Color of Water

This past academic year, our team had the privilege of working on the Color of Water project, a community-based research initiative focused on water equity in Commerce City. The project is part of DU’s Center for Community Engagement to advance Scholarship and Learning (CCESL) Scholars program, and I was fortunate to serve alongside Professor Tom Romero and our community partner, Cultivando, a local nonprofit committed to environmental justice and community health.

Our goal was to better understand how issues of water access, affordability, and quality impact residents in Commerce City — a community that has historically experienced environmental burdens due to industrial development. By combining academic research with community knowledge, we aimed to amplify residents’ voices and generate actionable insights that can inform local advocacy and policy efforts.
Throughout the project, collaborated closely with Cultivando to ensure that our research reflected community priorities. This partnership was a valuable reminder that community-engaged scholarship requires more than data collection; it requires trust, relationship building, and a willingness to listen. By holding regular check-ins and sharing progress transparently, we created space for feedback that shaped our deliverables in meaningful ways.

One of the major lessons I took away from this experience is that data alone is not enough — it must be paired with accessible storytelling. To this end, I contributed to creating data visualizations that translated complex information about water systems into clear, community-friendly formats.Also developed letters and materials that Cultivando could use in conversations with policymakers and other stakeholders. These tools helped bridge the gap between academic research and public understanding, making the work more impactful.

The project also highlighted the importance of interdisciplinarity. While I brought skills in information technology and data analysis, my peers and partners contributed expertise in law, sociology, and public health. Together, we were able to look at water equity from multiple angles, which made the project stronger and more holistic.
Ultimately, the Color of Water project has been a powerful reminder that research can and should serve the public good. By working alongside community members and organizations, we were able to generate knowledge that is both academically rigorous and deeply rooted in lived experience. I am grateful to have been part of this work and look forward to continuing efforts that connect scholarship with social justice.