Carrie specializes in decarbonization and resiliency, from the lens of policy research, program design and evaluation, codes and standards, and other technical consulting. Her expertise is in the fields of building science, mechanical engineering, simulation and optimization methods, and data analysis.
How long have you been a member of IBPSA-USA?
Since 2008.
Why did you join IBPSA-USA?
I first started participating with IBPSA-USA when I received a student scholarship to attend the 2008 SimBuild Conference.
What’s your favorite part of being a member of IBPSA-USA?
Definitely all of the amazing people I’ve met along the way.
Can you describe the volunteer work you do with IBPSA-USA?
I served as the IBPSA-USA President (2021-2024), Vice President, and Secretary. I have also served on over a dozen conference committees in recent years, including Co-chairing SimBuild 2024, Chairing the 2020 ASHRAE/IBPSA-USA Building Performance Analysis/SimBuild Conference, and serving as its Scientific Committee Chair in 2014 and 2016. Over the years I have worked on many of the IBPSA-USA committees including Communications, Conference, Finance and Development, Education, Chapters, and Projects. For IBPSA (World) I previously served as the Secretary and an At-Large Director and am currently on the Conference, Projects, and Strategic Planning committees.
How did you get involved with this volunteer work?
Corinne Benedek, who was the Scientific Committee Chair for the SimBuild 2010 Conference, asked me to help with the SimBuild 2014 Conference and I’ve been volunteering ever since. A few years later, Chris Balbach, who was an IBPSA-USA Board member at the time, reached out to encourage me to run for a Board position. I hadn’t thought to put my name forward for those roles and I’m so thankful to both of them for the encouragement!
To someone who is interested in participating in IBPSA-USA, do you have any words of encouragement?
You don’t need to be an expert to make a big impact, so don’t be shy about raising your hand to volunteer. You’ll learn a ton and make some good friends along the way!
What advice would you give to someone who wants to enter the field of building performance simulation?
Attending industry events and exploring online courses is a great way to get started. We’re also in a field where most emerging professionals learn on the job, so when looking for new jobs, curiosity and an interest in learning go a long way!
Fun fact that people probably don’t know about you!
Anna LaRue (the Principal of my company) and I have known each other since high school when we went to the Pennsylvania Governor’s School of Science summer program together. We overlapped again in the same UC Berkeley graduate program and now have spent over a decade together doing tons of fun work at our company.
