes it meaningful.

EMP: Todd, thank you so much for joining us today.

Todd Mosher: Certainly- I enjoyed it!

A quick interview with the EMP's new Scholar in Residence, Todd J. Mosher, Ph.D, touches on teaching, career direction and an early fascination with aerospace.

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Jessica Rush Leeker Employs $2M NSF Grant to Expand Learning Resources in Engineering for Black Families

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 20:45:36 +0000

Jessica Rush Leeker Employs $2M NSF Grant to Expand Learning Resources in Engineering for Black Families Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/11/2024 - 14:45

Published: September 11, 2024 • By Wendy Martin

Jessica Rush Leeker has been awarded a $2M National Science Foundation grant to advance her research on creating informal learning resources out of a structured, formal environment that promotes the participation of Black families in engineering. Her work focuses on developing pathways for Black families to engage in engineering practices and see themselves as integral members of the engineering community.

Jessica Rush Leeker

Leeker's project, supported by the $2M National Science Foundation grant, is a collaborative effort. In partnership with Lauren Mims from New York �Թ�� and Tamecia Jones from North Carolina State, Leeker will co-develop informal learning resources with Black families. These resources, designed for children aged six to ten, will provide opportunities to engage in various engineering activities at home. The aim is to encourage children to consider engineering careers by allowing them to engage in engineering practices such as empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping, and testing.

A Real-life, Community-driven Project

For Leeker, this grant presents an invaluable opportunity to expand her innovative research on the role of informal learning in engineering education among Black families. This project will explore how these identity-affirming resources can foster children's engineering identities and interests by connecting them with their historical and cultural roots, enhancing their sense of belonging and confidence in engineering fields.

Leeker's research will involve co-developing these resources with Black families across various settings in the United States. By capturing and analyzing interactions between caregivers and children, as well as the children's creations and reflections, Leeker aims to understand how these informal educational experiences shape children's perceptions of their capabilities and potential careers in engineering.

“We plan to develop educational tools and frameworks that can be replicated beyond the initial study, enhancing the broader educational landscape by incorporating these rich cultural narratives into engineering education,” Leeker said. “This will not only benefit the participating families but also create a model that can be adapted and used in other contexts, transforming how underrepresented groups engage with engineering globally.”

Leeker believes this research can significantly increase diversity and inclusion in engineering fields by reconnecting children with their legacies of innovation and problem-solving. Their goal is to build bridges between generations, linking personal and communal histories with contemporary educational and professional opportunities in engineering. This approach is expected to enrich children's academic and personal development, thereby broadening participation and success rates among underrepresented in engineering disciplines.

Inclusion of Other Populations

“This grant is a testament to the importance of creating inclusive educational resources that reflect the diversity of our communities. I am excited to see how these informal learning tools can inspire the next generation of Black engineers and innovators. We hope to expand these efforts to other underrepresented populations in STEM,” Leeker said. “By partnering with Black families, we can develop educational materials that teach engineering concepts and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Black scientists and engineers. This approach is crucial for fostering a sense of identity and belonging in STEM fields, and we aim to extend this inclusive model to other communities as well.”

Future Aspirations

“Our goal is to create a sustainable model for informal engineering education that can be replicated across different contexts. This project will serve as a blueprint for engaging underrepresented communities in meaningful and impactful ways, with the potential to adapt and apply these methods to a wider range of populations,” Leeker added.

Engagement and Dissemination

The resulting deliverables from Leeker's research will include video workshops for caregivers, easy-to-use engineering activities, and wide dissemination of findings, public media, high-traffic repositories, and professional networks of science and engineering educators. The empirical findings will also be shared widely via professional conferences and journals in educational research.

Ultimately, Leeker's project aims to broaden participation in engineering among the Black population, who remain underrepresented in engineering pathways and careers. This grant supports a vision of developing new approaches to STEM learning in informal environments, providing multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in engineering education.

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Global Semester: ESCEND Engineering Management/Entrepreneurship Minor (Lisbon, Portugal)

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 19:15:16 +0000

Global Semester: ESCEND Engineering Management/Entrepreneurship Minor (Lisbon, Portugal) Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/17/2023 - 13:15

Complete your Engineering Management or Entrepreneurship minor while spending Fall semester abroad in Lisbon, Portugal!

Learn More Information

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Breaking New Ground: Building Equitable and Sustainable Communities

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 16:51:32 +0000

Breaking New Ground: Building Equitable and Sustainable Communities Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 11/01/2022 - 10:51

In 2021, Robertha Richardson from Tuskegee, Alabama, sat down to read Equity, Inclusion and Diversity in Engineering: Why They Matter. The article featured Dr. Jessica Rush Leeker, Director of Undergraduate Education, and Stephen Dunn, Professor of Engineering Management at CU Boulder’s Engineering Management Program (EMP).

Richardson is the founder of Harvest Dreams, a nonprofit focused on fostering sustainable food production systems and affordable housing in her local community. She comes from a family of Black farmers who’ve owned for 100 years the Tuskegee land they farm.

“Richardson saw the article and reached out to me to explore whether we could create any partnerships or synergies,” says Rush Leeker. “She knew she wanted to do something to create more sustainable communities, and that’s how the Building Legacy in Engineering research project got started.”

An Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) grant is funding the project that involves PI, Dr. Jessica Rush Leeker, Co-PIs, Shawhin Roudbari and Laura MacDonald, a collaboration between CU Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) and Environmental Design (ENVD) and Tuskegee �Թ��'s College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences led by Dr. Raymon Shange.

Together, they’re pioneering a "living-learning lab" through design-build projects that experiment with agricultural-land infrastructure that’s socially and ecologically sustainable.

Building Legacy in Engineering—A Unique Partnership

Tuskegee �Թ��’s partnership is partly because of its proximity to Harvest Dream, Ms. Richardson, and her family’s land there. Additionally, Tuskegee’s prominence as one of the nation’s top historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) and its deep-rooted connections to Black history and education made it the perfect choice for the collaboration.

“We knew we needed a partnership with Tuskegee. We did not want to come in as a predominantly white institution when there was a school already there,” Rush Leeker explains. “So, we started to work on potential synergies and authentic partnerships to create, and we’re excited to be working with Tuskegee �Թ��.”

The project that began with Ms. Richardson now seeks equally forward-thinking students and community members to participate.

“Because Richardson cares a lot about the legacy of her family, we knew we wanted something with stakeholder engagement and community engagement,” says Rush Leeker. “We wanted the community to have a say, and students, to work together each year. So, approximately ten students from CU Boulder and ten students from Tuskegee will work together to create the living-learning lab.”

Collaborating To Build Resilient Communities

The partnership between a predominantly white institution and an HBCU College is a pioneering and exciting initiative in community partnership.

The lab will be designed as a “living” design, and the dynamics will change yearly. “The best part about this project is that we don't know what it’ll always look like,” Rush Leeker adds. “Every year, a group of students and different professors will design, and they’ll have themes they work on and then pass on to the next year and the next.”

Rush Leeker admits there is risk involved when there’s so much freedom to explore, but everyone agrees it is a risk worth taking. “I want to shout out to Harvest Dreams about not being scared to do this and to be excited about it,” she says.

Harvest Dreams already plays an important role in building equitable and sustainable communities, and the project will be able to rely on their expertise and community connections. “They do a lot of community outreach,” explains Rush Leeker. “So, they’re finding ways to get greater stakeholder engagement in the area, and they have land we're going to use to create the living lab.”

Richardson will also work closely with the students throughout the project. “When they have a design in mind,” says Rush Leeker, “they’ll work with her and the community to make sure that it matches the mission and the vision.”

“In the first year, environmental design, led by Co-PI Shawhin Roudbari, will lead and work with students to think through the community piece, thinking with empathy about who's involved and how to work with those stakeholders,” says Rush Leeker. “The grant is studying a lot of different relationships: faculty relationships and student relationships across different diversities. It also looks at how we involve the community in this process.”

It is an essential step toward collaboration on many different levels. “This is very important because many people are not comfortable with ambiguity—especially engineers,” says Rush Leeker. “They want to know the answer. They want to know how it's done. And the living-learning lab is a process that includes going back and changing things. I'm excited about it.”

Addressing the Challenges of Creating Equitable Communities

One of the biggest challenges the project addresses is the colonization of community outreach, where outsiders come into a community and dictate the changes that should happen.

“We want to decolonize community outreach,” says Rush Leeker. “We don't want to go into a community as if we know what they want. We want to go in listening and understanding the history.”

For Building Legacy in Engineering, the goal is to involve the community from the earliest stages. “We're hoping to show what community engagement can look like,” explains Rush Leeker. “Many times, people go into a community already thinking, ‘I know what they want, and I don't need to talk to them.’ That’s a big issue, and we're trying to show that community engagement can be done and that community involvement from the very beginning of a project is so important. That's one of the most important things we’re doing.”

Another challenge is talking about issues of race in a respectful way that encourages dialogue and mutual understanding. Tuskegee, Alabama, is a city that is pivotal to Black history in the United States, as home to the World War II Tuskegee Airmen, educator Booker T. Washington, civil rights icon Rosa Parks and scientist George Washington Carver. However, the area also has a history of food scarcity and poverty—an estimated 30% of the population is struggling below the poverty line, according to 2020 Census Bureau data.

“We’re taking on that challenge by focusing on how to have complex conversations about race and class,” says Rush Leeker. “We’re showing how to have these dialogues with students and faculty and ensuring we have a team that can support that. Building the trusting relationships to make up that team has been an exciting process.”

Because the research team doesn’t know precisely what the project result will be, they’ve had to become comfortable with ambiguity. “It’s been important that we start as an open grant with freedom for innovation,” she adds. “The innovation piece is so important, and we must move forward without fear.”

New Models for Sustainable Community Development

As they innovate, the Building Legacy in Engineering team hopes to create models that other universities can follow. “We hope to model how collaboration between two universities can happen and how faculty can facilitate,” says Rush Leeker. “As faculty, we're enablers and guardrails, and we hope to show how this can be done—giving the students free reins but still being their support.”

Because this project involves informal learning research that happens primarily outside the classroom, the team is determined that students have the support and resources they need to participate. In this, the program is also striving to model equity.

“It’s crucial to us to make sure that everything’s equitable and that we're supporting the students in this journey with us,” Rush Leeker explains. “We’re making sure students get a monthly stipend to participate. This is an opportunity for them to gain skills and knowledge, so much of the budget goes to the students and different speakers or workshop leaders we’ll bring in to help them gain the skills they’re lacking.”

The Role of Engineering in Creating Self-Sustaining Communities

A key focus is establishing a collaboration where the community is a participant, not just a passive beneficiary of the project. “I’ve been on a lot of service-learning projects in Haiti and other places, and we go in and leave again, and that’s it,” Rush Leeker adds. “That’s why it’s important for me and the whole team to think of this project as a two-way relationship. The students and faculty will learn as much as we're giving to the community, so involving the local community and giving everyone a voice at the beginning is very nice. Even the mayor, Lawrence Haygood, is on board. Having this whole community-enriching experience is key.”

For engineers to make a difference and build sustainable communities, they’ll need to begin as listeners. “We’ll need to understand the history behind what’s happening in the local community,” says Rush Leeker. “We can start with changing our mindset and seeing everyone as human. Then, we can go in and see how we can all use our skills together, to look for opportunities to create sustainable community development and solve these opportunities together.”

Each year, students will work with the community to build stakeholder engagement so the community can keep going forward after the grant. “We’ll look at what resources the local people need for the community to sustain the work,” Rush Leeker explains. “Hopefully, elementary and middle school students, including my children, can go to this place and learn. Let’s say they find sustainable agriculture there, sustainable architecture, and other structures. The students can see it as a science or engineering lab that they can learn from year in and year out.”

Sustainability That’s Engineered for the Long Term

Building Legacy in Engineering is a four-year grant project—aptly named for the legacy engineers can leave for this community. “Each one of the students who’s involved will bring in their bricks—that is, the skills they’ll offer in the project,” says Rush Leeker. “Every student's going to bring their unique skill set, and by the end, what we begin building will continue to be built long after we’re gone.”

Sustaining progress will also involve the community. “We’ll also outline a process plan for the community, including helping them know how to obtain resources for support. If they need a group reflection, for example, to talk about strengths and weaknesses or improvements we can make, we’ll help them navigate all that. And after we leave, hopefully, it will continue.”

Sustainability in Engineering

To learn more about how a Master of Engineering in Engineering Management from CU Boulder can help you better understand the role of engineering in building more sustainable communities, visit the Engineering Management Program page. You can speak with an advisor or request more information by contacting: Kendra.Thibeault@colorado.edu.

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What Is a Capstone Project in Engineering?

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 13:34:21 +0000

What Is a Capstone Project in Engineering? Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 07/07/2022 - 07:34

For Faculty Lecturer Alyssa McCluskey, the capstone project at the �Թ�� of Colorado’s Engineering Management Program (EMP) boils down to two things: agency and opportunity.

Agency, because students can chart their own course. And opportunity, arising from that agency, allows students to become leaders on their own or within their organizations. McCluskey ought to know: Capstone worked for her as a student and she knew, eventually, it could work for others as well.

“In my civil engineering capstone, we could explore and create different solutions to the use of biosolids, and I was really proud of the report and presentation that we produced,” McCluskey says. “I did send the report to my future employer, a research institute in Boston, and was hired partially based on the document that I had sent them. And I just remember really enjoying the process. So I wanted to bring that to this Program as something to offer the students.

What Is a Capstone Project?

In the Engineering Management Program, students can now elect to cap off their engineering curriculum with a capstone project. The project can be anything that uses their management and engineering skills to make a product, design software or find innovative ways to affect change within their industry.

In the past, students were given a list of topics to write an 8-10 page paper using concepts learned throughout the program to culminate their degree. McCluskey found that the traditional method was serving neither students nor faculty well. This method seemed like just regurgitating material and lacked a meaningful experience for students to use what they learned throughout the degree.

Looking for more flexible options for CU students, the EMP decided to offer two paths for degree completion: completing the full coursework, 30 credit hours, or taking 27 credit hours of coursework and completing a final 3-credit capstone project in their final semester.

“We made the capstone flexible so students can explore any ideas or topics of interest,” McCluskey says. “Anything from hot topics in project management to anything they found interesting over their courses in the EMP. I encourage them to look at courses they really enjoyed, talk with professors they enjoyed learning from, meet with professionals working in areas they are interested in and think of topics around that.”

A Diverse Range of Capstone Project Ideas

EMP just launched this program and there are four students in the first cohort, each working on a unique capstone project. All of them are focused on finding practical solutions to real-world problems.

One student’s capstone is about finding effective methods and tactics to increase employee engagement within the Office of Information Technology (OIT).

“This is a student who’s employed at OIT at CU,” McCluskey says. “And so she was asking how do we retain our employees and make them happy and want to stay? She found some startling statistics that close to 50% of employees are thinking of leaving.”

This capstone is especially topical given the nature of the Great Resignation where many employees are seeking better opportunities and are no longer willing to settle for the status quo.

“She did a number of surveys, listened to podcasts, took some courses and came up with a plan that she’s trying to implement within her department based on the capstone she worked on,” McCluskey adds.

Another fascinating engineering capstone project idea was one student’s mission to make a more sustainable satellite, combining interests in both sustainability and the aerospace industry.

“They developed a tool to quantify the environmental impacts of producing, launching and disposing of a satellite,” McCluskey says. After inputting the information into a spreadsheet, it comes out with “the carbon footprint of what the satellite would produce. And not only that but also ranking which areas you should spend your [resources] and get the most bang for the buck that’s most probably going to reduce your carbon footprint,” McCluskey says.

Given the concerns about orbital “space junk,” this capstone project addresses a need in aerospace that could be all the more germane as technology allows us to explore beyond our own planet.

And for the person on the move whose arms are constantly full and trying to literally—and figuratively—juggle the messiness of life, one student came to the capstone project with an idea already in hand: “merge bottle technology”—magnetized stacking water bottles that allow you to carry different beverages or food in one place, even at different temperatures.

“What I saw was great,” McCluskey says. “As a parent, you’re having to carry all these things, right? Also, he found that people in the healthcare industry and first responders who might be on a shift for a long time were interested right away. You can keep something hot, you can keep something cold, you could put food in one and drinks in another. Teachers as well. They have all these bags and bunches of containers they carry around. So instead of having multiple water bottles for your coffee and your water, you could just carry one stack.”

Yet another capstone project focuses on the uncertainties inherent in software product development and how that uncertainty affects humans at the neurobiological level.

“This student is in the software product management field, so she studied how we can better support employees to deal with uncertainty,” McCluskey says, “and she came up with four main things that companies can do to help their employees deal with that.”

The capstone project identified four key strategic theories—frequent stakeholder communication, a transparent roadmap with dependencies, iterative feedback opportunities and integration and focus on analytics—that empower product managers to ameliorate uncertainty among stakeholders during the software development process.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that students focus their capstone project not on abstract concepts, but on tangible strategies that have the potential for immediate real-world application. As a result, these capstone projects can help a student stand out as a desirable employee and a potential leader in their field or company.

Communication and Research: Soft Skills for Engineers that Pay Dividends

Many people—even many experts— know their field and products inside and out but struggle with communicating their ideas and knowledge to key audiences within their company or to clients. To help develop these skills, part of the capstone project incorporates a communication course.

“This involves working on your writing, working on your presentation skills, and working on peer reviews,” McCluskey says.

Good communication also means translating sometimes complex ideas and knowledge into a “language” that a wide audience can understand. That’s a skill that students refine over the course of their projects.

“You may understand something so well that you’re using acronyms others don’t know and you just lose the reader right away,” McCluskey says. “So that’s something we spend some time on. What’s nice is that we switch throughout the semester with our peers as well as the instructors and advisors so that if anybody is unfamiliar with something, it’s highlighted.”

Another benefit of the capstone project is that it allows students to stretch and improve their research skills beyond the usual Google search. Rachel Knapp, assistant professor and applied sciences librarian at CU, spoke to the capstone cohort and went over online resources available to CU students via OneSearch and discussed best practices in research strategies—for instance, how to narrow a topic and get the best out of information searches and how to determine which journals you may want to publish in. If capstone students get “stuck” in their research or are not getting the results hoped for, they can set up an appointment with a CU librarian to help with ideas and options.

Armed with this information, the capstone gives the students a chance to put into action much of what they’ve learned during the EMP and presents a valuable opportunity to live out what being an engineering manager is all about.

“They come in and they are the project manager of their capstones, ” McCluskey says. “So they get a chance to implement all the things you can think of that go into that: time management, building out your product schedule, problem-solving skills, thinking ahead, identifying what you might run into that’s going to cause a problem. They start to build their confidence because they’re now experts on this topic.”

Taking on a project of this nature flexes many skills including writing and planning, constructively giving peer feedback, and setting and achieving goals—while also making a student an attractive hire or a more effective contributor in their current position.

“The student who created the toolbox for the sustainable satellite,” McCluskey says, “is actually presenting to some higher-ups in his company who have expressed interest in what he’s done. So that’s not only letting our student be seen by people up in his organization but also giving him a way forward and fast track in that sense.”

“This is a Chance to Explore Something That Interests You”

For students, these ideas for capstone projects lead to something beyond typical coursework: the freedom to explore. Instead of listening to lectures and wondering, “Will this be on the test?” EMP capstone cohorts take the reins of their interests and bring those ideas to the world with the idea of solving a problem for individuals (teachers/mothers/first responders) or an entire industry (more sustainable satellite building for aerospace).

“This is a chance to explore something that interests you,” McCluskey says. “You’re not coming to a class prescribed exactly what you have to learn. You get to choose where you want to put your time and where your interests lie. It’s a win-win: You’re getting credit for it, and you're also coming out with something that you might personally believe in or want to move forward with.”

McCluskey is proof positive of the benefits of the capstone. She still works with advisors she knew from 30 years ago.

She says, “You’re really developing those relationships as well, not only with your classmates through working together in peer reviews and class, but also with your advisor and other professionals you interact with over the semester.”

“I’m their guide on this adventure,” McCluskey adds. “I bring in some guest speakers so they can learn from outside experts. I try to base the guest speakers on student interests like entrepreneurship and journal editors for publishing papers to help spark and refine student ideas. I also have lectures and guest speakers on communication best practices throughout the course, and then help them stay on track.”

Advisors, faculty or working professionals who are chosen by each student, meet with them at least five times over the semester, all the while reviewing the work. These relationships may bear fruit later in a career and provide an important sounding board for bouncing around new ideas.

And in the end, the progress made quite literally puts a capstone on the Engineering Management Program.

“It gives you confidence and pride in the culmination of your degree,” McCluskey says. “It's not just a piece of paper, you actually have a product that you've developed and the ability that you can do something like this.”

Engineering Capstone Projects: For EMP, It’s Just the Beginning

For McCluskey, this is an exciting time. Seeing the four students come through the capstone project fills her with optimism for the future of the project and, more importantly, what it offers to EMP students willing to take on the capstone and flex their engineering skills.

She sees students come in with ideas that are all over the board and then with her help along with other advisors, refine the ideas so they are manageable and attainable. It is gratifying for McCluskey to hear what the cohort had achieved at the end of this pilot program.

“We had them present to all the advisors at the end of the semester and they offered beautiful presentations,” she says. “They were high quality. They were very articulate. They answered questions. It was fun to see the advisors’ excitement with the different products.”

It could be that one student's capstone becomes the cornerstone of another student’s in the future; that it could, as McCluskey says, “spawn another idea for the next capstone. There might be somebody interested in a project that someone else did before and they could take it to the next step.”

For now, the capstone project is offered only in the spring semester, but with growing interest, it could be offered every semester.

The hope is that each session of capstone projects will spur more inspiration and more innovation.

“I was ready for some bumps along the road,” McCluskey says. “I was able to be pretty agile and move where I saw the needs that were there. So I’m really excited to learn more from these students and watch more students grow from an idea to a product they’re proud of. So I’m excited to just have more of them.”

Learn More �Թ�� the EMP Capstone

To learn more, please visit the Engineering Management Program website or email alyssa.mccluskey@colorado.edu for more information about the capstone project.

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Engineering Management Program expands degree offerings with Coursera partnership

Anonymous — Fri, 27 May 2022 13:47:15 +0000

Engineering Management Program expands degree offerings with Coursera partnership Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/27/2022 - 07:47

The Lockheed Martin Engineering Management Program at CU Boulder has been preparing technical professionals to be successful business leaders since 1992 through its on-campus and distance-learning degrees.

Now, the program is making graduate education even more accessible and flexible with the launch of a fully online Master of Engineering degree and graduate certificate in partnership with global learning platform Coursera.

Christy Bozic, director of the Engineering Management Program, said the degree and certificate are uniquely structured to be accessible to students from diverse backgrounds.

“Admissions are entirely application-free, based instead on performance in a series of gateway courses,” she said. “All students who maintain a B average are automatically admitted.”

Courses are taught by the same instructors as the on-campus degree, with core coursework focused on finance for technical managers, project management, authentic leadership and engineering communications. Students then choose from a slate of elective courses to complete 30 credit hours, earning a master’s degree in as little as two years.

“We are proud to expand our partnership with Coursera to make engineering management education more accessible and flexible with this new degree modality,” Bozic said. “Having the program on Coursera helps us reach working professionals around the world who are looking to translate their learning into career advancement — often while still working full-time.”

EMP is also introducing a nine-credit graduate certificate, which can be completed in as little as six to nine months. The certificate can count for credit toward the master’s degree, which makes it a good option for students looking to try courses before they commit to a master’s.

Enrollment for the master’s and certificate programs will open Aug. 8.

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