BCT Alumnus Profile: Katherine McCusker (MS ’12)

BCT Alumnus Profile: Katherine McCusker (MS ’12)

Katherine McCusker turned her passion for green building into a career after she pursued our Professional Master's program in Building Systems. Katherine works now for Integrated Eco Strategy in North Adams, MA. We recently checked in with her and she provided this advice for other students: "As a BCT grad student at UMass, I worked in the Facilities Department as Green Building Intern. I got to see how campus staff were planning for and implementing green building principles on campus. My thesis work looked at how buildings on campus compared, from an energy consumption perspective -- benchmarking the EUIs. I now work for a firm in North Adams called Integrated Eco Strategy. We are green building consultants who have found a niche in the world of Living Building Challenge (LBC) projects, specifically helping project teams with the Materials Petal of the program. We've worked on a few local LBC projects: the Kern Center at Hampshire College, the Hitchcock Center for the Environment...
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BCT Alumnus Profile: Peter Levy (MS ’13 and BS ’10)

BCT Alumnus Profile: Peter Levy (MS ’13 and BS ’10)

After graduating from the BCT undergraduate major, Peter Levy pursued our Professional Master's program in Building Systems and is now a Building Performance Analyst at The Green Engineer. We recently checked in with him and he provided this advice for other students: "I enrolled in the Sustainable Building Systems M.S. program knowing that I wanted a career based around reducing energy use in buildings, but not knowing exactly how, or with what tools I would accomplish this. After taking an Intro to Energy Modeling course, I had a pathway and a set of tools which would direct the rest of my academic studies, and lead directly into a career in sustainable design. During my studies, I took courses in energy modeling, building systems, and lighting design, which prepared me for my current position as a Building Performance Analyst at the Green Engineer in Concord MA. As an analyst, I run whole building energy simulations of large commercial, academic, residential and laboratory buildings...
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BCT Alumnus Profile: Zac Bloom

BCT Alumnus Profile: Zac Bloom

We recently met up with Zac Bloom who pursued our Professional Master’s program in Building Systems and is now Director of Sustainability & Renewables at Competitive Energy Services. Thinking back on his time at UMass, he provided the following summary and advice for other students: "Building and Construction Technology at UMass Amherst was instrumental in preparing me for my career in the energy industry. I came to BCT from the financial services industry. As a result, I was already familiar with the capital and commodities markets when I arrived at UMass. The BCT program rounded out my education by providing me the tools to understand building construction, energy usage and the demand or consumer side of the energy equation. Learning about energy modeling, building materials and mechanical systems allowed me to connect both sides of the energy system and to provide more value to my clients in my current position as Director of Sustainability & Renewables at Competitive Energy Services ("CES"). I came to CES...
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BCT Alumnus Profile: Alison Moynihan (MS ’13)

BCT Alumnus Profile: Alison Moynihan (MS ’13)

We recently caught up with Alison Moynihan, who graduated from our Professional Master's program in Building Systems and is now Technical Assistant at Foard Panel. She provided some perspective on her career as well as advice for other students: "I entered the Building Systems Master’s Program at UMass after having done my undergraduate work in architecture. Graduating in 2010, when most architects were out of work, my undergrad education was not enough to even get me in the door as a gofer. I did an unpaid internship and realized I was far more interested in green building and construction technology than traditional architecture, which happened to perfectly coincide with the Environmental Conservation Building Systems Master’s Program. I spent two years learning a little engineering, a little material science, a little conservation, and a lot of building science. While in school I found a local Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) manufacturer, Foard Panel, to do an internship with in order to write my thesis. I am...
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BCT Alumnus Profile: Chris Therrien (MS ’17 and BS ’16)

BCT Alumnus Profile: Chris Therrien (MS ’17 and BS ’16)

After graduating from the BCT undergraduate major, Chris Therrien pursued our Professional Master's program in Building Systems and is now a Project Engineer with Suffolk Construction. He recently sent us some pictures from his job sites and provided insights about his work. Read below what Chris had to say about his experience at UMass: "My name is Chris Therrien, and I am a structural assistant project manager for Suffolk Construction at the One Dalton tower in Boston. This project is a 62 story high-rise that will house a Four Seasons hotel, and the most expensive residential real estate in Boston. Working on such a fast-paced and intricate project, with a world class design team and general contractor is challenging and demanding. The BCT Professional Master’s program helped elevate my education to a level that enables me to work in this type of scenario. Continuing into this program after my undergraduate BCT degree provided me with a more in-depth understanding of how a building...
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