With autumn still in the air, now is actually the perfect time to start your internship search for the summer or beyond. 

Securing an internship provides students with an invaluable hands-on experience, offering the chance to apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings or explore different fields they might not have previously considered. While internships enhance resumes, they also provide a chance to explore potential career paths and connect with professionals with a variety of experiences—invaluable benefits for any student. 

��ɫ��Ƶ’s chapter of the recently hosted companies across industries including aerospace, research & development, energy, radio frequency communication and sports equipment for their Industry Networking Night. 

The event was an opportunity for students to speak with professionals and learn about engineering and technical roles nationwide. Students also learned about the skills recruiters typically look for among interns. 

Looking for tips on landing an internship in any industry? Look no further! SWE’s leadership board members—many of whom have completed internships themselves—provided helpful tips to help you get started!

1. Craft a Strong Resume: Highlight your experiences and skills clearly and seek feedback from multiple people. Tailor your resume for different roles and companies that interest you.
2. Apply Widely: The internship search is often a numbers game. Apply to as many positions as possible to increase your chances of landing interviews.
3. Polish Your LinkedIn Profile: Ensure your LinkedIn profile has a professional photo and lists relevant skills and experiences. A strong online presence can attract recruiters.
4. Practice Interview Skills: Take the time to practice your interview techniques. Always research the company and role beforehand to prepare relevant questions and answers.
5. Utilize Career Services: Schedule meetings with ��ɫ��Ƶ Career Services early in your search. They can provide valuable insights and resources to support your job hunt.
6. Do Your Research: Before interviews, familiarize yourself with the companies you’re applying to. Mention specific projects or products to demonstrate your enthusiasm.
7. Highlight Challenges and Growth: Discuss specific areas of previous projects where you excelled and struggled and how you overcame those challenges. This illustrates your growth mindset and problem-solving abilities.
8. Market Yourself: Connect your skills and experiences to the company’s values and goals, emphasizing your overall fit beyond just technical qualifications. If you don’t see yourself aligning with company values, that’s good to know too.
9. Be Personable in Interviews: Employers appreciate candidates who fit well within their company culture. Don’t be afraid to show your personality with authenticity and eagerness to learn.
10. Believe in Yourself and Stay Persistent: Confidence is key! Trust in your abilities and remember that persistence is crucial in the internship search.

Companies that connected with 70 SWE student members included: BOA Fit System, BrightLine Group, CMTA, First RF, Lockheed Martin, Monolith, Pattern Labs, Qorvo, Quantinuum, Sandia National Laboratories, Spectrum and Ursa Major.

Ameenah Razi, a first-year computer science student, was excited about expanding their horizons with new companies they weren’t aware of. 

“I learned about a lot of opportunities and companies I wouldn’t have thought to look for, but now I’ll be applying to them,” said Razi.  

Students who have internship experiences already under their belt, like fourth-year mechanical engineering student Aubrey Ley, enjoyed providing tips to freshmen and sophomores about their own experiences. Ley was a space manufacturing intern at Lockheed Martin last summer. 

Since the event, Ley has connected with a number of companies for their job search and has been in touch with a recruiter about full-time roles after graduation. 

Sara Leschova, vice president for SWE who organized the event, was proud of attracting more companies than in previous semesters. 

“Several members who attended the event said they learned about new companies and have connected with recruiters,” said Leschova. 

“That’s exactly why we hold industry events like this.”

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College tops 1,100 PhDs with most diverse class

The College of Engineering and Applied Science at the ��ɫ��Ƶ is celebrating a milestone, welcoming its largest-ever cohort of doctoral students. With a 25% rise in PhD enrollment year-over-year, CU Engineering continues to solidify its reputation as a leader in graduate education, particularly among women and students from minoritized communities.

“CU Engineering is dedicated to becoming a top destination for the brightest minds across engineering fields, where novel research and innovation have the potential to impact everyday lives,” said Keith Molenaar, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science. “Our growth in PhD enrollment is a testament to the success of this strategy, and our strong enrollment of women and students from diverse backgrounds reflects the inclusive and supportive environment we seek to cultivate.”

The incoming class includes a record percentage of female doctoral students, with women making up 37% of new PhD enrollees, surpassing the national average of 29%, according to data from the. ��ɫ��Ƶ stands as the top large public institution for the percentage of women doctoral students enrolled—among institutions with more than 1,000 PhD students—holding a lead over peer institutions.

The overall PhD enrollment at CU Engineering now has 10% of its students from minoritized communities, higher than the national average of 7%. These gains are part of the college’s broader efforts to attract and support a more diverse student body through targeted recruitment and funding opportunities.

Among the incoming and continuing doctoral students, 18 have been awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, putting ��ɫ��Ƶ in the top 15 for NSF GRFP recipients nationwide across all disciplines and the College of Engineering and Applied Science at No. 7 nationwide in engineering disciplines. This recognition, which supports outstanding graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, further proves the academic excellence found within ��ɫ��Ƶ Engineering’s doctoral programs.

Doctoral Program Strengths and Expanding Opportunities

The college’s growth extends beyond traditional engineering fields, in line with its strategy to continuously innovate a portfolio of programs that address emergent needs and opportunities in climate, space, health and quantum.

Newer programs, such as engineering education, biomedical engineering and robotics, have attracted significant interest from prospective students. These interdisciplinary programs are designed to meet the evolving needs of the workforce and offer doctoral students cutting-edge research opportunities in emerging fields.

"Exploring physics during my bachelor’s and master’s studies sparked a deep curiosity about how complex systems function and their potential to drive innovation, and encountering Kaushik Jayaram’s research at CU Engineering introduced me to the fascinating world of bio-inspired robotics," said Mija Jovchevska, incoming PhD student and ��ɫ��Ƶ Chancellor Scholar. "At first, I wasn't sure how my background would fit, but after meeting Jayaram and Nicole Xu, I knew ��ɫ��Ƶ was the right choice. Their pioneering work in bio-inspired robotics and biohybrid systems, along with CU’s interdisciplinary approach, supportive community, and Boulder lifestyle, made it the perfect place to bridge my physics background into this exciting, emerging field of research."

CU Engineering’s doctoral programs continue to gain national recognition, with recent rankings placing the college at No. 12 among public institutions and in the top 25 overall for graduate engineering education,.

Boulder: A Top Destination for Graduate Students

In addition to academic prestige, ��ɫ��Ƶ’s location in the heart of Boulder, Colorado, offers doctoral students an unparalleled quality of life. Boulder is consistently ranked among the best places to live in the United States, known for its access to outdoor recreation, vibrant cultural scene and innovative tech ecosystem.

The region’s proximity to national laboratories and leading technology companies also provides CU Engineering students opportunities to collaborate on research and internships, further enhancing their graduate experience.

As the College of Engineering and Applied Science continues to grow, it remains dedicated to providing students with the resources, mentorship, and opportunities they need to excel in their fields and become leaders in research and innovation. With a record-breaking doctoral class and strong enrollment gains in female students and students from historically underrepresented communities and minoritized identities, CU Engineering is well-positioned to continue its upward trajectory.

Prospective students interested in joining CU Engineering’s growing doctoral programs can learn more and apply online.

For more information on the college and programs, visit our main engineering program page.

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College of Engineering and Applied Science's fall 2023 class includes 41% female students, up 27 percentage points from two decades ago.

In an era where gender diversity in STEM is more critical than ever, the ��ɫ��Ƶ’s College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) isn't just paying lip service. In the past two decades, CEAS has transformed its engineering landscape, growing its female undergraduate class from 18% in 2003 to 30% in 2023. The estimates that, in 2023, the percentage of women professionals in architecture and engineering is 16.7%. And while up from 9% in the 1990s, women are still underrepresented in these fields compared to their male counterparts.

The spotlight shines bright on CEAS’ first-year cohorts as well, particularly the fall 2023 class, which includes 41% female students, up 27 percentage points from two decades ago. This achievement underscores ��ɫ��Ƶ's status as a leader among Association of American Universities (AAU) Public Institutions, clinching a top spot in 2022 for the highest percentage of first-year female engineering students from the .

Keith Molenaar, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, said initiatives spearheaded by both the college and the broader ��ɫ��Ƶ campus over the last 10-15 years have propelled the growth.

“This is not only about fairness and equity, but about driving innovation, enhancing problem-solving capabilities, and expanding our engineering workforce that is in such high demand,” said Molenaar. “By fostering a diverse engineering team, ��ɫ��Ƶ is preparing students for the workforce and shaping a future where technology reflects the diversity of its users.”

The has recognized ��ɫ��Ƶ as a Top 5 public university for women in its first-year class as well as a Top 50 institution for awarding bachelor's degrees to women, and leading in female tenured or tenure-track faculty.

“Addressing global challenges, from sustainable development and healthcare, to rapidly advancing computing subfields such as AI, quantum and semiconductors, will require a diverse set of perspectives and solutions,” said Lucy Sanders, founder and executive in residence, . “Those with different lived experiences such as those who identify as women are pivotal in designing infrastructure and technologies that cater to the needs of our broad population.”

Boulder's journey towards gender parity in engineering is a clear signal that diversity in STEM is achievable.

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The College of Engineering and Applied Science recognizes alumni achievements with annual awards. We are pleased to announce our 2024 recipients representing the BOLD Center!

2024 Alumni Engagement Medal Award recipients: 

• DEAA honors graduates and friends who have distinguished themselves through outstanding personal qualities, knowledge, and significant contributions to their fields

Denzil Ekow Bilson (CompSci'23) 

Denzil has built many connections and relationships with students, staff, and faculty within BOLD and in the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Though he finished his undergraduate coursework and student employment last year, he still engages with the BOLD Center as a Lead Volunteer Tutor and has expanded his portfolio as a TA in CSEN.

Read Denzil's bio

Briana Santa Ana (CivEngr'20)

In an effort to bring attention and awareness to issues around discrimination and diversity in the construction industry, Santa Ana helped organize the Construction Diversity Summit, which took place in April 2022 with nearly 200 attendees. Briana was fully engaged in the planning process, which included coordinating three breakout session speakers and a panel of industry leaders. She joined two of her peers who represented recent graduates and shared their stories with the audience. The summit enabled participants to learn new communication strategies and skills, recognize the importance of DEI work on the jobsite, and better understand the challenges underrepresented populations face in the construction industry.

Read Briana's bio

All awardees will be honored at the Engineering Awards Banquet in April 2024.

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Davey Aguiar, Coordinator of BOLD Programs & Student Engagement in The BOLD Center reflects on what 'Pride' means to them, the need to remember and honor previous generations of LGBTQ+ people for their sacrifices and contributions, and how embracing their femininity has brought healing and liberation.

What is your role at ��ɫ��Ƶ? 

Coordinator of BOLD Programs & Student Engagement in the BOLD Center! In addition to coordinating programs for students, I oversee BOLD's 8 affinity-based, professional engineering societies in areas of leadership, programming and budgeting. I also oversee the Peer Mentor program that assists in the transition of first-year students into CEAS.

What does pride mean to you?

My definition has changed over the years the more I've taken time to explore, self-reflect and decolonize my view on gender and sexual identity, especially as it relates to me, personally. This year, Pride means that we as LGBTQ+ people don't need to be accepted or tolerated by cishet (cisgender and heterosexual) people to feel validated about who we are. When I came 'out' in high school, I spent time trying to figure out how to ensure my parents/family, my cishet friends and even strangers felt comfortable being around a Queer person. Looking back, I realize it was a defense mechanism that I was using for safety that ended up harming me.

While I was spending time prioritizing their comfort, my mental health and self-esteem were declining because I was shaming my femininity, my sexual identity and gender without even realizing it. Once I learned to stop seeking acceptance and tolerance from my oppressors, that's when I really started to see my growth and self-love flourish. It was liberating. I learned that seeking acceptance and tolerance for simply existing was dehumanizing and I didn't deserve that. Nobody deserves to feel that way about themselves. That's why we celebrate 'Pride'. It's to celebrate those who don't fit in a particular box and are not afraid to draw outside the lines.

What would you say to other folks celebrating pride with you?

First and foremost, we need to honor the older generations of LGBTQ+ people who helped pave the road for us through their emotional, physical and mental sacrifices and contributions. Most of the time, those ​sacrifices (both willingly and unwillingly) cost the lives of beautiful Queer people who died at the hands of homophobia, transphobia, racism, imperialism/colonialism, domestic violence and the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

We lost engineers, educators, artists, friends, family and significant others at the hands of ignorance and fear -- two dangerous tools that have been controlled by our oppressors, especially those in political power. So, although we should celebrate all facets of our identity and community, let's never forget those who have passed, especially the thousands of QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans Black, Indigenous, People of Color) we lost to domestic violence, white supremacy and colonization.

Which of your identities would you like to take a moment and celebrate, both in the context of pride and beyond? What do they mean to you?

I have an enormous amount of love and care for my femininity. Growing up, I was a flamboyant and energetic child who felt their emotions deeply, which was often ridiculed and questioned in my patriarchal and immigrant household. I was also ostracized by my peers from middle school to high school and was called 'gay' for most of my life because of it. Unfortunately, in the context of Western society, femininity is often ridiculed under a patriarchal system because there are stereotypical traits that are, unfairly and inaccurately, tied directly to women, which is then correlated with weakness. That's why we see such similar stereotypes and discriminatory treatment directed towards LGBTQ+ people. 

However, as I grew older, I noticed that my environment gravitated towards powerful and confident womxn who were identified as matriarchs, friends, supervisors and mentors to me. Instead of being taught to shame my emotions and femininity, I was met with affirmations, unconditional love and empowerment. At first, it was scary letting myself become that vulnerable, but as I embraced it, I also felt myself healing. Fast forward to present time, my femininity is now a superpower I use within my praxis as an educator and as a person. I cherish it and I cannot express how grateful I am for those womxn who helped me to become the person I am today.

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The ��ɫ��Ƶ is hosting a Construction Diversity Summit to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in the construction industry.

The free event, planned for April 1, will bring together companies and students from around the state to discuss and raise awareness about diversity-related issues in construction, build empathy within the workforce, and bring forward solutions to help construction employers and employees navigate the industry. 

The summit will include breakout sessions, talks on ways to enhance company culture, and programming on skills to promote meaningful dialogue and respect for all contributions, according to Amy Javernick-Will, the Nicholas R. and Nancy D. Petry Professor in Construction Engineering and Management in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering.

“We hope attendees will recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion on jobsites and in the office, learn new communication strategies and skills, and better understand challenges facing students and graduates to cultivate an inclusive environment,” Javernick-Will said.

The keynote speaker will be Michael J. Garner, who serves as Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Garner and his team have designed and implemented workforce strategies at MTA which have significantly increased minority and women hires.

Registration is still open for the summit, and the full schedule is available on the Construction Diversity Summit website.

The event was the brainchild of alumna Briana Santa Ana (CivEngr ’20), who faced discrimination during a summer internship when she was an undergraduate student. Matthew Morris, a senior instructor in CEAE, realized her experience was far too common, and when she suggested a summit to address DEI issues in the construction industry, the event was born.

“Students had reported experiencing, at times, an unwelcoming environment, and one in which they could not see themselves thriving,” Javernick-Will said. “This spurred us to want to bring industry and students together to learn and take action to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where each person could thrive.”

Santa Ana subsequently was recognized with an Outstanding Undergraduate for Service Award by the College of Engineering and Applied Science for her efforts.

The summit is being organized by Morris, together with Sage Hobbs, Amy Moreno-Sherwood, Amy Nelson, Maxine Pryor, and a panel of recent graduates, including Santa Ana.

Support is being provided by numerous industry sponsors, including The Beavers Heavy Engineering Construction Association, Flatiron Construction, Holder Construction, Kiewit Corporation, and Whiting-Turner, as well as the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Endowment for Construction Engineering and Management.

The summit was originally planned for 2020, but was delayed to 2022 by the pandemic.

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Anthony Pimentel (EVEN'21) was awarded one of three Research graduate awards His efforts have focused on new water treatment options and sustainable technologies to reduce the environmental impact of water infrastructure. 

His path to research excellence at CU started with the college's Discovery Learning Apprenticeship (DLA) program, which placed him in professor Karl Linden's lab, which focuses on novel technologies for advanced water treatment. 

Pimentel has presented at multiple conferences in the past year on a newer water filtering material and method that can stand up to strong disinfecting chemicals better than plastic filters can.

He will graduate with both an undergraduate and graduate degree in Environmental Engineering through the department's Bachelor's-Accelerated Master's program, and he's ready. 

"I'm excited to graduate and get out in the real world and work with people to fix systems that need fixing." Pimentel said.

Pimentel has known that he wanted to work with water since before he came to ��ɫ��Ƶ.

As a child growing up in Flint, Michigan he would wander through the warehouse of his mother's plumbing business, surrounded by pipe fittings and faucets. 

This was before the city started pulling water from the heavily polluted Flint river in the widely publicized ongoing Flint water crisis, and before the 2008 recession closed the business. 

Pimentel's father, a first-generation immigrant from Peru and software engineer, encouraged his son to consider engineering as a career, but Pimentel, who had only seen engineers work with cars and code, didn't feel it was for him. 

"I told him, 'No, I don't like math, I don't like this.' And it took some time. I took a year off after high school. Then I went down and lived in Peru." he said.

In Peru, Pimentel started to see that "engineering problems" are often far from technical. 

"The issues in Flint and Peru are largely political problems, systemic oppression, racial oppression, issues that are hard to understand," he said.  

"I want to encourage engineers to address problems that are technical but also multifaceted, and you need to have a holistic background to address those and to make change," he said.  

At ��ɫ��Ƶ, Pimentel himself worked to grow that holistic background through service and involvement. As a transfer student without a freshman group of friends, Pimentel regularly went to Engineering Launch, the college's involvement fair.

Through the event he discovered Engineers without Borders, The American Society of Civil Engineers, the society for the Environmental Engineering department (SEVEN), the Society for Hispanic Engineers (SHPE) and other groups. He also found a home in the BOLD Center as a Student Success Center (SSC) tutor. 

"Before ��ɫ��Ƶ, I took a year in community college and the courses weren't easy for me. I was working twenty to 30 hours, as a lot of students do. I wanted to give back to those students who have come from similar backgrounds like myself, a lot of whom don't have English as a first language." he said.

Pimentel is valued for his services to the BOLD SSC. 

"Anthony goes above and beyond in his work. He’s always willing to support his peers, colleagues and those in his community. You can always rely on Anthony to show up, creatively problem-solve, and engage in high impact work and initiatives to make a positive difference." said Chantal Baca, BOLD Student Success Senior Professional. 

Pimentel also said he values the BOLD Center for its student-oriented approach and programming. He said he believes the center is where many students from diverse backgrounds find friends and strengthen their personal and professional skills as engineers.

Looking to the future, Pimentel said he hopes his generation is the one that ensures people get access to basic services no matter where they live, what their income is or what they look like.

"Engineers are committed to providing the most basic and needed services to people. And with climate change and civil unrest, our infrastructure is at risk. We need further investment, but money doesn't solve the issue. We need smart and resourced and diverse-thinking engineers succeeding and being motivated to go into the field and to solve issues, to build the future of this country and of the world."  he said.

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Leah Rivera (EnvEngr’'21) is the rare recipient of two awards bestowed by the College of Engineering and Applied Science: the Community Impact Award and the Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI) Award. 

Rivera, however, didn’t set out to win one graduating student award, let alone two. She just wanted to be a force for good.

"I started looking up, 'What career can I have that will help people?' It was very generic, I remember googling it. And one of them was environmental engineering. I didn't know anything about engineering, but I was like, 'OK, I'll do it.'" Rivera said. 

A plunge into the unknown

Despite limited knowledge of what engineering could be and no calculus or physics courses from high school, Rivera was accepted into the Engineering GoldShirt Program. Tanya Ennis, then program director of the GoldShirt program, “took a chance on me,” Rivera said.

The GoldShirt Program seeks to support the holistic development of promising engineers who often haven't been able to access college-preparatory courses and programs. The program provides community-building, holistic advising and financial support.

As Rivera plunged into engineering at ��ɫ��Ƶ, she had to balance learning independent living and feelings of academic inadequacy with the intense rigor of the engineering program. It was extremely challenging academically and, by her second year, Rivera was facing academic suspension. 

Facing a failure

“It was a very shameful time for me because I felt like I had failed and that I couldn't get back to a good place in terms of academic standing,” Rivera said. “I also felt like I had disappointed other people. I didn't actually talk to my family about it because that's how embarrassed I was." 

In the depths of her despair, Rivera went to Ennis. 

“I expected her to say ‘Oh, I told you so,’ because she gave me a chance and I nearly ruined it, but she didn't talk to me condescendingly or anything. She met me with grace,” Rivera said.

“Leah asked me if I believed that she could succeed in engineering, and my response was, ‘Of course I do. You are capable of succeeding in whatever you believe you can!’ I remember the hopeful look on her face,” said Ennis. 

Rivera started taking continuing education classes to get her GPA up and made the Dean’s List for her GPA that semester. 

Fostering success

Boosted by that success, Rivera came back into the Environmental Engineering Program ready to succeed and to give back. She became a peer mentor to students in the GoldShirt Program, EVEN and ImagineCU.

She encourages students to be as open as they can be about their struggles and to get the help they need. 

"Leah’s motivations have always been grounded in relationships and care for others." said Phil Courey, current director of the GoldShirt Program. 

"A lot of people, myself included, make it worse by talking down to ourselves and not being nice or gentle with ourselves when facing failure. I'd just say, "Be nice to yourself and be gentle. Yes, we all make mistakes, but make the most out of it,’" Rivera said. 

Rivera also recommends working with academic coaches and allowing yourself to have a support network rather than isolating yourself.  

Rivera began to believe in herself, she said, and worked to stop comparing herself to other students and focus on her own strengths. She became co-president of the Society of Environmental Engineers (SEVEN), where she is dedicated to promoting inclusivity and helping build community. 

Empowerment for all

"Engineering is not just about science and technology, but about how we implement it in communities to make people's lives better. That's why it's so important to me, and why I love it so much," Rivera said.

She used YOURE@CU, a class facilitated by the BOLD Center that pairs students and researchers over the course of a semester, to gain valuable research experience.  

Ennis also connected Rivera with Professor Shelly Miller, who works closely with women students in the College of Engineering and Applied Science to mentor them and encourage them to succeed in engineering. 

Rivera's involvement in promoting inclusivity carried through in her research, as she researched how to empower people living in north Denver neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by the expansion of I-70. A summer 2021 internship with the Environmental Protection Agency focused on expanding engagement with rural community leaders in Colorado.

Gratitude and hope

Reflecting on her college experience, Rivera feels gratitude. Without the BOLD Center, she said, she knows she would not be here today. “The GoldShirt Program is a family.” 

While she said she knows she can never repay what the program did for her, she hopes to continue paying it forward.

“Leah’s demeanor changed from one of concern to one of passion and curiosity. I am extremely proud of Leah and all that she’s accomplished,” Ennis said. “I know that she will positively impact the world with her dedication to protecting the environment and her relentless care for all people that she encounters.” 

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In June of this year, the ��ɫ��Ƶ highlighted the work that Mark Hernandez, professor in the Environmental Engineering Program at ��ɫ��Ƶ, and Odessa Gomez, a senior researcher in Hernandez’ group, have been doing to measure air ventilation and filtration in Denver public schools. They weren't alone in their efforts. 

The lab's field technicians were all students from populations historically excluded from engineering, and who have their own dreams and ambitions for its future.

"This was no small feat for these young people, who fearlessly went into Denver metro public schools, masks and gloves on, day after day, during the heart of the pandemic," Hernandez said. 

Here are the stories of four of those technicans, Halle Sago, Sylvia Akol, Jeronimo Palacios Luna and Ximena Duenas Ibarra, and what they're working for.

Halle Sago: To make walls without mold

Working in Mark's lab and doing field technician work broadened Sago's perspectives on how the built environment affects the health of students. "It's great research that I'm very appreciative to be a part of," she said.

Sago is Native American. Her mom's side of the family is Zuni Pueblo, her dad's side is Mescalero Apache, and she has wanted to pursue architecture from a young age. Though she grew up in Boulder, she frequently traveled back to her families' reservations and saw the disparities in access to quality housing. 

"It hit me beginning in middle school that this is not normal. They should not have mold, or holes in the roof, and they should have access to the resources that they need for a healthy environment."

That desire became Sago's pathway to college, and everything, including the air quality research with Hernandez' team, has helped her learn more about the systems that go into building those healthy environments.

The research with Hernandez' team was a refreshing change, she said. In the program she said there were few people of color, especially instructors. She enjoyed working with folks from similar backgrounds to her own, especially people who were so positive and hard-working.

Challenges were swiftly worked through, and though there was a wide range of ages and experience levels, the group felt like a community, she said.

"While we were driving to the schools to do research, we would talk about our family and friends," Sago said. 

Reflecting on her family, Sago said that through college, she has realized she never wants to take family time for granted. 

"Family is a core I have, hand-in-hand with my communities. Sharing a meal and engaging in conversation is something I hold very deeply. It will always be important to me," she said.

Halle Sago (��ɫ��Ƶ, EnvDes, '20); Sylvia Akol (��ɫ��Ƶ, Environmental Engineering Sophomore); Ryan Carroll (��ɫ��Ƶ, EnvDes, '20)

Sylvia Akol: To take a seat at the table

Environmental engineering is something Sylvia Akol has more than academic passion for. 

Growing up in Kabata, a village in the Kumi District of Uganda, her village experienced significant droughts as a result of insufficient infrastructure. Though there was a nearby lake, there weren't pipes to bring water. 

"There were a bunch of Europeans who came and wrote papers, but there was no solution," she said, until around two years ago when Kumi was finally able to bring clean, piped water to the village. 

Akol realized that environmental engineering was an access point to providing quality, clean water everywhere, and she knew that her presence at the table where decisions are being made was essential. 

"I'm confronting systemic racism… It's the only way I can be able to be part of the decisions that are made when people who look like me are not present. If I'm there, I can represent," Akol said.

Shortly after she transferred from Front Range Community College to Metro State University, she heard about Hernandez' research and became involved. The research was rewarding, Akol said, in part because of the diversity of the students the research team was serving. 

“COVID really affected the Black community, the Latino community and other minority communities, and it was great to know that we were contributing part of the solution," Akol said. 

When she told her family and friends about the efforts, they appreciated the care and concern the team was giving to the schools.

"It was amazing to hear how grateful they were, and to see that the kids are going to feel safer in this school where we are studying how to improve their environment,” she said

For Akol, the future is all about water. "I am resilient, strong and passionate," she said, and she will be using those strengths to bridge the infrastructure divide and provide equitable solutions everywhere.

Sylvia Akol (��ɫ��Ƶ, Environmental Engineering Sophomore), Christian Sorel (Front Range Community College)

Jeronimo Palacios Luna: To reforge his path

Jeronimo Palacios Luna was excited to start working for Mark Hernandez' air-filtration research project in the spring of 2020, but at first, his family felt it was too dangerous. 

"It was just barely when the pandemic was breaking out. The vaccines were uncertain; no one knew what was happening. The only thing we had were face masks," he said.  

He waited until he was vaccinated, and when the team reached out to him again, Palacios was thrilled. While the job had initially meant money for college and a great research connection, he said it now held deeper meaning. During his first semester of college, all of Palacios' classes were online. 

"I struggled so much. The HEPA equipment was a positive light, a piece of equipment that could help out the schools and other institutions we set them up in have a safer space to work in person," he said. 

He said he also appreciated the opportunity to get out of the house and do something that felt meaningful. He was given a lot of responsibility, and with it, respect.

"We didn't have to talk that much about the work we were doing because everyone was doing it right. There wasn't really a necessity to pressure everyone or micromanage people," he said. 

Having a team that was entirely people of color from diverse lived experiences was definitely fun, he said.  The team often rode in the car together from Denver’s Union Station to the school they were surveying, sharing music and memes. 

"You get out of your comfort zone and talk to more people. One of the first days, Sylvia told me that in Uganda, folks don't have last names. The family takes them because of globalization, but originally they didn't have last names, and I was like, ‘Oh, that's so funny because in Mexico we have three last names,’ and we were both sharing our culture and how we perceive everything," he said.

Palacios also gained more perspective on the work he was doing in school, and decided to switch majors from mechanical engineering to creative technology and design. Living in Boulder, Palacios would frequently go to Building61, the Boulder Public Library makerspace. He even presented at the 4th Annual Maker Educator Convening on "Making as a Tool of  "in San Jose, California, as a high schooler. 

The pandemic broke Palacios' path, forcing him to re-examine everything he thought he knew about what he wanted to do and who he wanted to be, he said. 

Now, in the light of the research he's been doing, the friends he's made, and the new opportunities ahead, he says he's reforging himself, focusing on his strengths as someone who can connect between disciplines and people.

Ximena Duenas Ibarra: To help the helpers

Ximena Duenas Ibarra is the youngest researcher on Mark Hernandez' team. Still in high school and facing her senior year, she wants to be an environmentalist to give back to the natural world, which gives so much to us.

"Think about trees. They're these real, living beings. They give to everyone, even bugs, and we're destroying them. I want to help them. I want to help the helpers," she said.

Duenas Ibarra had just gotten a job as a house cleaner when she was given the opportunity to work with Mark Hernandez' team. Duenas Ibarra decided to give it a try before deciding between the two positions and realized that she really enjoyed the research. 

Everyone else on the team was older than she was, but she was held to the same standards of professionalism as everyone else. This also meant that, as a researcher, she was encouraged to ask questions and able to be herself. 

"My inner Latina-ness was coming out. Usually I've had to hold it back all these years but here I was,  like, ‘Wow, I can speak Spanish without having a teacher worry about what I'm saying.’ It helped me grow a lot. It shouldn't be a big deal, but it is, because you get to know yourself a little more," she said.

In a classroom, sitting and taking measurements, IDuenas Ibarra found herself wondering about many things. How did HEPA filters really work? What would happen if someone suddenly breathed a lot of carbon dioxide? She would ask another team member and often immediately get an answer. 

"Sometimes people don't understand me or they don't want to answer, but this time I actually got my questions answered, which is weird. I was like, ‘Oh, I can ask questions!’" she said.  

Duenas Ibarra also did her own research into the effects of carbon dioxide and found herself listening deeply to her teammates. She was relieved, she said, that she was still treated with respect, even when she was quiet. In large groups of non-Latinos, being quiet and Latina, she said people think she's dumb, but in Hernandez' team, people understood. 

The work was hard, she said, requiring accuracy, accountability and consistent attention across hours of data gathering, but Duenas Ibarra was also able to see the effects of the HEPA filters. She said it was amazing how air, which flows all around us, can cause harm or help us. 

At this point, Duenas Ibarra isn't sure what kind of environmentalist she wants to be, but she knows that things need to change. 

"There are environmental engineers out there working to make the world safer for us, and there are people out there who don't really care, and I'm like, ‘The world is dying! We have to do something about it.’ I think that's what pushed me to be an environmentalist. We're not going to be here long if you keep doing this!" she said.

When asked what she wanted people to know about her, Duenas Ibarra was quiet before giving her answer, "I'm a Latina and yes, I did the work right," she said.

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Two high school students, Charlotte Gorgemans, who just graduated from Boulder High School and April Tong, now a senior at Fairview High School, have both been volunteering at the , an intersection of the Department of Computer Science and the BioFrontiers Institute at the ��ɫ��Ƶ regularly for over two years. 

Led by Orit Peleg, an assistant professor in the computer science department, the team seeks to understand the behavior of disordered living systems, including  and fireflies, by merging tools from physics, biology, engineering and computer science. 

The students' work with the lab has led them to submit projects to several science fairs to great success, and benefit the lab's research through their involvement and curiosity. 

A Collaborative Process

 is a PhD student and member of the Peleg lab co-advised by Peleg and , a professor with joint appointments in computer science and electrical and computer engineering. She also serves as a mentor for community volunteers. 

Thinking about Fard, Bradley and Peleg appreciate her deeply. "she a remarkable young scientist — driven, perceptive, smart, broadly trained, and a deep thinker. Her character is reflected in her mentoring and dedication to training the next generation of scientists." Peleg said. 

Fard sees the research process as a collaborative one between the researchers and the hives.

"There is a feedback loop between researchers at one end and then these living organisms at the other end. We really owe a lot of our lives and our food to these small creatures," she said. 

This spirit of mutual give and take is also apparent in the lab's inclusion of community researchers. 

Experimental Curiosity 

Charlotte Gorgemans decided to connect with the Biofrontiers institute two years ago. She was fascinated by the work they were doing, and wanted to understand what a path to research at the undergraduate and graduate level would actually look like. 

"I am very grateful for the guidance I've received, as this mentorship from CU helped me find my path in computer science," Gorgemans said.

She started attending lab meetings regularly, and asked questions she gathered from the lab's experiments. 

Gorgemans, according to Fard, is always curious and active, asking great questions and trying to learn more. With Fard's mentorship, she began to focus on how food is shared in a colony. 

Bees need to share food, but if the food is unhealthy, there is research that suggests the hive will take steps to reduce the number of other bees they interact with. Fard saw that Gorgemans was interested in how models could be used to explain the experimental data she was seeing. 

For her experiment – titled Modeling and Analysis of the Impact of Unhealthy Food on the Honeybee Colony Health – Gorgemans won second place in the BVSD Regional Science Fair' Behavioral Sciences track and received the Ralph Desch Memorial Technical Writing Award from the Colorado Science and Engineering Fair.  

In the fall, she starts her Computer Science degree at ��ɫ��Ƶ. 

Building Model Behavior

April Tong, now a Senior at Fairview High School, started her journey with the BioFrontiers institute through the CU Science Discovery program, which pairs high school students with researchers. 

"I thought it was so cool that, as the lab, we could watch the bees go around and then use computer science to analyze their paths, like what turn angles they use, which normally you wouldn't think of," Tong said. 

When the program was over, she asked if there was any way she could continue volunteering. Fard agreed to mentor her. Through her continued involvement with the lab, Tong became interested in the process of modeling itself and its applications across disciplines, including swarm robotics. 

Tong "focused on the modeling side. She started learning the agent-based programming language that we actually use, which is not easy,”  Fard said. “She started taking classes and ended up writing parts of our code for us."

Tong's experiment – titled Exploring the Clustering Function in the Western Honey Bee for Enhancing the Rate of Liquid Food Exchange and its Applications in Swarm Robotics – received third place in the BVSD Regional Science Fair, and a special award from the Society for In Vitro Biology. 

Fresh Perspectives 

Fard believes in the power of community volunteers both for the lab and for the students. 

"What I really like about working with high school students is that they look at the problem with a very fresh perspective. The moment they think of something to ask, that's what I want to hear." Fard said.

Because the students are not yet subject-area experts, they can think through a question without immediately jumping to the tools or existing research. This openness can lead to a fresh question outside of the sometimes intensely entangled world of academia.  

Both Gorgemans and Tong were deeply grateful to Fard, Peleg and Bradley for their time and respect. They felt their involvement in the lab mattered and appreciated the skills the Peleg lab helped them acquire. 

Fard also appreciates seeing those skills building. 

"After working with these volunteers for two years, I can see the impacts of their involvement with the lab in the way they think. It's a small amount of time for the mentor, but I see a huge impact on the students."

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