Five mechanical engineering students, affiliates earn NSF recognition
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has recognized five students and affiliates in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering with Graduate Research Fellowships.
These top awards honor and support outstanding graduate students from across the country in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees.
PhD students Charles Fraga, Rebecca Riley and Nick Rovito have been awarded the prestigious fellowship. PhD students Emma Balevic and Stephanie McNamara, a physics student who is currently working alongside mechanical engineering faculty, have received the program's honorable mention.
Read more about their interests and research below.
First-year PhD student
Advisor: Nicole W. Xu
Lab: The Xu Lab
Fraga is from Kansas City, Missouri, working in The Xu Lab with Assistant Professor Nicole W. Xu. His research combines principles from robotics, biology, and fluid dynamics to develop biohybrid robots. These robots integrate live jellyfish with electronic controllers to enable swimming.
Currently, these robots can only move in a straight line. Fraga's project aims to investigate potential turning mechanisms that allow them to navigate more effectively. The goal of this research is to develop biohybrid robotic jellyfish capable of precise underwater movements, enhancing their effectiveness for environmental monitoring and exploration.
First-year PhD student
Advisors: Virginia Ferguson and Nicole W. Xu
Lab: Ferguson Biomechanics and Biomimetics Lab
Before coming to CU Boulder, Riley studied computational biology at the University of Texas Austin. Her research explored principles in marine ecology, and bioinspired materials. She also worked as a science writer, developing articles that would get picked up by outlets such as ScienceDaily, Space.com, and the Austin American-Statesman.
Riley's project will use 3D bioprinting to create innovative materials that help corals recover from the stresses of climate change. As ocean temperatures and salinity rise, coral reefs are at risk of dying. Regenerating these ecosystems depends on successful coral settlement: the process where baby coral larvae attach to surfaces and begin to grow. The goal is to design artificial reefs that do more than provide structure—they create an environment that actively promotes coral survival. Beyond reef restoration, this work could offer valuable insights into how engineered materials can support biological resilience in the face of environmental change.
Second-year PhD student
Advisor: Debanjan Mukherjee
Lab: FLOWLab
Rovito is a graduate researcher in mechanical engineering at the CU and a member of FLOWLab, an interdisciplinary research group focused on fluid dynamics and transport phenomena led by Assistant Professor Debanjan Mukherjee. He specializes in computational modeling of biofluid systems, with an emphasis on simulating blood flow, drug transport, and clot dissolution in the brain to improve treatment for acute ischemic stroke.
Nick’s approach combines high-performance computing with vascular biomechanics. He is also a passionate educator, committed to making complex engineering topics accessible and engaging for students. Nick is a published author in biomedical simulation and a recipient of multiple honors, including first place in American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Fluids Engineering Paper Competition.
Honorable Mentions
First-year PhD student
Advisors: Grace Burleson and Michael Hannigan
Lab: Burleson Global Design Group and Hannigan Air Quality and Technology Lab
Balevic is a fellow in the Mortenson Center in Global Engineering and Resilience. She recently completed a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering at Purdue University, and she is thrilled to continue exploring design science, human well-being and the environment at CU Boulder.
As a member of both the Burleson Global Design Group and the Hannigan Air Quality and Technology Lab, Balevic is interested in studying the ways in which artifacts created by engineers can impact humans and the environment. Her latest project investigates the skills that professional engineers use when collecting, analyzing, and implementing requirements from stakeholders in design processes and comparing these skills to those taught in engineering curricula. This study will equip students with critical skills to engage with stakeholders and integrate stakeholder perspectives into designs, allowing for broad consumer impact through the creation of more contextually appropriate products, processes, and systems.
Second-year PhD student in geophysics
Advisor: Nathalie Vriend
Lab: Granular Flow Laboratory
McNamara is studying geophysics and working under Associate Professor Nathalie Vriend in the Granular Flow Laboratory. Her research explores dune migration with the goal of improving resilience between human infrastructure and natural environments.
Outside of her own research, McNamara is extremely passionate about art, environment and femininity in STEM fields.