InTERFEWS Graduate Program

Center of Innovation

Overlooking the solar photovoltaic panels and agricultural planting temperature sheds
The InTERFEWS Program brings together PhD students from traditionally disparate disciplines to conduct research on key problems in the FEW nexus with a focus on water-scarce, arid regions.

As population continues to grow and demands for resources increase, understanding the nexus of Food-Energy-Water Systems (FEWS) is vital to ensure the reliability and equity of access to these crucial resources. 

Our mission is to prepare a diverse cohort of graduate students with the transdisciplinary and systems-level thinking skills necessary to make meaningful contributions to the complex and changing interactions in FEWS under water scarcity.

Focus Areas

This NSF-funded program was designed to equip students with 21st century career skills, preparing graduates to solve complex Food-Energy-Water (FEWS) problems.

InTERFEWS includes four key components to achieve this goal:

Group of CSU Engineering graduates in black and gold caps and gowns celebrating at a graduation ceremony, holding diplomas and cheering at Fall 2024 commencement.

Curriculum

Drip irrigator in a raised garden bed

FEW Systems Research

CSU Students at Exploring Engineering Day Fall 2023

Professional Development

Student learning principles of watershed management near Cache la Poudre River on CSU Mountain Campus.

Apprenticeships

Generating New Ideas - Solving Big Problems

Colorado State University is uniquely poised to address semi-arid FEW issues due to its:

  • Strong research engagement in managing resources under scarcity
  • Location in the Rocky Mountain Western Region
  • Our culture of collaborative innovation

The InTEFEWS Program engages all 8 Colleges in 25 departments with 9 core faculty.

External Partners

  • Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research
  • Colorado-Wyoming Alliance for Minority Participation
  • Wright Water Engineers
  • City of Fort Collins
  • Water Research Foundation
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory
  • USDA Agricultural Research Service
  • North Carolina AGricutlural and Technical State University
  • RRWCD
  • Aspire Sustainability
  • Brendle Group
  • Colorado Water Conservation Board
  • Carollo Engineers
  • Allicance for Water Efficiency
  • Coca-Cola
 
  • US Environmental Protection Agency
  • Nutrien
  • Trees, Water, People
  • Shell
  • Colorado Collaborative for Healthy Soils
  • University of Mississippi
  • SENSYNC
  • Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
  • Leprino Foods
  • Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center
  • Precision Water Resources Engineering
  • SISTEMA Bio
  • Ogallala Water
  • Irrigation Innovation Consortium
  • Village Earth
  • Practical Farmers of Iowa
  • West Water Research