2023 Hankin Lecture
The lecture recording is available here.
Wednesday, November 1 at 4 p.m. (E.T.)
Freeman Auditorium in the HUB-Robeson Center, Penn State University Park
Theresa Weston, founder of The Holt Weston Consultancy and a building science research professional specializing in the durability and energy efficiency of buildings, will deliver the 2023 Hankin Distinguished Lecture, hosted by the residential construction program and the Pennsylvania Housing Research Center, which is housed in Penn State’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Her talk, “Residential Innovation Challenges and Opportunities,” will be held at 4 p.m. on Nov. 1 in the Freeman Auditorium in the HUB-Robeson Center at University Park. A reception will follow the free, public event.
Lecture Description:
The amelioration of global climate change through energy efficiency improvements and decarbonization and the response to it through the resilience of our built environment and communities will impact our life in the coming years. These aspects of climate change, along with managing the effects of diminishing housing affordability, and enhanced interest in health and well-being are expected to drive the residential construction industry. While these areas often appear to be in opposition with each other, when they intersect or overlap, the challenges created provide unique opportunities for innovation. This presentation will highlight these trends and their intersections through examples of industry research and innovations.
About the Hankin Distinguished Lecture Series:
The Hankin Distinguished Lecture series, hosted by Penn State’s residential construction program and the PHRC, was established in 2006 to honor the late Bernard Hankin and his family for their continuous and dedicated support of the residential construction program at Penn State. It brings world-class speakers to Penn State to address students, faculty, industry members and the public with thought-provoking topics and education related to the housing industry. The residential construction program and the PHRC are administered within Penn State’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering. The lecture series is free and open to the public.
The full length videos for lectures from 2007-present are available for online viewing on our website.
About Theresa Weston
Theresa Weston is a building science research professional specializing in the durability and energy efficiency of buildings. In November 2020, Weston started The Holt Weston Consultancy. Prior to starting her company, she was a DuPont Laureate with DuPont Safety and Construction, where she was active in product and market development. Weston is an inventor on four United States patents and is an American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Distinguished Lecturer.
Weston remains active in industry standard and code development. At ASHRAE, she has served on the Technical Activities Committee, the Standards Committee, and as the chair of the Residential Buildings Committee, as well as serving on several Technical and Standards Project Committees. As chair of ASHRAE 90.2 ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.2-2018, Energy-Efficient Design of Low-Rise Residential Buildings, she led the committee to transform the standard to a leadership standard. At ASTM International, she has served as the chair of E06.41 “Performance of Buildings Sub-Committee on Air Leakage and Ventilation.” Weston has been awarded the DuPont Lavoisier Medal for Lifetime Technical Achievement, the ASHRAE Distinguished Service, Exceptional Service and Residential Service Awards, the Wagdy Anis Award from the Air Barrier Association of America, and the E. George Stern Award of Excellence from ASTM International Committee E06.
Weston received her bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her master’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering, both from the California Institute of Technology.
