Canadians among 2024 ASHRAE Award winners

June 25, 2024 | By HPAC Magazine

Among those recognized this year was Robert Bean for his presentation “Decarbonization: The Product of Integrated Design.”

The new executive for 2024-25 was introduced and members were recognized during the Honors and Awards program at the ASHRAE 2024 Annual Conference held June 22-26 in Indianapolis.

For the year ahead M. Dennis Knight, P.E., founder of Whole Building Systems in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, will serve as the 2024-25 president. During his inaugural address, Knight introduced the theme for 2024-25, “Empowering Our Workforce: Building a Sustainable Future.”

“We have a perception problem,” said Knight. “Part of it is that our message about our vision for a sustainable future where buildings are energy efficient, healthy and carbon neutral and our role in that work needs to be clarified! We all want to be involved in a career that we can be passionate about and where we can find meaning and purpose. We need to highlight our industry in a way that celebrates the ideas and innovations that emerge when we embrace and encourage greater diversity, equity and inclusion.”

Elected officers who will serve one-year terms include: president-elect, Bill McQuade, vice president for regulatory affairs, Baltimore Aircoil Company; and treasurer, Sarah Maston, director, Colliers Hudson.

The newest vice presidents who will serve two-year terms include: Devin Abellon, Pac West Sales, Oregon; and Kenneth Fulk, RWB Consulting Engineers, Dallas.

And among the newest directors and regional chairs, who will serve three-year terms are: Genevieve Lussier of Eequinox, Quebec; and Rob Craddock of Inland Metal in Regina.

Honours and Awards

During the Awards ceremony, Rob Craddock was recognized with the Exceptional Service Award, which recognizes Distinguished Service Award recipients who have continued to serve with exemplary effort.

Robert Bean

The Poster Presentation Award, recognizing the authors of the best poster session paper presented at a Society conference during the previous year was presented to Robert Bean, for “Decarbonization: The Product of Integrated Design.” Bean, formerly a regular contributor to HPAC Magazine, is retired and living in Chestermere, Alberta.

A Poster Presentation Award was also given to Nour Yossef and Katherine D’Avignon for “Investigation into the Pertinence of Using Child-Specific Radiation Data for Thermal Comfort Calculations.” Yossef is a doctoral student; D’Avignon is an associate professor, École de technologie supérieure in Montreal.

Lan Chi Nguyen Weekes received the Donald Bahnfleth Environmental Health Award, which recognizes excellence in volunteer service focused on environmental health issues. Weekes is director – facilities and protection services, La Cité College in Ottawa.

Alekhya Kaianathbhatta received a Young Engineer in ASHRAE (YEA) Award of Individual Excellence, which recognizes YEA members (35 or younger) for efforts during the preceding year in the promotion and success of YEA and its programs. Kaianathbhatta is a senior commissioning specialist, The HIDI Group, Toronto.

The Distinguished Service Award salutes members who have served ASHRAE with distinction and who have given freely of their time in chapter, regional and society activities. The following Canadian members were among those recognized:

Mark Lawrence, president, M. Lawrence Engineering Ltd., Halifax.
Kurt Monteiro, HBDP, HFDP, senior principal, Smith and Andersen Consulting Engineering, Toronto.
Paul Pieper, senior director of business development, The Master Group, Montreal.
Robert Thomas Pollard, P.Eng, president, Pollard Engineering, London, Ont.
Aaron Smith, BEAP, BEMP, director, sustainability, M&R Engineering, Halifax.

Finally, two Canadians were among those presented the Distinguished 50-Year Member Award: Erich Binder, Life Member, Erich Binder Consulting in Calgary; and T. David Underwood, Presidential Fellow Life Member, retired, Oakville.

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