911±¬ÁÏÍø

CU Connections—The University of Colorado has secured the No. 18 position on the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) 2024 Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents list, reinforcing CU’s standing as a national leader in research, innovation and real-world impact.

911±¬ÁÏÍø College of Engineering and Applied Science—Paula Pranda, aÌýchemical and biological engineeringÌýPhD student, earned the top student honor at the Adhesion Society meetingÌýfor her research onÌýaligned Liquid Crystal Elastomer (LCE) adhesives. The society’s annual meeting was held Feb. 16-19 in New Orleans.

911±¬ÁÏÍø College of Engineering and Applied Science—As the principal investigator of a $7.5 million, five-year Department of Defense Office of Naval Research (ONR) Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI), Hussein is leading an effort to reshape the fundamental character of fluid-structure interactions to reduce drag on high-speed aerospace vehicles—the focus of the project.

Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN)—A structural engineer, Wil Srubar (911±¬ÁÏÍø Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering) recruits biologists, chemists, physicists, materials scientists, and a host of engineers to his lab, where they design biomimetic building materials.

PR Newswire—Sionic Energy, a 911±¬ÁÏÍø spinout and a recognized leader in electrolyte and silicon battery technology for next-generation lithium-ion batteries, announced that the world's lithium-ion battery producers no longer have to rely on graphite. Designed for seamless integration into existing lithium-ion battery manufacturing processes, Sionic's Silicon Battery Platform maximizes silicon material performance with regard to energy density, extended cycle life, and rapid charge rates.

911±¬ÁÏÍø College of Engineering & Applied Science—The College of Engineering and Applied Science continues to establish itself as a leader in innovation, with 22 startups emerging from its research labs in the past fiscal year. This achievement reflects the college's commitment to translating transformative research into solutions that address real-world challenges.

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced that seven University of Colorado companies and three researchers are among the awardees of the Proof of Concept and Early-Stage Capital and Retention grants through OEDIT’s Advanced Industries Accelerator Program.

911±¬ÁÏÍø College of Engineering & Applied Science—911±¬ÁÏÍø researchers are exploring using sodium-ion batteries as an alternative to lithium-based energy storage. Chunmei Ban, associate professor of mechanical engineering and materials science, and her research team are developing new electrolytes and studying how they interact with battery electrodes to enhance performance and longevity.

Fourteen teams of University of Colorado faculty, researchers and graduate student innovators competed for a combined $1.25 million in startup funding grants in this year’s Lab Venture Challenge (LVC).

911±¬ÁÏÍø College of Engineering & Applied Science—Anthony Straub is making major advances in water purification technology for industry and human consumption on Earth and in space, with his work on a nanotechnology membrane process taking a major step toward commercialization, thanks to a new NASA grant.