Jan. 5, 2026 - ME Faculty & Staff Newsletter
Department Highlights
Wind tunnel research could help predict how wildfires spread
PhD student Laura Shannon, alongside Professors Greg Rieker and Peter Hamlington are setting fires inside wind tunnels to gain a better understanding of how fire spreads across different terrain. The team says their findings could help keep communities safer in a world where climate-driven wildfire is becoming more common—and more dangerous.
Brewing engineers: Inside Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder’s new food engineering program
Faculty member Carmen Pacheco is the architect behind the Food Engineering Graduate Certificate, one of Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder's most innovative academic ventures. Launched in 2024, the program was designed to introduce engineering students to the science behind their favorite foods and career opportunities in the food industry, but it can also reinforce scientific concepts that students can apply to any engineering discipline.
Engineers develop real-time membrane imaging for sustainable water filtration
Professor Victor Bright, Professor Emeritus Alan Greenberg and PhD student Mo Zohrabi have helped develop a laser-based imaging method called stimulated Raman scattering to improve the performance of desalination plants by allowing real-time detection of membrane fouling. The advance could help make desalination more efficient and reliable as global demand for clean water rises.
Xu selected as a 2026 RIO Faculty Fellow
Assistant Professor Nicole Xu has been selected as a 2026 RIO Faculty Fellow. The program supports faculty in achieving their research and innovation goals and promotes collaboration through tailored training, experiential learning and leadership development opportunities.