Leah Bensching
MS
HYDROLOGY, WATER RESOURCES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FLUID MECHANICS

Leah Bensching obtained the MS in Civil Engineering in Spring 2019. Focusing on Hydrology, Water Resources, and Environmental Fluid Mechanics, she was advised by Prof. Ben Livneh and co-advised by Prof. Kasprzyk. Her research applied a hydrologic sediment ensemble model to help improve predictions of reservoir sedimentation, exploring how sediment model parameter sensitivity affected the distribution of model outputs. Prior to coming to CU, she completed the BS in civil engineering in 2016 from Santa Clara University in California. At Santa Clara, she was involved in ASCE and helped develop the engineering peer advising program. For her senior thesis, she worked with an NGO in Nicaragua to redesign a water supply system for a rural community. In 2011, she received the Regan Memorial Award for academic excellence and service to the department. While in California, she became interested in water resources though her experience with the recent drought in contrast to her childhood in the Pacific Northwest. She has held internships with PACE Engineers and the Santa Clara Valley Water District. In her free time, Leah is an avid swimmer and Gonzaga basketball fan.