JamesÌýHarper

Man with brown hair smiles in front of trees

James Harper is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Mechanical Engineering department at the University of Colorado Boulder; Research Manager at his company, Realize Research; and Faculty Advisor to the University of Colorado Boulder Chapter of Engineers Without Borders-USA.

As a professor of engineering design, James works to enable the next generation of engineers to design products and services using a holistic and human-centered perspective, focusing on the goal of improving people's lives. Designing with the end user in mind and striving to delight them makes design more successful and produces more positive impacts.

As a researcher of basic human needs and civil engineering design, James works to achieve impactful outcomes in international development using evidence-based research. His research focuses on how poor rural households make decisions about their basic needs, and evaluating how impactful international development programs have been in relation to their goals. James has worked primarily on infrastructure development projects in sanitation, water, housing, electricity, nutrition, and menstrual health in rural India, Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Ghana.

Outside of work, James volunteers as a firefighter EMT in the mountains above Boulder and enjoys cooking, hiking, and travelling with his wife and two sons.

Education

  • Doctor of PhilosophyÌýin Civil Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 2020
  • Master of Science in Civil Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 2018
  • Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, University of California San Diego, 2010
  • Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Summa Cum Laude, University of California San Diego, 2010

Selected Publications

  • Abdel Sattar, R., Rogla, J., Veasna, T., Kozole, T., Nicoletti, C., & Harper, J.Ìý(2024) Effects of climate vulnerability on household sanitation access, functionality and practices in rural Cambodia. Environment, Development, and Sustainability. . Published article available at Ìýand preprint available at .
  • Harper, J., Abdel-Sattar, R., Kozole, T., Veasna, T., Rogla, J., Ross, M., Ives, N., Pruitt, H., Soneja, P., & Capone, D. (2023). Microbial Hazards in Real-world Alternating Dual-Pit Latrines Treated with Storage and Lime in Rural Cambodia. Journal for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene for Development. 13 (10): 764–775. .
  • Nicoletti, C., Lestikow, G., Veasna, T., May, A., Macaranas, R., Hudner, D. & Harper, J.Ìý(2022) Increasing latrine sales among poor households in rural Cambodia using targeted subsidies: a randomized control trial. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development 1 November 2022; 12 (11): 782–791. .
  • Thomas, E., Salvinelli, C., Harper, J., MacDonald, L., Klees, R., Platais, G., Javernick-Will, A., & Linden, K. (2021). A Body of Knowledge and Pedagogy for Global Engineering. 16(1), 21.
  • Harper, J., Bielefeldt, A., Javernick-Will, A., Dickinson, K., Veasna, T., Kozole, T., & Nicoletti, C. (2021). Household preferences for rural fecal sludge management services in cambodia: A discrete choice experiment. Environmental Science & Technology, 55(3), 1832–1841.
  • Harper, J.Ìý(2020). Fecal Sludge Management in Rural Low-Resource Contexts: Understanding Decision-Making by Households in Cambodia.
  • Harper, J., Bielefeldt, A., Javernick-Will, A., Veasna, T., & Nicoletti, C. (2020). Context and intentions: Practical associations for fecal sludge management in rural low-income Cambodia. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, 10(2), 191–201.