Environmental Engineering

Water outages, like in Victor, are common due to aging infrastructure

sugl6437 — Fri, 15 May 2026 15:05:12 +0000

Water outages, like in Victor, are common due to aging infrastructure sugl6437 Fri, 05/15/2026 - 09:05

Assistant Professor Julie Korak discusses how aging water infrastructure is contributing to repeated water system failures in small Colorado communities like Victor and Walsenburg. Korak says smaller municipalities often face greater challenges maintaining and upgrading decades-old water systems due to limited staff and resources.

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Karl Linden recognized as Distinguished Professor at campus ceremony

sugl6437 — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:39:49 +0000

Karl Linden recognized as Distinguished Professor at campus ceremony sugl6437 Mon, 02/09/2026 - 04:39

Susan Glairon

Karl Linden, chair of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering and the Mortenson Professor in Sustainable Development, has been named a Distinguished Professor, the highest faculty honor awarded on the �鶹��Ѱ��system’s four campuses. The recognition was presented to Linden and five others by Chancellor Justin Schwartz at the University of Colorado Board of Regents meeting on Feb. 6.

“When I came to �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder 20 years ago, I was attracted by the collaborative spirit, focus on environmental sustainability and the amazing students this university was able to attract,” Linden said. “The colleagues I have been able to work with, the support from administrators and the creative and aspirational students that I have been able to mentor, have all enabled my successes. Being named a Distinguished Professor is a direct result of the incredible people I have been able to work with in Colorado.”

�鶹��Ѱ��Distinguished Professors are tenured faculty members who demonstrate exemplary performance in research or creative work; a record of excellence in promoting learning and student attainment of knowledge and skills; and outstanding service to the profession, the university and its affiliates. Including this year’s seven honorees, only 160 Distinguished Professors have been named since the title’s establishment in 1977.

Advancing the field

Linden’s career has focused on innovative ways to improve water quality and water treatment. He’s known as an expert in ultraviolet light disinfection systems, now used by many municipal water systems.

He currently serves on the World Health Organization (WHO) Water Quality Technical Advisory Group. As a faculty member, he has taught hundreds of students in water and wastewater treatment, water and sanitation in developing communities, and graduate courses in water reuse and advanced treatment. He has authored more than 260 technical papers and has been honored with many high profile awards, too numerous to mention them all.

In 2023, Linden was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the International UV Association (IUVA) World Congress, hosted in Dubai. During the event, the IUVA president called upon those who have worked with Linden, been his student or read his papers to stand.

"It was one of the sweetest moments of my career," Linden said at the time. “Almost the whole room was standing. It was overwhelming and humbling."

Most recently, he received the American Water Works Association’s 2025 A.P. Black Research Award, which honors outstanding contributions to water science and supply, and appeared on the cover of the organization’s journal.

Linden has also been recognized as an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) “for distinguished contributions to the field of water treatment engineering, particularly for using ultraviolet light for pathogen disinfection and abatement of organic contaminants in water reuse.” During a Fulbright fellowship, he researched solutions to water pollution in rural and First Nations communities in Nova Scotia, focusing on the water quality challenges faced by those living in remote areas, including those without reliable access to safe running water or conventional sanitation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Linden and his researchers identified a specific wavelength of ultraviolet light that is effective at killing the virus and is safe for use in public places like concert halls and airports.

In 2020, he won the Borchardt-Glysson Water Treatment Innovation Prize and was named the Clarke Prize Laureate for outstanding achievement in water science and technology. In 2014, he was named the Water Reuse Foundation Person of the Year.

Early inspiration and education

Linden grew up in New York City. After being exposed to the environmental sciences in middle school, he decided to pursue a degree through Cornell University’s environmental engineering program in the College of Agriculture and Biological Engineering. While there, he learned how to drive a tractor and spread manure, which he said was “quite unique for a New York City kid.”

Linden left Cornell midway, not seeing the connection between his math and physics classes and his desire to protect the environment. Several years later, a serendipitous reading of a New York Times article about a Cornell professor, Bill Jewell, who purified water by growing plants in a constructed wetland, brought him back to Cornell. Inspired by Jewell’s class in biological waste management and a research position in his lab, Linden went on to work for one of the lab’s spinoff companies before pursuing a master’s degree and a PhD on UV disinfection at the University of California Davis. Before coming to Colorado, he was a professor at University of North Carolina Charlotte and Duke University.

“I think a lot about the people and places that have influenced my career and set me up for success and greatly honor my past mentors,” Linden said. “The greatest testament to my successes is not how many publications or projects I have been a part of but the extent to which I have enabled the success of others–my colleagues and students–and to set them up to do great things for protecting public health and the environment. “

Karl Linden was presented with the �鶹��Ѱ��system’s highest faculty honor, Distinguished Professor, on Feb. 6. A pioneer in ultraviolet water treatment and a dedicated educator and mentor, he has advanced both water quality innovation and student success.

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Hernandez interviewed by Time on indoor air quality

sugl6437 — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:17:40 +0000

Hernandez interviewed by Time on indoor air quality sugl6437 Fri, 01/30/2026 - 09:17

Professor Mark Hernandez is featured in a new Time article about the benefits of airing out your home during cold winter months. Common in Germany for perceived health benefits, the practice is becoming trendy in the United States.

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It benefits us to know what we're breathing': �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder lab aims to improve indoor air quality

Susan Glairon — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 15:44:23 +0000

It benefits us to know what we're breathing': �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder lab aims to improve indoor air quality Susan Glairon Tue, 11/04/2025 - 08:44

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder professor Mark Hernandez and his team have discovered that UV light can disable common airborne allergens—like those from cats, dogs, and dust mites—within minutes by disrupting their proteins. The breakthrough, part of Hernandez’s broader work on indoor air quality and public health, could make it easier for people to improve the air in their homes, schools, and care facilities.

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AWWA Journal Cover Story: Q&A with Professor Karl Linden

Susan Glairon — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 22:44:00 +0000

AWWA Journal Cover Story: Q&A with Professor Karl Linden Susan Glairon Wed, 10/22/2025 - 16:44

Professor Karl Linden received the American Water Works Association’s 2025 A.P. Black Research Award, which honors outstanding contributions to water science and supply. Linden was recognized for his pioneering work in developing and applying ultraviolet technologies to improve water and wastewater treatment.

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Mark Hernandez joins global commission on indoor air quality

Susan Glairon — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 16:45:17 +0000

Mark Hernandez joins global commission on indoor air quality Susan Glairon Mon, 09/29/2025 - 10:45

Mark Hernandez is serving as a commissioner of the newly launched Global Commission on Healthy Indoor Air to elevate indoor air as a critical public health priority and drive coordinated global action and solutions.

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A new way to fight allergies: Switch on the light

Susan Glairon — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 19:43:51 +0000

A new way to fight allergies: Switch on the light Susan Glairon Thu, 09/18/2025 - 13:43

Researchers in Professor Mark Hernandez's lab have discovered that a passive, generally safe ultraviolet light treatment can rapidly inactivate airborne allergens. They believe this approach could serve as an additional tool to help reduce allergens in homes, schools and other indoor environments.

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Drinking water could be contaminated in L.A. County areas affected by wildfires, experts say

Susan Glairon — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 15:58:03 +0000

Drinking water could be contaminated in L.A. County areas affected by wildfires, experts say Susan Glairon Wed, 01/15/2025 - 08:58

Low water pressure during the LA fires raises water quality concerns, as it can allow contaminants to enter the drinking water supply and warrants careful analysis, says Professor Fernando Rosario-Ortiz.

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�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder faculty recognized for advancing environmental engineering

Susan Glairon — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 23:20:01 +0000

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder faculty recognized for advancing environmental engineering Susan Glairon Mon, 01/13/2025 - 16:20

Two professors from �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering have been honored by The American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists through its 40 Under 40 Recognition Program.

Associate Professor Sherri Cook and Assistant Professor Cresten Mansfeldt were recognized as “talented individuals who have, either personally or as part of a team, been responsible for helping to advance the fields of environmental science or environmental engineering in a demonstrable way within the last 12 months,” according to the academy’s website.

Cook received her BS from Virginia Tech and her MSE and PhD from the University of Michigan. At �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, she pioneered three courses that teach sustainability principles to students across disciplines. Her research focuses on sustainable solutions to global drinking water and sanitation challenges, aiming to improve treatment systems while minimizing risks to human health, the environment, and financial stability. Her research has included innovative technologies such as biochar-based micropollutant removal from wastewater and advancing zero-carbon bio-cement through her co-founded company, Prometheus.

Mansfeldt earned his PhD at Cornell University, after completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota. He refined his expertise during a postdoctoral fellowship at Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology. Mansfeldt teaches courses on material flows, from microbial carbon cycling to urban waste management. His research focuses on the interplay between natural and built environments, emphasizing water reuse, the microbiome of built environments and the impacts of disasters, such as wildfires, on urban systems. Past projects include monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in campus wastewater, evaluating the risk of synthetic biology products and exploring the bioethics of biological innovations in environmental engineering. His current research examines contaminants from wildland-urban interfaces, tracking synthetic biology products in the environment and advancing water reuse.

Associate Professor Sherri Cook and Assistant Professor Cresten Mansfeldt have been honored by The American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists through its 40 Under 40 Recognition Program.

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Dept. of Energy offers Prometheus Materials $10M to study CO2 removal in concrete

Susan Glairon — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 15:18:00 +0000

Dept. of Energy offers Prometheus Materials $10M to study CO2 removal in concrete Susan Glairon Fri, 11/15/2024 - 08:18

Prometheus Materials, a zero-carbon building materials company spun out of the labs of Wil Srubar, Mija Hubler and Sherri Cook, along with partner groups will receive $10 million from the DOE to study the removal of carbon dioxide from cement.

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Environmental Engineering

Water outages, like in Victor, are common due to aging infrastructure

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Karl Linden recognized as Distinguished Professor at campus ceremony

Advancing the field

Early inspiration and education

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Hernandez interviewed by Time on indoor air quality

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It benefits us to know what we're breathing': �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder lab aims to improve indoor air quality

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AWWA Journal Cover Story: Q&A with Professor Karl Linden

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Mark Hernandez joins global commission on indoor air quality

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A new way to fight allergies: Switch on the light

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Drinking water could be contaminated in L.A. County areas affected by wildfires, experts say

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�鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder faculty recognized for advancing environmental engineering

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Dept. of Energy offers Prometheus Materials $10M to study CO2 removal in concrete

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It benefits us to know what we're breathing': �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder lab aims to improve indoor air quality

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder faculty recognized for advancing environmental engineering