Fernando Rosario-Ortiz

  • Interim Dean for the School of Education
  • Professor

Department: Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering

Education: B.S., University of Puerto Rico, M.S. California Institute of Technology, D.ENV, UCLA,
Teaching: CVEN 4424 Environmental Organic Chemistry, CVEN 5454 Water Chemistry, CVEN 5834 Analytical Methods in Environmental Engineering
Research: Wastewater reuse, Advanced oxidation processes for water treatment, Natural organic matter, Environmental photochemistry.

Office: Miramontes Baca Education Building Room 210 / SEEC S273

Honors and Distinctions:

  • Executive and Associate Editor, Environmental Science and Technology
  • Selected as a RIO fellow, University of Colorado, Boulder, 2017-2018
  • Selected as the inaugural AEESP Emerging Investigator Lecture at the AWWA WQTC Conference, 2017
  • Selected as Trustee for the Water Quality and Research Division of the American Water Works Association, 2017-2020
  • Selected as one of the top 10 reviewers for Environmental Science: Water Research and Technology, 2016
  • University of Colorado, Boulder, Provost Faculty Achievement Award, 2016
  • College of Engineering and Applied Science Dean’s Award for Outstanding Junior Faculty, University of Colorado Boulder, 2015
  • ​National Science Foundation CAREER award, 2015
  • ​College of Engineering and Applied Science Dean’s Award for Professional Progress, CU Boulder, 2014
  • Excellence in Review Award, Environmental Science and Technology, 2014
  • Faculty research development award, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, CU Boulder, 2014
  • American Water Works Association, Water Science & Research Division Volunteer Recognition Award, 2014
  • Outstanding Faculty Award, Student Leadership Council, College of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, 2013
  • ASCE Fellowship to attend the ExCEEd workshop, Florida Gulf Coast University, July 21-26th, 2013

Recent Publications:
** denotes work done in collaboration with graduate students
* denotes work done in collaboration with undergraduate students

  • Buckley, S.; Leresche, F.; Hanson, B.; Rosario-Ortiz, F. L. Decoupling optical response and photochemical formation of singlet oxygen in size isolated fractions of ozonated dissolved organic matter. Environmental Science and Technology, 2023, 57, 14, 5603-5610
  • D’Andrilli, J.; Silverman, V.; Buckley, S.; Rosario-Ortiz, F. L. Inferring ecosystem function from dissolved organic matter optical properties. Environmental Science and Technology, 2022, 56, 16, 11146-11161
  • Leresche, F.; Vialykh, E.; Rosario-Ortiz, F. L. Computational calculation of dissolved organic matter absorption spectra. Environmental Science and Technology, 2022, 56, 491-500
  • Thurman, E. M.; Yu, Y.; Ferrer, I.; Thorn, K.; Rosario-Ortiz, F. L. Molecular identification of water-extractable organic carbon from thermally heated soils: C13 NMR and accurate mass analyses find benzene and pyridine carboxylic acids. Environmental Science and Technology, 2020, 54 (5), 2994-3001
  • **McKay, G.; Korak, J. A.; Rosario-Ortiz, F. L. Temperature dependence of the fluorescence of dissolved organic matter: Implications for DOM photophysics. Environmental Science and Technology, 2018, 52, 16, 9022-9032
  • Önnby, L.; Salhi, E.; **McKay, G.; Rosario-Ortiz, F. L.; von Gunten, U. Ozone and chlorine reactions with dissolved organic matter- Assessment of oxidant-reactive moieties by optical measurements and the electron donating capacities. Water Research, 2018, 144, 64-75
  • Cawley, K.; **Hohner, A. K.; McKee, G.; Borch, T.; Omur-Ozbek, P.; Oropeza, J.; Rosario-Ortiz, F. L. * Characterization and spatial distribution of particulate and soluble carbon and nitrogen from wildfire impacted sediments. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 2018, 18, 1314-1326
  • **McKay, G.; Korak, J. A.; Erickson. P.; Latch, D. E.; McNeil, K.; Rosario-Ortiz, F. L. The case against charge transfer interactions in dissolved organic matter photophysics. Environmental Science and Technology, 2018, 52, 2, 406-414
  • **Ulliman, S.; **McKay, G.; Rosario-Ortiz, F. L.; Linden, K. Low levels of iron enhance UV/H2O2 efficiency at neutral pH. Water Research, 2018, 130, 234-242
  • **McKay, G.; Huang, W.; Crouch, J. ; Romara-Castillo, C.; Rosario-Ortiz, F. L.; Jaffe, R. Predicting reactive intermediate quantum yields from dissolved organic matter photolysis using optical properties and antioxidant capacity. Environmental Science and Technology, 2017, 51, 10, 5404-5413
  • **Hohner, A. K.; **Gilmore, P. L; *Townsend, E.; Summers, R. S.; Rosario-Ortiz, F. L. Water treatment process evaluation of wildfire-affected sediment leachates. Environmental Science: Water Research and Technology, 2017, 3, 2, 352-365
  • Cawley, K. M.; **Hohner, A. K.; Podgotski, D. C.; Cooper, W. T.; Korak, J. A.; Rosario-Ortiz, F. L. Molecular and spectroscopic characterization of water extractable organic matter from soils exposed to simulated wildfire conditions reveal insight into disinfection byproduct precursors. Environmental Science and Technology, 2017, 51, 2, 771-779
  • Gonzales, S.; *Peña, A.; Rosario-Ortiz, F. L. Examining the role of effluent organic matter components on the decomposition of ozone and formation of hydroxyl radical in wastewater. Ozone Science and Engineering, 2012, 34, 42-48
  • *MacKay, G.; Dong, M. M.; Kleinman, J. L.; Mezyk, S. P.; Rosario-Ortiz, F. L. Temperature dependence of the reaction between the hydroxyl radical and organic matter. Environmental Science and Technology, 2011, 45, 6932-6937