Spring 2025 CEAS Awards

Dana Majer—Community Impact Award

Susan Glairon — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 16:31:59 +0000

Dana Majer—Community Impact Award Susan Glairon Thu, 04/17/2025 - 10:31

Major

Architectural Engineering

Post-graduation plans

Travel to Italy, Switzerland and Germany for a month; start as a preconstruction engineer at Holder Construction in August

Why do you believe you received this award?

I believe I received the Community Impact Award because of my strong involvement and passion for contributing to the CU Engineering community. Since my freshman year, I've been dedicated to engaging both in the classroom and through student organizations such as the American Society of Civil Engineers, Concrete Canoe and the Design-Build Institute of America. These experiences have helped me grow as a student, take on leadership roles and discover what truly excites me. I'm especially passionate about mentoring younger students, creating opportunities for others and giving back to my community - something CU has fully supported and empowered me to do.

What is your favorite memory from your time at 91��ý?

Some of my favorite memories are the strong connections I’ve built with my classmates. Taking nearly all our classes together created a supportive, tight-knit community. It’s been incredibly rewarding to be there for each other—whether helping with coursework or celebrating each other's accomplishments like job offers or grad school acceptances!

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

I'm truly proud of how much I've grown during my time at CU. I've had the opportunity to lead student organizations, learn from incredible faculty and discover what excites and fulfills me—both personally and academically.

Tell us about a moment when you felt like you hit your stride or felt like you were “officially” an engineer.

The moment I truly felt like an engineer was at the end of our second deliverable for senior design last fall. My team and I had been working tirelessly on the design of our building, and when we presented our work, everything came together. The presentation was a powerful moment of realization—we had learned so much, grown as a team and finally saw how far we'd come in our journey as engineers.

What experiences outside the classroom have been especially meaningful to you?

Beyond my involvement on campus, I've also had the opportunity to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in North Boulder. This experience allowed me to apply what I've learned in the classroom to real-world situations, while also giving back to the greater Boulder community.

What was the biggest challenge for you during your engineering education? What did you learn from it?

I learned that one test or grade doesn't define your future success. In my first few semesters, I struggled with exams, and my grades weren't where I wanted them. I realized I couldn't let a single grade determine my confidence or motivation—I needed to find better study strategies, but also seek out other ways to feel a sense of accomplishment. That's what led me to get involved in student organizations and competitions, where I could experience success in different forms. Looking back over the past four years, I've learned that true success is measured by personal growth, meaningful relationships and the experiences you gain—not just exam scores.

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

Get involved and take the time to find your community at 91��ý. There are countless people here to support you, endless opportunities to explore and an incredible network within the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Discover what excites you and explore it wholeheartedly. When you engage in what brings you joy and meaning, you naturally build a community that inspires and supports you. Before you know it, you will be graduating from this program, grateful that you chased your passions and have a whole community there to support you.

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Angela Mink—Research Award

Susan Glairon — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 19:23:40 +0000

Angela Mink—Research Award Susan Glairon Wed, 04/16/2025 - 13:23

Major

Civil Engineering

Post-graduation plans

Run away to Europe for a month to eat lots of cheese and drink wine, then start a PhD program at 91��ý as a GAANN Fellow.

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

I am most proud of the relationships I have built throughout my time at 91��ý. I made life-long friends and met splendid colleagues and inspirational mentors.

You won a research award from the College of Engineering and Applied Science. What is your research focused on?

As a geotechnical researcher in the CIEST laboratory, I used our massive 400g-ton centrifuge to model tsunami waves over a sand bed. The centrifuge is such a novel tool— it induces up to 400 times the Earth's gravity, allowing small-scale models to 'feel' as heavy as if it were life-sized. This let me study the force of a tsunami-sized wave over a deep sand bed in a metal box, just a few cubic feet in volume. When the wave passes over the sand bed, it increases pore water pressure between soil grains, weakening the soil at various depths. While this behavior is still not fully understood, unlocking it is essential to improving the design of civil engineering infrastructure.

What inspired your research project?

There is a growing need to develop more efficient designs that use less concrete and reduce environmental impact. At the same time, we must adapt our infrastructure to withstand increasingly severe weather events, including tsunamis and storm surges to river floods and hurricanes. My research aims to help advance civil engineering to meet these challenges and promote a more sustainable future. It is our duty as civil engineers to protect both people and the planet, and I hope my future research accomplishes that.

Tell us about a moment when you felt like you hit your stride or felt like you were “officially” an engineer.

When I loaded my wave box (a physical model used in geotechnical engineering to simulate wave action) into the centrifuge for my first experiment, I was immediately drawn to the technical machinery and the tinkering that came along with assembling my model. I felt like such an engineer, pressurizing air tanks, soldering sensors and sitting in the centrifuge control room. At times I was the leader, guiding an awesome team to complete the task at hand.

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

My advice to future students in research is to recognize the power they hold. Every individual contribution strengthens the collective effort to achieve greatness. You have the power to change lives, so use that potential to build a career, and a life, you're proud of.

Angela Mink was awarded a 2025 Research Award from 91��ý's College of Engineering and Applied Science.

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Macy Will—Academic Engagement Award

Susan Glairon — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 19:15:34 +0000

Macy Will—Academic Engagement Award Susan Glairon Mon, 04/14/2025 - 13:15

Major

Architectural Engineering

Post-graduation plans

Pursue an MFA in lighting design at Parsons School of Design in New York City.

What experiences or qualities do you think led to you receiving the Academic Engagement Award?

I think I received this award because I’ve tried to make the most of my time by staying curious and open to lots of new experiences. One small decision to help build a concrete canoe sparked everything—from getting more involved in class, to falling in love with design studio and reconnecting with dance and the arts. I've learned that when you try one thing, you connect with new people and find new interests that lead you to more exciting opportunities. Being open to trying new things has helped me find ways to blend creativity with engineering and learn from the amazing people around me. It’s been such a meaningful journey; this award feels like a special recognition of all those little moments along the way!

What’s something interesting you'd like others to know about you?

Throughout college, I’ve worn different hats that shaped my experience. One of the most rewarding has been serving as a course assistant for the Architectural Design Studio for two years—supporting other students and seeing their creativity grow is something I genuinely love. That studio also connected me with one of the best faculty advisors, who has helped shape my journey.

Outside of class, I’ve reconnected with dance, which was a big part of my life growing up. Taking contemporary and ballet classes and performing with 91��ý's Dance Department has been a fun and refreshing outlet for me. I’ve also dabbled in art history, which has surprisingly influenced how I approach design and storytelling.

And through the student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Concrete Canoe team, I’ve found some of my closest engineering friends—an another incredibly rewarding part of my time here.

Tell us about a moment when you felt like you hit your stride or felt like you were “officially” an engineer.

I really felt like an engineer during a presentation with my senior capstone team at the end of our schematic design phase. We had worked so hard leading up to the presentation, with long nights as a team in the Bechtel Lab and endless "re-dos" when practicing together. I remember watching my teammates nail their sections and feeling so proud of us—especially when fielding questions from faculty and industry mentors at the end!

What was the biggest challenge for you during your engineering education? What did you learn from it?

Disregarding differential equations and linear algebra, the biggest challenge for me was finding my niche within architectural engineering. There are so many career paths and such a strong demand for our skill set. What helped me the most was trying a little bit of everything. You do find where you fit in!

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

Say "yes" to working with new people, say "yes" to trying out a project, say "yes" to helping professors and say "yes" to trying out clubs! These experiences will shape your journey at 91��ý, help you figure out your career path and will provide some of your favorite memories of your time here.

Without those "yes" experiences, I may not have ever discovered my passion for illumination engineering and light!

Macy Will was awarded the 2025 Academic Engagement Award from 91��ý's College of Engineering and Applied Science.

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Nina Fromartz—Global Engagement Award

Susan Glairon — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 18:43:44 +0000

Nina Fromartz—Global Engagement Award Susan Glairon Mon, 04/14/2025 - 12:43

Major

Civil Engineering, minor in Chinese

Post-graduation plans

Serve as a naval officer in the U.S. Navy Civil Engineering Corps; pursue a master’s degree and PE license in the next few years.

What is your favorite memory from your time at 91��ý?

Participating in student clubs and playing intramural sports gave me a huge sense of community, and through these activities, I made some lifelong friends. It feels great to connect with people outside your major or on different career paths. It’s also fun to try a sport you’ve never played with some of your best friends, especially after a long day of classes.

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

I am most proud of getting and maintaining my EMT certification. Not only does it allow me to help others, but it also means I can connect with people outside the engineering world.

Tell us about a moment (or moments) when you felt like you hit your stride or felt like you were “officially” an engineer.

Throughout college, I held several engineering roles, but the one that made me truly feel like an engineer was my experience with Bridge Buffs, 91��ý’s chapter of Engineers in Action (EIA). I had the amazing opportunity to help design and build a bridge in Eswatini, Africa. Being on-site, reviewing drawing sets, helping determine the next phase of construction and serving as the safety manager made me feel in charge of something bigger than myself. The whole experience made me feel like I was made for engineering, and it helped me decide which part of civil engineering interested me most—project management.

Following my EIA summer experience, I landed a field engineering internship with Kraemer North America, which solidified my engineer title. I was given the responsibility to go in the field, conduct site measurements and do quality control.

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

Do what you love, and good things will come. There’s nothing more meaningful than having fun doing what you love. Also, college is the best time to learn from mistakes. It’s okay to not be perfect. At the end of your college career, your GPA doesn’t matter nearly as much as the experiences you had, the memories you made and who you shared them with.

What experiences or qualities do you think led to you receiving the Global Engagement Award?

I believe receiving this award reflects my ongoing involvement with Bridge Buffs, which gave me the opportunity to travel to Africa and help build a bridge alongside local communities. It also recognizes my engagement with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds, as well as my eagerness to complete the coursework for a minor in Chinese.

My future as a Naval Officer—working with and serving people from around the world, also contributed to my selection for this award.

Nina Fromartz was awarded the 2025 Global Engagement Award from 91��ý's College of Engineering and Applied Science.

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