Construction Engineering & Management

Matt Hallowell wrote a book on workplace safety. Industry made it a bestseller.

Susan Glairon — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 16:29:16 +0000

Matt Hallowell wrote a book on workplace safety. Industry made it a bestseller. Susan Glairon Mon, 11/17/2025 - 09:29

Susan Glairon

Professor Matt Hallowell presents at the 2025 CSRA Safety Summit, held in November at the Limelight Hotel in Boulder. More than 2,100 industry and academic professionals participated, both in person and virtually.

91��ý’s Construction Safety Research Alliance (CSRA), a nonprofit research organization established in 2018 by Professor Matthew Hallowell, brings together hundreds of industry and academic researchers to collaborate on creating and sharing new safety knowledge. The goal: to eliminate serious injuries and fatalities in the construction industry.

Recently Hallowell wrote the book, “Energy-Based Safety: A Scientific Approach to Preventing Serious Injuries and Fatalities,” which summarized the research of more than 100 journal papers in reader-friendly terms.

Within 48 hours of announcing the book pre-order on Amazon, the book topped the charts in industrial psychology, ergonomics and industrial health and safety.

Your book is an Amazon bestseller. Why is a book about worksite safety so popular?

Serious issues and fatalities have been a big problem for a long time, and there hasn't been an evidence-based solution. There's a hunger in our profession for something new, and there's a big community behind it.

The book grew from the research we conducted in the CSRA—examining the unique causes of serious injuries and fatalities. We had produced a lot of papers on the topic, but they were scattered across journals and hidden behind paywalls. Industry simply isn’t going to chase them down.

This book is a one-stop shop; all the scientific evidence in one place. I took the research and presented the theory in accessible terms and explained how to integrate that knowledge into the everyday activities companies already perform.

Professionals have relied on traditional safety practices for decades. When did you first realize those methods weren’t enough to prevent serious injuries and fatalities?

Less-severe injuries have been declining year over year for a long time. Unfortunately, over the same period, the fatality rate has remained statistically unchanged. In fact, roughly the same number of people die on worksites as did 17 years ago. We knew we need to do something different. We had to figure out what’s different about serious injuries and fatalities.

What inspired you to do this type of research and create the CSRA?

I initially focused on traditional civil engineering. During my PhD, I became interested in safety, and, once I started at CU, I developed my own research style. Safety is a multi-faceted topic. There’s a little bit of engineering. A little bit of law. Some psychology, business. And I was interested in exploring all these angles.

Who is buying the book?

The biggest volume is from industry, although several professors from different universities will be using the book in their courses, which is cool! There’s a big push from industry to modernize academic programs, and this new evidence-based approach to safety is beginning to get attention in the academic realm.

What are the biggest takeaways from the book?

The book covers four major principles.

Energy causes harm. So anytime somebody gets hurt, energy from the environment is contacting them, like being struck by something, or an electrical shock.
More energy causes more harm. There's a limit to what we can sustain, and it's 1,500 joules.
Controls save lives. Energy is required to do work. Safety becomes our ability to harness that energy to get work done without it coming in contact with a person.
People drive performance. The situations we put employees in affect the decisions they make. If people are rushed and tired and they don't know the safety procedures, the controls are much less likely to be used correctly.

These principles apply to any injury that happens to anybody anywhere. These concepts are far broader than construction. Somebody recently posted on LinkedIn that they've been using energy-based safety for their commercial drone flying operations.

Industry members of the Construction Safety Research Alliance proudly hold Matt Hallowell’s new book, which showcases safety research contributed by these and other members.

What do you see as the biggest barrier to adopting this evidence-based research?

The biggest challenge is communicating that this work is not my idea of how safety should work, or what I think about safety. It's hundreds of people, it's hard evidence, it's experimentation and empirical data. And that's something that the safety profession hasn't had enough of in the past.

What's next for you?

For me, “next” probably won't be a book.

I underestimated how difficult it would be to write an evidence-based book. I'm not just sharing my ideas or guesses. Everything in the book is drawn from evidence. I tried hard to explain where the knowledge came from and why you should trust it. And I had to explain it in a way that would be easily understood. It’s much easier to write a journal paper!

I’m working on the next generation. We need to grow the scientific community in this field. Our PhD students are going off and teaching at other universities. That's the biggest way we improve our ability to do research. All proceeds from this book are being redirected to a scholarship fund that supports this next generation.

Attendees of the 2025 CSRA Safety Summit raise green and red buffalo-shaped paddles to answer a question projected on a screen during a panel session.

With fatalities unchanged for nearly two decades, industry has been hungry for clear, practical guidance rooted in solid research, says Professor Matt Hallowell. In his first book, Hallowell summarized the research of more than 100 journal papers in reader-friendly terms, providing the first comprehensive, evidence-based explanation of why serious worksite injuries persist and how to prevent them.

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Disaster risk workshop sparks collaboration, innovation

Susan Glairon — Wed, 21 May 2025 18:49:04 +0000

Disaster risk workshop sparks collaboration, innovation Susan Glairon Wed, 05/21/2025 - 12:49

Improving how we communicate risks, Amir Behzadan, professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering and fellow of the Institute of Behavioral Science, and Mary Angelica Painter are developing more effective, engaging ways to keep people safe during extreme events.

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LA fire rebuilding recommendations for homeowners

Susan Glairon — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 21:03:47 +0000

LA fire rebuilding recommendations for homeowners Susan Glairon Tue, 04/01/2025 - 15:03

Researchers from the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering share key lessons from post-Marshall Fire rebuilding to help Los Angeles homeowners and others navigate recovery after wildfires.

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Professor receives ASCE Peurifoy Construction Research Award

Susan Glairon — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 21:12:46 +0000

Professor receives ASCE Peurifoy Construction Research Award Susan Glairon Wed, 03/26/2025 - 15:12

Susan Glairon

Professor Amy Javernick-Will received the 2025 Peurifoy Construction Research Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers, the highest ASCE academic honor in construction engineering and management. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to construction engineering through research and technological advancements.

“This award is incredibly meaningful for me," Javernick-Will said. "I am incredibly fortunate to have received amazing mentorship throughout my career, many of whom have received the Peurifoy award, including my advisor. The award is a testament to my graduate students and research group, who have spent countless hours on research focused on improving lives thorough safe shelter and buildings, reliable and safe water and infrastructure services."

Javernick-Will’s impact on the field has been widely recognized. She also recently received the 2024 Pathfinder Award, the highest honor from the Engineering Project Organization Society, at its annual conference in Bar Harbor, Maine.

At 91��ý, Javernick-Will leads the Global Projects and Organizations Research Group, which integrates social sciences and engineering to address complex problems and achieve beneficial community outcomes.

Her contributions have drawn praise from colleagues, including Professor Keith Molenaar, who highlighted her influence on LinkedIn. “The Peurifoy award highlights Amy’s groundbreaking work at the intersection of social and built systems—advancing community resilience, post-disaster recovery and the sustainable delivery of infrastructure services for all, especially marginalized communities,” wrote Molenaar, dean of 91��ý’s College of Engineering and Applied Science and a 2021 Peurifoy Award recipient. “Amy’s work is a great example of how engineering isn’t just about what we build—it’s about who we build it for. Her research is defining the future of construction and infrastructure, making sure that the systems we create are more sustainable, resilient and equitable.”

Javernick-Will earned her PhD in civil engineering, construction engineering and management from Stanford University and both her MS and BS in civil engineering from 91��ý.

"This work would not be possible without the community partners, whose wisdom, passion and collaboration have enabled collection action to improve the built environment," Javernick-Will said.

Professor Amy Javernick-Will received the highest academic honor in construction engineering and management from the American Society of Civil Engineers.

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Amy Javernick-Will: Q&A with CEAS's new associate dean for faculty advancement

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 16:03:36 +0000

Amy Javernick-Will: Q&A with CEAS's new associate dean for faculty advancement Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/13/2024 - 10:03

In this Q&A, Amy Javernick-Will, the new associate dean for faculty advancement, discusses the meaningful ways she has felt welcomed into the College of Engineering leadership.

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91��ý professor honored with Pathfinder award for societal impact

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 16:16:59 +0000

91��ý professor honored with Pathfinder award for societal impact Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 06/26/2024 - 10:16

Susan Glairon

Professor Amy Javernick-Will received the Pathfinder award, the highest honor of the Engineering Project Organization Society, at the 2024 Engineering Project Organization Conference held June 11-14 in Bar Harbor, Maine.

The award recognizes significant contributions with lasting impact. Javernick-Will's research aims to improve how communities, especially those lacking resources, can better handle disasters and sustain their infrastructure, such as housing, water and sanitation.

“The award was a wonderful surprise,” said Javernick-Will of 91��ý’s Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering. “Seeing my expanding academic family in the audience, I was overcome with emotion both for the support I received to pursue an unconventional research path focused on societal impact, and the tremendous work that my students and their students are doing to ensure positive infrastructure outcomes.”

Positive infrastructure outcomes can include infrastructures that are resilient to natural disasters, minimize environmental impact and are beneficial to all segments of society, including marginalized communities.

Adding to her emotion, Javernick-Will's academic advisor, Emeritus Professor Raymond Levitt, a civil and environmental engineering professor from Stanford University, was among the first recipients of the Pathfinder awards, and her co-advisor, Emeritus Professor W. Richard Scott, a sociology professor, also from Stanford, received the award concurrently with her.

At 91��ý, Javernick-Will leads the Global Projects and Organizations Research Group, which is composed of boundary spanners—individuals who work across different disciplines, integrating social sciences and engineering–to address complex problems and achieve beneficial community outcomes.

The Engineering Project Organization Society originally focused on studying how engineering projects are organized, managed and executed but has broadened its scope to include understanding and improving the effects of engineering projects on communities and society. This includes ensuring that infrastructure development is equitable, benefitting all segments of the population fairly, including underserved or marginalized groups.

“This award is a tribute to my academic family—my former PhD students and their students—who are members of the society and are making remarkable contributions worldwide to ensure safe infrastructure services for all,” Javernick-Will added.

Professor Amy Javernick-Will received the Pathfinder Award, the highest honor from the Engineering Project Organization Society, recognizing her research on improving disaster response and infrastructure sustainability in resource-limited communities.

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50 students graduate from the Construction Engineering and Management program

Anonymous — Fri, 31 May 2024 15:34:07 +0000

50 students graduate from the Construction Engineering and Management program Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/31/2024 - 09:34

On April 26, 50 students from 91��ý's Construction Engineering and Management program, including including one PhD, eight MS and 41 BS students, celebrated their spring 24 graduation at the CEM graduation ceremony. The ceremony took place at the Rustandy Connector, which connects the engineering center and business school. Maja Rosenquist, senior vice president of Mortenson Construction, delivered the keynote address.

The CEM program in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering focuses on preparing students for careers in the construction industry by providing them with the necessary technical and managerial skills to plan, design and oversee construction projects.

On April 26, 50 students from 91��ý's Construction Engineering and Management program graduated at the Rustandy Connector.

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CEAE group receives $8 million from DOE's Renew America Nonprofits program

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 17:59:31 +0000

CEAE group receives $8 million from DOE's Renew America Nonprofits program Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 11/21/2023 - 10:59

Susan Glairon

Energy model for an existing nonprofit building.

Thermal image for a building envelope element.

Analysis tool for calibrating energy models with utility data

A research group from the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering is set to receive $8 million through the U.S. Department of Energy's Renew America Nonprofits program to provide technical assistance that helps nonprofits reduce energy use, with the saved funds redirected toward the nonprofits’ mission-driven initiatives. Professor Moncef Krarti serves as principal investigator, while Professors Gregor Henze and John Zhai serve as co-principal investigators for this award.

The project will be supported for four years with a budget of $5.7 million from DOE funds and $2.3 million as cost-share, primarily from industry contributions.

“In addition to assisting numerous nonprofit organizations in the Rocky Mountain region, 91��ý’s project places a significant emphasis on involving and training students in all stages of renovating existing buildings,” said Krarti, who also is the project’s director.

The project involves creating tools to measure and analyze the impact of energy efficiency strategies in facilities owned and operated by nonprofits in the Rocky Mountain region, including Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.

The students’ involvement spans from using advanced tools for energy auditing, to preparing construction bids, conducting retro-commissioning tasks and assessing the impacts of deploying diverse energy efficiency strategies. Futhermore, the students will have the opportunity to develop and demonstrate innovative approaches for evaluating, managing and maximizing the sustainability benefits of energy retrofit projects.

The DOE launched the $50 million Renew America’s Nonprofits Program, also known as the Energy Efficiency Materials Pilot Program, under President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This program aims to reduce carbon emissions, improve health and safety, and lower utilities costs for buildings owned and operated by 501(c)(3) nonprofits. This first-of-its-kind investment in the nonprofit sector aims to facilitate high-impact energy efficiency improvements, creating cleaner, healthier community spaces, while generating sustainable savings that can be redirected toward mission-driven work. Additionally, it aims to stimulate widespread energy improvements in the nonprofit sector, fostering partnerships between stakeholders to establish a pipeline of energy and cost-saving projects that will continue beyond the grant's duration.

This 5-year-old project, led by Building Systems Professor Moncef Krarti, will provide technical assistance to nonprofits for energy-saving initiatives, with a strong emphasis on student involvement in renovating existing buildings.

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Meet Associate Professor Steven Ayer

Anonymous — Sat, 26 Aug 2023 10:08:49 +0000

Meet Associate Professor Steven Ayer Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 08/26/2023 - 04:08

Susan Glairon

Steven Ayer is an associate professor in the University of Colorado Boulder’s Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering.

Prior to joining 91��ý, Ayer was a faculty member at Arizona State University in the Del E. Webb School of Construction. Before beginning his faculty career at ASU, he completed his bachelors, masters and PhD degrees in architectural engineering at the Pennsylvania State University.

Ayer’s work focuses on exploring how new and emerging visualization technologies, including augmented and virtual reality, can support students and practitioners in building construction contexts. His team has explored the use of technology for: students gaining “cyberlearning” experiences related to construction management and engineering; architects aiming to improve the quality of their design concepts; construction managers interested in improving field communication of building information modeling content; and facility managers interested in better leveraging model information to deliver more maintainable built spaces. Ayer’s work has been funded by federal, state and industrial sources, which has enabled his team to collect data that offers both scientific and practical contributions.

Meet our other new CEAE faculty members

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CVEN seniors tackle a portion of the Gross Reservoir Expansion Project

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 21:16:25 +0000

CVEN seniors tackle a portion of the Gross Reservoir Expansion Project Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/20/2023 - 15:16

As part of their capstone project, seniors in 91��ý's civil engineering program are contributing to the design of the expansion of Denver Water’s Gross Reservoir Expansion Project, which involves raising the height of Gross Dam by 131 feet. The renovated dam will nearly triple the reservoir’s water storage capacity and create a more reliable water system for 1.5 million people in the Denver metro area.

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