Fall 2018 Newsletter

Teamwork makes the dream work!

We hope you’re having a productive fall season in your classrooms and labs and are looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday. In this season of gratitude, we would like to thank you for your dedication to your students and their education. Keeping the forward momentum can be trying and BEST Center is here to help but there’s also strength in our peer network. Stay connected and support your fellow BEST Center members. Let Pam Wallace’s favorite mantra ring in your ears, “Teamwork makes the dream work!”

Here is what’s happening at BEST Center.

Apply Now for BEST Center’s 2019 Annual Institute
The 2019 Annual Institute will be held from Tuesday, January 8 to Friday, January 11 at Laney College in Oakland, CA, where we will focus on the development of project-based learning exercises.  Applications are due on November 30th. Apply now. 

Building Automation Systems Workshop VII
BEST’s 7th Building Automation Systems workshop was held this past June at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, NE. Faculty convened in MCC’s new, impressive Construction Education Center and took a deep, hands-on dive into a capstone-level exercise. In case you missed it, be sure to check out the presentations and videos.  

EasyIO Trainer and Trainee Opportunities
EasyIO’s introductory classes are in high demand and they plan to expand but first, they need more instructors. Find out more.

Summer Internships at U.S. Department of Energy Labs
Applications are open for Workforce Development & Education (WD&E) summer internships at 16 U.S. Department of Energy labs across the country including Berkeley Labs, BEST Center’s partner organization. We encourage you to share with eligible undergraduates, post-baccalaureates, graduate students, and faculty. Read more.

Valencia College Launches New Energy Management and Controls Technology (EMCT) Program
In Orlando, FL, Dr. Deb Hall is proud to share that Valencia’s very first “EMCT Fundamentals” class began this fall. Melissa Boutwell also joined the faculty and attended her first BEST workshop in Omaha. Welcome, Melissa!

High-Performance Building Operations Professional (HPBOP) Training in California
Three separate sets of training, sponsored by investor-owned utilities and BEST, were conducted this year. Among the completers were 60 Facilities Management Division (FMD) employees from California’s Department of General Services. Read more. See photos.

Sporlan Training 
In August, the Sporlan Division of Parker Hannifin Corporation held an exclusive training for HVACR instructors. Keith Otten, HVAC Coordinator at Southern Illinois College was there. Read more.

2018 ACEEE Summer Study
At the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) Summer Building Study, Larry Chang, BEST Center Manager, presented a poster display about BEST and the development of its future High-Performance Building Operations Professional Certification. Read more.

UN Climate Action Forum
As part of the United Nations Bay Area Climate Action Forum on June 26, Pamela Wallace, BEST Center director, facilitated a small group discussion about local acts of resiliency stemming from the impact of climate change. Read more.

Laney College’s “Smart Home of the Future” Summer Program
Laney College’s “Smart Home of the Future” Summer Program welcomed 20 high school students to explore building science concepts through clean energy technologies. Read more.

ACE Mentor’s Oakland high school team 
ACE Mentor’s Oakland high school team successfully completed its second spring after-school program at Laney College in Oakland, CA. Under the guidance of mentors from the building industry, 30 students from seven schools were engaged in hands-on activities. Read more. Interested in organizing one at your college? Connect with ACE Mentor.