2007 Distinguished Alumni
Renewable Energy Collaboratory

Exploration Day
Top 10 Rankings
Share CSU Experiences

Engineers Week
Academic - Business Gap

New Endowed Chair in Chemical & Biological Engineering

During the College of Engineering's Annual Appreciation Luncheon for emeritus faculty on March 5, Dr. Tony Frank, Provost and Senior Vice President of CSU, was present to accept a $1 million life insurance policy from long-time CSU supporters, Jud and Pat Harper. The insurance policy and additional cash gifts will fund a new endowed Chair of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Chair positions enable the college to provide comprehensive and enduring educational experiences for students by attracting exemplary faculty members.

"Chemical and Biological Engineering at Colorado State is in a unique position to conduct research and educate engineers who contribute to economic opportunity by solving national problems associated with sustainable use of resources, environmental quality, renewable energy and meeting global problems of hunger," Jud Harper said. "The endowment will assist the department in attracting and retaining quality faculty who teach and do research, which is fundamental to its ongoing quality and impact."

Harper's contributions to CSU are extensive, including his participation in creating the chemical engineering major that exists in the college today. Moreover, a portion of the foothills research campus was designated as the Judson M. Harper Research Complex by the Board of Governors in 2000 in recognition of his long service and contributions to the university.

"The Harpers have a long and impressive track record of generosity at Colorado State University," said Sandra Woods, dean of the College of Engineering. "We will always be grateful for their support and love of the University. This gift will enable the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering to remain competitive and attract some of the nation's finest faculty."

For information about making a planned gift, please visit CSU's Planned Giving website.

2007 Distinguished Alumni Recipients Announced

The college’s annual Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner will take place on Saturday, March 31 at the Fort Collins Hilton. Several alumni and friends will join faculty and staff to honor the 2007 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients. These alumni have demonstrated significant career, service, and/or volunteer efforts that have brought honor to the individual, the college and to Colorado State University.

The 2007 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients are:

College of Engineering
Howard W. Knapp, Civil BS 1967

Atmospheric Science
Dr. Greg J. Holland, MS 1981, Ph.D.1983

Chemical and Biological Engineering
Jay M. Chaffin, BS 1991

Civil and Environmental Engineering
Eugene A. Miller, BS 1951

Electrical and Computer Engineering
Richard G. Farmer, BS 1952

Engineering Science
Dr. Michael M. Meagher, BS 1980

Mechanical Engineering
Vincent D. Leone, Sr., BS 1949

GOLD, Graduate of the Last Decade
Brittany N. Albrandt, Engineering Science, Civil BS 2002

Visit the College of Engineering events website for more information and a list of past recipients.

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Annual Engineering Exploration Day a Great Success

Approximately 500 high school students and family members took part in the annual Engineering Exploration Day at CSU on February 10. Guests got a first-hand look at the latest designs in race cars, search and rescue robots, wireless metronomes, microwave radiometers and other exciting projects.

Current undergraduate students and faculty members were present to talk about engineering majors, careers, and the day-to-day life of a CSU engineering student. Participants also learned about life at Colorado State through tours and group discussions.

For information on future Engineering Exploration Day programs, please contact the College of Engineering at (970) 491-6220 or visit the Engineering Exploration Day website.

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CSU Departments Make it to Top 10

Eight academic departments at Colorado State University were recently ranked in the top 10 nationally in their disciplines by the 2005 Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index, including two engineering departments. These rankings were produced by Academic Analytics with support from State University of New York-Stony Brook and provide a scale of faculty productivity using certain measures.

The new annual index, derived from 2005 data, provides a service that administrators have long been requesting: a scientific ranking that compares peer programs according to objective measures. Unlike U.S. News and World Report, the index examines quantifiable data to determine its rankings, such as faculty publications (including published books, journal articles, and citations of journal articles), federal grant dollars awarded, and honors and awards.

Colorado State's academic departments outperformed all other Colorado universities in the index rankings. The Colleges of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering had multiple departments ranked by the survey. Within the COE the Department of Atmospheric Science was ranked #3 in the Atmospheric Science category, behind University of California at Irvine and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering placed at #10 for computer engineering.

Additional information about the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index is available on the Chronicle of Higher Education website.

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Share Your CSU Experiences

The college's Development Office has collected CSU memories from alumni over the years and shares them on the COE website. It is an opportunity to read what your peers, and possibly forgotten friends, remember most from their time as a student.

If you would like to share a memory about an interesting or meaningful CSU experience, please complete one of the following thoughts:

"When I was a student, I vividly remember ..."
"The professor I remember most is ... because . . ."

and send it to supportengineering@engr.colostate.edu. Alumni Memories are accepted throughout the year, and you are welcome to include a picture of yourself or one that best represents your memory.

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COE Celebrates Engineers Week

Businesses and organizations across the nation celebrated National Engineers Week, February 18 - 24. Engineers Week, a formal coalition of more than 75 engineering, professional, and technical societies and more than 50 corporations and government agencies, was founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers.

During Engineers Week, programs are initiated to ensure a diverse and well-educated engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers among young students. Engineers Week also works to promote pre-college literacy in math and science.

Not only is Engineers Week a time to promote educational opportunities, it also serves as a reminder of the many contributions engineers make to society. Over the course of the week, the COE Development Office made group presentations at several Denver engineering companies in order to acknowledge CSU engineering alumni and inform them of the college’s latest projects. Because of the positive response, plans are underway to continue company group visits throughout the year. If you would like to host the COE Development Staff at your company, please contact Jeanine Simnick at 970-491-3110.

Lastly, in light of Engineering Week, the college would like to thank alums for their contributions and commitment to the profession. Alumni achievements are a compliment to the quality of education from CSU.

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CSU Bridges Academic - Business Gap with Superclusters

Colorado State University recently unveiled MicroRx, a first-of-its-kind enterprise to speed the transition of life-saving research on infectious diseases from the academic world into the global marketplace. MicroRx is just the first of the University's "Superclusters," alliances of academic researchers, economists and business experts designed to encourage collaboration and bridge the different worlds of business and academia.

The Superclusters model is part of Colorado State's overall strategy to help transform Colorado with renewed emphasis on the economic benefits provided by higher education. MicroRx, the business arm of the first Supercluster to launch, is a private, non-profit entity focused on infectious disease and biomedical research and development.

Based on a competitive proposal process, Colorado State will select additional Superclusters in research areas including cancer, environmental sciences, alternative energy, and agriculture. MicroRx and all future Superclusters will be governed by a new not-for-profit entity called Colorado State University Ventures. This business enterprise is a subsidiary corporation of the existing Colorado State University Research Foundation, or CSURF, a private, non-profit foundation that aids the University in overall research and educational efforts.

Read more about Superclusters on the CSU website.

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