AWARDS

Environmental engineering senior, Robert “Hugh” McCurren, has been busy lately. He is co-leading a highly interdisciplinary senior design team on the development of a innovative water treatment device, FlocBot. The team is preparing to present their project at E-Days, all while finalizing coursework for graduation.

Last week, McCurren and his co-lead, Josh Kates, entered FlocBot in the CSU Institute for Entrepreneurship (I4E) Startup Showcase, winning first place overall plus the People’s Choice Award. This is the second consecutive win for the FlocBot team, which also placed first in the fall 2025 showcase.

At the event, McCurren received the $5,000 Austin J. Hart Entrepreneurial Scholarship from the NoCo Foundation. The scholarship is awarded to students who embody an entrepreneurial spirit – a perfect fit for McCurren.

“The Austin J. Hart Scholarship is helping fund my final semester in environmental engineering as I keep building expertise in water treatment and go all in on FlocBot,” he said. “I’m fully committed to taking this full-time after graduation and this support is directly fueling that vision. I am beyond grateful and honored to receive this award and be recognized by the NoCo Foundation for my entrepreneurial values.”

Catch McCurren and the FlocBot team at E-Days on Thursday, April 23 in the Lory Student Center!