Janice

Biography:

Janice K. Means has diverse experience in both industry and higher education in the fields of HVAC, alternative energy, facility O&M, and the writing and interpretation of codes and standards. She has been a U.S. State of Michigan Registered Engineer for over 40 years and is a FELLOW in both the Engineering Society of Detroit and international ASHRAE. As a strong promoter of sustainability and outreach to the public and students, she chaired ten local solar energy/sustainability. She taught and coordinated building MEP, solar energy, and environmental classes at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan for 15 years following her work in industry.

Means has authored numerous articles and papers, and presented at local and international conferences on sustainability topics, high performance buildings, and STEM promotion for young women and minorities. She is the co-editor and co-author of three editions of the book ASHRAE GreenGuide—Design, Construction, and Operation of Sustainable Buildings, a co-author for the Climate Change Chapter in the 2021 and 2025 ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook, and a co-author of the 2019 ASHRAE Guideline 34 - Energy Guideline for Historic Buildings. She is also the author of a continuing series of articles, “Hidden in HVAC”, in the ASHRAE Journal.

Means’ most prominent recent honors include: her induction in November 2024 as the first engineer in the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame for her sustainability work; the 2024 ASHRAE Exceptional Service Award; Engineering Society of Detroit’s 2021 Gold Award as outstanding engineer; the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association’s 2021 Melanie McCoy Leadership Award for “her pioneering efforts in

Michigan solar energy”; and the 2020 ASHRAE E.K. Campbell International Award for teaching excellence.

Professor Means earned her MSE in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan-Dearborn She also holds a B.S. in General Engineering and a B.A. in Secondary Education with a Physics Minor from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan USA.

In retirement, Means continues to share her expertise by publishing and lecturing on sustainability topics and the promotion of young women and minorities in the STEM/STEAM fields. As a lifetime explorer, she relishes global travel, making new and diverse friends, hiking through nature, deciphering how ancient peoples constructed their homes primarily using only passive means and searching for those same ancient people’s rock art of petroglyphs and pictographs.

Janice