22 CU Boulder engineering students earn major National Science Foundation fellowships

Chemical Engineering

Advisor: Michael R. Shirts
Lab: Shirts Research Group

My research focuses on development of software and techniques for constructing and modeling general organic polymer systems at the atomic, molecular and nanoscale using molecular dynamics. Polymer design is essential to many active research areas including identifying suitable sustainable and recyclable plastics, compatibilizing polymer-biopolymer interfaces for biomedical engineering and therapeutics, and designing self-healing materials with dynamic covalent networks. However, systematic exploration of chemical and morphological polymer design spaces is practically impossible using experimental methods alone and requires assistance from computational structure-function models. I am currently active in two sustainability-driven collaborations with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), dealing with high-throughput screening of biomass-derived replacements for petroleum plastic monomers and lignin-derived replacements for common commercial plasticizers, respectively.

Chemical and Biological Engineering

Advisors: Wyatt Shields and Ankur Gupta
Labs: Shields Lab and Laboratory of Interfaces, Flow and Electrokinetics (LIFE)

The goal of my research is to build a deeper understanding of active particle systems for improving targeted systems, such as targeted drug delivery. By leveraging both computational frameworks and experimental methodologies, I will gain a holistic understanding of how we can fabricate microparticle systems and integrate them into biological environments safely and effectively. In doing so, I hope to develop a framework that allows researchers to bridge the gap between the lab bench and patient bedsides. I look forward to starting my  PhD at the University of Michigan this fall! 

Aerospace

Advisors: Iain Boyd and Daniil Andrienko
Lab: Nonequilibrium Gas and Plasma Dynamics Laboratory (NGPDL)

I'll be investigating the coupling effects between high-energy, short-duration fluid-laser, and material-laser interactions. The aim of the project is to try to understand the physical processes that occur when an ultra-short femtosecond laser interacts with a surface adjacent to a high-speed chemically reacting flowfield.

Aerospace

Advisor: Hisham Ali
Lab: Magnetoaerodynamics and Aerospace Plasmas Laboratory (CU-MAPLAB)

I will be focused on Entry, Descent, and Landing research.

Biomedical Engineering

Advisor: Corey Neu
Lab: Soft Tissue Bioengineering Laboratory

My research addresses the emerging and multifaceted field of Cartilage-Bone Crosstalk (CBC), a key factor in musculoskeletal health and disease, yet its underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Cartilage and bone transmit mechanical forces within joints, but alterations in their structure and function can disrupt cellular communication, leading to diseases like osteoarthritis. To understand CBC, it is crucial to experimentally replicate both healthy and pathological tissue structures. A major challenge has been the lack of an in vitro platform that accurately mimics the joint’s mechanical environment, essential for studying cellular interactions. Our research will address this by developing a new on-chip system that introduces mechanical stimuli to effectively simulate the joint environment, thereby providing insights into how mechanical forces influence cellular communication and contribute to musculoskeletal health and disease. This innovative approach will advance our understanding of disease mechanisms, pave the way for breakthroughs in drug discovery, and accelerate the development of precise therapies for joint-related disorders.

Biological Engineering

Advisor: Timothy Whitehead
Lab: Whitehead Research Group

In my research, I use protein engineering to make better influenza vaccine immunogens. I use computational design tools, yeast display and deep sequencing techniques to redesign viral proteins. Upon immunization with these proteins, the immune system should more robustly target regions of the influenza protein that offer broader protection against a variety of flu strains. 

Aerospace

Advisor: Iain Boyd
Lab: Nonequilibrium Gas and Plasma Dynamics Laboratory (NGPDL)

My research is in the field of hypersonics, specifically computational modeling of planetary entry flows. I will be using NGPDL’s hypersonic Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code to model the entry environment for the ice giant planets, which are a top priority for the next NASA flagship mission. Hypersonic flows are typically characterized by speeds 5 times the speed of sound or greater, which cause massive heat loads to the vehicle and chemical reactions to occur within the surrounding flow. The goal of my research is to determine the sensitivities of radiative heating predictions from NGPDL’s hypersonic CFD code to the atmospheric composition of the ice giant planets, which is not well characterized. Understanding these sensitivities is important to create a robust spacecraft design for future missions.

Aerospace

Advisor: Daniel Scheeres
Lab: Celestial Spaceflight Mechanics Lab (CSML)

My research lies at the intersection of dynamical systems theory and spacecraft navigation. In my current work, I am developing semi-analytical methods for spacecraft state propagation and navigation in cislunar space utilizing high-fidelity dynamical models. I am particularly interested in enabling advanced spacecraft autonomy.

Electrical Engineering

Advisor: Scott Diddams
Lab: Frequency Comb & Quantum Metrology Lab

My research proposal is the development of highly stable and robust millimeter wave time and frequency (T&F) transfer, supporting T&F transfer between atomic clocks. T&F transfer is used to create clock networks that are essential for positioning and navigation, such as GPS and essential infrastructure like the Internet and power grid. These technologies support up to $1 billion dollars of trade and financial transactions a day. In addition, these clock networks are capable of fundamental science experiments capable of probing new and exciting questions related to physics and geodesy.

Electrical Engineering

Advisors: Cody Scarborough and Robert MacCurdy
Lab Groups: Electromagnetic Metamaterials Research Group and Matter Assembly Computation Lab

My research proposal is on the application of multi-material additive manufacturing techniques for metamaterial antennas. Metamaterial antennas are capable of more sophisticated capabilities and unique form-factors compared to conventional antennas. By leveraging multi-material additive manufacturing, there are more degrees-of-freedom for the shape and composition of the metamaterials. This research would enhance the design flexibility and capabilities of next-generation antennas to meet the growing performance demands of future wireless systems.

Chemical Engineering

Advisor: Kayla Sprenger
Lab: Rationally Designed Immunotherapeutics & Interfaces Research Group

My research uses computational tools, namely molecular dynamics simulations, to determine the protein-ligand binding mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, I aim to understand how an immune receptor protein known as TREM2, and its soluble form, modulate neuroinflammation. The ultimate goal of my project is to combine computational and wet lab tools to design novel Alzheimer's therapeutics. 

Electrical Engineering

Advisor: Joshua Combes
Lab: Combes Theory Group

My proposal involves creating a new benchmarking/testing framework for the next generation of error-corrected quantum computers. Given the noise of physical qubits, recent work has suggested combining the state of several physical qubits to create a logical qubit. I will collaborate with Dr. Josh Combes and Sandia National Labs for my PhD. Through this work, the quantum community will have a tool-kit that will help us determine how well a quantum computer performs, diagnose what and where the issues are and create solutions to realize full-scale, error-corrected quantum systems. 

Mechanical Engineering

Advisor: John Pellegrino
Lab:  Membrane Science & Technology

I did my undergrad in Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech before coming to Boulder for my PhD in Mechanical Engineering. For the past two years, I've been working on the characterization, tuning, and scale-up of graphene-based membrane electrodes (grMEs). The funding from the GRFP will allow me to pursue low technology readiness level (TRL) electrochemical device development using these grMEs. In particular, I plan on exploring hybrid electrophoretic/size exclusion-based separations for biopharmaceutical development and processing.

Biological Engineering

Advisor: Wyatt Shields
Lab: Shields Lab

Some immune cell types are particularly good at migrating to sites of inflammation, such as solid cancer tumors. The goal of my project is to harness this capability of immune cells to bring drug-loaded nanoparticles directly to diseased tissue. To do so, I will investigate nanoparticle engineering, the ability of sound waves to purify cells, and the effect of nanoparticles on immune cell behavior. My hope is that the work done in this project will improve accessibility and patient outcomes for cell-based immunotherapies for a variety of treatment scenarios. 

Mechanical Engineering

Advisor: Daven Henze
Lab: Henze Group

My research will involve using computer simulations and environmental observations to investigate the impact of atmospheric constituents on air quality and climate change. By coupling satellite observations with state-of-the-art air pollution models, I aim to provide more accurate estimates of emissions to better inform climate and public health policy. Previously at Caltech, I worked closely with scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in analyzing methane and carbon monoxide measurements in the Los Angeles Basin.

Aerospace

Advisor: Torin Clark
Lab: Bioastronautics Lab

I will be studying the impacts of hypo and microgravity on the human body. While I will be exploring multiple research interests, I plan to study SANS (Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome) and the proposed theories as to why this condition develops during prolonged spaceflight, including a headward fluid shift and elevated intracranial pressure. Additionally, I will be conducting research regarding the neurovestibular changes experienced by pilots and astronauts. I will be testing various countermeasures to limit the impact of each condition before, during, and after spaceflight, helping to ensure the safety of future missions.