Research

Reconstructing the ancient Indus River

Susan Glairon — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:25:49 +0000

Reconstructing the ancient Indus River Susan Glairon Thu, 12/11/2025 - 17:25

By combining hydrology and paleoclimate modeling, Balaji Rajagopalan, professor of civil engineering, and colleagues uncovered the long-standing mystery behind the disappearance of the Harappan Civilization.

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Tiny new device could enable giant future quantum computers

Charles Ferrer — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 18:41:02 +0000

Tiny new device could enable giant future quantum computers Charles Ferrer Thu, 12/11/2025 - 11:41

Researchers have developed a device that can precisely control laser light using a fraction of the power and space required today. Because it can be manufactured just like modern microchips, this tiny device could unlock quantum computers capable of solving problems far beyond the reach of today’s technologies.

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Scientists use ultrasound to soften and treat cancer tumors without damaging healthy tissue

Susan Glairon — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 17:23:32 +0000

Scientists use ultrasound to soften and treat cancer tumors without damaging healthy tissue Susan Glairon Wed, 12/10/2025 - 10:23

A С�� Boulder team has invented a sound-wave technique that softens dense tumors so chemotherapy can penetrate more deeply. The discovery could boost treatment effectiveness and make cancer therapies safer for patients.

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Postdoc working on AI for astronauts

Jeff Zehnder — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 21:58:58 +0000

Postdoc working on AI for astronauts Jeff Zehnder Fri, 12/05/2025 - 14:58

Jeff Zehnder

Ulubilge Ulusoy is advancing the science of artificial intelligence to help astronauts on future missions to Mars.

Although such a flight is years away, AI systems will be critical to assisting astronauts as they journey beyond Earth’s orbit.

“These are problems we need to understand now,” Ulusoy said. “The International Space Station works because we have a huge group of humans in ground control helping these systems to function. When you go to Mars and the time delays for communications can be up to 24 minutes one way, it’s impossible for NASA to check things in real time. You need AI-based systems ready to keep the crew alive and the habitat functional.”

Ulusoy is designing methods to test human responses to AI systems within a framework where AI systems assist humans and humans also assist AI. The goal is to better understand how people can best interact with them.

He is the inaugural Smead Distinguished Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Colorado Boulder. The one-year position provides funding for leading PhD graduates conducting aerospace research.

Ulusoy uses sensors to collect an array of physiological data as humans interact with AI systems in real-time, including heart rate variation, perspiration, breathing rate, and cognitive load.

Such objective data can reveal how trustworthy and useful human users find AI systems as well as the best methods AI can use to provide assistance.

“These systems are getting better, but we often ignore them anyway. You sometimes have Siri or Google pop up to say something and you’re like, ‘Not now, Siri.’ These new AI systems have machine learning technology so when you provide counter feedback, it can learn from that,” he said.

Ulusoy is conducting pilot tests this semester with the hope of beginning human trials in the spring. He and fellow Postdoctoral Associate Patrick Pischulti are working with Katya Arquilla, an assistant professor in the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, and an expert on how humans interact with and adapt to complex systems.

The research is a long-time goal of Ulusoy. He first began working on AI/astronaut interactions in 2020 during his PhD program. At that time, its potential was largely theoretical.

“I wanted to present a framework on paper, but in my third year, commercial, off-the-shelf large language models came out. It is a really exciting time to move forward,” he said.

The experiments this spring will see human test subjects working with a robotic arm to complete a physical task. Ulusoy will monitor the human test subject responses to see how well they work together.

“Being able to do human factors work, specifically collective physiological data is really helpful,” he said. “Implementing real-time, objective measurements will bring this to the next level.”

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Wind tunnel research could help predict how wildfires spread

Alexander James Servantez — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 18:35:37 +0000

Wind tunnel research could help predict how wildfires spread Alexander Jame… Fri, 12/05/2025 - 11:35

PhD student Laura Shannon, alongside Professors Greg Rieker and Peter Hamlington of the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering 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.

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PhD student earns top award for video showing hidden odor patterns

Susan Glairon — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 23:26:01 +0000

PhD student earns top award for video showing hidden odor patterns Susan Glairon Wed, 12/03/2025 - 16:26

Susan Glairon

Elle Stark, a PhD student in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, was recently awarded a prestigious Gallery of Fluid Motion (GFM) Award for a video describing her research.

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Bruce Kirkpatrick honored with Outstanding Dissertation Award

Susan Glairon — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 21:07:51 +0000

Bruce Kirkpatrick honored with Outstanding Dissertation Award Susan Glairon Wed, 11/26/2025 - 14:07

Susan Glairon

Chemical and Biological Engineering PhD Student Bruce Kirkpatrick was honored with the 2025 Outstanding Dissertation Award. His hydrogel research supports technologies that enable 3D cell culture for tissue engineering and disease modeling, as well as acellular biomaterials for applications like controlled release of drugs or vaccines.

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A window underground: New sensors measure emissions from soil in real time

Alexander James Servantez — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 21:40:29 +0000

A window underground: New sensors measure emissions from soil in real time Alexander Jame… Thu, 11/20/2025 - 14:40

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.

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Smart toilet designs in Cambodia held promise, but a key piece was missing

Alexander James Servantez — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 21:38:19 +0000

Smart toilet designs in Cambodia held promise, but a key piece was missing Alexander Jame… Wed, 11/19/2025 - 14:38

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.

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Matt Hallowell wrote a book on workplace safety. Industry made it a bestseller.

Susan Glairon — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:12:13 +0000

Matt Hallowell wrote a book on workplace safety. Industry made it a bestseller. Susan Glairon Mon, 11/17/2025 - 13:12

Susan Glairon

With fatalities unchanged for nearly two decades, industry has been hungry for clear, practical guidance rooted in solid research, says Professor Matt Hallowell. In his first book, Hallowell summarized the research of more than 100 journal papers in reader-friendly terms, providing the first comprehensive, evidence-based explanation of why serious worksite injuries persist and how to prevent them.

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