Students

91�Թ�� students win big at collegiate hydropower competition

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

91�Թ�� 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.

Off

Traditional

White

Quantum Scholar’s journey into the future of computing

Charles Ferrer — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 17:20:41 +0000

Quantum Scholar’s journey into the future of computing Charles Ferrer Mon, 06/09/2025 - 11:20

Arjun Dalwadi, a third-year electrical and computer engineering student, is immersing himself in all things quantum through the Quantum Scholars program and as an undergraduate researcher in the Gyenis Lab. Dalwadi is on the journey to make an impact for quantum computing.

Off

Traditional

White

Winning equation

Hanna Nordwall — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 20:00:26 +0000

Winning equation Hanna Nordwall Fri, 06/06/2025 - 14:00

For this CU Engineering student, Olympic climbing and applied math are both just matters of finding solutions

Colin Duffy is like any other applied math junior, juggling courses in probability, dynamics and chemistry. But as he walks across the quad, his mind isn’t just on acing his midterm — he is also thinking about the 2028 Olympic Summer Games.

"To be on the same boat with LeBron James and Steph Curry was wild.”

A Broomfield native, Duffy is a sport climber and two-time U.S. Olympian.

“I started competing at 8 years old on the youth circuit,” Duffy said. “I had no idea where the journey would go.”

At the 2024 Paris Games, he finished fourth in men’s bouldering and lead combined. Duffy has also twice won the International Federation of Sport Climbing World Youth Championship and is a 10-time USA Climbing Youth National Champion.

Climbing is his first love, but he brings equal passion to math.

“I love the problem-solving nature of it, that the answers are so tangible and you’re finding a definite solution,” he said. “The same approach goes into climbing — finding the individual steps to make it to the top of a climb. Solving a problem in a math class is similar. You put all the parts together to get that answer.”

Extra: CU Engineers in Paris

Val Constien (EnvEngr’19) placed 15th in the women’s 300-meter steeplechase.

Electrical and computer engineering major Noah Bernstein spent 11 weeks as a venue engineering intern with NBCUniversal to ensure every Olympics broadcast went off without a hitch.

Read about Noah in Paris

As he progressed in climbing as a teen, earning high marks at state, regional and, eventually, international competitions, Duffy was also challenging himself intellectually.

“My high school had a pretty good math program. I completed courses up to differential equations. I always resonated with the math and engineering side. For college, I wanted to pursue something interesting, even though it’s on the harder side,” he said.

Being a world-class athlete and a college student has been less of a challenge than Duffy anticipated. Climbing competitions are typically during summer months, leaving the rest of the year for coursework. His training regimen is year-round, but it doesn’t require complex routines or coaches.

“Most of the time I just go and climb. I’m not doing training-specific exercises or weightlifting,” he said.

Duffy’s goal after graduation is to become a professional climber. His prowess in competition has already given him a chance to meet and compete with athletes he has admired for years. At the Paris Olympics, that included sharing the stage with idols from all sports.

“It’s an honor. It’s such a grand experience to be among these huge performers,” he said. “This year the opening ceremony was on the Seine River, and to be on the same boat with LeBron James and Steph Curry was wild.”

In some traditional team sports, athletes can be adversarial toward each other. But climbing is different, Duffy said. Climbers are typically not competing against each other, and the sideline atmosphere is one of camaraderie and friendship.

“It’s a very positive environment. Even in the tensest of moments, after it’s over, there’s no hard feelings. We’re not going head to head with each other. It’s us versus the wall,” he said.

For this CU Engineering student, Olympic climbing and applied math are both just matters of finding solutions

Off

Traditional

White

Pipe dreams

Hanna Nordwall — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 17:30:18 +0000

Pipe dreams Hanna Nordwall Fri, 06/06/2025 - 11:30

Susan Glairon

Lab establishes worldwide standards for repairing inaccessible, leaking pipelines

Millions of miles of aging water, wastewater and natural gas pipelines across the nation are at growing risk of failure, posing significant environmental, safety and financial challenges.

Repairing these urban pipelines is often complicated and expensive due to their location beneath buildings and roads, but new repair solutions that significantly cut pipeline repair costs are emerging.

"We developed unique testing capabilities that don’t exist anywhere else.”

Brad Wham

91�Թ��’s Center for Infrastructure, Energy and Space Testing (CIEST) is at the forefront, pioneering testing procedures for these innovative solutions.

Led by Assistant Research Professor Brad Wham, CIEST played a key role in establishing a new standard for internal replacement pipe testing through the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

“Getting an ASTM standard to vote is a big deal,” Wham said. “We designed these methods for various industries and future pipe replacement solutions. We developed unique testing capabilities that don’t exist anywhere else.”

The work was made possible by a $7.8 million Department of Energy ARPA-E grant, which CIEST shared with Cornell University, the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and the Gas Technologies Institute.

This advancement paves the way for cutting-edge pipe repair technologies, such as using robots or other methods to install internal replacement pipes that line aging pipelines, reinforcing their walls and extending their service life.

The tests carried out in the CIEST lab demonstrated that many of the internal replacement pipes effectively sealed holes, cracks and gaps, providing a lasting seal of 50 to 100 years at a cost of less than $1 million per mile — much lower than the approximately $10 million per mile to dig up and replace pipes in urban centers.

In addition to a 90 percent drop in cost, the repairs will help reduce methane emissions from natural gas lines and prevent leaking water lines from wasting significant quantities of treated water.

The USQ team used CIEST’s data to develop a publicly available app that lets users input specifications and site details to design and assess internal replacement pipe technologies.

Natural gas and water utilities have been cautious about adopting new technologies, due to strict regulations and high risks in the event of failure, Wham said. To address these concerns, the project involved major gas utilities and global experts to guide testing development.

“As an unbiased third party, we’re building confidence in these technologies and fostering industry competition, which helps reduce costs,” he said.

Off

Dark Mode

White

Transforming the journey

Hanna Nordwall — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 16:09:50 +0000

Transforming the journey Hanna Nordwall Fri, 06/06/2025 - 10:09

Charles Ferrer

For engineering students, the path to a degree is more than just solving equations or finishing projects — it’s a journey to find belonging, overcome challenges, and build a foundation for a successful future.

Initiatives like Engineering Connections and the Lattice Scholars Program are transforming the college journey for CU Engineering students, fostering a culture of support, empowerment and resilience that helps them thrive.

A firm foundation

Transitioning to college can be daunting for first-year engineering students. Now in its second year, the Engineering Connections residential community in Williams Village was designed to ease the transition by combining academic support with community-building activities.

The results speak for themselves: Ninety percent of the fall 2023 cohort returned for their sophomore year, the highest-ever second-fall retention rate in the college’s history.

Engineering Connections integrates academic support through a first-year seminar course, peer mentoring and collaborative study spaces. These resources ensure students start their college careers on solid ground, blending faculty expertise with personalized guidance.

Plus, with events like Foodie Tuesdays, talent shows and excursions to sporting and arts events, it offers students a space to feel at home.

“Engineering Connections goes beyond academics and was incredibly helpful in making friends and finding my place in college,” said Tana McCoy, a second-year chemical engineering student who moved to Colorado from the East Coast.

Breaking barriers

The Lattice Scholars Program launched in 2023 to support Colorado residents who are the first in their families to go to college and demonstrate high financial need. At its core, the program seeks to remove financial and other barriers that might hinder a promising engineering career.

Like Engineering Connections, Lattice is off to an impressive start. Ninety-five percent of the first cohort returned to CU Engineering for their sophomore year. Program managers are conducting research to share their model with other institutions, demonstrating how this holistic support can empower students to excel.

For Abdirahman Abdi, a second-year computer science major, the program has been life-changing.

“Lattice is where I found my first core friend group,” he said. “We met during the first week of school and connected over classes, homework and shared experiences. That sense of community has made a huge difference.”

Abdi, who dreams of a career in artificial intelligence and machine learning, credits the program with teaching him financial literacy and exposing him to professional opportunities. Lattice also provides workshops on mental health and career exploration to help scholars navigate college and beyond.

Engineering Connections residential community, Lattice Scholars Program are having a big impact on student retention.

Off

Traditional

White

91�Թ�� alum surprises student with debt payoff at grad ceremony

Caroline Harrah — Tue, 27 May 2025 20:05:55 +0000

91�Թ�� alum surprises student with debt payoff at grad ceremony Caroline Harrah Tue, 05/27/2025 - 14:05

At 91�Թ��’s recognition ceremony for graduating civil, environmental and architectural engineering students on May 8, speaker Marco Campos (CivEngr’98) surprised the crowd by offering to pay off a graduating senior’s remaining student debt. The unexpected act of generosity turned the celebration into an unforgettable afternoon.

Dr. Karl Linden, department chair, civil, environmental, and architectural engineering, and alumnus Marco Campos (CivEngr’98), take a selfie with graduating students.

The announcement came toward the end of his speech, when Campos, a 91�Թ�� alumnus and founder of Campos Companies, paused to ask graduating students a series of questions: Who among them were the first in their families to attend college? Who had received a Pell Grant? And finally, who still carried student debt?

One by one, students sat down until only one, Travis Starling (CivEngr’25), remained standing.

Without hesitation, Campos pledged on the spot to pay off Starling’s remaining debt. The crowd cheered as Campos snapped a celebratory selfie with the audience, capturing a moment that embodied the spirit of the day — hope, generosity and community.

“I felt like I had a lottery ticket and the numbers lined up — it didn’t make any sense!” laughed Starling, a U.S. Army veteran and civil engineering graduate who also earned a minor in business this spring. “It wasn’t until I sat back down and started thinking about what he was offering and how significant it was that it started to set in.”

From rural roots to an engineering future

Starling grew up in rural South Carolina, raised by a single mom along with his two other siblings. After graduating from high school — one of the first to do so in a family who often had to leave school early to pursue work in difficult industries — he knew he wanted to follow through on his dream and seek an engineering degree.

Marco Campos and Travis Starling after ceremony.

“My grandfather always told me, ‘Get a job where you get paid for what you think and not what you do,’” he said. “As a kid, I always knew that civil engineering was the route I wanted to take, but I never knew how to get there.”

He eventually decided to take the leap. He enlisted with the Army, completing a stint with the National Guard followed by full-time active military duty. After completing his service, Starling used his GI Bill benefits to enroll at 91�Թ��. Then, an unexpected health issue during his sophomore year set him back, and he had to take out loans to keep working toward his degree.

Now, with Campos’ surprise loan payoff, Starling said his future success is closer than ever. This summer, as he settles into post-grad life in Denver, he’ll also be volunteering with the Campos Foundation, supporting students with life experiences similar to his own.

“Now I can start to get into a condo sooner, start building equity — and start doing all the things my family could never do,” he said.

Paying it forward

In his remarks at the graduation ceremony, Campos — a first-generation college student himself — spoke about his own humble beginnings on the west side of Denver.

Marco Campos prepares to speak before the class of 2025.

His first experience at 91�Թ�� included a bridge program that introduced him to friends, professors and other resources he could lean on as he began his engineering education. This support turned out to be essential as he navigated the unfamiliar landscape of higher education.

Years later, after graduating and working in the industry for a number of years, he decided to start his own company. Working from his basement, he eventually built Campos EPC into a successful engineering firm with global reach and impact.

“I was a first-generation engineering student who received a Pell Grant for the duration of my studies at CU,” Campos said. “It’s a tremendous challenge getting a degree under financial stress, much less an engineering degree at a top institution.

“It’s my duty to pay it forward and help (students like Travis) graduate debt-free.”

In his speech, Campos urged students to move through the world without fear, reminding them of the training they’d received at 91�Թ�� and the support networks they can lean on.

His announcement at the engineering ceremony aligned with Campos’ broader mission through the Campos Foundation, which supports educational and workforce development initiatives.

As 91�Թ��’s newest engineering graduates head into the future, Campos’ unexpected generosity offered a powerful reminder: Success isn’t just about what you achieve, but how you lift others along the way.

At 91�Թ��’s May 8 recognition ceremony for civil, environmental and architectural undergraduate engineering students, alumnus Marco Campos (CivEngr’98) surprised the crowd by offering to pay off a graduating senior’s remaining student debt, transforming the ceremony into a genuine celebration of generosity and hope.

Off

Traditional

White

Students

91�Թ��� students win big at collegiate hydropower competition

Off

Quantum Scholar’s journey into the future of computing

Off

Winning equation

Extra: CU Engineers in Paris

Off

Pipe dreams

"We developed unique testing capabilities that don’t exist anywhere else.”

Off

Transforming the journey

A firm foundation

Breaking barriers

Off

91�Թ��� alum surprises student with debt payoff at grad ceremony

From rural roots to an engineering future

Paying it forward

Off

91�Թ�� students win big at collegiate hydropower competition

91�Թ�� alum surprises student with debt payoff at grad ceremony