Capstone Senior Design Course
C/EVEN 5/4434 is the capstone design course for EVEN seniors. Students choose a single project from an array of options spanning environmental engineering: water, energy, developing communities, applied ecology, hazardous waste and air quality. Project teams then execute a semester-long project in three phases:
- Project proposal
- Alternatives assessment
- Preliminary design
Each project is an authentic, current issue with a client, technical advisor and industry mentor. Each phase of the project culminates in a written deliverable and oral presentation. Many projects are associated with national competitions.
Course outcomes:
- Integrate the technical sub-disciplines of surface water, air, groundwater, and water resources to create a professional-level solution to the assigned project problem.
- Gather relevant data, understand client needs, identify constraints, and identify and use applicable regulations, codes and standards.
- Create feasible alternative designs and carry out value engineering analysis, including comparison of sustainability and resilience of various alternatives.
- Prepare increasingly detailed designs and construction planning that satisfies the Owner's or Clients’ goals and project’s constraints while also conforming to relevant codes and regulations.
- Prepare design documentation including design rationale and intent, design details and integrated project planning, scheduling and construction cost analysis to support each design stage
- Complete primary components of contract documents for client and basic specifications.
- Present ideas, concepts and designs in a professional format to the client from the perspective of an engineering firm attempting to win a design-build contract.
- Work in multi-disciplinary teams and in interdisciplinary formats as appropriate during different phases of the assignment.
Process From Start to Finish
- Projects are presented to class. Students vote which project they would most like to work on and are assigned to projects and teams.
- Teams create written proposals for their project and present on their proposals.
- Teams complete exhaustive alternatives assessments and present on their findings. Teams defend which alternative is the best fit to meet the project goal.
- Teams create preliminary designs to meet the project goal and present and report on finished products.
Example Projects
- Designing a Sustainable Water System for Remote Communities
- Investigation Water Savings Opportunities for Cooling Towers via Replacement, Recovery and Treatment
- Designing a Sustainable Microgrid for Mulit-family Affordable Housing
- Chlorinated Solvent Remediation
- FAA Design Competition for Universities: Control of Deicing Chemicals at Denver International Airport
- WEF Student Design Competition: Biosolids: Digestion, Dewatering, and Handling Evaluation and Design for Parker, CO
- 20-year Masterplan for Denver Water's 280 MGD Foothills Plant
- Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project: Cutter Lateral Water Treatment Plant
Capstone Design Team National and Regional Award Winners
2026
- CU Engineering Projects Expo Awards:
- Judges' Choice Award for Best Engineering Design: Plum Creek Water Reclamation system upgrade for nitrogen & phosphorus. Molly Monroe, Colin Yeh, Elyse Panagakos, Jenna Blatchford, Julia Dykstra
- Judges' Choice Award for Best Modeling Effort: Denver Water’s Recycled Water System. Laura Ouellette, Caroline Mays, Meghan Holland, Morgan McDonough, Eyosiyas Asefa
- Judges' Choice Award for the Best Design Impact: Soil Vapor Extraction System. Sophia Hrywnak, Elizabeth Chandler, Chase Nathanson, Erin Stucky
- Judges' Choice Award for the Best Innovative Technology: Educational Wind Turbine Model. Callum McCabe, Alexa Crossley, Shane Gavney, Katy Ruelle, Chloe Caulk
2025
- 2nd Place, National Airport Cooperative Research Programs University Design Competition (Airport Environmental Interactions Category): Samuel Bazarov, Arvind Mudaliar, Kyliana Gailitis, Joseph Loy, Bryan Wright
- HeroX Hydropower Collegiate National Competition - EVEN team member: Maximilian Schmid
- NREL's CUWind National Competition - EVEN team members: Camille Thompson, Isabel Lopez
- FAA Airport Cooperative Research (ACRP) National Competition - Airplane Deicing System: Bryan Wright, Samuel Bazarov, Arvind Mudaliar, Kyliana Gailitis, Joseph Loy
- USBR Groundwater Desalination project in CA: Lachlan Nagel, Nik Licis, Ben Jordan, Ryan McManus, Izzie Chambers
- RMWEA National Competition -
- Reducing Effluent Wastewater Temperature to Protect Aquatice Ecosystem: Riley Jones, Maria Jose Guerra, Isabella Hugate, Eli Yoder, Oliver Teuscher, William Jafek
- Automated Planter Box: Serena Bolish, Taiba Al Fayez, Rana Alrowaished, Brian Quill
- Confidential Coloado City - Wetlands for Source Water treatment: Ali Alhajji, Marta Barrett, Sophia Dalke, Natalie Hanson, Andre Knapp, Dylan Roberts
- Judges' choice award for Best Engineering Design: Sustainable Biogas Utilization & Energy Recovery for City of Fort Collins. Hanna Abrahamsson, Tanya Tyagi, Bellaxandra, Stephenson, Alison Keane, Aleksa Camino
- Judges' choice award for Best Modeling Effort: Boulder County OSMP’s Coal Creek’s Sediment Transport and Trail Crossing Redesign: Julia Hyden, Mia Dipetrillo, Jamie Tran, Evelyn Hoffman, Mackenzie Kiley
- Judges' choice award for the Best Design Impact: Airbuff filter - Cleaning School Air in Commerce City: Henrik Helmig, Kristina Petrov Strezoska, Ammar Alazemi, Carter Dart
- Judges' choice award for the Best Innovative Technology: Wastewater Infrastructure Visual Inspection Drone for Metro Water Recovery: Natalie Clarke, Rachel Peritt, Zack Blixt, John Recchia, Abby Bain
2024
- Third Place, Student Design Competition, Water Environment Federation's Technical Exhibition and Conference (National Award)
- First Place, RMWEA Student Design Competition; (Regional Award)
- Honorable Mention, NREL HeroX Solar Distric Cup; "Solar for Seattle" (Global Award)
2023
- First Place, RMWEA Student Design Competition; "Phosphorous Removal at Copper Mountain” (Regional Award)
- Second Place, 10th annual Collegiate Wind Competition (National Award)
2022
- Judges’ Choice Award, Waste Management Education Research Conference (WERC) Environmental Design Contest; “Monitoring Virus Removal by Membrane Bioreactors during Water Reuse" (National Award)
2021
- First Place, RMWEA Student Design Competition; "Proposed Water Reclamation Facility Upgrades for the Parker Water & Sanitation District" (National Award)
- Second Place, Waste Management Education Research Conference (WERC) Environmental Design Contest; Team BEHTT Insight - "PFAS Destruction" (National Award)
- First Place, Solar District Cup competition.
2019
- First Place, Water Environment Federation Student Design Competition, Chicago, IL; "City of Gunnison Wastewater Treatment Plant Renovations for Future Regulatory Compliance” (National award)
- First Place, Water Environment Federation Regional Student Design Competition, Denver, CO; "City of Gunnison Wastewater Treatment Plant Renovations for Future Regulatory Compliance” (Regional award)
2018
- First Place, Water Environment Federation Student Design Competition, New Orleans, LA; Team Curatio Engineering - ”Enhancing Nutrient Removal at Boulder’s 75th St. Wastewater Treatment Facility.” (Regional and National awards)
2017
- First Place, Water Environment Federation Student Design Competition Competition, Chicago, IL; ”Biolsolids Digestion, Dewatering, and Handling Alternatives Assessment.” (Regional and National awards)
- First Place, FAA Airport Cooperative Research Program Competition Environmental Interactions at Airports; Team IIB Consulting - “Control of Deicing Chemicals at Airports Using Subterranean Aerated Gravel Beds." (National award)
2016
- First Place, FAA Airport Cooperative Research Program Competition Environmental Interactions at Airports; Team S3 - “Mycoremediation Applications for Stormwater Management.” (National award)
- Third Place, Water Environment Federation Student Design Competition; Team GBL Engineering - “Northern Wastewater Reclamation Facility Expansion for Parker Water and Sanitation District." (First Place Regional and Third Place National)
- First & Second Place, RMSWEA Student Design Competition; Team GBL Engineering, Team HNS - “Northern Wastewater Reclamation Facility Expansion for Parker Water and Sanitation District"two teams - (Regional awards)
2015
- Second Place, RMSWEF Student Design Competition; “Frisco Sanitation District Senior Design Project” (Regional award)
- Third Place, RMSWEF Student Design Competition; “Boulder 75th Street Wastewater Treatment Facility Phosphorus Removal and Recovery” (Regional award)
2014
- First Place, FAA Airport Cooperative Research Program Competition Environmental Interactions at Airports; “Twice Repurposed Crumb Rubber as a Jet Fuel Solidifier.” (National award)
- Third Place, FAA Airport Cooperative Research Program Competition Environmental Interactions at Airports; “Fuel Containment Channels at Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE).” (National award)
- Second Place, RMSWEF Student Design Competition; “Robert W. Hite Treatment Facility: A Boulder Approach to Advanced Phosphorus Removal” (Regional award)
2013
- Second Place, FAA Airport Cooperative Research Program Competition Environmental Interactions at Airports; “Fuel Spill Containment at Bozeman International Airport and LED Runway and Taxiway Lighting Powered with On-Site Solar Panels” two teams - (National Award)
- Third Place, Water Environment Federation Student Design Competition; “Arsenic Removal Project for 75th Street Wastewater Treatment Facility at Boulder, Colorado; CU Team CVC.” (First place regional and third place national)
- Second Place, Water Environment Federation Student Design Competition; “Arsenic Removal Project for 75th Street Wastewater Treatment Facility at Boulder, Colorado; CU Team Berber Water.” (Regional award)
2012
- First Place, Water Environment Federation Student Design Competition; “Upgrade Wastewater Treatment Plant for Broadmoor Park community. 0.06 MGD.” (First place regional and national)
- First Place, AECOM Student Design Competition; “Upgrade wastewater treatment plant to achieve energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions.” (North American award)
- Semi-Finalists, AECOM Student Design Competition; “Treat drinking water to remove naturally occurring radionuclides.” (North American award)
- Second Place, FAA Airport Cooperative Research Program Competition Environmental Interactions at Airports; “Design energy-efficiency changes for non-terminal areas at Denver International Airport.” (National award)
- Third Place, FAA Airport Cooperative Research Program Competition Environmental Interactions at Airports; “Design improved treatment of aircraft deicing waste for Denver International Airport.” (National award)
- Third Place, FAA Airport Cooperative Research Program Competition Environmental Interactions at Airports; “Design improved stormwater system for Anchorage International Airport.” (National award)
2011
- First Place, AECOM Student Design Competition; “Design a 10 MGD upgrade for drinking water treatment facility that requires softening.” (North American award)
2010
- Semi-Finalist, AECOM Student Design Competition; “Design an upgrade for a 10 MGD surface water treatment facility to remove pesticides.” (North American award)
2009
- First Place, Water Environment Federation Student Design Competition; “Design upgrade to the Denver Metro Wastewater Treatment Plant including nutrient removal.” (First place Regional and national)
Example Sponsors
National Organizations
Companies
Utilities/Local Governments
