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Speakers
Education Week 2025

I2SL is co-hosting our third annual virtual, international Education Week April 7 to 11, 2025, in conjunction with Sustainable Labs Canada (SLCan), our Australia I2SL chapter, the I2SL chapter forming in the UK, and the EGNATON sustainable lab organization of Europe.

 

Meet the speakers below!

Monday, April 7

Opening Plenary: I2SL Outlook, Progress, and Plans 

11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern

Monday 11 AM
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Gordon is the President of I2SL

and the inventor of many important, widely applied technologies that have had a significant impact on lab sustainability and energy efficiency such as sash sensing VAV fume hood and laboratory airflow controls, the electronic venturi airflow valve, and demand based control of lab ventilation.

Gordon Sharp

I2SL President

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Alison is a former research astrophysicist who is dedicated to saving our home planet by bringing energy efficiency to lab buildings. Alison has worked in both consulting and lab owner’s roles and serves as Secretary of the I2SL Board of Directors. She was a 2018 recipient of the I2SL Go Beyond Award.

Alison Farmer

I2SL Labs2Zero Program Director

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As Managing Partner, Phil leads growth and direction and is Partner lead for Science and Technology and Education sectors. He has extensive experience leading wide-ranging multidisciplinary design teams on complex projects from small laboratory refurbishments to large scale masterplans and new state-of-the-art research facilities.

Phil Macdonald

Oberlanders Architects, I2SL UK Chapter

Evaluating Lab Spaces for Research, Renovation, and Resilience 

2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern

Monday 2 PM
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Kathy has a PhD in chemistry and 15 years of lab experience. She created and manages the CU Boulder Green Labs Program. She is on I2SL's Board and chairs the I2SL University Alliance Group, partnering on green lab efforts and working to drive changes in systems that benefit environmental sustainability at research institutions.

Kathryn Ramirez-Aguilar

University of Colorado Boulder/I2SL University Alliance Group

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Pete Uhing, PE, is an associate principal and mechanical engineer for Clark & Enersen with 12 years of industry experience, specifically focused on science and research and higher education buildings. He also serves as the Industry Fellow of Mechanical Design at the University of Nebraska Durham School of Architectural Engineering & Construction.

Pete Uhing

Clark & Enersen

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Mitsy is an architect and senior

lab planner with over 20 years of experience who plans and designs a wide range of projects for both government and private sector clients. Her experience includes lab planning and design of biocontainment, cleanroom, pharmaceutical, and technological laboratories.

Mitsy Canto-Jacobs

Gensler 

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William Cox is an

architectural designer and laboratory planner with Clark & Enersen, and has a Master of Architecture from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He specializes in designing science and technology projects, including research and teaching laboratories, veterinary health and research facilities, and higher education

facilities.

William Cox

Clark & Enersen

Tuesday, April 8

Tuesday 10 AM

European Perspectives on Lab Building Information Management and Digitization 

10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Eastern​

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Bernd is the Managing Director

of EGNATON with over 25 years of experience as a consultant for industrial goods marketing, communication and sales at an international level. He specializes in plant engineering, energy technology, building technology, automation, and accompanying digitization solutions.

Bernd Gmeiner

Managing Director EGNATON e.V.

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Christian has over 10 years of experience in the digital transformation of the construction industry and expertise in BIM/ISO 19650 for digital twins and model-based processes across the entire asset life cycle. He is active in committee and standardization development of international BIM standards. 

Christian Kolb

Speaker of EGNATON Project Group Ifc4Lab (joint working group of EGNATON and BuildingSMART)

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Mario whose experience

includes HVAC system design, commissioning, lifecycle cost and energy analysis for labs and pharmaceutical production. He is also a LEED AP, a member of the technical committee of the Belgian Cleanroom Workgroup, and board member of EGNATON. 

Mario Don Porto Carero

Vice President of EGNATON

Sustainable Labs Canada Plenary: Accessibility in Laboratories 

1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern

Tuesday 1 PM

Roman Romanov

Director, Accessibility Advisory Services, Rick Hansen Foundation​

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As an international architect

with an ocular disability, Roman brings over 15 years of lived and professional experience to his role as Director, Accessibility Advisory Services at the Rick Hansen Foundation. At OCAD University, he teaches architectural and inclusive design studios and seminars in the Environmental Design undergraduate program. 

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Joshua has over two decades

of experience in access compliance and leads the firm’s universal

design projects. With international experience, Joshua is knowledgeable in navigating the often confusing and contradictory best practices, for needs as diverse as mobility, neurodivergence, and cultural considerations in

all types of labs.

Joshua Klyber

Jensen Hughes

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As Head, Accessibility

Practice, Matthew provides leadership counsel to deliver on the foundation’s mission create and deliver innovative solutions that accelerate a global movement to remove barriers to inclusion for people with disabilities. He founded two consulting practices and has held executive roles in Canada’s charitable

sector.

Matthew Shaw

Rick Hansen Foundation

Behavior Change to Improve Lab Energy Efficiency 

4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern​

Tuesday 4 PM
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Wendell is an Associate

Chancellor who leads UC Irvine’s sustainability program; which is recognized by EPA’s Environmental Leadership Achievement and Climate Leadership Awards; Sierra Magazine’s Top 10 Greenest Campuses; an AASHE STARS Platinum rating; 21 LEED Platinum awards; and was

the first to attain the Better

Buildings Challenge.

Wendell Brase

University of California Irvine

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Chuck is a sustainability and organizational change leader at Boston Children's Hospital. He co-chairs the Environmental Sustainability Employee Lead Group and leads BCH Green Labs. He has led award-winning initiatives such as the Freezer Challenge, Shut the Sash fume hood competition pilot, and the expansion of lab plastics recycling.

Chuck Blanchette

Boston Children’s Hospital

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Kimberly is a Sustainability

Officer at McGill’s Office of Sustainability working to integrate environmentally responsible practices in laboratories. Starting in 2022, she instituted engagement programs for the lab community and is now working with a broad coalition to develop systems to reduce and recycle lab waste university wide.

Kimberly John

McGill University in Montreal

Wednesday, April 9

UK Sustainable Laboratories Panel 

10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Eastern

Wednesday 10 AM
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Galvin has more than three

decades of experience delivering internationally recognized projects across the globe. He specializes in cost and project management and has supported the delivery of over 5,000,000ft² of life science developments within the Cambridge UK cluster, gaining

a deep understanding of sustainability and

ESG drivers.

​Galvin Tarling

Gleeds

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Megan is a specialist in

automation and structural engineering, using digital technology to drive the industry forward. She now leads the Digital Design team, providing tools to create more efficient and sustainable structures. Megan is also an active member of the IStructE's computational design panel and has extensive

experience in life sciences.

Megan Greig

Elliott Wood

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Eoin is a Senior Project Manager

and pre-construction lead overseeing technical appraisals of construction opportunities, focusing on high containment laboratories, R&D facilities for life science, defense, and healthcare. He collaborates with life science suppliers and manufacturers to implement circular economy and carbon reduction initiatives.

Eoin Fitzgerald

Mace Group

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Andrei is a partner at PLP Architecture and co-founder of PLP Labs, a research platform exploring the intersection of people, technology, and the planet. He is also a Senior Lecturer at the University of Westminster and a Life Sciences Product Council Member at the Urban Land Institute. His work focuses on hyper-mixed

smart buildings.

Andrei Martin

PLP Architecture

Adaptive, Efficient, and Resilient Building Projects 

1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern

Wednesday 1 PM
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Bio coming soon.

Michelle Fennell

BR+A

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Brian is a Principal at Elara who

has 17 years of experience working with Loyola University. In his current role as he oversees a team of multidisciplinary engineers and serves as engineer-in-charge and primary contact for new construction, renovation and energy retrofit projects for a variety of system types and complexities.

Brian Malone

Elara

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Kana is Loyola's Vice

President for Facilities and

Campus Management who oversees operations across the university’s campuses and has managed over $750 million in construction and redevelopment, directed construction of 13 LEED certified buildings, and transitioned

all Loyola's electricity

procurement

to solar.

Kana Henning

Loyola University

Reduction in Action: Canadian Case Studies in Health, Learning, and Community 

4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern

Wednesday 4 PM
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Nigel is a Principal at Diamond Schmitt whose projects include the LEED Platinum CANMET material lab in McMaster Innovation Park, the Wildlife Health Centre at Toronto Zoo, and the LEED Gold certified and 2018 Canadian Green Building award winner Environmental Science and Chemistry Building at the University of Toronto Scarborough. 

Nigel Tai

Diamond Schmitt

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Oleksandra is a co-founder at Pratus Group who leads a team specializing in building simulation, including parametric energy modelling, for design optimization, net-zero and zero carbon projects, LEED energy modelling, incentive applications, HVAC system comparisons, and early-stage impact analysis of elementary architectural design options.

Oleksandra Onisko

Pratus Group

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Jeff is a construction and engineering professional with 25 years of progressive experience who serves as the Director of Facilities Management and Capital Projects at UTSC and is involved with the construction, renewal and stewardship of UTSC's buildings and grounds.

Jeffrey Miller

University of Toronto Scarborough Campus

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Vincent has 23 years with Diamond Schmitt and has contributed to complex lab and healthcare projects including Hennick Bridgepoint Active Healthcare & Sinai Long Term Care in Toronto; the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto; and the Toronto Paramedic Services Multifunction Paramedic Station in Scarborough. 

Vincent Goetz

Diamond Schmitt Architects

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Kevin brings over 16 years of industry experience to his role as Principal and leads Introba's Science and Tech sector in Canada. His experience supports the delivery of high-performance, sustainable solutions for the S&T sector that are practical, maintainable, healthy, resilient, and resource-responsible.

Kevin Shea

Introba

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Curtis is Director of Major Capital Projects with Providence Health Care and was previously a sustainability consultant spanning multiple sectors including healthcare, higher education, office, retail, hospitality, and infrastructure. He has been at the helm of the Clinical Support and Research Centre project since its inception. 

Curtis Bagan

Providence Health Care

Health Research and Hospital-Embedded Labs in Australia 

6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern (U.S. time; will be 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Thursday in Sydney)

Wednesday 6 PM
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Kiri is the Head of Built

Environment and Infrastructure at  Children’s Cancer Institute Australia. Her portfolio covers a  range of environments and services such as laboratory and facilities management, business continuity, and operational strategy. She is President of the Australia and New Zealand Laboratory Animals Association.

Kiri Collins

Children’s Cancer Institute 

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Bettina, a Principal at Billard

Leece Partnership, is a specialist laboratory designer. She has delivered complex research buildings for major government organizations and universities and leads the design of the new research facilities for the Children’s Cancer Institute Australia. She’s also a founding member of the

Australian Chapter of I2SL.

Bettina Bartos

Billard Leece Partnership

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Robert is the Senior Lead Mechanical Engineer at Wood Life Sciences in Australia with over 20 years of experience in project management, design of laboratories, clean rooms, and various containment facilities.

Robert Danko

Wood Life Sciences

Thursday, April 10

AI in Lab Design and Research: International Perspectives 

9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Eastern​

Thursday 9:30 AM
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Haipeng founded Dynaflow

and leads design/execution of lab projects covering more than 5M square meters, one winning an I2SL Sustainable Lab Award. He has pioneered AI “dark laboratories,” which automatically complete tasks such as processing samples, operating instruments, transporting reagents, controlling environments, and analyzing data.

Haipeng Chi

Dynaflow

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Monica creates better labs

through the power of design, excelling in the planning and realization of complex, sustainable, and human-centric lab workplaces. Her clients at Gensler cover corporate R&D, higher education, and public sectors. She advises on all phases of projects from master planning through construction administration.

Monica Moore-Žigo

Gensler

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During the course of his

design career, Adam has focused primarily on science and technology companies with a specialized expertise in lab design and planning. He has completed projects with a number of prominent and is currently a Sciences Practice Area Leader and Studio Director for Gensler.

Adam Harper

Gensler

Canadian Net Zero and Building Modernization Case Studies 

1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern

Thursday 1:00 PM
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Kevin is Architecture49's

National Sector Leader for Science & Technology who has been involved in research laboratory projects as a project manager, project architect and laboratory planner. He is a member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and a Board member and President of

Sustainable Labs Canada. 

Kevin Humeniuk

Architecture 49

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Now heading YLA Architecture, Yvon has extensive experience with major institutional and public buildings, university pavilions, research centres (health, chemistry, physics) as well as contemporary and heritage building envelope renovation projects. He is a Fellow and 4th Vice-President of Construction Specification

Canada.

Yvon Lachance

YLA Architecture

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Pierre Luc is vice president

and principal of Pageau Morel, a consulting engineering firm specializing in mechanical and electrical engineering, energy efficiency and eco-design. Throughout his career, he has made significant contributions to many institutional, healthcare facility

and research centre projects, including laboratories. 

Pierre-Luc Baril

Pageau Morel

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Antoni is a national lead for

zero carbon buildings in WSP's Climate Change, Resilience and Sustainability team who specializes in design, simulation, and evaluation of building efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction strategies and leading teams on zero carbon buildings. His net zero experience includes

work with Labs Canada across

three sites.

Antoni Paleshi

WSP Canada

U.S. Lab Decarbonization in Action 

4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern

​

Session sponsored by Interface

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Thursday 4 PM
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Alison is a former research astrophysicist who is dedicated to saving our home planet by bringing energy efficiency to lab buildings. Alison has worked in both consulting and lab owner’s roles and serves as Secretary of the I2SL Board of Directors. She was a 2018 recipient of the I2SL Go Beyond Award.

Alison Farmer

I2SL Labs2Zero Program Director

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Rayen is an environmental sustainability professional with experience developing and implementing corporate sustainability programs. She is a Senior Manager in Gilead Sciences' Corporate Sustainability Team and is responsible for the oversight of Gilead’s Product Sustainability Strategy and Green Labs

Program.

Rayen Pasten

Gilead Sciences

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Kathleen is an Associate at Buro Happold and a Bloomberg Fellow at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. As the California Sustainability Lead for Buro Happold, she combines her passion for regenerative design and environmental justice with a technical background in Architectural Engineering. 

Kathleen Hetrick

Buro Happold

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Justin is Building Performance Director at Page; he collaborates with clients and teams to set goals, develop strategies, and optimize performance using building performance analyses. With a Ph.D. in Architectural Sciences, he simplifies complex challenges to create impactful, high-performance designs.

Justin Shultz

Page

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Melissa is a Lead Academic Planner and Principal at Page. She is an innovative and collaborative architect with extensive experience in planning academic environments and a broad range of space types to foster student success.

Melissa Burns

Page

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As the campus energy manage

at Carleton College in Minnesota, Rob’s role is to reduce campus energy usage and make what energy they use as sustainable as possible. He oversees or works with two campus wind turbines, a geothermal system, a solar arrays, electric vehicle chargers, and building energy usage. 

Rob Hanson

Carleton College

Friday, April 11

Global Perspectives on Sustainable Science

10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern

​

Friday 10 AM
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Star founded the Sustainable

Science and Green Labs program

at UGA. She serves on the Board of Directors for I2SL, is a HEASC fellow, a certified human rights consultant, a founding member of SPLC’s Lab Guidance Action Team, an I2SL Phil Wirdzek Emerging Leaders award recipient and the 2023 I2SL Outstanding Green

Labs program award

winner. 

Star Scott

University of Georgia

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Martin is currently the

Associate Director of Environmental Sustainability at UKRI. He has worked extensively around sustainable research for 12 years and founded the LEAF programme. He initiated sustainable science programmes at Edinburgh, King’s College London, and UCL. His work has been recognized through the EMBO

award for sustainable

laboratories in 2024.

Martin Farley

UK Research and Innovation

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Bio coming soon.

Marta Rodriguez

European Molecular Biology Lab

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Bio coming soon.

Deirdre Black

UK Royal Society of Chemistry

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Bio coming soon.

Philipp Weber

European Molecular Biology Organization

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Bio coming soon.

André Estevez-Torres, CNRS (Centre national de la recherche scientifique), Labos 1.5

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Ryan Weeks is Senior Sustainability Specialist for Green Labs and Zero Waste at Johns Hopkins University and has a PhD from JHU. He leads the JHU Sustainability Office's Green Labs Program and utilizes his research background to support JHU’s campuses in fostering a culture of sustainability in research and teaching labs.

Ryan Weeks

Johns Hopkins University

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