Cole Rutkowski

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

PERSONAL PROFILE

  • Senior 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: 3.52
  • Extracurricular Courses: ACE CNC Machining Training, Welding, Machine Shop Safety and Technology, Operation of Universal Test Machines, 3-Week Bicycle Frame Building Class
  • Relevant Coursework: Dynamics, Thermodynamics, Materials Science, Solid Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer, Component Design, Manufacturing, Data Analysis, Computational Methods

SKILLS

  • Fabrication: Lathes, Manual and 2-Axis CNC 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, MasterCam, CAM+, Matlab, C++, HTML, CSS, Microsoft Office, Excel

WORK EXPERIENCE

Research Technician, Granular Flow Lab at University of Colorado Boulder(January 2025 - Present)

  • Designed, manufactured, and assembled projects for rheology experiments, including a 3x3x3m T-slot frame to mount 150kg motor above experiment. Design was approved by a structural engineer.
  • Streamlined design for manufacturability and cost reduction of photoelastic-particle casting mold.
  • Produced 1m-diameter silicone gaskets for large rheometer experiment.

Machine Shop Assistant, Idea Forge at University of Colorado Boulder(September 2024 - January 2025)

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

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.

ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE

Class Project (August 2024 - December 2024)

Drill-Powered Tricycle

  • Designed, manufactured, and tested drill-powered tricycle for class competition. Set 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)

EXTRACURRICULARS

  • Distance Running and Triathlon
  • Trad Climbing and Mountaineering