The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) and ASTM International (ASTM) will explore the state of building science education in North America and collaborate to examine ways to improve educational training and curriculum development at the second Workshop on Building Science Education in North America: Building Bridges and Bridging the Gap. Join university decision-makers and other experts in education from universities in Canada and the United States as they present a critical view of college-level building science and work with building industry professionals on how to create new opportunities for professional development and career advancement in architecture and engineering. This one-day workshop, to be held Monday, January 11, 2016, 8:00 am – 5:15 pm, is part of Building Innovation 2016: The Institute’s Fourth Annual Conference and Expo, in Washington, D.C.

The National Institute of Building Sciences, through its Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education Program, kicked off a fundraising effort yesterday during Building Innovation 2016: The Institute’s Annual Conference and Expo, being held this week in Metro Washington, D.C., to engage the building community to support the future generation of building professionals.

Within 10 minutes of the call to action, industry professionals surpassed the STEM Program’s initial goal of $5,000. The funding will support development of the Mars City Facility Operations (Ops) Challenge, as well as the STEM Program’s participation at the USA Science & Engineering Festival, to be held April 16-17, 2016, in Washington, D.C. The Institute is hosting the Festival’s Building Sciences Pavilion and is looking to increase the industry’s involvement in the event.

Earn 6.0 continuing education units (CEUs) while learning the latest about what is intended for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) 2020 NEHRP Recommended Provisions for New Buildings and Other Structures, and for Project 17, Development of Next-Generation Seismic Design Maps. The National Institute of Building Sciences Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) will host the second annual BSSC Colloquium on “Seismic Design Update 2016: An Interactive Exploration of the 2020 NEHRP Provisions and Project 17 Issues,” Tuesday, March 8, 2016, at the Embassy Suites San Francisco Airport–Waterfront in Burlingame, California.

The BSSC Colloquium offers architects and engineers a streamlined opportunity to understand the changes in the 2015 Provisions, why they occurred and how they will affect design and construction going forward, as well as the latest developments in Project 17.

This week, the National Institute of Building Sciences and its Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Education Program rolled out a new Building Sciences Career Center at www.wbdg.org/BuildingSciencesCareerCenter on the WBDG Whole Building Design Guide® to help inspire high school students to become interested in a career in the building industry.

Today’s buildings-related professionals and tradespeople make use of a wide range of cutting-edge technologies, including building information modeling (BIM), computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), smart controls and renewable energy systems (such as solar photovoltaics and wind) to deliver high-performance buildings. Yet, finding such skilled professionals is increasingly becoming a challenge for many sectors in the building industry. The current buildings-related workforce in the United States is aging; the retirement of a significant number of industry professionals is imminent; and other fields already are competing for today’s capable students. The need to reach out and educate the next generation of professionals is becoming increasingly imperative.

The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) 2015 NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions for Buildings and Other Structures, as well as American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) ASCE/SEI 7-16, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, contain updated requirements to both the Response Spectrum Analysis (RSA) method and Linear Response History (LRH) analysis method. Highlighting these updates, the National Institute of Building Sciences Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) will host a free webinar detailing “Response Spectrum Analysis/Linear Response History Analysis” on Wednesday, September 28, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm ET. Participants may earn one professional development hour (PDH).

Building Innovation 2017: The National Institute of Building Sciences Conference & Expo, to be held January 9-12, in Washington, D.C., is a great way to earn continuing education units (CEUs) while hearing from a diverse group of speakers. With the theme Collaborating for a High-Performing Future, Building Innovation 2017 takes a new path to delivering educational content to engage the entire building community, combining a variety of concepts and presenting diverse perspectives during each session to stimulate creative ideas, present new approaches and develop workable solutions for the entire building industry. Building Innovation 2017 sessions have received approval for a total of 24.5 Learning Units (LUs) from the American Institute of Architects, many of which are Health, Safety, Welfare (HSW) hours.

Today, the National Institute of Building Sciences officially launched its newly redesigned free web portal, the WBDG Whole Building Design Guide®.

Used by millions of building professionals each year, the WBDG contains design, construction and facility management information and criteria required by U.S. military and other federal agencies, along with substantial content on topics of interest to all building professionals.

Now is the time to lock in an early-bird rate to participate in the USA Science & Engineering Festival’s Building Sciences Pavilion to inspire and engage the next generation of building industry professionals.

The National Institute of Building Sciences is partnering with the Festival organizers to host a dedicated Building Sciences Pavilion at the 2018 Festival, to be held April 7-8, 2018, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Building industry firms and associations are invited to participate. Sign up by February 15 to get the early-bird rate.

This is the industry’s only all-inclusive event where members of the entire building community come together to connect, collaborate and create solutions that benefit the built environment. With the theme of Optimizing for Tomorrow, the Conference will deliver educational content designed to engage the entire building community, cover a variety of concepts and present diverse perspectives during each session to stimulate creative ideas, present new approaches and develop workable solutions for the entire building industry.

Attend the National Facilities Management and Technology Conference (NFMT) 2019 and discover the latest facility trends on improving operations; construction, renovation and retrofit; and staffing and services. NFMT 2019 takes place March 26-28 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. While there, don’t miss the chance to learn about National Institute of Building Sciences activities relating to best practices for anti-terrorism security for commercial office buildings, attend the Facility Maintenance and Operations Committee (FMOC) meeting and stop by our booth in the Expo Hall.