Alumni

CU Boulder engineering grad builds world-leading materials science company

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 15:12:30 +0000

CU Boulder engineering grad builds world-leading materials science company Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/01/2023 - 09:12

Paul Lichty’s journey from PhD student to running one of the world’s top atomic layer deposition (ALD) companies was shaped by his time at CU Boulder.

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PhD alum earns international Excellent Young Wind Doctor award

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 15:54:22 +0000

PhD alum earns international Excellent Young Wind Doctor award Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 06/20/2023 - 09:54

Nikhar Abbas (PhDMechEngr’22) is taking his research on wind turbine control systems to the international stage.

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Alumni Spotlight: ShoeSense is off and running, with help from CU Boulder entrepreneurial ecosystem

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 15:20:34 +0000

Alumni Spotlight: ShoeSense is off and running, with help from CU Boulder entrepreneurial ecosystem Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/02/2023 - 08:20

Michael Lock Swingen

When Connor Winter (MechEngr’16) decided to pursue a Certificate in Engineering Management in conjunction with his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, it put him on a path that would lead to the founding of his own startup company, ShoeSense.

The concept of ShoeSense is to pair a wearable sensor with a smartphone app that provides advice on what type of running shoes to wear, insight into the user’s running gait and exercises that will help improve their form.

The genesis of the company was Winter’s knack for utilizing the resources at his disposal while an undergraduate at CU Boulder.

Winter, who ran track and cross country as a student-athlete, pursued an independent study at the Locomotion Lab on campus, where he conducted a statistically driven analysis on how the right, or wrong, pair of shoes can drastically affect the biomechanics of a runner and their overall performance.

Taking that data, Winter developed a sensor that leverages the computational powers of an accelerometer, which measures the rate of change of velocity of an object, and a gyroscope, which measures angular velocity and an object’s deviation from its desired orientation.

Measuring the step of a runner 400 times per second, the sensor uses three axes of motion – vertical impact, braking force, and the acceleration of your foot laterally – to develop metrics that an end-user can use to improve their running style or avoid injury.

For example, the vertical impact of a single step when you run can amount to six to 10 times your body weight. That can build up over time and cause injury. However, it often takes four weeks for an injury to manifest. If the sensor measures an incremental buildup of excessive loading on a runner’s legs, the app will tell you in advance that you are at risk of injury and suggest a day off.

“The sensor can’t just give you numbers,” Winter said. “It has to give you a path to make better decisions as a runner.”

While at CU Boulder, Winter worked with Venture Partners, an office that helps to commercialize research done on campus. Through their training program in Intellectual Property (IP) Management, Winter patented his shoe sensor.

But that was just the beginning of Winter’s journey to founding ShoeSense. “It’s one thing to come up with an idea or product,” Winter said. “But it’s another matter entirely to bring that idea to market.”

The Certificate in Engineering Management aims to provide tools to understand the business framework in an engineering and technology environment. Winter found the class Entrepreneurial Product Development the most useful for him. In the class, Winter pitched his shoe sensor idea, and it was one of the few selected for the class to develop a business plan around throughout the semester.

Upon graduation, Winter took his product and his business plan and ran with it.

ShoeSense launched their website in December. A customer pairs up with a running specialist from the company, who helps them first determine what type of shoe is ideal for their stride and body type, according to the metrics. They then develop a training regimen designed to improve their overall performance as a runner. The customers range from a 60-year-old jogger to a 20-year-old professional marathoner.

As the streams of data come in, Winter is always looking for ways to refine the metrics. And as often has been the case, CU Boulder helped give him the resources to succeed.

While using the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering's summer internship-for-credit program, Winter took on an intern who has become the company’s principal data analyst. Since then, the customer base of ShoeSense has continued to grow.

“CU Boulder has been such an integral part of the experience of creating this company,” Winter said. “I couldn’t have done it without them.”

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Justin Whiteley (MMechEngr’14, PhD’16) wins Recent Alumni Award

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 16:45:05 +0000

Justin Whiteley (MMechEngr’14, PhD’16) wins Recent Alumni Award Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/27/2023 - 09:45

The Recent Alumni Award (RAA) recognizes one outstanding alum each year for professional achievements, continued service to the college or university, and admirable personal characteristics within 10 years of graduation from the college.

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Kate Bergeron (MMechEngr’95) wins Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 16:00:12 +0000

Kate Bergeron (MMechEngr’95) wins Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/27/2023 - 09:00

The Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award (DEAA) honors graduates and friends who have distinguished themselves through outstanding personal qualities, knowledge, and significant contributions to their fields.

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Herb Vogel (MechEngr’82) wins Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 15:52:44 +0000

Herb Vogel (MechEngr’82) wins Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/27/2023 - 08:52

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ME Alumni Connect Day brings together engineers in different stages of their journey

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 19:55:18 +0000

ME Alumni Connect Day brings together engineers in different stages of their journey Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 11/09/2022 - 12:55

Michael Lock Swingen

ME Alumni Connect Day enjoyed another great turnout this year, with over 40 alumni and nearly 400 students participating. The event provides an opportunity for students to connect with alumni, build their network and gain insight into what it's like to be an practicing engineer.

Participants connected over lunch, mock interviews, and across 12 class panels in Material Science, Dynamics, Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, Manufacturing, System Dynamics, Advanced Product Design, and Mechatronics.

Professional Development Advisor Katherine McConnell, who organized the event, highlighted the value of activities such as class panels. "If a student is enjoying certain course material, they can speak with an alum and learn how that material might translate into a future career and how it might come into play later,” said McConnell.

The event is also a chance to help engineering students understand that they don’t have to know everything right away.

“We have the alumni come in and say, ‘It’s important to learn all this information, but that doesn't mean that you have to be able to recite it from memory ten years later,’” said McConnell. “There are resources along the way and you build skills in the direction that your career goes.”

Above all, becoming an engineer is a journey.

Fourth-year undergraduate Megan Conard said she enjoyed seeing where a degree in mechanical engineering has taken the alumni she met at ME Alumni Connect Day.

“It's a great chance to network with people who once stood in my shoes and see where their life has led them, as well as connecting with my own peers in the major,” said Mi-Han Conard.

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Engineering Culture Like an EV

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 15:23:29 +0000

Engineering Culture Like an EV Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/06/2022 - 09:23

Hayley Cashdollar (BSME ’12), head of manufacturing at Lightship, the first all-electric recreational vehicle manufacturer, is committed to including people with an array of perspectives on her growing team. Her experineces have made her uniquely committed to DEI and work related to company culture.

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The Fashion Industry, Unspun by CU Alum

Anonymous — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 15:36:27 +0000

The Fashion Industry, Unspun by CU Alum Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/25/2022 - 09:36

Kevin Martin (MechEngr’16) hopes to transform the waste-heavy manufacturing process of the fashion industry, starting with made-to-order pants.

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Alumni Spotlight: Alicen Kandt - National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Anonymous — Mon, 16 May 2022 15:08:51 +0000

Alumni Spotlight: Alicen Kandt - National Renewable Energy Laboratory Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/16/2022 - 09:08

Rachel Leuthauser

Alicen Kandt (MSMechEngr'04)

As a Senior Mechanical Engineer with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), alumna Alicen Kandt’s goal is to inspire people to embrace more resilient and sustainable energy options.

Kandt (MSMechEngr’04) has spent nearly two decades at NREL helping state, local, federal and international stakeholders assess energy opportunities. She helps these partners identify ways to make their buildings more energy and water efficient, their communities more resilient and their operations less carbon intensive.

Kandt’s path to becoming a mechanical engineer was unique and interdisciplinary. Rather than starting her education with engineering right away, she first earned a bachelor’s degree in math with a minor in English from the University of Puget Sound.

“After a short stint as a technical writer for a trade magazine, I decided I wanted to work in something more applied and impactful,” Kandt said.

This choice led her to attend the University of Colorado Boulder for graduate school. She earned her master’s degree from the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2004 and continues to be involved in the engineering community as an alumnus.

Read more about Kandt’s experiences as a mechanical engineer and how her work has a valuable impact on our world.

Tell us about your background. What inspired you to become a mechanical engineer?

I attended a non-profit career fair at CU Boulder, and NREL was there. I got an internship that began right when I started graduate school in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. It was perfectly timed because I could directly apply what I was learning in school to my internship, and likewise, I could tailor my coursework to topics I was intrigued by at NREL.

Kandt on site in Puerto Rico.

How does your work with NREL help society?

The work I do helps society by identifying and implementing pathways to support decarbonization and energy system transformation, ultimately supporting the fight against climate change and the building of resilient communities and organizations around the globe.

What are some of the projects you’ve been a part of that you are most proud of?

One of my favorite projects was in support of the recovery efforts at El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico, after the forest was heavily impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. I got to visit El Yunque, tour the damaged facilities, and even got to visit the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Iguaca Parrot Aviary – an aviary for the endemic and critically-endangered Puerto Rican Parrot. The aviary has a bird safe room where the birds are housed during hurricanes. I helped identify the critical energy loads of the aviary and analyze the optimal solar and battery energy storage system to help the aviary maintain critical services in the event of an electrical grid outage. The system was just recently installed and commissioned!

What was your favorite part of being Buff?

I live in Boulder and enjoy being engaged in alumni programs, mentoring, and speaking to students about careers in clean energy and the impact of helping to transform our energy system. I also love attending CU Boulder sporting events with my family!

What advice do you have for current mechanical engineering students?

Get an internship, at least one, preferably one during each summer of school to start homing in on a focus area and building a broad network. And be open to a non-linear career pathway; sometimes it takes trying one thing to discover something else may be a better fit.

As a Senior Mechanical Engineer with NREL, alumna Alicen Kandt’s goal is to inspire people to embrace more resilient and sustainable energy options. She earned her master’s degree from the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2004.

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