Sustainability
Soil is comprised of an intricate network of bacteria and other microbes that humans depend on, but this complex environmental system is constantly shifting, making it difficult for scientists to measure. Associate Professor Gregory Whiting and his team of researchers are developing reliable, inexpensive and easy-to-deploy sensors that monitor soil in real time to help farmers optimize their use of fertilizers, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money in the process.
Evan Thomas, director of CU Boulder’s Mortenson Center in Global Engineering and Resilience, is pioneering climate-financed clean water programs that have brought safe drinking water to over 5 million people in Africa. Using carbon credits to fund long-term maintenance and real-time water quality monitoring, the center aims to reach 3 million more people by 2030.
The process involves collecting failed or excess PLA prints, grinding them into small fragments and using a T-shirt press to flatten the fragments into durable flat sheets. These sheets serve as raw material for laser cutting projects.
The world needs engineers to help lead the transition to a sustainable future. CU Engineering is answering that call with the new Master of Science in Sustainable Engineering, preparing graduates to design resilient systems that balance ecological integrity, economic viability and human well-being.
Co-organized by Professor Mike Toney, the 2025 Front Range Electrochemistry Workshop (FREW) broadly addressed electrochemical science, with this year’s focus on batteries reflecting their growing importance to everything from electric vehicles to renewable energy infrastructure.
The study, led by civil engineering PhD student Daniel Donado-Quintero, shows that setting carbon benchmarks can encourage asphalt producers to lower emissions—for example by using more recycled materials or optimizing production processes—supporting Colorado’s Buy Clean Act and CDOT’s efforts to reduce embodied carbon.
The event, which drew 166 participants to CU Boulder’s campus, marked an industry-wide step toward cutting emissions tied to building materials like steel and concrete.
CU Boulder's Mortenson Center in Global Engineering & Resilience is transforming global water access by treating clean water as a long-term service—not just a one-time infrastructure project.
Lab establishes worldwide standards for repairing inaccessible, leaking pipelinesMillions of miles of aging water, wastewater and natural gas pipelines across the nation are at growing risk of failure, posing significant environmental, safety and
Cristina Torres-Machi, an assistant professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering, leads her Innovation for Resilient Infrastructure research group to develop cost-effective and data-driven methods for decision-making in infrastructure management.