Major themes at the 2025 ASHRAE Winter Conference, held last month in Orlando, Florida, USA, included diversity and artificial intelligence (AI), and concerns were raised about the impact of Donald Trump’s presidency.
In his plenary address, Jeff Littleton, ASHRAE executive vice-president, acknowledged the potential impact of political changes in Washington DC on the Society’s operations. While ASHRAE is driven by science and engineering excellence, he emphasised that the organisation recognises its standards influence legislation and that it relies on partnerships with federal agencies.
Littleton said the withdrawal of some key government volunteers from the conference was a concern, though the long-term impact remains uncertain. He reassured the audience that ASHRAE will continue to prioritise its state/local government outreach efforts.
ASHRAE President Dennis Knight highlighted a major milestone of his presidential year: the Women in ASHRAE Leadership Symposium. He introduced the Young Engineering Student in ASHRAE EmpowHERment Award, which recognises students who champion gender diversity.
AI was also a key theme, with the launch of ASHRAE’s Generative AI Task Group, bringing together experts from across various disciplines.
