This is a joint event with the Vancouver Island Chapter.
Location
Remote via Webex
Cost
FREE
Description
Our panel of distinguished ASHRAE members will discuss their experience with and interpretation of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the presidential topic of choice this year.
Panelists
Devin Abellon, PE
Devin Abellon is the Business Development Manager for Engineering Services at Uponor North America. He has over 29 years of experience in the HVAC and plumbing industries with a focus on sustainable building design and construction. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Santa Barbara and is a registered professional engineer in California and Arizona. Devin is an active member of ASHRAE and the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE). He serves on the ASHRAE Board of Directors as the Region X Director and Regional Chair.
Susanna Hanson, CEM, DGCP
Susanna Hanson is principal engineer for Honeywell, where she is focused on refrigerant codes and standards to enable their safe use, whether in HVACR or other applications.
Prior to joining Honeywell, she spent 25 years with Trane, serving in technical roles with diverse responsibilities. She is a Certified Energy Manager who helped Trane achieve science-based targets on sustainability and climate action and advised product development teams on energy codes.
She is currently serving ASHRAE as chair of Standards Committee, as Director and Chair of Region VI, and as a member of the Board of Directors Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Subcommittee. She was a 12-year member of ASHRAE 90.1. She earned her engineering degree from the University of Florida, focusing on energy auditing, energy management and building energy and simulation techniques. Susanna holds seven patents in the areas of HVAC system and control for chilled-water systems with thermal storage and geothermal elements.
Sara Nikoofard, PhD, PEng, CMVP
Sara Nikoofard is an Energy Efficiency Standards Engineer with BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. She provides technical analysis and advice on performance and energy efficiency gains achieved by technological, system, or design improvements in the built environment. Sara supports the design, implementation, delivery, monitoring, and evaluation of energy efficiency regulations, policy, research, or projects, including standards under the Energy Efficiency Act.
Sara has extensive experience in building energy simulation and modeling, energy savings and GHG emissions reduction, techno-economic assessment, Net-Zero Energy buildings, and integrating renewable energy technologies. She has worked in public and private sector as well as academia, which provides a diverse perspective on building energy efficiency and decarbonization.
Sara holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Dalhousie University and did her master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Iran. Working and studying in both countries with diverse cultural differences, unique climates, and differences in codes and standards gave Sara a great perspective on considering Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in her work.
Sara is serving as Chair of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for ASHRAE Vancouver Island Chapter and in the past, she held the position of Chair of Sustainability in the same chapter.
Sam Ranasigamani
Sam Ratnasigamani was born in Tirunelveli, India, a very tropical place, and had all his schooling from elementary to undergraduate in Chennai (old name, current Madras), India. Sam graduated from University of Madras with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering and moved to Dekalb, Illinois, USA where he completed a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Northern Illinois University in 2005. Sam enjoyed his learning and working experience in the Midwest USA.
He completed his graduate project in the design of heating systems for smart homes and moved to Alaska in 2006 after securing a job as an Intern for a construction firm in Anchorage. He has now lived in Anchorage for the past 17 years. Sam is currently employed at RSA Engineering where he focuses on mechanical design for commercial buildings in Southcentral Alaska. Sam enjoys the outdoors, playing cricket, and going to libraries with his two teenage children.