CSU Civil and Environmental Engineering

Josh Kates pushed himself to think bigger as an undergraduate. Now, he's encouraging other engineering students to do the same.

Kates was the only graduate in the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering to earn the Mentored Research and Artistry Distinction (MRAD) this spring. He hopes to change that by making more engineering students aware of the award.

“MRAD pushed me to make the most of my time as an undergraduate. I never thought I’d get to work in an atomic physics lab, present research in Italy with the U.S. Air Force Academy, become a Goldwater Scholar, or have the honor of serving as Vice President of Engineering College Council and of CSU’s ASCE chapter.”

Learn more about Kates' accomplishments and how to earn the MRAD:
https://engr.source.colostate.edu/civil-engineering-graduate-earns-mentored-research-and-artistry-distinction/

What if we could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by repurposing waste into valuable materials rather than adding it to landfills?

That is the goal of Ficky Muabuay's waste-to-energy research, where he converts organic waste into volatile fatty acids needed for sustainable jet fuels, bioplastics, and more - a win-win for the environment.

Muabuay earned his Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering this spring. He was named the 2026 Outstanding Graduate Student by the department, the 2025 Research Excellence Top Scholar by CSU's One Health Institute, and placed second overall in the Three-Minute Talk (3MT) Challenge.

“I’ve never been comfortable with public speaking, but I love to talk about my research,” he said. “These research stories need to be told so people can learn about the potential impact of our work.”

Read more: https://engr.source.colostate.edu/no-more-landfills-a-graduates-vision-for-repurposing-waste/

Join Ryan Morrison's research group and the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed on Thursday, June 25 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. for the Leave it to Beavers speaker series!

Emily Fairfax, ecohydrologist and assistant professor of geography at the University of Minnesota, will speak on the ability of beavers to mitigate wildfires and improve our climate resilience.

Free event, registration required: https://wrv.volunteerhub.com/vv2/event/d3325055-ec1c-4c56-b350-8645dcddfc70

Congratulations to Pinar Omur-Ozbek for receiving a 2026-27 TILT Faculty Research Fellowship! 🎉

The fellowship will fund her project "Integrating Entrepreneurial Mindset and Community-Engaged Learning into Water and Wastewater Engineering: Effects on Sustainability, Ethical Reasoning, and Value Creation in Design."

Her award was announced last week during TILT's Summer Conference, where Omur-Ozbek gave a presentation on AI-assisted rubrics for equitable and efficient feedback.

Congrats to Dr. Oz!!

Surrounded by friends, family, and faculty, we celebrated the incredible CEE class of 2026 - an unbelievably talented, innovative, and generous group of humans.

Seven students were recognized for their contributions and leadership over the past four years:

Madisyn Bietz, Outstanding Civil Engineer of the Future Award
Hugh McCurren, Outstanding Environmental Engineer of the Future Award
Scott Sundheim, Civil Engineering Achievement Award (not pictured)
Carolyn Malkoc, Environmental Engineering Achievement Award
Alexandra Johnson, Civil Engineering Student Leadership Award
Joshua Gorton, Environmental Engineering Student Leadership Award
Catherine Lambert, Ralph Parshall Award

Congratulations to our award recipients and every single member of this group - a powerhouse of talent. We cannot wait to see what you go on to do!

Graduation season is hitting especially hard this year as we prepare to say "onward and upward" to three of our student ambassadors! 🥹🎓

Alexandra Johnson earned her B.S. in civil engineering, and will join Kimley-Horn as a Civil Analyst for commercial and residential community development.

Sydney Adams earned her B.S. in environmental engineering, and will return to her hometown of St. Louis where she'll join TWM Engineering as a Water Infrastructure Systems EIT.

Joshua Gorton earned his B.S. in environmental engineering, and plans to work in river restoration, water quality improvement, and sustainable environmental infrastructure.

Thank you for everything you've done for this department. We can't wait to see what all you go on to do. Congratulations! 🫶

(Check out Shannon's buttons - we spy three baby ambassadors!)

We have a great idea for how to spend your snow day...registering for summer and fall classes, of course! ❄️

We're offering three new courses if you're looking to shake up your schedule (including an engineering-based AUCC History credit course!). PLUS, we're now offering several courses online for maximum flexibility!

Learn more about our new and online courses and instructors: https://www.engr.colostate.edu/ce/new-and-online-courses/

*Note: CIVE 580X is not yet in RAMWeb, but will be available to register soon.