ATLANTA – ASHRAE recognized outstanding achievements and professional excellence during its 2025 Annual Conference in Phoenix, where members were honored for their significant contributions to the Society and the built environment. The awards ceremony celebrated individuals whose work has advanced innovation, sustainability and technical leadership in HVAC&R and building sciences.
“We are proud to recognize this year’s ASHRAE Honors and Awards recipients for their exceptional accomplishments,” said 2024–25 ASHRAE President M. Dennis Knight, P.E., BEMP, Fellow Life Member. “Their commitment to excellence and advancement of sustainable building practices reflects the very best of our Society. We extend our congratulations and gratitude to each honoree.”
A list of some of the awards and recipients are below:
George B. Hightower Technical Achievement Award
Phil Naughton, Life Member, received the George B. Hightower Technical Achievement Award, which recognizes excellence in volunteer service in the area of Technical Committee, Technical Group, and Technical Research Group activities. Naughton is Principal/Owner, Eco Cleanroom HVAC Consulting, Austin, Texas.
Government Affairs Award
Billy Austin, P.E., BCxP, BEAP, BEMP, CDP, CHD, HBDP, HFDP, OPMP, Fellow Member, received the Government Affairs Award. The award recognizes individuals for outstanding effort and achievement in state, provincial and local government activities in connection with technical issues related to the Society. Austin is Principal, Shultz Engineering Group, PC, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Homer Addams Award
Cary Faulkner, received the Homer Addams Award, which recognizes a graduate student who has been engaged in an ASHRAE research project at a university that has graduate programs in the areas of heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and has achieved a high standard of performance in this work. Faulkner is a Mechanical Engineer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington.
Lincoln Bouillon Award
Residential Buildings Service Award
Paul W. Francisco, Fellow Member, received the Residential Buildings Service Award, which recognizes excellence in volunteer service focused on Residential Building issues. It serves to heighten general membership awareness of, and interest in, Residential Building activities. Francisco is Director of the Indoor Climate Research & Training Division, Champaign County Regional Planning Commission, Champaign, Illinois.
Standards Achievement Award
H. Jay Enck, BCXP and Jason Glazer, P.E., BEMP, received the Standards Achievement Award, which recognizes excellence in volunteer service for developing ASHRAE standards and guidelines. Enck is Chief Technology Officer, Commissioning & Green Building Solutions, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia. Glazer is Principal Engineer, GARD Analytics, Inc., Arlington Heights, Illinois.
Science and Technology for the Built Environment Best Paper Award
Eric Martin, Tanvir Khan, Bereket A. Nigusse and Charles Withers, Jr., received the Science and Technology for the Built Environment Best Paper Award for “Estimating internal moisture generation rates in recently constructed, occupied homes in the southeastern United States.” The award is for the best paper published in the volume year of the Science and Technology for the Built Environment, the ASHRAE research journal. Martin is Program Director, University of Central Florida / Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, Florida. Khan is a Sr. Research Engineer, NCASI, Newberry, Florida. Nigusse is Sr. Research Engineer, Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, Florida. Wither is Sr. Research Analyst, Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, Florida.
Crosby Field Award
Michael Huylo, P.E. and Atila Novoselac, Ph.D., received the Crosby Field Award for “CHP Digital-Twin-Model for Control Optimization and Transition to Renewable Based Fuels,” which was judged to be the best paper presented before the Society. The Crosby Field Award is named for a former Presidential Member. Huylo is a Graduate Research Assistant, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. Novoselac is a Professor, Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
Willis H. Carrier Award
Patricia Guillante, received the Willis H. Carrier Award given to a member 32 years of age or younger for presenting an outstanding paper at a Society conference. The award was presented for “Understanding Housing Challenges in Rural Alaskan Communities.” Guillante is a Ph.D. Student, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
Distinguished Service Award
The Distinguished Service Award salutes members of any grade who have served the Society faithfully and with distinction and who have given freely of their time and talent in chapter, regional and Society activities. The following members in our region were recognized:
- Chad Smith, Partner, Airetech Corporation, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- Li Song, Professor, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma.
- Philip Yu, Fellow Member, Director, TRANEPACIFIC, Hong Kong.
- Marwa Zaatari, Ph.D., Dzine Partners, Austin, Texas.
Exceptional Service Award
The Exceptional Service Award recognizes Distinguished Service Award recipients who have continued to serve faithfully and with exemplary effort. The following members in our region were recognized:
- Michael P. Cooper, P.E., Division President, ENFRA, New Orleans, Louisiana.
For more information and a complete list of awards and to stay up-to-date on ASHRAE, visit ashrae.org and connect on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and YouTube.