Future shining brightly for Center for Integrated Building Systems

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Media Contact: Tanner Holubar | Communications Specialist | 405-744-2065 | tanner.holubar@okstate.edu

The bright future of the Center for Integrated Building Systems at Oklahoma State University was on display during the Fall 2024 Project Proposal and Update Meeting.   

Dr. Dan Fisher, mechanical and aerospace engineering professor and interim director of CIBS, said the vision for CIBS is an applied research center in the sustainable energy space that partners with building systems; mechanical systems; and the heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration industry.   

The center partners with the HVAC&R industry to solve applied research problems to help meet the national energy and carbon reduction goals.  

“It’s a unique organization in that respect,” Fisher said. “And I think uniquely positioned to move the needle on university initiatives.”  

CIBS is an HVAC&R industry-sponsored applied research center that delivers data and code bases to the industry. Manufacturers use the tools to design air conditioning equipment and systems for new refrigerants and increased efficiency.  

“CIBS develops the component models, measures their performance, looks at new refrigerants and discovers their potential,” Fisher said. “Our members use this information to improve their design tools with the goal of optimal system performance — high-energy efficiency and a low-carbon footprint.” 

Commercial and residential buildings make up 40% of energy use in the U.S., which increases the importance of education on lowering the carbon footprint through high-efficiency energy components.   

CIBS is in a period of growth, as there is a goal to hire a new director and a research-oriented professor, as well as recruitment of 10 undergraduate and graduate students. CIBS is looking to increase its impact through collaboration with the HVAC&R industry.   

“The future of CIBS is very, very bright,” Fisher said. “When you look at where the university is going, when you look at where the national energy agenda is headed, and then look at the industry base in the region, CIBS is positioned to really have a significant impact.”  

Expanding OSU Polytech  

One of the prime focuses of CIBS is to better prepare students for work in the industry. This will be achieved through OSU Polytech by way of micro-credentials and co-op opportunities.   

The micro-credentials would be earned by students, or those already in industry, being able to take courses that develop skills that are in demand. A company may want their employees to receive training on a specific job duty, which could be fulfilled through a micro-credential course.   

“A lot of universities are creating these and analyzing what companies need for their employees to be able to move up a level or to have more usable skills for the company,” said Aaron Alexander, associate professor in the Department of Engineering Technology and a CIBS faculty member.   

Alexander said the creation of courses for micro-credentials is likely to happen soon, as companies would prefer that students gain more experience in industry before they graduate.   

Students would ideally spend two or three semesters with a company through co-op opportunities, gaining experience in the industry without delaying their graduation. Alexander said polytechnic initiatives can ensure that students become the workers that industries need and generate the knowledge will help them in their careers. 

“It changes the way people approach their education when they can use the things they are learning in school,” Alexander said. “So, when students come back from an internship or a break, they tend to be better students. They do better in their classes, they see the reason they are doing this stuff. These are both initiatives, with the co-op and micro-credentials, that I think are going to make a big impact for the university, the state and the students we are serving.”  

CIBS looks to cultivate ideal graduates  

OSU launched its Ideal Graduate initiative this fall, which encompasses four core capacities: professional preparedness, engaged citizenship, ethical leadership and personal responsibility.   

CIBS can provide students with opportunities to expand their expertise before graduation. They can gain professional experience and knowledge of how their coursework is implemented in industry. Students can also expand their leadership capabilities through CIBS and receive hands-on experience that can help them get hired.   

“It is a very fantastic opportunity, and it has been a great chance to extend the HVAC apprenticeship I did over the summer,” said Carson McKinney, a first-year mechanical and aerospace engineering major who became involved with CIBS as an intern during his first semester. “It has helped me gain some valuable experience and it helped me apply the hands-on knowledge that I am learning in my classes. It also helped me a bunch at the CEAT Career Fair where companies really liked what I have been involved in.”  

Brice Pfrehm, a junior mechanical and aerospace engineering major, is in his third year with CIBS. He said the center has helped him tremendously.  

“Instead of just homework, actually seeing it used, being in meetings and projects and being around people who use those skills daily changes everything,” Pfrehm said.   

Pouria Moghimi, a third-year Ph.D. student, said CIBS offered exactly what he was looking for when picking where to study.   

“I wanted to find a location where I am learning the practice, not just something related to theory and things like that,” Moghimi said. “I found this center, which brings in both academics and industry, which was exactly what I was looking for. It has helped me a lot and I am satisfied with my progress.”  

Gabriel Parker, a CIBS intern and second year master’s student studying MAE, said he joined the center in his final year of undergraduate studies.  

“The benefit of CIBS is getting exposed to some of the questions that the industry is asking,” Parker said. “As well as understanding what is cutting edge, what is the research agenda and what questions people still have.”  

A beneficial partnership with member companies  

CIBS currently has 11 company partners that benefit greatly from the collaboration between OSU and industry.   

AAON: Commercial and Industrial HVAC is based in Tulsa and has been involved since the founding of the center. Pedro Perez, R&D Systems manager for AAON and a CEAT graduate, said the company is involved with several research centers with other universities.   

He said CIBS is advantageous for AAON due to being in Oklahoma, making it simpler to recruit students to work for the company. The format set up within CIBS allows for closer collaboration with students and allows for mentorship to happen seamlessly.  

“We are working on several projects through CIBS mentoring students,” Perez said. “At the same time, we get data, we get to learn and see some testing that maybe we don’t have time to do back in our lab.”  

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is another company that benefits from being able to work with students while they are in school and then possibly hire from CIBS. Edwin Lee, part of the commercial buildings research group with NREL, said member companies can have a say in what projects are pursued.   

“Being able to be in the room and have a voice on all these projects that are touching every layer of building components and being able to pull them toward you,” Lee said. “Our interests may be a little different than others, but by being in this room, we get to sort of use our votes so that we can use them for big studies and high-level initiatives.”