Colorado Water Fellows Program

Meet the 2026-2027 Fellows

• Ryan Biller
  

  Ryan Biller is a first-year law student at the University of Denver. Biller began covering environmental issues, armed conflict, and politics as an international journalist after earning his BA from Colorado Mesa University in 2023. He has reported on drought in the Colorado River, deforestation in the Congo, the wildlife black market in the Amazon rainforest, and how water scarcity was inflaming violence in South Sudan, among others. Biller is pursuing a law degree to address some of these issues in a more tangible way, and hopes to reform water policy in Colorado. Outside of journalism, law, and travel, he enjoys running, photography, and hanging out at streetside cafes.

   

   

• Sophia Books
  

  Sophia Books is a 1L at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. She is originally from near Philadelphia, but moved to Colorado to attend the University of Colorado Boulder, where she studied Strategic Communications and minored in Philosophy and Leadership Studies through the Presidents Leadership Class. She is particularly interested in the intersection of water, environmental sustainability, agriculture, and economic development. Books is exploring sustainable development law, and one day hopes to work in that area or some combination of environmental, business, and international law. Through the Colorado Water Fellows Program, she hopes to deepen her understanding of Colorado water law and policy, learn from professionals and communities across the state, and better understand how she can contribute to the future of Colorado’s water resources. Outside of law school, she enjoys traveling, cooking, skiing, and hiking.

• Benjamin Brenner
  

  Benjamin Brenner was born and raised in San Diego County and is a first-generation college graduate. He developed an interest in environmental justice as a teenager and is very excited to be part of the Colorado Water Fellows Program at Denver Law. For most of his life he has worked in the hospitality industry and worked with the Legal Aid Society of San Diego for about a year before he, his wife, and their two cats relocated to Denver.

   

   

   

• Ben Heleniak
  

  Ben Heleniak started life exploring the hill country of central Texas and bayous of southern Louisiana. There he learned the effects that both lack of water and polluted water could have on communities. Heleniak graduated from Baylor University with a BA in Environmental Studies and is currently a 1L at the Sturm College of Law. Through internships with USGS, the U.S. House of Representatives, and environmental nonprofits, he learned about the value of public input into government processes and the impact of communities who care about their environment. He hopes to help protect water resources in his career as a lawyer.

   

   

• Anna Renkert
  

  Anna Renkert is a Water Law Fellow and JD candidate at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Her path to water law began as a 5th grader, when she first learned about water pollution through the Greenway Foundation's South Platte River Environmental Education Force. This spark grew into a broader commitment to public service in other experiences like guiding pro se litigants through the civil court system or helping refugee families navigate their transition to the U.S. That commitment deepened over the last three years as Development & Engagement Manager at the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, a nonprofit working to protect and restore rivers through statewide advocacy. There Anna saw firsthand how water law and policy can be used as tools to heal river ecosystems and secure healthy, sustainable water--an experience that inspired her to pursue a JD. She is driven by the principles of advocacy, access to justice, and community leadership that fuel her passion for ensuring clean, healthy water for all.