The Kasprzyk Research Group focuses on three main domain areas, solving problems using simulation modeling, evolutionary algorithm search, model diagnostics, interactive visualizations, and stakeholder engagement:
- Water resources planning and management: finding innovative solutions to water supply systems that face multiple conflicting objectives
- Decision making under uncertainty: advancing new decision support techniques to better handle different types of uncertainty
- Environmental engineering applications: using quantitative models of different domains (e.g., air quality assessment, water treatment plants) to solve integrated decision problems
Current Members

Dr. Joseph Kasprzyk
Associate Professor
Hydrology, Water Resources & Environmental Fluid Mechanics • Civil Systems • Environmental Engineering
I'm associate professor in the Civil Environmental and Architectural Engineering Department at the University of Colorado Boulder . My research group focuses on multi-objective decision making and model diagnostics for engineering problems. Areas of focus include water resources planning and management, environmental engineering applications, and advancing methodological contributions to decision making and optimization under uncertainty. Methods used in the research range from high performance computing with millions of simulation model runs, to interactive workshops with stakeholders that assess the extent to which the optimization tools developed in this research are applicable to real-world decision making. I hold the BS, MS,...Read more »

Jacob Kravits
PhD Student • Co-advised by Prof. Kyri Baker
Civil Systems
Jacob Kravits is a PhD student in Civil Engineering with an emphasis on Civil Systems. He is co-advised by Prof. Kyri Baker , and is funded through the GAANN fellowship program for revitalizing U.S. infrastructure, as well as a graduate fellowship from the Water-Energy Nexus interdisciplinary research theme at CU Boulder. He published a study contributing a novel application of machine learning for dam hazard classification, and his further doctoral research focuses on integrated water resources and energy systems, seeking approaches that can help better model and optimize these interconnected systems. He received the BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering...Read more »

Nathan Bonham
PhD Student • Co-advised by Prof. Edith Zagona
HYDROLOGY, WATER RESOURCES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FLUID MECHANICS
Nathan is a student in the PhD program in Civil Engineering with a focus on Hydrology, Water Resources, and Environmental Fluid Mechanics. He is co-advised by Prof. Edith Zagona. His research focuses on bottom-up decision making frameworks for improved management of water supply in the Colorado River Basin. The research is funded by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, with extra support from the GAANN fellowship program on revitalizing U.S. infrastructure. Nathan completed the BS at West Virginia University in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and his research there included development of rapid flood forecasting algorithms, risk assessment of Atlantic Hurricanes to...Read more »

Brooke Ely
MS Student
Hydrology Water Resources & Environmental Fluid Mechanics
Brooke Ely is a masters student within the Hydrology, Water Resources, and Environmental Fluid Mechanics Group. She is advised by Professor Joseph Kasprzyk. She is originally from Nashville, TN and did her undergrad at the University of Notre Dame, graduating in 2018 with a degree in Environmental Engineering and Peace Studies. After this she did two years of AmeriCorps. The first, serving as a GIS and Data Management Technician at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the second, working on a Groundwater Sustainability Plan for Yolo County in California. She will be conducting research with Dr. Kasprzyk and Dr...Read more »

Elle Stark
PhD Student
HYDROLOGY, WATER RESOURCES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FLUID MECHANICS
Elle is a PhD student in Civil Engineering with a focus on Hydrology, Water Resources, and Environmental Fluid Mechanics, starting in Fall 2021. She is advised by Dr. Kasprzyk and funded through the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. In spring 2014 she graduated with the BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from University of Washington as well as the BA in Physical Science from Seattle Pacific University, where she gained perspective on the ethical and social implications of engineering decisions. She then served a year in Americorps working on climate adaptation in transportation system planning. Over the next five years...Read more »

Maddy Pernat
PhD Student • Co-advised by Prof. Edith Zagona
HYDROLOGY, WATER RESOURCES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FLUID MECHANICS
Maddy is a PhD student in Civil Engineering with a focus on Hydrology, Water Resources, and Environmental Fluid Mechanics. She is co-advised by Prof. Joseph Kasprzyk and Prof. Edith Zagona and is funded by the GAANN fellowship program for Resilient and Equitable Infrastructure through Participatory, Inclusive Engineering. She is currently working on a project led by Dr. Ben Livneh and Dr. Kasprzyk where she is researching improved streamflow forecasting methods using machine learning. Later in her graduate career, she plans to focus her research around multi-objective decision making as applied to water management issues in the Colorado River Basin. Prior...Read more »
Collaborators
Here is a partial list of some folks that I have had the pleasure of working with:
- Paul Block, University of Wisconsin – Madison. Paul and I are working on hydrologic forecasting and multi-objective planning for water markets in Chile.
- Jon Herman, University of California Davis. Jon and I collaborate on research that seeks to advance multiobjective optimization and model diagnostics.
- Emil Laftchiev, Mitsubishi Electric Research Lab. Emil provides expertise in data science and signal processing.
- Abbie Liel, University of Colorado Boulder. Abbie and I are working to use many objective optimization to improve the structural performance and sustainability of building systems under multiple hazards.
- Ben Livneh, University of Colorado Boulder. Ben and I have collaborated on Liz Houle’s research, where we use model diagnostics to explore the fidelity of snow models. We are also working on other projects including water quality modeling under extreme events for drinking water quality, and modeling the hydrology of Java Island, Indonesia with R. Balaji.
- Roseanna Neupauer, University of Colorado Boulder. Roseanna and I co-advised Dr. Amy Piscopo, who worked on innovative techniques for groundwater remediation. We are also involved in other collaborative projects related to systems approaches to groundwater problems.
- Fernando Rosario-Ortiz, University of Colorado Boulder. Fernando and I collaborate on improving water quality under extreme events.
- Ashlynn Stillwell, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Ashlynn and I are working on water resources planning within the water-energy nexus.
- Wil Srubar, University of Colorado Boulder. Wil and I have an NSF funded project on the design of engineered material systems.
- Edith Zagona, Center for Advanced Decision Support for Water and Environmental Systems and University of Colorado Boulder. Edie and I have worked together on water resources planning and management problems using RiverWare.