Awards

Professor Wins International Water Association Career Award for Global Water Impact

Jeff Zehnder — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 16:17:54 +0000

Professor Wins International Water Association Career Award for Global Water Impact Jeff Zehnder Tue, 12/16/2025 - 09:17

Evan Thomas, a professor and director of the Mortenson Center in Global Engineering & Resilience at the University of Colorado Boulder, has been awarded a career honor from the International Water Association for work that has reshaped how safe drinking water is delivered in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions.

Evan Thomas receiving the IWA Water and Development Research Award.

Dr. Thomas received the IWA Water and Development Research Award on December 8, 2025, at the association’s congress in Bangkok, Thailand. The award recognizes long-term contributions that combine research and practice to produce measurable improvements in water access in low- and middle-income countries.

Over the past two decades, Dr. Thomas has focused on a problem that has plagued global water initiatives for generations: why so many systems fail after they are built. His work has pushed beyond the construction of pipes and pumps to emphasize water as an ongoing public service—one that depends on sustainable financing, continuous monitoring and clear accountability.

Among his most cited contributions are efforts to link rural water delivery to carbon finance mechanisms and to deploy real-time water quality monitoring technologies. Those approaches have helped expand access to safe drinking water, improve transparency in service delivery and strengthen the connection between water security, public health and climate resilience.

The IWA Water and Development Awards are presented every two years and are judged by an international panel of experts. In 2025, the association also honored Meera Mehta of CEPT University in India and Jay Bhagwan of South Africa’s Water Research Commission with awards for practice, recognizing their leadership in water governance and service delivery.

At the University of Colorado Boulder, Dr. Thomas and the Mortenson Center have developed a model that challenges conventional development approaches. Rather than treating infrastructure as the end goal, the center integrates performance-based financing with rigorous data systems that track whether water services are actually working over time.

Through partnerships with organizations including the Millennium Water Alliance, Helvetas, the Eastern Congo Initiative, Virridy and LifeStraw, the Mortenson Center currently supports drinking water services for more than one million people in Kenya, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar.

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AWWA Journal Cover Story: Q&A with Professor Karl Linden

Jeff Zehnder — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 18:07:21 +0000

AWWA Journal Cover Story: Q&A with Professor Karl Linden Jeff Zehnder Thu, 10/23/2025 - 12:07

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Faster, cleaner, better: revolutionary water treatment

Jeff Zehnder — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 19:45:02 +0000

Faster, cleaner, better: revolutionary water treatment Jeff Zehnder Thu, 07/17/2025 - 13:45

Jeff Zehnder

Anthony Straub is making major advances in water purification technology for industry and human consumption on Earth and in space, with his work on a nanotechnology membrane process taking a major step toward commercialization, thanks to a new NASA grant.

An assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, Straub’s research focuses on using membranes to improve water treatment.

“The membrane technology that is widely used now is essentially half a century old, and it has well-known limitations,” Straub said. “ It works well for many applications, but it has a tendency to let certain impurities through and it degrades if exposed to certain harsh chemicals.”

NASA has awarded Straub and one of his PhD students, Kian Lopez, a phase one Small Business Innovation Research award to develop a pilot water purification system for astronauts to use on a future Moon base.

Current space water purification systems are bulky and prone to repairs. The technology Straub’s lab has developed only requires a pump to pressurize water, reducing size and weight. Low weight is especially important in moon missions, where every kilogram of cargo can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

“Current membranes remove impurities based on size and charge and, as a result, allow for small impurities to bypass the membrane,” Straub said. “What we’ve designed traps a very small layer of air inside a membrane and the only way for the water to cross the barrier is by evaporating and then re-condensing on the other side, which impurities inherently cannot do.”

The entire process occurs over a 100 nanometer span, a distance 160 times smaller than the width of a human hair, and the water that results is nearly pure H2O – distillation quality — since it has been turned to steam and then back to liquid.

These new membranes can be made from a wide variety of materials; the advance is in modifying them to create the air trapping layer. Although the work has been a longtime focus of Straub, he had not considered space applications or commercialization until Lopez returned from an internship at NASA.

Schematic of the membrane process.

“My mentor at NASA said this technology looks promising and the biggest impact we could have would be to start our own company,” Lopez said.

Straub and Lopez decided to attend the New Venture Launch class together in the CU Boulder Leeds Business School, participating in campus technology transfer initiatives, including the New Venture Challenge and Lab Venture Challenge. They founded Osmopure Technologies, Inc. in January of this year.

Space is but one application. Other potential is in municipal water systems and industry, particularly semiconductor or computer chip manufacturing, which requires ultrapure water.

Although ultrapure sounds like a marketing buzzword, it has a formal definition: water free of all minerals, particles, bacteria, microbes, and dissolved gasses. The needs go far beyond water that is safe for human consumption.

“The minimum for ultrapure water in chip manufacturing is a 14-step process right now. The final product must contain less than one 10-nanometer particle per milliliter of water, which would be the density equivalent of having only a single person on the entire planet Earth,” Lopez said.

Semiconductor chips are manufactured in clean rooms, and ultrapure water is necessary to maintain temperature and humidity as well as to wash away residue produced during chip etching. Even the tiniest water impurities can damage the chips.

“Our work starts with NASA, but the beachhead market here on Earth is in ultrapure water production for semiconductors,” Straub said. “This is a huge potential market, and we have filed a provisional patents with Venture Partners at CU Boulder.”

Straub is optimistic the grant will enable them to make significant progress in the coming months.

“This has been a four-year process, and at the beginning we didn’t know if it would work,” Straub said. “We started with theory and then went into the lab to test. The fabrication has gone through several iterations here in the CU labs. Now we are moving towards a commercial product, and the performance is impressive.”

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CU Boulder students win big at collegiate hydropower competition

Jeff Zehnder — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 20:16:45 +0000

CU Boulder students win big at collegiate hydropower competition Jeff Zehnder Fri, 06/20/2025 - 14:16

A powerhouse group of graduating seniors from the University of Colorado Boulder made waves in a sustainable challenge that’s all about energizing the future.

The CU Hydropower Team took part in this year’s Hydropower Collegiate Competition, where 12 teams from universities across the country were tasked with developing unique energy solutions using fresh, moving water—one of the Earth’s oldest forms of renewable energy.

The CU Hydropower Team holding up their award-winning testing apparatus on competition day.

But they weren’t just participants. They were overwhelming winners, earning first-place honors in a variety of contests within the competition, including the highly coveted Overall Best Team award.

“We had a great group and a really good workload sharing system,” said Logistics Manager Miles Salzer. “We weren’t really sure how we were going to do or what the outcome would be. There were a lot of challenges, but we overcame them and we’re proud of what we were able to accomplish.”

The competition, sponsored by the Department of Energy and the Water Power Technologies Office, was launched in 2022. It allows teams to showcase their engineering prowess by conceptually designing plans for either an electricity generating power dam or a functioning closed-loop pump storage facility.

The team chose to tackle the closed-loop pump storage facility—a novel hydropower solution that features two independent reservoirs that transport water back and forth, much like the sand in an hourglass. The system is also hydrodynamically sealed, preventing water from exiting the system.

CAD Engineer Jack Printup says this new pump storage concept is currently growing in popularity as a clean energy and sustainable alternative, but there are still some environmental risks involved.

“It’s basically a big water battery that lasts longer and is more consistent than other nonrenewable sources, but like nuclear plants, they can cause some damage to the area around it,” Printup said. “Our task was to choose and develop a site for our pump storage facility that was safe and could be implemented in the real world.”

CU Hydropower team members Sascha Fowler (left) and Pisay Suzuki (right) working on their testing apparatus in preparation for the competition.

But the competition doesn’t just focus on technical design. Judges also assessed the team’s ability to manage their facility’s finances and cybersecurity.

They even measured the group’s ability to use digital tools to increase community awareness or quickly pitch their plan to a panel of “investors” in an environment reminiscent of the hit TV show “Shark Tank.”

Luckily, Salzer said the group was perfectly equipped to handle the interdisciplinary obstacles with a well-rounded force of their own. The team featured students from the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Environmental Engineering Program, the Department of Computer Science and even the Leeds School of Business.

“I think the different backgrounds made our group really unique,” said Salzer. “Hydropower—and renewable energy in general—are large and complex infrastructure projects. One of our team’s biggest strengths compared to other teams was our varied skill sets that allowed us to handle all of the challenges.”

Most importantly, however, the competition is designed to help college graduates develop skills, connections and interest in the hydropower industry.

Printup says increased activity and engagement in hydropower can be crucial, and this competition really sparked his passion.

“There are spurts in the hydropower industry—you build a large plant and then 60 years later it needs to be refurbished or new facilities need to be built,” Printup said. “I’m going into hydropower to continue developing this incredible technology, but also make sure public safety is at the forefront.”

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Environmental engineering senior earns community impact award

Jeff Zehnder — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 17:34:58 +0000

Environmental engineering senior earns community impact award Jeff Zehnder Mon, 04/28/2025 - 11:34

Anjali Velamala is a senior double majoring in environmental engineering and applied math and is a 2025 recipient of the Community Impact Award from the College of Engineering and Applied Science. She is also being recognized by the Environmental Engineering Program as one of two Outstanding Graduate Award honorees.

What are your post-graduation plans?

I am planning to do a process engineering summer internship at a water treatment plant. Then I will be living in India for four months, traveling to many countries (Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Algeria, Ghana, South Africa) and then living in Europe for the rest of the year. After a year(ish) of traveling I plan to go to graduate school, law school, or jumping into a career in engineering or consulting.

What is your favorite memory from your time at CU Boulder?

This one was hard, but I would say finishing the ukulele I built from scratch in Bill Rumley's string instrument building class (through the art department). The moment I tuned it up and played it for the first time was so peaceful and satisfying.

What accomplishment are you most proud of, either academically or personally?

I’m most proud of the quiet, intentional rituals I’ve built around crafting a sustainable life. I'm proud of the first wooden spoon I carved in Marseille while visiting my aunt whose girlfriend is a luthier. That moment sparked a love for handmade objects.

Since then, I’ve spent countless hours expanding that craft. Many of the utensils in my kitchen—and in the kitchens of those I love—have been shaped by my hands. I eat off plates I sculpted and fired myself, sit on furniture I built, and read science nonfiction while my sourdough rises—made from a starter I’ve nurtured for six years.

These rituals aren’t just hobbies; they’re a reminder that sustainability isn’t just something I study—it’s something I live, one small, intentional act at a time.

When did you felt like you hit your stride or felt like you were “officially” an engineer.

I’m not sure I’ve ever had a moment where I thought, ‘I’m officially an engineer.’ For me, it’s in the small moments of problem solving where I really feel my knowledge show up. Recently, I was helping a friend study for a math exam for welding school, and as I looked at the questions, I realized how naturally the concepts came to me—and that now I'm in a position to teach them. It made me recognize that my knowledge has taken years to gain and I have learned so much more than I realize.

What is your biggest piece of advice for incoming engineering students?

I like to emphasize the importance of trying new things and building real community—values I truly embraced during college. One powerful experience was going to an African dance midterm one of my friends invited me to. Despite my nerves, stepping into that room changed me. The joy, openness, and support I felt gave me confidence and helped shift my mindset from individualism to community.

I took African Dance I and II after that experience.

Nii Armah Sowah, the professor, taught that while we can move fast alone, we go farther together. A quote from class stays with me: “A human being needs help.”

In a society that often encourages isolation, I found hope in knowing authentic community still exists. My advice to students: try new things with an open heart. Community will follow.

What experiences or qualities do you think led to you receiving the Community Impact Award?

I think receiving this award reflects my commitment to interdisciplinary learning and honoring the human side of engineering. My educational journey has been… less like a straight pipeline and more like a questionably-designed greywater recycling system—messy, looping, and beautifully sustainable.

Beyond my majors in environmental engineering and applied math and my art practices minor, I’ve explored everything from linguistics and biology to geology, computer science, business, and dance. I’ve come to believe that good engineering doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens through curiosity, collaboration, and care.

I value the liberal arts ideals that have shaped my thinking: asking better questions, listening closely, and making space for nuance. These values have guided my academic work, my community engagement, and my vision for how engineers can serve a more interconnected, just world.

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Professor receives ASCE Peurifoy Construction Research Award

Jeff Zehnder — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 22:28:45 +0000

Professor receives ASCE Peurifoy Construction Research Award Jeff Zehnder Wed, 03/26/2025 - 16:28

Professor Amy Javernick-Will received the 2025 Peurifoy Construction Research Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers, the highest ASCE academic honor in construction engineering and management. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to construction engineering through research and technological advancements.

“I am incredibly fortunate to have received such amazing mentorship and support throughout my career,” wrote Javernick-Will in a LinkedIn post. “I also want to extend my gratitude to the communities whose wisdom, passion and collaboration have enabled collective action to improve the built environment.”

At CU Boulder, Javernick-Will leads the Global Projects and Organizations Research Group, which integrates social sciences and engineering to address complex problems and achieve beneficial community outcomes.

Javernick-Will also recently received the 2024 Pathfinder Award, the highest honor from the Engineering Project Organization Society, at its annual conference in Bar Harbor, Maine.

“The Peurifoy award highlights Amy’s groundbreaking work at the intersection of social and built systems—advancing community resilience, post-disaster recovery and the sustainable delivery of infrastructure services for all, especially marginalized communities,” wrote Professor Keith Molenaar on LinkedIn. Molenaar, dean of CU Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science, received the Peurifoy award in 2021. “Amy’s work is a great example of how engineering isn’t just about what we build—it’s about who we build it for. Her research is defining the future of construction and infrastructure, making sure that the systems we create are more sustainable, resilient and equitable.”

Javernick-Will earned her PhD in civil engineering, construction engineering and management from Stanford University and both her MS and BS in civil engineering from CU Boulder.

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AWWA names Professor Karl Linden 2025 A.P. Black Research Award recipient

Jeff Zehnder — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 18:24:50 +0000

AWWA names Professor Karl Linden 2025 A.P. Black Research Award recipient Jeff Zehnder Tue, 03/25/2025 - 12:24

Professor Karl Linden has been named by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) as the recipient of the 2025 A.P. Black Research Award. Established in 1967 in honor of Dr. A.P. Black, the award recognizes outstanding research contributions to water science and water supply practices.

Linden, professor and chair of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, is a leading expert in UV-based oxidation and disinfection. He is being recognized for decades of pioneering work in UV water treatment technology.

Linden will be formally presented with the A.P. Black Research Award at the AWWA Annual Conference & Exposition (ACE25) in Denver on June 9.

Read the full article at AWWA...

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CU Boulder faculty recognized for advancing environmental engineering

Jeff Zehnder — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 15:39:33 +0000

CU Boulder faculty recognized for advancing environmental engineering Jeff Zehnder Tue, 01/14/2025 - 08:39

Two professors from CU Boulder’s Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering have been honored by The American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists through its 40 Under 40 Recognition Program.

Associate Professor Sherri Cook and Assistant Professor Cresten Mansfeldt were recognized as “talented individuals who have, either personally or as part of a team, been responsible for helping to advance the fields of environmental science or environmental engineering in a demonstrable way within the last 12 months,” according to the academy’s website.

Cook received her BS from Virginia Tech and her MSE and PhD from the University of Michigan. At CU Boulder, she pioneered three courses that teach sustainability principles to students across disciplines. Her research focuses on sustainable solutions to global drinking water and sanitation challenges, aiming to improve treatment systems while minimizing risks to human health, the environment, and financial stability. Her research has included innovative technologies such as biochar-based micropollutant removal from wastewater and advancing zero-carbon bio-cement through her co-founded company, Prometheus.

Mansfeldt earned his PhD at Cornell University, after completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota. He refined his expertise during a postdoctoral fellowship at Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology. Mansfeldt teaches courses on material flows, from microbial carbon cycling to urban waste management. His research focuses on the interplay between natural and built environments, emphasizing water reuse, the microbiome of built environments and the impacts of disasters, such as wildfires, on urban systems. Past projects include monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in campus wastewater, evaluating the risk of synthetic biology products and exploring the bioethics of biological innovations in environmental engineering. His current research examines contaminants from wildland-urban interfaces, tracking synthetic biology products in the environment and advancing water reuse.

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CU Boulder environmental engineering undergrad program ranked #9 among public universities.

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 20:25:25 +0000

CU Boulder environmental engineering undergrad program ranked #9 among public universities. Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/14/2022 - 14:25

The College of Engineering and Applied Science gained a spot U.S. News and World Report’s Best Undergraduate Engineering rankings this year, coming in at No. 17 among public institution peers.

Six degree programs in the college also earned top 20 spots among public universities in the engineering specialty rankings and Best Undergraduate Computer Science rankings:

Aerospace engineering sciences (No. 6)
Environmental engineering (No. 9)
Chemical engineering (No. 13)
Mechanical engineering (No. 15)
Civil engineering (No. 17)
Computer science (No. 19)

The rankings were released on the U.S. News and World Report website on Sept. 11. Undergraduate rankings are based on assessments of 1,500 U.S. bachelor's degree-granting institutions on 17 measures of academic quality, including graduation and retention rates, financial resources per students, and average alumni giving rate. Read more about their methodology.

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EVEN Students Claim Third Place at Geothermal Collegiate Competition

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 19:36:40 +0000

EVEN Students Claim Third Place at Geothermal Collegiate Competition Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 06/14/2022 - 13:36

Miles Salzer

A team of EVEN students recently took third place at the 2022 Geothermal Collegiate Competition.

The University of Colorado Team featured undergraduate students Calvin Malkoski, Natalie Alvarado, Alise Gladbach, Alex Martin, and Titus Ellison. Together, they designed a geothermal heat pump for the I Have a Dream Foundation of Boulder County.

The pump is designed to lower natural gas emissions for heating during the winter months while also being able to act as an air conditioner during the warmer months. Their system can produce four times the energy required to run, making it a fantastic renewable resource.

The competition, sponsored by the Department of Energy, aims to prepare “students to scale up geothermal technologies in a way that prioritizes individual communities and their unique needs,” says Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Kelly Speakes-Backman. The event, hosted annually, hopes to inspire the next generation of geothermal technologies.

As part of their third-place finish, the team won $2,500 in funding for their design. In addition, University of Colorado Boulder also received $10,000 for their ongoing support.

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