Students to have firsthand look at preventing worksite injuries
After recently receiving the Faculty Early Career Development Program Award from the National Science Foundation, Matthew R. Hallowell, assistant professor of construction engineering and management, plans to offer his students a more engaging, valuable academic experience. With the NSF CAREER Award, Hallowell is conducting a large research project in which students will also have the chance to participate.
Hallowell’s groundbreaking research, “Predictive Modeling of Construction Injuries in Complex Environments,” examines how injury prevention can be improved at construction sites. Rather than quantifying individual risks, this research looks to complete a content analysis on previous injury reports to identify fundamental attributes that could contribute to injuries. From there, Hallowell is using multivariate statistics to forecast the probability of specific injuries.
As part of the educational experience, Hallowell plans to teach students how to incorporate these models within an augmented reality system. Most universities teach construction safety based on OSHA standards, but this is often not enough to prevent injuries. While OSHA standards must be followed, even OSHA-compliant companies are experiencing injuries and fatalities. By students working with this augmented reality system, they will be better prepared to respond to the dynamics and complexities of construction environments once they begin their careers.
“Instead of having a checkbox or list of rules that must be followed, students learn how to be more proactive and redesign a worksite,” Hallowell says. “For example, you can get to the site and find an exposed edge, or you can design the facility so that it never had an exposed edge in the first place.”
With this educational approach, students can expect to receive a more valuable learning experience, Hallowell says. Students are not spending their time listening to lectures. Instead, they are using classroom time to experience this innovative research firsthand.
“It’s not lecture based by any means,” Hallowell says. “It’s more experiential learning, and it’s certainly more engaging. This will encourage active learning instead of passive learning, so the students don’t just sit and listen. They do and talk.”
Environmental Engineering Students Win National Design Competition
Students from the spring 2012 CVEN 4434/5434 Environmental Engineering Design class won the Water Environment Federation (WEF) 2012 Student Design Competition. The project “Broadmoor Park Properties Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade” won in the wastewater design category. The competition took place in October as part of WEF’s 85th Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference in New Orleans, La.
The student competition promotes real world design experience for students interested in pursuing an education and/or career in water/wastewater engineering and sciences. It tasks individuals or teams of students within a WEF student chapter to prepare a design to help solve a local water quality issue. Teams evaluate alternatives, perform calculations, and recommend the most feasible solution based on experience, economics, and feasibility. The University of Colorado Boulder is a student chapter of the Rocky Mountain Water Environment Foundation.
Team members included Kristen Johansen, Maria Cabeza, Matthew Huntze, Bailey Leppek, Alexandra Murray, and faculty advisor Angela Bielefeldt. The team received certificates and a $2500 award.
CEAE Undergrad Interns at Panama Canal
Christina Jones
Christina Jones, a civil engineering undergraduate student, spent summer 2012 working at the Panama Canal expansion project. Christina interned with CH2M HILL through the CEAE Department’s IMPACT Scholar Internship Program. Read the full article here, or visit Christina’s blog to read about her experience in her own words.
Three Student Teams Place in FAA Design Competition
Second place winners Jeff Sogge, Natalie Bixler, Evan Coffey, Dan Jones, Jon Mandel, and Emily Merchant
Three student teams from CVEN 4434 Environmental Engineering Design placed in the 2011-2012 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) University Competition, in the “Airport Environmental Interactions” category. All three teams were advised by CEAE professor Angela Bielefeldt.
Second Place: “LED Runway Lighting for Denver International Airport” – Jeff Sogge, Natalie Bixler, Evan Coffey, Dan Jones, Jon Mandel, Emily Merchant
Third Place (tie): “Aerated Gravel Beds for De-Icing Waste Treatment” - Damien Allen, Andrew DuComb, Patrick Nilan, Brad Eades, Tyler Stevens
and “Improvements to Deicing Environmental Management System at Denver International Airport” – Doug Winter, Nick Dummer, Ethan Boor, Kelley Hestmark, Angela Molli
Students Win AECOM Design Competition
Joel Jones, Katherine Otero, Samantha Brook, Michelle Sadeghy, Andrew Safulko, and Angela Bielefeldt (advisor)
A team of 5 students in CVEN 4434 Environmental Engineering Design won the AECOM North American Academic Design Competition for their design addressing a wastewater energy and greenhouse gas minimization problem. The team consisted of environmental engineering undergraduate students Joel Jones, Katherine Otero, Samantha Brook, Michelle Sadeghy, and Andrew Safulko and was advised by CEAE professor Angela Bielefeldt.