Martha G. VanGeem

CEEAA Distinguished Alumni Award, 2026

For her visionary and sustained leadership in advancing the science and practice of energy efficiency and sustainability in the built environment, particularly through pioneering work on the thermal performance, embodied energy, and life cycle assessment of concrete and building materials; for her exceptional and enduring service in shaping national and international energy and green building codes and standards through decades of influential committee leadership, testimony, and technical authorship; and for her steadfast commitment to education, mentorship, and outreach, promoting STEM education, supporting women in engineering, and translating complex research into practical solutions that benefit both the profession and society.

Biography

Martha G. VanGeem, PE (Illinois), LEED AP BD+C, F-ACI, is a self-employed principal engineer in the Chicago area with 50 years of consulting experience. She serves as a project principal investigator and specialized consultant in the areas of building science, building materials, green buildings and infrastructure, energy use in buildings, energy codes, thermal mass (as a national expert), and moisture mitigation. In the green buildings and infrastructure arena, Ms. VanGeem provides expertise on LEED and other green standards and codes, life cycle assessment (LCA), product category rules (PCR), and environmental product declarations (EPD). She is an active member and longtime contributor on many energy efficiency and green building standard committees including those within ASHRAE, ASTM, ACI, ICC, and ISO. She has authored more than 120 articles and published reports and has received many awards. She is the sole recipient of the 2013 ASHRAE Standards Achievement Award and the 2018 ACI Concrete Sustainability Award. She is a fellow of the American Concrete Institute, and a life member of ASHRAE and the Society of Women Engineers. She graduated with high honors from the University of Illinois UC with a BS in civil engineering (1976) and has an MBA from the University of Chicago (1981). She has three children and five grandchildren.