GOLD Board

GOLD Board during their Spring 2023 meeting

Members of the GOLD Board during their Fall 2023 meeting.

The Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) Board enhances the relationship between the College of Engineering and Applied Science and its recent graduates in a way that encourages alumni to maintain their close connections with the college and university at large, while simultaneously adding value to the reputation and contributions of the college. 

Apply for GOLD Board

Applications for new members are currently closed. Check back in early 2025. 

GOLD Board Bylaws (Oct., 2022)

If you have questions or want to learn more about the board, contact us at engalumni@colorado.edu.

 

Board Members

Erika Bailon (CompSci'20)

Software Systems Engineer

Current city: Denver, CO

I joined the GOLD Board because ²ÊÃñ±¦µä helped me be where I am right now and I want to give back. It is very important to me to help students and alumni find a place where they feel like they belong and a place where they find support.

Contact me: Email,

Saumya Bansal (MCompSci'23)

Job title: Senior Software Engineer | Visa 

Current city: Highlands Ranch, CO

Hobbies: Traveling, hiking, camping, painting, baking

As a proud alumna of ²ÊÃñ±¦µä and a member of the CEAS GOLD Board, I am dedicated to bridging the gap between the College of Engineering and Applied Science and its recent graduates. My past roles, such as serving as the Social Chair of Gradswe, have equipped me to foster a diverse and inclusive community. I have gained valuable insights into the academic and professional needs of students through my involvement with the Bold Center and the Forever Buff Program. I am eager to utilize these experiences to guide, mentor, and support current students. I am deeply committed to enhancing the college's reputation and contributions and am enthusiastic about making a lasting impact on the college and its graduates. SkoBuffs!

Contact me: , Email

Trevor Bennett (PhDAero'17)

Job title: Co-Founder, Starfish Space 

Current city: Seattle, WA

Hobbies: An adrenaline junkie: scuba, skydiving, kite boarding, soccer, triathlons, anything space

Trevor joined the GOLD board to provide perspective in educating future engineers, expand end deepen contributions back to ²ÊÃñ±¦µä, and be among high caliber individuals seeking to better the lives of others.

Contact me:   | Email

Tyler J. Cagle (MechEngr'19)

Job title: Marketing Engineer, Party Round

Current city: Denver, CO

Hobbies: Building products, designing, traveling, mountain biking, skiing

While graduation is an exciting time, it’s often a major adjustment for new graduates to find their right fit in industry. As a recent graduate myself, I’ve bounced across multiple career paths before finding my niche where I’m able to employ my unique skillset. My mission as a GOLD Board member is to remove the trial and error by applying a focus on maximizing unique, personal value that best ensures a smooth landing into industry roles for students.

Contact me: 

Megan Conard (MechEngr'23)

Research Engineer | Saint-Gobain R&D Center

Current city: Providence, RI

Hobbies: running, yoga, watching Colorado football

During my time at CU, my main goal was to improve the student experience within the college of engineering and employ student voices in decision making. With my experience on the Mechanical Engineering DEI board and Dean's advisory board, I wanted to bridge that experience into my post-graduate life and continue trying to make CU Engineering the best place for everyone. 

Contact me:

Brittany Earle (ChemEngr'15)

Technology Engineer | BASF

Current city: Baton Rouge, LA

Hobbies: hiking, reading, travel

I joined the GOLD Board because I want to enable others to connect with and build up the strong alumni network that we have at ²ÊÃñ±¦µä. As I have moved across the country several times since graduation, I have appreciated the support from fellow alumni in establishing roots in new cities. We have a shared experience in graduating from the same university, and I believe that there is a lot to gain from keeping up those connections.

Contact me: 

Mohammed Jalali (MechEng'21)

Testing Engineer-Radiation Safety Officer | Schlumberger (SLB)

Current city: Denver, CO

Hobbies: skiing, hiking, traveling, and playing soccer

I joined the GOLD Board because I am deeply committed to strengthening the bonds within the College of Engineering and Applied Science community at the University of Colorado at Boulder. My primary motivation stems from a desire to enhance the relationship between the school and its alumni, facilitating mentorship and valuable career guidance for current students. Moreover, I am passionate about giving back to my academic home and contributing to the growth of future engineers. Additionally, I seek to bridge the gap between academia and industry, forging partnerships and opportunities that connect students with real-world applications and cutting-edge technologies. In essence, my participation in the GOLD Board is driven by my dedication to fostering a thriving, interconnected ecosystem within the college, benefiting both its current students and alumni.

Contact me:  , Email

Lillian Herrick-Reynolds (MechEngr'16)

Project Development Engineer | Bioenergy Devco 

My job: I work as a consultant at a biofuels startup company and a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant. I support design and engineering on various capital improvement projects throughout conceptual design, detailed design and implementation phases.

Current city: Boulder, CO 

Hobbies: Snowboarding, yoga and travel

Why I became a GOLD Board member: The ²ÊÃñ±¦µä engineering program was a positive and impactful experience for me. Between the different classes, student groups and workshops I was able to gain useful workplace skills while building strong relationships with my peers. I am excited about the opportunity to be on the GOLD Board so that I can engage with the soon to be engineers in training and share the knowledge I have acquired thus far from my professional career.

Contact me: Email

Christopher Kohl, Co-chair (MechEngr'17)

Mechanical Design Engineer for The Applied Research Laboratory | The University of Texas

Current city: Austin, TX Hobbies: reading, rugby, and robotics.

I joined the GOLD board because I wanted to help create a sense of community among alumni and current students. A community in which knowledge is shared, students are mentored and friends are made. I got a lot of benefit from engaging with alumni during my time at The College of Engineering and Applied Science and I'm hoping to return the favor and help other alumni do the same.

Contact me: Email

Pratik Lotia (MTeleCom'18)

Senior Cloud Security Engineer | Reddit, Inc.

Current city: Denver, CO

Hobbies: Hiking, reading, yoga and meditation

During my student years at CU, some of my professors took special efforts to facilitate communication with industry professionals. This has been incredibly important in helping me shape my career. By joining the GOLD Board, I'd like to contribute and develop new methods to continue bridging the gap between academia and industry so that students have more exposure to industry professionals which will enable them to be better prepared for the life ahead.

Contact me: Email

Sierra Murphy (CompSci'15)

Software Engineer

Current city: Sunnyvale, California

Hobbies: Snowboarding, surfing, dirt biking, coffee, books

I joined the GOLD Board to connect with current and former CU students, and help create a sense of CU pride and community in the Bay Area.

Contact me: Email

 

Declan Murray (AeroEngr'20)

Declan Murray

Aerospace Systems Engineer | Maxar Technologies

Current city: Washington, DC

I joined the GOLD Board because I wanted to give back to a school and program that gave me so much. I hope that my contributions to the GOLD Board will make a positive impact on CU, the College of Engineering & Applied Sciences, and the many students that pass through its doors.

Contact me: Email,

Beth Myers, Co-chair (MEngrMgmt'11; PhDCivEngr'16)

Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness | University of Colorado Denver

My job: I lead many academic functions, such as: academic planning, accreditation, program review, new degree program approval, institutional research, data governance and management, assessment, university curriculum, and graduate education. 

Current city: Lafayette, Colorado

Hobbies: Spending time with family, cooking, hiking, and traveling

I joined the GOLD Board because CU Engineering has been an integral part of my life and has drastically influenced who I am as a person. I have experienced the college from the roles of student, staff and faculty and hope my unique perspective will allow me to give back, mentor, expand networks and support students and alumni. 

Contact me: Email, , 

Aidan Rafferty (TAM'18)

Lunar Systems Engineer | Blue Origin

Current City: Denver, CO

Hobbies: Skiing, Sailing, Soccer, Volleyball, Digital Art, Boating, Strategy Games, Sim Racing, Motorsports

My time at CU is what has molded me into the person I am today, and I am forever grateful for that. I joined the GOLD Board to give back to current students and foster better relations between the alumni and the university. One of my favorite ways to give back is to engage with current students through panels, mentorships, resume workshops, and networking events. A strong alumni network is beneficial for current students and former students alike as it lays the foundation of better community and partnerships beyond Boulder. I hope to build that during my time on the GOLD Board.

Contact Me:

Saurabh Sanghai (MElEngr'18; PhD'18)

Director of Engineering | Trackonomy

Current city: San Jose, CA

Hobbies: Traveling, amateur radio, music, cooking

I am pleased and honored to be a part of the dynamic and benevolent team at the CU GOLD board. Being part of the CU gold board gives me a chance to help budding students, connect with alumni, share my experiences with them and to offer support to the next generation of Buffs. During school, there were innumerable times when I got support from the CU staff, management, students and alumni through their selfless deeds. Now I want to play my role and give back to the fraternity. I am very passionate about the 'student – alumni – industry' networking and harmonization. I would like to use the CU GOLD platform to create better industry engagement and to further the student and alumni support efforts. 

Bio: Saurabh is an experienced and passionate wireless product architect and systems designer with expertise in consumer electronics, automotive, mission-critical military warfighter systems, and Industrial IoT applications. He has a Masters and Ph.D. from ²ÊÃñ±¦µä in EE with a focus on Antenna and RF systems Design for diverse military applications and combat system platforms. Saurabh is also skilled in supply chain management for resilient product design cycles, product platform creation, product interoperability management, and global technical operations support. After contributing as a designer and core architect for over three years, he is currently focused on international market access efforts across diverse verticals.

Contact me: Email

Katie Simon (MechEngr'18)

Strategic Project Manager | Ibotta, Inc

Current city: Boulder, CO

Hobbies: Skiing, playing volleyball, traveling, DIY projects, boating and water sports

During my time as a student, countless alumni, professors, managers, and advisors helped me find my way through engineering school and into industry. I joined the GOLD Board as a way to pay that guidance and mentorship forward to the next generation of engineering Buffs.

Contact me: Email

Ponder Stine (AeroEngr'22; MS'22)

Software Development Engineer | Amazon

Current city: Redmond, WA

Hobbies: Reading, ultimate frisbee, traveling

My time at CU was incredibly significant in helping me choose a path toward success for the rest of my life. At CU, I was able to challenge myself and become a well-prepared engineer before my first job. I loved my experiences getting involved in the Access and Inclusion Mentoring Program, the Google Developers Student Club, the Aerospace Graduate Student Organization, and as a Senator for the CEAS in the Graduate and Professional Student Government. I feel proud of the mark I was able to leave on CU during my time, as well as grateful for the mark that CU has left on me simultaneously. It is an honor to be representing the recent graduates of the CEAS and helping foster mentoring and proper preparation for future CU graduates. Sko buffs!

Contact me: Email

Andrew Tsoi (AeroEngr'14; MS'14)

Systems Integration Engineering | Blue Origin

I solve multi-disciplinary problems for NASA's Sustaining Lunar Development program. My focus is electrical power systems, but I also support thermal, fluids, ECLS, and structures. I enjoy translating technical issues, facilitating discussions, and overseeing closure of project milestones.

Current city: Highlands Ranch, CO

Hobbies: Cycling (road and eSports), music (EDM, dance), raising my son with my wife

My time at ²ÊÃñ±¦µä was one of the most impactful and influential chapters of my life. I was fortunate to be part of some amazing experiences, many of them candid and unplanned. I became a GOLD Board Member to be part of "the other side" of the many experiences I enjoyed as a student. 

Contact me: 

Beatriz Zepeda-Almazan (EngrPlus'19)

Manager Athlete Science @ adidas Innovation

Current city: Portland, OR

My time at CU allowed me to cultivate a unique career pathway that combined my passion for engineering and sports product design. Having spent several years working in the industry, I now want to give back to the community by providing the mentorship, support, and connections that I experienced as a student. I hope to help the college maintain its exceptional ability to create well-rounded engineers for an ever-evolving world.

Contact me: