Filza Walters, professor of practice in the Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering at Texas A&M University, recently became a fellow of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). This prestigious title recognizes Walters as a person of excellence in the industry and her positive impact on the advancement of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R), the built environment and the sustainable world.
Walters previously served as a college professor for Lawrence Technological University (LTU) and an owner’s representative at Wayne State, the largest urban university in Michigan.
With a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering and a master’s specializing in global business, Walters was the sole founding director of the integrated bachelor’s-master’s architectural engineering program at LTU — the first of its kind in Michigan and second in the nation to obtain ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) accreditation. The program was created to try and fill the pipeline of engineering graduates needed in the work force for the built environment, and her students’ achievements are a testament to the program’s success. Under her tutelage, five cohorts of students have graduated from the program, joined the HVAC&R industry and obtained their engineering license, some within two years of graduating.
“I tell my students that every professional opportunity I have had in my career has been a direct result of my ASHRAE involvement and network, even being here at Texas A&M,” said Walters. “So, this award is more than an honor, it is confirmation of the old adage ‘the more you put in, the more you get out’ and my way to pay it forward for future generations.”
Walters worked previously as an engineer and project manager at two consulting firms, ranked in Engineering News-Record Midwest Top 20 and U.S. Top 300 Design Firms 2021. She has firsthand experience in large and complicated HVAC designs for university, health care, automotive and commercial, building projects for clients in southeast Michigan, some of which include the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, DaimlerChrysler Technology Center and General Motors Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant.
She attributes her professional experience to helping her identify what skills students need for the building design industry. Her course structures emphasize building systems integration and optimization, sustainability and resilience, and occupant health. She challenges her students to consider energy-efficient and carbon-neutral solutions for the built environment.
Walters considers herself to be a lifelong learning advocate and does her best to lead by example. Throughout her 30-year career as an active member of ASHRAE, Walters has served in a variety of leadership roles at both the chapter, regional and societal level. She was the first woman to be elected president of the Detroit ASHRAE chapter and has since sought to encourage diversity in the field. To the multidisciplinary engineering department, Walters brings her passion for education and desire to serve humanity to her greatest extent.
“As the existing building stock continues to increase, climate change and carbon emissions begin to pose real challenges and expose inequities on a global scale,” said Walters. “Our task as educators is to nurture and teach students to learn from and care for the natural and built environment.”