Awards

Kristi Anseth named Forbes "50 over 50" for "Innovation"

Susan Glairon — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 22:43:27 +0000

Kristi Anseth named Forbes "50 over 50" for "Innovation" Susan Glairon Fri, 08/15/2025 - 16:43

Professor Kristi Anseth is known for developing tissue substitutes that improve treatments for conditions like broken bones and heart valve disease. She recently made key discoveries about sex-based differences in cardiac treatment outcomes. Anseth is also among the few innovators elected to all three national academies: Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

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Faster, cleaner, better: revolutionary water treatment

Jeff Zehnder — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 19:15:28 +0000

Faster, cleaner, better: revolutionary water treatment Jeff Zehnder Thu, 07/17/2025 - 13:15

Jeff Zehnder

Anthony Straub (r) with PhD student Kian Lopez in a lab.

Anthony Straub is making revolutionary advances in water purification for life on Earth and in space.

Using nanoscale membranes—thinner than 1/100th the width of a human hair—Straub has developed a technology that could significantly improve conventional water treatment, microchip production, and desalination.

His efforts are receiving major recognition from the National Science Foundation, which is honoring Straub with a CAREER Award, a five-year, $550,000 grant to advance his research.

“We’re excited about this work,” said Straub, an assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at the ��Ƶ18. “For desalination, switching to these membranes could produce 50 times cleaner water while lasting much longer. It’s really a big deal.”

Membrane technology has been in use for water purification for over five decades. It works well for many applications, but filter degradation is a problem, and even at peak conditions, some contaminants can still pass through the membranes.

“Current membranes are very hard to clean,” Straub said. “A major advance of this new membrane is you can expose it to concentrated bleach and cleaning chemicals. It also removes almost every impurity from water – salts, dissolved metals, and organic contaminants like hormones, PFAS, and pharmaceuticals.”

In the new process, Straub traps a tiny layer of air inside a porous membrane. Using pressure, water is forced against the membrane until it evaporates and recondenses on the other side of the air layer. The technology requires no additional electricity or heat and operates with pumps already used in water systems.

“It’s reimagining distillation. Thermal distillation – essentially boiling water – has been used to purify water for centuries, but it is really energy intensive. We’re laying the groundwork for distillation with pressure as the driving force, and it is 10 times more energy efficient,” Straub said.

The technology has advanced beyond the initial research phase. Straub has conducted successful small-scale tests and has two provisional patents on the design. Last year, he co-founded a spinoff company and received a grant from NASA for a prototype purification system for astronauts to use on a future Moon base.

Design of ultrathin air-trapping membranes for pressure-driven vapor transport. For more details, read "Pressure-driven distillation using air-trapping membranes for fast and selective water purification" in the journal Science Advances.

“There were papers discussing this process; the theoretical foundations were there. Our major advance was demonstrating it successfully. We had to understand how to develop materials with really small pore sizes that can trap air,” Straub said.

A major focus of the future work will be better analysis and modeling of the process.

“This technology is transitioning to applied use, but some aspects of the process aren’t as well understood. That’s very important for end users, to know how this design works, how the transport happens. We have some models, but they’re for very idealized systems, which isn’t how things work in the real world,” he said.

Beyond traditional water treatment, the process has drawn significant interest from microchip producers. Semiconductor wafers are manufactured in clean rooms, and ultrapure water is needed to rinse wafers and wash away residue produced during chip etching.

Even the tiniest water impurities can damage the chips, so water must be purified to levels far beyond what is needed for regular drinking water, requiring an expensive, elaborate system. Straub’s technology would dramatically simplify the process and lower costs.

“This is a huge potential market. Companies currently use a treatment process involving at least 14 different steps, and they avoid shutting down the machines because they’re worried that particles could enter the production line,” he said.

In addition to advancing research, Straub is also developing an education and outreach component as part of the CAREER award. Collaborating with a faculty colleague in the mechanical engineering department, Daniel Knight, the pair are developing a project-based water treatment course that will be used in rural K-12 schools across Colorado.

“Lots of these schools are in areas where they don’t have enough water, so this is really important,” Straub said.

He hopes the outreach will be both educational and promote career opportunities for the next generation of water engineers.

“My parents grew up in Latin America in underserved areas,” he said. “In undergrad, I was drawn to improve water treatment in low resource settings, and I caught the research bug. I want to encourage other people, too. It’s about making the world a better place.”

Anthony Straub is making revolutionary advances in water purification for life on Earth and in space. Using nanoscale membranes—thinner than 1/100th the width of a human hair—Straub has developed a...

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Gregor Henze honored as IBPSA fellow for building simulation research

Susan Glairon — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 21:56:21 +0000

Gregor Henze honored as IBPSA fellow for building simulation research Susan Glairon Tue, 07/08/2025 - 15:56

Henze was selected for his pioneering work in model predictive control, simulation model development and building-to-grid integration. He is also recognized for his international leadership in research and education.

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Wil Srubar named American Ceramic Society fellow

Susan Glairon — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 21:17:13 +0000

Wil Srubar named American Ceramic Society fellow Susan Glairon Thu, 07/03/2025 - 15:17

Susan Glairon

Professor Wil Srubar is the principal director of the Living Materials Laboratory, where an interdisciplinary team develops nature-inspired concrete alternatives that can be produced without fossil fuels or significant carbon emissions.

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Eleven engineering students earn prestigious National Science Foundation fellowships

Jeff Zehnder — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 15:37:47 +0000

Eleven engineering students earn prestigious National Science Foundation fellowships Jeff Zehnder Tue, 07/01/2025 - 09:37

The National Science Foundation has bestowed 11 prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship Program awards to ��Ƶ18 engineering students.

The national awards recognize and support outstanding grad students from across the country in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees.

Awardees receive a $37,000 annual stipend and cost of education allowance for the next three years as well as professional development opportunities.

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CU Boulder students win big at collegiate hydropower competition

Alexander James Servantez — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 23:11:36 +0000

CU Boulder students win big at collegiate hydropower competition Alexander Jame… Wed, 06/18/2025 - 17:11

The CU Hydropower Team had a strong showing in this year's Hydropower Collegiate Competition, bringing home multiple awards including the best design award, the cybersecurity award, the best quick pitch award and the highly coveted first-place honor in the overall competition.

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Ankur Gupta named to C&EN’s prestigious "Talented 12" list

Susan Glairon — Fri, 23 May 2025 14:56:13 +0000

Ankur Gupta named to C&EN’s prestigious "Talented 12" list Susan Glairon Fri, 05/23/2025 - 08:56

Assistant Professor Ankur Gupta was named to Chemical & Engineering News' prestigious Talented 12 list, which honors early-career scientists who use their chemistry know-how to make a real-world impact.

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Chemical engineering grad honored as department's Alumni Mentor of the Year

Susan Glairon — Fri, 09 May 2025 17:26:44 +0000

Chemical engineering grad honored as department's Alumni Mentor of the Year Susan Glairon Fri, 05/09/2025 - 11:26

Susan Glairon

Bart Carpenter (ChemEng’81) was named the Chemical and Biological Engineering 2025 Distinguished Alumni Mentor of the Year for his dedicated mentorship of first-year student Sam Wiesenauer. A longtime advisory board member and mentor, Carpenter shares decades of industry insight to help students navigate careers in energy and engineering.

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Engineering double major and student leader of the year

Jeff Zehnder — Tue, 06 May 2025 15:20:36 +0000

Engineering double major and student leader of the year Jeff Zehnder Tue, 05/06/2025 - 09:20

Jeff Zehnder

Pore (right) being recognized as the Boettcher Student Leader of the Year.

Aaditya Pore is an engineering senior double majoring in aerospace and computer science. He is an extremely active student, serving as senior class president, competing in the Daniels Fund National Ethics Case Competition and earning the 2025 Boettcher Student Leader of the Year award.

As he prepares to graduate, he reflects on his time at CU Boulder and how he juggles all of his classes and extracurricular activities:

What does it mean to you to be recognized as Boettcher Student Leader of the Year?

Gaining this recognition is such an amazing culminating achievement for my time at CU. Majoring in engineering, leadership isn’t always directed as a focus, and there’s not as much representation of engineers in campus wide leadership. Having had the chance to not participate in shared governance at CU but also make a meaningful contribution to bettering campus has been an opportunity I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Most importantly, being able to have gained support from my community, inside and outside of the College of Engineering, has enabled me to reach this point. I see this accomplishment as a tribute to those who contributed so much to me during my journey – advisors, professors, mentors, friends, and family.

You are a double major in aerospace and computer science and are the Senior Class Council President. When do you sleep?

Whether it was being involved in CU Student Government as the Legislative Council President, the President’s Leadership Class as their Professional Development Coordinator, CU Milana as a member of the dance team, or the Senior Class Council as President, my involvements have indubitably been the most important part of my time in Boulder.

I’ve found that when you value something, you can find time to prioritize it, regardless of how busy your schedule gets. Of course, this comes with sacrifices. There were many days where I stay up far too late to do homework, missing out on fun memories with friends or adequate sleep to prepare myself for the next day. But, those were all costs I was willing to take, and steps towards the balance I desired in my life.

My goal with an optimal balance was always one of playing roughly just as hard as I worked. Sleep wasn’t always on that priority list, and often got overlooked. Thought, I look back at my time over the last four years and feel content: with the memories I made, the impact I had, and the great experiences I’ll remember moving forward.

What drew you to engineering as opposed to another field of study?

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to work on rocket ships. Something about the mystery of the night sky always drew my interest. When I was in kindergarten, we had an assignment to make a poster about ourselves – our family, our hobbies, etc. There was a section about what we wanted to be when we grew up, and I still remember writing ‘NASA Scientist’ in the box.

Thankfully, through the Pathways program at NASA, that dream has come true, and it is in large part because of the Aero program at CU. The quality and ranking of Smead Aerospace brought me here from Kansas, and wanting to be at the forefront of integrating software and hardware development led me to take on CS as well.

I’ve dabbled in other programs in my time at CU: Political Science, Leadership Studies, and more; but engineering has always felt like home. Being able to solve the complex problems we do in the manner we’re enabled to is an experience that’s hard to get anywhere else, and I’m forever grateful for my decision to follow this path.

As class president, you will be speaking at commencement. Few students have the opportunity to address the entire student body. What do you hope to share?

I hope my speech is a source of motivation for those that come after me. In today’s political climate, effective leadership is more important than ever. Not just in a political space, necessarily, but even in our day-to-day: in our workplaces, our communities, even our homes.

Being a leader isn’t just about making large scale change and solving world peace; rather, being a good leader can just mean being the person that puts a smile on everyone’s face every day; being a source of support for a community; or, just doing the right thing whenever you can.

I aspire for my success and words to show other students on campus that anyone can be a leader, and in the face of the division and polarization that we see in our society today, it is imperative that we all – regardless of background - step up and play a role in leading our community to prosperity. Moreover, coming from an engineering background, I hope it serves as a sign to those who may also be in STEM but aspire to do more on the leadership front. We are all equally equipped to be change makers, it’s just a matter of acting on that potential.

Anyone can make an impact on the world, and the skills that engineering gives you makes that an easier feat to accomplish."

When did you feel like you hit your stride or felt like you were "officially" an engineer.

Two moments stand out to me. The first was actually before I even came to CU. I graduated in 2020, right when COVID started to shut down our communities. A friend and I quickly acted to try and see how we could help our local area, even if we were just high school kids. We quickly made a nonprofit that 3D printed personal protective equipment for healthcare facilities that needed them, and quickly patched a gap in supply chains that would otherwise cripple their services.

Over about two and a half years, we produced and delivered over 8,000 units of PPE to hospitals nationwide, from California to New York. In that moment, even though I hadn’t even started an engineering degree yet, I learned that anyone can make an impact on the world, and the skills that engineering gives you makes that an easier feat to accomplish. It validated that engineering was the right path for me, and I’ve been on it ever since.

The second would be when I started working at NASA. I’ve done two rotations there now, and each and every one has been one of the most professionally motivating experiences I’ve ever had. Being able to see the knowledge I’ve gained from my classes being put to work to pushing society’s frontier in space has been eye opening, and I can’t wait to continue to grow on my journey in my further work.

A project I worked on during my first internship at NASA is going to the ISS soon, and I’m so excited to see what accomplishments come next.

What accomplishment are you most proud of, either academically or personally?

By far my most proud accomplishment so far has been helping three other students, two from CU, get into the NASA Pathways program. I’m a firm believer that our legacy is defined not by what we accomplish, but rather, by what we helps others achieve.

My mom always instilled in me the value of giving back to your community, even when it may feel inconvenient, and I’m glad to have acted to have acted on that advice.

My greatest memories at CU will not be tied to things I did, but those that I worked with, made smile, helped succeed, and built long lasting relationships with.

I look forward to continuing to help facilitate the growth of those that come after me in any way possible as I progress through my professional and personal journey. I implore others to try it out, as well. Mentorship is an unbelievably rewarding journey, for yourself, and for those that you help.

Aaditya Pore is an engineering senior double majoring in aerospace and computer science. He is an extremely active student, serving as senior class president, competing in the...

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Aaditya Pore at Machu Picchu.

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Engineer nabs prestigious grants to design insect-inspired, shapeshifting robots

Alexander James Servantez — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 21:52:07 +0000

Engineer nabs prestigious grants to design insect-inspired, shapeshifting robots Alexander Jame… Wed, 04/30/2025 - 15:52

Assistant Professor Kaushik Jayaram of the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering is the recipient of a $650,000 CAREER award from the U.S. National Science Foundation. The funding will help Jayaram make advancements in robots by drawing from what might seem to be an unlikely source: insects and other small creatures.

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