Keynote speakers – Michael Whitaker, Symbiotic Engineering
Dr. Michael Whitaker is a founding Principal at Symbiotic Engineering, LLC, with a focus on conducting greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and life cycle assessments (LCA) both domestically and internationally. Currently, Michael directs Symbiotic Engineering’s GHG management, LCA, and sustainable real estate development and quantification programs. Using internationally accepted methodologies and life cycle systems thinking, Michael quantifies energy, emissions, and material flows to develop action items that enhance the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of clients.
Prior to co-founding Symbiotic Engineering, Michael focused on analyzing the life cycle GHG impacts of transportation and electricity generation systems and on developing GHG emission reduction strategies for private organizations and public entities. His experience encompasses a variety of organizations including municipalities, universities, governmental laboratories, real estate developers, and other domestic and international companies. In 2007, Dr. Whitaker completed his PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado Denver as part of the Urban Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering Project with his work focusing on comparing the life cycle GHG impacts of urban mass transit systems in the U.S. and India.