RobertDavis News

Arianna McCarty reaches new heights with Astronaut Scholarship

Susan Glairon — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 22:03:19 +0000

Arianna McCarty reaches new heights with Astronaut Scholarship Susan Glairon Tue, 11/04/2025 - 15:03

Susan Glairon

Arianna McCarty, a chemical and biological engineering senior, has distinguished herself through a remarkable combination of three top academic and research achievements.

Most recently McCarty received the 2025 scholarship from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF), an organization founded by the Mercury 7 astronauts and supported by successive generations of NASA astronauts. She previously earned the Boettcher Scholarship, fully funding her for four years of undergraduate study at a Colorado university, as well as the Goldwater Scholarship, awarded to sophomores and juniors actively conducting research in mathematics, science and engineering.

Astronaut scholars are awarded up to $15,000 per year for education-related expenses and may be awarded for up to two years of undergraduate work. The merit-based ASF scholarship is the largest known monetary award of its kind given in the United States to science and engineering undergraduate students.

What does this newest award mean to you?

Receiving the astronaut scholarship has been one of the most meaningful honors of my academic journey because it recognizes my technical and research accomplishments and connects me to an extraordinary community. The other astronaut scholars are some of the most inspiring, passionate and driven people I’ve ever met, and many have become close friends.

What research have you been involved in?

My research journey began in high school, when I worked with the Layer Lab at the BioFrontiers Institute to study computational genomics. Later, thanks to the support of the Boettcher Foundation, I joined The Clark Lab at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, where I explored the respiratory microbiome and investigated how native bacteria in the respiratory tract can protect against pathogens. Most recently, I joined the Burdick Biomaterials and Biofabrication Laboratory in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE) through the Young Scholars Summer Research Program led by Distinguished Professor Robert Davis.

If you go

What: Meet astronaut Joe Tanner, a four-time astronaut who flew aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, Discovery, Endeavour and Atlantis again.

Arianna McCarty, a chemical and biological engineering senior, will be honored as an astronaut scholar at this event.

When: Thursday, Nov. 6, 4:30 p.m.

Where: UMC 386 (Aspen Room)

Register for the event

My work focuses on engineering heart tissues to model focal cardiac fibrosis, a condition in which the heart wall stiffens, impairing cardiac function and potentially leading to heart failure. By replicating this disease in the lab, we aim to better understand its mechanisms and evaluate potential therapeutics to advance treatment options.

Which organizations, clubs or volunteer work are you engaged in?

As a course assistant for multiple core ChBE courses, I work to make challenging material more accessible, developing recitations and creating custom practice resources to support student success. I also serve as a peer ambassador for the department, collaborating with faculty to enhance courses and expand departmental programming. Beyond engineering, I find balance performing in theatrical productions, playing a variety of instruments and authoring a collection of haiku. I also stay engaged through the Boettcher Foundation, a philanthropic foundation dedicated to strengthening Colorado by fostering the potential of its residents.

What accomplishment are you most proud of academically?

I'm most proud of my growth as a scientist, learning to ask the right questions and design research aimed at real-world impact. From studying the respiratory microbiome to engineering heart tissues, I've developed both the technical skills and scientific curiosity to contribute meaningfully to human health.

What has been your biggest challenge during your engineering education?

One of the biggest challenges in my engineering education has been learning to say “no.” I’ve always been deeply curious and eager to take on new opportunities. But, I’ve come to understand time as the most valuable resource, and how we choose to spend it defines the quality of our work and growth.

Arianna McCarty presenting her research at the 2024 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) annual meeting in San Diego.

What’s next?

I'm applying to PhD programs in bioengineering, with a focus on research at the intersection of tissue engineering and immunoengineering. I am particularly interested in exploring how the immune system and other biological systems, such as the microbiome, can be leveraged to support wound healing and tissue regeneration. Ultimately, I hope to become a professor at an R1 research university, where I can lead a lab pursuing novel research in this area and continue mentoring students—a role I’ve come to deeply enjoy through my experiences as a course assistant.

Anything else you would like to add or share?

I’m deeply grateful to everyone who has supported and believed in me along the way. In particular, I want to thank Kenneth M. Monks, PhD, Assistant Professor Ryan Layer, Assistant Professor Sarah Clark, Professor Jason Burdick and my brother, Bryan. Their trust, mentorship and encouragement have meant more to me than words can express.

Arianna McCarty, a chemical and biological engineering senior, has distinguished herself through a remarkable combination of academic and research excellence, earning the Astronaut, Boettcher and Goldwater scholarships. Her research spans computational genomics, the respiratory microbiome and tissue engineering aimed at improving heart health.

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Gesse Roure — Outstanding Dissertation Award

Anonymous — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 22:38:56 +0000

Gesse Roure — Outstanding Dissertation Award Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 12/06/2023 - 15:38

Susan Glairon

PhD, Chemical Engineering, 2023

Dissertation Name: Microhydrodynamics of Droplets and Particles: Applications in Microfluidics and Agglomeration

Defended: July, 2023

Associated lab: Davis Group

Advisors: Distinguished Professor Robert H. Davis and Alexander Zinchenko, senior research associate

Current position: Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Missouri

College of Engineering and Applied Science Outstanding Dissertation Award
This award recognizes the best dissertation (excellence of research, topical importance and presentation in the written dissertation) among students completing PhD degree requirements during a calendar year.

As a student from Brazil, how did you choose CU Boulder for your graduate studies?
Multiple factors influenced my decision to come to CU. Firstly, having already completed a master's in a related field, I was familiar with the previous works of Rob (Davis) and Alex (Zinchenko), and that was my primary motivation for choosing CU for my graduate studies. Besides that, the high-quality research conducted across various departments, particularly in Chemical and Biological Engineering, closely matched my academic interests. The appealing town atmosphere, as confirmed during my time in Boulder, solidified my decision, making it an easy choice.

What does receiving this award mean to you?
I am deeply honored to receive this outstanding dissertation award, which, for me, is the culmination of several years of hard work and diligence, as it not only represents the acknowledgement of my previous work, but also serves as a source of motivation for my future academic pursuits.

Tell me more about your research.
My dissertation explores the fascinating world of tiny-scale flows in science and engineering, especially focusing on two key challenges. First, we examined a sustainable method for capturing small particles in fluids using special droplets that slowly grow over time. The study reveals that the swelling of these droplets significantly improves particle capture efficiency, which is very useful for filtration, waste treatment and mineral recovery. In the second portion of the dissertation, the research focuses on the movement of tiny droplets in microchannels, which has applications ranging from medical diagnostic devices to targeted drug delivery. The findings include innovative approaches for shaping droplets and inducing effective mixing in microreactors, showcasing the potential for advancements in diverse microfluidic technologies. Overall, this work offers valuable insights into small-scale phenomena with broad applications across various scientific and engineering fields.

Why does this research topic interest you?
One thing that has always caught my attention is the ubiquitousness of fluids in nature. From the motion of hurricanes to the cytoplasm inside of a bacterium, there is always something flowing. The broad applications and interdisciplinary nature of fluid dynamics research are what specifically sparked my interest in this subject, as it offers a diverse range of opportunities to explore and understand various phenomena, making it an exciting and dynamic field.

Image above: Transport inside a droplet in a microfluidic trap subjected to an external tri-axial extensional flow.

Gesse Roure (PhD ChemEngr'23) received the CEAS Oustanding Dissertation Award; his research explores tiny-scale flows, with applications in waste treatment, mineral recovery, medical diagnostics and targeted drug delivery.

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Robert H. Davis joins ranks of CU Distinguished Professors

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 21:45:12 +0000

Robert H. Davis joins ranks of CU Distinguished Professors Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 01/27/2023 - 14:45

Susan Glairon

Professor Robert H. Davis is known throughout CU Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science as an outstanding leader for his 25-year tenure as the Chemical and Biological Engineering department chair and then the dean of the college.

Davis recently added another accolade to his extensive list of accomplishments: Distinguished Professor, the highest honor bestowed upon tenured faculty across the University of Colorado’s four campuses. Including this year’s honorees, only 136 distinguished professors have been named since the title was first given in 1977.

What is most special to Davis about his latest award is that it recognizes two areas dear to his heart: teaching and research.

“It's a huge honor,” Davis said. “I'm especially pleased the award is based on traditional faculty values of teaching and research, and being recognized by my colleagues.”

Professor Will Medlin, chair of the ChBE department, spoke about the huge impact Davis has made on the department since returning as a faculty member in 2017.

“With his tremendous accomplishments in research, teaching, and leadership it’s difficult to imagine someone more deserving of the title of Distinguished Professor,” Medlin said. “Someone who didn’t know Rob very well might have expected that after he returned, he would take it easy. Instead, he immediately became one of our most creative and engaged faculty members, injecting an amazing level of energy across our research, teaching and service missions.”

Among many other efforts, after his return Davis led new training grants for the ChBE PhD students as well as a new program aimed at fostering collaborations with European institutions, Medlin said. He also led the charge for implementation of intensive, “second-chance” courses to aid in student retention.

Professor Christopher Bowman said that Davis selflessly gave up his own time to help him succeed.

“I owe so much to Rob for any success I have had due to his mentoring, caring and assistance – often at his own personal sacrifice,” Bowman said. “Rob’s devotion and help assisted me and so many others to become better educators, faculty members and people. I have personally seen him show this same devotion not only to faculty but to undergraduate and graduate students over and over again.”

He added that Davis “is a model of what a Distinguished Professor should be.”

“It’s a rare individual who performs at an exceptional level in either research, teaching or service to his/her profession as a professor. Rob excels at all of these – and does it with a care and concern for people that is unmatched.”

Assistant Professor Kayla Sprenger has co-taught Heat and Mass Transfer with Davis for three years and says that working alongside him “has been a pleasure and an honor.”

"Rob is the most organized and detail-oriented person I have ever met. He makes teaching a class of 120 students seamless,” Sprenger said. “He’s a true expert on the subject matter which serves to deepen and strengthen my own knowledge of the course content each time we teach together.”

Wendy Young, now a ChBE teaching professor and associate chair, is a former PhD student of Davis. Young remembers turning in drafts of journal papers to Davis and his returning them completely covered in red ink.

“Rob helped us to be our very best researchers,” she said. “His many suggested improvements – while a little jarring visually – were so helpful and spot on that my group mates and I actually had several journal articles accepted with zero corrections from reviewers!”

A history of success
Davis’s accomplishments go back to receiving the University Medal in 1978 as the outstanding graduate from University of California, Davis in all disciplines. He received his MS and PhD degrees from Stanford University in 1979 and 1982 in chemical engineering. Following a NATO postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Cambridge, he joined the CU Boulder faculty in 1982, serving as chair of the ChBE department from 1992-2002 and director of the Colorado RNA Center and co-director of the Colorado Institute for Research in Biotechnology from 1987-2001. He was appointed dean of the college in 2002.

Davis is a world leader in the hydrodynamics of complex fluids, and his research and teaching interests also include biotechnology and membrane separations, with more than 240 peer- reviewed publications in these fields and more than 19,000 citations. A paper he co-authored on the topic of microfiltration in the “Journal of Membrane Science” is one of the most highly cited publications ever published in the journal.

As dean he promoted diversity and implemented student resources such as the BOLD Center, GoldShirt Program, Idea Forge and Earn-Learn and Discovery Learning apprenticeship programs.

Outside of teaching, research and mentoring current students and faculty, Davis also spends his evenings mentoring 12 ChBE alumni. He meets with them individually via Zoom every month to discuss their careers. Sometimes they engage in a book study on “something related to becoming a better person or becoming a better employee.”

As for the future, Davis does not plan to change anything.

“I don't want another administrative job — I don't want to become provost, for example,” he said. “I want to continue to teach and do research. And I really enjoy mentoring individual students. I’m hoping the mentoring will continue beyond the days that I'm a faculty member.”

Article in CU Boulder Today

Professor Robert H. Davis is known throughout CU Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science as an outstanding leader for his 25-year tenure as the Chemical and Biological Engineering department chair and then the dean of the college. Davis recently added another accolade to his extensive list of accomplishments: Distinguished Professor, the highest honor bestowed upon tenured faculty across the University of Colorado’s four campuses.

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