student awards

Civil engineering PhD student earns National Science Foundation Fellowship

sugl6437 — Thu, 07 May 2026 14:49:10 +0000

Civil engineering PhD student earns National Science Foundation Fellowship sugl6437 Thu, 05/07/2026 - 08:49

Susan Glairon

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has recognized Marguerite Lorenzo, a graduate student in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at CU �ֲ��ý, with a prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) award.

The award recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students from across the country in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields who are pursuing research-based master’s or doctoral degrees.

Awardees receive a $37,000 annual stipend and cost of education allowance for the next three years as well as professional development opportunities.

Advisor

Associate Professor Aditi Bhaskar

Lab

Hydro-Urban Bhaskar group

Research

I am researching how low-impact residential development affects water quantity and quality in the West Stroh Gulch watershed in Parker, Colorado. The findings will help clarify how urbanization is impacting hydrology in the greater Denver area.

How will your GRFP support your research?

In the later chapters of my PhD, I will use my GRFP award to study how water-wise landscaping influences wildfire propagation risk.

What do you enjoy doing outside of the lab?

I compete semi-professionally in high jump. I also like to try new plant-based recipes and learn languages.

Marguerite Lorenzo is researching how low-impact residential development affects water quantity and quality in the West Stroh Gulch watershed in Parker, Colorado. The findings will help clarify how urbanization is impacting hydrology in the greater Denver area.

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Caroline Mumm honored with CEAS Global Engagement Award

Susan Glairon — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 12:30:49 +0000

Caroline Mumm honored with CEAS Global Engagement Award Susan Glairon Wed, 11/26/2025 - 05:30

Susan Glairon

Caroline Mumm in front of Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian Alps in southwest Germany.

While studying architectural engineering at CU �ֲ��ý, Caroline Mumm participated in a summer abroad program at Freie Universität Berlin International Summer University (FUBis) in Berlin, Germany, where she took an intensive German language class as well as a sustainability and a business class. She also served as an ambassador for the university.

Mumm is the recipient of the College of Engineering and Applied Science Global Engagement Award.

“Caroline represented CU �ֲ��ý and her department with professionalism and enthusiasm,” said Associate Professor Steven Ayer. “Her experience broadened her understanding of key topics such as sustainability, enabling her to bring valuable global insights back to �ֲ��ý and integrate them into her coursework and professional growth.”

Major

Architectural Engineering

Post-graduation plans

Visit family, then begin a lighting design position at WSP in Denver.

What sparked your interest in studying abroad?

When I was in the third grade, I lived in Germany with my family for six months. Since then, I’ve had only a few chances to travel abroad, but each one brought the same excitement of the unknown. Living in another country is an engaging experience that challenges what you perceive to be normal and pushes you out of your comfort zone. A summer abroad program felt like a fantastic way to explore again, while earning credits and gaining academic experience.

How did studying abroad shape the way you think about sustainability?

The sustainability class I took pushed me to think about building practices more broadly. Before this, I mainly focused on approaches used in the U.S. Studying in another country helped me see the different challenges and innovations happening elsewhere, and how the rest of the world is working to advance sustainable practices for the future.

How’s your German these days?

I still try to keep up with it! There are some great German shows to watch, and I stay in touch with a few people I met who live there. I’ve definitely lost some of my language skills, but I hope to regain them one day.

What was the most meaningful lesson from your global engagement experience?

The biggest lesson from my global engagement experience is that growth happens when you're uncomfortable. Navigating daily life, using transit and interacting with people on my own in a country with a different language often felt scary and uncomfortable. But through

Caroline Mumm and her student teammates present their final research project for a sustainability and business course in the FUBiS program at Freie Universität Berlin.

those uncomfortable moments, I met amazing people, saw incredible places, learned alongside students from around the world and ate amazing food. I came home with more confidence in my ability to take on difficult tasks, one moment, one minute, one step at a time.

Did this experience change the way you see yourself or the world?

Yes! This experience changed both the way I see myself and how I see the world. I see a new version of myself — a more confident, well-rounded and well-spoken person. I see the world as smaller and less intimidating. To be able to fully immerse yourself and experience different cultures is an eye-opening event. Why stay in your comfort bubble when there's so much to explore, so many sights to see and so many amazing people to meet?

If you could offer one piece of advice to students interested in global engagement, what would it be?

If you're interested in global engagement, just do it! Find a program, a project, anything that gets you out of your comfort zone. You'll meet amazing people, see beautiful places, try new foods and come home wanting to explore even more of the world.

Anything else you would like to add?

Completing my degree at CU �ֲ��ý was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I’ll miss this university I’ve called home for the past few years. Sko Buffs!

Learn more about study abroad for civil or architectural engineering students.

Caroline Mumm, an architectural engineering major, represented the department during a summer abroad program at Freie Universität Berlin International Summer University (FUBis). Mumm returned with a deeper understanding of the diverse challenges and innovations in sustainable building worldwide.

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Manjeet Pandey honored as a 2024 New Face of Civil Engineering

Anonymous — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 20:47:57 +0000

Manjeet Pandey honored as a 2024 New Face of Civil Engineering Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/17/2024 - 14:47

An engineering assessment visit to a remote village in Nepal five months after the April 2015 earthquake.

A community hospital that Manjeet Pandey and the International Medical Corps built in the same village in 2016 .

Manjeet Pandey, a graduate research assistant at CU �ֲ��ý pursuing a master’s degree in civil engineering, was recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) as one the 2024 New Faces of Civil Engineering for his outstanding contributions to the field.

In 2015, Pandey was drawn to relief work. While taking his final undergraduate exam at a university in Jaipur, India, he and his fellow students felt the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck his home country of Nepal, nearly 700 miles to the northeast.

Fresh out of college, Pandey became involved in a reconstruction project as a project engineer amid recovery efforts. Within five months he advanced to taking on leadership of the project and overseeing a team of engineers and public health professionals in constructing 21 community hospitals in Nepal.

Following the health post reconstruction project with International Medical Corps (IMC) Nepal, Pandey continued his impactful work by collaborating with the United World Schools organization to build 72 new schools in Nepal and later contributed to building 30 more schools in four other countries.

Read the full articles on the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) website...

ASCE feature article

Faces 2024 article

Manjeet Pandey, a CU �ֲ��ý civil engineering master's student, was named a 2024 ASCE New Face of Civil Engineering. After the 2015 Nepal earthquake, he led the construction of 21 community hospitals in his home country of Nepal and helped build 102 schools in Nepal and worldwide.

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Jorge Santiago Ramírez Núñez receives graduate fellowship

Anonymous — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 00:32:47 +0000

Jorge Santiago Ramírez Núñez receives graduate fellowship Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 01/18/2024 - 17:32

Susan Glairon

Jorge "Santi" Santiago Ramírez Núñez, a second-year PhD student advised by Associate Professor Aditi Bhaskar, was selected for the W. Mark Harty Memorial Engineering Fellowship Fund. The fund awards fellowships to graduate students enrolled in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering with a focus on water resources.

"Being selected for this fellowship encourages me as a member of the CU �ֲ��ý water resources community and motivates me to continue my research," Ramírez Núñez said.

Ramírez Núñez's research explores the impact of urban development on water resources, with part of his research addressing how urban development changes the streamflow regime in the Denver metro area. To achieve this, he and other researchers in the Bhaskar Research Group are monitoring streamflow in a watershed that will transition from rangeland to a developed site in Parker, Colorado. The group is also developing a predictive model to anticipate changes in streamflow while considering various watershed characteristics. The goal is to offer cities in the Denver metro area a valuable urban planning tool which would allow the cities to explore the potential effects of different future urban development scenarios on streamflow.

After completing his PhD, Ramirez Nunez plans to work in academia, continuing his involvement in citizen science and community outreach projects. He also plans to promote the implementation of green infrastructure in urban environments and the development of policies that support these initiatives.

Jorge "Santi" Santiago Ramírez Núñez, a second-year PhD student advised by Associate Professor Aditi Bhaskar, received the W. Mark Harty Memorial Engineering Fellowship Fund, supporting graduate students in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering focusing on water resources.

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CU �ֲ��ý Design-Build team wins national championship

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 19:05:13 +0000

CU �ֲ��ý Design-Build team wins national championship Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 11/16/2021 - 12:05

Jeff Zehnder

Above: The DBIA Buffs: (l-r) Spencer Chuck (AREN Junior), Liam Atkinson (CVEN Senior), Kai Reimers (AREN Junior), Hayley Hansen (CVEN Senior) and Evan Dicks (CVEN PhD Candidate) with faculty advisor Matt Morris.
Header photo: The team on stage at the competition receiving the award.

The “DBIA Buff Builders” have earned first place in the 2021 National Design-Build Student Competition.

The team, comprised of students Liam Atkinson, Spencer Chuck, Evan Dicks, Hayley Hansen and Kai Reimers, presented their winning proposal during the national Design-Build Conference & Expo, which was held in Denver on Nov. 1-3.

The competition challenged teams to create a proposal for an 8,800-square-foot student health facility for a liberal arts college utilizing the design-build process.

“We had to prepare a statement of qualifications, a preconstruction schedule, design renderings, talk about our management approach, how we will manage costs, and how we would get the project done on time,” said Evan Dicks, team captain and a civil engineering PhD student. “We put in a lot of time in and it feels good to come out on top.”

In addition to preparing a 38-page statement of qualifications and a subsequent 33-page proposal, the team presented their project in person before a group of industry judges.

“This was exciting for the students. There was some tough competition,” said Matt Morris, associate teaching professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering and the team’s faculty advisor. “We’re very proud of them. It was hundreds of hours of work.”

Dicks said the competition offered a unique challenge to all the team members and that everyone rose to the occasion.

“We all know group projects where 1-2 people are carrying the load, or one person dragging and everyone has to carry them, but this was a team effort through and through,” Dicks said. “Midterms came up right around when deliverables were due, but everyone managed their time.”

In traditional project delivery, the designer and contractor work separately. In the design-build process, they function as a team, providing unified recommendations to fit an owner's schedule and budget.

The competition offers teams a chance to utilize the process as students, gaining valuable experience and skills, in addition to national recognition among industry professionals.

“Companies know the value of this competition,” Dicks said. “It’s definitely an asset. Many companies at the event wanted to meet the students.”

The competition began with 16 teams from 14 universities. It had three phases, with teams initially asked to complete a statement of qualifications. Regional winners were selected in late September and asked to prepare formal proposals. Three finalists — CU �ֲ��ý, the University of Arizona, and the University of Florida — were then named to present live during the national expo.

This is not CU �ֲ��ý’s first time taking home top honors from the Design-Build Student Competition. Students previously earned first place in 2016.

The “DBIA Buff Builders” have earned first place in the 2021 National Design-Build Student Competition. The team presented their winning proposal during the national Design-Build Conference & Expo, which was held in Denver on Nov. 1-3.

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student awards

Civil engineering PhD student earns National Science Foundation Fellowship

Advisor

Lab

Research

How will your GRFP support your research?

What do you enjoy doing outside of the lab?

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Caroline Mumm honored with CEAS Global Engagement Award

Major

Post-graduation plans

What sparked your interest in studying abroad?

How did studying abroad shape the way you think about sustainability?

How’s your German these days?

What was the most meaningful lesson from your global engagement experience?

Did this experience change the way you see yourself or the world?

If you could offer one piece of advice to students interested in global engagement, what would it be?

Anything else you would like to add?

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Manjeet Pandey honored as a 2024 New Face of Civil Engineering

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Jorge Santiago Ramírez Núñez receives graduate fellowship

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CU �ֲ���ý Design-Build team wins national championship

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CU �ֲ��ý Design-Build team wins national championship