Aisling Pigott is featured in a news piece on air conditioning use with KOAA-TV, the NBC affiliate in Pueblo/欧美口爆视频 Springs.

Pigott is co-author of a exploring an age old question -- does turning the air conditioning off when you鈥檙e not home actually save energy?

Written with her PhD advisor Dr. Kyri Baker and Jennifer Scheib, an assistant teaching professor, the article analyzed the impact of running your home air conditioning throughout the day to maintain a continuous temperature versus only using the system while people are at home.

Aisling's PhD research focuses on new control strategies for building operators and how they might positively impact the grid. Her research will be used to incorporate more renewable resources to lower the overall emissions from electricity generation. She previously interned as a buildings consultant designing lighting, HVAC, and electrical installations.

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Name: Caroline Bessette
Hometown: Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Qu茅bec, Canada
Major: Geotechnical Engineering
Year: 3rd Year PhD Student

I grew up in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, a small French-speaking town in Qu茅bec, Canada. In Qu茅bec, almost all the electricity (close to 97%) comes from hydroelectricity due to its extensive freshwater resources. My father used to work for one of the world's largest hydroelectric facilities, the La Grande Complex in Northern Qu茅bec, where we visited him a few times yearly.

The hydroelectrical facilities, particularly dams, amazed me every time we saw them, even at a young age. I used to wonder, how do you derive that much power from water? I was particularly fascinated by the large scale of these facilities.

I later developed a desire to learn the technical aspects of the design of concrete or embankment dams, roads, bridges, and tall buildings.

The exposure to the benefits of renewable energy was also significant to me in highlighting the fundamentals of sustainable development.

Engineering - A Natural Fit

Given the significance of civil engineering in our society, pursuing a career in this field offered a unique opportunity to contribute to its development and help convert sustainable projects into reality. I also loved math and science in school and solving problems, so enrolling in a civil engineering program was a natural fit.

I completed my bachelor's degree in civil engineering with a major in geotechnical engineering in 2017 at Polytechnique Montr茅al in Qu茅bec, Canada. My motivation to pursue a career in geotechnical engineering relates to coursework specialization during my undergrad and professional experience.

Working In Industry

During the last year of my undergrad, I worked part-time as an intern in the geotechnical and environmental engineering departments at the SM Group in Canada. After completing my degree, I was offered a project managing position as an engineer-in-training at the same company. During these years, I had the opportunity to work on a high-profile project in Montr茅al - the construction of a major electrified transportation system, REM.

My firm oversaw the subsurface investigation part of the project. I found the geotechnical considerations involved in such a vast project compelling, and seeing the level of complexity involved, realized the challenges in this career are multifold. I aimed to pursue a meaningful and fulfilling career where I could creatively engage in problem-solving, which confirmed that geotechnical engineering was the right path for me.

This experience also awakened my interest in designing complex geotechnical systems that I have always found fascinating, such as embankment dams, tunnels, or deep foundations.

  Research in this field offers plenty of opportunities to do high-impact work and directly contribute to natural hazards and disaster risk reduction. 

Deciding to Pursue a Masters

Given that most civil engineering programs only include a few classes in geotechnical engineering, my decision to enroll in graduate studies was driven by my desire to broaden my knowledge of geotechnical concepts and acquire the necessary skills to pursue a career in design.

I initially enrolled in a course-based master's program at Polytechnique Montr茅al while working part-time at the SM group. At the time, I didn't think research would be a good fit for me.

However, as I navigated the graduate coursework and discovered how much I enjoyed research, I decided to change programs for a full-time thesis-based Master's.

Throughout my program, I developed a particular interest in geotechnical earthquake engineering, geomechanics, liquefaction, and numerical modeling. I was pleased to discover that, by being industry-oriented in its applications, research in this field offers plenty of opportunities to do high-impact work and directly contribute to natural hazards and disaster risk reduction.

To gain additional research experience in conjunction with my MS program, I got support from a funded research program (Mitacs Globalink) in Canada to conduct a research project abroad. I decided to go to the United States as it was a strategic location to gain experience in my area of research, given its high seismicity.

Choosing 欧美口爆视频 Boulder

欧美口爆视频 Boulder is among those research centers where various studies and collaborative partnerships have focused on geotechnical earthquake engineering and produced ground-breaking research. The Center for Infrastructure, Energy and Space Testing (CIEST) laboratory on campus is one of the few research facilities equipped with research- and instructional-oriented geotechnical centrifuges.

The CIEST facility includes three geotechnical centrifuges, where the largest has a 5.5m radius and an impressive 400 g-ton capacity, one of the most powerful in the world.

My decision to come to 欧美口爆视频 Boulder was solidified by my interest in working on a project involving such unique equipment that allows a hands-on opportunity to conduct laboratory research and be trained to work with centrifuges, a rare feat amongst geotechnical engineers.

I was also primarily motivated by the opportunity to work with Professor Shideh Dashti, who is renowned for her expertise in soil liquefaction, centrifuge modeling, and soil-structure interaction.

In September 2019, I joined 欧美口爆视频 Boulder as part of Prof. Dashti's research group as a visiting research scholar for a four-month internship. During this experience, I was pleased to discover the breadth of research performed in her group and its practical applications. I also found that her research interests and working methodologies align closely with mine. This enriching experience furthered my desire to pursue research in this field.

This opportunity gave me the chance to get a direct glimpse into the life of a graduate student at 欧美口爆视频 Boulder, where I learned the importance of collaborative partnerships and identified well with these dynamics existing in the lab.

I also discovered all that 欧美口爆视频 offers, and it started to feel like a second home. I enjoyed Boulder, the campus, the people, the food, the sun, the proximity to the mountains for skiing or hiking, and the winters (which are much more tolerable than in Canada!).

At the end of my internship, I decided to apply to 欧美口爆视频 Boulder's PhD program in geotechnical engineering as part of Prof. Dashti's group, which I began in September 2020.

I will be starting my third year in the fall and plan on graduating in May 2024.

I knew that enrolling in a PhD program here would allow me to improve my research abilities and pursue my interests in geotechnical earthquake engineering to a much greater depth.

As a broader impact and with the support of these exceptional resources, I aspired to earn a sense of achievement in making meaningful scientific contributions to society. I hope my research helps support communities against natural disasters by allowing the design of sustainable and resilient infrastructures.

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Ilham Siddiq survived the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami and is now using his firsthand disaster knowledge to evaluate the effectiveness of recovery policies.

Siddiq, a civil engineering PhD student at the University of 欧美口爆视频 Boulder and native of Indonesia, has earned a prestigious United States Agency for International Development / Habitat for Humanity fellowship to investigate the effectiveness of long-term recovery initiatives, with a focus on the 2004 disaster, which took the lives of more than 200,000 people.

鈥淭his research is very important to the humanitarian shelter and settlement sector because billions of dollars were invested into the humanitarian and recovery efforts,鈥� Siddiq said. 鈥淭o go back and know what worked and what was not effective is really important. We can learn lessons so humanitarian organizations and other actors can manage their programs better.鈥�

Siddiq is passionate about this issue as a survivor of the disaster. He has a unique viewpoint and desire for better disaster risk reduction and post-disaster reconstruction.

鈥淢y whole village was wiped clean by the tsunami,鈥� Siddiq said. 鈥淭here was nothing left to see, just flat clean ground. My mom and my grandma went away with the tsunami. I was the oldest in my family to survive, which made me the head of my family.鈥�

His fellowship will focus on long-term recovery efforts, particularly with housing and jobs. This summer he will spend time in Indonesia to conduct field observations and meet with residents in nine villages across three municipalities. He will study areas that have had strong, moderate, and weak recoveries based on housing and livelihood indicators to determine factors that lead to the different recovery outcomes.

Growing up in a rural part of Indonesia, Siddiq never imagined he would become an engineer, much less earn a PhD in the United States. As a child, his village had no electricity and he did not begin to learn English until age 12. Today, he speaks it as well as any American.

鈥淧eople say, 鈥榊ou sound like you鈥檙e from Kansas,鈥欌�� Siddiq said.

Siddiq has always been interested in learning and the larger world. As a child, he was fascinated with the foreign languages on milk can labels, and when his family moved from their village to Banda Aceh, the capital of his province, he gained access to the internet for the first time.

鈥淭hat was a game changer,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 had access to YouTube, Wikipedia, all kinds of stuff and I would lose myself in Wikipedia rabbit holes.鈥�

He earned his undergraduate degree in civil engineering in Indonesia and began working at a disaster research institute in Aceh. It gave him the opportunity to network with international experts who visited the center. He connected with a group of researchers from Georgia Tech and was able to earn a Fulbright Fellowship to study at the Atlanta institution for his master鈥檚 degree.

A conference in Aceh shortly before he left for Atlanta also gave him his first connection to 欧美口爆视频 Boulder and his now-PhD advisor, Amy Javernick-Will, whose research focuses on global engineering, disaster recovery and resiliency.

鈥淚 met a 欧美口爆视频 Boulder PhD graduate at the conference,鈥� Siddiq said. 鈥淚 had seen his research abstract and struck up a conversation about his work. We talked for three hours until the hotel staff kicked us out. He said I needed to work with Amy Javernick-Will, his professor, and that he would put me in touch with her. Now I鈥檓 doing my PhD with her.鈥�

Siddiq is grateful for the opportunities he has had and is eager to contribute to disaster recovery research that can help communities in the future.

鈥淚 have the combination of lived experience and theoretical knowledge,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 passionate about improving resilience in vulnerable communities, especially those that are low-resourced around the world. It鈥檚 a rewarding issue to work on. I think I was born to do this.鈥�

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Scooping dirt from the garden bed, Britta Bergstrom takes a handful of carrot seeds, gently places them in the dip and firms the warm earth back over top as a group of students look on with a gleam of wonder in their eyes.

Bergstrom, a graduate student in at the University of 欧美口爆视频 Boulder, radiates joy as her work at the intersection of engineering and grass-roots community engagement comes to fruition.

This spring marks the founding of Pioneer Elementary School鈥檚 Garden Club where students, teachers, and community members in Fort Morgan, 欧美口爆视频 come together to plant vegetables and herbs in the Morgan County School District鈥檚 second community garden.

鈥淭here's definitely a need for healthier foods and also culturally relevant herbs, fruits and vegetables if we can grow them in 欧美口爆视频, and so this solution hit both of those,鈥� says Bergstrom.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty of international travel, Bergstrom pivoted her field-based practicum, an integral piece of earning a Certificate in Global Engineering, from Tanzania to an internship with and a community engaged project closer to home.

鈥淚t ended up being really a blessing in disguise because I did get to get plugged in locally and do my practicum in my home state,鈥� says Bergstrom.

The Mortenson Center鈥檚 Global Engineering program and her internship with IAFR allowed Bergstrom to research and identify a desire by Fort Morgan鈥檚 diverse migrant communities to grow their own organic produce, as well as a desire for inter-cultural community building.

鈥淕lobal engineering allows for us as human beings to leverage those inter-continental networks and knowledge networks to find solutions for humanity in general,鈥� says Bergstrom.

Deep-Seated Cooperation

A key partner for the community garden taking root just 95 miles east from Boulder was the University鈥檚 Office for Outreach and Engagement (OOE). 

Bergstrom received one of 16 Community Impact Grants that OOE awarded in 2021-22, which helped foster the link between her research within the Mortenson Center and making an impact at the community-level. 

鈥淭his is core to our mission, and it has shaped the evolution of our institution throughout its entire history,鈥� says David Meens, director of the Office for Outreach and Engagement.

Though built into the university鈥檚 founding charter in 1876, the formation of OOE at the turn of the century and creation of the 欧美口爆视频 Boulder Outreach Awards catalyzed the commitment to building mutually beneficial relationships between scholars and community. 

鈥淲e encourage folks to think about what is the authentic version of this public scholarship that is advancing the academic mission of the university through engagement with communities in ways that lead to mutual benefit and serve their needs,鈥� says Meens.

Over the last 22 years, the 欧美口爆视频 Boulder Outreach Awards have provided over $6.7 million to 863 projects that have directly benefited more than 5.5 million people in 欧美口爆视频.

Instilling Longevity 

The Community Impact Grant not only greenlit the garden but also laid the groundwork for Renae Aguirre, a third grade teacher at Pioneer Elementary, to start a garden club. 

A Fort Morgan native and teacher of seven years at Pioneer, Aguirre lights up when asked about cultivating student participation in the garden.

鈥淚 had one little boy tell me that the reason he joined the garden club was because his parents don鈥檛 know how to do it. So he wants to learn, so he can do it at home, and he鈥檚 only in first grade,鈥� she says. 

Root vegetables and leafy greens will ground the garden, and Aguirre will plant tomatoes and cucumbers after the last frost later in May. With 90 students of Pioneer鈥檚 330 already signed up for the club, the garden will be well-tended.

And for Bergstrom, it鈥檚 just the beginning of a career at the intersection of engineering and community outreach. 

鈥淲hen I think about making an impact as an engineer, there鈥檚 a lot of power and real changes in these types of grassroots, community efforts,鈥� she says. 

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Congratulations on your Graduation!

The Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering Department and the Environmental Engineering Program hosted a live-streamed graduation ceremony on May 15, 2020.

More than 350 graduating students, faculty, staff, family and friends attended the ceremony to celebrate your accomplishments.Thank you to all. Special thanks to our featured guest speaker Jonathan Jones, Chief Executive Officer at Wright Water Engineers and to our student speaker Peter Heller, who won the Outstanding Undergraduate Award from the College of Engineering and Applied Science and from the Civil, Environmental and Architectural Department.

Please find below the Program, the graduation updated slides and the video of the Ceremony.

Go Buffs!

2020 CEAE and EVEN Graduation Ceremony Slides     Graduation Program

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hktsu-WEW5w]

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PhD student Mikaela DeRousseau has received a 2020 Summer Fellowship from the 欧美口爆视频 Boulder Graduate School.

DeRousseau is in her fourth year at 欧美口爆视频 Boulder with a focus on civil systems, and expects to graduate in August. Her advisors are Joseph Kasprzyk and Wil Srubar. 

DeRousseau said she is very honored to have received the award. 

鈥淚'm someone who sometimes suffers from imposter syndrome,鈥�  she said. 鈥淭o receive this award is a nice reminder to keep chugging and have confidence that I am conducting valuable research. I'm also feeling very lucky in these strange times to be able to continue doing my research. The fellowship will enable me to continue conducting research and finish my dissertation this summer after my previous funding from NSF has completed.鈥�

DeRousseau鈥檚 research aims to develop a new paradigm for designing sustainable and durable concrete mixtures using multi-objective optimization. They use a concept called 鈥渃oupled simulation-optimization鈥� in order to computationally simulate concrete properties like compressive strength and embodied carbon dioxide emissions. That allows them to minimize or maximize those properties in order to determine concrete mixture designs that are optimal for a particular application.

鈥淪ince concrete and the built environment play such a large role in contributing to global carbon dioxide emissions, I believe the field of civil engineering has a great opportunity to contribute to climate change mitigation,鈥� DeRousseau said. 鈥淚 hope my work can be used as a decision-making tool and show that we can still meet the requirements for durable building materials, while reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment.鈥�

The Graduate School offers fellowships to doctoral students to provide support during the summer term. The fellowships are for $6,000. Each doctoral program had the opportunity to nominate one student for consideration for the award. 

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