Adam W. Duran

Program Builder & Innovation Leader

PE (Colorado, #PE.0061606) • PMP #3726574

I build the academic programs industry needs, and the partnerships that sustain them.

aduran@mines.edu LinkedIn Google Scholar GitHub ORCID

$1.048B

Raised by GCxN portfolio companies
$10.5M+

Career competitive funding (PI / Proposal Lead)
252

Track-declared students (0 to 252 in three years)
1st

Place nationally, DOE Battery Workforce Challenge Year 1
1,000+

Google Scholar citations (h-index 17, i10-index 20)

Latest Publication · 2025

“Not-So-Quick and Not-So-Dirty Solutions to Decarbonize Off-Road Vehicles”

ACS Energy Letters, 10(11), 5322-5327.

About

I am an Assistant Teaching Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Colorado School of Mines. With nearly two decades of combined industry and academic leadership, I bring a perspective shaped by both large-scale R&D program management and frontline teaching.

Before joining Mines full-time, I spent over a decade at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (2008-2020, now National Laboratory of the Rockies) progressing from Student Research Assistant to Senior Research Engineer to Program Manager, where I led technical development of the Fleet DNA commercial vehicle database, directed the multimillion-dollar GCxN clean energy accelerator in partnership with Shell, and served as PI on multiple DOE-funded vehicle technology projects. I then served as Senior Engineer at Quantitative Scientific Solutions (2020-2022) leading research on automated driving systems.

My work sits at the intersection of engineering education, experiential program design, and industry partnership. I specialize in building new academic programs from the ground up: connecting curriculum to workforce needs, securing external funding, and creating the institutional infrastructure that makes hands-on, team-based engineering education sustainable at scale.

I am a three-time Mines graduate (B.S. 2009, M.S. Mechanical 2011, M.S. Engineering and Technology Management 2016), now teaching the next generation of Mines engineers in the same department where I started.

Institutional & Industry Partners

Colorado School of Mines NREL U.S. Department of Energy Shell Stellantis KEEN SAE International Chevron

$10.5M+

Career competitive funding as PI / Proposal Lead

252

Declared auto engineering students (built with Prof. Brodsky from zero)

Distinct Mines courses taught, 6 developed or co-developed

18+

Independent study students supervised since 2022

Scholarly & Student Impact

30+

Peer-reviewed publications and technical reports

1,000+

Google Scholar citations (h-index: 17, i10-index: 20)

1st

Place nationally, DOE Battery Workforce Challenge Year 1 (2023-24)

30+

Capstone teams mentored as Client, Advisor, or Technical Advisor

Programs Built

I believe the highest-leverage work in engineering is shaping how the next generation of engineers is educated. These are programs I've built or led that connect academic rigor to real-world impact.

Automotive Engineering Program

Co-Founder & Co-Director

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Worked closely with key collaborator Prof. P. Brodsky to build Colorado School of Mines' automotive engineering track from inception in Fall 2022 to 252 declared students today. Developed MEGN 417/527 Vehicle Dynamics, established industry partnerships, and created the experiential curriculum framework connecting classroom instruction to competition-based and employer-sponsored projects. Per Mines ME enrollment data (Fall 2025), the program ranks 2nd within ME by elective-track enrollment with only two core faculty.

DOE EcoCAR & Battery Workforce Challenge

Co-Lead with Prof. P. Brodsky

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Prof. P. Brodsky and I are co-leading the EcoCAR program at Mines (Spring 2026-Present), an approximately $520K DOE Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition award over four years beginning Fall 2026. We also co-lead Mines' DOE Battery Workforce Challenge team ($255K total program value over three years, including DOE base grant, Chevron sponsorship, student stipends, and competition prizes): first-place national finish in Year 1 (2023-24); fourth place in Year 2 (2024-25).

GCxN Clean Energy Accelerator

Founding Director (2018-2020)

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Launched NREL's cleantech startup accelerator from the ground up in collaboration with my Shell counterpart and the NREL technical team, then directed the program from 2018 to 2020. Shaped the founding vision, strategy, and annual targets across a multimillion-dollar portfolio. Post-tenure, the portfolio continues to compound, with 2025 outcomes including $1.048B raised by cohort companies, 954 new startup hires, and a $140:1 leverage ratio on Shell project funding.

Capstone Design Program

Leadership Team (Fall 2025-Present)

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Member of the Mines Capstone Leadership Team as ME co-representative, contributing to program-level planning, delivery standards, and coordination with the Industry Partnership Board Steering Committee for annual cohorts of 700+ engineering students. Served as Client for approximately 22 projects, Project Advisor for 5 projects, and Technical Advisor for 6 projects across 30+ teams over 8 semesters (F22-S26).

KEEN Engineering Unleashed

National Contributor

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Published 15+ Engineering Unleashed activity cards covering topics from authentic assessment to engineering character to AI-enhanced engineering mindset. Selected as part of a hand-picked group of national leaders for the KEEN Crescendo Program (Spring 2026). Active contributor to the KERN Community Catalysts program and EMxAI Working Group.

Impact, Visualized

Three programs, three trajectories. The numbers tell the story of what happens when industry experience meets engineering education.

Mines Automotive Engineering Program: Declared Students

Built from inception in 2022 with Prof. P. Brodsky. Now 2nd-largest elective track in ME.

GCxN Portfolio Companies: Capital Raised ($M, cumulative)

Shell GameChanger Accelerator Powered by NREL. Co-founded and directed 2018-2020; portfolio continues to compound.

Source: GCxN Year in Review 2025 Annual Report. 30 portfolio companies; $140:1 leverage ratio on Shell project funding.

Career Competitive Funding ($M, cumulative as PI / Proposal Lead)

Spans NREL Fleet DNA, GCxN, QS-2 portfolio, BWC, and EcoCAR Innovation Challenge. NREL era closes in 2020; Mines era opens in 2022.

Publications

Full Record on Google Scholar →

30+

Publications

1,006

Citations

h-index

i10-index

Works in Progress

In Press Duran, A. “Hydrogen Dreams, False Claims: The Ethical Collapse of Nikola Corporation.” Forthcoming book chapter case study, Elgar Publishing.

Selected Publications Showing 14 of 30+

2025 — Mistry, A.N., Brodsky, P., Brickey, A.J., Duran, A., Mozur, E., Rajasegar, R., et al. “Not-So-Quick and Not-So-Dirty Solutions to Decarbonize Off-Road Vehicles.” ACS Energy Letters, 10(11), 5322-5327. DOI

2024 — Brucker, A., Duran, A., Sullivan, N.P., and Mistry, A. “Electrifying Off-Road Vehicles: Is 1000 [Wh/kg] Enough?” ACS Energy Letters, 9(8), 4053-4058. DOI

2021 — Miller, E. and Duran, A. “A Deterministic Multivariate Clustering Method for Drive Cycle Generation from In-Use Vehicle Data.” SAE Technical Paper 2021-01-0395. DOI

2018 — Duran, A., Li, K., Kresse, J., and Kelly, K. “Development of 80 and 100 Mile Work Day Cycles Representative of Commercial Pickup and Delivery Operation.” SAE Technical Paper 2018-01-1192. DOI

2018 — Duran, A., Phillips, C., Perr-Sauer, J., Kelly, K., and Konan, A. “Leveraging Big Data Analysis Techniques for US Vocational Vehicle Drive Cycle Characterization, Segmentation, and Development.” SAE Technical Paper 2018-01-1199. DOI

2018 — Lammert, M., Bugbee, B., Hou, Y., Mack, A., Muratori, M., Holden, J., Duran, A., and Swaney, E. “Exploring Telematics Big Data for Truck Platooning Opportunities.” SAE Technical Paper 2018-01-1083. DOI

2017 — Muratori, M., Holden, J., Lammert, M., Duran, A., et al. “Potentials for Platooning in U.S. Highway Freight Transport.” SAE International Journal of Commercial Vehicles, 10(1). DOI

2016 — Wood, E., Duran, A., and Kelly, K. “EPA GHG Certification of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles: Development of Road Grade Profiles Representative of US Controlled Access Highways.” SAE International Journal of Commercial Vehicles, 9(2), 94-104. DOI

2016 — Marcinkoski, J., Vijayagopal, R., Kast, J., and Duran, A. “Driving an Industry: Medium and Heavy Duty Fuel Cell Electric Truck Component Sizing.” World Electric Vehicle Journal, 8(1), 78-89. DOI

2014 — Lammert, M., Burton, J., Sindler, P., and Duran, A. “Hydraulic Hybrid and Conventional Parcel Delivery Vehicles' Measured Laboratory Fuel Economy on Targeted Drive Cycles.” SAE International Journal of Alternative Powertrains, 4(1), 11-19. DOI

2014 — Duran, A., Ragatz, A., Prohaska, R., Kelly, K., and Walkowicz, K. “Characterization of In-Use Medium Duty Electric Vehicle Driving and Charging Behavior.” IEEE International Electric Vehicle Conference (IEVC). DOI

2014 — Lammert, M., Duran, A., Diez, J., Burton, K., et al. “Effect of Platooning on Fuel Consumption of Class 8 Vehicles Over a Range of Speeds, Following Distances, and Mass.” SAE International Journal of Commercial Vehicles, 7(2), 626-639. DOI

2013 — Duran, A. and Walkowicz, K. “A Statistical Characterization of School Bus Drive Cycles Collected via Onboard Logging Systems.” SAE International Journal of Commercial Vehicles, 6(2). DOI

2012 — Duran, A. and Earleywine, M. “GPS Data Filtration Method for Drive Cycle Analysis Applications.” SAE Technical Paper 2012-01-0743. DOI

Teaching

Adam W. Duran presenting on high-performance computing for vehicle fuel economy — HPC, meet fuel economy.

MEGN 417/527

Vehicle Dynamics *

Advanced vehicle systems analysis covering suspension, tire, and powertrain dynamics through calculation, simulation, and experimentation.

MEGN 455

Aerospace Systems Engineering *

Systems engineering methodology applied to aerospace vehicle design. Uses an SBIR Phase I-inspired white paper format mirroring federal proposal practice.

MEGN 456

Space Operations & Mission Design *

Semester-long NASA RFP-inspired mission design project covering orbital mechanics, sensor trade studies, and full systems engineering documentation.

MEGN 566

Combustion *

Online graduate elective covering combustion fundamentals, flame dynamics, and emissions. Iteratively redesigned across two offerings for asynchronous learners.

MEGN 301

Mechanical Integration & Design *

Mechanical-electrical integration for design. Teams translate subsystem concepts into working prototypes, pairing thermodynamics, fluids, and mechanics of materials with sensors and actuators in hands-on builds.

MEGN 300

Instrumentation & Automation

Data acquisition, analog and digital filtering, feedback controls, and instrumentation. Signal processing and sensor integration grounded in mechanical systems.

MEGN 200

Intro to ME: Programming & Hardware Interface

Introductory programming in C with hands-on hardware troubleshooting for mechanical engineers. Covers low-level embedded systems work, sensor integration, and the diagnostic skills that bridge code and physical systems.

EBGN 599

Financial Engineering *

Accelerated 8-week online graduate course (taught as independent study) developing quantitative finance skills in Python, including walk-forward validation, regime detection, and tail hedging.

EDS 491/492

Senior Capstone Design

Year-long industry-sponsored senior design sequence walking teams through the full design-build arc: needs analysis, concept selection, preliminary and critical design reviews, fabrication, verification testing, and final delivery. Emphasis on professional practice, engineering character, and authentic assessment.

* Course developed or co-developed by instructor

Open Course Materials

Sample materials from courses I've developed, freely available for adoption and adaptation. Full course packages are hosted on GitHub with automated build pipelines.

MEGN 300

Instrumentation & Automation

Data acquisition, analog and digital filtering, feedback controls, and instrumentation. Signal processing and sensor integration grounded in mechanical systems.

Student Guide PDF
Master Reference PDF

Full Repo on GitHub

MEGN 301

Mechanical Integration & Design

Student Guide PDF
Master Reference PDF

Full Repo on GitHub

EDS 491/492

Senior Capstone Design

Full Repo on GitHub

Recent Essays

All essays →

cleantechaccelerators

The Money Didn't Leave Climate Tech. It Left the Part That Matters Most.

Jun 25, 2026 · 7 min read

Climate tech posted a near-record funding year while early-stage capital quietly collapsed. The lab-embedded accelerator model is becoming load-bearing infrastructure for American energy innovation, and we should treat it that way.

workforcebattery

The Battery Workforce Gap Won't Be Closed by the Programs That Work Best

May 28, 2026 · 7 min read

The data says we need a six-fold larger battery workforce by 2030. The model that produces hire-ready engineers already exists. The reason it doesn't scale is an incentive problem inside universities, not a funding problem outside them.

aipedagogy

Co-Creating with AI in Engineering Classrooms

Apr 14, 2026 · 9 min read

AI is in your students' workflow whether you want it there or not. The interesting question is not how to detect it, but how to teach engineering judgment when AI handles the easy parts.

Recent & Upcoming

Summer 2026

Named a 2026 National KEEN Rising Star, one of three faculty selected nationally by the KEEN Awards Committee, honoring those who have gone above and beyond to equip undergraduate engineers with an entrepreneurial mindset to create personal, economic, and societal value for others. The award includes a Kern Family Foundation grant to Colorado School of Mines and recognition at the KEEN National Conference.

Summer 2026

Selected as a KEEN Engineering Unleashed Fellow, an annual competitive award supporting Fellows as advocates for the entrepreneurial mindset through funded project work. Fellowship begins Fall 2026.

Spring 2026

Selected for DOE EcoCAR Innovation Challenge as Co-PI, one of a limited number of institutions nationwide. Approximately $520K over four years.

Spring 2026

Selected as part of a small group of nationally recognized experts for the KEEN Crescendo Program.

Spring 2026

New course launch: EBGN 599 Financial Engineering, an accelerated 8-week online graduate course taught as an independent study.

2025

Named Mines Trefny Center Engineering Learning Fellow and Kern Family Foundation Community Catalyst, Cohort 13, joining a small national group of faculty who curate Engineering Unleashed content and connect educators across the KEEN network.

2025

Co-authored paper in ACS Energy Letters on decarbonizing off-road vehicles.

2024

DOE Battery Workforce Challenge: 1st place nationally in the inaugural Year 1 competition, with prize money awarded to the student team.

As Covered In

Mines Newsroom PR Newswire Battery Tech Online Business Wire GlobeNewswireScientific AmericanCleanTechnica

"University leadership has been exceptionally supportive of the Battery Workforce Challenge team, recognizing its alignment with our mission to deliver hands-on, industry-relevant engineering education."

Adam W. Duran, quoted in Mines Newsroom — "Mines, ACC team named first-year champions of Battery Workforce Challenge"

See full press archive →

For Students

I actively seek motivated undergraduate and graduate students interested in experiential engineering education, vehicle dynamics, automotive systems, and program development. Here's how to get involved:

Independent Study

MEGN 598/599 projects in vehicle dynamics, suspension testing, battery systems, and financial engineering. I've supervised 18+ students since 2022.

Email me with your resume and area of interest.

Competition Teams

Join the EcoCAR Innovation Challenge, Battery Workforce Challenge (1st place nationally, 2024), or Formula SAE. All teams offer hands-on experience with real engineering systems and industry mentors.

No prior experience required.

Graduate Research

I serve on MS thesis and PhD committees in vehicle dynamics, engineering education, clean energy systems, and technology entrepreneurship. Drawing on my experience co-founding Method & Muse Spirits and directing the GCxN startup accelerator, I also mentor students on commercialization, venture strategy, and intellectual property.

Reach out to discuss your research or entrepreneurial interests.

Reach out with your resume and a few sentences on what you'd like to work on. Most independent study and competition openings fill at the start of each semester.

Email Me to Get Involved

Beyond the Lab

I believe engineering character is shaped as much outside the classroom as within it. When I'm not teaching or building programs, you'll find me:

Yoga & Rock Climbing

Practicing yoga and climbing in the Front Range. Both reward patience, presence, and iterative problem-solving -- skills that translate directly to engineering.

Charcoal Art

Charcoal drawing and sketching. A practice in observation, patience, and iteration.

Colorado Outdoors

Hiking, skiing, and exploring the Front Range. Golden is one of the best places in the country to be an engineer.

Craft Distilling

Co-founder of Method & Muse Spirits (project page), an award-winning craft distillery in Golden with a tasting room in downtown Arvada, with fellow Mines faculty and alumni.

Method & Muse Spirits tasting room storefront in downtown Arvada, Colorado — Method & Muse tasting room, downtown Arvada

Collaboration & Partnership

I actively seek partnerships and leadership opportunities across three domains where engineering practice meets education and entrepreneurship.

Engineering Education Research & Program Design

Building, scaling, and assessing experiential, mastery-based engineering programs. Open to research collaborations, advisory roles, and cross-institutional initiatives.

Industry-Sponsored Curriculum & Workforce Development

Connecting academic programs to real workforce needs through capstone, competition teams, and credit-bearing industry partnerships. Open to corporate sponsors and federal program partners.

Advanced Vehicle & Clean Energy R&D

Vehicle electrification, advanced battery systems, drive cycle analysis, and cleantech commercialization. Open to consulting, advisory boards, and sponsored research.

If you're working at any of these intersections, I'd like to hear from you.

Start a Conversation

Curriculum Vitae

Full academic CV including complete publication list, funding record, service, and professional credentials.

View CV (PDF) Download

Updated June 2026 · Source at github.com/professor-duran/academic-cv