364: One Pitt, One Planet

The Art of Construction

"There are different approaches that can be used to make sure we are on the right path for different sorts of {climate} goals."

This podcast focuses on the HIA Summit this coming May 2025. We encourage our listeners and partners to share and engage with us during this conference coverage!
In this conversation, Devon Tilly and co-host Dennis Steigerwalt chats with Dr. Eric Holt of the University of Denver, and Dr. Melissa Bilec of the University of Pittsburgh. They discuss the history of the HIA Summit at the University of Denver and talk about the summit's new home this spring 2025 at the University of Pittsburgh.
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Our co-host Dennis is active in all things real estate with a specific focus on innovation in the residential development and homebuilding ecosystems. He is a ULI Residential Neighborhood Product Council member, a Professional Builder 40 under 40 recipient, and an active member of Geek Estate. In his spare time he enjoys big adventures with his wife and sons on the water and in the mountains. Dennis is the president of the Housing Innovation Alliance, a future oriented community for production homebuilding. The Housing Innovation Summit is the best place to get engaged + connected where you’ll gather insights + have a voice at each turn. The 2025 Summit is co-hosted by the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation at the University of Pittsburgh. We’ll be at Phipps Conservatory in the Oakland neighborhood and hosting Innovation in Action tours around Pittsburgh.
Dr. Melissa Bilec is a prominent voice in sustainable engineering, climate change solutions, and environmental justice. She co-directs the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, a University-wide center promoting sustainable research and education. She serves as the Special Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability. Dr. Bilec's research is dedicated to developing sustainable solutions for buildings and healthcare to tackle climate change. Her work aims to mitigate climate change and address global waste challenges by advancing circular economy principles in the built environment. At the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Bilec has led greenhouse gas inventories since 2008 and serves on the Chancellor’s Sustainability Council to guide the University's climate strategy. She has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles and secured over $20 million in funding. Her earlier work focused on community-based infrastructure projects, including transforming a century-old hot metal bridge into a pedestrian bridge. Dr. Bilec led Civil and Environmental Engineering’s inaugural Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Committee and serves as the co-faculty advisor for the Pitt Society for Women Engineers.
Dr. Eric Holt is a Professor of the Practice in the Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management at the University of Denver (DU). He teaches Construction Building Systems, Introduction to Architecture & Design Management, and Construction Estimating. He has 30 years of experience in the construction industry. His career includes construction material sales and marketing, plan reviewer and building inspector, custom/production home project manager, and small business owner and architectural designer for new homes and remodeling projects. Eric earned his Ph.D. from Purdue University in Construction Management. He serves on the NAHB Student Chapter Advisory Board at the national level and as the DU NAHB Student Chapter Faculty Advisor. His research focuses on the housing industry around alternative building methods, workforce development, affordability, and the technology utilized in homebuilding construction. Read more about the Burns School of Real Estate at the University of Denver!

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