University of Colorado at Â鶹¹ÙÍø engineering doctoral students Chris Brotherton and Michael Raulli are the first recipients of the Sandia Doctoral Fellowship, a new fellowship supporting research in micro and nano systems established at CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø.
Brotherton is a second-year graduate student in chemical engineering, working in the area of microfluidics and "lab-on-a-chip" devices, while Raulli is a second-year graduate student in aerospace engineering working on the analysis and design of microelectromechanical systems. They were selected for the two-year fellowship established by Sandia National Laboratories based on their outstanding academic records.
The Sandia Doctoral Fellowship at CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø is part of a wide sponsorship program by Sandia at major universities across the United States. The goal of the fellowship is to encourage innovation in science-based, multidisciplinary research through support for outstanding doctoral candidates in science and engineering. In establishing the fellowship, Sandia National Laboratories hopes to strengthen its partnership with CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø to encourage a new generation of scientists and engineers who can contribute to areas of national interest and critical need.
"These fellowships are integral to maintaining our excellence in research and leadership position in science and technology, not only for the Labs but for the U.S. as well," said Francisco Figueroa, Sandia vice president and chief financial officer.
Melvyn Branch, associate dean for research and administration at CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø's College of Engineering and Applied Science, said the fellowships provide a significant level of support for top students in an area of particular importance to the college and campus.
"The Sandia Doctoral Fellowship is a major step in building a continuing relationship between the University of Colorado and Sandia National Laboratories in areas of mutual interest," Branch said.
Sandia National Laboratories is one of the largest federal laboratories in the United States. With major laboratory locations in New Mexico and northern California, Sandia employs more than 8,000 regular employees, post-docs and contractors. Sandia projects to hire 500 new technical employees per year over the next four years.
Major programs at Sandia involve basic and applied research in physical sciences, biology and information science, as well as engineering programs in defense, energy and environment. For the past decade Sandia has built a significant portfolio of activities in homeland defense, including intelligence technologies, hardening of buildings and key public assets, cyber-security and multispectrum sensor technologies.