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Flickr Album: 2025 Smead Aerospace Graduation Ceremony

Jeff Zehnder — Fri, 09 May 2025 20:04:10 +0000

Flickr Album: 2025 Smead Aerospace Graduation Ceremony Jeff Zehnder Fri, 05/09/2025 - 14:04

The Smead Aerospace Class of 2025 celebrated completion of the degrees during a graduation ceremony May 8 at the CU Events Center.

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Flickr Album: 2025 Graduate Reception and PhD Recognition Ceremony

Jeff Zehnder — Fri, 09 May 2025 20:01:43 +0000

Flickr Album: 2025 Graduate Reception and PhD Recognition Ceremony Jeff Zehnder Fri, 05/09/2025 - 14:01

Smead Aerospace students, friends, and family celebrated graduation May 8 with a special reception at the Aerospace Building.

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Aerospace 2025 Graduation Awards

Jeff Zehnder — Fri, 09 May 2025 18:15:01 +0000

Aerospace 2025 Graduation Awards Jeff Zehnder Fri, 05/09/2025 - 12:15

Jeff Zehnder

Flickr Album: 2025 Senior Design Awards Ceremony

Congratulations to the Smead Aerospace Class of 2025! As part of our graduation week ceremonies, we are recognizing outstanding students and teams at the undergraduate and graduate level for special achievements.

Most Outstanding Senior and Chancellor's Recognition Award (4.0 GPA)

Madison Lin

CU Engineering Award for Academic Engagement

Ivy Hill

CU Engineering Award for Perseverance

Teegan Loretta Oatley

Graduate Award for Teaching

Alyxis Ellington

Graduate Award for Professional Service

Taylor Lonner

Graduate Award for Research

Julian Hammerl

Senior Design Team Awards

Outstanding Team: LEONIDS
- Adrian Bryant, Quinten Krikava, Nicole Rogers, Polly Fitton, Tyler Renken, Murilo Tibana, Savar Rodine, Mark Turner, Andrew Vo, Shane Billingsley, Sam Allen, Daniel Mascarenas, Victoria Madden
Outstanding Professionalism: BLERP
- Sophia Orlandella, Ben Martin, Rahul Sampangiramiah, Jacob Greco, Regan Craig, Alex Putnam, Ian Holm, Zach Malcomson, Ben DeBlasio, Jordan Richardson, Alexander Keller, Nikolas Welch
Outstanding Communication: WAFFLE
- Matt Leidli, Bryce Pfuetze, Nathan Whittenburg, Ariana Bower, Vivian Young, Mikayla Cervantes, David McGraw, Summer McCluskey, Jordan Mosher, Nicholas Vialpando, Zachary McGuinn, Zachary Selleck, Zach Mund, Chris Franklin
Outstanding Creativity: TOMATOSOUPS
- Oliver Jaeckli, Paige Catena, John Dallin, Eli Greene, Berenger Hickey, Abbitt Holland, Madison Lin, Connor McEniry, Aadi Pore, Logan Skulley, Will Steinfort, Philip Szeremeta, Tiannie Zhao
Outstanding Modeling / Simulation: HAWK
- Sean Laufenberg, Matt Turner, Nathan Malyszek, Jackson Clark, Akram Alribi, Fahad Alawadhi, Nicole Crouse, Alex Kistamma, Bo Iacobbo, Chase Malanowski, Saikiran Chandramouli, Sebastian Escobar
Outstanding Prototype: OMEGA
- Nikhita Sathiyan, Drew Barbec, Milo Casey, Trevor Castano,Logan Deison, Ethan Domagala, Felix Evrard, Gabe Law, Jacob Lei, Eric Meyer, Teegan Oatley, Anthony Tucciarone, Nick Young

Senior Design Individual Awards

Outstanding Program Manager

Sophia Orlandella
Matthew Ramos

Outstanding Systems Engineer

Abbey Hicks
Polly Fitton

Outstanding CFO

Jacob Greco

Technical Leadership: Software

Winnie Regan
John Dallin

Technical Leadership: Electrical

Connor Larson
Liza Graybill

Technical Leadership: Mechanical / Manufacturing

Dana Gutierrez
Jordan Mosher

Technical Leadership: Systems and Testing

Alexandra Putman
Skyler Puckett

Outstanding Contributor Award

Kyle Goodall
Darius Mirhosseini
Kasey Connors
Teo Schollmaier
Adrian Northcutt
Peter Johnson
Anvie Gowrishankar
Taylor Bata
Sandra Sarinana

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Graduating senior and Academic Engagement Award honoree

Jeff Zehnder — Wed, 07 May 2025 20:18:31 +0000

Graduating senior and Academic Engagement Award honoree Jeff Zehnder Wed, 05/07/2025 - 14:18

Ivy Hill is a graduating senior in aerospace engineering sciences and a 2025 recipient of a Academic Engagement Award from the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

Below, Hill reflects on her time at CU Boulder and her next steps as an engineering professional.

What are your post-graduation plans?

After graduating I will be working for an aerospace startup called Constanellis, where I will be working as a satellite software developer.

What is your favorite memory from your time at CU Boulder?

My favorite memory from Boulder will be my friends. I have met many amazing people here who have loved and supported me through difficult times.

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

I am proud of myself for making it through everything. Over the last four years I have been taking numerous classes, completing endless homeworks, begging for essay extensions, working continuous jobs. I have gone through personal struggles, health struggles, social struggles, family struggles. I have gone through the moments where everything seems pointless, and now I get to see moments where everything comes together. Not only have I persisted through these last four years, but I have meaningfully improved my life in spite of it. Anyone and everyone who makes it through it all deserves to congratulate and honor themselves.

When did you feel like you hit your stride or feel like you were “officially” an engineer.

I knew I hit my stride as an engineer when I found myself enjoying my work. I was working on a piece of software and debugging for hours; I found the whole process meditative, relaxing, and fulfilling. Like solving a puzzle. That was the moment I knew I was doing the right thing for my degree.

What is your biggest piece of advice for incoming engineering students?

My biggest piece of advice is to choose happiness. Some choices are scary, and we feel like we can push them off to a later time or ignore them. And while it is never too late to make a choice, the best time is now. If you make a choice believing it will improve your life, you will find regret impossible.

What experiences or qualities do you think led to you receiving this award?

I am a helpful person who is great at showing my thought process. I am great at helping fellow students work through problems, and through my assistance to others I have built a strong reputation.

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CUriosity: A 50-year-old Soviet spacecraft will soon crash to Earth. Why, and where will it land?

Jeff Zehnder — Wed, 07 May 2025 19:03:37 +0000

CUriosity: A 50-year-old Soviet spacecraft will soon crash to Earth. Why, and where will it land? Jeff Zehnder Wed, 05/07/2025 - 13:03

Later this week, a piece of Cold War space history is expected to return to Earth—although where it will land remains unclear.

Scientists estimate that Kosmos 482, a Soviet spacecraft that launched from Earth in 1972 with plans to land on Venus, will reenter Earth’s atmosphere sometime this weekend. The spacecraft, which was fortified to withstand the extreme conditions at the surface of Venus, will likely reach Earth’s surface intact.

Don’t panic: The odds that this relic will land in a populated area are very low, said Marcin Pilinski, a research scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the bet365 malaysia.

The Kosmos 482 Venus lander. (Credit: NASA)

“It’s an infinitesimally small number,” Pilinski said. “It will very likely land in the ocean.”

He’s keeping a close eye. Pilinski is part of a team of scientists that has tracked Kosmos 482 as it orbited Earth. They include Shaylah Mutschler, director of the space weather division for the company Space Environment Technologies, and Charles Constant, a doctoral student at University College London.

The researchers say that the case of Kosmos 482 shows why it’s so important for scientists to get a handle on the space environment around Earth—understanding how spacecraft orbit the planet, interact with its wispy upper atmosphere and, in some cases, fall back down.

It’s a story five decades in the making: Kosmos 482 set out for Venus in March 1972, but, due to an unknown error with its rockets, never made it far. Today, it orbits the planet in what scientists call an “eccentric” orbit, similar in shape to a stretched-out rubber band. Because of Cold War secrecy, the researchers aren’t sure how big the spacecraft is. But estimates suggest it’s more than meter (almost 3.5 feet) wide and weighs about 495 kilograms (1,090 pounds).

“It was supposed to escape the sphere of influence of Earth,” said Mutschler, who earned her doctorate in aerospace engineering sciences from CU Boulder in 2022. “It didn’t quite do enough to get out.”

Previously in CUriosity

CUriosity: Why, and how, do ants walk in a perfect line?

Or read more CUriosity stories here

And it’s been slowing down ever since. Mutschler explained that, as Kosmos 482 orbited Earth, it sliced through the upper parts of the atmosphere, experiencing drag much like an airplane flying against the wind. Scientists like her even track tiny changes in the way the spacecraft moves past Earth to improve their simulations, or models, of the conditions in that region of space.

But predicting where the spacecraft will crash is more difficult. In part, that’s because this environment, known as low-Earth orbit, can change a lot. During events called solar storms, for example, the sun releases intense bursts of energy that can cause our planet’s atmosphere to inflate like a balloon. Weather near Earth’s surface can also send disturbances upwards, creating waves and ripples in low-Earth orbit. Pilinski is part of a group at CU Boulder called the Space Weather Technology Research and Education Center (SWx TREC). The center seeks to study the weather in space to better protect satellites in orbit around Earth.

“People who monitor asteroids to see if they will potentially impact Earth actually have an easier job,” Pilinski said. “Those objects would enter at a really steep angle. They’re not skimming part of the atmosphere for days or weeks like this spacecraft.”

Constant noted that understanding space weather is critical as companies across the globe launch more satellites into orbit.

“One collision could spell disaster for everyone else,” he said. “You’d get this cloud of debris flying around, causing other potential collisions—what we call a ‘Kessler event.’”

As for Kosmos 482, Mutschler said the researchers may be able to narrow down their estimates of where the spacecraft will crash about a day ahead of time.

“bet365 malaysia a day out, we should know with a reasonable amount of certainty whether there’s going to be a solar storm affecting Earth,” Mutschler said, “or if the atmospheric conditions are going to continue to be quiet.”

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Engineering double major and student leader of the year

Jeff Zehnder — Tue, 06 May 2025 15:34:27 +0000

Engineering double major and student leader of the year Jeff Zehnder Tue, 05/06/2025 - 09:34

Jeff Zehnder

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.

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Astronaut professor launching into retirement

Jeff Zehnder — Fri, 02 May 2025 18:00:39 +0000

Astronaut professor launching into retirement Jeff Zehnder Fri, 05/02/2025 - 12:00

Jeff Zehnder

Voss at Sierra Nevada with students and a Dream Chaser mockup.

From training as an Army Ranger and flight test engineer, to life as an astronaut in the microgravity of space, to educating the next generation of aerospace engineers, Jim Voss (MAero’74; HonPhD’00) has a list of career achievements a mile long.

Now he is taking on a new challenge: retirement.

A scholar-in-residence in the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, Voss has served as a faculty member at CU Boulder since 2009.

He has also taught at Auburn University and West Point and worked in the commercial space sector as Vice President for Space Exploration Systems at Sierra Nevada Corporation and its predecessor, SpaceDev.

What led you to pursue engineering as a career?

My older brother was in engineering at Auburn at the time and I didn’t know what I wanted to major in. He said to pick engineering because it’s very broad, and I could move from that discipline to almost anything else easily.

I found the math parts very difficult. I really questioned whether engineering was the right thing and thought about switching over to physical education. I was wrestling for Auburn and thought I would like coaching that. But I stuck with it and finished with my Aerospace Engineering degree.

When did you decide to apply to the astronaut program?

I’ve always liked space and I like reading science fiction. Growing up we didn’t have a human spaceflight program yet, so even the idea of going to space was science fiction, but it always sounded really interesting.

In 1978, when I was stationed in Germany, there was a little tiny article in the Army Times that NASA was creating a new vehicle and would need engineers and scientists to be astronauts and you didn’t have to have perfect vision. When I read that I thought they’d created the program just for me.

I applied, but didn’t get selected because I wasn’t qualified at that point.

I applied (to the astronaut program) five times over nine years. Each time I was improving and had done things that made my application stronger."

How long did it take before you were accepted?

I applied five times over nine years.

Each time I was improving and had done things that made my application stronger.

Getting declined feels pretty bad. You know it’s a tough application and only a few people get selected, but it’s hard to accept you’re not good enough. To go through it multiple times you wonder if you’re ever going to be good enough.

What were you doing to improve your application prospects?

I did things in my career that were interesting to me that I also knew were relevant to NASA.

I was always interested in flying, so I got my private pilot’s license.

Then I saw a note about the Naval Test Pilot School, which is where the Army sends its pilots. I was being recruited for the Army Aviation Research and Development Command, but I asked my assignments guy if I could be sent to the test pilot program first. I thought it would help at the R&D command if I was trained to be a flight test engineer.

He said, “You’re not going to test pilot school. You’re an infantry guy,” but I got bold and wrote a letter to the responsible general officer about it and he got me assigned to test pilot school.

I’m convinced that program had a big role in me eventually being chosen as an astronaut.

The one thing I didn’t do was get a PhD. It would have been just for my application, and that didn’t appeal to me.

You were selected in 1987 and had your first spaceflight in 1991. What is it like working in microgravity?

Floating around in microgravity is a pretty neat thing. I like being able to move really heavy things around and do weird moves and flips in space. From a sensory perspective, it’s almost overwhelming because it’s very different. You can be upside down or in any orientation.

You have a different perspective on volume when you’re floating around. You can use all the volume. You’re not limited to the floor. You can have someone lying up on the ceiling and they feel out of the way. Your perception changes.

You share the record for the longest spacewalk in American history at eight hours and 56 minutes. Was that planned?

We had no idea when we were out. It wasn’t until we got back inside that they said, ‘You know that’s the longest spacewalk ever.’

Wow, I knew I was tired and getting thirsty.

Had I known we were at 8:56, I would have stayed out for four more minutes to hit nine hours.

Jim Voss with his Cirrus SR22.

You flew on five shuttle missions. What led you to retire from the astronaut program?

There were three of us on my final flight and we were giving an interview from ISS. The interviewer asked if we would sign up for another mission. Yuri Usachev and I both said this was probably our last flight. Susan Helm said she wasn’t sure. It ended up being the last for all of us.

We trained for four years for the mission and a lot of that was spent in Russia. I thought I’d done everything I wanted to do, and I didn’t want to go through another couple years of training. It was time to do something different and I wanted to teach again.

You’ve had multiple assignments in Russia for NASA. How is your Russian?

I’m not a language person. Before going the first time, I got a couple months of very part-time instruction, but when I got to Russia my Russian was really not good.

We didn’t have any interpreters. None of the training materials were in English and almost nobody spoke English.

I really had trouble since I spoke it poorly; I wanted to speak it correctly. Roscosmos provided a Russian instructor and I spent every morning doing training and I eventually got there. After a year I could communicate well.

How does teaching at West Point compare to CU Boulder and Auburn?

I enjoy all the undergraduate and graduate students I’ve taught. I enjoy the interaction with them and seeing their enthusiasm. The difference at West Point is the students are very disciplined. If you were boring as an instructor—as sometimes happens— and they were sleepy, they would stand up behind their desk to pay attention.

How does space mission training compare to actually being in orbit?

The actual mission is a lot easier than the training. NASA needs you to be ready for anything, so during the training they’re intentionally causing malfunctions. Once you actually get up there, everything’s not breaking around you.

What do you have planned for retirement?

I still enjoy flying and working on my airplanes. I have a Cirrus SR22 and a Rutan Long-EZ experimental aircraft I built myself. I spend a good bit of time doing maintenance on them. They keep me pretty busy.

My wife and I would like to travel more, although I think she’s worried I’m going to miss teaching.

We have a lot of travel plans. We went to Egypt when we were younger and are interested in visiting again. I’d like to go to New Zealand and go back to southern Africa. Our next big trip will be to Brazil this fall for the annual Association of Space Explorers Congress. I expect to stay busy in retirement, but will miss my CU students and colleagues.

Additional Photos

Voss floating in microgravity.

ISS Expedition 2 photo with Voss, Yury Usachev, and Susan Helms.

Voss on a spacewalk while orbiting Earth.

Leading classroom instruction at CU Boulder

Voss helping a student gear up in a mock space suit.

Voss being recognized with the AIAA Haley Space Flight Award.

From training as an Army Ranger and flight test engineer, to life as an astronaut in the microgravity of space, to educating the next generation of...

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Voss conducting a spacewalk on STS-101.

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Spring 2025 Graduation Ceremony Information

Anonymous — Thu, 01 May 2025 23:09:09 +0000

Spring 2025 Graduation Ceremony Information Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/01/2025 - 17:09

Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences will host a commencement ceremony for all graduating aerospace students on May 8, 2025.

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Multiple honors at AIAA student conference

Jeff Zehnder — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 18:17:50 +0000

Multiple honors at AIAA student conference Jeff Zehnder Tue, 04/29/2025 - 12:17

Jeff Zehnder

Smead Aerospace students received multiple awards at the 2025 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Region V conference.

In undergraduate and graduate categories, aerospace students were recognized at the event, which was held at the University of Minnesota earlier this month.

Undergraduate Team Category

1st Place: Senior Design Team ASTRA - “Countering Balance Impairments in Microgravity and Earth Environments Using a Reactive Balance System"
- Sweta Alla, Austin Marx, Stephen West, Rishab Pally, Jack Diener, Tyler Hoover, Zack Goldberg, Rohit Karri, Barbara De Figueiredo, Jessica Shoemaker, Chloe Zentner, Maya Mital, Alia Feltes-DeYapp
3rd Place: Senior Design Team LEONIDS - “Aerodynamic Stability for Optimal CubeSat Drag Sail Operations"
- Adrian Bryant, Quinten Krikava, Nicole Rogers, Polly Fitton, Tyler Renken, Murilo Tibana, Savar Rodine, Mark Turner, Andrew Vo, Shane Billingsley, Sam Allen, Daniel Mascarenas, Victoria Madden

Undergraduate Category

1st Place: Christopher O’Neill Jr - “Modeling Trajectory and Attitude to Optimize Baffle Design for the Optical Navigation System of the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt"

Graduate Category

3rd Place: Lynnette Wilde and Lynzee Hogger - “Human Spaceflight Graduate Projects: Recommendations for Project-Based Aerospace Systems Engineering"

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Aerospace senior earns college perseverance award

Jeff Zehnder — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 14:00:08 +0000

Aerospace senior earns college perseverance award Jeff Zehnder Tue, 04/29/2025 - 08:00

Teegan Oatley is an aerospace engineering sciences senior and a 2025 recipient of the Perseverance Award from the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

Below, as a soon-to-be graduate, she reflects on her student experience and future as an engineering professional.

What are your post-graduation plans?

After graduation, I am working as an Engineer I at a satellite solar array start-up called Source Energy Company.

What is your favorite memory from your time at CU Boulder?

My favorite memories from my time at CU were game days at Folsom and spending time with my sorority sisters.

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

I am most proud of my role in the growth of Phi Sigma Rho, a sorority for women and gender minorities in STEM, which supported about 20 members when I first stepped into leadership and now supports more than 70 active members.

When did you feel like you hit your stride or like you were “officially” an engineer.

With each internship that I had, I grew more and more confident in my skills. During my 3rd internship, I was working in manufacturing engineering and set up a process for conformal coating circuit boards for various satellite components.

I was able to confidently identify issues in the cleanroom setup that impacted the machinery used for the conformal coating process and presented suggested solutions to the Director of Engineering at the company, who immediately addressed them.

The success of that project felt like a breakthrough in realizing that I am fully capable of being an engineer.

What is your biggest piece of advice for incoming engineering students?

My biggest piece of advice for incoming engineering students is to learn what helps you reset or de-stress. For me, I ground myself and reset my stress levels by spending some time in nature, but it could be anything that works for you.

Engineering and college in general can be really stressful so having a mechanism to help relieve stress is crucial.

What experiences or qualities do you think led to you receiving this award

I was raised in a family of very hard-working and self-driven people. When I decided that I wanted to be an aerospace engineer in 7th grade, nothing was going to change my mind.

By the time I came to CU, I was closer to my goal than ever before and so as I got closer to graduation, each setback didn't feel as significant because I learned more with each one and I was still getting closer to reaching my goal.

I also have a passion for supporting others through their experiences in STEM so my involvement in the Learning Assistant program, Phi Sigma Rho, and the GoldShirt scholarship program provided avenues for me to both practice my skills and support other engineering students.

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