ITLL Hosts Largest-Ever Engineering Design Expo
Ninety-six student teams involving 433 engineering students displayed their inventions and design projects at the largest-ever CU Engineering Design Expo April 26.

Rube Goldberg devices, a prosthetic hand, solar-powered products, hovercrafts, and a bicycle-powered water pump were among the student projects demonstrated at the ITL Laboratory. Nine teams from Centaurus High School and two teams from Colorado Mountain College also exhibited engineering projects.

Design-Build-Fly Team Takes Fifth Place
CU aerospace engineering students posted their best-ever performance in the AIAA’s annual Design-Build-Fly competition, held April 18-20 in Wichita, Kansas. The “DBF” team finished fifth among 68 entries in the 12^th annual event co-sponsored by Cessna Aircraft and Raytheon.

The competition challenges students to design, build, and fly a radio-controlled aircraft; points are awarded based on a written design report and the aircraft’s performance on a mission designed to test accuracy and efficiency in flight.

Spencer Riggs, who served as student project manager, said this year’s CU aircraft was built using balsa wood, styrofoam and fiberglass, and is 4 feet in length with a 5-foot wingspan. The aircraft has a relatively large interior volume of about 1 cubic foot and can carry a payload of up to 7.2 pounds.  Riggs said the team’s strengths were in optimizing the aircraft for minimal power usage and beginning testing earlier than had been done in the past.

Engineering Student Invention Wins Business Plan Competition
A "Dynamic Stability Tray" designed to eliminate spills for people with disabilities who use rolling walkers won first-place and $2,000 in the 2008 Undergraduate Business Plan Competition hosted by the Leeds School of Business.

Student Jay Price came up with the idea after watching his father struggle for years with a standard walker tray. He teamed up with Darwin Millard, Jonathan Bean and Blake Olson to design and develop the accessory as part of the senior design course sequence in mechanical engineering, and the team was so successful it is already involved in licensing discussions with a major medical equipment manufacturer.

Honors & Awards
Congratulations to the following individuals on their outstanding achievements:

Faculty
Dennis Akos of aerospace engineering sciences was named one of  “50 leaders to watch” in the May 2008 issue of GPS World.

Louis Stodieck of aerospace engineering sciences signed an MOU with NASA May 9 ensuring BioServe Space Technologies’ access to the U.S. segment of the International Space Station for research not directly applicable to NASA’s mission. The partnership is part of an initiative to use the unique environment of the space station as a national laboratory.

Keith Porter of civil, environmental and architectural engineering led the overall assessment of physical damages for the USGS Shakeout Scenario for Southern California published in May.

David Dilaura of civil, environmental and architectural engineering and Dale Hatfield of interdisciplinary telecommunications were awarded honorary doctor of science degrees by the University of Colorado at spring commencement May 9.

Mark Hernandez of  civil, environmental and architectural engineering received a commendation at the President’s Diversity Awards reception on May 5.

The following faculty received Boulder Faculty Assembly Awards for Excellence:
Larry Carlson, mechanical engineering – teaching
Alan Greenberg, mechanical engineering – service
Victor Bright, mechanical engineering- research
Dan Schwartz, chemical and biological engineering – research

Dean’s Faculty Fellowships were awarded to the following faculty for next year:
Eric Frew and Lakshmi Kantha, aerospace engineering sciences
Stephanie Bryant and Christine Hrenya, chemical and biological engineering
Richard Regueiro, civil, environmental and architectural engineering
Gary Nutt, computer science

Michael Mozer of computer science marks 20 years of service to the university this month.

Students
The following undergraduate students received awards at the Engineering Recognition Ceremony on May 8:
Benjamin Safdi, applied mathematics and engineering physics, Outstanding Graduate for Research and Outstanding Graduate for Academic Achievement
Matthew Edwards, aerospace engineering, Outstanding Graduate for Service
Ryan Erickson, chemical engineering, Colorado Engineering Council Silver Medal Award

Laurel Griggs Larsen, who received her PhD in civil engineering under the advisement of Professor John Crimaldi, received the Outstanding Dissertation Award, a new college award presented at the May 8 ceremony. Her dissertation, “Hydroecological Feedback Processes Governing Self-organization of the Everglades Ridge and Slough Landscape,” was praised by the U.S. Geological Survey for “offering crucial new insights and management options to the adaptive management program in the Everglades.”

Rob Mickle of computer science was selected from more than 1,700 entrants worldwide as one of 50 winners of Google's $5 million Android Developer Challenge. Mickle will receive a $25,000 award and an opportunity to compete for further funding for his project, Fingerpaint, which allows users of the Android mobile phone platform to do collaborative sketching, adding to a sketch or diagram that both can see.

Colin Becker, a PhD student working with Conrad Stoldt in mechanical engineering, has been awarded a 2008 SMART scholarship funded by the Department of Defense. The 2 1/2–year award provides an annual stipend of $38,000 along with summer internship positions and post-graduation employment opportunities at sponsoring DoD laboratories.

Amanda Hughes, Sophia Liu, and Sarah Vieweg, PhD students working with Leysia Palen in computer science, tied for the Best Student Paper award for their three submissions to the Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management conference in Washington, D.C.  

Frank Burkholder, a PhD student working at NREL under the supervision of Michael Brandemuehl in civil, environmental and architectural engineering, received the John and Barbara Yellott Award at the American Solar Energy Society's national conference in San Diego in May. This prestigious award is given each year to an exceptional graduate student doing research in solar energy.

Stephanie Golman and Jason Roadman, who are both Smead Graduate Student Fellows in aerospace engineering, have received NSF fellowships for next year.

A team of students from mechanical engineering placed 38^th overall in the annual Formula SAE race and design competition at the Michigan International Speedway in May. The team, led by student Tyler Yadon and advised by Derek Reamon, ranked 5^th in presentation and 15^th in design among a field of some 150 entries.

New Faculty & Staff
Welcome to the following new faculty and staff in the college:
Lindsey Foos, development assistant
Beth Myers, assistant to the associate dean for student cultivation

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