Safe by Design: Security Glazing and High-Performance Glass in Educational Facilities  

Urmilla Sowell, NGA Technical and Advocacy Vice President, has 20 years’ experience in the glass and glazing and fenestration industry. Her current position includes overseeing all technical and advocacy activities for NGA. Urmilla holds leadership roles at several standards organizations including ASTM International, International Standards Organization, and ASHRAE. She earned both her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Civil Engineering from Texas Tech University and is a licensed Professional Engineer.

Teresa Hamm Modley, AIA, LEED AP, CPHC®, Associate joined VMDO after completing her Master of Architecture at Virginia Tech. Prior to that, she spent much of the last decade in Washington, DC, working in affordable housing with a focus on high performance construction. Specifically she has worked on some of the first single family homes and multifamily renovation projects in DC to be certified with the Passive House Institute of the US (PHIUS). In 2005, she graduated from Boston College and received her B.A.S. in Art/Architectural History.

After years of gaining invaluable knowledge and experience through troubleshooting high performance design details on-site, Teresa decided she was ready to return to school to finally pursue her dream of practicing architecture. At Virginia Tech, she gained a solid foundation of design principles and conceptual ideas, was able to travel to study architecture in Europe and Japan, while also pursuing her passion for high performance design through student led projects.

Jaime Gascon is the Board and Code Administration Division Director of Miami-Dade County and oversees the operations of the Clerk of the Board's office, which provides administrative and clerical support to the Board of County Commissioners. This includes preparing and advertising legal notices for meetings and public hearings, maintaining records of all adopted ordinances and resolutions, and managing the county's legislative process. The division also plays a role in code enforcement, handling appeals related to code violations and facilitating hearings for those contesting citations

David Dumas, AIA, Associate Principal, Beck Architecture graduated from Texas Tech in 1997 with a Bachelor of Architecture and moved to Dallas, Texas. I worked 22 years at Good Fulton & Farrell Architects and have been 6 years at The Beck Group as an Associate Principal and leader in the Education & Institutional Studio. I have worked on many types of projects during my 28 years of practice, but I have always specialized on Education projects. This includes child development centers, K-12 public and private schools, and Higher Education projects. I have a deep passion for providing education spaces that promote creativity and enlightenment which are also effective and safe.