Graduating in December 2020 with Bachelor of Science degrees in Creative Technology and Design, the three students listed below are recognized for exceptional accomplishments, having demonstrated initiative in their academic and extracurricular activities; completed projects that reflect unusual technical creativity; and contributed significantly to the ATLAS community.
The ATLAS Outstanding Undergraduate Award recognizes graduating students who have pursued excellence and demonstrated exceptional creativity and curiosity in the course of their academic work. Exemplifying qualities that distinguish ATLAS as a unique academic and research community, awardees have earned the commendation of faculty for their hard work, creativity, character and performance.
ATLAS Outstanding Undergraduate 2020: Michelle Galetti
The distinguished undergraduates listed below have demonstrated creativity, confidence, capability, community and collaboration. These students have not only excelled academically, but have a multitude of interdisciplinary accomplishments, polished creative projects and community contributions.
ATLAS Distinguished Undergraduates 2020: Lillie Bahrami and Alana Faller
ATLAS Outstanding Undergraduate Award: Michelle Galetti
Graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Creative Technology and Design, Michelle Galetti has been recognized with both the ATLAS Outstanding Undergraduate Award, and Outstanding Graduate of the College, the College of Engineering and Applied Science’s top undergraduate award.
Throughout her ATLAS career, Michelle has achieved excellence in her academic pursuits and demonstrated technical skill, creativity, dedication, maturity and inventiveness. A member of the National Society for Collegiate Scholars, she has earned a 4.0 GPA every semester since the beginning of her junior year. “Her performance across all measures helps expand and redefine what it means to be an outstanding engineering student,” says Arielle Hein, director of undergraduate programs and instructor. Aileen Pierce, associate director of undergraduate programs and senior instructor, echoes these sentiments: “Michelle is a driven student whose projects were some of the most creative, well-designed and technically strong in the class.”
In addition to her academic performance, Michelle has demonstrated extraordinary resilience and tenacity in her personal life. After experiencing complete and sudden hearing loss the summer before her junior year, she remained in school, continuing to fulfill her duties as a teaching assistant and maintaining the high quality of her academic work. In the months that followed, the experience prompted her to design a stylish jacket that provides the wearer with haptic feedback in response to ambient sound.
Michelle has made notable contributions to the ATLAS and College of Engineering communities. In addition to serving for two semesters as a teaching assistant for a web development class (most recently heading up a team of six), she tutors and mentors students in the college as an Engineering Fellow, in addition to performing service activities. And throughout all of her endeavors, she is thoughtful and considerate. “Michelle is incredibly kind, caring and inclusive of others," said Hein. "She emerged as a leader within ATLAS.”
After completing an internship with the Southwest Research Institute’s space operations in Boulder, Michelle will rejoin the organization full-time as a student scientist in mission operations and a senior web developer. We congratulate Michelle on her many accomplishments at CU Boulder and wish her well as she begins her professional career.
See also the announcement naming Michelle Galetti "Outstanding Graduate of the College," and “Suddenly Silent”, an article about Michelle that was published in the Winter 2020 issue of The Coloradan.
ATLAS Distinguished Undergraduate Award: Lillie Bahrami
Senior Lillie Bahrami is recognized as an ATLAS Distinguished Undergraduate for her exemplary community service, leadership, academic achievements, innovative creativity and technical ingenuity. Lillie was described by one faculty member as demonstrating “the rare caliber of work that rejuvenates me and informs my own creative output”. She has shared her passion for creative technology and design while serving as an undergraduate program ambassador and she has led countless tours introducing prospective students and their parents to the ATLAS community and the CTD program. Her energy is infectious as she shares her academic path and experience as a member of ATLAS, the CTD program, the College of Engineering and CU Boulder.
As a learning assistant for several ATLAS CTD classes, Lillie helps reinforce course material and technical content and makes herself available as a student mentor to her fellow students. In her final semester, Lillie has shone brightly in her advanced coursework, independent study, and as a lab assistant in the Whaaat!? Lab for experimental games and THING Lab for interactive interfaces. She has refined her areas of interest and sharpened her skills. The work she completed for her Capstone project was of the highest caliber and one of the most outstanding CTD projects of the semester. On behalf of the entire ATLAS community, we congratulate Lillie Bahrami on her accomplishments and wish her the very best in her future endeavors.
ATLAS Distinguished Undergraduate Award: Alana "Ally" Faller
Ally Faller graduates this winter with an ATLAS Distinguished Undergraduate Award in recognition of her extraordinary interdisciplinarity. A double major, Ally complements her BS in CTD with a BA in English, Creative Writing. She also completed a minor in business and is a member of CU Boulder's Engineering Honors Program.
Ally served as a learning assistant in two classes: The Science of Science Fiction, and Literary Studies with Data Science. A data science research project she completed was sponsored by the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, which featured the work in their Lightbulb Moment series.
Outside the classroom, Ally competes as a member of the CU Boulder cycling team, where she’s twice been honored as the individual mountain bike national champion. She serves as co-editor-in-chief of Walkabout, a student-run publication that celebrates undergraduate creative work of all kinds.
In addition to her many campus activities, she serves as the marketing and communications associate for Boulder's Meals on Wheels program, where she is grateful for the opportunity to advance a cause she cares about by combining both her storytelling and design skills. On behalf of the ATLAS faculty and staff, we congratulate Ally on this award and for her many accomplishments as a member of the ATLAS and university community.
