CEAE Department News Highlights - Alumni Newsletter — July 2024
Department Headlines
Top 10 ranking for civil and environmental engineering graduate programs
Ҵýƽ's environmental engineering graduate program ranked 7th nationwide among its public university peers, while the civil engineering graduate program ranked 9th.
Alumni News
Briana Santa Ana: 2024 Alumni Engagement Medal Award recipient
The Alumni Engagement Medal (AEM) was established for college academic degree programs and the BOLD Center to recognize highly engaged alumni who impact their areas through volunteerism and philanthropic support.
Faculty News
Women’s History Month: A Conversation with Professor Abbie Liel
Professor Abbie Liel's work focuses on finding new ways to design and assess structures to withstand extreme conditions, aiming to make them safer and more sustainable.
Ҵýƽ professor honored with Pathfinder award for societal impact
Professor Amy Javernick-Will received the Pathfinder Award, the highest honor from the Engineering Project Organization Society, recognizing her research on improving disaster response and infrastructure sustainability in resource-limited communities.
John Zhai wins CEAS Textbook Recognition Award
Some architectural engineering textbooks were too general or overlyspecific. However, Professor John Zhaistruck the perfect balance with his book, earning him the College of Engineering and Applied Science Textbook Recognition Award.
Student News
Ҵýƽ shines at ASCE Symposium, advances to nationals
For the first time ever, Ҵýƽ's American Society of Civil Engineersstudent chapteris heading to the ASCE Civil EngineeringStudent Championships.
Magnus Boee: Balancing success in athletics and engineering
Magnus Boee, a civil engineering graduate student and Division 1 athlete, excelled in Nordic skiing for the Colorado Buffalos. He earned both a BS and MS while training and competing. Boee represented South Korea in Nordic skiing at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, with sights set on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
Unstoppable: Gabrielle Dunn honored as overall Outstanding Undergraduate of the College
Civil engineering major Gabrielle Dunn’s dedication to academic, personal and professional development, as well as to support her peers, has earned her the 2024 Outstanding Undergraduate of the College award.
Research News
Ҵýƽ secures $750K to improve drought preparedness in Western U.S.
Ҵýƽ has received $750,000 from a NOAA grant to enhance drought monitoring and prediction on the Colorado River. The award, part of a $4.9 million initiative by the Biden-Harris Administration, supports efforts led by CIRES and the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering.
Diane McKnight: Climate change increases metals concentrations in streams, study finds
A recent study points the finger at climate change as the cause of increasing metals concentrations in Colorado’s high mountain streams. These findings have implications for local ecosystems and the water supplies of mountain communities.
Grant tackles sustainable alternatives for urban lawn irrigation
Associate Professor Aditi Bhaskar, from Ҵýƽ Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, and Assistant Professor Isabella Oleksy, of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, received a $296,000 grant from the Colorado Water Board to investigate ground cover options that could replace turfgrass.
Ҵýƽ leads effort to improve water quality in Rockies’ rivers
A team led by Environmental Engineering Professor Evan Thomas received a $650,000 NSF Convergence Accelerator grant to measure and mitigate pollution in Colorado's Cache la Poudre and Yampa Rivers through new sensor technology, monitoring and a voluntary carbon credits trading system with industry.
In Memoriam
Remembering Hari Rajaram—a legacy of intellect, humility and warmth
Hari Rajaram, a beloved former faculty member in Ҵýƽ Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering (CEAE), died unexpectedly on July 4 at his home in Baltimore. He was 59 years old.
Remembering Kaspar Willam (1940-2024)
“A great scientist. A beloved colleague. A dear friend.” These sentiments were shared globally in remembrance of structural engineering Professor Emeritus Kaspar Willam, who passed away on Jan. 7 in his home country of Austria at the age of 83.
Remembering 'Doc' Helms: beloved mentor and pioneer in architectural lighting
Professor Ron Helms joined Ҵýƽ architectural engineering faculty in 1965. Throughout his tenure, he championed the importance of the illuminating engineering program, setting a benchmark for advanced lighting education.