Anjali Velamala wins Colorado University’s community impact award

Indian American Anjali Velamala, a senior double majoring in environmental engineering and applied math, has won a 2025 Community Impact Award from the College of Engineering and Applied Science at University of Colorado Boulders. She is also being recognized by the Environmental Engineering Program as one of two Outstanding Graduate Award honorees, according to a media release.

“I think receiving this award reflects my commitment to interdisciplinary learning and honoring the human side of engineering,” Velamala said. “My educational journey has been… less like a straight pipeline and more like a questionably-designed greywater recycling system—messy, looping, and beautifully sustainable.”

“Beyond my majors in environmental engineering and applied math and my art practices minor, I’ve explored everything from linguistics and biology to geology, computer science, business, and dance. I’ve come to believe that good engineering doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens through curiosity, collaboration, and care, she said.

READ: Sunderesh Heragu receives IEOM Global Engineering Education Award (November 29, 2024)

“I value the liberal arts ideals that have shaped my thinking: asking better questions, listening closely, and making space for nuance,” Velamala said. “These values have guided my academic work, my community engagement, and my vision for how engineers can serve a more interconnected, just world.”

Velamala says she is “most proud of the quiet, intentional rituals I’ve built around crafting a sustainable life. I’m proud of the first wooden spoon I carved in Marseille while visiting my aunt whose girlfriend is a luthier. That moment sparked a love for handmade objects.

“Since then, I’ve spent countless hours expanding that craft. Many of the utensils in my kitchen—and in the kitchens of those I love—have been shaped by my hands,” she said. “I eat off plates I sculpted and fired myself, sit on furniture I built, and read science nonfiction while my sourdough rises—made from a starter I’ve nurtured for six years.”

“These rituals aren’t just hobbies; they’re a reminder that sustainability isn’t just something I study—it’s something I live, one small, intentional act at a time,” she added.

“For me, it’s in the small moments of problem solving where I really feel my knowledge show up,” Velamala said. “Recently, I was helping a friend study for a math exam for welding school, and as I looked at the questions, I realized how naturally the concepts came to me—and that now I’m in a position to teach them. It made me recognize that my knowledge has taken years to gain and I have learned so much more than I realize.”

Asked for her advice for incoming engineering students, Velamala said, “I like to emphasize the importance of trying new things and building real community—values I truly embraced during college. One powerful experience was going to an African dance midterm one of my friends invited me to. Despite my nerves, stepping into that room changed me. The joy, openness, and support I felt gave me confidence and helped shift my mindset from individualism to community.”

“In a society that often encourages isolation, I found hope in knowing authentic community still exists. My advice to students: try new things with an open heart. Community will follow,” Velamala said.

After post-graduation, Velamala is planning to do a process engineering summer internship at a water treatment plant. Then she will be living in India for four months, traveling to many countries for about a year before going to graduate school, law school, or jumping into a career in engineering or consulting.