Volunteer Project Advisor - Capstone Design Program

Capstone Design Program Volunteer Project Advisor

The Capstone Design Program at the Colorado School of Mines is seeking volunteers to provide project guidance and mentorship to student teams in a real-world application of technical problems. The program is a two-semester, multidisciplinary design experience that has students from Civil, Construction, Design, Electrical, Environmental, and Mechanical Engineering degree programs. The Capstone Design Program was established to demonstrate the value and ingenuity of multidisciplinary teams, as mirrored in industry.

The Project Advisor (PA) appointment would mentor 1-2 student teams throughout the two-semester cycle, providing guidance as teams move through the design process. This coaching role will allow teams time to explore design options, locate resources, build and test their solutions, make sound engineering decisions, and help them understand and execute professional communications with the project sponsors. The PA is not the course instructor, rather the PA advises the student teams, offers real-world design experience and sponsor oversight.

The PA attends class sessions (T/Th from 8:00am-11:00am); holds weekly meetings with the team (typically twice a week); attends structured small group activities the first seven weeks of the semester as well as Sprint and Design Reviews throughout both semesters; responds to emails; and assesses all student/team deliverables. This role spans two semesters, so volunteers need to be available for both semesters to ensure continuity for the student team. This appointment would start early January and continue through early December (Spring & Fall Semesters).

The ideal background for this position would include an undergraduate degree in a scientific, engineering, or engineering-related discipline with project management, development or design experience. Alumni of the program or institution are encouraged to participate.

Complete an online application and upload a resume or CV along with a cover letter outlining your background and how it applies to this volunteer Project Advisor position. If you are associated with Mines and have a Mines email, use a personal email when creating your account. Please apply by December 15, 2025 for consideration for the Spring Semester, starting in January 2026.

A background check will be required upon acceptance of this volunteer appointment.

For technical assistance, please contact recruitment@mines.edu.

The Colorado School of Mines has been a state institution since 1874 before Colorado attained statehood, making it the oldest public institution of higher education in the state. Since its founding, Mines has evolved from an institution serving the needs of the local mining industry to an internationally recognized research university offering engineering and applied science degrees through the doctoral level.

Mines has the highest admissions standards of any university in Colorado and among the highest of any public university in the U.S. and in 2024 the University was ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the Top 40 Public Schools. Roughly half of Mines' students are Colorado residents and nearly 30% of Mines' students are women and Mines has the largest Society of Women Engineers chapter in the nation. Mines' graduates are distinctive in the workforce and employers frequently point to their ability to get things done, their creativity in solving difficult problems, and how well they work in and lead teams as distinguishing characteristics.

In addition to a breadth of education and research programs in most fields of science and engineering, Mines is an R1 university and one of a very few institutions in the world having depth in resource exploration, extraction, production and utilization. Research at Mines is use-inspired and strongly linked to its educational mission. Research efforts are conducted in individual labs and across more than 30 centers, which span a wide range of thematic topics including energy, water, resource discovery, production and management, materials, health, and information technology. Mines research enterprise currently attracts about $100 million of external funding per year, with sponsors including private industry, federal agencies, and philanthropic foundations. Mines faculty take advantage of the close proximity to collaborate with partners from neighboring institutions such as the University of Colorado-Boulder and Colorado State University, as well as with nearby agencies such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Mines also benefits from a passionate alumni base and has a strong record of private investment and philanthropic support. After celebrating our 150th birthday this year, Mines will celebrate next year the completion of its Mines@150 campaign that will have raised $500M+ in support of the education and research missions of the university.