News

Congratulations to our 2025 undergraduate department awardees!

Susan Glairon — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 20:49:33 +0000

Congratulations to our 2025 undergraduate department awardees! Susan Glairon Mon, 04/21/2025 - 14:49

Meet this year’s CEAE department award recipients—recognized for their academic excellence, research, perseverance and community impact.

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Four civil and architectural engineering undergraduates win college awards

Susan Glairon — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 18:56:44 +0000

Four civil and architectural engineering undergraduates win college awards Susan Glairon Mon, 04/21/2025 - 12:56

These civil and architectural engineering undergraduates were honored with individual awards recognizing their unique achievements—ranging from contributions to the CU Engineering community and global impact to academic excellence and research.

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Two department projects funded by the Climate Innovation Collaboratory

Susan Glairon — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 17:18:11 +0000

Two department projects funded by the Climate Innovation Collaboratory Susan Glairon Mon, 04/21/2025 - 11:18

Two department projects funded by the Climate Innovation Collaboratory, an ongoing alliance between Deloitte Consulting LLP and ��, will develop tools to reduce carbon: one for optimizing data center energy storage, led by Associate Professor Kyri Baker, and one for evaluating local materials in cement, led by Associate Professor Mija Hubler.

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As AI explosion threatens progress on climate change, these researchers are seeking solutions

Susan Glairon — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 22:19:18 +0000

As AI explosion threatens progress on climate change, these researchers are seeking solutions Susan Glairon Fri, 04/18/2025 - 16:19

Kyri Baker, associate professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, and her colleague, Bri-Mathias Hodge, professor in the Department of Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering, suggest that if future data centers are placed in the right location and equipped with energy storage technologies, they can run on 100 percent clean energy.

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Students' building designs to be presented at Expo

Susan Glairon — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 15:38:51 +0000

Students' building designs to be presented at Expo Susan Glairon Tue, 04/15/2025 - 09:38

Susan Glairon

Meet Dana Majer, C6C design team member

What did you learn that will help in your future career?

Our senior design capstone project brought together everything we’ve learned over the past four years—from technical skills to teamwork, to communication, to project management. Collaborating with a team of six, we not only applied our engineering knowledge, but also honed our ability to communicate ideas clearly, listen actively and work effectively as a group. Writing proposals and presenting our work added another layer of professionalism. Seeing our final building and product come together affirmed how these skills will translate directly into our future careers—which is really exciting!

What did you enjoy most about this class?

I enjoyed collaborating with my peers. It was incredibly rewarding to share the excitement of completing our deliverables and presenting our ideas. Spending so many hours together brought us closer, and the camaraderie made the experience even more memorable!

Why are you participating in Expo?

We’ve presented to engineering professionals and faculty. Sharing our work with the broader public will be a new and exciting experience.

��’s architectural engineering capstone students took on a challenge to design a 20,000-square-foot student support building. Their mission? Create a space for the Business Field on the university's main campus that fosters connection—housing student services, graduate offices, study areas and meeting rooms—while helping to frame the Business Field as a welcoming gateway to campus.

Six student teams tackled the same prompt and delivered six very different designs. They'll present their work to the CU and Boulder communities during the Engineering Projects Expo 2025, held April 25 at the CU Indoor Practice Facility.

The university has no current plans to use the students’ designs to construct the building, but that wasn't the point, said Jay Arehart, an assistant teaching professor and faculty director for architectural engineering. The project mirrors real-world constraints and expectations, offering students a hands-on experience in turning ideas into concrete solutions, he said.

Arehart leads the senior design class, emphasizing its pivotal role in his students' education. In earlier courses, students focus on designing individual systems, such as steel structures, he said. However, the senior design class challenges them to integrate these components into a single, cohesive building.

Assistant Teaching Professor Jay Arehart

"They're having to problem solve and work to balance the design objective of multiple disciplines," Arehart said. "They need to think about the lighting design, the cost of the different systems, the sustainability impacts. The class is about putting a whole building together holistically, not just designing a system in isolation."

During the capstone class, a panel of industry professionals gave feedback on students’ technical presentations at three key points during the academic year. Expo, he said, offers students a chance to present their work to a broader, less technical audience.

"Expo is a chance to give an elevator pitch about their design and not get deep in the weeds," he said. "Instead, they're zooming out and thinking, 'What does this project mean for this person asking questions?'"

Learn more about our undergraduate architectural engineering program

Architectural engineers focuses on the design and construction of safe and sustainable buildings. They are creative problem solvers meeting the challenges of energy needs, building systems and community planning. While architectural engineers work with architects, they are engineers – not architects.

Team 1: Unified Engineers

Cindia Denova Garduno, Ammar Alqallaf, Colin Finnerty, Yousef Alqallaf, Daniela Brown and Jassim Almossallam

Description

To support the growth and dynamic needs of CU’s student community, the Student Success Center serves as a cornerstone of campus life-architecturally rooted by the iconic Flatirons and the surrounding Brutalist architectural style of the Engineering Center. Designed as a LEED Gold-performing faculty, it provides occupants with a comfortable indoor environment achieved through sustainable practices that align with CU Campus carbon reduction goals. The Student Success Center provides student-tailored spaces such as classrooms, meeting rooms, study spaces and a light-filled atrium that fosters collaboration, academic success and inclusivity.

Team 2: KWT Team 2024

Sarah AlRubaie, Maha Madooh, Sherifa Aldharman, Maryam Alfeeli and Sadan Almukhtar

Description

Our building design creates a welcoming and functional community space that seamlessly blends aesthetics. The structure features a dynamic mix of traditional and modern elements, including a large glass curtain wall that maximizes daylighting and enhances visual connectivity between interior and exterior spaces. The sloped roof design and varying volumes help define different program areas while supporting passive solar strategies. Unique to our solution is the emphasis on openness and accessibility highlighted by multiple entry points, outdoor seating and a transparent atrium that invites collaboration and engagement. Our group’s goal was to foster inclusivity, promote natural light use and prioritize energy efficiency, resulting in a design that serves both environmental and social functions.

Team 3: C6C Design

Dana Majer, Macy Will, Ryleigh Taylor, Alex Pentecost, Lars Chang and Josh Kilareski.

Description

Our 25,000-square-foot Student Success Center includes 10 classrooms, a variety of study spaces, an open atrium and an interior and exterior roof terraces to support students, staff and visitors. The design blurs the boundaries between the building and site, instructing and learning and tradition and advancement. The team worked to achieve LEED Platinum and low embodied carbon by considering a multitude of factors, including indoor air quality, materiality and optimized energy usage.

Team 4: Kuwait

Alaa Alnajar, Yaqoub Salem, Nourah AlTaher, Sarah Aldhafiri, Deema Alhouli, Shekhah Alkhudhari

Description

Our 22,000-square-foot Student Success Center is designed to assist a variety of learning and interaction styles. The building includes 14 classrooms, four meeting rooms and two open study spaces. The exterior building maintains a modern aesthetic while using ��'s characteristic sandstone to link the structure to the architectural identity of the university. Large glazing lets in natural light and provides stunning views of the Flatirons, providing a stimulating setting for students. The elevated bridge linking the two wings of the Student Success Center is a major distinguishing feature of our design, offering easy access between areas and improving the general user experience. The building's bold geometry, open circulation and careful integration of indoor and outdoor areas reflects our project objectives to promote student success, enhance community and honor the natural and architectural character of ��.

Team 5: Trussworthy Engineers

Brayden Gurien, Rebeca Perez, Kai Cunha, Cami Campbell, Maja Sakiewicz, Caroline Mumm

Description

The TRUS Building at the �� blends adaptability, sustainability and innovation through an integrated design process to meet the evolving needs of students and staff. Energy-efficient systems and sustainable materials used in the building align with ��’s long-term environmental goals, including LEED Gold certification and carbon reduction. Unique features like curved entrances, a central atrium and large windows framing stunning views of the Flatirons create a strong connection between the built environment and its natural surroundings. The TRUS Building also promotes inclusivity with all-gender restrooms, ADA-compliant facilities and wellness spaces. Designed for future expansion, it will remain a functional, innovative space for decades, offering a forward-thinking solution to the university’s needs.

Team 6: Six-Pack Drill Thrillers

George Kurz, Jason Pelzel, Gianni Carbonaro, Erik Eisenrich, Dominick Gomez, Kale Dohrman

Description

The Center for Learning and Innovation (CLI) Building is a proposed 21,000- square-foot classroom building with a central atrium branching to three stories of classrooms, offices and study spaces. The central atrium is a unique addition to the CU vernacular, providing a communal space promoting the intermixing of students. Steel columns rise from the ground 48 feet into the air and connect into the steel beams that support elevated concrete slabs on each story. Additionally, an overhang on the east end provides cover from the elements for students waiting for the CU buses on Regent Drive. The CLI’s structural systems will primarily be made with recycled steel where applicable and fly ash concrete to reduce the carbon footprint. Each classroom and building zone feature its own heat pump and temperature controls, ensuring maximum thermal comfort in each space any time of year. The lighting design features efficient and tasteful fixtures that improve the efficiency of the building and support the health of students.

Team 7

Sanbebablic Alnaser

Description

Our goal was to design a building that blends with campus buildings and achieves LEED Gold certification. The building was planned with privacy and flexibility spanning three floors. The ground floor consists of 5,000-square-feet of south and west-side classrooms to accommodate 30 to 55 students, a 1,000-square-foot study room and an 800-square-foot lobby and reception space for easy access to the facilities. The second-floor accommodates 5,000-square-feet of classroom space for small groups, 1,500-square-feet of faculty office space and 500-square-feet of meeting rooms. The third floor has quiet study spaces with 1,500-square-feet and 4,000-square-feet for senior faculty and administrative offices and 500-square-feet of large meeting rooms. The structure is constructed using a reinforced concrete frame system for strength, flexibility and economy.

Seven teams from ��'s architectural engineering capstone class will present their building design ideas to the public at the university's Engineering Projects Expo 2025. Each team designed a 20,000-square-foot student support building for the Business Field on the university's main campus.

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Western Water Assessment hosts first cohort of Water Fellows

Susan Glairon — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 20:38:23 +0000

Western Water Assessment hosts first cohort of Water Fellows Susan Glairon Thu, 04/10/2025 - 14:38

Associate Professor Aditi Bhaskar serves as program director for the Colorado Water Fellows Program, which prepares future water leaders through training, networking and mentorship from professionals across the state.

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Civil and environmental engineering rank in top 20

Susan Glairon — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 14:38:09 +0000

Civil and environmental engineering rank in top 20 Susan Glairon Thu, 04/10/2025 - 08:38

��'s environmental engineering graduate program ranked 8th nationwide among its public university peers, while the civil engineering graduate program ranked 13th.

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LA fire rebuilding recommendations for homeowners

Susan Glairon — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 21:03:47 +0000

LA fire rebuilding recommendations for homeowners Susan Glairon Tue, 04/01/2025 - 15:03

Researchers from the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering share key lessons from post-Marshall Fire rebuilding to help Los Angeles homeowners and others navigate recovery after wildfires.

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Professor receives ASCE Peurifoy Construction Research Award

Susan Glairon — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 21:12:46 +0000

Professor receives ASCE Peurifoy Construction Research Award Susan Glairon Wed, 03/26/2025 - 15:12

Susan Glairon

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.

“This award is incredibly meaningful for me," Javernick-Will said. "I am incredibly fortunate to have received amazing mentorship throughout my career, many of whom have received the Peurifoy award, including my advisor. The award is a testament to my graduate students and research group, who have spent countless hours on research focused on improving lives thorough safe shelter and buildings, reliable and safe water and infrastructure services."

Javernick-Will’s impact on the field has been widely recognized. She also recently received the 2024 Pathfinder Award, the highest honor from the Engineering Project Organization Society, at its annual conference in Bar Harbor, Maine.

At ��, 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.

Her contributions have drawn praise from colleagues, including Professor Keith Molenaar, who highlighted her influence on LinkedIn. “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 Molenaar, dean of ��’s College of Engineering and Applied Science and a 2021 Peurifoy Award recipient. “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 ��.

"This work would not be possible without the community partners, whose wisdom, passion and collaboration have enabled collection action to improve the built environment," Javernick-Will said.

Amy Javernick-Will, a professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, received the highest academic honor in construction engineering and management from the American Society of Civil Engineers.

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AWWA honors Professor Karl Linden with 2025 A.P. Black Research Award

Susan Glairon — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:56:52 +0000

AWWA honors Professor Karl Linden with 2025 A.P. Black Research Award Susan Glairon Tue, 03/25/2025 - 11:56

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 ultraviolet (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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Professor Karl Linden, chair of ��'s Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering Department, has been awarded the 2025 A.P. Black Research Award by AWWA for his pioneering contributions to UV water treatment technology.

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