Three Heating & Air Conditioning Engineering Technology students attended the 2015 ASHRAE Winter Conference Student Program and AHR Expo in Chicago, Ill., Jan 24-26.
For the last four years, Dunwoody College of Technology—with financial assistance from the Minnesota Chapter of the American Society of Heating Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)—has sent students to the ASHRAE Winter Meeting in various U.S. cities. This year, students Kevin Clausen, Jared Courtney and Bill Bobick attended the meeting in Chicago with HVAC Program Manager Chuck Taft.
Dunwoody’s Student Chapter of ASHRAE was started in 1988—Taft, then a student, was the first president of the College’s chapter. According to its website, ASHRAE is known for its research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education to shape tomorrow’s built environment. Bobick, who received a HVACR Systems Servicing degree at Dunwoody and worked in industry before entering the Heating & Air Conditioning Engineering Technology program, says ASHRAE’s standards and publications are “the gospel of HVAC” so you know you’re learning from the best when you attend an ASHRAE seminar.
Taft says the ASHRAE and International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating (AHR) events expand students’ understanding of what they’re learning in the classroom, while exposing them to innovative technologies they’ll be using as the industry continuously innovates to become more energy efficient.
During the ASHRAE Student Program, the students listened to project presentations and a panel of young engineers discuss their experiences in the HVACR industry, toured the mechanical spaces of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital and participated in technical talks about the HVACR industry.
Clausen, Courtney and Bobick said the ASHRAE and AHR events were not only educational, but also great for networking with industry professionals and potential employers. They agreed the greatest educational takeaway at the ASHRAE Student Program was a greater understanding of the thermal storage processes—making cold water at night when the electric rates are low to cool buildings during the day.
Taft said he’s glad the students have the opportunity to attend the events to see the reality of where the HVACR industry is, where it’s going and what they should do to become sought-out professionals following graduation.
“Knowledge is power, and the knowledge they gain from experiencing nationally-recognized industry events will make them more valuable employees,” he said.
About ASHRAE
According to ashrae.org: ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment. The Society and its members focus on building systems, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, refrigeration and sustainability within the industry. Through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education, ASHRAE shapes tomorrow’s built environment today. ASHRAE was formed as the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers by the merger in 1959 of American Society of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHAE) founded in 1894 and The American Society of Refrigerating Engineers (ASRE) founded in 1904.