Faculty News

Supporting the academic enterprise

Jeff Zehnder — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 14:43:59 +0000

Supporting the academic enterprise Jeff Zehnder Tue, 06/24/2025 - 08:43

Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Resource Management Fernando Rosario-Ortiz reflects on new role and areas of focus for upcoming year

Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Resource Management (VC ARM) Fernando Rosario-Ortiz took over the position on April 1, 2025 after former VC ARM Ann Schmiesing moved to become interim vice chancellor for strategic initiatives under Chancellor Justin Schwartz in March, and then was named to the permanent post on June 9. The Provost’s Post talked with him to learn more about the position, what made him want it, and areas of focus for the upcoming year.

Question: How do you see the role of the vice chancellor for academic resource management serving the university?

Answer: The VC ARM principal focus is to determine, enhance and align the financial and physical resources available to support the academic mission of ��ϳԹ�. As such, I get to work with different academic units and other constituent groups on campus with the ultimate goal of supporting a successful academic enterprise. Specifically, I support efforts around usage of academic space, budget model, compensation and online and graduate education.

What made you want to do the job?

During the past eight years I have served in different leadership positions at ��ϳԹ�, starting with leadership positions at the environmental engineering program, then as associate dean for faculty at the College of Engineering and Applied Science, and most recently as interim dean for the School of Education. In these roles, I have had an opportunity to learn about what makes CU and its programs thrive and be impactful.

Serving in a leadership position at the School of Education gave me the opportunity to appreciate how different units function and how ultimately the different parts of the university work together toward achieving the overall mission and goals at CU. As a result, I was interested in continuing to serve in leadership, but at a campus level, where I would have the opportunity to support all units and the broader mission of CU. Provost Moore supported my interest and felt I was right for the interim role, so here I am.

Do you have a basic philosophy, approach or set of guiding principles that guide your work in this role?

I strongly believe in the benefit of working collaboratively towards achieving goals. Ultimately, I see myself as a problem-solver and a strategic thinker, but with a clear understanding that problems are better solved with a strong sense of direction, clarity and vision that is informed by opening spaces for ideas from stakeholder groups and by supporting people. In my new role, I look forward to addressing challenging opportunities by working together with different groups as CU continues to grow in impact both locally and globally.

How does the job interface with other academic units and leaders on campus?

Given that my portfolio is centered in resources—money, physical infrastructure and other assets I get to work with different unit leads and other stakeholders on campus. For example, I get to be part of discussions about space utilization and development of new academic spaces, as well as thinking through how to best support units as they grow and continue to adapt to a changing environment. I have enjoyed these interactions so far and look forward to continued conversations with folks around campus.

What are you seeing as the top three to five areas you’ll be focusing on in the 2025-26 academic year?

During the next academic year, I will be working to support efforts around the continued evolution of the budget model, compensation strategy and online education, among other areas of emphasis both ongoing and yet to emerge.

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The end of lead pipes: An engineer’s take on the historic national effort to eliminate them

Jeff Zehnder — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 20:04:25 +0000

The end of lead pipes: An engineer’s take on the historic national effort to eliminate them Jeff Zehnder Wed, 10/30/2024 - 14:04

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced this month that it will require utilities to replace all lead drinking water pipes serving customers in the country within the next decade, marking the most aggressive regulation on lead in drinking water to date.

“This new rule is part of a progression of not just trying to treat a symptom but going back to the source and removing that material from our everyday use,” said Julie Korak, assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering.

The rule comes a decade after the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, when the city’s failure in water treatment exposed nearly 30,000 schoolchildren to lead, a neurotoxin that can impact children’s brains and nervous systems.

The EPA estimates that there are more than 9.2 million lead service lines—underground water pipes that serve water from public pipes into properties—in communities across the country. If a structure was built before 1986, there's a higher chance it has a lead service line, Korak said. To support this effort, the EPA has announced $2.6 billion in new funding. While replacing all these pipes will be a huge undertaking, it needs to be done, she added.

“We have to recognize that there are disparities where the presence of lead service lines disproportionately impacts disadvantaged communities. To promote equity across our country in terms of what kind of environmental hazards we're exposed to, it's important to address this disparity.”

The municipal government of Boulder recently announced that the city has no lead service lines after conducting a two-year inventory. Denver Water, the utility serving the city, has replaced 24,000 lead service lines, about a third of the estimated total, by July 2024.

As water utilities around the country race to identify and replace lead service lines, ��ϳԹ� today sat down with Korak to chat about the new rule and how individuals can protect themselves from lead in water.

Why is lead in water such a concern?

Lead is a toxic element. Unlike some other contaminants of concern, there is no safe level of lead, which means that there's no concentration or dose below which we don't experience adverse effects.

When lead from water pipes leaches into the water that we consume, it can have harmful toxicological effects, especially on children, such as low birth weight and adverse cognitive impacts. Exposure to lead during their developmental stages can be particularly adverse to their health. While it will be costly to replace all the lead service lines, the EPA analysis shows that benefits outweigh the cost in this case.

How does lead get into the water?

Lead has been used as pipe material for centuries, dating back to Roman times. It’s a soft, easy-to-mold material, which makes it ideal for shaping into durable pipes. But over time, the pipes can corrode, dissolving lead into the water. In addition, as water flows through the pipes, it can dislodge small particles of lead, which are then carried by the flowing water to consumers.

What is being done currently to minimize the impact of lead pipes?

Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Lead and Copper Rule has been in effect since the early 1990s. The EPA requires utilities to take steps to test for lead in drinking water, identify homes with lead service lines, and adjust water treatment methods to decrease lead release if the lead levels are above a certain threshold.

However, there is a recognition that as long as these lead service lines are present, they pose a potential risk, and a long-term plan to remove this potential risk is in the best interest of public health.

This new regulation is not to say that the previous methods have not worked. Tests have shown a decrease in blood lead levels across the country over the last 50 years. This decrease comes from a combination of different regulations to remove lead from not only water pipes, but also gasoline and paint.

How are lead pipes being replaced?

Replacing service lines will be a continuous effort with dedicated teams for impacted communities. If you start doing some of the math for average-sized communities, utilities need to be replacing a line every other day, for the better part of a decade, to make it happen. Larger metropolitan areas would likely need a more aggressive schedule.

One of the first challenges is determining how many pipes need to be replaced and where those pipes are located. Some communities may have good records of what pipes were used during construction. Some may have almost no records at all. In those cases, utilities will look at when buildings were constructed and what materials would have most likely been used at that time. They may visit sites and dig up a portion of the front yard to inspect materials, or request to go into a basement to see what kind of material is coming into the home.

Most utilities will replace lead service lines with copper pipes. Although also a metal, copper does not have the same adverse health impacts. From a regulatory perspective, the concentrations at which we become concerned are orders of magnitude different between lead and copper. For lead, concentrations above 10 micrograms per liter will trigger action. The action level for copper is just over one milligram per liter.

What can individuals do in the meantime to protect themselves from lead?

If someone is concerned that they might be exposed to lead from service line, there are filters that are certified to remove lead, both the dissolved lead and the small particles. It's important to purchase the filters from a reputable vendor and make sure that it's certified by NSF for lead removal. Larger utility companies will likely have a resource page on their website that recommends types of filters that are effective against lead.

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Research shows air filters in classrooms improves overall ventilation and air quality

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 20:17:43 +0000

Research shows air filters in classrooms improves overall ventilation and air quality Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 08/19/2024 - 14:17

Mark Hernandez's air quality research is being highlight by Denver 9 News.

The work which initially focused on reducing the spread of COVID-19 in Denver Schools during pandemic is now expanding beyond concerns of just infectious diseases and helping to improve air quality in schools across the state.

Hernandez is a professor in the Environmental Engineering Program and air quality expert.

"We now have data from ventilation performance for buildings all over the state. The good news was, we found out a lot of our buildings and classrooms are high performing. They have really good air quality and they really didn’t need the air cleaners," Dr. Hernandez said. "Others are less performing and when we put those in, we found out they helped ventilation systems do their job."

Read the full story at 9News...

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Ryan interviewed on mine wastewater research

Anonymous — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 21:56:17 +0000

Ryan interviewed on mine wastewater research Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 07/25/2024 - 15:56

Joe Ryan spoke to the Colorado Sun about the use of viruses to kill bacteria in mining wastewater.

This wastewater, which can come with radioactive, cancer-causing materials, and yes, bacteria, often gets shoved back underground for storage. But increasingly, Colorado and other states are looking at ways to clean the wastewater enough that it can be used in other mining operations instead of fresh water. It’s an intriguing idea in Colorado, where fresh water supplies have been strained by a two-decade megadrought.

However, Ryan, an expert on contaminant fate and transport in waterways who was not involved in the research, has significant doubts about the utility of the development.

“It’s a questionable solution to a problem that just doesn’t seem at the top of the list of importance if you’re trying to do something with produced water,” Ryan said.

Read the full article at the Colorado Sun.

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��ϳԹ� professor introduces modern water management approaches during USAID visit to Armenia

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 19:55:44 +0000

��ϳԹ� professor introduces modern water management approaches during USAID visit to Armenia Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 06/06/2024 - 13:55

Research Professor Edith Zagona introduced modern water management approaches during a USAID-sponsored visit to Armenia. The weeklong visit, which included a seminar for the students and faculty of Yerevan State University, was part of USAID’s Improved Water Resources Management for Sustainable Economic Growth in Armenia program, held at the university May 20-24.

The program is led by Deloitte, which specializes in helping government agencies mitigate the impacts of climate change and achieve their climate equity, resilience and sustainability goals, with technical assistance from ��ϳԹ�.

"It was important for the ��ϳԹ� team to better understand the needs of the Armenian government and their stakeholders for improving water management," said Zagona, the director of ��ϳԹ�'s Center for Advanced Decision for Water and Environmental Systems (CADSWES).

The project's objective is to improve Armenia’s water management by ensuring equitable access to water while protecting freshwater resources, said Kat Demaree, a project manager at ��ϳԹ�'s Mortenson Center in Global Engineering & Resilience (MCGER) who attended the USAID-sponsored program along with Carlo Salvinelli, an MCGER instructor. The ��ϳԹ� team is providing technical and advisory services, including training, applied research and analysis to the Government of Armenia, local communities, the private sector and partnerships with universities.

"Poor water resource management in Armenia has led to the overuse of existing resources, creating an urgent need to reshape how natural resources are managed and distributed," Demaree said.

Armenia’s rural communities are running out of water for irrigation and drinking due to uncontrolled use by fish farms, small hydroelectric power plants and pollution caused by untreated mining tailings. Insufficient water flow also means some hydroelectric plants cannot operate at full capacity, leading to economic losses for power producers. Currently, about 30 communities in the Ararat Valley and 85 communities in the Syunik region are experiencing serious water shortages, she added.

The visit was particularly significant for establishing the academic program for the Armenian students enrolled in the ��ϳԹ� online graduate certificate program in global engineering. The program launches this summer with a cohort of Armenian students, who will receive approximately 95 percent tuition reimbursement through an MCGER grant.

MCGER provides multiple pathways for engineers to enter the field of global engineering including through its online certificate curriculum. Courses offered to students and working professionals of Armenia under this program include water profession (leadership and management), introduction to water quality, water monitoring technologies, introduction to water resource management, simulation modeling, introduction to development economics and data analytics for development. The program also includes a practicum, allowing students to intern with the USAID Armenia Improved Water Management for Sustainable Economic Growth program.

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CU part of landmark legislation for green water quality infrastructure

Anonymous — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 15:48:54 +0000

CU part of landmark legislation for green water quality infrastructure Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 06/04/2024 - 09:48

Governor Jared Polis has signed into law the new Colorado Senate Bill SB24-037, titled "Study Green Infrastructure for Water Quality Management." Sponsored by Senators Cleave Simpson and Jeff Bridges, along with Representatives Mike Lynch and Karen McCormick, this significant legislation aims to enhance water quality and environmental sustainability in Colorado. This landmark bill is supported by a NASA-funded Congressional earmark provided by Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse.

The bill directs the team at the ��ϳԹ� Mortenson Center in Global Engineering & Resilience and Colorado State University's Energy Institute to work directly with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to identify new pathways to restore rivers and watersheds in Colorado, improve water quality, and reduce emissions associated with water and wastewater treatment.

Over the next two years, this team will develop up to three pilot projects in collaboration with communities and utilities to demonstrate the use of green infrastructure and green financing mechanisms. This work will include actively restoring watersheds using public and private sector investment, including the purchase of carbon credits based on avoided electricity demand from water treatment.

Evan Thomas, Director of the Mortenson Center in Global Engineering & Resilience at ��ϳԹ� said, “It has been a rewarding experience to propose this idea and work with Senator Simpson and other elected representatives and state officials in Colorado to bring it to life, and we're looking forward to what this could mean for Colorado's water and air.”

Dr. Thomas, who is also an environmental engineering professor at ��ϳԹ� will additionally lead a $950,000 congressionally mandated, NASA-funded research project to monitor water quality and understand the impact of wildfires on the Yampa and Cache la Poudre rivers in Colorado. “��ϳԹ� half of America’s rivers don’t meet the Clean Water Act standards and that’s also true in Colorado,” Thomas said. “We have many rivers that are on what is called the 303(d) list, meaning that they’re impaired and they don’t meet the Clean Water Act,” said Thomas.

Thomas and his team have already been utilizing sensors to monitor these rivers. With the new funding, these sensors will continue to collect data for at least another year. The objective is to identify contamination sources and develop effective, nature-based solutions. Unlike traditional point-in-time sampling methods, the robust and durable sensors provide cost-effective, continuous measurements.

“The idea is that we can develop technologies that help communities and help the state better manage watersheds so that we can restore watersheds, we can restore land cost-effectively and in a way that benefits more people,” Thomas said.

Photo: Director/Professor Evan Thomas, Governor Jared Polis & Senator Cleave Simpson at the Senate bill signing in Alamosa, Colorado.

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Karl Linden receives UVA's Lifetime Achievement Award

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 15:10:01 +0000

Karl Linden receives UVA's Lifetime Achievement Award Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/20/2023 - 09:10

Professor Karl Linden was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the UV World Congress, hosted from Sept. 10-13 at the InterContinental Dubai - Festival City hotel in Dubai.

"It was one of the sweetest moments of my career," said Linden, chair of ��ϳԹ�'s Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering.

During the event, Jennifer Osgood, president of the International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA), called upon those who have worked with Linden, been his student or read his papers to stand.

"Almost the whole room was standing," said Linden, who expressed gratitude to his mentors, colleagues and students. "It was quite overwhelming and humbling. It gave me chills."

The IUVA aims to promote the use of Ultraviolet Technology a leading technology for public health and environmental applications, and to establish itself as the leading authority on the use of Ultraviolet Technology through advocacy within education, industry, research and global public policy sectors.

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Faculty News

Supporting the academic enterprise

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The end of lead pipes: An engineer’s take on the historic national effort to eliminate them

Why is lead in water such a concern?

How does lead get into the water?

What is being done currently to minimize the impact of lead pipes?

How are lead pipes being replaced?

What can individuals do in the meantime to protect themselves from lead?

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Research shows air filters in classrooms improves overall ventilation and air quality

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Ryan interviewed on mine wastewater research

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���ϳԹ� professor introduces modern water management approaches during USAID visit to Armenia

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CU part of landmark legislation for green water quality infrastructure

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Karl Linden receives UVA's Lifetime Achievement Award

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��ϳԹ� professor introduces modern water management approaches during USAID visit to Armenia