Student Highlight: Madison Likins-White, CU Boulder

(LinkedIn)

1. Tell us about your background and how you got to where you are today.

I am originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma and received my Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Oklahoma State University. I decided to pursue a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering after reading an article about the new HVAC system designed for the Sistine Chapel. My love for art, engineering, and education led me to Texas A&M to do so. I then worked as a design engineer for an HVAC company in Austin, Texas where I obtained my Professional Engineering license. I moved to Denver, Colorado in 2021 to start my PhD so I could further my education and escape the Texas heat.

2. What got you interested in research, and why are you interested in the BEST Center research you are doing?

My interest in research, and more specifically building research, began after reading about the new HVAC system being designed for the Sistine Chapel about 10 years ago. I decided to further my education through research-centric programs so that I could learn more in-depth about building design and how it impacts and is impacted by art. While obtaining my master’s degree, I fell into the world of building energy simulation and decided to focus my research on that topic when I realized its importance in climate change mitigation.

3. Where do you see your project going in the future, and/or how will working on this project help you career in academia and/or industry?

I hope that my project can lead to an accessible method to evaluate window thermal performance and improve retrofit analysis for both commercial and residential buildings. I also hope that the simulation of window performance in energy models can be enhanced to better understand energy consumption of buildings over their entire life cycle.

4. What are your career ambitions?

I hope to work in academia to inspire a new generation of young engineers to work in the building energy field and develop a love for research and learning.

5. What is an interesting fact about you?

I started figure skating when I was 24 and I am close to landing an axel now!

In the coming year, Madison will be working on the BEST Center project “Evaluation of Field Methods for Assessment of Architectural Window Degradation” with Prof. John Zhai and Robert Tenent (NREL). Student profiles are linked to on the People page of the BEST Center website.