Student Awards

Honoring our 2026 undergraduate college awardees

Susan Glairon — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:44:16 +0000

Honoring our 2026 undergraduate college awardees Susan Glairon Tue, 04/14/2026 - 14:44

Thirteen chemical and biological engineering undergraduate students won 18 awards from the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Please click on their names to read more about our students' accomplishments.

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Kate Seymour

Susan Glairon — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:23:36 +0000

Kate Seymour Susan Glairon Fri, 04/10/2026 - 09:23

Double Major

Chemical Engineering (BS) and Chemistry (BA)

CEAS Award

Research Award

Future Plans

Pursuing a Materials Science and Engineering PhD at the University of Colorado Boulder

Why were you were selected for this award?

In the Bowman Research Group, I develop computer models that predict how light-activated plastics, called photopolymers, form and harden during manufacturing. My work addresses a critical gap in existing models, a chemical reaction unique to a major class of these materials, that has long forced researchers to rely on costly trial and error. By filling this gap, my models will enable scientists to design better photopolymers from the outset, rather than relying on guesswork.

Photopolymers are widely used in everyday applications from dental fillings and crowns, to 3D-printed medical devices, contact lenses and protective coatings. Improving predictive modeling can lead to more durable dental restorations (reducing repeat procedures, especially valuable for communities with limited access to dental care), while accelerating the development of customized medical implants and reducing material waste in manufacturing. Ultimately, my work helps researchers and engineers design these essential materials more efficiently, lowering costs and bringing new healthcare technologies to patients sooner.

What is your favorite CU Boulder memory?

Growing up, Saturday mornings meant watching College GameDay with my parents and cheering for our respective programs. So getting swept up in that experience at my own alma mater during Coach Prime's first season was pure joy. I traveled to Fort Worth for the opener and waved a giant CU flag on Big Noon Kickoff as Colorado shocked Texas Christian University. The following week, I was back at Folsom Field for the Nebraska game, where I won best sign on Big Noon. Then came the Rocky Mountain Showdown, and College GameDay's first visit to Boulder since 1996, where I got a photo with Desmond Howard, a former professional football player and current sports analyst. It's a fall I'll never forget.

What is your best piece of advice for other students?

Say "yes" to the opportunity you feel underqualified for. Email the professor whose research sounds intimidating. Apply for the internship you assume you won't get. Volunteer for the project that pushes you outside your comfort zone. Most of the meaningful opportunities I've had at CU started with me deciding to try. The worst thing that happens is someone says "no," which is exactly where you started. The people who seem to have it all figured out aren't more qualified than you; they just took the first step and asked.

Meet more of our awardees

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Jessica Connell

Susan Glairon — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:32:18 +0000

Jessica Connell Susan Glairon Wed, 04/08/2026 - 14:32

Major

Chemical and Biological Engineering

CEAS Awards

Academic Engagement Award
Culture Impact Award
Research Award

Post-graduation plans

Research at the Institute of Future Fuels at the DLR (German Aerospace Center) in Cologne, Germany

Why were you selected for these awards?

Culture Impact
I’ve been a member of oSTEM for four years and board member for three of those years. oSTEM, an LGBTQ+ STEM student organization, played an integral role in my time at CU. I was able to find community, gain professional experience, and leave a lasting impact on campus. As a board member, I helped take oSTEM to our first three National Conferences, displayed an AIDS memorial in the Pride Office, started our Alumni Network, and established ongoing connections with LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Groups in industry. oSTEM represents a deeply personal and important cause to me, and I’m grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to give back to the community that has supported me through some of my hardest times and darkest moments.

Research
I’ve participated in research with three different groups in my time at CU. I started by working in the Nabity group in Aerospace Engineering, working on ways to improve carbon dioxide capture and filtering for life support systems (such as on the International Space Station).

From there, I then joined the Weimer lab, working on utilizing concentrated sunlight to produce sustainable fuels. This work functions by taking water, heating it up to 1500C, and then flowing over an active material. This material has special properties that allows it to separate the oxygen out of water, leaving hydrogen which can then be captured. This hydrogen can then be combined with carbon monoxide to make syngas, a precursor to hydrocarbon fuels, or ammonia, which is used in fertilizer production necessary to feed over half the world’s population. While this work is not a perfect solution, it provides a step toward a more sustainable energy future and can be used with current energy infrastructure, making implementation much more feasible.

Lastly, I joined the Shields lab this year to complete my senior thesis. In this lab, I’ve worked on improving quantitative biodistribution measures to aid in cancer treatment research. One of the major challenges with cancer treatments is targeting, or getting the treatment to the desired part of the body. One way to study where treatments end up is a biodistribution study, or looking at the treatment concentration in different organs in the body. However, this process is typically labor intensive and destructive. My work has been developing quantitative calibrations of fluorescent images so that researchers can determine treatment concentration in each organ without destroying it. This will help determine which treatments have the highest targeting ability and thus should be studied more.

Academic Engagement
I have been a chemical engineering course assistant for the past year and a half. I have helped with Fluid Mechanics, Heat and Mass Transfer, Kinetics and Reactor Design, and was the head course assistant for a Mass Transfer bridge course. Though I love the concepts and challenging problems, my favorite part of being a CA has been my interactions with students. I love watching my students understand a concept for the first time or do really well on an exam they were worried about. I also love being able to provide support and advice about classes, professors, research, internships or even just to listen when someone has a bad day. Chemical engineering is difficult, and I want to make sure that the other students in the program have the community and support they need to do well.

What is your favorite CU Boulder memory?

My favorite memory from my time at CU has been hanging out with my friends on the front patio area of the biotech building. Whenever we need a break from being engineers, we all sit in the sun and nap, chat, play volleyball, stretch, do handstands and generally just enjoy a moment to ourselves. Chemical engineering is difficult, and as much as I love the hard work, I also cherish the moments of calm and community.

What is your best piece of advice for other students?

Ask for help. So many people at CU are in your corner and will support you if you ask. I would not be where I am today without the support of my family, friends, professors, mentors, and peers, and I'm incredibly grateful for their support and advice throughout my time at CU.

Meet more of our awardees

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ChBE senior earns national and campus Student Employee of the Year honors

Susan Glairon — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:16:18 +0000

ChBE senior earns national and campus Student Employee of the Year honors Susan Glairon Wed, 04/08/2026 - 10:16

McCarty was selected as the leadership category winner at the national and campus levels. She was recognized for her leadership as a course assistant and lead course assistant for multiple core engineering courses, as well as for her professionalism and academic excellence.

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Arianna McCarty

Susan Glairon — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:19:34 +0000

Arianna McCarty Susan Glairon Wed, 04/08/2026 - 05:19

Major

Chemical and Biological Engineering

CEAS Awards

Outstanding Undergraduate of the College
Academic Engagement Award
Research Award

Future Plans

Earn a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in biological sciences from the Wellcome Sanger Institute at the University of Cambridge as a Churchill Scholar

Why were you selected for these awards?

Academic Engagement Award
Teaching and learning have always been inseparable for me at CU. Across seven course assistant (CA) roles, I've had an exceptional opportunity to deepen my understanding of content, and more importantly deepen my connection with the academic community in the CHBE department. Beyond my CA roles, I've pursued extensive graduate coursework, classes across many disciplines, and even had the chance to conduct independent studies on Japanese haiku and French existentialism with Dr. Anja Lange! CU has given me the space to pursue my curiosities, and I've never stopped taking it up on that offer.

Research Award
In the Burdick Biomaterials and Biofabrication Laboratory, I engineer heart tissues with specific regions of scarring to model what happens to the heart following a heart attack. Using biomaterials and 3D bioprinting techniques, we fabricate these tissues to closely mimic the architecture of a damaged heart and subsequently investigate how specific proteins might be targeted to reverse scarring. I have also contributed to research in the Clark Lab at CU Anschutz, where I investigate how our respiratory microbiome (the collection of bacteria naturally present in our airway) interacts with and protects against pathogens, with implications for how we understand and treat respiratory infections.

Outstanding Undergraduate of the College Award
My undergraduate experience has been defined by a commitment to research, teaching and community at CU Boulder. Serving as a course assistant (CA) for seven courses has been one of the greatest gifts of my time here; it immersed me in the heart of the ChBE community in a way nothing else could have. Spanning three laboratories and four published papers, my research has ranged from respiratory microbiology to cardiac tissue engineering, allowing me to chase curiosities that only seem to deepen the further I go. Beyond the lab, working as an EMT, volunteering with Engineers Without Borders, and holding roles with the Boettcher Foundation and Goldwater Scholar Council have each been ways I've tried to pour into the communities that have given so much to me.

What is your favorite CU Boulder memory?

I don't have one favorite memory, and I think that's the point. The memories I'll carry with me are the gnocchi nights with friends, the spontaneous lab dance parties and the conversations that went way longer than they were supposed to. Those in-between moments are where the real magic lives.

What is your best piece of advice for other students?

My best piece of advice for other students is to ask for help. There are so many people here at CU who are in your corner and will support you if you just ask. I would not be where I am today without the support of my family, friends, professors, mentors and peers, and I'm incredibly grateful for their support and advice throughout my time at CU.

Meet more of our awardees

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Becca Rhodes

Susan Glairon — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 22:59:43 +0000

Becca Rhodes Susan Glairon Tue, 04/07/2026 - 16:59

Major

Chemical Engineering

CEAS Award

Perseverance Award

Why do you think you were selected for this award?

I have used my life experience to help others with their own strife, and I have let my experiences be a motivating force, rather than a defeat.

What is your favorite CU Boulder memory?

Singing at the national conference National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) with the University Choir in November 2025. I will cherish those memories forever!

What is your best piece of advice for other students?

Struggle looks different for everyone. Be slow to judge, and wary of assuming someone is okay based on their outward achievements. In the same vein, it is okay to ask for help, and the relationships you form from shared vulnerability and support will be far more meaningful and long-lasting. You are not as isolated as you feel. You deserve kindness and support, both from others and from yourself.

Meet more of our awardees

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Arianna McCarty awarded Churchill Scholarship—the 4th in CU Boulder history

Susan Glairon — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 17:18:22 +0000

Arianna McCarty awarded Churchill Scholarship—the 4th in CU Boulder history Susan Glairon Fri, 01/30/2026 - 10:18

Chemical and biological engineering senior Arianna McCarty has earned the prestigious Churchill Scholarship, becoming just the fourth student in university history to receive the honor. The award will support a year of master’s study at the University of Cambridge, recognizing her exceptional research achievements and academic excellence.

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Double major, triple honors: Ethan Coleman earns academic, research and outstanding student awards

Susan Glairon — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 10:28:07 +0000

Double major, triple honors: Ethan Coleman earns academic, research and outstanding student awards Susan Glairon Mon, 12/01/2025 - 03:28

Susan Glairon

Ethan Coleman presents his research at the 2024 AIChE annual student conference, held in San Diego.

When Ethan Coleman attends winter graduation, he’ll receive not one, but two CU Engineering degrees. He’ll also take home three of the College of Engineering and Applied Science fall undergraduate awards.

Coleman, who is double majoring in Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE) and Applied Mathematics, suspected he might receive the Research Award. But what he didn’t guess was that he’d also be recognized with the Academic Engagement Award as well as the honor he’s most proud of—Outstanding Undergraduate of the College.

“It feels more holistic,” Coleman said of his third award. “I’m being recognized for more than just good grades and research.”

Those recognitions reflect his work as a teaching assistant for six classes; his strong academic performance—including three graduate-level classes—and his research, where he served as first author on two papers stemming from his undergraduate thesis. It also reflects his time spent as a ChBE student ambassador as well as participating in the Global Engineering Residential Academic Program.

Mountains calling

Coleman spent his high school years in San Antonio, Texas. After visiting Colorado a few times, he decided on CU Boulder, drawn by his love of hiking.

He majored in chemical and biological engineering because he enjoyed math and chemistry. Interested in numerics, Coleman also added an applied math double major with ChBE.

“I enjoy taking classes, doing research and teaching,” Coleman said. “Sometimes it becomes overwhelming, but for the most part, I don't mind the work. I definitely wouldn't have gone as far as I have if I did.”

Coleman completed his double major in nine semesters, with help from the AP credits in calculus and chemistry he earned in high school. He’s not sure how he fit everything in, including his passion for hiking.

“I don't really have a system,” Coleman said. “I'm a night owl. I'll do something fun in the afternoon, and then knock out some homework at night.”

And when Coleman wasn’t studying, he could often be found on one of Colorado's trails. Two years ago Coleman hiked all 486 miles of the Colorado Trail in a month. He and a companion aimed for 20 miles a day, but on some days they pushed to 30 to make up for weather delays. Every week or so, they hitchhiked into town to pick up a resupply box they’d mailed themselves and to sleep in a real bed.

Coleman and a companion hiked the entire 486 miles of the Colorado trail in August 2024.

Road to research

As a junior, Coleman took a graduate-level transport class taught by Assistant Professor Ankur Gupta while carrying a 19-credit courseload—well above the typical 15 credits.

“That class was fun, but it was also hard,” Coleman said. “Having a professor who was supportive throughout was awesome. I ended up joining his lab because I really appreciated him as an instructor.”

Gupta's feelings were mutual.

“The recognitions are all very well-deserved for Ethan,” Gupta said. “He took two courses with me, including a graduate-level course where he was among the highest scorers, even as a junior.”

Over the course of his time at CU Boulder, Coleman was a learning assistant for six classes, including multivarious calculus and other teaching positions in applied math and ChBE.

Coleman has worked in Gupta’s Laboratory of Interfaces, Flow and Electrokinetics (LIFE) for two years. For the first few months he worked under a postdoctoral researcher, but then asked to head his own projects.

“Ankur was totally supportive,” Coleman said. “I wasn’t totally ready, with only three months of research experience, but Ankur said ‘If you get stuck, let me know.’ He did it in a way that was very conducive to me learning. He was very intentional about helping me grow into a good researcher.”

Coleman’s favorite research project is one he came up with himself: using microparticles that react to chemical gradients to move bacteria inside biofilms—clusters of bacteria joined by sticky polymers that are hard to remove. His goal: to discover a way to clean biofilms from porous materials.

“Ethan has been very creative and productive, on par with a graduate student,” Gupta added. “I am very excited for him and eager to follow his career, and wish him the very best.”

Looking ahead

Coleman plans to continue working in the LIFE lab for a few months after graduation. He’s applying to graduate schools to pursue a PhD in chemical and biological engineering and plans to become a professor. He’s specifically looking for labs that perform the type of biological research he currently pursues.

The recognitions reflect Coleman's work as a teaching assistant for six classes; his strong academic performance—including three graduate-level classes— and his research, where he served as first author on two papers stemming from his undergraduate thesis. It also reflects his time spent as a ChBE student ambassador.

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CU Boulder's Chem-E-Car team wins international poster design competition

Susan Glairon — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 22:55:47 +0000

CU Boulder's Chem-E-Car team wins international poster design competition Susan Glairon Thu, 11/06/2025 - 15:55

Susan Glairon

CU Boulder’s Chem-E-Car team took first place in poster design at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ 27th Annual ChemE Car Competition, surpassing 56 teams from around the world. The competition was held in Boston on Nov. 2.

The team—chemical and biological engineering undergraduates William Bierzychudek, Colin McElroy, McKenzie Mazur, Joshua Sherritt and Megan Sullivan—created the poster to showcase the research behind their vehicle, “Don’t Zinc and Drive,” which is powered by zinc-air batteries and uses an exothermic catalytic decomposition reaction mechanism to stop.

"Initially we were completely surprised, and then excitement and gratitude hit," said Bierzychudek, a chemical engineering senior and the team's captain. "It felt like recognition of the hours we had spent continuously redesigning our car, applying theory and diagnosing and fixing countless errors."

The competition challenges teams to design a shoebox-sized car powered by chemical reactions—such as a battery or internal combustion engine—that must stop at a specified distance using a time-dependent chemical reaction. The target distance is announced just before the competition, and the team whose car stops closest to that point wins.

Throughout the year, CU Boulder students designed, built and tested their car concepts in the chemical engineering undergraduate teaching lab. CU Boulder’s car finished just a few meters shy of the target line, said Assistant Teaching Professor Ehsan Keyvani, the team’s faculty advisor.

“Congratulations to the entire team for their outstanding achievement, dedication and innovative spirit; a true reflection of CU Boulder’s excellence in chemical engineering education and teamwork,” Keyvani said.

Bierzychudek noted that being transparent about the obstacles they faced—and how they overcame them—helped set their poster apart.

"Getting so many moving parts working can feel like a chore, but acknowledging and finding gratitude in those things was crucial to our success," he said. "It showed we were engaged not only with our project but with the process of struggling and learning."

In April CU Boulder students won the AIChE Chem-E-Car competition at the Rocky Mountain regional held in Bozeman, Montana. At that event, "Don't Zinc and Drive," took first place in both the car competition and the poster presentation; the team's second car, "Ralphie," placed third in the car competition. The first-place win secured CU Boulder a spot at the AIChE competition in Boston.

"There’s definitely a little imposter syndrome when you show up to a conference filled with big international schools and premier US colleges," Bierzychudek added. "We're grateful for the opportunity to represent our school on such a big scale and hope this sparks excitement for future CU Chem-E-Car teams."

The club is supported by funding from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and has received Engineering Excellence Fund support in the past.

�鶹��Ժ interested in joining CU Boulder's Chem-E-Club can send an email to chemecar@colorado.edu. The club can also be followed on Instagram at @boulderchemecar.

The win came at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ international Chem-E-Car competition in Boston, where CU Boulder’s poster stood out among 56 teams.

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How Hermann Klein-Hessling Barrientos built opportunity from adversity

Susan Glairon — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 11:30:05 +0000

How Hermann Klein-Hessling Barrientos built opportunity from adversity Susan Glairon Wed, 04/30/2025 - 05:30

Susan Glairon

Photo caption: Hermann Klein-Hessling Barrientos (right), Summit Shreshta (center) and Owen Sabolcik (left) make the sign of Ralphie's horns after taking the engineer’s oath at the College of Engineering 2025 Ring & Pin Graduation Ceremony.

Hermann Klein-Hessling Barrientos arrived at CU Boulder alone in the summer of 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, not knowing anyone or what to expect in the U.S. Though born in Minnesota to a Mexican mother and German father, his parents left the country when he was just a toddler, and he grew up across Europe and graduated from high school in Singapore.

His CU Boulder story is defined by his resilience—struggling with housing, medical and food insecurity while maintaining a rigorous course load and strong work ethic.

This spring, Barrientos will graduate with a BS in chemical engineering, and he received the College of Engineering and Applied Science’s Perseverance Award. He is also being recognized as the Outstanding Undergraduate of the College for his exceptional accomplishments in research, academia, community and global engagement.

"I succeeded despite my circumstances, not because of them,” Barrientos said. “I primarily attribute my accomplishments not to hard work or talent but luck, although I believe that luck is when preparation meets opportunity."

Hermann Klein-Hessling Barrientos stands by a Yosemite National Park sign during a weekend camping trip while participating in the Caltech Resnick Undergraduate Research Fellowship in summer 2023.

Barrientos’ six-page CV reads more like that of someone with a PhD than an undergraduate student. He has authored two journal papers, presented research at seven national conferences and symposiums and has been a researcher in the Weimer Research Group since he was a freshman.

His list of extracurricular activities is extensive, including a study abroad experience in Ireland and membership in CU Boulder’s Engineering Honors Program. He has won three consecutive American Institute of Chemical Engineers poster competitions and earned numerous honors, including a Caltech Resnick Undergraduate Research Fellowship, a Discovery Learning Apprenticeship Undergraduate Research Fellowship and an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program summer grant. He is the professional development coordinator of the Chemical Engineering Honor Society Omega Chi Epsilon and has been recognized as a BOLD Leadership Scholar.

“There’s always a way to figure out how to make it work, but you have to be comfortable putting yourself out there and asking for help,” Barrientos said. “It can be very hard.”

Laying the groundwork

After graduating from high school in Singapore, Barrientos spent a gap year in South Africa—first as an aerospace engineering intern, then in a materials science internship.

With strict pandemic restrictions in Asia, returning to his family in Singapore wasn’t an option, so his parents encouraged him to begin his college education immediately. CU Boulder’s scholarships and the opportunity to engage in undergraduate research ultimately tipped the scale in CU’s favor for Barrientos.

Barrientos operates a glovebox in the Weimer Lab during his freshman year.

“I heard good things about CU Boulder’s engineering program from my high school counselor in Singapore, especially about undergraduate research,” he said. “In other countries, you have to wait till you are a PhD student to get involved in research. I didn’t want to wait. Research teaches you more than learning from a textbook.”

That same sense of urgency extended to his classes. In 2020, during the university’s COVID-19 shutdown when everything was online, Hermann reached out to Teaching Associate Professor Paul Diduch to learn more about the Herbst Program for Engineering, Ethics & Society, and the two connected over Zoom.

“He was clearly interested,” Diduch said. “I was impressed with how much research Hermann had done in advance of our meeting, how keen his questions were and how serious and self-directed his intentions were.”

Two months before arriving in Boulder, Barrientos also contacted Teaching Professor Emeritus Leland Giovannelli to discuss course content, review materials and get a head start on the readings for Giovannelli’s upcoming class, “A Global State of Mind for Effective Engineering Practice.”

“He did not want to waste a moment in his education,” she said.

Barrientos also reached out early to Teaching Professor Angela Thieman-Dino of the Engineering Leadership Program, expressing anxiety about traveling to the U.S. alone, completing orientation and moving into his dorm without either parent present—while facing the difficult reality that he likely wouldn’t see them again for a long time due to COVID-19 restrictions. Thieman-Dino also said that Barrientos was eager for guidance around engaging in research. He joined her upper-division Engineering Leadership class as a first-year student to learn about conducting inquiry about complex leadership challenges while focusing his own project on engineering, sustainability and agriculture.

“I'm delighted to see how he has continued to engage in meaningful research throughout his time at CU,” Thieman-Dino said.

Navigating alone

Barrientos flew from Cape Town to Detroit—a less expensive destination than Denver—with little money and no idea how he’d get to Boulder. Undeterred, Barrientos drew on his creative resourcefulness, the support of the CU Boulder community and the kindness of strangers.

Barrientos and two other students hold awards at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2023 National Conference in Orlando, Florida.

He couch-surfed with people he met along the way, eventually flying to Denver using funds from a Go Fund Me campaign a friend from Singapore launched on his behalf.

Barrientos had reached out to Jennifer Williams, executive director of Take Action Global (TAG)—a nonprofit organization focused on empowering students to take action for a cleaner environment—where he had previously volunteered. In response, Williams contacted Noah Geisel, micro-credentials program manager at CU Boulder’s Office of the Registrar, to request assistance for Barrientos, who would be arriving in Boulder alone before the campus dormitories opened.

“I was happy to host him in my home as he began his CU Boulder journey,” Geisel said. “I am now proud to see him demonstrating the results of what is possible when combining passion and talent with a world-class college education.”

After staying with Geisel, Barrientos joined a Stampede Leadership Camp for three days before his first semester started, which allowed him a place to sleep and three meals a day.

Barrientos experienced an unexpected obstacle his second semester, as a surge in COVID-19 cases and the Marshall Fire—which destroyed approximately 1,000 structures on Dec. 30, 2021—delayed move-in for the campus dormitories. With nowhere to live, Barrientos petitioned to serve as a resident assistant (RA) in Williams Village, where the university was housing those affected by the fire. His application was accepted, and he was able to RA for two weeks there before starting his official RA position in Andrews Hall the spring semester of his freshman year. But he soon faced the 25-hour weekly work limit for students and had to choose between being an RA or pursuing research. He chose research.

After his first year in the CU Boulder dormitories, Barrientos tried to find a place to rent to lower expenses; finding housing was a challenge. Landlords refused to rent to him because his parents, who weren’t U.S. citizens, couldn’t cosign his lease. Without a credit score tied to his parents and with no Social Security history, he was often mistaken for—or profiled as—undocumented even though he was an American citizen, he said.

Barrientos and another student stand in front of a poster at the Caltech Final Summer Research Symposium in 2023.

In order to rent, Barrientos generally needed a one-month security deposit plus the first month's rent. CU staff were limited in how they could help, and local organizations that help low-income individuals told him he was a low priority as they prioritized families with small children.

He eventually found someone willing to rent an apartment to him the summer after his freshman year.

Throughout his undergraduate career, Barrientos consistently held at least one job, he said. At his busiest, he juggled four simultaneously. Each summer he secured internships to earn enough to cover his fall tuition and rent. He established a high credit score and by legally declaring his scholarships as income, qualified for leases without needing a co-signer.

Diduch said that when Barrientos was in his class, he frequently checked in with him.

“In addition to a high course load, he was also working,” Diduch said. “He was sleep deprived and stressed out. Despite it all, he always managed to get his work done, perform to a high level, and most importantly, have something thoughtful to say in class.

“I've always known Hermann to be remarkably driven and self-directed. He constantly makes things happen for himself and is incredibly resourceful. I'm not sure I've encountered a harder working student, at least in terms of sheer ability to open doors, manufacture opportunities and produce results.”

New challenges

Barrientos faced continued financial issues. Not graduating from a U.S. high school automatically disqualified him from roughly 50 percent of available scholarships, he said. He was also unable to petition for in-state tuition.

His sophomore year was especially difficult. After losing several close friends and facing other personal challenges, he began to struggle with mental health issues and considered taking an extended leave of absence from CU Boulder or transferring to a university in the Netherlands.

“A lot of bad things happened all at once, and I had to work really hard to get out of that rut, which I did, he said. “I wanted my family to know that I tried my best.

“My struggles highlighted the importance of men's mental health to me, and I decided to be open about my struggles with suicide ideation,” he said. “I'd like to extend my gratitude to Assistant Teaching Professors Jonathan Kish and Osita Onyejekwe and to Laura Thompson, a licensed professional counselor, for being there when I needed someone to talk to.”

Barrientos stands in front of the Dow Chemical Complex in Freeport, Texas, during his summer 2024 internship with Dow.

He’s grateful to CU Boulder’s Buff Pantry at the Basic Needs Center for providing food when he couldn’t afford groceries or access banking services—even before his first semester began. He’s also thankful to Giovannelli, who noticed during a Zoom call that he needed basic necessities, and along with Rebecca Komarek, assistant director of Idea Forge, brought him sheets, blankets and other essentials. He’s especially appreciative of Professor Alan Weimer, who welcomed him as a freshman undergraduate researcher and supported him throughout all four years. And finally, he’s grateful for all the donors “who took the risk of investing in my success.”

“If I had financial security from the get-go, it would have been different,” Barrientos said. “Not having it tainted a lot of my experiences. I always worried about money. Several times I thought I would have to drop out because I couldn’t pay tuition, or I worried I would lose all my scholarships and then get kicked out of the college.”

But that never happened.

As his education progressed, Barrientos’ financial pressure eased. He received a combination of private scholarships and support from donors who invested in his success, and by his junior year, his tuition was fully covered. The summer after his junior year he paid down nearly $20,000 in student loans by interning at Dow Chemical in Freeport, Texas.

His current research, part of an interdisciplinary NASA project, focuses on enhancing metals with atomic layer deposition to improve properties like strength and the ability to withstand higher temperatures—both crucial for manufacturing spacecraft components. The improvements also make it easier to produce customized parts with complex geometries at lower costs and on a larger scale, he said.

After graduation, Barrientos plans to relocate to Ohio to begin a refining engineering role within the operations research department in a Fortune 25 company.

Barrientos says his immediate goal is to support his parents' retirement. Once they are financially secure, he intends to return to academia to pursue a graduate degree in engineering.

“He is eager to make his mark on the world,” Giovannelli said. “With his tremendous creativity, intelligence and appetite for hard work, he will surely do so.”

Hermann Klein-Hessling Barrientos faced challenges with housing, medical and food insecurity, yet overcame them to earn the College of Engineering and Applied Science Perseverance Award as well as the college’s Outstanding Undergraduate Award.

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Student Awards

Honoring our 2026 undergraduate college awardees

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Kate Seymour

Double Major

CEAS Award

Future Plans

Why were you were selected for this award?

What is your favorite CU Boulder memory?

What is your best piece of advice for other students?

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Jessica Connell

Major

CEAS Awards

Post-graduation plans

Why were you selected for these awards?

What is your favorite CU Boulder memory?

What is your best piece of advice for other students?

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ChBE senior earns national and campus Student Employee of the Year honors

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Arianna McCarty

Major

CEAS Awards

Future Plans

Why were you selected for these awards?

What is your favorite CU Boulder memory?

What is your best piece of advice for other students?

Related News

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Becca Rhodes

Major

CEAS Award

Why do you think you were selected for this award?

What is your favorite CU Boulder memory?

What is your best piece of advice for other students?

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Arianna McCarty awarded Churchill Scholarship—the 4th in CU Boulder history

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Double major, triple honors: Ethan Coleman earns academic, research and outstanding student awards

Mountains calling

Road to research

Looking ahead

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CU Boulder's Chem-E-Car team wins international poster design competition

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How Hermann Klein-Hessling Barrientos built opportunity from adversity

Laying the groundwork

Navigating alone

New challenges

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