Environmental Engineering Program - CU Boulder

08/19/2026

"You can ask the question, ‘What’s making the boat go forward?’ It can’t be the wake. The wake can’t drive the boat. It’s just the trail left behind. It can’t make the boat go forward, any more than the trail that you’ve left behind in your life is responsible for where you’re going now in your life." - Wayne Dyer

08/13/2026

We're celebrating the new Grad Students joining the EVEN team!

Were excited to welcome them and hear about their research interests.

08/12/2026

🌱 Why do some climate solutions get more public support than others?

A new CU Boulder research study found that people are more likely to support climate technologies when they feel “natural”, showing that how we communicate new solutions can be just as important as the technology itself.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4qeFOLB

Across political ideologies, people in the U.S. overwhelmingly gravitate toward technologies presented as natural and reject those that seem unnatural. The

08/05/2026

What started with two old military trailers has grown into one of the nation’s most recognized collegiate recycling programs.

In 1976, a small group of CU Boulder students began collecting and sorting newspapers and aluminum cans across campus. This program was maintained largely through volunteer effort, creativity and determination.

Today, CU Recycling employs approximately 50 student staff members, works with around 100 volunteers each year and continues advancing CU Boulder’s waste-reduction and sustainability goals.

The program’s 50-year history shows how student-led action can grow into lasting change across an entire campus.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4xomL3X

Since 1976, the student-led recycling program has served as a model for universities across the country. In honor of CU Boulder's 150th anniversary and CU

07/29/2026

Wildfire smoke doesn’t have to be nearby to affect your health. Tiny particles called PM2.5 can travel long distances, enter deep into the lungs, and cause symptoms such as coughing, headaches, and difficulty breathing.

Protect yourself by checking local air quality, staying indoors when conditions are unhealthy, regularly checking your air filters, and wearing a N95 mask outdoors when appropriate.

Learn more from The Conversation: https://bit.ly/4pK1e2J

When you breathe in wildfire smoke, harmful particles can travel deep into your body.

07/22/2026

CU Boulder has been ranked No. 8 in the world for climate science research! 🌎

This recognition highlights CU Boulder’s global impact in studying the atmosphere, oceans, ice, ecosystems, and the complex systems that drive climate change. The ranking reflects decades of interdisciplinary research and collaboration across campus, including work from leading institutes like CIRES and partnerships with organizations such as NOAA and NCAR.

CU Boulder researchers are at the forefront of advancing climate modeling, improving our understanding of extreme weather, and developing solutions to address environmental challenges worldwide.

Read more about this accomplishment here: https://bit.ly/3RqMFEz

CU Boulder has been ranked eighth globally in the latest analysis of the most highly cited climate research institutions by Carbon Brief.

07/15/2026

Ever wonder where Boulder's water comes from?

Boulder gets its water from three main sources on both sides of the Continental Divide: the Silver Lake Watershed, Barker Reservoir, and the Colorado River. Having multiple sources helps make Boulder's water supply more resilient, but drought and climate change continue to make water conservation increasingly important.

Learn more about Boulder's water supply and its connections to the Colorado River:

How is Boulder's water supply impacted by the Colorado River and climate change? The Colorado River is a hot topic lately. Reports have mentioned climate change, drought, lower water levels and diminishing flows on the river. Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about how the Colorado R...

07/08/2026

As fire risk increases across the West, smarter grid technology could help keep communities safer without relying on widespread blackouts.

A recent article from The Conversation explains how utilities can reduce wildfire risk with solutions like covered power lines, faster circuit shutoffs, AI cameras, and real-time sensors.

Read more from The Conversation and see what Colorado is doing: https://bit.ly/44lt1Ng

Safety tips you can do: Sign up for local emergency alerts, keep basic supplies ready, and avoid outdoor sparks during dry, windy weather.

Utilities face a dilemma: How to deliver power through dry, windy regions without accidentally starting a catastrophic fire.

06/22/2026

How did a Triceratops end up in SEEC?

For 41 years, CU Boulder had a Triceratops skull on loan from the Smithsonian Institution. In 2022, the skull was sent back to Smithsonian for further study.

In exchange for the departure, the Smithsonian gifted CU Museum of Natural History something a little bigger. A full-scale Triceratops Horridus skeleton cast.

The only issue? It was 22 feet long and 9 feet tall, so finding a place for it took some problem-solving. Museum staff measured doorways, checked gallery spaces, and explored how it could be moved and displayed.

Eventually, SEEC became the perfect home.

As for how they got the Triceratops to stand still for the cast... we're still looking into that.

06/17/2026

What EVEN is CU Boulder Environmental Engineering?

EVEN is our environmental engineering program, but at CU Boulder, its not limited to just one department.

Our program brings together ideas from Civil, Architectural, Mechanical, Chemical, Biological, and even Aerospace Engineering to study environmental challenges from multiple angles.

EVEN students don't study "the environment" in one narrow way. We study systems that connect people, infrastructure, water, air, energy, climate, sustainability, and public health.

EVEN is engineering for the world we live in.