BTI provides technical regulation, evaluation, and market research consulting to government, the building industry, and the commercial building sector. In addition to conducting high-level research and consulting assignments, BTI can provide on-site expert field assessments of the vulnerability of facilities to 'all hazards'.
David B. Hattis is a nationally recognized expert in all aspects of building codes and building regulation and leads our building risk management assignments . Mr. Hattis is one of the founders and is President of BTI. His work includes projects related to the building regulatory system; performance analysis of new and existing buildings; the economic and financial implications of decisions related to building performance on a life-cycle basis; and the study and use of historic properties. Mr. Hattis has authored numerous reports and delivered technical papers on these subjects. He is a recognized expert in the field of building performance and regulation.
Paul E. Beers is a leading expert on glazing systems and hurricane damage and protection. He was instrumental in the development and implementation of missile impact tests after Hurricane Andrew hit Dade County, FL. His expertise includes windows, doors, glass and wall claddings with an emphasis on water leakage and damage. He has served as an expert witness in federal and circuit courts for windows, doors, glass and wall systems and water leakage. Mr. Beers has been cited as an expert on nationally televised programs such as CNN, along with interviews by local television and radio stations throughout the nation. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Popular Science, Engineering News Record and many daily newspapers and trade publications regarding his work with glazing and hurricane damage and prevention. He has been a featured speaker at Florida Department of Insurance, Institute for Business and Home Safety, Construction Specifications Institute, ASTM, Glass Association of North America, and the Glass Association of Florida. He has published articles with Progressive Architecture, Glass Magazine, U.S. Glass and Metal and CSI Magazine.
Rasheq Rahman is currently a Research Fellow at the Virginia Tech Advanced Research Institute (ARI) in Arlington, Virginia. During his time at ARI, he has been involved in connecting ARI research in smart grid, renewable energy, and risk management to global academic institutions, US government agencies, and corporate partners. Additionally, as Director of Business Development, Rasheq oversees marketing and partnerships for Akash Solar. a solar energy company with operations in the US and Bangladesh, that serves customers in the residential, commercial and government sectors. Previously Rasheq was a Vice President of Insurance Derivatives at KBC Financial Products and an Analyst at Goldman Sachs in New York City. Rasheq has an MBA from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Environmental Studies from the University of Chicago.
Georg Reichard is an Associate Professor of Building Construction and a principle faculty member of the Myers-Lawson School of Construction at Virginia Tech. Previously he was an Assistant Professor at Graz University of Technology in Austria, where he has been teaching and researching from 1996 to 2004. From 2002 to 2003 he took a sabbatical leave to conduct energy research at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, which was supported by the Austrian Science Fund and the US Department of Energy. His research deals with numerical methods, simulation and data models, in particular in the area of building sciences. In his current research, he focuses on building performance, energy efficiency in buildings, retrofitting solutions, systems integration, integrated control strategies and smart building materials - using modeling and simulation assessment techniques to improve our buildings, their systems and operation processes. Georg Reichard holds a Masters Degree and a Doctoral Degree in Civil Engineering from Graz University of Technology. For his doctoral theses he received the Energy-Technology-Program Award from the Upper-Austrian Government and for his stay at Berkeley he was awarded an Erwin-Schroedinger Fellowship.
Liza K. Bowles is the President of Newport Ventures, a small woman-owned business dedicated to the advancement of building science and energy efficiency in both new and existing buildings. Ms. Bowles has led the development of Newport Ventures since its founding in 2004. Under her leadership, Newport has grown substantially in revenue, staff, and diversity of clients. Ms. Bowles has concentrated on business development as well as taking the lead on strategic initiatives for both government and private clients. She also manages the Maryland-based sister organization, Newport Partners established in 2002. As President of the NAHB Research Center from 1991 to 2002, Ms. Bowles focused on management, operations, marketing, and business and corporate development. Areas on which she focused the company's activities included innovative technology; energy and resource conservation; and, application of quality methods to home building. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Mary Washington College and a Masters in Urban Affairs from VA Tech.
Frederick Krimgold is Director of the Disaster Risk Reduction Program and a member of the faculty of the Advanced Research Institute of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Dr. Krimgold has served as a member of the Advisory Board of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and as a member of the Building Research Board of the National Research Council. Dr. Krimgold chaired the subcommittee on education of the Consultative Council of the National Institute of Building Sciences. Dr. Krimgold has served as a consultant on disaster management to the World Bank, USAID, FEMA, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Government of Maharashtra. He has managed major research programs on Integrated Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings and Regional Resilience of Critical Infrastructure Systems.
