Riley Mulhern

Riley Mulhern serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Studies within the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is also a faculty fellow at INSTAAR (Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research), where he continues his research investigating environmental contamination and human health-related exposures through community-engaged approaches.

Dr. Mulhern's research expertise spans water quality, risk assessment, data science, and environmental justice. His work centers on community engagement and data-intensive research, with field experience in North Carolina, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and the Bolivian Andes. He has developed innovative approaches using machine-learned Bayesian networks to predict environmental contamination risks, particularly focused on lead exposure in drinking water and PFAS contamination in private well systems.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on practical applications of environmental science to address real-world problems, with particular emphasis on vulnerable populations and environmental justice communities. His research has produced actionable insights for policymakers, community organizations, and public health officials working to improve water safety.

• Highly Cited Author award from RTI international (2021)
• Highly Published Author award from RTI international (2021)

Dr. Mulhern earned his PhD in Environmental Sciences and Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2021), an MS in Environmental Engineering from CU Boulder (2016), and a BS in Physics: Geophysics and International Development from Wheaton College (2014). Previously, he served as the engineering and data science lead on Clean Water for U.S. Kids, a program testing and remediating lead-contaminated water at child care facilities in Georgia and North Carolina.