Madison Gast is a 2020 graduate from University of Colorado Denver where she completed her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. She recently completed her Master of Science at the Pennsylvania State University majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a graduate minor in Engineering Leadership and Innovation Management in 2025. She has also earned a Graduate Certificate in Additive Manufacturing and Design from Penn State in 2024 and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2016. Currently, Madison is a Mechanical Systems Integration and Design Engineer at Lockheed Martin Space, where she has supported various missions varying from human spaceflight, deep space and scientific discovery, to defense.

Sriram has earned his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado Denver, where he also served as a student assistant in the College of Engineering, Design and Computing. He is currently a Simulation Modeling Engineer at 360 Rail Services, based in Englewood, Colorado, specializing in railway systems, where he develops and implements advanced simulation models to enhance rail operations, efficiency, and safety. He is passionate about using engineering innovation and analytical modeling to improve the performance and sustainability of modern rail systems.

Katie is originally from Thailand but now proudly calls Colorado home. As a first-generation student turned professional, she understands the importance of access, mentorship, and encouragement. Her journey fuels her passion for giving back and helping students find the confidence to explore new opportunities, achieve their goals, and thrive in whichever path they choose. In 2021, Katie earned her degree in Computer Science from the University of Colorado Denver. She is currently a Flight Software Engineer at Lockheed Martin Space, where she supports various satellite programs by designing utility tools, conducting functional verification testing, and—most exciting of all—gaining a behind-the-scenes perspective on what happens after the countdown ends on launch day.

Before entering the field of engineering, Ryan spent nearly a decade in business management and insurance—an experience that included co-owning and operating a KFC franchise. This entrepreneurial background sharpened his abilities in risk assessment, process optimization, and team-building, all of which now inform his public service work in structural engineering.Currently serving on CU Denver’s inaugural GOLD Board, Ryan is committed to fostering mentorship opportunities, strengthening ties between alumni and current students, and elevating CEDC’s reputation within the broader engineering community. Outside of work, he enjoys backpacking, fishing, and capturing Colorado’s scenic landscapes through photography, pursuits that continually inspire his passion for sustainable and resilient infrastructure.

Jeff Wiencrot is the Senior Director of Firmware & Hardware at Sphero, an educational robotics company originally based in Boulder, Colorado. Over the last 11 years, he has helped create nearly all of Sphero's products, including the popular Star Wars line and an array of award-winning educational robots. Jeff joined Sphero as a firmware engineer, directly applying the skills he learned at the University of Colorado, Denver. In his current role, Jeff leads the group that designs, programs, and tests all of Sphero's electronic products. Outside of engineering, Jeff is an active musician, with a passion for audio electronics, synthesizers, and robot bleeps and bloops. He holds degrees from the University of Colorado, Denver in both Electrical Engineering (BS '13) and Music (BS '13).

As a Tooling Mechanical Engineer in the aerospace industry, Aaron has spent the past six years addressing a variety of manufacturing and development challenges. His contributions spanned the entire lifecycle of tooling solutions, including conceptualization, detailed design, thorough analysis, sourcing, fabrication, activation, and production support. Aaron notably played a key role at 1) SpaceX as the Tooling Build Engineer for Demo-2 Crew Dragon acoustic testing, 2) later served as the Lead Tooling Build Engineer for the Starship program, managing a small team to build and activate advanced tooling systems that enabled both development and production of the world’s most powerful rocket system, and now 3) Vast Space, growing and developing the team, process, standards, and tooling that will build the world’s first private space station and develop the pathway to long-term human habitation of space. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering (BS ’19) from University of Colorado Denver.