Faculty

Wind tunnel research could help predict how wildfires spread

Alexander James Servantez — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 18:35:37 +0000

Wind tunnel research could help predict how wildfires spread Alexander Jame… Fri, 12/05/2025 - 11:35

PhD student Laura Shannon, alongside Professors Greg Rieker and Peter Hamlington of the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering are setting fires inside wind tunnels to gain a better understanding of how fire spreads across different terrain. The team says their findings could help keep communities safer in a world where climate-driven wildfire is becoming more common—and more dangerous.

Off

Traditional

White

Brewing engineers: Inside CU Boulder’s new food engineering program

Alexander James Servantez — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 22:25:43 +0000

Brewing engineers: Inside CU Boulder’s new food engineering program Alexander Jame… Wed, 12/03/2025 - 15:25

Faculty member Carmen Pacheco is the architect behind the Food Engineering Graduate Certificate, one of CU Boulder's most innovative academic ventures. Launched in 2024, the program was designed to introduce engineering students to the science behind their favorite foods and career opportunities in the food industry, but it can also reinforce scientific concepts that students can apply to any engineering discipline.

Off

Traditional

White

A window underground: New sensors measure emissions from soil in real time

Alexander James Servantez — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 21:40:29 +0000

A window underground: New sensors measure emissions from soil in real time Alexander Jame… Thu, 11/20/2025 - 14:40

Soil is comprised of an intricate network of bacteria and other microbes that humans depend on, but this complex environmental system is constantly shifting, making it difficult for scientists to measure. Associate Professor Gregory Whiting and his team of researchers are developing reliable, inexpensive and easy-to-deploy sensors that monitor soil in real time to help farmers optimize their use of fertilizers, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money in the process.

Off

Traditional

White

Smart toilet designs in Cambodia held promise, but a key piece was missing

Alexander James Servantez — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 21:38:19 +0000

Smart toilet designs in Cambodia held promise, but a key piece was missing Alexander Jame… Wed, 11/19/2025 - 14:38

Assistant Teaching Professor James Harper recently led a behavioral study analyzing toilet use in Cambodia. Their goal was to introduce a new, smart toilet design that can keep rural households safe and protect the environment. But while households reported that they liked the new system, a crucial piece was missing: using it correctly.

Off

Traditional

White

Researchers redefine hip arthroscopy with breakthrough surgical device

Alexander James Servantez — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 20:00:36 +0000

Researchers redefine hip arthroscopy with breakthrough surgical device Alexander Jame… Fri, 11/14/2025 - 13:00

Research Professor Jacob Segil collaborated with Dr. Omer Mei Dan from the �Թ�� of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine to create a redesigned surgical instrument called the CAP-LIFT cannula. The device was recently launched in October, and within the first few weeks used in over 100 successful surgeries.

Off

Traditional

White

Space law – Influencing policy for low Earth orbit and beyond

Jeff Zehnder — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 16:09:52 +0000

Space law – Influencing policy for low Earth orbit and beyond Jeff Zehnder Tue, 11/11/2025 - 09:09

Jeff Zehnder

�Թ�� of Colorado Boulder researchers have been shaping space exploration for decades and now are expanding into space law.

As more nations launch satellites, space probes, and military hardware into orbit, policy has become an increasingly critical field in the U.S. and beyond.

Marcus Holzinger is a professor in the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences and the inaugural holder of the Hatfield Endowed Professor in Space Policy & Law, a position created to shape the future of legal frameworks for space and serve as a bridge between academic research and real-world governance.

“The university brings a nonpartisan, technical perspective to the table, which is incredibly important,” Holzinger said. “When you’re talking about aircraft policy, where they fly, how high and how low, you wouldn’t want to make those decisions without anyone who knew how an airplane worked. We want to provide that necessary information to form cogent policy, but for space.”

CU Boulder also recently created the Colorado Space Policy Center to bring together academic majors across the university and further boost research and engagement in industry, civil, and military space. It is being led by Dan Baker, who served as director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics for nearly 30 years.

“We have one of the best concentrations of space scholars in the nation,” Holzinger said. “There’s also a very large space industry here in Colorado. There are a lot of people interacting across academia, industry, and government. This is the right place, at the right time, with the right people.”

CU Boulder already teaches non-engineering courses on space policy and has a Space Law Society for students. In addition, the aerospace department has revised its PhD practicum requirements to offer a policy option.

“Traditionally the practicum has been mentoring or teaching. We changed that so students could fulfill it by applying their technical skills to benefit society. We’ve now had students do that by interning at the state legislature and in the Department of Commerce Space Office,” Holzinger said.

He is hoping to further integrate students into the space policy sphere. The Hatfield Professorship only began in June 2025, but Holzinger said he has already been contacted by many students interested in learning more about space policy.

“I’m really excited overall about the work being done here,” Holzinger said. “We’re drawing upon CU Boulder’s technical expertise and strengths to be a real center of mass and resource for policymakers, through the students we graduate and the expertise we can provide.”

Off

Traditional

White

Xu selected to receive a 2025 Packard Fellowship award

Alexander James Servantez — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 16:35:51 +0000

Xu selected to receive a 2025 Packard Fellowship award Alexander Jame… Wed, 10/15/2025 - 10:35

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.

Off

Traditional

White

Schaub inducted into National Academy of Engineering

Jeff Zehnder — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 16:24:40 +0000

Schaub inducted into National Academy of Engineering Jeff Zehnder Wed, 10/15/2025 - 10:24

Jeff Zehnder

Hanspeter Schaub has been officially inducted into the National Academy of Engineering.

A distinguished professor and chair of the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the �Թ�� of Colorado Boulder, Schaub was welcomed as a member of the NAE Class of 2025 during a ceremony on Oct. 5 in Washington, D.C.

The distinction recognizes outstanding contributions to a field and is one of the highest an engineer can receive in their career.

“NAE has a long legacy and history and to be included in that group is an incredible honor,” Schaub said. “It’s very exciting.”

Schaub is a leader in the field of astrodynamics and spacecraft control whose research has advanced theoretical and practical understanding of spacecraft operations.

His contributions to satellite formation flying, proximity operations, autonomous spacecraft scheduling and charged astrodynamics have transformed the modeling and management of spacecraft motion, particularly through his work in electrostatic charging. These advancements are reshaping mission proximity and rendezvous concepts, enabling new capabilities in spacecraft control without physical contact.

Schaub’s research has been instrumental in high-profile space projects, including the development of key components for the UAE Hope mission to Mars and the creation of the widely used Basilisk software for spacecraft mission simulation.

“We do a lot of fundamental and applied research in my lab. Industry is using the tools we’ve created and hired students I’ve mentored. We have stuff flying all over the solar system. That’s pretty cool,” Schaub said.

Schaub’s leadership is reflected in his recognition as a Fellow of both the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the American Astronautical Society (AAS), alongside prestigious awards like the AAS Dirk Brouwer Award and the AIAA Mechanics and Control of Flight Award. In 2023, he won the �Թ�� of Colorado Hazel Barnes Prize, which recognizes outstanding teachers who also have distinguished records in research and scholarship.

As an educator, he has mentored dozens of PhD students, fostering the next generation of aerospace leaders. The textbook he co-authored is a cornerstone in universities worldwide, and his groundbreaking aerospace MOOC has brought advanced learning to tens of thousands of students.

Schaub is one of nine current CU Boulder aerospace professors or department affiliates who are members of NAE.

Off

Traditional

White

Diddams elected to the National Academy of Engineering

Charles Ferrer — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 16:23:40 +0000

Diddams elected to the National Academy of Engineering Charles Ferrer Wed, 10/15/2025 - 10:23

Scott Diddams was elected to the National Academy of Engineering Class of 2025 for his outstanding contributions in optical frequency combs and their applications.

Off

Traditional

White

New open-source software allows for efficient 3D printing with multiple materials

Alexander James Servantez — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 22:48:57 +0000

New open-source software allows for efficient 3D printing with multiple materials Alexander Jame… Mon, 10/13/2025 - 16:48

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.

Off

Traditional

White