News

Why flood prediction in the US falls short and how researchers are working to fix it

Susan Glairon — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 20:30:05 +0000

Why flood prediction in the US falls short and how researchers are working to fix it Susan Glairon Thu, 07/17/2025 - 14:30

Zhi Li, joining 探花视频 as an assistant professor in August, leads the new Flood Lab, which develops high-resolution models to predict flood impacts with one-meter precision鈥攖echnology not yet used in real time due to high computational demands.

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Faster, cleaner, better: revolutionary water treatment

Susan Glairon — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 20:23:05 +0000

Faster, cleaner, better: revolutionary water treatment Susan Glairon Thu, 07/17/2025 - 14:23

Jeff Zehnder

Anthony Straub is developing ultra-thin nanoscale membranes to transform water purification on Earth and in space. His work has earned a prestigious NSF CAREER Award, a five-year, $550,000 grant to advance the research.

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Gregor Henze honored as IBPSA fellow for building simulation research

Susan Glairon — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 21:12:31 +0000

Gregor Henze honored as IBPSA fellow for building simulation research Susan Glairon Tue, 07/08/2025 - 15:12

Professor Gregor Henze of 探花视频's Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering has been named a fellow of the International Building Performance Simulation Association, one of the highest honors in the field. Building performance simulation uses detailed computer models to evaluate how buildings perform under varying conditions, in terms of energy use, carbon emissions and heating and cooling efficiency.

鈥淩eceiving this honor is a deeply satisfying affirmation that the community values my contributions to both the science and art of building performance simulation, as well as my efforts to educate the next generation of researchers in the field,鈥� Henze said.

Henze was selected for his pioneering work in model predictive control, which uses mathematical models to predict building system behavior and optimize energy use and comfort; simulation model development, which involves creating and improving mathematical models to explore how buildings respond to factors like weather, utility price signals or occupancy; and building-to-grid integration, which connects buildings to the power grid so the former can respond to electric grid system needs, such as reducing usage during peak times. He is also recognized for his international leadership in research and education.

Charles Kutscher, a Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI) fellow and former director of the Buildings and Thermal Systems Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), said in the nomination letter that Henze鈥檚 knowledge of building energy modeling and his ability to educate and encourage young staff made him an invaluable contributor to NREL鈥檚 building science research efforts.

鈥淚 was especially impressed by Professor Henze鈥檚 broad knowledge of the international research underway and how he applied that knowledge to the modeling of fifth generation district heating and cooling networks,鈥� Kutscher said, referring to advanced urban energy systems which integrate renewable energy and recover waste heat. 鈥淗is research resulted in many groundbreaking papers on this leading edge technology.鈥�

Henze is widely recognized for advancing simulation tools and techniques that improve energy efficiency, comfort and grid responsiveness in buildings and urban energy systems. His research portfolio includes more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and spans topics such as advanced building control, data science for energy and buildings, energy flexibility and novel district heating and cooling networks.

Henze is also a co-founder and chief scientist at QCoefficient, Inc., a startup that creates technologies that help buildings proactively manage their energy use in real time to better integrate with the electric grid system operations.

He will be formally recognized in August at the Building Simulation 2025 conference in Brisbane, Australia.

Henze was selected for his groundbreaking work on smart energy control systems, advanced building simulation tools and technologies that connect buildings to the power grid. He is also recognized for his global leadership in research and education.

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Symposium advances structural engineering toward zero carbon

Susan Glairon — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 21:46:14 +0000

Symposium advances structural engineering toward zero carbon Susan Glairon Mon, 07/07/2025 - 15:46

Susan Glairon

探花视频's Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering and the Structural Engineering Institute co-hosted a symposium June 26-27 focused on advancing the structural engineering profession toward zero carbon.

The event, which drew 166 participants to 探花视频鈥檚 campus, marked an industry-wide step toward cutting emissions tied to building materials like steel and concrete, said Assistant Teaching Professor Jay Arehart, the organizer of the event.

鈥淏ringing together people from 65 different companies shows that sustainability isn鈥檛 limited to just a few firms鈥攊t reflects collective action across the structural engineering profession to drive toward zero carbon,鈥� Arehart said.

Towards Zero Carbon 2025: Summit & Symposium explored design practices and materials that reduce embodied carbon鈥攖he greenhouse gases emitted during the production, transport and disposal of building materials. Achieving 鈥渮ero carbon" means balancing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted with the amount removed from the atmosphere, resulting in no net emissions.

Arehart said he believed it was the largest gathering to date of structural engineers focused on embodied carbon reductions.

Teaching Professor Jay Arehart organized the event,
which attracted 166 participants.

Alexis Feitel, PE, an embodied carbon innovation and technical director with KL&A Structural Engineers in Golden, said KL&A鈥檚 entire 鈥淭eam Carbon鈥� and the company鈥檚 CEO attended the event.

鈥淚t boosted our embodied carbon technical training and energized us to progress toward zero carbon,鈥� he said.

Utsav Dahal, a 探花视频 PhD student in architectural engineering, said he decided to attend the symposium after taking a life cycle assessment class with Arehart.

鈥淎s someone who believes in sustainability鈥攅ven in mechanical systems鈥擨 wanted to learn more about embodied carbon,鈥� said Dahal, whose research focuses on building energy efficiency and the impact of retrofitting existing buildings.

Dahal said the symposium was enriched by the real-world insights from industry professionals, and that he would 鈥渄efinitely recommend this event鈥� to others, noting that carbon reduction is a shared goal across all construction disciplines.

鈥淭here鈥檚 still a lot to learn,鈥� Dahal added.

The event, which drew 166 participants to 探花视频鈥檚 campus, marked an industry-wide step toward cutting emissions tied to building materials like steel and concrete.

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Wil Srubar named American Ceramic Society fellow

Susan Glairon — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 20:55:34 +0000

Wil Srubar named American Ceramic Society fellow Susan Glairon Thu, 07/03/2025 - 14:55

Susan Glairon

Professor Wil Srubar has been named a fellow of The American Ceramic Society (ACerS), one of the highest honors for researchers in cement chemistry. Fellows of the American Ceramics Society are recognized for their contributions to the ceramics, cements and materials science community.

鈥淏eing named a Fellow of the American Ceramics Society is incredibly humbling,鈥� Srubar said. 鈥淚鈥檓 honored to be included among such an accomplished group of peers who have advanced the field through research, innovation and service.鈥�

Srubar is the principal director of the Living Materials Laboratory, where an interdisciplinary team develops nature-inspired concrete alternatives that can be produced without fossil fuels or significant carbon emissions.

He recently served as the conference chair for the 15th Advances in Cement-Based Materials, held June 11-13 at the University of Colorado Boulder. Srubar also previously held several ACerS leadership roles, including cements division chair, chair-elect and secretary.

He will be recognized on Sept. 29 at the ACerS Honors and Awards Banquet during the society鈥檚 127th annual meeting to be held in Columbus, Ohio.

鈥淚鈥檓 grateful to the mentors, collaborators and students who鈥檝e shaped my journey and made this recognition possible,鈥� Srubar said.

Professor Wil Srubar is the principal director of the Living Materials Laboratory, where an interdisciplinary team develops nature-inspired concrete alternatives that can be produced without fossil fuels or significant carbon emissions.

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CUE magazine: A big fix

Susan Glairon — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 20:35:32 +0000

CUE magazine: A big fix Susan Glairon Thu, 06/26/2025 - 14:35

In this 2025 edition of CU Engineering (CUE) magazine, CEAE researchers tackle pressing challenges鈥攕uch as the increasing frequency and severity of hurricanes, wildfires and floods鈥攈ead-on, developing innovative solutions to repair aging infrastructure and build a more resilient future.

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Monitoring water quality in Boulder, London and Paris

Susan Glairon — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 18:28:26 +0000

Monitoring water quality in Boulder, London and Paris Susan Glairon Thu, 06/26/2025 - 12:28

The Boulder Daily Camera is spotlighting new water quality work led by Professor Evan Thomas, an expert in water and air testing and treatment and the director of the Mortenson Center in Global Engineering & Resilience.

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Supporting the Academic Enterprise

Susan Glairon — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 18:38:06 +0000

Supporting the Academic Enterprise Susan Glairon Mon, 06/23/2025 - 12:38

Fernando Rosario-Ortiz, a professor of environmental engineering, was appointed permanent vice chancellor for academic resource management on June 9, after serving in the role on an interim basis.

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Wildfires threaten water quality for years after they burn

Susan Glairon — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:27:45 +0000

Wildfires threaten water quality for years after they burn Susan Glairon Mon, 06/23/2025 - 09:27

Associate Professor Ben Livneh

Years after wildfires burn forests and watersheds, the contaminants left behind continue to poison rivers and streams across the Western U.S. 鈥� much longer than scientists estimated.

A new study led by CIRES researchers, published today in Nature Communications Earth & Environment, analyzed water quality in more than 500 watersheds across the Western U.S., and is the first large-scale assessment of post-wildfire water quality.

Ben Livneh, an associate professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering, CIRES fellow and Western Water Assessment director, was the principal investigator and co-author of the study.

Read The Conversation article Read the CIRES article

A new study published today in Nature Communications Earth & Environment is the first large-scale assessment of post-wildfire water quality. Ben Livneh, an associate professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering, was the principal investigator and co-author of the study.

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Mortenson Center innovations delivering clean water to more than 16 million worldwide

Susan Glairon — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 21:49:16 +0000

Mortenson Center innovations delivering clean water to more than 16 million worldwide Susan Glairon Fri, 06/20/2025 - 15:49

探花视频's Mortenson Center in Global Engineering & Resilience is transforming global water access by treating clean water as a long-term service鈥攏ot just a one-time infrastructure project.

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