By Rick Gardner
IIBEC, the RCI-IIBEC Foundation, and the RCI Foundation Canada support students in building closure-related fields by sponsoring them to register for and travel to the IIBEC International Conference and Trade Show each spring and to the Building Enclosure Symposium each fall. In an effort to continue nurturing these nascent building enclosure professionals, we caught up with several students who attended our 2024 IIBEC/OBEC BES in Toronto and our 2025 IIBEC International Convention and Trade Show in Orlando, Florida. Where are they currently working or continuing their studies, and how have they reflected on their IIBEC experiences?
Ali Alterawi is a mechanical engineering technician focusing on HVAC and building enclosures with Rimkus in Toronto, Ontario. “I got a job through IIBEC. I met my current manager there. Thank you, IIBEC and the RCI Foundation Canada!” he said.
Cristian Basile is interning as a building science intern with Engineering Link while completing his final year in the Architectural Engineering Honors co-op program at the University of Waterloo.
“I’m profoundly grateful to have had such enriching sponsorship experiences, which not only offered exposure to a breadth and depth of building science knowledge and valuable networking opportunities but also reaffirmed my commitment to professional development and desire to build a career in this industry,” he said.
Tina Chang attended the IIBEC/OBEC BES in Toronto last September. She recently graduated and is now working at Superstructures, a facade restoration firm in the financial district of New York City.
Hector Montilla graduated with his master’s from Virginia Tech and is now a Field Engineer with Allan Myers Inc. in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Juliana Somuah is a PhD candidate in infrastructure and environmental systems at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is also a Graduate Life Fellow and is actively engaged in facility research. Because of her sponsorships, she has remained involved with IIBEC and has received multiple opportunities, including an academic scholarship from SOPREMA and an internship with REI Engineers.
Pedro Dulanto Gutierrez continues his PhD studies in the construction management program at Illinois Tech. He plans to attend the BES in St. Louis this October.
Akshayaa Shree Krishnan Muni completed her master’s in building sciences at the University of Southern California and is now a building envelope consultant – design at Raymond Global Inc. in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Michael Caleb del Mundo expects to complete his master’s in building engineering/building science in December 2025 at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. “The IIBEC BES Symposium sponsorship opened the door for me to engage with the industry, and the IIBEC Project Excel mentor/mentee program has continued that growth through ongoing guidance.”
Lakshmi Menon Harish is an assistant bridge quality inspection technician with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure NB/Province of New Brunswick.
Fatima Oriane Sow is a master’s student in architecture-engineering and construction management at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Since attending convention and BES, she has attended several chapter events in New York.
Diego Cardenas is an undergraduate in architectural engineering at Texas A&M University. “The sponsorship has been life changing. I’ve made lifelong friends and connections I hope to keep during my career,” he said.
Kayla Johnson is a senior in architectural engineering at Texas A&M University. “I have made new connections, meaningful and unexpected relationships, and received an internship offer with SEAL Building Enclosure in Houston, Texas,” she said.
Isaac Temitope Oyawoye continues his PhD studies in civil and structural engineering at UNC Charlotte.
Alicya Vallejo is a junior in architectural engineering at Texas A&M University and is seeking a summer 2026 internship. Since returning from the convention in Orlando, all four Texas A&M student recipients have shared their experiences with the student-faculty committee and with newly admitted architectural engineering students.
Weston Dekle completed his master’s in sustainable building design and construction at Appalachian State University and is now a field facilities professional at Terracon in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Violet Cerbone is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Georgia Tech. She is working part-time as a building envelope consulting design intern at Raymond Global Inc. She is active with the IIBEC Georgia Chapter and recently started pursuing her RRO® and NCARB accreditation.
Sunday Michael Akanji will complete his MSc in Construction and Facilities Engineering this December, while still continuing his PhD program in Infrastructure and Environmental Systems at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
“My sponsorship deepened my technical insight and professional engagement by connecting me to IIBEC’s rich educational resources, which continue to shape my approach to building systems and sustainability.”
These experiences were made possible through the foundation’s Joe Hale Student Sponsorship Fund. If you have hired or worked with one of our past student attendees, please let us know. If you or your company would like to support this program, please reach out to Rick Gardner, development officer, at RGardner@iibec.org.
