We have 80 amazing graduates in Spring & Summer 2026! Here’s a list of the graduates followed by select testimonials.
Congratulations to the graduates for this great achievement!
Jeremiah Gayle, D.Eng.
Kent Lambert, D.Eng.
Kenneth Peeples, D.Eng.
Sarah Rudder, D.Eng.
Mercy Mbua, Ph.D.
Fancy Cheptonui, Ph.D.
Mars Rayno, Ph.D.
Sian Terry, Ph.D.
Stephanie Anderson, Ph.D.
Sarwat Chappell, Ph.D.
Maryam Gracias, Ph.D.
John Hall, Ph.D.
Rasel Mahmud, Ph.D.
Mo Rajraji, Ph.D.
Quentin Saulter, Ph.D.
Sarah Shaw, Ph.D.
Todd Spierling, Ph.D.
Eric Stewart, Ph.D.
Kirk Reinholtz, Ph.D.
Ibibia Altraide, Ph.D.
Golam Bokhtier, Ph.D.
Randall DeGering, Ph.D.
Anima Sabale, Ph.D.
Trent Kingery, Ph.D.
Scott Ledgerwood, Ph.D.
Chris Manderino, Ph.D.
Kimberly Mastrocola, Ph.D.
Flavio Ortolano, Ph.D.
Adedapo Adeboyejo, M.S.
Spencer Beer, M.S.
Hector Hernandez Ramirez, M.S.
Felix Kuklinski, M.S.
Chandler Young, M.S.
Matias Ferreira, M.S.
Ethan Rimelman, M.S.
Jacob Donaldson, M.S.
Parker Smith, M.S.
Ben Sosa, M.S.
Savannah Gonzales, M.S.
Stefan Haugen, M.S.
Sean Bumgarner, M.S.
Marcelo Carlos, M.S.
Jacob Harper, M.S.
Pouyan Sabahi, M.S.
CJ Medina, M.E.
Aaron Smith, M.E.
Abdulrashid Bakare, M.E.
Popoli Behera, M.E.
Will Caglia, M.E.
Amber Crow, M.E.
Dave Crowell, M.E.
Tony Crudele, M.E.
Keri Dattoli-McGloin, M.E.
John Henry, M.E.
Austin Humann, M.E.
Jacob Kuhlman, M.E.
Tifanny Laguna, M.E.
Edge Murton, M.E.
Jack Pendergast, M.E.
Joe Saldiveri, M.E.
Jared Sheehan, M.E.
Amanda Turmes, M.E.
Matthew Vaughan, M.E.
Gabriel Picazo, M.E.
Chris Barnes, M.E.
Tony Dansdill, M.E.
Breanna Ginther, M.E.
Alex Schwalbendorf, M.E.
Matt Whitman, M.E.
Andre Dickson, Certificate
Bart Gammon, Certificate
Kristin Grimlund, Certificate
Jacob Harper, Certificate
Lentrell Hill, Certificate
Dominik Jaworski, Certificate
Ben Kramer, Certificate
Jacob Kramer, Certificate
Joseph Murad, Certificate
Dan Russell, Certificate
Daniel Way, Certificate
Kenneth Peeples, D.Eng.
Hometown
Augusta, GA
Current Home
Augusta, GA
Dissertation title
Scaling Threat Hunting in an Enterprise Container Environment Through a System of Systems Approach with Kestrel-as-a-Service
Advisor
Dr. Steve Simske
Post-graduation plans
“Continuing working at my current position and continue my threat hunting pursuits.”
Thanks you’d like to give
“Many thanks to the University, my professors, my advisor and my committee members for a great journey.”
Sarah Rudder, D.Eng.
Hometown
Tallahassee, FL
Current Home
St Pete, FL
Dissertation title
Using an Ontology and Metamodels to Evaluate Systems Engineering (SE) Domain-Specific Modeling Languages (DSML)
Advisor
Daniel Herber
Stephanie Anderson, Ph.D.
Hometown
Houston, TX
Current home
League City, TX
Dissertation title
Integrating Artificial Intelligence in Human-Rated Spacecraft Systems for Long Duration Spaceflight Missions
Advisor
Dr. Simske
Favorite Memory
“Passing my PhD defense.”
Post-graduation plans
“Continue to work at Intuitive Machines and guest lecture at Rice University.”
Thanks you’d like to give
“Thank you to Dr. Simske, my PhD committee, my parents, and my husband for all being so incredible and supportive!”
Anything else you'd like to say?
“Even when you think you can't, you absolutely can.”
Golam Bokhtier, Ph.D.
Hometown
Westlake Village, CA
Current Home
Westlake Village, CA
Dissertation title
A Multidisciplinary Approach for Deploying a Wildfire UAV Fleet for Detection and Communication
Advisor
Dr. Kamran Eftekhari Shahroudi
Favorite Memory
“One of my favorite memories during my PhD journey was meeting with many SE faculty members and PhD students—along with my family—in Hawaii for a systems engineering conference. It felt almost surreal to connect with both faculty and fellow PhD students while discussing systems engineering against an absolutely beautiful backdrop.”
Post-graduation plans
“My current plan is to become more involved in the Systems Engineering community as an ESEP with INCOSE and contribute to the development of the discipline across both industry and academia, while supporting conferences, publications, and related initiatives. I also plan to apply my knowledge and leverage my resources effectively in the aerospace and defense sectors, while pursuing new opportunities and ventures.”
Thanks you’d like to give
“My sincere gratitude goes to Dr. Shahroudi for his mentorship, and to my entire committee for their support. I am also grateful to my parents for instilling in me a lifelong curiosity and commitment to learning. I owe a special thanks to my wife and daughter for their unwavering support, as well as to my many family members and friends.”
Anything else you'd like to say?
“As problem solvers of complex technical challenges, we as systems engineers have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact—one successful program at a time. Beyond that, we can serve as catalysts for positive change within our organizations and across our discipline, helping to shape and guide the wave of technological innovations defining the 21st century.”
Sarwat Chappell, Ph.D.
Hometown
Mumbai, India
Current Home
Arlington, Virginia
Dissertation title
The Complexity and Dynamics of Enhancing Endurance Performance
Advisor
Dr. Kamran Eftekhari Shahroudi
Favorite Memory
“Figuring out how to conduct a Monte Carlo simulation and multifactor sensitivity analysis of a System Dynamical Agent model.”
Post-graduation plans
“Continue current position and conduct research in systems thinking and systems dynamics.”
Thanks you’d like to give
“My heartfelt thanks to my advisor for his mentorship and for the countless hours reviewing and providing feedback and guidance to me. Thanks to Dr. Wade Troxell, Dr. Steve Conrad, and Dr. Leo Vijayasarathy for all the time and effort taken to serve on my committee and for the valuable insights provided.”
Anything else you'd like to say?
“I am grateful for my family and friends for all their support and encouragement. A special thank you to my mother for being my role model and always being there for me. Thanks to Megan and Quentin for being amazing PhD partners.”
Fancy Cheptonui, Ph.D.
Hometown
Kitala and Seanin, Bomet County, Kenya
Current Home
Fort Collins, CO
Dissertation title
Assessing Emission Detection and Quantification Systems Under Varied Structural Configurations, Meteorological Conditions, and Controlled Testing Protocols
Advisor
Dr. Ezra Levin and Prof. Anna Hodshire
Favorite Memory
“I have so many beautiful memories from my time at CSU. As a mother, I took some of my classes remotely, and one of my favorite moments was when my daughter wanted to unmute me during class just to say hi to everyone. Another special memory was bringing her to my work at CSU’s Energy Institute and seeing her eyes light up when she saw my pictures on the wall, it was truly unforgettable. I also took her to the METEC research facility, where she saw the Vapor Recovery Tower. After that, she excitedly told everyone she had seen a rocket and that her mom is an astronaut! I have truly enjoyed my time at CSU.”
Post-graduation plans
“I plan to work in air quality by helping bridge the gap between the oil and gas industry and regulatory frameworks. I am also passionate about giving back to my home continent, Africa, and am actively working with universities to introduce and strengthen international air quality regulations in the oil and gas sector.”
Thanks you’d like to give
“I am deeply grateful to my PI, Prof. Dan Zimmerle, for taking a chance on me as a master’s student in 2020 and for his continued mentorship through my PhD. I sincerely thank my co-advisor, Dr. Ezra Levin, for his guidance and support. I am also grateful to my academic advisor, Prof. Anna Hodshire, for encouraging me to pursue my PhD, for helping me grow as a communicator, and for boosting my confidence in presentations. Finally, I thank CSU and the Department of Systems Engineering for the opportunity to pursue this journey.”
Anything else you'd like to say?
“I am especially grateful to my daughter, Glorianna, for her patience throughout this journey. To my friends, Mercy Ngulat and Christianah & Ezekiel Alaba, thank you for stepping in to care for my daughter when research demanded my time. To my family, I deeply appreciate your steadfast love and support. God bless you all.”
Mercy Mbua, Ph.D.
Hometown
Nakuru, Kenya
Current Home
Kisumu, Kenya
Dissertation title
Downwind Quantification of Methane Emissions: Models Uncertainties and Variability Across Oil And Gas and Non-Oil-And-Gas Sources
Advisor
Prof. Dan Zimmerle & Dr. Anna Hodshire
Favorite Memory
All trips to the mountains.
Post-graduation plans
Working as an OGMP 2.0 Upstream Expert consultant for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Thanks you’d like to give
I’m deeply grateful to my advisors, family, mentors, friends, and the CSU/Fort Collins community for supporting me throughout the five years of my graduate studies.
Anything else you'd like to say?
Prof. Zimmerle gave me a chance when I was at my lowest; an opportunity that opened doors for me and shaped my future. I will forever be grateful to him.
Trent Kingery, Ph.D.
Hometown
Spartanburg, SC and Forest City, NC
Current Home
Conroe, Texas
Dissertation title
System Dynamics Modeling and Human Factors Analysis Optimization of Government Aircraft Operations
Advisor
Dr. Ron Sega,
Co-Advisor
Dr. Thomas Bradley
Favorite Memory
“Briefing dissertation research to CSU and NC State University Engineering classes.”
Post-graduation plans
“Retired Marine, Retired NASA Research Pilot, and Current United Airlines Pilot. Will use the skills for Aviation Safety and modeling operations at United Airlines and start a consulting firm.”
Thanks you’d like to give
“Especially to my advisor, Dr. Ron Sega. He has been one of the most influential persons to me.”
Anything else you'd like to say?
“Go Rams! Love this school and love this program. I would love to continue to be a part of students furthering their education goals.”
Anima Sabale, Ph.D.
Hometown
“This is a complex question for me coz this month April 2026, I have been in the US as long as I was in India since I was born. I was in San Ramon, California for 20 years and have been in Houston for 6 years now. I can call Jalgaon, India (where I grew up as my hometown) but San Ramon, California feels like my hometown to me too coz I had my kids there and majority of one of the best times of my life was spent there 
I think I would just leave this hometown question out from my profile that you feature 
.”
Current Home
Houston, TX
Dissertation title
Developing an Extra Vehicular Activity Command and Telemetry Capability for Artemis
Advisor
Dr. Erika Gallegos
Favorite Memory
“When Dr. Simske invited me to join his panel on human spaceflight at the AIAA Rocky Mountain conference held at our university. It was the first time I visited our campus and our department and met everyone in person!”
Post-graduation plans
“Continue my work building telemetry displays for new spacesuits, new airlocks and other related systems for our EVA Operations Team to use in the Artemis Lunar Missions and future Mars Missions. Continue building skills as Artemis EVA Flight Controller and Crew Instructor.”
Thanks you’d like to give
“Forever grateful to my boys, my parents and my husband for being my support system and strength. I wanted my dissertation to be something of value to NASA and something that can be applicable and used on the Artemis missions, so thank you to my branch chief at NASA Scott Wenger for providing me with this opportunity to work on designing new telemetry displays for our team! My team at NASA challenged me every step of the way and gave me some great input and feedback on my new ideas so I could make them a reality; I am so thankful to them! Many thanks to my advisor, Dr Gallegos, for her support and guidance throughout my dissertation journey! And last but not the least, a huge thank you to Dr. Bradley, Dr. Simske and Dr. Maresh for being on my PhD committee!”
Anything else you'd like to say?
“I was looking for a PhD program that would fit into my criteria (I had a few!), and after trying out a couple of options, I am so glad I found this Systems Engineering PhD at our university! I wish I had found it sooner, would have saved myself some time. But the best things come in their own time, and so it did, I am excited to be graduating! CSU has been an awesome experience helping me add one final academic feather in my cap!”
Quentin Saulter, Ph.D.
Hometown
High Point, North Carolina
Current Home
Arlington, Virginia
Dissertation title
Engineering Impactful Science in a Research Enterprise by Dynamic Modeling of Innovation Life Cycle and Evolution
Advisor
Dr. Kamran Eftekhari Shahroudi
Favorite Memory
“Some of my favorite memories from Systems Engineering at Colorado State University come from the professors who managed to turn complex, abstract frameworks into something alive and human. They have the ability to weave real-world systems engineering into stories that stick with you long after their lectures ended. You could feel their enthusiasm when a model finally clicked for the class, or when a messy block diagram suddenly revealed a hidden structure. Office hours often turned into mini design sessions, where professors sketched ideas on the computer with excitement. What stays with me most is the sense of mentorship: the way they encouraged curiosity, challenged assumptions, and treated every question as part of a larger system worth exploring.”
Post-graduation plans
“Continue my current position as an official at the Office of Naval of Research, responsible for portfolios of Science and Technology research projects designed to deliver new capabilities to Naval Warfighters. I also pan to continue research and develop methods for analyzing, predicting, and measuring innovation using SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, SYSTEMS THINKING, SYSTEMS DYNAMICS, AND PROBABILITIES.”
Thanks you’d like to give
“I would like to express my gratitude to my dissertation advisor, Professor Kamran Eftekhari Shahroudi, for his support, mentorship, and guidance throughout this doctoral journey. From the very beginning, he welcomed me into the program and introduced me to the profound disciplines of Systems Dynamics and Systems Thinking, which have since become the intellectual foundation of my research and my carrier. I would also like to thank all my family and friends that have supported me through this endeavor. To my mom, Clara, who always reminded me to take a break so I would not lose my mind, to my brother Terry for his unwavering support and confidence in me, to my children Natasha and Lawrence for their patience and caring, and to Sarwat for embarking on this journey with me.”
Anything else you'd like to say?
“Stochasticity leads to Determinism. Systems Thinking leads to Systems Principles that are the framework for understanding how the world works.”
Spencer Beer, M.S.
Hometown
Parker, CO
Current Home
Fort Collins, CO
Thesis title
Bottoms-Up: A SySML Approach to Reverse Engineering Cyber-Physical Systems
Advisor
Dr. Jeremy Daily
Favorite Memory
“The research truck breaking down on the way back from Michigan.”
Post-graduation plans
“Move to TX and work for Toyota as a Product Security Engineer.”
Thanks you’d like to give
“I want to thank Dr. Daily for giving me opportunities to travel, learn, and network with like-minded people. I especially want to thank my parents; their encouragement, curiosity, and reassurance pushed me to become a better student, teacher, and researcher.”
Hector Hernandez Ramirez, M.S.
Hometown
Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico
Current Home
Fort Collins, CO
Thesis title
A Model-Based Risk and Reliability Assessment of a Second-Life Battery Energy Storage System
Advisor
Vincent Paglioni
Favorite Memory
The road trip from Mexico to Colorado with my wife, my dog, and my cat.
Post-graduation plans
“Search for job opportunities to build a career in the technology sector that strengthens my technical and professional capabilities while pursuing a PhD to advance research and continue contributing new ideas to academia.”
Thanks you’d like to give
“First, I would like to thank my wife for her constant support throughout this process, as she made this wonderful adventure possible for us.
I would also like to thank my advisor, Vinnie, for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to be part of his team. I truly appreciate his mentorship and support throughout the process.
A special thank you to Dr. Debra Dandeneau for introducing me to the Systems Engineering department and for all her help during these two years.”
Anything else you'd like to say?
“My experience at CSU has been very positive. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Ram community, as I have made many new friendships and have had the chance to grow both personally and professionally. I have truly enjoyed my time here, and Fort Collins is also an excellent place to live.”
Adedapo Adeboyejo, M.S.
Hometown
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Current Home
Edwards Air Force Base, California
Dissertation title
Using Model-Based Systems Engineering for the Electronic Logging Device Regulation
Advisor
Dr. Daily
Favorite Memory
“Going on a team run in Beaufort, South Carolina, during Cyber Boat Challenge 2024. It was a great bonding moment for my research group, Teddy, Spencer, Carson, Tyler, and me.”
Post-graduation plans
Operational Test Engineer
Thanks you’d like to give
“Grateful for everyone I crossed paths with while at CSU!”
Keri Dattoli-McGloin, M.E.
Hometown
Danvers, MA
Current Home
Danvers, MA
Advisor
Thomas Bradley
Post-graduation plans
“Continue advancing in aerospace and defense engineering while growing the impact of Rock the Spectrum Foundation, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit expanding inclusion opportunities for individuals with autism.”
Thanks you’d like to give
“Grateful to the Systems Engineering faculty for engaging and forward-thinking curriculum. Special thanks to Dr. Jeremy Daily for challenging me to grow and for building my confidence in learning and applying system modeling to security engineering.”
Anything else you'd like to say?
“The most important lesson I learned is growth starts where comfort ends.”
John Henry, M.E.
Hometown
Glendale, Arizona
Current Home
Littleton, Colorado
Advisor
Dr. Simske
Favorite Memory
“Having team meetings for Grad classes in the middle of other activities/work. I had to leave dinner a few times to meet with my team, and had to meet a few times while driving and being on a voice call. These were my favorite as they really made me realize I was in the grind and the thick of it. In the sense of the hardest experiences are the ones that made it worth it for me.”
Post-graduation plans
“Current Software Engineer at Lockheed where I will keep working. I will be taking a trip to Seattle in June for my Best Friends wedding. Congrats Braydon!”
Thanks you’d like to give
“Thank you to my advisor, my professors, and my peers for the help and willingness work with me despite all the setbacks with work, the Army, and other commitments.”
Anything else you'd like to say?
“I am grateful and extremely blessed to have the support system of my Mom and Dad, Brenda and Tom, who helped me not just during my graduate degree – but through all of my undergrad. I am not sure I could've made it without them backing me.”
Edward Murton, M.E.
Hometown
Lexington, South Carolina
Current Home
Denver, Colorado
Advisor
Ingrid Bridge
Favorite Memory
“Turning in my last Canvas assignment, ever!”
Post-graduation plans
“After graduation, I plan to continue my career in the aerospace industry and apply the knowledge and skills I gained at CSU to my day-to-day work, contributing to innovative engineering and technology advancements in the field.”
Thanks you’d like to give
“I'd like to thank my wife Emily for picking up all the slack while I was buried away listening to lectures or doing homework, I would like to thank my family for always being there for me and encouraging me, I would like to thank my group partners throughout all of my classes — you are all very interesting people with an immense amount of knowledge and bright futures ahead, I would like to thank professor Simske for letting me take all of his classes and keeping the coursework fresh, relevant, and interesting, and I would like to thank Ingrid Bridge for helping me navigate everything in the Systems Engineering program from transferring credits to graduation. Thank you all!”
Anything else you'd like to say?
“This graduate program made me excited to learn and reminded me how rewarding it is to challenge myself academically, personally, and professionally. The coursework and real-world applications expanded my toolbelt and pushed me in ways I did not expect. I am incredibly grateful for the faculty at CSU for helping me rediscover a genuine excitement for learning and development.”
Jared Sheehan, M.E.
Hometown
Highlands Ranch, CO
Current Home
Centennial, CO
Advisor
Ingrid Bridge
Favorite Memory
“Working with team members on group projects!”
Post-graduation plans
“Continue work at Sierra Space in supply chain. But golf afterword instead of school!”
Thanks you’d like to give
“Thanks for everything! I learned so much and am grateful to all my peers and professors.”
Anything else you'd like to say?
“I'm never coming back, respectfully.”