Olivia Wilburn Receives Department of Mechanical Engineering Inclusive Excellence Award

Congratulations to Olivia Wilburn (PhD student) for receiving the 2026 Department of Mechanical Engineering Inclusive Excellence Award. This award recognizes dedication to serving the mechanical engineering department and for creating an inclusive community for the graduate and undergraduate students.

Olivia’s research centers questions of well-being and ethical responsibility in both the design of technology and the education of engineers. Due to her research topic and impact of her research, last year she received Mortenson Center of Global Engineering and Resilience Fellowship. With support from this fellowship, Olivia collaborated with Engineers Without Borders-Australia and spent two months abroad in 2025, supporting preparations for an undergraduate humanitarian design summit, and then in rural Cambodia serving as a researcher and facilitator of the program.

Alongside her research commitments, Olivia actively fosters an inclusive environment at CU throughout engagement in leadership roles and committees. She currently serves as our department’s Community Engagement and Outreach Committee Graduate Student Representative, is an Officer for the student-run Committee for Equity, has served as the Inclusion Events Lead for GEARRS (Graduate Engineering Annual Research & Recruitment Symposium) for the past two years, and is an Ambassador for the Resiliency Outreach and Resiliency Program. Additionally, she has served as an active mentor for two undergraduate women in our lab who have supported her research and directly reported to her, providing guidance and technical development.

Outside of the department, Olivia is the Head Coach for CU Boulder Women’s Ice Hockey Team where she mentors nearly 30 college-aged women. Across both engineering and athletics contexts, she creates supportive environments where young women can develop skills, confidence, and belonging at CU.