Building on the success of the Western-CU Partnership Program, as well as industry demand, Western Colorado University’s Rady School of Computer Science & Engineering and the University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science will launch a biomedical engineering degree in Gunnison starting in fall 2025.
“Today, and for the foreseeable future, the U.S. needs more engineers to create sustainable solutions to address society’s most challenging problems. Our Western-CU Boulder partnership students have the skills and sensibilities to make a positive impact on the Western Slope and Colorado,” said Keith Molenaar, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science.
Students in the Western-CU Boulder Partnership Program enjoy the personalized learning of a small, rural university and the resources and rigor of a top-tier engineering school, with access to state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment.
“Western’s partnership with CU Boulder continues to create incredible opportunities for our students. Expanding it to include biomedical engineering speaks volumes about Western’s commitment to training our students for high-impact careers in areas that will fuel Colorado’s economy,” Western’s President Brad Baca said. “We’re proud to collaborate on a program that will produce engineers ready to meet the challenges of the future.”
This particular biomedical engineering program will focus on functional biomechanics and equipping students with the knowledge and hands-on experience to innovate in the areas of physical trauma recovery, orthopedic design, sports science and rehabilitation engineering.
Faculty member Mel Peddle is obtaining her EMT certificate to ensure her trauma knowledge is as current as possible. Peddle is particularly excited for the hands-on aspects of the program.
“Our BME program will have a trauma focus under the broader umbrella of functional biomechanics,” she said. “Students and faculty will work with local organizations like the hospital and emergency medical services for community-based projects as part of the curriculum.”
The degree is highly interdisciplinary and integrates principles of engineering, biology and medicine to create solutions related to everything from prosthetics to dialysis. Students will be prepared for careers or graduate/medical school upon graduation.
Although the first cohort of students hasn’t officially begun yet in Gunnison, Interim Director Kevin Terry notes, “our upcoming biomedical degree program has already allowed us to work with Western’s High Altitude Exercise Physiology program to develop methods for tracking swim stroke patterns in the pool for swimming injury investigation.”
Because the WCU campus sits at an elevation of 8,000 feet, biomedical engineering students in Gunnison will have the unique opportunity to study and design solutions for athletes and patients living at high elevation.
Since getting its start in 2019, the Engineering Partnership Program has seen significant success in the mechanical engineering major, with valuable community and industry collaborations and employment contracts signed by 95% of 2024 graduates, who earn an average starting salary of $78,000.
“As the state’s flagship university, we are proud to partner with Western to serve Colorado through producing some of the most highly qualified engineers,” Molenaar said.
Terry agreed, saying, “Our engineering program offers a unique blend of hands-on learning and rigorous coursework that empowers our students to graduate as highly competitive professionals.”
Applications are still open for the first cohort of biomedical engineering majors with the Western-CU Boulder Engineering Partnership Program, who will start in fall 2025 with a planned graduation date of spring 2029.
A degree in aerospace engineering in Gunnison is also slated to welcome its first cohort in fall 2026.
Learn more about the program
For more information, visit Western Colorado University Admissions or email radyschool@western.edu.
Biomedical Engineering Program
