CU Boulder’s Environmental Engineering Program marked its 20th anniversary on Oct. 21 2019 with an evening celebration for faculty, students, staff and alumni.
The evening included a brief introduction and history of the program by Director Fernando Rosario-Ortiz. He spoke about how the program is growing and its impact on the study of environmental engineering around the world.
Professor JoAnn Silverstein, associate dean for faculty advancement in the College of Engineering and Applied Science and former chair of civil, environmental and architectural engineering, gave a few words from the college perspective. She shared that students are choosing to study environmental engineering because of their passion to do good in the world and their desire to protect the environment under changing conditions.
Undergraduate student Alison Kessenich also shared her experiences as an environmental engineering student. Kessenich is a senior and works as a student assistant at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. She has also worked on recovering climate data from ice cores at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research’s Stable Isotope Lab. Kessenich spoke about her personal growth and the valuable education she has received.
The evening’s keynote speaker was Daniela Brandao, the program’s first graduate 20 years ago, now working as a senior project manager for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commision. She spoke about what the program has meant for her and how her experiences at CU Boulder helped her succeed in her career.
The program concluded with awards presented to faculty and staff who have helped make the Environmental Engineering Program what it is today. Among those honored were former directors Angela Bielefeldt, Jana Milford, Joe Ryan and Scott Summers; former advisor Laurels Sessler; current advisor Joanne Uleau; and current program coordinator and communications specialist Laurence Lambert.
Finally, Instructor Mike Walker spoke about the capstone senior design class. Two representatives of the Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association, Julie Smith and Ben Miller, gave the RMWEA Award to student Lin Ye, whose team won this year regional and national student design competition.
The evening wrapped up with cake, campfire mugs for the guests and more celebration.
