Undergrad Research

Biomedical Engineering students gain research experience through Discovery Learning Program

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Biomedical Engineering students gain research experience through Discovery Learning Program Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/04/2024 - 00:00

This academic year, several Biomedical Engineering (BME) undergraduates participated in the Discovery Learning Apprenticeship (DLA) Program conducting research in campus labs. Students, their projects and sponsoring labs follows. At the conclusion of the program this spring, students will share their findings during the DLA research symposium in April.

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Undergraduate student presents research at national conference

Anonymous — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 19:50:16 +0000

Undergraduate student presents research at national conference Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 08/31/2023 - 13:50

Grace Wilson

Robert Wang (IDE'25) participated in the Discovery Learning Apprenticeship (DLA) program at CU Boulder in the summer of 2023. He did research on the benefits of interdisciplinary engineering education programs similar to his own major, Integrated Design Engineering.

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CU SPUR hosts community college students for STEM research opportunities

Anonymous — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 18:02:11 +0000

CU SPUR hosts community college students for STEM research opportunities Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/08/2023 - 12:02

Charles Ferrer

Andrew Johnson left the golf course industry and ventured into something slightly different - an opportunity to research computer architecture security.

“I was probably going to be stuck in my current role for another 20 years, and I wanted progress,” said Johnson. “When I was working with irrigation, software and machines, it first introduced me to how powerful computers are.”

Johnson’s early fascination with machinery and automation spurred his curiosity about engineering. Now, he is one of 18 Denver-metro community college students who are diving into their first taste of research as part of CU SPUR (Summer Program for Undergraduate Research).

The CU SPUR program hosted its first cohort of community college students as part of the broader Denver-Metro Engineering Consortium (DMEC) consisting of local community colleges, four-year institutions and industry partners seeking to increase the number of engineering professionals. DMEC received funding from the U.S. Department of Defense to support this initiative. There is expected to be nearly 4,600 annual engineering job openings in Colorado and about 18% job growth over the next decade, according to the Colorado Talent Pipeline Report.

SPUR participants are mentored by a College of Engineering and Applied Science faculty member and works alongside undergraduate and graduate students. This summer, community college researchers have been tackling projects across engineering, from mitigating indoor air quality in Colorado public schools and improving GPS performance in mobile phones, to 3D printing novel static mixer elements.

Special faculty connection

Tamara Silbergleit Lehman, an assistant professor of computer engineering, holds a special connection with the CU SPUR initiative particularly with mentoring students like Johnson.

“Coming from a community college background myself, I had firsthand experience in going through the process of getting an associate of arts degree and then transferring to a four-year college. I appreciated my experience, but never had the chance of doing research,” said Lehman. “I wanted to provide the opportunity that I didn't have when I was doing my studies.”

Lehman’s researchers meet weekly to discuss their projects. Throughout the 10-week research program, her lab fosters a community of learning and collaboration among all students regardless if they’re a community college, undergrad or PhD student. As a steadfast supporter of the CU SPUR program for many years, Lehman expressed her passion for its mission.

“The opportunity to do research while you’re doing your undergraduate studies is extremely important for a successful career. There’s no reason why community college students should not have these same opportunities,” she said.

Real-world applications from research

Johnson understands how his research skills will be essential, not only for his education, but also for his life.

“Many people in the computer, science and engineering world are very driven by software updates and improving hardware performance. We cannot forget about security, especially when we're dealing with things like AI. We continually need to remind ourselves to focus on computer security,” he said.

“Our group is focused on security and how we can improve computer security measures,” said Johnson. “We use processor simulators that act like their own computers. We then launch attacks to see how they run through a series of tests and see the feedback on how these processors performed and how much security vulnerability there was.”

Their research hopes to enable better defense mechanisms not just targeted for one attack, but encompassing many different vulnerabilities in hardware. Computer security researchers or hardware designers can use those tools to create more robust architecture in future design cycles.

First-time research experience? Don’t fret

Johnson is in his last couple of semesters at Arapahoe Community College and ultimately hopes to finish his degree at CU Boulder focusing on areas like AI, robotics or biomedical engineering.

“I love the challenges. I've done simple case coding before, but now get to actually learn how computers function and how memory systems operate,” said Johnson. “The experience is invaluable and many employers are looking for students who have unique practical experiences in their time in college.”

He encourages his fellow and future students to take full advantage of opportunities like CU SPUR.

“Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Research is often new material,” he said. “Reach out to peers around you, schedule one-on-one meetings with your mentor and if you feel stuck, that's a normal feeling in research. Be kind to yourself and just continue to dig deep for answers or results.”

Are you a CU Engineering undergraduate or community college student interested in a research experience? Learn more about CU SPUR and check back in early 2024 for more information.

Top photo: Tamara Lehman hosts summer researchers for CU SPUR. Bottom photo: Andrew Johnson checks in with Lehman on summer project.

This work relates to Department of Navy award (#HQ0034222005) issued by the Office of Naval Research. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of Naval Research.

The CU SPUR program hosted its first cohort of community college students as part of the broader Denver-Metro Engineering Consortium consisting of local community colleges, four-year institutions and industry partners seeking to increase the number of engineering professionals.

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National Science Foundation REU grant will support summer undergraduate research into materials science and engineering

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 19:40:06 +0000

National Science Foundation REU grant will support summer undergraduate research into materials science and engineering Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 07/07/2023 - 13:40

Jeff Zehnder

Undergraduate students interested in materials research will get a boost at the �� next summer thanks to a new Research Experience for Undergraduates grant from the National Science Foundation.

The Materials Science and Engineering Program is receiving a three year award from NSF to support a 10-week summer program that pairs students from across the country with CU Boulder’s top researchers in the field.

The effort is particularly focused on hosting students from smaller and minority serving institutions that may not have large research budgets said Professor Stephanie Bryant, director of the Material Science and Engineering program in the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

“I’m super excited. Our job as a university is to educate students and the ability to do this over the summer and give them a research experience – which for many may be their first research experience – is outstanding and enables us to have a broader impact beyond Boulder,” said Bryant.

The new program will start in summer 2024. Interested students will complete an application in spring 2024 to be reviewed by faculty and staff. Selected students will then spend 10 weeks working full time on an materials-focused research project and will receive funding for travel and a stipend along with housing in on-campus apartments.

Faculty and students in the materials science and engineering program conduct work across a broad range of disciplines, including medicine, sustainability, nanotechnology, and advanced computing.

The material science program has hosted undergraduates for summer research programs the past two summers, but those efforts relied on faculty with pre-existing funding whereas this initiative will provide dedicated support.

“This really opens up opportunities for both students and faculty,” Bryant said. “Students will have more options for the kind of projects they can work on and faculty can participate – even if they don’t have standalone funding from the National Science Foundation.”

The ultimate goal of the summer initiative is to encourage more students to pursue careers in research.

The Research Experience for Undergraduates program will particularly focus on “Engineering Materials for a Healthy World,” with enrolled students able to conduct interdisciplinary work with materials in energy, health, and infrastructure.

The initiative also has a seminar series for participants that aims to bring together materials science with science justice, science policy, and social justice.

“Students are the next generation and they’ll be solving hard problems. We want to get them thinking about justice and policy and how the work they do impacts people across socio-economic backgrounds and ethnicities so they can have long term positive impacts in the world,” Bryant said.

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Mechanical engineering grad wins prestigious Silver Medal Award

Anonymous — Tue, 23 May 2023 20:22:59 +0000

Mechanical engineering grad wins prestigious Silver Medal Award Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/23/2023 - 14:22

When Megan Conard was a high school student in Tennessee and deciding between universities, CU Boulder won her over with its culture of collaboration and community.

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Apply for paid summer research positions through SPUR starting Feb. 13

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 18:39:19 +0000

Apply for paid summer research positions through SPUR starting Feb. 13 Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 01/23/2023 - 11:39

Josh Rhoten

Justin Pedersen

Undergraduate students looking for paid, hands-on experience in a research lab setting over summer break can begin applying online for the 2023 CU SPUR program on Feb. 13.

The 10-week Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (CU SPUR) is open to all students in the College of Engineering and Applied Science – no matter their year or area of study – and pairs younger researchers with graduate student and faculty mentors on a variety of topics.

Students are paid an hourly rate for their work and get a chance to directly participate in research in a lab setting – a valuable opportunity no matter their future career path, said Sharon Anderson, the director of active learning in the college.

“The SPUR program has been growing because it is an appealing option for students who want to explore career options during a quiet part of the year," she said. "This program lets them stay in Boulder and see if conducting research is something they want to pursue during the rest of their time here and after graduation when they join the workforce."

Justin Pedersen, a senior majoring in aerospace engineering, participated in the program in the summer of 2022 through Professor Penny Axelrad’s group.

Pedersen researched timing systems for small satellites through the program, a topic that is of interest to the private sector, as well as military and scientific groups working with satellites in low-Earth orbit. He has since joined Axelrad’s group as an undergraduate research assistant and said the SPUR program provided valuable exposure to what conducting research in a professional setting looks like.

“When I talk to other students about the program now, I often describe it as basically a paid internship where you are applying skills from the classroom on campus while also getting the benefit of networking and gaining exposure in your field at the same time,” he said. “It's a great way to materialize the fundamental knowledge I gained from my engineering classes.”

Pedersen is a nontraditional student and worked in the information technology field for years before coming to CU Boulder to pursue his undergraduate degree. He said he was not specifically interested in work related to GPS or timing systems before joining the SPUR program, but had taken a class with Axelrad before and liked learning and working with her.

"The experience was great. My mentor and graduate student, Chris Flood, provided valuable guidance throughout my time in the program, while weekly lab meetings gave me exposure to other related projects and topics," he said. “Being in that kind of group setting helps you see the connections between different research questions and was very valuable as I started to consider my career path options after graduation this spring.”

If you have questions about the application process, please email Anderson at sharon.e.anderson@colorado.edu.

Key dates and details for the CU SPUR program in 2023

Undergraduate engineering students in the CU SPUR program earn hourly wages (currently $15 an hour) and may work up to 300 hours in these positions over 10 weeks. Students must be available for the entire 10-week program. Check out further requirements on the CU SPUR webpage.

Project list released: Feb. 13
Deadline to apply: March 15
Students notified of decision: April 5
Summer 2022 program dates: May 30 - Aug. 4

Explore more engineering research opportunities for students

Undergraduate students looking for paid, hands-on experience in a research lab setting over summer break can begin applying online for the 2023 CU SPUR program on Feb. 13.

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