2013 HiBR Conference Speakers
Health in Buildings Roundtable (HiBR): History, Evolution, and Overview
Charlene Bayer, PhD
Dr. Charlene Bayer is the Chairman and Chief Science Officer at Hygieia Sciences, a Georgia-based small start-up business, which she founded to commercialize her technology for detecting breast cancer and other human diseases from breath and her indoor air quality research. Additionally she is a Principal Research Scientist with the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) at the Georgia Institute of Technology and is a leading national expert in the field of environmental research and analysis. She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. from Emory University in Organic Chemistry and a B.S. from Baylor University in Chemistry. Dr. Bayer is the Secretary for ASHRAE TC2.3, a committee focused on gas-phase filtration in buildings as well as a member of multiple other ASHRAE committees. For over 30 years, she has led research programs investigating all aspects of the indoor environment, such as building diagnostics; product emissions; contaminant sources identification and control; air cleaner technology development; strategic ventilation strategies; effects of airborne exposures on asthma and respiratory health; schools indoor air quality; real-time instrumentation development, methods development for airborne species; methodology development for measurement of gas-phase filtration removal efficiency; indoor air quality management plans development; and interfacing indoor air quality and energy efficiency. Dr. Bayer is the holder of multiple patents and is the author and presenter of more than 150 technical papers.
Whitney Austin Gray, PhD
Dr. Whitney Austin Gray recently joined Cannon Design as their Health Practice Research Director to help lead the firm in becoming healthcare experts. She concurrently holds dual adjunct faculty appointments in the Department of Human Sciences and Health Systems Administration at the Georgetown School of Nursing & Health Studies.
Previously, Dr. Gray served as the Director of Building Science Services at the MedStar Institute for Innovation’s Center for Building Sciences. While there, she was the lead environmental design, health, and safety researcher for MedStar Health, collaborating with and providing advisory services to healthcare organizations, design and architectural firms, and industry manufacturers. Dr. Gray was one of the first public health researchers to become a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional.
Dr. Gray received her PhD from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, where she studied the impacts of green building design on occupational health, safety, and stress. Through collaboration with UC Berkeley's Center for the Built Environment, a pre-and post-occupancy tool was developed to quantify the human health impacts of green building design, and was implemented in multiple LEED healthcare settings. She is a founding member of the HiBR Roundtable where she focuses on the impact of the healthcare physical environment on occupants’ health, stress, and safety.
Health in Buildings Movement
Lisa Nagy, MD
Lisa Lavine Nagy MD graduated Magna Cum Laude from The University of Pennsylvania and then from Cornell Medical College in 1986. After a surgical internship she completed Emergency Medicine residency in NYC and practiced in Los Angeles until becoming severely ill (Addison’s Disease, Mitochondrial Myopathy, Dysautonomia) –as a result of a complex medical condition known as Chemical Sensitivity or Environmental Illness.
Her story of survival and journey of discovery which led her to determine what had made her have such severe symptoms inspired ABC’s ‘Nightline’ to interview her this year and many newspapers and magazines to feature her recovery. In her case it was due to toxic mold and in others it is due to pesticide or chemical exposure. She learned about the field of Environmental Medicine and its focus on finding the causes of disease including genetic, hormonal, nutritional, allergic, and environmental factors.
She is now president of Preventive and Environmental Health Alliance which is a group focused on educating medical students, doctors, the AMA, congress and the public and assists patients to find help nationwide. Listening to physicians and other people who have developed severe Environmental Illness is the first step towards helping the 75 million people in the country with various health issues, including autoimmunity, related to their environments. She was appointed as a delegate to the Massachusetts Medical Society and to the CDC’s National Conversation on Chemicals and Public Health. Lisa was also named to a roundtable at NIH on Buildings and Health and just started her own practice called Vineyard Personalized Medicine.
Bill Walsh
Founder and Executive Director, has provided the long-term vision for the Healthy Building Network since February 2000. Previously he held leadership positions with Greenpeace USA and staff attorney positions with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group and the Institute for Public Representation of Georgetown University Law Center. He holds a JD from Northeastern University School of Law and LLM in Public Interest Advocacy from Georgetown University. In 2012,Bill shared the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Advocacy with HBN Policy Director, Tom Lent.
Charlotte Brody, R.N.
Charlotte Brody is the Vice President for Health Initiatives for the BlueGreen Alliance, a national strategic partnership between labor unions and environmental organizations dedicated to expanding the number and quality of jobs in the green economy. A registered nurse and the mother of two sons, Charlotte previously served as the Director of Programs for Green For All in Oakland, California and the Executive Director of Commonweal. She is a founder and former Executive Director of Health Care Without Harm and on the boards of Clean Production Action, Health Care Without Harm, the Regenerative Design Institute and the National Medical Committee of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Charlotte is the 2004 winner of the Breast Cancer Fund’s Bella Abzug Advocacy Award. In 2006 Health Care Without Harm named their new Nurses Luminary Project award the Charlotte Brody award in her honor.
Healthy Buildings
Ken Sandler, Sustainability and Green Building Advisor
As Sustainability and Green Building Advisor for the US General Service Administration (GSA) Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings, Ken Sandler’s work includes managing demonstration projects, best practices development and outreach to green the Federal building portfolio, including co-chairing the Interagency Sustainability Working Group and producing the report “The Benefits and Challenges of Green Roofs on Public and Commercial Buildings”. He brings over 20 years’ experience in sustainability for the Federal government, focused on green building, indoor environmental quality and recycling, including as co-founder and co-chair for 7 years of the US EPA’s Green Building Workgroup.
In 2003, Ken completed a rotation to the White House Office of the Federal Environmental Executive, where he drafted an influential report on Federal green building. He has served on many sustainability and buildings committees, including making major contributions to two national green building research agendas. Ken graduated cum laude in English and Political Science from University of Illinois in 1986, attained a Master’s in Political Science from University of North Carolina in 1989, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Environmental Science and Policy from George Mason University. Ken was a One-Day Jeopardy! Champion in 1999.
James Stawniczy, AIA, LEED AP
James Stawniczy is the Head of Sustainability for the Americas region of Lend Lease; he is based out of Lend Lease's New York Office. Currently, he is responsible for leading all of Lend Lease sustainable building efforts throughout the Americas region. James is a licensed architect and member of the American Institute of Architects, as well as a LEED accredited professional. He brings his practical application of architectural design, green skills and construction management expertise to each project. Since joining the Lend Lease companies in 1997, he has held numerous positions with escalating responsibilities for growing Lend Lease's capabilities in sustainable building.
Mr. Stawniczy has led and designed sustainable building initiatives for many of Lend Lease's high profile and complex projects in the Americas region of Lend Lease, which is comprised of operations in the United States, Canada, Brazil Argentina, and Mexico. Currently, he is leading Lend Lease's green building efforts at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum's Visitor Center.
In addition to his field experience, Mr. Stawniczy has implemented and conducted training programs on LEED requirements and green building practices to local and national project teams. He created additional training programs for Lend Lease staff, with the goal of increasing the number of LEED Accredited Professionals who work at Lend Lease. To date, his efforts have dramatically increased the number of Lend Lease staff that has achieved LEED accreditation.
Mr. Stawniczy is an Architect by training, Project Manager by trade, and an award winning LEED Accredited Professional. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects, participates on a variety of sustainability groups at the local and national level, and is a renowned author and speaker on sustainable building. In addition to improving his own skills, he has helped many industry professionals improve their own skills, by participating as a lecturer at New York University's School of Continuing Education.
Stephany I. Mason, PhD
Current Professional Position: Vice-President, VOC Materials Testing
Education:B.S. in Geology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
M.S.E. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Columbia University
Current areas of expertise/responsibility: Sustainability professional with product emissions expertise and particular interest and emphasis on indoor air quality (IAQ), chemical safety and health-related impacts. Participates in developing standards and regulations related to chamber testing, product emissions, IAQ and sustainability.
Award/accomplishments:LEED AP
Healthy People
Joyce Lee, FAIA, LEED AP
Joyce Lee is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and one of the first LEED accredited professionals in New York City. In her two decades of public service, she served under Mayors Giuliani and Bloomberg. Joyce was the Chief Architect at the New York City Office of Management and Budget overseeing the survey of major city-owned structures and identifying opportunities in green design and development. In 2008, Joyce received the Public Architect Award from American Institute of Architects New York Chapter (AIA NY) for her "committed environmental consciousness and extraordinary ability to bring sustainability theory and practice to the public realm". In late 2010, she became the city’s first Active Design director creating a program at the Department of Design and Construction. Since moving to Michigan, she has been a Fellow at the National Leadership Academy for the Public's Health and is serving as green health chair of the Local AIA chapter.
Jane Ward, OD, MD
Jane Ward, OD, MD, a board-certified ophthalmologist, completed a 26 year US Air Force Medical Service career. Dr. Ward was USAF ophthalmology residency program director, special assistant for humanitarian and civic assistance, and consultant to the USAF Surgeon General for Ophthalmology. She began teaching and research during Optometry School at University of California, Berkeley, and continued during clinical fellowships at Harvard and Tufts University to include presentations at national conferences. From 2004-2006 Dr. Ward directed a USAF-University of Pittsburgh Diabetes Prevention translational research project. This work began her promotion of physical activity through built environment design as one strategy critical for diabetes prevention. Jane will complete a Masters in Public Health at George Washington University in Physical Activity and Public Health in August 2012. She has been an active community green building advocate and educator, involved in sustainability planning for the cities of San Antonio and Washington DC. Dr. Ward earned a LEED Green Associate certificate from the US Green Building Council in 2010.She has been a core member of HiBR since May 2010 and contributes regularly to the public health perspective for HiBR strategic planning.
Angela D. Smith, MD
Angela D. Smith, MD, past president of the American College of Sports Medicine, is an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in pediatric sports medicine. Concerns about epidemic obesity and lack of physical fitness informed her interest in altering the built environment to increase opportunities for fun daily exercise, throughout the day. She co-taught masters level landscape architecture design studios on neighborhood fitness parks, for all ages, at the University of Pennsylvania. Her medical practice now is with Nemours/Alfred I DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware. She stays active herself as a masters competitive figure skater.
Healthy Communities
Judith Heerwagen, PhD
Current Professional Position: Program Expert, US General Services Administration, Office of Federal High Performance Green Buildings
Education: PhD, Psychology, University of Washington, BS Communications, University of Illinois
Current areas of expertise/responsibility: Occupant experience in buildings – comfort, satisfaction, health, work effectiveness
Award/accomplishments: Co-editor, Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life (Wiley 2008) – won Publishers Award for best book in architecture and planning; Named Environmental Champion (one of 25 nationally) by EnvironDesign Magazine 2009; Honorary Fellow of the Society of Green Professionals, 2011
Angela Loder, PhD
Dr. Loder is a researcher and strategic planner whose work focuses on the relationship between occupant health, buildings, and urban nature. In particular, Dr. Loder looks at how healthy buildings can be integrated with ecological city and planning objectives; how building design and access to nature impacts stress, concentration, and creativity; and what kind of interdisciplinary collaboration is needed to move health in buildings forward. She is also an adjunct Professor at the University of Denver teaching graduate courses for University College’s Master’s Program in Global Affairs.
Dr. Loder received her PhD from the University of Toronto Centre for Environment and Department of Geography and Planning. Her doctoral research looked at the impact that visual and physical access to a green roof in Chicago and Toronto had on office workers’ concentration, stress, and creativity. Dr. Loder’s research established a baseline of health status for downtown office workers and is the first large-scale multi-method study on the health impacts of access to green roofs in urban areas.
Dr. Loder has worked with Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, the leading green roof industry and research organization in North America, as well as the City of Chicago and the U.S.D.A. Forest Service on social perceptions of urban nature, green roofs, and health. She has presented her research at numerous international conferences - including Greenbuild 2011 - and has taught extensively on sustainable urban form and design. She has helped develop policy documents for Environment Canada on integrating green roof policy into Ontario’s Smart Growth objectives, as well as a federally funded interdisciplinary project linking energy conservation, occupant comfort and behaviour, and human factors engineering. Dr. Loder is an active member of HiBR and is currently leading the Health Research Metric initiative to identify current knowledge, gaps, and methodological barriers to interdisciplinary collaboration. Dr. Loder is a Canada-US Fulbright Scholar and mentor to several US Fulbright students.
Lydia Stone Kimball, ASLA, LEED AP BD+C
Current Professional Position: Principal, Mahan Rykiel Landscape Architects
Education:Bachelor of Science, Horticulture – University of Maryland College Park
Master of Landscape Architecture, University of Virginia
Current areas of expertise/responsibility: Leader of the Healthcare and Education sectors within the firm. With over 25 years in practice, Lydia Kimball has developed a particular expertise in site design projects for children, students and seniors. Her projects include healthcare facilities, schools, senior living communities, community centers and other public institutions. She has a special interest in the ways thoughtful site design can provide a positive impact on human and environmental health. Her work is reflective of the context and character of the site and architecture, with a focus on the horticultural aspects of design, especially in the areas of sustainability and low impact development. Recently completed projects include the Children’s Inn Park at NIH, currently under construction.
Award/accomplishments: Most recently, Kennedy Krieger Outpatient Therapy Garden won an Honor Award from the Maryland/Potomac Chapters of the ASLA. Speaking engagements on healthcare-related topics or projects include presentations at Healthcare Design and Environments for Aging conferences. Recent articles by Lydia or about her work have appeared in Healthcare Design Magazine, Landscape Architect and Specifier News, and ASLA Professional Practice Network newsletters.
Co-Benefits to Human Health
Janet Walberg Rankin, PhD
Janet Walberg Rankin, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise and Associate Dean at the Graduate School at Virginia Tech. She also currently serves as the 56th President of American College of Sports Medicine. She has championed the new ACSM initiative, ActivEarth, an effort dedicated to promoting physical activity and active transportation through accessible and safe walking and biking options as a means to better health, environments, and sustainable economies. Dr. Rankin’s research is related to sports nutrition and interventions for obesity, with specific interest in dietary manipulations that may affect inflammation in athletes and obese individuals. Dr. Rankin received her bachelor’s degree in zoology from Duke University and her doctorate in nutrition with a minor in exercise physiology from the University of California, Davis.
Rebecca Morley, MSPP
Rebecca Morley, MSPP, is the Executive Director of the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH), a national non-profit organization dedicated to creating healthy and safe housing for children. She led the development of the National Healthy Homes Training Center, spearheaded NCHH’s recovery work in the Gulf Coast region following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and has authored numerous publications, including the book "Healthy & Safe Homes: Research, Practice, and Policy." She is chair of the National Safe and Healthy Housing Coalition and co-chair of the National Environmental Public Health Partnership Council. Previously, Ms. Morley worked in the federal government and in the United States Senate where she was responsible for major children's environmental health laws and regulations.