Climate

  • Zhi Li portrait downstream data
    Researcher using AI to improve and personalize flood prediction
  • Map showing that across Colorado, snowpack sits at below 50% of normal levels as of March 30, 2026. (Credit: National Weather Service)
    Associate Professor Ben Livneh, who’s also the director of the Western Water Assessment (WWA) at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), shares insights on what this “snow drought” means for water availability, how it compares to past trends and what may lie ahead as Colorado approaches peak snowpack season.
  • Black-and-white promotional poster for the documentary Women of Carbon, featuring a collage of diverse women’s faces layered over images of city buildings and industrial structures. The women appear thoughtful and engaged, some wearing glasses or safety goggles. Large white text at the top reads “WOMEN OF CARBON.”
    “Women of Carbon,” featuring Associate Professor Mija Hubler, opens the Colorado Environmental Film Festival in Golden on Feb. 20. The documentary highlights women reshaping construction through sustainable innovation and decarbonization.
  • A photo showing a factory blowing large clouds of smoke into a sunset sky
    A first-of-its-kind study, led by Professor Daven Henze and collaborators at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom, assesses how health benefits of aggressive climate policy travel across international borders. The researchers say that ambitious climate action to improve global air quality could save up to 1.32 million lives per year by 2040.
  • Evan Thomas and another man stand on a stage holding an award during a formal ceremony. A large screen behind them reads “Winner – IWA Water and Development Award – Research” and displays the name Evan Thomas, along with text honoring his contributions to sustainable water security.
    Evan Thomas, a professor and director of the Mortenson Center in Global Engineering & Resilience, has been awarded a career honor from the International Water Association for work that has reshaped how safe drinking water is delivered in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions.

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  • Wide panoramic view of a river winding through a dry valley with patches of green vegetation, set against tall, rugged mountains under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.
    By combining hydrology and paleoclimate modeling, Balaji Rajagopalan, professor of civil engineering, and colleagues uncovered the long-standing mystery behind the disappearance of the Harappan Civilization.
  • Professor Evan Thomas stands next to a water treatment system installed at a school in Rwanda.
    Evan Thomas, director of ñ’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.
  • ñ associate professor of bioengineering Nicole Xu stands next to a tank that houses moon jellyfish.
    Assistant Professor Nicole Xu has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering. The award provides some of the nation’s most promising early career scientists and engineers flexible funding to test novel ideas and lead research that drives real-world impact.
  • Montage from the Front Range Electrochemistry workshop including showing a session classroom, the Flatirons and student attendees.
    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.
  • male student holding orange box with electrical wiring and plates inside
    Rising senior in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering Alex Hansen spent his summer break in ñ’s Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) studying the consequences of methane emissions. His work analyzing data gathered from unique methane detection sensors can one day help researchers address the methane crisis at some of the world's most prevalent methane emissions sites.
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