Vita

Old main building

Prof. Bielefeldt, Ph.D., P.E., has been teaching at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU) since 1996.  During sabbaticals from CU she also taught at the University of Canterbury (Christchurch NZ) and UNESCO IHE (Delft).

 

Education

  • PhD, Civil Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle WA, 1996
  • M.S., Civil Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle WA, 1994
  • B.S., Civil Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames IA, 1992

 

Professional Engineer

  • PE, State of Colorado, #38043, Dec. 2003 to present

 

Professional Experience

  • 2012 – present.  Professor, Dept. Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder
  • 2024 - present. Director, Engineering Education PhD Program, University of Colorado Boulder. 
  • 2020 – 2024.  Co-director, Engineering Education and AI-Augmented Learning IRT, University of Colorado Boulder
  • 2019 – 2024.  Director, Integrated Design Engineering Program (renamed from Engineering Plus, May 2022), University of Colorado Boulder
  • 2008 – 2018.  ABET Assessment Coordinator, Dept. Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder
  • 2014-2017.  Faculty Director, Sustainable By Design Residential Academic Program (RAP), University of Colorado Boulder
  • 2014-2016.  Associate Director, Environmental Engineering Program, University of Colorado-Boulder
  • 2013.  Visiting Erskine Fellow, Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, University of Canterbury,  Christchurch, New Zealand
  • 2012-2013, 2014-2015.  Associate Chair for Undergraduate Education, Dept. Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado-Boulder
  • 2006-2010.  Director, Environmental Engineering Program, University of Colorado-Boulder
  • 2005-2006.  J.S. Braun / Braun Intertec Professorship of Science & Technology (sabbatical), University of Minnesota, Dept. of Civil Engineering
  • 2003-2012.  Associate Professor, University of Colorado-Boulder
  • 1996-2003.  Assistant Professor, University of Colorado Boulder
  • Summer 1994. Assistant Engineer, Remediation Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA 
  • Summer 1992. Assistant Engineer, Montgomery Watson, Hazardous Waste Div., Des Moines, IA 
  • Summer 1991. Intern; Sandia National Laboratories, Environmental Restoration, Albuquerque, NM 
  • Summer 1990. Environmental Engineering Intern, CH2M Hill, Municipal Serv. Div., Reston, VA
  • 1987-1992. Environmental Engineering Research Assistant, Iowa State University, Ames, IA

 

Honors and Scholarly Awards

American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)

  • 2019 Elected to the Academy of Fellows
  • 2024 Best Diversity Paper Award from the Mechanical Engineering Division, with co-author Joany Tisdale, "Mechanical Engineering Sustainability Curricular Content and Bachelor's Degrees Awarded to Women" 
  • 2024 Best DEI Paper Award from the First-Year Programs Division, "Neurodivergent and Neurotypical Students in a First-Year Engineering Design Course: Identity, Self-Efficacy, and Experiences."
  • 2022 Best Paper Award from PIC II and the Engineering Leadership Development Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, with co-authors Rebecca Komarek and Daniel Knight; link to paper
  • 2020 Best Paper Award from PIC IV and Engineering Ethics Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, with co-authors Madeline Polmear, Daniel Knight, Nathan Canney, Chris Swan; link to paper
  • 2020 Best Diversity Paper from the Engineering Ethics Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, with co-author Greg Rulifson; link to paper
  • 2019 Best Paper Award from PIC IV and Engineering Ethics Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, with co-authors David Zhao, Alexandra Kulich, Madeline Polmear, Daniel Knight, Chris Swan, Nathan Canney; link to paper
  • 2018 Best Paper Award from PIC IV and Engineering Ethics Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, with co-authors Madeline Polmear, Daniel Knight, Chris Swan, Nathan Canney; link to paper
  • 2018 Best Paper Award from Women in Engineering Division, American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, with co-authors M. Forbes, J. Sullivan, and R. Littlejohn; link to paper
  • 2018 Stephen J. Ressler Best Paper Award from the Civil Engineering Division of the American Society for Engineering  Education (ASEE)
  • 2017 Best Paper Award from PIC I (nominated from Civil Engineering Division) of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference; link to paper
  • 2017 Best Paper Award from First-Year Programs Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, with co-authors Polmear, Knight, Canney, and Swan; link to paper
  • 2016 Best Paper Award from PIC IV and Engineering Ethics Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, with co-author N. Canney;link to paper
  • 2015 Best Paper Award from American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference with co-authors N. Canney and M. Russu. Liberal Education / Engineering & Society Division, PIC III, and Best Overall Paper; link to paper
  • 2015 Best paper award from the Environmental Engineering Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference; link to paper
  • 2013 Best paper award from the Rocky Mountain Section Conference of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)
  • 2012 Best paper award from the K-12 Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, Zarske, Bielefeldt, et al.; link to paper
  • 2009 Best Paper Award from American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference with co-authors K. Paterson and C. Swan.  Environmental Division, PIC II, and Best Overall Paper; link to paper
  • 2003 Early Career Award from the Environmental Engineering Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE); based on paper presented at the Annual Conference

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

  • ASCE Outstanding Reviewer Award, Journal of Civil Engineering Education, 2023
  • ASCE Outstanding Associate Editor Award, Journal of Civil Engineering Education, 2022
  • ASCE Outstanding Reviewer Award, Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, 2016, 2012
  • Editor’s Award for Outstanding Service from the American Society of Civil Engineers Journal of Environmental Engineering, Editor Robert G. Arnold, 2002
  • Rudolf Hering Medal from the American Society of Civil Engineers for the best paper in the Journal of Environmental Engineering (with Stensel and Strand), 1997

Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP)

  • Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Service as a Co-Chair of the 2013 AEESP Research and Education Conference Organizing Committee, Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP); with Junko Munakata-Marr; 2013
  • Distinguished Service Award, Association of Environmental Engineering & Science Professors, for outstanding service as treasurer and board member, 2009
  • Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP)/McGraw-Hill Award for Outstanding Teaching in Environmental Engineering & Science, 2004

National Institute for Engineering Ethics

University of Colorado Boulder

  • Woman Who Makes A Difference, Center for Inclusion & Social Change, CU Boulder, 2021
  • President's Teaching Scholar, CU System, 2019
  • Distinguished Achievement Award, Department of Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering, 2019
  • Outstanding Service Award, Boulder Faculty Assembly, 2012
  • Max Peters Faculty Service Award, College of Engineering & Applied Science, 2010
  • Distinguished Service Award, Department of Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering, 2010
  • Teaching Award, Department of Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering, 2005

Student Teams Mentored in Environmental Engineering Capstone Design

  • 2019: Won the National Water Environment Federation (WEF) Student Design competition at WEFTEC, after winning regional Rocky Mountain WEA/AWWA competition
  • 2013: Won regional Rocky Mountain Water Environment Assoc./AWWA Student Design competition; placed 3rd at national competition
  • 2013: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Design Competition; two CU teams tied for second place
  • 2012: Won AECOM Student Design Competition
  • 2012: Won the National Water Environment Federation (WEF) Student Design competition, after winning regional Rocky Mountain WEA/AWWA 
  • 2012: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Design Competition; one CU teams placed second and two tied for third
  • 2011: Won AECOM Student Design Competition
  • 2009: Won the National Water Environment Federation (WEF) Student Design competition at WEFTEC, after winning regional Rocky Mountain WEA/AWWA competition

Leadership and Service

  • American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Campus Representative for the University of Colorado Boulder; 2022 - present
  • American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Rocky Mountain Section: Past Chair 2018; Chair 2017 (previously Vice-Chair East)
  • American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Community Engagement Division, Chair 2018 - 2020, Past Chair 2020 - present
  • ASEE Zone IV Conference, Chair 2017-2018
  • American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Program Criteria Task Committee, 2020-present
  • American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge 3 Task Committee, 2016-2018
  • ASCE Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, renamed Journal of Civil Engineering Education, Deputy Editor 2019 - present, Associate Editor, 2017- 2019
  • International Journal for Service Learning in Engineering: Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship, Senior Editor 2018 - ; Editorial Board, 2014-2017
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility, 2017 - present.
  • CU Boulder, Chair, First Level Review Committee for Promotion and Tenure, College of Engineering and Applied Science, 2018 - 2020
  • CU Boulder, Vice Chancellor's Advisory Committee (VCAC), 2022-2025
  • CU System, Privilege and Tenure Committee, 2018 - present.
  • CU Boulder Campus Representative to the ASEE, 2022 - present.
  • CU Boulder, Faculty Associate, Faculty Teaching Excellence Program