Sept. 8, 2026 - ME Faculty & Staff Newsletter
Quick Shout Outs
Postdoctoral Researcher Brandon Hayes receives Honorable Mention for 2026 Outstanding Postdoc of the Year Award.
Department Highlights
$37.5M NSF award boosts quantum research co-led by ME’s Greg Rieker
The U.S. National Science Foundation, through its Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes, is investing in the next phase of 鶹ѰBoulder and its partners’ work to advance quantum science research and engineering. Professor and Co-Principal Investigator at the NSF Q-SEnSE center Greg Rieker says the $37.5M grant will help researchers build more accurate clocks, faster computers and new sensors to detect the faintest signs of disease and disaster, comparing the benefits of the ongoing quantum research revolution to the "space race. "
What happens inside a wildfire? One PhD student is finding out
As wildfires burn through trees, grasses and other vegetation, heat from the flames set off thousands of chemical reactions at once. But while scientists can see the products of these reactions, what happens in between is much harder to understand. Sixth-year PhD student Jas Shahanand is finding ways to study these chemical reactions, giving researchers a closer look at the hidden chemistry of combustion. He believes the work could be the foundation for more accurate wildfire emissions models, improved climate prediction and even cleaner fuel sources in the future.
New miniature microscope allows scientists to watch and control brain cells during natural movement
Professor Victor Bright and mechanical engineering alum Eduardo Miscles (PhDMechEngr'25) have developed a miniature microscope that allows scientists to observe and activate individual brain cells during natural movement. The work could one day transform neuroscience by revealing how brain circuits control behavior and deepening understanding of neurological diseases.
Five mechanical engineering research projects win PACES awards
The Office of Outreach and Community Engagement (OCE) at 鶹ѰBoulder has awarded five Public and Community-Engaged Scholarships (PACES) to faculty and students from the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering. These awards connect research, creative work, and teaching and learning activities for faculty, staff members and students across campus with partners from Colorado communities and beyond.