Keith Molenaar News

Civil professor selected as dean of CU Engineering

Anonymous — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 19:47:30 +0000

Civil professor selected as dean of CU Engineering Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 06/30/2022 - 13:47

�鶹ӰԺ Provost Russell Moore today named Keith Molenaar dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, effective July 1.

Moore said that in his interviews with the finalists, Molenaar’s approach impressed him on multiple levels.

“I was impressed by Keith’s vision for CEAS, which is grounded in values such as diversity, equity and inclusion, and which is laser-focused on student success,” said Moore.

“Keith laid out a pathway for taking CEAS to new levels of success built on a highly energetic and collaborative leadership style, and he did so with a clear sense of how the college could fit into the campus’s larger structures and directions. All of these came together in a way that gave me confidence that Keith is the right leader for CEAS at the right moment for the university,” Moore said.

Molenaar, who has been acting dean since January 2020, is the K. Stanton Lewis Professor of Construction Engineering and Management in CEAS. He received his doctoral and master’s degrees in civil engineering from CU �鶹ӰԺ, and his bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering also from CU �鶹ӰԺ. After a brief and successful appointment as an assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Molenaar returned to CU �鶹ӰԺ in 1999 as assistant professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering.

“I am honored to have this opportunity to lead and serve our extraordinary college of engineering,” said Molenaar. “This fall, I will engage the college community in creating a five-year vision with big ideas, bold initiatives and positive change. I will continue the great work the college is doing with the IDEA Plan and am fully committed to building an inclusive culture.

“We have been galvanized as a cohesive and highly effective team through the challenges of the past two years, and our future is now wide open,” added Molenaar.

Molenaar earned a Fulbright Scholarship in 2006–07 and was awarded the Toulmin Medal by the Society of American Military Engineers in 2003. He was named to the Pan-American Academy of Engineering in 2012 and the National Academy of Construction in 2017. He was recognized as a fellow of the Design-Build Institute of America in 2019.

“I’d like to thank Scott Adler, dean of the Graduate School and chair of the search committee, for his leadership of this search, as well as the members of the committee for their outstanding work throughout the search process,” said Moore.

Molenaar will succeed Bobby Braun, who stepped down from his position as dean in January of 2020 to join the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory executive leadership team.

The dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences serves on the provost’s cabinet.

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First Generation Stories: Keith Molenaar

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 16:57:21 +0000

First Generation Stories: Keith Molenaar Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 08/26/2021 - 10:57

Keith Molenaar is a first-generation college graduate, meaning he was the first in his family to complete a four-year degree. He is also the K. Stanton Lewis Professor of Construction Engineering and Management in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering and the acting dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

Molenaar was always a scholar, and his family encouraged him to pursue his studies past high school. However, the weight of being the first in his family to attend college added extra pressure to his experience.

“My family truly inspired me,” he said, “but it felt a little overwhelming at times.”

Molenaar’s path through the university didn’t start in a traditional way.

“I didn’t just end up here at CU as an undergraduate. Actually, I had a little bit of uncertainty and didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do,” he said. “With that pressure from my family, I did pursue school but went to junior colleges to start.”

Through junior college, Molenaar got the opportunity to explore his other interests, including photography and soccer.

“I needed that space. I needed to work through the different things I was exploring,” he reminisced. “If it wasn’t for that, I would’ve never found my path to �鶹ӰԺ or found my way to architectural engineering.”

When Molenaar made the decision to move to �鶹ӰԺ on his 21st birthday, it was the first time he had lived away from his family in Chicago. Eager to find his place at CU, Molenaar joined the club soccer team, participated in group study sessions, and found a part-time job at a restaurant, where he also met his future wife.

The support he found in his friends and colleagues played a major role in his success in college, which is something he wishes all first-generation students find at CU.

“I hope that first-generation students know they have something to offer and can learn to make offers,” he said. “Everybody has something to give, more than you probably realize.”

There are many communities on campus that foster belonging, among them the Broadening Opportunity through Leadership and Diversity (BOLD) Center.

“The BOLD Center is a place to be, a place to become,” Molenaar said. “And I think the students that participate here make an impact on all the college.”

Molenaar said he wanted to let students know that lacking confidence in the journey through college is a common struggle in first-generation students“To overcome is being resilient, he said. “You aren’t alone.”

Bella Colosimo is a second-year graduate student in Creative Technology and Design who assists with first-generation student inclusion efforts in the college.

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Professor earns ASCE-CI Peurifoy Construction Research Award

Anonymous — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 17:24:14 +0000

Professor earns ASCE-CI Peurifoy Construction Research Award Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/22/2021 - 10:24

Professor Keith Molenaar has been awarded the 2021 Peurifoy Construction Research Award by the American Society of Civil Engineers Construction Institute (ASCE-CI) Construction Research Council.

The annual award goes to an individual who has “made outstanding contributions to the advancement of construction engineering through research and development of new technology, principles or practices.” Molenaar is currently serving as the interim dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science and is the K. Stanton Lewis Professor of Construction Engineering and Management. He was received this award for “his groundbreaking research in project delivery mechanisms, cost estimating and risk engineering as well as for his significant impact on the construction engineering and management profession.” He is the primary author of more than 250 technical reports and articles. He has performed project delivery and risk-related work for the California, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, Texas, and Washington State.

Molenaar is an active member of the National Academy of Construction, the Transportation Research Board, American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Design Build Institute of America. He has also served on numerous technical review committees for projects including the Columbia River Bridge in Oregon the SR520 Floating Bridge in Washington State, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in California, the Panama Canal Expansion project in Panama, and ITER Fusion Generator project in France.

Molenaar received his Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering (1990), his Master of Science in Civil Engineering (1995), and his PhD in Civil Engineering (1997), all at the �鶹ӰԺ.

In addition to the Perifuoy Award, Molenaar has also received the CEAS Outstanding Graduate Advisor (2020), the CEAE Distinguished Achievement Award (2018), the CU Campus Global Citizen of the Year (2017), CU Provost Faculty Achievement Award (2006), and the CEAE Young Researcher Award (2002). Molenaar was inducted into the Pan-American Academy of Engineering in 2012, the National Academy of Construction in 2017, and was designated as a Fellow of the Design-Build Institute of America in 2019.

The American Society of Civil Engineers is a nonprofit organization made up of over 150,000 members in the civil engineering profession throughout 177 countries. ASCE strives to advance civil engineering while protecting public health, welfare, and safety. ASCE provides “technical and professional conferences and continuing education, [is] the world's largest publisher of civil engineering content, and an authoritative source for codes and standards to protect the public.” . ASCE is also the nation’s oldest engineering society, having been founded in 1852.

Molenaar will have the opportunity to present a “Peurifoy Construction Advancement Address” to the ASCE. The Peurifoy Construction Research Award is made possible through contributed funds from friends, former students, and associates of Dr. R. L. Peurifoy. The ASCE-CI Awards Committee is comprised of Professors Vineet Kamat (Chair), Dulcy Abraham, Chema de la Garza, Carl Haas, Iris Tommelein, and Ms. Katerina Lachinova (ASCE). The Peurifoy Award Selection Panel is composed of all prior Peurifoy Awardees.

Congratulations Professor Molenaar on this well-deserved honor!

Professor Keith Molenaar has been awarded the 2021 Peurifoy Construction Research Award by the American Society of Civil Engineers Construction Institute (ASCE-CI) Construction Research Council.

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Innovative partnership prepares infrastructure engineers

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 16:29:02 +0000

Innovative partnership prepares infrastructure engineers Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 11/18/2020 - 09:29

The �鶹ӰԺ has partnered with Kiewit, one of the nation’s largest construction and engineering organizations, to launch the Kiewit Design-Build Program.

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