Carlo Salvinelli is an Associate Teaching Professor at the Mortenson Center in Global Engineering & Resilience at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he teaches courses on humanitarian aid, international development project management, field methods for development engineers, and the design of sustainable technologies. He holds a BS in Industrial Engineering and an MS in Engineering Management from the University of Brescia (Italy), and a PhD in Geological Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology, where his doctoral research focused on household water treatment systems for underserved communities. Dr. Salvinelli brings six years of practitioner experience with international NGOs and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, primarily in Central America. In these roles, he designed and implemented development programs, coordinated emergency response efforts, and facilitated international policy dialogues addressing rural livelihoods, water and sanitation access, rural electrification, disaster risk reduction, and natural resource management. His research integrates engineering, social science, and policy perspectives to study complex systems in underserved and fragile contexts. His research interests include monitoring and impact evaluation of water service delivery and integrated water resources management; sustainable agriculture and food systems; interactions between social and built infrastructure; disaster risk reduction; refugees and displacement; and engineering education.
CVEN 2837 - Special Topics
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Fall 2021
Supervised study of special topics of interest to student under instructor guidance.
CVEN 4837 - Special Topics
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2020
Supervised study of special topics of interest to students under instructor guidance.
CVEN 5129 - Program and Project Management
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Spring 2025
Covers the principles, practice, and phases of international development program and project management including design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, exit strategy, and scaling up. Emphasis will be posed on challenges and constrains related to the multidisciplinary, dynamic, and complex nature of global development projects. Students will be exposed to several methodologies and tools commonly used to identify needs and promote social change, including the Theory of Change and the Logical Framework Approach. Recommended restrictions of EVEN 2909 or CVEN 5919 or CVEN 5909.
CVEN 5139 - Solution Identification and Proposal Development
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Spring 2025
Presents an overview of strategies and best practices to develop effective grant proposals for international development interventions, as well as major funding mechanisms and processes. This is a project-based course, students will work in teams with an NGO to develop a concept note for a current request for proposal. The proposal will have to respect priorities and requirements of the target population, principles and goals of the proposing NGO, and guidelines of the donor. Recommended restrictions of EVEN 2909 or CVEN 5919 or CVEN 5909.
CVEN 5833 - Special Topics
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Spring 2020
Supervised study of special topics of interest to students under instructor guidance.
CVEN 5837 - Special Topics for Seniors/Grads
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Spring 2018 / Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2021 / Spring 2022 / Spring 2023 / Spring 2024
Supervised study of special topics of interest to students under instructor guidance.
CVEN 5929 - Sustainable Community Development 2
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Spring 2018 / Spring 2019
Covers the principles, practices and strategies of appropriate technology as part of an integrated and systems approach to community-based development. Course content areas include technical issues in development, environmental health and communicable disease, appropriate and sustainable technologies with hands-on workshops, and global cooperation in development.
CVEN 5979 - Community Appraisal
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Spring 2025
Provides conceptual and methodological tools that can be employed in different phases of international development projects and studies. Community appraisal methods will be presented with emphasis on participatory research approaches, need assessment tools, and ethnographic methods; related cultural, ethical, and personal issues will be also discussed. Students will be introduced to secondary data gathering, and the usage of the main data resources on food and water security, energy access, and health status. Recommended restrictions of EVEN 2909 or CVEN 5919 or CVEN 5909.
CVEN 5989 - Study Design and Impact Evaluation
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Spring 2025
Covers the characteristics of the different study designs that can be used to assess the impact of international development interventions. Students will be introduced to the main types of study design, including randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, and interrupted time series. Ethical considerations faced when conducting research on human subjects and the compliance process to obtain approval from the Institutional Review Board will be presented. Recommended restrictions: EVEN 2909 or CVEN 5919 or CVEN 5909.
EDEN 5001 - Special Topics in Global Engineering
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Fall 2020
At the graduate level, covers topics of interest in global engineering. Content varies by section and from semester to semester. May be repeated up to 18 total credit hours.
ENVS 4800 - Capstone: Critical Thinking in Environmental Studies
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Spring 2022 / Fall 2022
Examines a specific environmental topic in depth, synthesizing information from complex and controversial issues. Different course sections present different topics. Fulfills capstone requirement for Environmental Studies major. Recommended prerequisites: ENVS 1000 and ENVS 3020 and ENVS students should have already taken a cornerstone class (ENVS 3520, ENVS 3525, ENVS 3555, or ENVS 3621).
EVEN 2004 - Introduction to Global Engineering
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Fall 2022
Introduces students to the emerging field of Global Engineering, concerned with the unequal and unjust distribution of access to basic services such as water, sanitation, energy, food, transportation and shelter. The course places an emphasis on identifying the drivers, determinants and solutions favoring equitable access. Topics include technology development and validation, data collection and impact evaluation. Recommended restriction: for engineering students. Formerly EVEN 2004.
EVEN 4830 - Special Topics
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Fall 2021 / Fall 2022
May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours.
EVEN 5979 - Introduction to Humanitarian Aid
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Summer 2023 / Fall 2023 / Summer 2024 / Fall 2024 / Fall 2025
Addresses the humanitarian-development nexus and gives an overview of the main ethical and professional principles, standards, and key stakeholders involved in humanitarian aid. Students will learn the historical and legal frameworks that shaped these principles, and examine their applicability to the challenges faced by humanitarian actors today. Increasing frequency, intensity, complexity, and length of emergency situations require new approaches and coordination among historically divided humanitarian and development actors. Recommended prerequisite: CVEN 4839/5919 Global Development for Engineers.
EVEN 5989 - Disaster Risk Reduction
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Fall 2024 / Fall 2025
Explores disaster governance, the decentralization of disaster resources and responsibilities, and best practices and tools in preparedness and mitigation. Students will examine the intersection of development, climate change, and disasters, by studying the impact of crisis events on human, social, and political behavior, and associated responses from impacted populations. Students will learn how to use data, tools, and geospatial techniques (GIS) that can inform and enhance vulnerability assessments, mitigation planning, and response operations. Recommended prerequisite: CVEN 4839/5919 Global Development for Engineers, or EVEN 5979, Introduction to Humanitarian Aid.
EVEN 5999 - Refugees and Displacement
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Fall 2022 / Fall 2024 / Fall 2025
Examines the processes and policies contributing to and driving refugee and migration flows, as well as response strategies. The focus will be on forced displacement, which currently impact the lives of almost 80 million people worldwide. This course covers solutions, particularly in the settlement context, for the appropriate provision of covered living space to adequately shelter displaced populations, while also promoting safer, healthier settlements that link emergency shelter and settlement assistance to longer-term recovery efforts. Previously offered as a special topics course. Recommended prerequisites: CVEN 4839/5919, EVEN 5979 and EVEN 5989.
EVEN 6940 - Master's Candidate for Degree
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Fall 2025
Registration intended for students preparing for a thesis defense, final examination, culminating activity, or completion of degree.
GEEN 1400 - Engineering Projects
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024
First-year students solve real-world engineering design problems in interdisciplinary teams. Design projects vary by section. Curriculum focuses on iterative design process, teamwork and team dynamics, supporting design with testing and analysis, and technical writing. Completed projects are exhibited at an end-of-semester design expo. Students responsible for contributing towards their design project budget (approximately $75). Degree credit not granted for this course and ASTR 2500, ASEN 1400, ASEN 1403 and ECEN 1400.
