Graduate Students

Researchers pioneer fluid-based laser scanning for brain imaging

Alexander James Servantez — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 18:36:15 +0000

Researchers pioneer fluid-based laser scanning for brain imaging Alexander Jame… Thu, 10/16/2025 - 12:36

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

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

Alexander James Servantez — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 21:16:15 +0000

New open-source software allows for efficient 3D printing with multiple materials Alexander Jame… Mon, 10/13/2025 - 15:16

Alexander Servantez

A new open-source tool is reshaping how engineers design multi-material objects.

Charles Wade, a fourth-year PhD student in the Department of Computer Science at CU Boulder, has created a design system software package that uses functions and code to map not just shapes, but where different materials belong in a 3D object.

OpenVCAD, a new open-source tool created to help engineers efficiently design multi-material objects.

The project, called OpenVCAD, was developed in the Matter Assembly Computation Lab led by Assistant Professor Robert MacCurdy of the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering. The team is publishing a new paper in the top 3D printing journal Additive Manufacturing on October 13 that will highlight the design tool and its potential to transform 3D printing by enabling engineers to design multi-material objects smarter and more efficiently.

“There’s certainly a history of multi-material design study and practice that existed well before OpenVCAD,” said MacCurdy, who is also affiliated with computer science and the Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering. “But we believe the overhead of writing specific code for specific projects every single time prevents engineers from doing as much design as they could.

“With OpenVCAD, we’re doing all of that work once—and doing it really well—so that people have built-in infrastructure to represent these spatially varying multimaterial designs.”

Pushing the limits of multi-material design

Designing objects with multiple materials has long pushed the limits of conventional computer-aided design (CAD) software.

According to Wade and MacCurdy, traditional design tools tend to represent objects as boundary surfaces only. This means they operate with an implicit assumption that everything inside of a boundary surface is all made up of the same material.

One of the major areas of interest in mechanics is something called gradient design, in which two materials are gradually blended together from one to another—like a shoe sole that shifts from firm at the bottom to soft at the top. But without a powerful design tool, translating rough steps into smooth transitions can be overwhelmingly difficult.

That’s why Wade developed OpenVCAD. The software package acts almost as a set of convenience tools that allow people not only to easily compose complex functions, but also to assign them as materials to objects in a 3D printer.

“This is the first multi-material, code-based design tool that is widely available,” Wade said. “It allows for good complexity when printing objects, it’s accessible and it’s intuitive to write and design. Unlike traditional CAD software, where you’re forced to sketch everything out for each change and you cannot represent graded materials, our tool allows users to change one small variable and watch the whole design update in an easy way.”

A broad impact for all to explore

The team’s new paper will explore OpenVCAD’s capability across a variety of 3D printers, including one available to MacCurdy’s lab group that allows for object printing with up to five materials at a time.

However, it’s the project’s potential impact for the entire engineering community that excites them.

A multi-material scan-to-print medical model for pre-surgical planning.

According to MacCurdy and his team, the OpenVCAD software can be used to help researchers design objects relevant to just about any industry and field. Surgeons in need of realistic planning models to practice on can take advantage of the tool’s gradient mixing properties. Soft robotics experts can use it to create flexible actuators that bend in one direction, but remain straight and stiff in another. Engineers who need to simulate complex multimaterial objects can design in OpenVCAD and easily export a simulation-ready file.

OpenVCAD can even apply specific mechanical properties to specific parts of lattice structures, which are often used for impact-absorbing capabilities to achieve more complicated designs. The possibilities are endless.

“We’re able to rely on OpenVCAD’s core capabilities to represent multi-material objects in a bunch of different domains,” said MacCurdy. “But there is a lot more coming in certain areas that we are excited about and we’re really hoping this approach to multi-material design takes off.”

OpenVCAD is a completely open-source tool, meaning it is widely available for engineers around the world to use. It even comes equipped with a Python implementation so that any user can easily import the team’s repository and get to work with just a single line of code.

“We want this to be widely available to people,” Wade said. “We have a growing base of external researchers from other institutions who are using this tool and we hope to enable that community to do their best work.”

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.

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A multi-material lattice structure with a gradient design used for its impact-absorbing capabilities.

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

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

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

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

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ME grad student probes industrial pollution in Mississippi neighborhood

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

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

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

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Two ME graduate peer mentors recognized for outstanding support

Alexander James Servantez — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 17:36:27 +0000

Two ME graduate peer mentors recognized for outstanding support Alexander Jame… Mon, 07/07/2025 - 11:36

PhD students Marissa Dauner and Elijah Miller have been selected by the Graduate School to receive the Graduate Peer Mentoring Impact Recognition, an honor awarded to those who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to supporting their peers through mentorship. These outstanding mentors were nominated by their mentees for providing not only practical guidance, but also meaningful personal support and connection.

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Robots and chemistry isn’t just a fun combo. Bruns says it’s the future

Alexander James Servantez — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 22:02:21 +0000

Robots and chemistry isn’t just a fun combo. Bruns says it’s the future Alexander Jame… Fri, 06/06/2025 - 16:02

Alexander Servantez

Carson Bruns is working to lend chemists a hand—literally—by bringing collaborative robots into chemical wet labs.

Bruns, an assistant professor in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at CU Boulder, is leading the charge on a project that he and his team like to call “robochemistry.” Their goal is to create robotic sidekicks that can assist chemists with burdensome or unsafe tasks that they may encounter in a wet lab on a daily basis.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, chemists and materials scientists held nearly 100,000 jobs in 2023 and overall employment is expected to grow eight percent over the next 10 years.

But unlike other large and growing industries, Bruns says chemical research and development has remained devoid of robots, often leading to injuries and considerable risks in the workplace.

“There are a lot of potential benefits for introducing robots into a chemical lab that haven’t been explored yet,” said Bruns, who is also affiliated with the ATLAS Institute, Biomedical Engineering Program and Materials Science and Engineering Program. “Our angle involves trying to reduce work burdens and safety risks, develop robots that collaborate with humans instead of replacing them, and increase accessibility so that even people with disabilities can perform chemistry.”

Middle school students exploring the intersections of robotics and chemistry during one of the "robochemistry" interactive workshops led by Bruns and his team.

The project, funded by the National Science Foundation, is in collaboration with researchers from the �Թ�� of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and CU Boulder’s Department of Computer Science. It started with an extensive observation-based task analysis that allowed Bruns and his team in the Emergent Nanomaterials Lab to develop a strong understanding of the various tasks that chemists were performing regularly in a wet lab.

After observing, interviewing and surveying their chemist test subjects, Bruns and his group were able to identify an array of different tasks that can potentially benefit from human and robot collaboration.

“We learned right away that chemists don’t really like doing a purification task called dialysis that is very common in a wet lab. It’s repetitive, it takes a lot of time and sometimes chemists have to come back to the lab in the middle of the night to change dialysis bags, which they don’t want to do.” Bruns said. “It seemed like a great case for a robot, so we built a robotic system automating the dialysis process.”

Bruns says his team of researchers has a list of other potential benefit areas, as well, including simple tasks like stabilizing a flask or offering a third hand to hold something for chemists when they need it. They are even trying to find solutions for more complex safety issues so that chemists can stay far away from violent and dangerous reactions.

But that’s not where the project ends. There is also an outreach portion aimed at improving science education and enhancing youth interest in science.

Led by PhD student Diane Jung, Bruns and his team ran a four-day interactive workshop series at a local middle school in Boulder. These workshops invited middle school students to build robots with Legos and use them to perform various chemistry experiments—something that’s already happening in Bruns’ lab.

“We’ve been building ordinary automation tools out of Lego because it’s cheaper and reconfigurable. When you don’t need it anymore, you just disassemble it and build it into something else,” said Bruns. “So we thought we could use this Lego thing we had going on in our lab already to appeal to a younger audience and show kids the fun and evolving intersection between chemistry and robotics in real time.”

During the workshop series, Bruns noticed various groups of students approaching experiments with unique perspectives and ideas. He said it was inspiring to see young kids actively engage with the science in front of them.

But most importantly, he saw the kids have fun.

“Thinking back to young Carson when he was a kid—it always just seemed very fun to me,” Bruns said. “I had positive role models in my life who also believed science was fun, so that was our goal with this part of the project. To help kids have a more positive association with the idea of science and engineering.”

Assistant Professor Carson Bruns is leading the charge on an NSF-funded project that he and his team like to call "robochemistry." Their goal is to create robotic sidekicks that can assist chemists with burdensome or unsafe tasks that they may routinely encounter in a wet lab. But that's not all: this unique blend of bots and beakers can also inspire youth interest in science.

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New discovery shows how molecules can mute heat like music

Alexander James Servantez — Wed, 07 May 2025 03:00:00 +0000

New discovery shows how molecules can mute heat like music Alexander Jame… Tue, 05/06/2025 - 21:00

Alexander Servantez

Imagine you are playing the guitar—each pluck of a string creates a sound wave that vibrates and interacts with other waves.

Now shrink that idea down to a small single molecule, and instead of sound waves, picture vibrations that carry heat.

Ultra-high vacuum scanning probe setup modified by the Cui Research Group to conduct thermal microscopy experiments.

A team of engineers and materials scientists in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at CU Boulder has recently discovered that these tiny thermal vibrations, otherwise known as phonons, can interfere with each other just like musical notes—either amplifying or canceling each other, depending on how a molecule is "strung" together.

Phonon interference is something that’s never been measured or observed at room temperature on a molecular scale. But this group has developed a new technique that has the power to display these tiny, vibrational secrets.

The breakthrough study was led by Assistant Professor Longji Cui and his team in the Cui Research Group. Their work, funded by the National Science Foundation in collaboration with researchers from Spain (Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid), Italy (Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organometallici) and the CU Boulder Department of Chemistry, was recently published in the journal Nature Materials.

The group says their findings will help researchers around the world gain a better understanding of the physical behaviors of phonons, the dominant energy carriers in all insulating materials. They believe one day, this discovery can revolutionize how heat dissipation is managed in future electronics and materials.

“Interference is a fundamental phenomenon,” said Cui, who is also affiliated with the Materials Science and Engineering Program and the Center for Experiments on Quantum Materials. “If you have the capability to understand interference of heat flow at the smallest level, you can create devices that have never been possible before.”

The world’s strongest set of ears

Cui says molecular phononics, or the study of phonons in a molecule, has been around for quite some time as a primarily theoretical discussion. But you need some pretty strong ears to “listen” to these molecular melodies and vibrations first-hand, and that technology just simply hasn’t existed.

A sneak peek into the ultra-high vacuum scanning probe microscopy setup used to conduct molecular measurements.

That is, until Cui and his team stepped in.

The group designed a thermal sensor smaller than a grain of sand or even a sawdust particle. This little probe is special: it features a record-breaking resolution that allows them to grab a molecule and measure phonon vibration at the smallest level possible.

Using these specially designed miniature thermal sensors, the team studied heat flow through single molecular junctions and found that certain molecular pathways can cause destructive interference—the clashing of phonon vibrations to reduce heat flow.

Sai Yelishala, a PhD student in Cui’s lab and lead author of the study, said this research using their novel scanning thermal probe represents the first observation of destructive phonon interference at room temperature.

In other words, the team has unlocked the ability to manage heat flow at the scale where all materials are born: a molecule.

“Let’s say you have two waves of water in the ocean that are moving towards each other. The waves will eventually crash into each other and create a disturbance in between,” Yelishala said. “That is called destructive interference and that is what we observed in this experiment. Understanding this phenomenon can help us suppress the transport of heat and enhance the performance of materials on an extremely small and unprecedented scale.”

Tiny molecules, vast potential

Developing the world’s strongest set of ears to measure and document never-before-seen phonon behavior is one thing. But just what exactly are these tiny vibrations capable of?

PhD student and lead author of the study Sai Yelishala (right), along with Postdoctoral Associate and second author Yunxuan Zhu (left). Both are members of the Cui Research Group led by Assistant Professor Longji Cui.

“This is only the beginning for molecular phononics,” said Yelishala. “New-age materials and electronics have a long list of concerns when it comes to heat dissipation. Our research will help us study the chemistry, physical behavior and heat management in molecules so that we can address these concerns.”

Take an organic material, like a polymer, as an example. Its low thermal conductivity and susceptibility to temperature changes often poses great risks, such as overheating and degradation.

Maybe one day, with the help of phonon interference research, scientists and engineers can develop a new molecular design. One that turns a polymer into a metal-like material that can harness constructive phonon vibrations to enhance thermal transport.

The technique can even play a large role in areas like thermoelectricity, otherwise known as the use of heat to generate electricity. Reducing heat flow and suppressing thermal transport in this discipline can enhance the efficiency of thermoelectric devices and pave the way for clean energy usage.

The group says this study is just the tip of the iceberg for them, too. Their next projects and collaborations with CU Boulder chemists will expand on this phenomenon and use this novel technique to explore other phononic characteristics on a molecular scale.

“Phonons travel virtually in all materials,” Yelishala said. “Therefore we can guide advancements in any natural and artificially made materials at the smallest possible level using our ultra-sensitive probes.”

Assistant Professor Longji Cui and his team in the Cui Research Group have developed a new technique that allows them to measure phonon interference inside of a tiny molecule. They believe one day, this discovery can revolutionize how heat dissipation is managed in future electronics and materials.

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An artistic rendering showing thermal phonon interference in a molecule, otherwise known as "a molecular song."

Interning at Samuel Engineering

Alexander James Servantez — Fri, 02 May 2025 21:16:52 +0000

Interning at Samuel Engineering Alexander Jame… Fri, 05/02/2025 - 15:16

Jafar Makrani is a graduate student in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering. He interned at Samuel Engineering during spring 2025.

Jafar Makrani, graduate student in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering and intern at Samuel Engineering.

Where did you intern and what was exciting for you about that opportunity?

This spring, I interned at Samuel Engineering, Inc. in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Samuel Engineering is a multidisciplinary engineering consulting firm that offers services in process, mechanical, electrical, civil, and pipeline engineering for oil and gas, power, mining, and chemical sectors. I worked with the Pipeline Services team, supporting and reviewing projects with clients such as Suncor Energy, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, and Tallgrass Energy.

My role focused on reviewing drawings, getting trained on project design tasks, and building custom engineering tools that enhanced workflows. It was a great opportunity to see how engineering decisions are made in real time on complex, safety-critical projects.

What kinds of projects have you had a chance to work on during your internship?

Throughout my internship, I contributed significantly to several pipeline engineering and trenchless technology projects. One of my main contributions was developing a Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) Geometry Profile Calculator in Microsoft Excel. Unlike commonly available tools such as Technical Toolbox, our calculator could handle compound bends, providing a more realistic and flexible approach to complex HDD designs.

I also assisted in preparing technical deliverables such as HDD feasibility reports, site-specific bore profiles, bend radius checks, wall thickness calculations, and HDD pullback load analysis. These experiences helped me sharpen both my technical design skills and my ability to present findings clearly to project stakeholders.

Was there a particular challenge you encountered that really pushed you to learn something new?

Before starting my internship, I didn’t have any background or knowledge in pipeline engineering. I had no idea about the amount of technical detail and planning that goes into designing and executing projects like HDD or open-cut installations. It was a completely new world for me, from understanding bore profiles and clash detection to calculating geometric designs and material specifications.

At first, it was overwhelming because there were so many factors to consider that I had never encountered in the classroom. But by asking lots of questions, shadowing experienced engineers, and working on these real projects, I was able to bridge that gap. It pushed me to learn quickly, adapt, and build confidence in an entirely new field of engineering.

How did what you learned look different than the way you learn engineering in class?

In class, engineering problems are usually well-defined. You know the starting point, the assumptions you’re allowed to make, and what a good solution should look like. But during my internship, the real world didn’t come with neatly packaged problems. Every project was filled with uncertainties, incomplete information, and competing priorities.

I learned that engineering in practice is much more about decision-making under uncertainty and balancing technical feasibility with client requirements, budgets, and timelines. It’s less about finding the “perfect” answer and more about finding a good, practical solution that works within constraints. This experience really changed how I think about problem-solving and showed me how important communication, teamwork, and creative thinking are in addition to technical knowledge.

What advice do you have for other students interested in pursuing a similar opportunity?

My biggest advice is to stay curious, proactive, and committed to learning. Even if you’re not directly assigned a particular task, don’t hesitate to ask how you can support ongoing projects or suggest improvements when you see opportunities. Most importantly, chase excellence, not success. If you focus on developing your skills, understanding your field deeply, and consistently delivering high-quality work, success will follow naturally.

I'm proud to share that by maintaining this mindset during my internship, I’m currently in talks for a full-time position at Samuel Engineering even before my internship has officially ended. It was a rewarding reminder that when you strive for excellence and take ownership of your contributions, opportunities will come to you without needing to chase them. Keep pushing yourself to improve a little every day and doors will open when you least expect it.

Jafar Makrani is an graduate student in mechanical engineering. He interned at Samuel Engineering during spring 2025.

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Five mechanical engineering students, affiliates earn NSF recognition

Alexander James Servantez — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 17:42:18 +0000

Five mechanical engineering students, affiliates earn NSF recognition Alexander Jame… Mon, 04/21/2025 - 11:42

Alexander Servantez

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has recognized five students and affiliates in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering with Graduate Research Fellowships. These top awards honor and support outstanding graduate students from across the country in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees.

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CU Engineering announces inaugural Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellows

Alexander James Servantez — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 16:24:06 +0000

CU Engineering announces inaugural Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellows Alexander Jame… Fri, 02/14/2025 - 09:24

CU Engineering has named the inaugural recipients of its Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellows program, which supports faculty, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students in bringing research to market. The fellows, selected for their work in fields like robotics, biomedical devices and advanced materials, receive funding, mentorship and entrepreneurial support to accelerate commercialization.

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