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Researchers at CU Boulder land NSF Award for air and soil quality education

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 16:28:00 +0000

Researchers at CU Boulder land NSF Award for air and soil quality education Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/19/2023 - 10:28

Researchers at CU Boulder have received a prestigious NSF Award to teach students in rural K-12 schools around Colorado about air and soil quality monitoring. And with additional funding from a University of Colorado Boulder Outreach Award and a DEI Working Group Action Grant from the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, they look to expand their partnership with K-12 schools in Mongolia, as well.

Cofounded by Professor Michael Hannigan and Associate Research Professor Daniel Knight, the outreach program is called the Colorado Science and Engineering Inquiry Collaborative and works in conjunction with the Mechanical Engineering course MCEN 4/5291, Project Based Learning in Rural Schools. The outreach program trains, supports and places CU students in underserved rural high schools that struggle to attract science teachers and have little engineering education available.

Hannigan and Knight work in collaboration with Professor Joseph Polman, the associate dean for research in the CU Boulder School of Education, and Angela Bielefeldt, a professor in Civil, Environment and Architectural Engineering. They plan to use a total of $457,531 in funding to expand their programming and services for the upcoming academic year.

“This is the seventh concurrent year that we received an Outreach Award,” Knight said. “We have a lot of passion for this project.”

Project Based Learning in Rural Schools works with 13 K-12 schools, half of which are based in the Western Slope area in Colorado. Other areas in the state include the San Luis Valley and the plains in northeastern Colorado. Along with the expansion of their partnerships with K-12 schools in Mongolia, Hannigan and Knight plan to begin working with Pueblo East High School, where the majority of students are Hispanic/Latino and potentially first generation college students. With the help of this year’s funding, they plan to begin translating their engineering curriculum into Spanish.

Project Based Learning in Rural Schools is a full-year course for CU Boulder students. The students will spend the fall semester improving their teaching skills and learning how to teach the outreach program’s hands-on curriculum to the K-12 students later in the spring semester. There is also a summer program focused on summer camps for K-12 students that is open to participants in the course.

“I have been really impressed with how the organization and design of this unique educational outreach program provides a quality learning experience for both CU engineering students and high school students at rural schools throughout the state,” Polman said.

The core of the course curriculum is based around air and soil quality monitors, which are known as “Pods,” and were developed in the Hannigan Laboratory. The air quality Pods measure aerosols, along with particulate matter, or PM, which are minute particles suspended in the atmosphere and account for a specific form of air pollution. Inhalable PM, which is less than 10 microns in diameter (PM₁₀), and fine PM (PM_2.5), which is less than 2.5 microns in diameter, are both known for their negative effects on human health and the environment. The soil quality Pods measure temperature, moisture, carbon dioxide and light.

Equipped with these monitors, CU Boulder students will visit the K-12 schools in the spring. For the first trip, the CU Boulder students will teach the highschoolers how to take measurements with the monitor and mentor them as they use the monitors to engage in inquiry-based learning projects, which allow K-12 students to ask and answer their own air and soil quality questions in their local community.

“There's something about getting your hands on a project that teaches you so much more,” said Shreya Venkatesh, a third-year engineering graduate student who is involved in the outreach program. “These kids come up with an original question, and then they test it with the materials we give them and the knowledge we teach them in a couple of weeks. They get involved. And there's just something about that process that’s so much more rewarding than just listening to a lecture and then doing an assignment.”

Some students decide to place the monitors around coal mines to measure its emissions, while others put them around landfills, feed lots or other agricultural settings.

“But other students come up with projects that I never would have thought of,” Knight said. “One student looked at the emissions from a PlayStation console. Another slept with a dog in his room, the next night with two dogs, and the third with three, and looked at the differences. And a lot of projects had to do with snowmobiles, four-wheelers and other outdoor projects like that.”

“At the end of the year, the rural high school students present their projects at a symposium,” Hannigan added. “They are often proud of their projects, so it is fun to see that. It’s also so cool to see those high school students looking to our students for guidance and mentoring. Our CU students shine.”

The Mongolian Chapter of the outreach program is facilitated by a partner NGO, Public Lab Mongolia. Like their American counterparts in Colorado, college students at the National University of Mongolia engage in a similar role with Mongolian high schools. With the help of the new funding, Hannigan and Knight plan to integrate the two groups of university students through Zoom meetings. Once paired up, U.S. and Mongolian mentors will facilitate the sharing of school project ideas and results. Ultimately, Hannigan and Knight plan to create a summer camp in Mongolia during the summer of 2024, where the two teams will meet face-to-face for team partnership development.

“I’m really excited to see the project and research expanding with the new NSF grant, and a more extensive program in Mongolia,” Polman said. “This will allow us to further explore the impact of culture and place on inquiry-based learning.

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Prof. Ryan talks Colorado oil and gas drilling in new podcast

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 19:09:23 +0000

Prof. Ryan talks Colorado oil and gas drilling in new podcast Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/23/2023 - 13:09

Joseph Ryan is a featured in a new episode of The Sweaty Penguin podcast, a product of New York PBS affiliate WNET.

The podcast focuses on issues related to climate change with a serious and humorous edge. This episode focuses on the Denver-Julesburg Basin, a major oil and gas formation in Colorado.

Ryan is a professor in the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering and the Environmental Engineering Program and has done extensive research on contamination from oil and gas drilling, particularly related to waterways.

List to the Podcast at The Sweaty Penguin

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Spring 2023 Environmental Engineering Graduation Information

Anonymous — Mon, 08 May 2023 22:05:43 +0000

Spring 2023 Environmental Engineering Graduation Information Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/08/2023 - 16:05

Join us for the 2023 Environmental Engineering Graduation Ceremony to celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2023.

When: Thursday, May 11, 2023. 4 - 7 p.m.
Where: West Lawn of the Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building (JSCCB)3415 Colorado Ave, Boulder, CO 80303

Program Agenda

Speaker Introductions
Professor Dan Schwartz
Graduation Address
Christopher Corwin
Faculty Address
Joseph Ryan
Hooding of PhD Candidates Student Awards
Presentation of Master’s Candidates Presentation of Bachelor’s Candidates
Reception

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Study shows personal disinfection device safe for use in public spaces

Anonymous — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 15:08:13 +0000

Study shows personal disinfection device safe for use in public spaces Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/19/2023 - 09:08

Imagine pointing a small device at your movie seat or restaurant table to kill harmful bacteria or viruses with a disinfecting light.

The disinfecting properties of UV light have long been known, along with the dangers of human exposure to it. Now a new Linden Research Group study recently published in the journal Science of the Total Environment confirms the safety of a new portable, handheld disinfecting device using a technology called Far UV-C. The device is safe for use without protective gear on the skin or eyes.

Ben Ma, a postdoctoral researcher in environmental engineering, was the first author on the paper. The study examined the reflectivity of UV rays emitted from the device on various common materials and compared it to the conventional mercury-based UV-C devices.

The study demonstrated that, unlike the conventional UV devices emitting at 254 nm, the new handheld device, which emits Far UV-C rays at 222 nm, does not generate harmful amounts of reflected UV light for the user or nearby people and is safe to be used as a personal surface disinfecting device in hospital or healthcare settings, while traveling or at a restaurant or gym.

We asked Ma to share more on this study, as well as his experiences as a postdoctoral researcher at CU Boulder.

Do you foresee people having their own personal device, and when they go to, let’s say, a movie theater, they disinfect their seat?
That’s basically the idea. We're working with a startup company (Freestyle Partners, LLC) which already has a prototype — a handheld UV device with a battery. Using this device on a surface can kill pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 by 99.9 percent within a couple of seconds. So it's very effective, and it’s very safe.

Can you tell us a little about this paper and its impact?
The paper’s focus is to evaluate and determine the intensity of the reflective radiation from this surface disinfection device. So, if the surface reflects UV radiation, the radiation could bounce back to the person holding it and possibly to people in the surrounding area. The reason we study reflection is because UV radiation can be detrimental to human health, and when you use a UV device for surface disinfection, most likely the exposure is not from the device, but from the reflection.

In this study we tested 21 materials commonly found in public spaces. We studied different materials because different materials have different reflectivity. So, for example, metals tend to have a greater reflectivity than plastics.

Why is this emerging technology safer?
Germicidal radiation has wavelengths between 200 to 280 nanometers. One of the emerging technologies that we are very interested in is the Far UV-C portable handheld device, which emits primarily at 222 nanometers; 222 nanometer UV radiation is much safer for humans compared to 254 nanometers emitted from the conventional mercury-based devices, which are known to be hazardous upon exposure to human skin and eyes.

222 nanometer UV radiation can effectively inactivate all kinds of pathogens but has very poor cellular penetration. It can be blocked by the very top layers of human skin and eyes, whereas 254 nanometer radiation can penetrate through that layer and get to the germinative cells, resulting in adverse health effects. Our study showed that for eye exposure the emerging Far UV-C device is 23 times safer compared to traditional UV and, for skin exposure, 43 times safer.

We also calculated the maximum exposure time, and we found that even considering the worst-case scenario, in most cases the emerging technology is safe to use for surface disinfection for more than eight hours per day.

Scientists say COVID exposure is mostly aerosol and not due to surface contamination. So why is this an important disinfection tool?
I agree that COVID exposure is mainly through aerosol, but surfaces are still a source of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, and COVID as well as other pathogens of concern can be viable on a surface for up to several days. Without disinfection, it will be viable for transmission. Also, there are studies demonstrating that this emerging Far UV-C technology can also be used for aerosol disinfection in occupied public spaces, such as elevators, restaurants and hospitals.

So looking to the future, could the paper have a pretty big impact?
Overall we hope this amazing technology will be used to help reduce the effects of the pandemic and future public health events.

Right now we mainly focus on SARS-CoV-2. But in the real world we encounter pathogens every day, everywhere. So, for example, this device could also be used in kitchens to disinfect pathogens on food, cutting boards and cookwares. If you camp or hike, we actually have a commercialized product using UV to disinfect the water from a creek.

What’s the next step on this research project?
In terms of evaluating reflection and safety of these kinds of sources, our work will support further industry development of UV applications. We are continuing to research these and other UV wavelengths for public health protection in air, water and surfaces.

Our group is working on another study to standardize the testing method to evaluate the surface disinfection performance of UV radiation. Right now we don't have standardized methods to evaluate the effectiveness of a UV disinfection device. The study could provide essential guidance on employing this technology into the real world to help control not just the current pandemic, but maybe future pandemics or any pathogens that we encounter.

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Postdoc researcher life at CU Boulder

Where did you grow up?
My hometown is a small town in the northeast part of China. I attended college in Shanghai, then moved to the states. I did my masters at Northwestern in Chicago and then went to the University of Minnesota, where I got my PhD in environmental engineering.

How did you decide on CU Boulder for your postdoc?
There are a lot of considerations when you decide where you want to do a postdoc. The main purpose for doing a postdoc is to get more research experience to prepare to go into academia and to become a professor.

CU Boulder has a really good reputation, especially in environmental engineering, and working with researchers like Dr. (Karl) Linden has been a great opportunity for me. Also, I spent almost seven years in the midwest. After I graduated, I wanted to move to Colorado because I enjoy outdoor activities. I like hiking and probably do one hike per week in the summer. Sometimes I snowshoe.

What's your favorite part of your research?
The part that really excites me is working with Dr. Karl Linden and our research group, which I joined in August 2019. For the past three years our group has focused on using UV technology to help control the COVID-19 pandemic. I have also really enjoyed working with startup companies and other industrial partners, allowing us to not only focus on fundamental research, but also to apply what we study in the lab to the real world.

I also want to mention that CU Boulder has a lot of amazing research programs for college students. I really like working with undergraduate students through research programs like SPUR (Summer Program for Undergraduate Research) and the DLA (Discovery Learning Apprenticeship) program. These research programs help the students better understand what we do in the lab and also gives them a research background. Our recent students, Sam Burke-Bevis and Luke Tiefel, really enjoy working on this project.

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Kiewit Design-Build Scholars Program Applications Open

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 17:17:21 +0000

Kiewit Design-Build Scholars Program Applications Open Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/08/2023 - 10:17

The Kiewit Design-Build Scholars Program is a year-long scholar program at the University of Colorado Boulder that seeks to engage engineering students in meaningful conversations about their future careers.

Kiewit Corporation is one of the largest and most respected construction and engineering organizations in North America. Kiewit leads, designs, and builds projects across the continent, including transportation (roads, bridges, rail), power (including renewable sources), buildings, water/wastewater, oil and gas, mining, and industrial facilities.

The Kiewit Design-Build Scholars Program is intended to identify and inspire students to join this critically important industry. Each scholar will receive a significant scholarship and an opportunity for a summer internship. Kiewit Corporation covers relocation and housing costs for Kiewit Design-Build Scholars who accept summer internships with them.

Kiewit Scholars are expected to participate in the Kiewit Design-Build Scholars Program activities and events.The four main elements of the program are professional development events and activities, industry mentorship, industry internships and financial aid. Other areas of emphasis in the program include areas of personal development such as communication, leadership skills, and industry and professional insights.

Applicants must be currently enrolled in the College of Engineering & Applied Science and have a demonstrated interest in construction engineering and design infrastructure projects.

Interested in being part of the Kiewit Design-Build Scholars Program cohort? See below for application information.

Questions? Contact Lindsey Pratte lindsey.pratte@colorado.edu.

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Engineering Solutions to Climate Change Challenges

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 17:09:10 +0000

Engineering Solutions to Climate Change Challenges Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 11/04/2022 - 11:09

"Leading with Impact" draws together experts and industry leaders affiliated with the College of Engineering and Applied Science to inform, enlighten and advise on some of the biggest science, tech and policy issues in today's world. Come engage with fellow alumni, join the conversation and be inspired by how CU engineers and scientists are changing humanity for the better.

Upcoming Events

Engineering Solutions to Climate Change Challenges

Wednesday, November 9

6:30-8:30 p.m.

Halcyon Hotel Cherry Creek, Denver, CO

Contact engalumni@colorado.edu with questions.

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Three grad students earn AWWA Scholarships

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 19:38:01 +0000

Three grad students earn AWWA Scholarships Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 06/28/2022 - 13:38

Miles Salzer

From left to right: Sangsuk Lee, Emma Wells, Ayush Shahi

Three EVEN graduate students were recently awarded scholarships through the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Scholarship program for their hard work and perseverance.

Sangsuk Lee (Advisor: Anthony Straub) received the HDR One Water Institute Scholarship. Sangsuk expects to complete his Ph.D. in May 2023 and plans to join a research team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There, he will research desalination and hopes to decrease the associated costs.

Emma Wells (Advisors: Karl Linden and Amy Javernick-Will) was granted the Dr. Philip C. Singer Scholarship and plans to complete her Ph.D. by May 2025. Emma’s research aims to help low-income communities that struggle with safe water. She hopes her “findings from [her] research can be used as a roadmap to assessing the reliability of water quality in rural and marginalized communities.”

Ayush Shahi (Advisor: Julie Korak) received the Thomas R. Camp Scholarship from CDM Smith. Ayush’s research focuses on reducing hazardous waste containing arsenic through an innovative regeneration process. “Through research and partnership with water utilities, [Ayush plans] to design treatment processes that benefit the communities we are serving.” In the future, Ayush plans to continue research and possibly teaching.

Three EVEN graduate students were recently awarded scholarships through the AWWA Scholarship program for their hard work and perseverance...

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Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 12:45:48 +0000

Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/18/2021 - 06:45

Interested in a paid STEM internship working at a Naval research lab?

The Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program (NREIP) provides opportunities for college students to participate in research at one of 47 Department of Navy (DoN) laboratories for 10 weeks during the summer.

Interns further their education in STEM fields through mentoring by laboratory scientists and participating in actual Naval research and technology efforts, which can lead to employment within the DoN. The program is open to students from a variety of academic disciplines who are interested in STEM careers.

This is a paid internship with stipends set to $7,000 for new undergraduate participants, $8,500 for returning undergraduate students, and $11,000 for graduate students.

More Information Here

Applications can be accessed and submitted until 11:59p.m. ET, November 1st 2021.

Apply Here

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PhD student Kimberly Pugel Honored as 2021 New Face of Civil Engineering by ASCE

Anonymous — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 16:47:32 +0000

PhD student Kimberly Pugel Honored as 2021 New Face of Civil Engineering by ASCE Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/22/2021 - 09:47

ASCE has honored Kimberly Pugel as a 2021 New Face of Civil Engineering. Pugel’s work combines environmental engineering, planning, policymaking, and a heavy dose of communication skills, particularly as it relates to facilitating communication between stakeholders and decision-makers.

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Exploring assumptions in financing for urban water utilities in low-income countries

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 14:10:45 +0000

Exploring assumptions in financing for urban water utilities in low-income countries Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 02/12/2021 - 07:10

Anna Libey, a PhD student in environmental engineering at CU Boulder, is the lead author on a new paper that compares utilities around the world and advocates for more subsidization in utility operations to provide clean water.

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