Cole Rutkowski

cole.rutkowski@colorado.edu | (904) 610-8410 | Boulder, CO

PERSONAL PROFILE

  • Junior year Mechanical Engineering student with hands-on fabrication expertise and leadership experience in engineering projects. Passionate about designing and testing innovative solutions in mechanical systems and outdoor gear.

EDUCATION

BS in Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder

  • Graduation Date: May 2026
  • GPA: 3.51
  • Spanish Minor
  • Extracurricular Courses: Welding, Machine Shop Safety and Technology, Operation of Universal Test Machines, ACE CNC Machining Training
  • Relevant Coursework: Dynamics, Thermodynamics, Materials Science, Solid Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer

SKILLS

  • Fabrication: Lathes, Mills, Waterjet, MIG/TIG Welding, Brazing, 3D printing
  • Measurement Operations: Keyence CMM and MMS, Universal Testing Machine, Ohaus Balance for Specific Gravity, Mark-10 Torque Gauge
  • Software: SolidWorks, Matlab, C++, HTML, CSS, Microsoft Office, Excel

ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE

Class Project (August 2024 - December 2024)

Drill-Powered Tricycle

  • Designed, manufactured, and tested drill-powered tricycle for class competition, setting endurance competition record.
  • Managed project lifecycle, including design, welding, machining, and testing of the frame and drivetrain.
  • Welded frame components and machined adapters to optimize system performance.

Personal Project (September 2023 - Present)

Making and Testing Climbing Nuts, Hexes, and Cams

  • Machined custom components with waterjet, lathe, and mill from Aluminum 6061-T6
  • Researched mountaineer, homemade, and professionally-produced gear made between 1970 and present
  • Studied and modeled old gear, hand-sketched and CAD modeled custom variations
  • Tested aircraft-cable extensions in tension machines
  • Fall tested new gear on real rock with increasingly large falls (30ft max)

WORK EXPERIENCE

Quality Control Intern, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Denver (June 2024 - August 2024)

  • Created detailed documentation for quality control processes, improving testing efficiency.
  • Designed and standardized procedures for torque, tensile strength, and hardness testing.

Machine Shop Assistant, Idea Forge at University of Colorado Boulder(October 2024 - Present)

  • Taught students in basic machining processes including lathes, mills, bandsaws, presses, and tool selection.
  • Instructed manufacturing and assembly of wobbler engines for class projects.

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

  • Mountain Guiding and Safety (September 2022 - Present)
    • Teaching safety and mountain skills to novice climbers through the Alpine Club.
    • Guiding new climbers on routes in multi-pitch and alpine terrain.
    • Instructing on safe anchors, rope systems, planning, preparation, and logistics.

STUDENT AFFILIATIONS

  • Triathlon Club, Tango Club, Chess Club (August 2022 - Present)
  • Alpine Club (August 2021 - Present)

EXTRACURRICULARS

  • Distance Running and Triathlon
  • Trad Climbing and Mountaineering