Summer

A look back on CU Boulder Professor Jana Milford’s career as she prepares to retire

Anonymous — Tue, 24 May 2022 14:23:56 +0000

A look back on CU Boulder Professor Jana Milford’s career as she prepares to retire Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/24/2022 - 08:23

Rachel Leuthauser

After nearly three decades serving the College of Engineering and Applied Science, Professor Jana Milford is set to retire August 2022.

Milford has held many titles during her distinguished career – from Department of Mechanical Engineering Chair and the first director of the Environmental Engineering Program, to founding faculty advisor for the Engineering GoldShirt Program. Each position has had a profound impact on faculty, staff and students.

“I hope that I’ve been a constructive part of the community,” said Milford. “I value the range of people, backgrounds and skills that are appreciated. Maybe I can take some credit for that as I’m not a traditional mechanical engineer myself, from having expertise in air quality to the fact that I went out and got a law degree.”

These contributions are some of the accomplishments that Milford is most proud of, though the impact of her work reaches beyond the college. As a leading air quality researcher and public policy advocate, Milford’s achievements have helped strengthen our knowledge of air pollution and shape legislation that benefits us all.

“Professor Milford’s research and service have had huge positive impacts on how we view energy impacts on the environment and climate,” said Department of Mechanical Engineering Chair Michael Hannigan. “As someone that had the fortune to collaborate on several research projects with Jana, I owe a lot to her dedication to high quality research and effective communication of that research.”

Inspiration to become a mechanical engineer

Milford’s inspiration to study engineering goes back to a high school philosophy class where students discussed the challenge that society faces in managing rapid technology advances.

The class piqued her interest in pursuing science journalism, but once she started coursework at Iowa State University, Milford discovered that engineering was a better fit. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in engineering and left Iowa to attend Carnegie Mellon University for graduate school.

After earning her PhD in engineering and public policy in 1988, Milford began working for the U.S. Office of Technology Assessment – the government body that Congress would go to for nonpartisan studies on science and technology.

“I was there when they were working on the Clean Air Act amendments that eventually passed in 1990,” said Milford. “We also did a study on climate change, which was one of the earliest ones for the federal government. It was a great experience in Washington, DC.”

Milford knew she wanted to move into academia and accepted a position to teach at the University of Connecticut. She was there for four years until the University of Colorado Boulder Department of Mechanical Engineering was looking for an air quality expert to join their team in 1994.

“Colorado was kind of a Mecca for people who conducted air quality and atmospheric science research,” said Milford. “I was very excited to apply and even more excited when I got the position.”

Creating opportunities for others

Four years after joining the mechanical engineering department, Milford became the first director of the Environmental Engineering Program. She said she’s proud to have launched that program and to have inspired faculty and students from multiple departments to get involved.

“Jana was instrumental to building the air quality program in our department as well as the broader environmental engineering program in the college,” said Mechanical and Environmental Engineering Professor Daven Henze. “Simply put, I don’t think I’d have a job here if it wasn’t for her!”

One of the successes that Milford is happiest to see is how many women-identifying students are studying environmental engineering. More than 50% of the students in the program are female.

“Those students are just so passionate about the field and what they want to accomplish in terms of helping the world,” said Milford. “It’s very inspiring to work with them.”

Engineering GoldShirt Program team

Milford continued those efforts when she became the founding faculty advisor for the college’s Engineering Goldshirt Program, which provides an engineering pathway for students who are historically underrepresented in engineering.

“I think that culture has a really profound impact on diversity in the undergraduate student population at CU Boulder,” said Milford. “It means a lot to me to have been involved in that program.”

Milford also worked to grow diversity within the Department of Mechanical Engineering as the chair, from July 2013 to June 2014, and longtime member of the personnel committee. She said she’s glad to see more female faculty in the department, because when she first joined, there were only two women faculty members. She was one of them.

Today, there are more than 20 female-identifying faculty in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Each one that works closely with Milford sung her praises, adding that she has always given them unwavering support.

“Jana has not only been a leader in air quality research and policy for decades, helping improve our ability to identify successful mitigation of air pollution, but is also an incredible mentor and role model,” said CIRES Associate Director for Science Christine Wiedinmyer, who is also a research professor in mechanical engineering. “I would not be where I am today without her positive influence and am fortunate to have her as a colleague and friend.”

Air quality research and public policy

Always keeping the intersection of technology and society in mind, Milford went back to school and earned a law degree from CU Boulder in 2004. She has also served on various state and federal commissions that inform policymakers about air quality.

Milford worked as a Senior Scientist and Staff Attorney at the Environmental Defense Fund, was previously a member of the Board of Environmental Studies and Toxicology of the National Academy of Sciences and the Science Advisory Board of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and recently finished three terms on the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission.

Milford continues to dedicate herself to public policy by participating in the Health Effects Institute, a nonprofit that funds research on the health effects of air pollution. Milford is on the review committee for that organization.

“Health Effects Institute gives me an opportunity to stay steeped in the latest research about air pollution and health, which is always fascinating,” said Milford. “It continues to evolve. The range of health impacts that air pollution has is pretty incredible.”

Milford credits her colleagues and graduate students when it comes to her air quality research. However, they all give the credit back to her, expressing that they greatly benefit from her guidance.

“Jana has actively supported not only me in my profession, helping me to succeed with her mentoring and by example, but she has also supported so many other undergrad and graduate students to reach for their dreams and successfully become the environmental engineers, mechanical engineers and air quality researchers of the future,” said Mechanical and Environmental Professor Shelly Miller.

Milford added that she has enjoyed how air quality research and energy transitions have intertwined over the last decade, which has led to great project opportunities for those students.

Some examples are a study on the air quality impacts of oil and gas development in Colorado, as well as the implications of electric vehicles on air pollution with the ASPIRE Engineering Research Center.

Continuing to make a difference

Of all the things that Milford will miss, she said that teaching will be at the top of the list. Her colleagues will miss her teaching as well.

“I have greatly enjoyed learning how she mentors students; she provides a lot of framing and guidance but still lets them develop as independent researchers and communicators,” said Hannigan. “As an academic leader, she has had lasting impacts on both environmental and mechanical engineering.”

Milford is considering sitting on the other side of the classroom during retirement, as a student taking courses at CU Boulder, to continue learning new things. She said she also plans to go on more hikes, do more gardening, and spend more time with her husband.

However, even in retirement, Milford does not intend on stopping her impactful work for the community. She plans to volunteer and do pro bono work for environmental groups.

After nearly three decades serving the College of Engineering and Applied Science, Professor Jana Milford is set to retire August 2022. Milford has held many titles during her distinguished career – from Department of Mechanical Engineering Chair and the first director of the Environmental Engineering Program, to founding faculty advisor for the Engineering GoldShirt Program.

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Celebrating the career of retired CU Boulder Professor Emeritus Y.C. Lee

Anonymous — Mon, 23 May 2022 14:02:12 +0000

Celebrating the career of retired CU Boulder Professor Emeritus Y.C. Lee Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/23/2022 - 08:02

Rachel Leuthauser

Nine months after retiring, Professor Emeritus Yung-Cheng “Y.C.” Lee continues to spearhead technology breakthroughs.

As the founder, president and CEO of Kelvin Thermal Technologies, Lee has pioneered the thinnest and most flexible cooling solution for smartphones, tablets, laptops, augmented reality, data center, electrical vehicles and micro satellites.

The success of the company can be attributed to the research Lee conducted while at the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Kelvin Thermal Technologies is a spinoff of Lee’s research in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, where he had been a professor for more than three decades.

“From a technology viewpoint, Professor Lee has made, and continues to make, tremendous strides in technology development for removing heat from embedded systems,” said Department of Mechanical Engineering Chair Michael Hannigan. “In other words, he helped make your cell phone work better.”

When Lee retired from the department in August 2021, colleagues voted for his professor emeritus designation, recognizing all his work and accomplishments as an expert in electronics packaging, director and founder of several research centers, and master collaborator with a commitment to supporting his colleagues.

Today, Lee looks back on his time in the Department of Mechanical Engineering with fondness.

“My own research, I truly benefit from the richness of the University of Colorado Boulder’s research community,” said Lee. “I worked and collaborated with faculty in mechanical engineering, electrical and computing engineering, chemistry, physics and molecular biology. My best memory was my interaction with so many different faculty members in different departments because of the nature of my research.”

From industry to academia

Lee joined the mechanical engineering department in 1989 after earning his PhD from the University of Minnesota and working in industry at AT&T Bell Laboratories.

“Bell Labs was the number one industrial R&D lab in the world,” said Lee. “That’s the place where scientists invented transistors, artificial neural network, and laser and optical fiber for long-distance communications. Bell Labs was the place that drove the entire information stage.”

Lee spent five years working for Bell Labs in electronics packaging – the interconnection of semiconductors in systems such as phones and computers – until his team’s work began outpacing what Bell Labs could afford. Lee had been researching multichip modules for semiconductors, but the cost for manufacturing them was too high and the project was terminated.

At the time, AT&T Denver Works had given the Department of Mechanical Engineering a major grant to help establish a research and teaching program in electronics packaging. It was a perfect fit with Lee’s experience and he was hired as an assistant professor.

Becoming an expert in electronics packaging

Lee quickly became a leader in electronic packaging after being awarded the NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award in 1990. His research was ahead of its time, focusing on very high-speed prototyping and manufacturing of multichip modules.

“Nowadays in the semiconductor industry, multichip modules are the solution,” said Lee. “Engineers can’t make a chip with a smaller and smaller transistor anymore in the near future; they need to interconnect several chips together. It’s a very hot topic now, but I was doing that in 1990.”

Lee also joined CU Boulder’s NSF Engineering Research Center for Optoelectronic Computing Systems. While the center was focused on electrical and computer engineering, Lee said the team was looking froward to having an electronics packaging expert.

“I was very excited, it was the first major center that I was a part of,” said Lee. “CU Boulder was recognized as a leader in optoelectronics, so suddenly I became a world expert in optoelectronics packaging. It was amazing!”

Lee eventually applied those expertise to projects with scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, further expanding his collaborations.

“I was happy to invite him in to our new thermoelectrics program a few years ago when we needed an expert in assembly and packaging,” said Dr. Kris Bertness, an Applied Physics Division group leader at NIST’s Physical Measurement Laboratory. “He has a knack for impressing program managers, understands a lot about tech-to-market and brings creative ideas to the effort. What I appreciate most is his positive attitude and direct communication style. He is a great person to have on your team.”

A leader in micro/nanoelectromechanical systems

In 1992, Lee played a critical role to support senior faculty as they founded a new research center – the NSF Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Packaging of Microwave, Optical and Digital Electronics (CAMPmode).

He served as the Associate Director of the center from 1993 to 2002. CAMPmode’s founding director was Lee’s longtime mentor, former Department of Mechanical Engineering Professor Roop Mahajan, who also served as the College of Engineering and Applied Science’s Interim Dean from 2001 to 2002.

“Y.C. Lee is among the best engineers I have met in life,” said Mahajan, who is now the Director and Chair in Engineering at Virginia Tech. “More importantly, he’s a wonderful human being and a great friend. He does not have a bad bone in his body.”

ASME Accolades

Throughout his career, Lee has been active in various professional societies including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Division of Electronics Packaging and Photonics. He was the chair of that division from 2004 to 2005.

ASME recognized Lee’s commitment by honoring him with the ASME InterPACK Achievement Award in 2013. Lee also served as the editor of the ASME Journal of Electronic Packaging with a support team of about 20 associate and guest editors from 2014 to 2020.

Lee then moved to what he described as the highlight of his career – founding and leading a multi-campus research center funded by DARPA and many industrial sponsors.

The DARPA Center on Nanoscale Science and Technology for Integrated Micro-Nano-Electromechanical Transducers (iMINT) was a partnership between CU Boulder, Columbia University, Northwestern University, UCLA, and UT-Austin.

Lee was the principal investigator and director of iMINT from 2006 through 2012. He said that center put CU Boulder on the map in micro and nanotechnology.

“The DARPA iMINT Center was also a great testbed that formed new collaborations between research groups and developed important infrastructure for research in materials science on the CU Boulder campus,” said Materials Science and Engineering Professor Steven George, a frequent collaborator. “The current Colorado Shared Instrumentation in Nanofabrication and Characterization had its origins in the initial equipment that Y.C. was able to install for the iMINT Center.”

Lee said he was also fortunate to receive funding for two DARPA projects while leading iMINT. One was to study micro cryogenic coolers and the second was in thermal ground plane research, which is the basis of his company Kelvin Thermal Technologies.

Department of Mechanical Engineering colleague Professor Victor Bright said that Lee’s favorite saying was ‘nothing is easy!’ Lee’s accolades prove that his perseverance won that matchup.

Supporting the ME community

Lee’s legacy in the Department of Mechanical Engineering spans farther than the groundbreaking research he conducted.

“From my view as department chair, Professor Lee had a huge influence in the current shape of the department,” said Hannigan. “He brought a positive and selfless attitude that has allowed us build a diverse and successful unit.”

He served as a department faculty search chair from 2015 until his retirement, helping the department grow into what it is today.

“I’m glad I made that contribution,” said Lee. “We hired quite a few young faculty members with great ideas. I’m proud to have been able to recruit some of them. You’re going to see their impact in research and teaching in the future.”

Lee also laid the groundwork for a teaching faculty member career ladder. In 2016, an ad hoc committee led by Lee developed a proposal that would allow teaching faculty to get the promotions they deserve.

While the proposal was approved by the mechanical engineering department, it ultimately did not pass campus approval. However, the university implemented a similar system a few years later.

“Our teaching faculty members, they deserve it,” said Lee. “I appreciate their contribution. They deserve their career ladder and to be well recognized.”

Various instructional faculty in the Department of Mechanical Engineering have shared their gratitude and reverence for Lee’s work. It has benefited each of them greatly and will continue to guide the department in the future.

“Y.C. is thoughtful and strategic, not only about his own work but also about the department’s direction and his colleagues,” said Associate Teaching Professor Julie Steinbrenner. “He worked hard to create career paths for instructional faculty, even though he had no personal benefit or requirement to do so. He advocated for the department to pursue big initiatives and cutting-edge research areas. Every time Y.C. voiced an idea in a meeting, I listened because I could count on it being insightful and impactful.”

Lee said that while he does miss teaching and interacting with students, he’s now able to support them in a different way – by hiring them. Kelvin Thermal Technologies has five mechanical engineers that all graduated with degrees from CU Boulder’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.

“I do appreciate the strong department because as a local company, I benefit from it,” said Lee. “I get to hire these students and they deliver; they are truly outstanding. We are a world leader in this cooling solution because of our students. They always surprise me. I ask them to do something and they come back with something well beyond my imagination. We should be proud of our students.”

Nine months after retiring, Professor Emeritus Yung-Cheng “Y.C.” Lee continues to spearhead technology breakthroughs. As the founder, president and CEO of Kelvin Thermal Technologies, Lee has pioneered the thinnest and most flexible cooling solution for smartphones, tablets, laptops, augmented reality, data center, electrical vehicles and micro satellites.

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“Invaluable” ME Lab Engineer Shirley Chessman retires from CU Boulder

Anonymous — Thu, 19 May 2022 20:56:53 +0000

“Invaluable” ME Lab Engineer Shirley Chessman retires from CU Boulder Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/19/2022 - 14:56

Rachel Leuthauser

Anyone who has spent time in the Idea Forge has come to know Shirley Chessman. After working as the Idea Forge Mechanical Lab Engineer for the past seven years, Chessman is retiring this summer.

As the ME Lab Engineer, Chessman has not only supported the Department of Mechanical Engineering but has also become a respected and trusted resource for all students, faculty and staff in the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

“I love this program and have been a part of it for many years,” said Chessman. “I just feel so blessed to have the reception that I've gotten from faculty and staff members. And then of course I will miss working with the students. It can be so gratifying when you see them out of school, working great jobs and doing great things.”

Chessman’s time with the college began even before she became a full-time employee. Since 2011, she has served as an adjunct professor, advising mechanical engineering students on their Senior Design projects. Shirley sponsored some of those projects and served on the department’s Industry Advisory Council.

“I have greatly valued Shirley’s kindness and wisdom,” said Professor Michael Hannigan, the Mechanical Engineering Department Chair. “She is a key piece of the bedrock that supports our unit. When storms come, Shirley is there providing settling and thoughtful guidance. When the calm arrives, Shirley is there thinking, planning and implementing so we can be better at preparing the next generation of engineering leaders. From the personal side, I feel very fortunate to have gotten to partner with Shirley and know that she has made me a better leader and educator.”

Having served seven years as a lab engineer and a decade as an adjunct professor, Chessman will surely be missed.

Time in Industry

Chessman received her bachelor’s degree in engineering from UCLA. At the time, the university did not offer specific engineering degrees such as mechanical or electrical, but Chessman focused her studies on the mechanical aspects.

She moved to Colorado after accepting a job at StorageTek, a data storage company headquartered in Louisville, right out of college.

“There were a bunch of engineers moving to the area at the time because StorageTek was hiring maybe 50 engineers a week,” said Chessman. “It was amazing. There was all of us young people migrating to the Boulder area.”

StorageTek manufactured computer tape drives and hard drives. Chessman said she concentrated on hard drives and remained in that business her entire industry career.

“The Boulder area was a hotbed for this type of technology,” Chessman explained. “It all started with the IBM facility between Boulder and Longmont. Then came all these startups that many of us hopped around to and worked for.”

Chessman eventually landed at Seagate Technology as a managing principal engineer, where she managed teams, operations and equipment. She was with Seagate for nearly 15 years, sponsoring some Senior Design teams on the side, until joining the Department of Mechanical Engineering full time as the ME Lab Engineer in 2015.

“Shirley’s 30+ years of industry experience proved invaluable in her position as ME Lab Engineer,” said Idea Forge Director Daria Kotys-Schwartz. “She brought practical mechanical design knowledge and testing framed within a professional orientation. Her dedication to preparing students for the practice of mechanical engineering has had a profound impact on thousands of ME students.”

Chessman sits with Senior Design Professors Daria Kotys-Schwartz and Julie Steinbrenner, along with the QL+ student team that she mentored in 2019.

Joining the Idea Forge

Becoming the ME Lab Engineer in the Idea Forge was clearly a perfect fit for Chessman. She had experience with managing labs, supporting engineers and guiding students towards success.

“The checkout office was actually started by a couple of folks that were all graduate students at the time, so I jumped in and kind of became mother hen,” said Chessman with a smile.

She has been running that office ever since. Besides maintaining tools, hardware and testing equipment, Chessman has also assisted mechanical, aerospace, and chembio student design projects, taught workshops, and coordinating the use of lab spaces.

“Shirley’s has had direct positive impact on hundreds of mechanical engineering students and their projects, said Idea Forge Assistant Director Rebecca Komarek. “She is dedicated to each student’s success in the classroom and beyond. Shirley’s contributions have been integral in defining how Design Center Colorado and the Idea Forge support students today.”

Chessman was also one of the few people that returned to campus in summer 2020 during the pandemic. Her support and organization were needed during that time.

She spent that summer helping instructors prepare for remote learning and assisted faculty who still needed to conduct research by providing them the proper equipment.

“I do like to think that I bring an outside industry lens that blends into the department and curriculum,” said Chessman. “I also like working and connecting with external relations, alumni and industry partners.”

Praise for Shirley

Chessman now plans to use her retirement to take some time for herself. She hopes to do some traveling, play more golf and spend more time gardening. She added that she has some home projects to complete, such as digitizing old photographs and videos.

Various colleagues in the Idea Forge and Department of Mechanical Engineering have shared that they will miss her supportive work ethic and personality. Just some of that praise is below.

“It has been a privilege to work with Shirley at Idea Forge. Everyone here, staff and students alike, have benefitted from Shirley’s tireless dedication to students, her meticulous organization, and her wonderful sense of humor. She will be missed!”
-Victora Lanaghan, Idea Forge Event Coordinator

“In every interaction with Shirley, you can see her prowess as a manager and an engineer. Her work is framed by care and concern for others’ success – she is diligent in making sure that every student and every colleague has everything that they need to be successful in what they are doing.”
-Julie Steinbrenner, Associate Teaching Professor

“Shirley’s impact as the Mechanical Lab Engineer has been enormous over the years! She’s interfaced with faculty, students, and staff and she’s shaped our program. Her dedication to the students and their professional development has left truly left a legacy within CU Boulder.”
-Lauren McComb, Finance and Project Manager

Anyone who has spent time in the Idea Forge has come to know Shirley Chessman. After working as the Idea Forge Mechanical Lab Engineer for the past seven years, Chessman is retiring this summer.

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Interning with Artimus Robotics

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Interning with Artimus Robotics Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/16/2022 - 00:00

Andrew Brown , Evan Mossel

Andrew Brown and Evan Mossel are undergraduate students in Mechanical Engineering. They interned with Artimus Robotics during summer 2021.

Andrew Brown and Evan Mossel

Evan, can you tell us a little bit about the company where you both interned?

Evan Mossel: Artimus Robotics was founded out of Christoph Keplinger’s lab in 2018. It’s built around HASEL actuator technology, which uses electrostatic forces to create artificial muscles with high energy density and soft touch capabilities. The muscles are part of a new industry that’s using material science to bring smarter, more life-like robotics to market. As a result of external interest in the new product, they were encouraged to take their company as far as it could go.

Artimus currently sells two standardized products: an expansion development kit and a contraction development kit. They also work directly with clients on products that require unique research and development.

Andrew, what was your role as an intern with Artimus Robotics?

Andrew Brown: My role as a Mechanical/Electrical Engineering Intern at Artimus Robotics was shaped around my interests and the needs of the company. Through one of Artimus’s main grant proposals, NASA showed interest in the self-sensing capabilities of the HASEL actuators. My internship focused on supporting that work by creating programs in Matlab that can demonstrate the sensors’ self-sensing capabilities and the applications of that capability. For example, the sensors could detect failure and excess friction when the actuator has contacted another object or detect if the actuator will fail in the near future.

The project took on a few different forms as I tested different methods. I started with LabView, which had problems with efficiency. I then moved to Python, but ran into a roadblock due to package bugs. Then I moved to Matlab, which had shown the most promise through the use of the Matlab App Designer, and which I used to create a deployable app. There have been many smaller projects within this larger project, such as gathering data for the creation of actuator calibration curves where I get to deploy my programs.

Evan, your role was to focus on the company’s website redesign. What did this entail?

Evan Mossel: The redesign required producing detailed and functional SolidWorks models as well as dimensioned and marketing drawings. The thought process behind this redesign was to be completely transparent about all standard products that Artimus offers. The customer can see photos and detailed dimensions of the products and can download the models I created to input them into their own SolidWorks assemblies for a mockup of their product.

I quickly realized that modelling soft-body electronics was difficult in a program that relied on block or surface based models. The project pushed me to develop familiarity with SolidWorks equations and multi-body modelling, which allowed me to complete the project while also expanding my modelling skills. The end result was a website that looks both professional and complete, allowing customers to interface with my models and dimensioned drawings and to download them for their own use.

Andrew, how did this internship experience add to your engineering education?

Andrew Brown: This internship taught me a lot that I could never have learned through class experience. I learned a ton each day through my mistakes and got to do my best work on my projects, which contrasts with school where mistakes result in lost points and I might only have time to do the bare minimum. I also got to collaborate directly with people who know more than me every day. This is not an experience you can get in the classroom and it is priceless.

I was able to learn what I had planned to do over the summer - circuitry and programming for systems. I was able to get into the weeds of signal processing using programming tools, which is what I set out to learn from the beginning.

Evan, what was the most rewarding part of the internship?

Evan Mossel: The internship was an incredibly fulfilling and unique experience. The start up aspect revealed an entire new set of opportunities that I would never have learned about in a larger company. I was able to see my work directly benefit the company, aid in researching and mockup creation for both government and industry partners, and much more. When I initially received the email for this program, I was unsure of what it was and almost did not apply. However, I am very happy I put myself out there as the internship built up my skill set, gave me real world engineering experience and allowed me to make connections that will last a lifetime. I learned to never be hesitant to pursue an opportunity, even if it does not appear to be a perfect match.

If you asked me where I saw myself as an intern, a robotics company would probably not have been mentioned. After this experience, that has certainly changed. The experience has taught me that there is always much more nuance and complexity to a company’s work than simply the name, therefore I should always look deeper and see where my value may lie.

Andrew Brown and Evan Mossel are undergraduates in Mechanical Engineering. They interned at Artimus Robotics during summer 2021.

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Interning with ShoeSense

Anonymous — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 17:41:32 +0000

Interning with ShoeSense Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/14/2022 - 10:41

John Cunningham

John Cunningham is an undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering. He interned with ShoeSense during summer 2021.

John Cunningham

Can you tell us a little bit about the company where you interned?

ShoeSense is a startup company that began when its CEO, Connor Winter, was a mechanical engineering undergraduate at CU Boulder. The company’s idea is to create an application that is paired with a wearable sensor. The app can provide advice on what type of running shoes to wear, insight into the user's running form and exercises that will help improve their form.

What was your role as an intern with ShoeSense?

The majority of my time was spent collecting and analyzing data. I wrote and executed a lot of test plans with the sensor on our treadmill. Analyzing the data on Matlab was a huge part of my job, as I was trying to calculate key running metrics using just the sensor data. We had access to an industry standard testing system, so I could verify if my calculations were accurate by comparing them to those test results.

What was the most unique aspect of the internship?

I had a lot of freedom in my role, which is something quite unique. I was not simply told tasks to complete. Rather, I was allowed to create my own test plans and execute them. The amount of trust and responsibility given to me was unique and one of my favorite parts of the experience.

What advice do you have for future interns?

Do not be afraid of feeling like you do not know enough. I had this same feeling on the first day of my internship, but I was impressed with how much I was actually capable of. If you are not capable of doing something, ask for help or advice. That is always okay and expected, especially in an internship role. It is all about learning!

John Cunningham is an undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering. He interned with ShoeSense during summer 2021.

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Interning with unspun

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 16:46:09 +0000

Interning with unspun Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/07/2022 - 09:46

Ella McQuaid

Ella McQuaid is an undergraduate student in Mechanical Engineering. She interned with unspun during summer 2021.

Ella McQuaid

Can you tell us a little bit about the company where you interned?

Unspun is a robotics and digital apparel company that makes on-demand, custom jeans by scanning the customer’s body and generating a virtual avatar as a reference for the garment pattern. The company focuses on reducing waste, with the goal of decreasing global carbon emissions by one percent.

What was your role as an intern with unspun?

My primary project at unspun was to modify the machine’s pre-existing fabric collection system into one that better fit unspun’s needs. I started the project by meeting with one of my mentors at unspun to go over the current system and talk about the issues the testing team wanted to address. After brainstorming possible solutions and making rough SolidWorks models, I presented several ideas to the rest of the team. Their feedback and ideas helped me choose a design to move forward with. I built a prototype that did not work initially, but when I asked for advice from the mechanical team, they gave me some great ideas that helped me get to a working model.

How will this internship impact your future in mechanical engineering?

One of the main things I originally hoped to gain through this internship was hands-on experience that I felt I missed out on during the year of remote classes. At unspun, I got to reconnect with all the aspects of engineering that I really enjoyed in previous semesters. Getting to work on a machine, design, prototype, and contribute to a mission that really resonates with me was incredibly encouraging. I saw what it means to be an engineer in a professional capacity which helped me gain confidence in my future.

What are the biggest takeaways from this internship?

The most rewarding and interesting part of this internship was getting to meet everyone at unspun and observe how a startup tech company works from the inside. I tried to absorb all the advice I was given – how professional engineers work, communicate and approach problems, and how the different teams in a small company all work together. Another rewarding experience was seeing something I built working in the way I imagined and producing results that I felt proud of. It was exciting to leave something behind that could continue being used once I left the company.

To other students considering this program, especially those who have not done other internships, I would like to say that you do not know what It is going to be like to work as an engineer just from school. This is an extremely valuable experience for determining your future path.

Ella McQuaid is an undergraduate student in Mechanical Engineering. She interned with unspun during summer 2021.

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An inside look: Interning with CleanRobotics

Anonymous — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 17:14:53 +0000

An inside look: Interning with CleanRobotics Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 01/31/2022 - 10:14

David Betz , Abby Browne

David Betz and Abby Browne

David Betz and Abby Browne are undergraduates in Mechanical Engineering. They interned with CleanRobotics during summer 2021.

Abby, can you tell us a little bit about the company where you interned?

Abby Browne: CleanRobotics is a robotics company that has designed a flagship product called the TrashBot. A significant issue with the recycling process is that it is difficult for people to remember the many confusing rules surrounding recycling. This causes people to incorrectly deposit landfill material into recycling bins, potentially contaminating properly recycled material. The TrashBot detects and sorts recyclables from landfill materials using a combination of robotics, artificial intelligence and computer vision. Cloud connectivity allows units to learn from each other and become more intelligent over time and data from the sensors can be sent to a dashboard that allows the client to easily monitor bin fullness and run waste audits.

David, what was your role as an intern with CleanRobotics?

David Betz: Our primary role as Mechanical Engineering Interns was to improve the design of the newest model of the CleanRobotics TrashBot ZeroTM. That involved addressing common failure points of the existing product and redesigning the systems to make them more robust. We also worked to improve the manufacturability of the TrashBot ZeroTM by redesigning parts that are difficult to fabricate and providing full step-by-step documentation of the manufacturing process.

In addition to this main project, we helped develop the next generation TrashBotTM from the ground up. The redesign of the TrashBot ZeroTM gave us experience with formal design reviews. It also provided an opportunity to combine creativity with the mechanical engineering tools that we’d learned in school and throughout the rest of the internship.

David, what skills did you learn that will help you succeed as a mechanical engineer?

David Betz: For the current TrashBot model, all of the design projects that I worked on focused primarily on design for manufacture and included cost analysis. I was also tasked with solving specific problems involving sustainability, including designing a reusable chamber liner made from recyclable plastic.

The new TrashBot model project gave me a good introduction to product design. I was able to create a new product by using what I had learned from working on the existing TrashBot models. Additionally, redesigning the door mechanism for this project introduced me to robotic system design, primarily through the use of linear actuation mechanisms. The fabrication of TrashBot units made me more comfortable using power tools such as angle grinders, bench-top grinders, impact and hammer drills, rivet guns, and sheet metal finishing tools.

Abby, what are your biggest takeaways from the summer and what advice would you have for a student starting their first internship?

Abby Browne: I think it was very helpful that we had to build the robot from start to finish. That gave me the foundational knowledge I needed to take on the special design projects and come up with useful solutions. I also appreciated the design projects that we worked on. Though they were intimidating at first, I got used to the process as time went on and grew to enjoy the challenges they presented. I found it very helpful when my supervisor gave me topics to research that would help me with the next day’s tasks. Going into projects with background information allowed me to perform more efficiently and do better work.

Reflecting back on the summer, the most rewarding part of my internship experience was the confidence and direction I have gained as an engineer. I came into the internship with very little confidence in my abilities. However, as I worked through the internship, I learned so many things that gave me confidence for Senior Design and beyond. I want to tell next year’s students that this is a great learning experience no matter what level you come in at - as long as you are willing to learn.

David Betz and Abby Browne are undergraduates in Mechanical Engineering. They interned with CleanRobotics during summer 2021 through the department's Internship-for-Credit Program. Learn more about the program and how to get involved.

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An inside look: Interning with FieldLine Inc.

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 17:35:06 +0000

An inside look: Interning with FieldLine Inc. Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 01/24/2022 - 10:35

Julia Beattie , Bennett Verderame

Julia Beattie and Bennett Verderame are undergraduates in mechanical engineering. They interned at FieldLine Inc. during summer 2021.

Julia Beattie and Bennett Verderame

Julia, can you tell us a little bit about the company where you interned?

Julia Beattie: FieldLine Inc. is a small engineering company located in Boulder, Colorado. Its primary product is a sensor that can detect miniscule changes in a magnetic field. There are many applications to this technology, but FieldLine’s specialty is the HEDscan or MEG helmet, which is a wearable helmet containing dozens of sensors that can be used to measure magnetic brain signals. Hospitals and medical researchers can use this in studying and treating brain conditions.

Bennett, what was your role as interns with FieldLine Inc?

Bennett Verderame: Our main project was to design and prototype a chair the company could use for their brain scanning system. We researched chairs used in medical settings by going in-person to hospitals and other centers, buying chairs off online advertising sites to examine them hands-on, and conducting tests with the company’s other employees to determine the most comfortable sitting position.

When we got to the design phase, we started with a generic chair design that utilized the angles we determined were comfortable and stress tested different variations in Fusion 360. Then, we had brainstorming sessions where we sat down with our sketchbooks and pitched different aesthetic ideas to each other until we decided on one we liked. From there we prototyped our design using a single sheet of plywood and fasteners. We went through multiple iterations and were able to work our way to a proof of concept.

The final steps for the project were to figure out how to get the chair manufactured and how to attach the helmet onto the chair. We helped a little with this, but it was mainly the job of our supervisors to take over for this final stage.

HEDscan, the brain scanning system Beattie and Verderame were developing a chair for.

Julia, what was the most challenging part of your main project?

Julia Beattie: One of the most challenging parts of our project was figuring out a way for the chair to adjust to accommodate different heights. This was brought up only a few days into the internship, and design adjustments continued all the way until the final week. We cycled through multiple iterations before deciding on a satisfactory final design.

Bennett, what technical skills did you gain during the internship?

Bennett Verderame: We gained a lot of experience modeling in Fusion 360, with our supervisor helping us to create drawings that better communicate with manufacturers. Another skill we gained is woodworking. I went from having never built something life-size with wood to building a sturdy chair. Through working on the height adjustment mechanism for our chair, we learned about component design and how different parts fit into moving mechanisms. We also gained 3D printing skills, as we used the MakerBot software to set up and print parts. Lastly, we began to learn the skill of design for manufacturability. We went through multiple iterations of the chair design due to having to take out certain features that were not manufacturable and add in ones that were.

What was the most rewarding part of your internship and what advice would you have for a student starting their first internship?

Julia Beattie: It is very rewarding to know that I helped develop a product that could potentially be used in hospitals and research centers around the world. I would encourage incoming interns to ask as many questions as possible. Take advantage of the many smart people you are working with and the learning opportunities given to you.

Bennett Verderame: The most rewarding part of the internship was that we had a definite impact. Even if the company does not end up using our exact chair design down to each nut and bolt, the research Julia and I did will influence what they decide to use for their MEG system. Something I would advise for future students in the program is to take advantage of the opportunity to gain insight from everyone more experienced than you. Whenever there was something I wasn’t sure how to do, or even some advanced scientific topic relating to our product I was just curious about, I was always able to find great information just by asking.

Julia Beattie and Bennett Verderame are undergraduates in mechanical engineering. They interned with FieldLine Inc. during summer 2021.

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Video: Membrane-Powered Prosthetics

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 17:55:35 +0000

Video: Membrane-Powered Prosthetics Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/08/2021 - 11:55

Researchers at CU Boulder and CU Anschutz teamed up with the Department of Veterans Affairs to use glucose from our body to power small medical devices. Mechanical engineering Professors John Pellegrino and Jacob Segil are working with the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center to use this innovative approach and provide continuous power to limbs, pacemakers and insulin pumps.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_KFb_nhmRc]

Mechanical Engineering professors teamed up with the Department of Veterans Affairs to use glucose from our body to power small medical devices.

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Undergraduate researchers learn valuable lessons from remote research

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 17:23:35 +0000

Undergraduate researchers learn valuable lessons from remote research Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 09/24/2020 - 11:23

During campus closures due to COVID-19, Senior Professional Development Advisor Katherine McConnell contacted Director of Active Learning Sharon Anderson, who leads a summer program for undergraduate research, to see if they could work together to provide an opportunity for students seeking to gain research experience. Undergraduate researchers share their experiences as participants in the new ME SPUR Program which enabled them to work with mechanical engineering faculty on research that could be conducted remotely during summer 2020.

Undergraduate researchers share their experiences as participants in the ME SPUR Program. ME SPUR, modeled after CU Summer Program for Undergraduate Research, enabled undergraduate students to work with mechanical engineering faculty on research that could be conducted remotely.

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