Dec. 10, 2025 - External Newsletter
News from the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering
PhD student Laura Shannon, alongside Professors Greg Rieker and Peter Hamlington are setting fires inside wind tunnels to gain a better understanding of how fire spreads across different terrain. The team says their findings could help keep communities safer in a world where climate-driven wildfire is becoming more common—and more dangerous.
High Impact, Interdisciplinary Research
Researchers redefine hip arthroscopy with breakthrough surgical device
Research Professor Jacob Segil collaborated with Dr. Omer Mei Dan from the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine to create a redesigned surgical instrument called the CAP-LIFT cannula. The device was recently launched in October, and within the first few weeks used in over 100 successful surgeries.
New open-source software allows for efficient 3D printing with multiple materials
Assistant Professor Robert MacCurdy and fourth-year PhD student Charles Wade have created an open-source design system software package that uses functions and code to map not just shapes, but where different materials belong in a 3D object. The project, called OpenVCAD, has the potential to transform 3D printing by enabling engineers to design multi-material objects smarter and more efficiently.
A window underground: New sensors measure emissions from soil in real time
Soil is comprised of an intricate network of bacteria and other microbes that humans depend on, but this complex environmental system is constantly shifting, making it difficult for scientists to measure. Associate Professor Gregory Whiting and his team of researchers are developing reliable, inexpensive and easy-to-deploy sensors that monitor soil in real time to help farmers optimize their use of fertilizers, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money in the process.
Xu selected to receive a 2025 Packard Fellowship award
Assistant Professor Nicole Xu has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering. The award provides some of the nation’s most promising early career scientists and engineers flexible funding to test novel ideas and lead research that drives real-world impact.
Smart toilet designs in Cambodia held promise, but a key piece was missing
Assistant Teaching Professor James Harper recently led a behavioral study analyzing toilet use in Cambodia. Their goal was to introduce a new, smart toilet design that can keep rural households safe and protect the environment. But while households reported that they liked the new system, a crucial piece was missing: using it correctly.
Researchers pioneer fluid-based laser scanning for brain imaging
Professor Victor Bright and mechanical engineering PhD students Eduardo Miscles and Mo Zahrabi have recently collaborated on a new study that demonstrates how a fluid-based optical device known as an electrowetting prism can be used to steer lasers at high speeds for advanced imaging applications.