Jim Heaney, former professor and chair of CU Boulder’s Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering passed away on Aug. 24. He was 84 years old.

Heaney served as a CEAE professor at CU Boulder from 1991 to 2003 and as department chair from 1991 to 1994. He then joined the University of Florida, retiring as a professor emeritus in 2018.

“Jim was one of the early supporters for bridging water resources and environmental engineering, which has had lasting benefits at CU Boulder,” said Professor Emerita JoAnn Silverstein.

Heaney received his PhD in environmental and water resources engineering from Northwestern University in 1968. He began his career during the early days of applying systems analysis to civil engineering and was a pioneer in utilizing physically based engineering models to optimize the design and operation of water systems.

At CU Boulder, he taught a range of courses on water resources engineering, including water systems optimization, and he helped develop the US EPA stormwater model (SWMM). He later became an expert in urban water efficiency and demand management, continuing this work at the University of Florida.

“Jim had a huge influence on me and the direction of my career,” said Peter Mayer, who was advised by Heaney while earning his MS in water resources engineering at CU Boulder in 1995.  

Mayer credited Heaney for setting him on the path to becoming a leading expert in residential water use and consulting.

“It all started because of Jim,” said Mayer, who now leads two major residential water use studies for the Water Research Foundation and California Department of Water �ƹ���Ƶ. “He set me up with research on residential water use for the city of Boulder for my thesis. That study, with 16 houses, homemade flow sensors and MS-DOS-based software was the start of my career in residential water use analysis, water use research and consulting.”

Len Wright, a PhD student of Heaney in the late 1990s and early 2000s recalled being recruited by him in 1995 for an NSF-funded project with an “incredible multi-disciplinary team”  at the Natural Hazards Center. Heaney later became his dissertation advisor.

“He guided me on an incredible journey that continues today,” Wright said. “His systems perspective on water resources opened my eyes to the world of water supply, drought, flooding and urban drainage. I am proud to continue this work, helping  the US Virgin Islands recover from the devastation of hurricanes Irma and Maria, as well as post-wildfire and flooding disasters in New Mexico. Not a day goes by that I don’t use something I learned during my years of work with Jim, developing applied research solutions to climate-driven water resources problems.”

Professor Balaji Rajgopalan described Heaney as a “calming presence” in the water faculty group, adding, “He was a great mentor with a warm personality.”

“I will miss his cheerful attitude, boundless new ideas and expert copy editing,” said Mayer. “He introduced me to people who are still my colleagues and peers today. He was a mentor and a friend.”

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Photo caption: The CU Boulder Water Group at Hari Rajaram's 2018 going-away party. From left to right, Joseph Kasprzyk, John Crimaldi, Rajagopalan Balaji, Edie Zagona, Hari Rajaram and Roseanna Neupauer. Photo courtesy Roseanna Neupauer.

Hari Rajaram, a beloved former faculty member in CU Boulder’s Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering (CEAE), died unexpectedly on July 4 at his home in Baltimore. He was 59 years old.

Rajaram was globally recognized as a prominent figure in the field of environmental and Earth systems, known for his innovative use of mathematical models to understand and predict complex environmental phenomena. He was also a world-renowned expert in hydrology. 

In the department, he was affectionately called the “historian” for his phenomenal memory and revered for his methodical, well-organized teaching likened to a “precisely orchestrated symphony.” He was celebrated not just as a researcher, but also as an exceptional teacher, mentor, friend and role model. 

“Hari was that rare individual who combined strong intellect with humility and warmth,” said CEAE Professor Rajagopalan Balaji. “He had an attitude of selfless service, remained even tempered and empathetic and was an all-around wonderful human being.” 

Balaji shared that he frequently met with Rajaram during his tenure as department chair (2014-2022), “to seek his thoughtful counsel.” 

“Hari consistently advocated for and championed quality over quantity, providing an important voice,” he said.

Professor Emerita JoAnn Silverstein, who worked with Rajaram for 20 years, highlighted his impact during her eight years as department chair (2002 – 2010) when Rajaram served as the associate chair.

"Hari led numerous challenging tasks in service of the department, and I can’t recall any contentious issue that he could not resolve with his empathy, insight and sense of humor," she said. "That Hari embodied all the best facets of academic life was a source of inspiration to me and countless others."

CEAE Professor Roseanna Neupauer, who first met Rajaram when they were graduate students at MIT, echoed Silverstein's and Balaji’s sentiments.

“Hari had absolutely no ego and possessed a strong desire to uplift his community and every individual. With his clarity of mind to see the big picture, he approached contentious issues with a calm demeanor, grace and diplomacy, offering well-reasoned solutions that everyone could agree on. He was an outstanding teacher, patient and encouraging with all his students.” 

Balaji said Rajaram was the search committee chair who recruited him, and later Neupauer. 

“He is the reason we ended up at CU,” Balaji said. 

A distinguished career

Rajaram (back/center) stopped by Balaji's (right) home in July 2022 when he was driving his son, Vinu, to Berkeley to start his PhD. Balaji's uncle (left), daughters and Vinu are also pictured. Photo courtesy Rajagopalan Balaji.

At CU Boulder, Rajaram was hired as an assistant professor in 1993 and rose to the rank as a professor of civil engineering in 2004, also serving as the department’s associate chair from 2006-2008. He received numerous teaching awards, including being named a President’s Teaching Scholar —the highest teaching honor in the CU system. He won nearly every award in the CEAE department from research to outstanding teaching. 

Also while at CU Boulder, Rajaram received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award (1998), collaborated with many CEAE faculty on various projects and served as the editor of the premier journal “Water �ƹ���Ƶ Research'' from 2013-2017.

In 2018, Rajaram moved to the Johns Hopkins Department of Environmental Health and Engineering and had served as deputy chair since that time. He was the editor-in-chief of “Geophysical Research Letters” from 2019 until his passing, and he was recently elected as Fellow of the American Geophysical Union.

Rajaram began his academic journey at the Indian Institute of Technology, in Madras, where he earned a Bachelor of Technology. He later pursued his MS at the University of Iowa. In 1991, he obtained his PhD in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  Following his doctoral studies, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Princeton University in the Department of Civil Engineering and Operations Research.

Neupauer shared a story from their time together as graduate students at MIT.

“About 10 years ago, a group of CU Boulder graduate students taking classes from both Hari and me discovered that when Hari and I were graduate students at MIT, we were finalists in an Irish jig competition at our lab's St. Patrick's Day party. When they asked Hari about the competition, he claimed he couldn't remember who won,” Neupauer said.

“Of course, this meant that Hari had won—because he never forgot anything and wouldn't want to brag,” she said.

Balaji also called Rajaram’s memory “phenomenal.”

“In almost all the conversations he brought a relevant historical perspective,” he said. “Even in technical discussions he would quote classic papers to offer richer insights. This was uniquely and quintessentially Hari.

"I will miss him.”

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Caption: Professor Ron Helms (right) in CU Boulder's photometric lab in 1967.

Ron Helms, a former professor fondly known as ‘Doc’ by his CU Boulder architectural lighting students, passed away on May 23. He was 85 years old.

Helms joined CU Boulder’s architectural engineering faculty in 1965 and taught lighting courses in the architectural engineering program. During his tenure, he advocated for the importance of the illuminating engineering program, establishing a benchmark for advanced lighting education. Illumination engineering focuses on the design, implementation and analysis of lighting systems.

Helms is believed to be the first to teach a complete set of lighting coursework for the department.

He also created the Illumination 1 course, which teaches the fundamentals of illuminating engineering. In 1973, Illumination 1 became a required course for all CU Boulder architectural engineering students and has been taught ever since. 

“Doc nurtured and inspired so many engineers, designers, educators and manufacturing professionals,” said Cheryl English, one of Helm’s students from 1977-81 and a retired lighting executive. “We remember Doc for his keen sense of humor and dedication to his students, whom he referred to as his ‘family.’ ”

Betty Helms, wife of Ron Helms, Peter Ngai, CU Boulder  graduate and an icon in the lighting industry, and Ron Helms at the Illuminating Engineering Society's 100th anniversary in 2006. 

Helms received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Illinois and PhD from Ohio State University.  He left CU Boulder in 1981 to become the head of University of Kansas’ architectural engineering program, where he established the Bob Foley Illumination laboratory in 1985. He then went on to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University to establish a new illuminating engineering program; he retired in 2006.

Helms published many papers, authored three textbooks and presented technical programs.

"He was a strong advocate for the recognition of architectual engineering and illuminating engineering as credible disciplines in the industry," English said. "He worked to establish that recognition in professional organizations and engineering accreditations."

Helms leaves behind his four children, eight grandchildren, extended family and "countless lighting professionals who had the privilege of benefiting from his mentorship or attending his education programs,” English said.

A memorial service was held on June 1 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, North Carolina.

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From right: Kaspar Willam, Kurt Gerstle, Stein Sture and JoAnn Silverstein rest on top of Mount Audubon in Colorado, Sept.1984.

“A great scientist. A beloved colleague. A dear friend.”

These are just a few of the heartfelt sentiments that were shared in emails from across the globe in remembrance of structural engineering Professor Emeritus Kaspar Willam. Willam passed away on Jan. 7 in his home country of Austria. The funeral took place in Willam’s hometown, Bezau, on Jan. 13. He was 83 years old.

Willam began his tenure with CU Boulder's Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering (CEAE) in 1981, where over the years he collaborated with Professor Yunping Xi, Professor Emeritus Victor Saouma, Associate Professor George Hearn, Professor Ron Pak and many others. He stayed with the department for 29 years until 2010, followed by a move to the University of Houston. He was a member of the prestigious National Academy of Engineering; a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers; a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and received the Nathan M. Newmark Medal.

“Kaspar was a wonderful colleague — brilliant, humorous, a great outdoor enthusiast and modest about all of his achievements,” said Professor Emerita JoAnn Silverstein.

Pak said that Willam was the “clear leader” of the department’s structural engineering research group. “He was well respected in the department, not only because of his national and international stature in computational mechanics and plasticity, but also because of his gentle and discreet temperament, his scholarly dedication, and sense of fairness and support for what is best not just for the group but also for the whole department,” Pak said.

Xi said he first met Willam at a conference in Europe where Willam informed him about a vacancy at CU Boulder and encouraged Xi to submit an application. Xi followed his advice, and he has been with the university for 27 years. Throughout their years together, the two collaborated on many projects.

“I enjoyed every single one of them,” Xi said.

Xi also recalled the first research proposal they submitted to the U.S. Air Force. The two worked throughout the night on the proposal and submitted it when it was due the following morning. Willam, fueled only by a cup of coffee, taught that morning too.  

“I was totally surprised by his dedication and energy, which has been an inspiration to me over the years,” Xi said.   

Xi said that after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, Willam emphasized the importance of addressing fire damage to concrete. The two collaborated in numerous related research projects until Willam transferred to the University of Houston.  

“I got so used to our discussions in his office that sometimes I would be planning a discussion with him when I suddenly realized that he had already left (for Houston),” Xi said. 

Professor Emeritus Stein Sture, who also served as CU Boulder vice chancellor for research, said he met Willam at the University of Waterloo at the first ASCE Engineering Mechanics Conference in 1976, where Willam co-delivered the keynote lecture on new developments of finite element modeling. The two discovered they had many common interests and stayed in touch. Together they worked closely on a wide range of topics, including strain-softening of brittle materials, fracture mechanics and finite element modeling. 

Along with Professor Emeritus Hon-Yim Ko, Professor Emeritus Kurt Gerstle, who passed away in 2013, and other colleagues, they hosted a number of highly talented international and national visitors. 

“It was a lively, happy and very busy period,” Sture said. “It was like Santa’s workshop.” 

Willam and Sture went on to co-author many papers and reports, and they advised and co-advised a “great many very talented students, who have all gone on to have excellent careers.” Together with Gerstle, Silverstein and some of their academic visitors, they skied during the winter and hiked in the mountains during the spring, summer and fall.  

Xi said he last saw Kaspar on campus not long before the onset of COVID-19. 

“Even in his older age, he was still very interested in research topics and the department status.

May he rest in peace.” 

Kaspar Willam is survived by his wife, Veronica, and daughters and son-in-laws, Alison and Matt; and Cindy and Stefan. 

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