MENV

Outreach and Community Engagement Feature: Faces of Community-Engaged Scholarship-Gregor MacGregor

Liz Holland — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 19:02:29 +0000

Outreach and Community Engagement Feature: Faces of Community-Engaged Scholarship-Gregor MacGregor Liz Holland Thu, 11/20/2025 - 12:02

Gregor MacGregor gets bored if he sits behind a desk for too long. His energy seems boundless. That’s key because MacGregor’s interests are vast, and his personal ethos about service transcends the personal and professional.

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Students learning dam good lessons from nature's busy builders

Liz Holland — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 16:19:07 +0000

Students learning dam good lessons from nature's busy builders Liz Holland Wed, 11/19/2025 - 09:19

In a capstone project partnership with the ��ý�� Watershed Collective, Masters of the Environment students study what it means to live alongside beavers

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Celebrating Innovation and Impact: Highlights from the 2025 MENV Capstone Symposium

Liz Holland — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 19:20:56 +0000

Celebrating Innovation and Impact: Highlights from the 2025 MENV Capstone Symposium Liz Holland Fri, 10/31/2025 - 13:20

On October 31, 2025, the CU ��ý�� Masters of the Environment (MENV) program hosted its annual Capstone Symposium, a culminating event that showcased the passion, creativity, and applied expertise of this year’s graduating class. Held both in-person at the SEEC building and virtually, the symposium brought together students, faculty, alumni, and sustainability leaders from across Colorado and beyond to celebrate solutions-driven environmental work.

Inspiring Keynotes from Sustainability Leaders

The morning began with a warm welcome and two keynote presentations from Cara Carmichael and Chris Steinkamp, each offering powerful reflections on leadership in climate action.

Carmichael, CU ��ý��’s Associate Vice Chancellor of Sustainability and a two-time CU alumna, shared insights from her 20-year career advancing systemic sustainability solutions across federal and local levels. Drawing from her experience at the White House and Rocky Mountain Institute, she emphasized the importance of bold, collaborative action to achieve lasting environmental progress.

Steinkamp, Executive Director of Mountain Towns 2030, inspired the audience with stories from his work mobilizing communities toward carbon neutrality. With roots in the outdoor recreation industry, he spoke about the power of uniting local governments, ski resorts, and businesses around a shared vision for a clean energy future.

Adding to the momentum, Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse attended the event as a surprise final keynote speaker, reflecting the strong connection between academic applied-work and policy leadership. His presence underscored how student work — like that being showcased — intersects with broader national discussions on sustainability, climate resilience, and environmental equity. His participation helped frame the day not just as a student celebration, but as a bridge between emerging professionals and public-policy arenas.

Honoring a Longstanding Partner in Regenerative Agriculture

MENV's inaugural Capstone Partner Recognition Award was presented to Mad Agriculture, a six-time collaborator with the MENV program. Accepting the award was Tanner Starbard (MENV ’19), Chief Financial Officer of Mad Ag, who has worked closely with current students to advance regenerative farming practices at Haystack Farms. Their ongoing partnership exemplifies how MENV’s applied projects foster real-world impact—bridging classroom learning with community and industry transformation.

Showcasing Student Innovation Across Sectors

Following the keynote and awards, attendees explored five rounds of concurrent sessions, where student teams presented capstone projects developed in partnership with organizations across Colorado and the nation.

This year's themes were Private Sector Sustainability Solutions, Water Advocacy, Enhancing Climate Resilience, Local Government in Action, and Powering the Future. Highlights from the day included:

Collaborations with the Denver Climate Action Office on electrifying neighborhoods;
Research with the Colorado Water Trust on restoring urban river flows;
Partnerships with OneEnergy Renewables and the National Renewable Energy Lab to advance clean power solutions; and
Projects with Z2 Entertainment and Boomtown Innovation on sustainability in culture and tech sectors.

These projects underscore MENV’s mission: to prepare students for impactful environmental careers through hands-on, interdisciplinary learning that directly benefits partner organizations and communities.

A Community Committed to Change

The Capstone Symposium is not just an academic showcase — it’s a celebration of a community committed to advancing sustainability in every sector and at every scale.

Faculty advisors, capstone partners, alumni, and students came together to share not only results but relationships — connections built through months of fieldwork, research, and problem-solving alongside organizations working on the front lines of environmental change.

As MENV Program Director Natalie Ooi reflected, this event demonstrates what can happen when education is rooted in collaboration and purpose:

"The capstone symposium is a celebration of our MENV community and the incredible impact that the program has in advancing sustainability solutions and climate action. Bringing together partners from across the public, private and non-profit sectors, our student projects showcase innovative ideas, detailed research, and robust community stakeholder engagement, resulting in actionable plans, key policy takeaways, and replicable toolkits that help our partners move from ideas to action and help to accelerate the shift towards a more sustainable and equitable future."

The day’s energy captured the essence of the MENV experience — learning by doing, leading through partnership, and driving impact that lasts. Whether advancing renewable energy, protecting ecosystems, or reimagining resilient communities, the Class of 2025’s projects embodied the shared belief that meaningful climate action requires all of us.

Acknowledgments

MENV extends heartfelt thanks to Cara Carmichael, Congressman Joe Neguse, and Chris Steinkamp for joining us as keynote speakers and inspiring our community with their leadership and insights. We’re also deeply grateful to Tanner Starbard and the Mad Agriculture team for their years of partnership and commitment to regenerative solutions.

Thank you to our capstone partners for making these projects possible, our faculty advisors for their mentorship and guidance, and all attendees—both in person and virtual—for supporting our students not only today but throughout their journey.

Finally, we extend a special thank you to Alice Reznickova, Capstone Lead, and her incredible team—Casey Chabot, Ashley Lehto, and Cass Mendoza—for stewarding another outstanding year of capstone projects, partnerships, and programs.

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Masters of the Environment Alumni return to campus to discuss emerging trends in sustainability and their careers

Liz Holland — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 19:41:54 +0000

Masters of the Environment Alumni return to campus to discuss emerging trends in sustainability and their careers Liz Holland Thu, 10/30/2025 - 13:41

October 3rd, 2025- ��ý��, CO- Nearly 200 current students, alumni, and faculty from the Masters of the Environment (MENV) program at The ��ý�� came together for the second annual Alumni Engagement Day - a dynamic gathering designed to foster connections, career development, and collaboration within the sustainability sector. Held in the Sustainability, Energy and Environment Complex (SEEC) on CU ��ý��’s campus, the event provided current and former students the opportunity to share their work in the environmental and sustainability fields, explore career paths, expand their professional networks through interactive programming and relationship building. "The sheer energy and breadth of impact in one space was incredible. Seeing current students starting their journeys alongside alums who are now leaders across every sector of sustainability truly reminded me of the power of the MENV network. It’s more than a degree; it’s a commitment to a collective purpose and community," said alumna Jenna Batson, Outdoor Water Conservation Coordinator at the Colorado Water Conservation Board

The day featured seven panel discussions and three “Lunch and Learn” presentations, with alumni sharing their experiences and insights from various sectors such as environmental policy, corporate sustainability, and renewable energy. They represented organizations including the Rocky Mountain Institute, Colorado Energy Office, and Denver Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency. Each session was moderated by MENV faculty and staff who guided the conversations and incorporated their own expertise. Josh Radoff, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Specialization Lead and Associate Teaching Professor within MENV, as well as CU’s Director of Campus Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resilience, reflected on the event, saying, “It’s great to see how successful and how broadly impactful our students are when they get out in the field. The panelists this year were a great representation of the various careers and roles in the energy and decarbonization and sustainability space.”

In addition to formal programming, current students had the opportunity to engage in one-on-one coffee chats with about 40 MENV alumni. These informal conversations allowed students to gain advice from sustainability professionals on topics such as navigating the job market and expanding their professional networks. Current student at MENV Stephany Correa-Diaz shared, “It was inspiring to see what MENV alumni have accomplished in their fields after finishing this program, and I really appreciated their advice, especially when I’m getting ready to graduate this spring.”

MENV Alumni Engagement Day event is co-organized by MENV Capstone Program led by Dr. Alice Reznickova and Career and Professional Development office led by Laura George and their Graduate Student Assistants Casey Chabot and Erin Bucchin. This allows for synergies in relevant sustainability and career-development content while making sure that students are directly involved in designing meaningful programs for their community. Laura George, MENV Career and Professional Development Program Manager, emphasized the value of the event, stating, “Alumni Engagement Day is designed not just to support career development for students, but also to give alumni an opportunity to share their work, connect with other alumni who they may not have had the chance to meet, and learn new things about emerging trends, technologies and strategies beyond their current industry. The event convenes the MENV community in a way that reminds folks that their work is part of the greater network of sustainability initiatives across Colorado and beyond. It’s energizing and encourages interconnection and collaboration across industries.”

Alumni Engagement Day highlights the MENV's commitment to preparing students and alumni for impactful careers and leadership in sustainability. Events like this are key to keeping our MENV network informed, engaged, and inspired in a rapidly evolving sustainability landscape and offer a blueprint for other programs looking to build their ecosystems.

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Student Blog: MENV Capstone Project

Bobbie Bryant — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 17:24:01 +0000

Student Blog: MENV Capstone Project Bobbie Bryant Tue, 10/28/2025 - 11:24

MENV Capstone Program

Authored by Ash Lehto

At the core of the Masters of the Environment program is the Capstone Project. The MENV Capstone Project takes place over a full year and includes an additional semester of preparation. Student teams of two to four are partnered with government entities, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and private companies to tackle sustainability issues across a variety of sectors. Students plan their projects in the spring semester, spend at least 300 hours over the following summer completing the work of their project, and wrap up in the fall.

Photo credit: Matt Carson

This summer, student highlights included a beaver release with the ��ý�� Watershed Collective and traveling to Toronto, Canada to present to the leadership at Riverside Natural Foods.

Fall is the busiest time of year for our students in capstone. Second-year students are wrapping up their capstone project and presenting at two major program events, the Poster Session and Capstone Symposium. First years, meanwhile, are looking ahead to networking with next year’s capstone partners and applying for their top project choices.

Poster Session

This year’s poster session was a great success! Students took advantage of the great weather and presented outside to their peers and MENV faculty. This is always a great opportunity for first-year students to get a better idea of what the capstone projects look like before they start their own, and for second years to see what the other teams have accomplished. The event concluded with awards recognizing standout teams. The Audience Choice Award went to Frutura, and the Colorado State Forest Service and Governor’s Office team took home the Meghan McCarroll and Alice Reznickova Award. This was also the second year that Josh Radoff, the Renewable & Sustainability Energy Specialization Lead and Teaching Associate Professor, gave out special recognition awards, this year to the OneEnergy and Z2 Entertainment teams.

Photo credit: Matt Carson

Upcoming: Capstone Symposium

The Capstone Symposium is the culmination of all the students’ work over the last year. Teams present the work they completed and highlight their deliverables to an audience of peers, faculty, family, capstone partners, and members of the community.

The 2025 Capstone Symposium is coming up on Friday, October 31! To learn more about the event, or to register to attend, visit the event page here.

Interested in learning more?
Read our 2025 Annual Report or visit our capstone webpage to learn about our current partners, past projects, or how your organization can get involved.

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Powering Innovation: Students Build Their Own Microgrids

Liz Holland — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 18:19:28 +0000

Powering Innovation: Students Build Their Own Microgrids Liz Holland Tue, 10/14/2025 - 12:19

Energy systems and technologies are at the heart of the global decarbonization movement. Understanding how these systems work—their inputs, outputs, costs, and benefits—is essential to designing and deploying the clean energy solutions that will replace the technologies of the past.

In the Energy Systems and Technology course at CU ��ý��, students explore the fundamentals of energy—from fossil fuels and power generation to renewable technologies, storage, and end-use applications in vehicles and buildings. While not an engineering class, the course takes a quantitative and analytical approach, giving students hands-on experience with tools like Excel modeling, GHG accounting, and NREL’s SAM software. Over the semester, students ramp up their data skills through real-world analyses of energy systems, supply and demand, and financial tradeoffs—no prior experience required.

This week’s class took those lessons to the next level with a hands-on microgrid design lesson. Inspired by earlier collaborations with instructor Josh Radoff, students Daniel Tigreros and Kasrah Eslami created an interactive session where their peers designed and analyzed their own microgrid systems.

Working in teams, students developed small-scale, resilient grids that integrate multiple energy sources—renewable and conventional—to deliver reliable power to communities. The exercise brought together technical understanding, creativity, and collaboration, embodying the program’s mission to equip students with the tools to lead in a decarbonizing world.

Through experiences like these, CU ��ý�� students are not only learning how energy systems work—they’re discovering how to reimagine them for a sustainable future.

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MENV Specialization Lead Gregor MacGregor Featured in Colorado Arts and Science Magazine

Liz Holland — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 17:25:20 +0000

MENV Specialization Lead Gregor MacGregor Featured in Colorado Arts and Science Magazine Liz Holland Fri, 09/26/2025 - 11:25

On a quiet street in Lafayette, Colorado, the smell of rosemary and fresh bread often drifts from a solar-powered oven just before dawn. It’s where you’ll find Gregor MacGregor, a ��ý�� assistant teaching professor with the Masters of the Environment Graduate Program in the Department of Environmental Studies and the online Outdoor Recreation Economy program, conducting a carefully orchestrated dance of timers, dough balls and donut boxes.

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Audubon Rockies Capstone Team Makes Strides in Stream Restoration

Liz Holland — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 15:17:33 +0000

Audubon Rockies Capstone Team Makes Strides in Stream Restoration Liz Holland Mon, 09/22/2025 - 09:17

MENV Audubon Rockies Capstone Team paired up with Water for Colorado to map Colorado's restoration landscape and identify opportunities for scaling impacts for functioning and healthy riverscapes.

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Departmental Leadership Leading the Sustainability Charge at CU ��ý��

Liz Holland — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 17:15:19 +0000

Departmental Leadership Leading the Sustainability Charge at CU ��ý�� Liz Holland Wed, 09/17/2025 - 11:15

In alignment with CU ��ý��’s strategic sustainability priorities, the university has appointed two faculty members, Max Boykoff and Josh Radoff, to lead transformative campus efforts in education and infrastructure.

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Celebrating Impact: Highlights from MENV’s Inaugural Alumni Recognition Night

Liz Holland — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 16:42:53 +0000

Celebrating Impact: Highlights from MENV’s Inaugural Alumni Recognition Night Liz Holland Tue, 07/01/2025 - 10:42

A few weeks ago, the Masters of the Environment (MENV) program hosted its very first Alumni Recognition Night—and what a night it was!

Held at CU ��ý��, the evening brought together nearly a decade’s worth of MENV alumni, current students, faculty, staff, and even some proud family members. The energy in the room was electric as friends reconnected, new relationships were formed, and the shared spirit of environmental leadership and innovation filled the space.

The heart of the evening centered on celebrating three exceptional alumni: Bridger Tomlin, Jennalee Battson, and Taylor Clayton. These inspiring professionals were honored for their standout contributions to the sustainability sector since graduating from MENV. Whether through policy, corporate sustainability, community engagement, or environmental justice, their work exemplifies the mission and values of the program—and the kind of real-world impact our graduates continue to make.

As we recognized these changemakers, we were reminded of the power of a connected, passionate community committed to driving meaningful environmental solutions. It was a special moment for the program: reflecting on how far we've come in nine years, and looking forward to where we’re going next.

If you weren’t able to make it, don’t worry—this is just the beginning. We’ll be sharing in-depth features on each of our honorees in the coming weeks, diving into their career journeys and the incredible work they’re doing across the country. You can read more about Taylor, Jennalee, and Bridger's work using the buttons below.

Taylor Clayton Write Up

Thank you again to everyone who joined us in person or in spirit. We can’t wait to continue this tradition and celebrate even more MENV alumni in the years to come!

Stay tuned for more stories, photos, and ways to get involved.

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MENV

Outreach and Community Engagement Feature: Faces of Community-Engaged Scholarship-Gregor MacGregor

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Students learning dam good lessons from nature's busy builders

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Celebrating Innovation and Impact: Highlights from the 2025 MENV Capstone Symposium

Inspiring Keynotes from Sustainability Leaders

Honoring a Longstanding Partner in Regenerative Agriculture

Showcasing Student Innovation Across Sectors

A Community Committed to Change

Acknowledgments

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Masters of the Environment Alumni return to campus to discuss emerging trends in sustainability and their careers

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Student Blog: MENV Capstone Project

MENV Capstone Program

Poster Session

Upcoming: Capstone Symposium

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Powering Innovation: Students Build Their Own Microgrids

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MENV Specialization Lead Gregor MacGregor Featured in Colorado Arts and Science Magazine

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Audubon Rockies Capstone Team Makes Strides in Stream Restoration

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Departmental Leadership Leading the Sustainability Charge at CU ������ý����

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Celebrating Impact: Highlights from MENV’s Inaugural Alumni Recognition Night

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Departmental Leadership Leading the Sustainability Charge at CU ��ý��