Dr. Zheng O’Neill, associate professor in the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, was recently named a fellow of two international societies, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA).
O’Neill’s research interests include heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) systems, building energy efficiency, intelligent building controls and optimization, grid-interactive efficient buildings, heat pump technologies and uncertainty quantification in energy systems.
ASHRAE is focused on creating more resilient, efficient and smart building systems. Through education and research, ASHRAE prioritizes safety and sustainability in the built environment. ASHRAE fellow is a membership grade that recognizes members who have attained distinction and made substantial contributions in HVACR and the built environment such as education, research, engineering design and consultation, publications, presentations and mentoring.
IBPSA centers around applying simulation technology to designing buildings in an effort to enhance performance and efficiency. IBPSA uses building performance simulators to refine the design of new buildings and maintain existing structures. The grade of IBPSA fellow is awarded to members who have attained distinction in the field of building performance simulation (or in the allied arts or sciences), by either the teaching of major courses in said arts and sciences or by way of research, simulation code development, original work, or the application of building simulation on projects of a significant scope. The individual must have been active in the field for at least 10 years.
“I am honored at being an ASHRAE fellow and an IBPSA fellow for my contributions in the area of building energy simulations and intelligent building controls,” said O’Neill. “I am thrilled to continue my work to promote sustainability and resilience in the built environment.”