Ken Carlson is an Associate Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Colorado State University with over 20 years of experience in water treatment, wastewater handling and environmental engineering. Dr. Carlson is the co-director of the Colorado Energy Water Consortium, a public-private partnership that is addressing water issues associated with oil and gas exploration and production in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region. Through the consortium, Dr. Carlson is working with industry, the Colorado Oil and Gas Association and the National Renewable Energy Lab on water quantity characterization and frac flowback/produced water quality assessment. Current work includes studies related to fuel source water intensity, treatment of frac fluid flowback and produced water and optimization of water handling and management. Dr. Carlson has been instrumental in organizing the Colorado State University Natural Gas Symposium in 2011 and 2012 and the Fundamentals of the Natural Gas Industry class in 2012. Dr. Carlson has a BS in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin, MS in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University and a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Colorado – Boulder. Before coming to Colorado State University, Dr. Carlson worked for over 10 years in private industry including multiple positions in the environmental consulting field.