November 2025 Newsletter

Dear ASHRAE Members and Friends,

Thanks to everyone who joined us for our first chapter meeting! It was great to see such a strong turnout and reconnect with so many familiar faces – as well as welcome some new ones. Your participation and engagement are what keep our chapter thriving.

Looking ahead, make sure not to miss our next meeting on Tuesday, November 18. After that, we’ll take a short break over the holidays before kicking off the new year with a presentation on ERV Applications. The board has done an excellent job curating informative, relatively important topics that support our professional growth and keep us current with industry trends. We look forward to seeing you there!

We have heard your feedback on the location.  We are going to be in a new room for our next meeting which should help with noise/acoustics.  If this continues to be an issue we will seek a new venue.

Lastly, we want to take a moment and mention the passing of a beloved University of Cincinnati professor and AHSRAE Fellow Dr. Raj Manglik.  Dr. Manglik passed away in August, and I know many of us had the opportunity to learn and work with him through his very impactful career. 

In Memoriam: Raj M. Manglik, PhD | University of Cincinnati

November Meeting 

October 18th – 11:30 – Our speaker will be James Carlin and we will be presenting Overview of UL Listed Fire and Fire/Smoke and Smoke Dampers

Registration is open for this event.  Including a discount for registering for 5 remaining  meetings.  See link below.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ashrae-cincinnati-november-2025-lunch-technical-session-tickets-1731653214379?aff=oddtdtcreator

Pottorff’s Overview of UL Listed Fire and Fire/Smoke and Smoke Dampers covers the basics of these life safety dampers. This presentation reviews the types of life safety dampers available and any applicable ratings for each type of damper. Details on proper application, installation, and NFPA required testing for life safety dampers are discussed. This presentation also outlines special installation options and field modifications to UL rated dampers. There will be time for specific questions at the end of the presentation.

James Carlin is the Product Manager for dampers, and has been a Pottorff associate since 2007. Initially he was a Design Engineer from 2007 to 2015 until moving into a Product Management role. He graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology in 2006 with a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and worked in the aerospace industry before relocating to Texas. James is also involved with various AMCA and ASHRAE committees.

Research Promotion Update

As we begin our RP Campaign and Scholarship Endowment funding, I’m proud to announce that the Chapter BOG is pursuing the Full Circle Award. This award recognizes personal contributions toward the RP Campaign goal and reflects the BOG’s dedication to supporting ASHRAE research, scholarships, and advancement.

A special thank you to Rodney Bachman of Bachman’s Inc. for his generous $500 Honor Roll donation toward the Scholarship Endowment!

As a reminder, all members can now direct their RP contributions to the Endowment by selecting Chapter Scholarships → Apply to Existing → Cincinnati Chapter Scholarship from the online donation page. We will also have a flyer with a QR code available at all future meetings. Support in any amount helps and is greatly appreciated!

Cincinnati ASHRAE Student Chapter

The Cincinnati ASHRAE student chapter at UC started the year strong. They’ve hosted FFE Engineering for a presentation focusing on working with the VA and Steven Winter Associates presenting on designing with decarbonization in mind. Another meeting is planned for November with Grumman Butkus. The student chapter is actively looking for companies to present interesting case studies or offer site visits for the spring semester. Please reach out to student President Zach Bohn or SA Chair Ben Merk if you’re interested (bohnzr@mail.uc.edu or ben.merk@kochapplied.com).  

YEA & Student Activities Updates

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Cincinnati & Dayton YEA Topgolf Night!

We had an incredible turnout — over 40 YEA members from both chapters came out for an evening of networking, golf swings, and conversation. It was wonderful to reconnect with familiar faces and meet many newer members. Events like this truly showcase the energy and engagement of our YEA community. A big thank you to everyone who helped organize, and to all who came out to connect. We can’t wait for the next one!

ASHRAE Society Job Board

Reminder that members and member companies have this ASHRAE site as a resource to post open roles, etc.: jobs.ASHRAE.org