This year, students interested in careers centered around water in the West were presented with an exciting opportunity. Four undergraduate students from a range of disciplines were selected as inaugural CU Boulder Water Fellows, a Western Water Assessment program that prepares the next generation of water leaders through training, networking, and mentorship from professionals across Colorado. 

“We were very excited to host a water careers program at Western Water Assessment and CIRES for CU Boulder students who are passionate about water since there wasn’t anything like this before at CU,” said Water Fellows Program coordinator Ethan Knight. “I’m happy that there is now and for future students interested in the water field.”

The program began in 2017 through the . Since then, over 60 students have participated in the yearlong fellowship. In 2024, the program expanded across the state to include six colleges and universities. Fellows attend monthly meetings with guest speakers and travel to water-focused conferences like the Colorado Water Congress, Colorado 9 Basin (C9 Summit), and the Colorado Water Fellows Convening meeting — a gathering of all 45 fellows in Denver.

CU Boulder fellows’ areas of study range from environmental engineering, sociology & environmental studies, atmospheric sciences, and geology.

Evelyn Hoffman is a senior majoring in environmental engineering who studies hydrology and fluid mechanics. Their interest in working in public service inspired them to apply for the fellowship. As an intern with the EPA, Hoffman has led drinking water treatment inspections in Wyoming, but they are more interested in hydrology and water resources, specifically ecologically conscious structures and dams.

Hoffman attended the , where they learned about the complex web of water rights in the Western U.S. The conference also provided the opportunity to meet with others working in public sector water jobs and helped them understand what direction they want to take after graduation this spring.

“I was able to meet a lot of people doing this work on the state level, which was really interesting, because I did not have a good grasp of what people at the Colorado Department of Natural Resources did in their day to day work” Hoffman said.

Ethan Durham is a senior studying atmospheric sciences. Specifically, he studies clouds and Arctic sea ice using radiative transfer and remote sensing. At first glance, he didn’t see how his research directly overlapped with water issues in Colorado. But after attending conferences and learning about how water managers use the whole picture to plan for the future, Durham now sees Colorado water issues through the lens of his work.

“As a person who works on the climatological aspects of water, it’s interesting to look at the hydrological impacts of water and what it looks like from an agricultural standpoint,” Durham said.

The inaugural cohort will complete the fellowship this spring. The program will soon recruit new fellows for the 2025-2026 academic year. After a successful year, Ethan Knight is excited to see a new group of students find their path as water professionals.

“I think this was a great first year of the program,” Knight said. “We are excited for the next cohort of fellows and hope to continue creating opportunities for these future water professionals.”

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The University of Colorado Boulder is among the top 25 engineering graduate programs in the U.S., according to U.S. News and World Report’s . 

When compared with its public university peers, the College of Engineering and Applied Science’s graduate program was ranked No. 12. The college was ranked No. 23 overall when compared to both public and private universities.

Dean Keith Molenaar said he was proud to see CU Engineering programs continue to be recognized by peers and the national media. 

“We are home to leading scholars across disciplines and over 1,000 PhD students. Our rankings reflect our strengths in both established programs like aerospace and in new, growing programs like biomedical engineering,” he said. “We are a comprehensive research college, and that is going to continue to allow our graduates to pursue sustainable solutions to pressing societal challenges.”  

In the engineering specialty rankings, three CU Engineering degree programs were also in the top 10 among public institutions, with an additional four in the top 20: 

• Aerospace engineering sciences: No. 5 
• Environmental engineering: No. 7 
• Civil engineering: No. 9 
• Chemical engineering: No. 11 
• Computer engineering: No. 16
• Electrical engineering: No. 17
• Mechanical engineering: No. 17
• Biomedical engineering: No. 23
• Biological engineering: No. 25
• Materials science and engineering: No. 29. 

As of fall 2023, more than 1,300 students were pursuing master’s in engineering and applied science at CU Boulder. 

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The May 2024 Environmental Engineering Ceremony will be held:

Thursday, May 9, 2024
4pm - 7pm

The ceremony will be held in-person, in a large white tent on the JSC Biotechnology Building's West Lawn.

It is for graduating EVEN BS, MS, and PhD students along with their friends and family. Graduating students will walk across the stage, shake hands with the department chair, and receive a diploma cover. Official diplomas will be mailed at the end of June. Refreshments and dessert items will be served following the ceremony.

Student Arrival Time - 30-45 minutes before the ceremony.

Family and Guest Arrival Time - At least 15 minutes before the start time of the EVEN ceremony.

No ticket or reservation is required for family and friends of graduating students attending this ceremony. Parking is free.

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Samiha Singh (EnvEngr’23) was met with a decision during her first year at CU Boulder that changed the trajectory of her undergraduate career. It was between completing physics homework or applying to serve on the leadership board of CU Boulder’s chapter. 

Singh landed a board position after submitting her application during a night shift as a resident assistant. Last year, she led the organization during her last year at CU Boulder and reflected on the impact of SWE on her journey. Needless to say, waiting on finishing that physics assignment paid off in the long run. 

“I had no idea the connections and opportunities Society of Women Engineers would bring to me. I was lucky to get mentorship through so many people especially from the professional ,” said Singh.  

SWE focuses on “building an inclusive community of strong female engineers and other minorities, while remaining open to all who support these groups in STEM”. Their CU Boulder student chapter is one of nine affinity-based student societies supported by the BOLD Center within the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. 

Last year, the college provided a scholarship to 229 incoming first-year students who committed to joining SWE, increasing the group’s membership by about 50% from the year prior. Singh led some structural changes as membership increased by adding an outreach director to provide more opportunities for K-12 students, as well as a director of community engagement to maintain a close-knit community with members.

“SWE has hundreds of members, so I really wanted to create a more intentional space for meaningful connections to happen,” Singh said. “We hold ‘meet your major’ events, so you can meet other students within your major and this past spring semester, we actually had women faculty come and join us as well.” 

Singh also got to attend national conferences in Houston and Seattle along with other members, which inspired her as a women leader in STEM. 

“It’s a really cool opportunity if you attend. People were being offered interviews and jobs on the spot. I met women giving talks on topics you typically wouldn’t get in the classroom like ‘what does it mean to be a minority in engineering’, ‘how do you advocate for yourself’,” she said. “Seeing women who are successful in their careers and hearing their advice has helped myself and others gain more confidence and carry that confidence into other aspects of our lives.” 

As incoming SWE president, Kyra Anderson (MechEngr’23) hopes to build on the growth and success of the society while bringing new ideas to the table. 

“I’m getting committees started to get more incoming students involved earlier on and more mentorship opportunities for us. I’m really excited. There's not a lot of places where there’s all women engineers to engage with, so SWE is a great space for us,” said Anderson. 

Along with their leadership board, she organized about 60 events last year and will bring her experiences leading those social, K-12 outreach and professional development events to the forefront even more. 

“My junior year, I was director of Girl Scout outreach. We got to do fun activities with Girl Scout troops and taught them about STEM. We built little paper wind turbines with them and we had fun doing that.” And relevant for Anderson, she hopes to work in renewable or wind energy after she completes the mechanical engineering graduate program at CU Boulder. 

The national conference inspired the society to bring ideas back to SWE at CU. Professionals from the Rocky Mountain Section gave conference-style talks about being a woman in engineering and imposter syndrome, so members could gain wisdom for those not able to travel. They hope to continue this programming into this coming year. 

Going into this fall semester, “I hope to continue making SWE a welcoming community,” said Anderson, “and make sure everyone feels like they have a place where they belong.”

Top photo: SWE hosts a networking event with professional engineers. Middle Photo: Members at the national conference in Houston. Bottom photo: End of the year banquet with graduating SWE members.

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Congratulations to the Environmental Engineering Class of 2023! As part of our annual graduation ceremony, we recognized a select group of students with special awards for their achievements.

Colorado Engineering Council Silver Medal Award Finalist

• Elizabeth Rose Wallace

Community Impact Award

• Emily Marie Saldana

Community Impact Award

• Samiha Singh

Global Engagement Award

• Sophie Dolores Castillo

Outstanding Student

• Sophie Elizabeth Woods

Perseverance Award

• Lukas Rives Tiefel

Research Award

• Kiersten Juliet Maxwell

Faculty Appreciation Award

• Professor Joseph Ryan

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The National Science Foundation has bestowed two prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship Program awards to University of Colorado Boulder environmental engineering graduate students.

These top awards recognize and support outstanding grad students from across the country in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees.

PhD student Kylie Boenisch-Oakes and master's student Annamarie Guth have each received the honor for 2023. Awardees receive a $37,000 annual stipend and cost of education allowance for the next three years as well as professional development opportunities.

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An affordable, net-zero energy home designed by CU Boulder students was honored Sunday as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s The home — which is still being constructed and features a unique hydrogen energy system — is part of a partnership between the university, Flatirons Habitat for Humanity and the City of Boulder as part of the ongoing Ponderosa Community Stabilization Project.

The CU Boulder team took first place in the , which will build a low-carbon footprint home out of sustainable materials in Boulder this summer. The team was also recognized in the Advanced Technology category.

This is the university’s fifth time participating in the Solar Decathlon, and the 2023 entry features a first-of-its-kind residential energy system that produces, stores and uses green hydrogen power in addition to other sustainable technologies. When finished this fall, the home will serve as an anchor for the re-developed , which was damaged by catastrophic flooding in 2013 and is being rebuilt into an affordable, energy-efficient community north of Boulder. 

Co-Project Lead Weston McEvoy said the effort features work by students from the College of Engineering and Applied Science, as well as the Program in Environmental Design and others. He said about 15 students worked on the design of the home — known as — this year, while about 20 others will work with volunteers from Habitat for Humanity to physically build it in the coming months. 

“The recognition from the competition is great, and now we are looking forward to getting out there and actually building this amazing home for not only the future owners but also for the community around it, which can use our work as a model for sustainability and efficient building practices going forward,” said McEvoy, who is a junior in the Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering.

Almost every aspect of the single-family home is designed with carbon emissions and sustainability in mind. High-quality materials like insulation were selected not only for their ability to improve heating and cooling efficiency but also because they would last for decades. These materials also lowered the amount of embodied carbon emissions from construction.

Combine those efforts with smart home technology for better owner control, solar panels to capture energy from Colorado’s ever-present sun and a thermal battery that provides on-demand domestic hot water, and you have a structure that is incredibly self-sufficient, practical and resilient in the face of natural disasters and climate change.

• Heather Walker, mechanical engineering
• Kira Goo, mechanical engineering
• Grace Ohlsen, computer science
• Kate MacKeigan, architectural engineering
• Crystal Gonzalez, architectural engineering
• Charlotte Russell, architectural engineering
• Nicholas Arvidson, environmental design

• Wes McEvoy, electrical, computer, and energy engineering
• Jarod Concha, civil engineering (MS)
• Rachel Fenn, architectural engineering (MS)
• Kyle Biega, architectural engineering (MS)
• Paul Neumann, architectural engineering (MS)
• Kyle Biega, graduate advisor
• Jay Arehart, faculty lead
• Jennifer Scheib, faculty advisor

The Canopy will also be Colorado's first grid-connected hydrogen-powered home. This means that during the day, solar panels will produce electricity for the home’s needs with excess power directed to an electrolyzer that converts water into hydrogen. That hydrogen can be safely stored for five to 10 days before being used to power the home at night or in the case of a power grid failure. Excess power from the solar panels can also be sent back to the grid to offset the fossil fuels being used.

Paul Neumann is a graduate student in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering and serves as a project co-lead and engineering lead. He said that too often discussions about ways to reduce carbon emissions focused on personal vehicles rather than the homes where people spend a huge portion of their lives.

“This home can operate inside and outside of the grid with the hydrogen system, and there is no need for intensive lithium ion batteries,” he said. “That means the home will save 4.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide by being energy independent each year. That is the equivalent of getting a 24 mpg gas car off the road.”

Neumann added that the project was a unique and potentially powerful experience for students on the team as it combines engineering principles, hands-on building activity and cross-community engagement around climate change.

“We have talked to so many students from different backgrounds about this project and they are all so interested in ways they can become involved,” he said. “A lot of them want to do something around climate change. This kind of work is a great venue for that no matter your specific discipline or where you are at with your education.”

Framing and early construction activity on the home is ongoing, and the team hopes to finish and publicly showcase their work in fall 2023. McEvoy said the project aims to ultimately demonstrate the balance between affordability and innovation needed for the next 10 years of construction in Colorado and beyond.

“Our goal is to show that net-zero, sustainable housing can be affordable,” McEvoy said. “Our project shows how we can increase the lifespan of the home while also lowering energy and repair costs to the owner through these newly applied systems.”

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The College of Engineering and Applied Science, the College of Arts and Sciences and the Leeds School of Business are teaming up to highlight CU Boulder-led research to address climate change from 3-5 p.m. on Nov. 30 in the Olson Atrium of the Rustandy Building. The event comes ahead of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit on campus and acts as a kickoff to several days of panels, workshops and activities. 

The in-person Research and Innovation for Climate Change Open House will highlight interdisciplinary solutions and research to address climate change from all three colleges and schools. Visitors can view detailed scientific poster presentations or learn more about the various centers and programs working in this research area on campus. There will also be several hands-on displays and plenty of opportunities for networking – no matter your background or college affiliation. 

College of Engineering and Applied Science Dean Keith Molenaar said the event is open to everyone on CU Boulder’s campus – including students, staff and faculty – as well as industry and nonprofit partners in the Boulder community.

“We plan to have about 20 displays during the open house, which will demonstrate how the different researchers and topics connect and overlap” he said. “There is so much impactful work going on in this area across campus. This event will not only showcase the extraordinary work, but it will also provide a valuable opportunity to discuss these pressing problems that we are facing together.”

Leeds School of Business Acting Dean Yonca Ertimur said the Rustandy Building was the ideal space for this event.

“The Rustandy Building represents a new era of collaboration on the CU Boulder campus because of its ability to facilitate the breakdown of traditional disciplinary boundaries,” she said. “I am thrilled that we can host such a dynamic and important event in that space and I look forward to many more in the coming months and years as we continue to work together across colleges and disciplines to address these problems.”

College of Arts and Science Dean Glen Krutz said registration for the event is not required and that visitors are encouraged to drop in and out as their schedules permit.

“We are hoping for great discussion in a friendly and interactive atmosphere. This event is a chance to network with climate-change researchers you know and ones you may want to know better after meeting them and hearing about their work,” he said. 

If you have questions, please email Bill Doe in the CU Engineering Research Support Office.

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