Fracking Expert Kicks Off Colorado State University Annual Engineering Breakfast Series in Denver March 6

Note to Reporters: Reporters interested in attending any of the sessions should RSVP to Emily Wilmsen.

Everything from hydraulic fracturing and wind energy to particle beam accelerators will be discussed at lectures hosted by Colorado State University in Fort Collins and the Denver area beginning March 6.

The Innovation Breakfast series is a great opportunity to interact with others who have an interest in science and engineering and hear about the latest technological trends and innovative research projects underway at CSU’s College of Engineering.

Discussions are led by Sandra Woods, dean of the College of Engineering, and various keynote speakers. Each breakfast will be 7:30-9 a.m. Cost is $20/person ($15 for breakfast and a $5 gift to the Dean’s Innovation Fund) and reservations are required at https://advancing.colostate.edu/INNOVATIONSREGISTRATION.

Fracking: March 6 in Sheraton Denver Tech Center (RSVP by March 2)

Ken Carlson, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, will talk about oil and gas development in Colorado increasing over the next decade due to technological developments such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. CSU has formed the Colorado Energy-Water Consortium to study water issues relating to hydraulic fracturing and other practices, communicate complex information to the public and educate the next generation of students in this rapidly evolving field.

Carlson’s talk, titled “The Colorado Energy-Water Consortium: Water Issues and Oil and Gas Development,” will be at the Sheraton Denver Tech Center, 7007 South Clinton St., Greenwood Village.

Wind energy: March 20 in Fort Collins (RSVP by March 16)

Mike Kostrzewa, director of Colorado Wind Application Center, will talk about the Wind for Schools program, which has been installing wind energy at rural schools since 2005. CSU engineering students assist in the assessment, design and installation of the small wind systems at the host schools, acting as wind energy consultants. They also participate in class work and other engineering projects in the wind energy field, preparing them to enter the wind workforce once they graduate.

Kostrzewa’s talk, titled “Wind for Schools: Spinning Renewable Energy Out to the Colorado Plains” will be at the University House on Remington, 1504 Remington St., immediately east of the Colorado State campus in Fort Collins.

Particle beam accelerators: April 3 in Denver (RSVP by March 30)

Sandra Biedron and Stephen Milton, both professors of electrical and computer engineering, will talk about the growing importance of particle beam accelerators in our society. This phenomenal technology can shrink a tumor, produce cleaner energy, spot suspicious cargo, make a better radial tire, clean up dirty drinking water, map a protein, study a nuclear explosion, design a new drug, make a heat-resistant automotive cable, diagnose a disease, reduce nuclear waste, detect an art forgery, implant ions in a semiconductor, prospect for oil, date an archaeological find, package a Thanksgiving turkey, or discover the secrets of the universe.

The talk, titled “Are Accelerators the Greatest Invention Since the Wheel? How Accelerators Will Transform Life As We Know It” will be at the Sheraton Denver Tech Center, 7007 South Clinton St., Greenwood Village.

Bears and osteoporosis: April 24 in Fort Collins (RSVP by April 20)

Seth Donahue, associate professor of mechanical engineering, observed that bears can hibernate for months without losing bone strength, while humans can experience significant bone loss after just two weeks of bed rest. Using blood samples left over from other wildlife studies, he has been able to study this phenomenon and move toward developing biomedical engineering to develop treatments for osteoporosis.

Donahue’s lecture, title “Can Hibernating Bears Help Cure Osteoporosis?” will be held at the University House on Remington, 1504 Remington St., in Fort Collins.

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