From a young age, Dr. Beth Weckman was captivated by the worlds of math, science, and history. She enjoyed the challenges of solving problems, designing experiments, and learning from the lessons of the past. This range of interests steered her towards a future in engineering and research, where new challenges await around every corner. While studying combustion and using emerging laser diagnostics methods in her Ph.D., Dr. Weckman's pool fire research caught the attention of the Director of Training for the Kitchener Fire Department. This serendipitous connection set her on the trajectory toward fire safety engineering, leading to innovative collaborations between fire safety research and real-world training. Her passion for knowledge and willingness to dive headfirst into the unknown served as catalysts for a career tackling global challenges in fire safety science.

Now the Head of the Fire Research Group and Fire Safety program in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering and a professor at the University of Waterloo, Dr. Weckman leads a range of critical research projects. These include developing new test methods and sensors to characterize wildland fire emissions and interdisciplinary work with physiologists to study how modern fire environments affect humans. She is driven to take on these complex challenges because of the potential to blend science and hands-on experience with new technologies to address global issues.

Dr. Weckman's wealth of research and expertise made her a natural addition to the Advisory Board at the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), part of UL Research Institutes when she joined last summer. She immediately began contributing her extensive knowledge to influence FSRI's research directions and initiatives. In her words, "I allow myself to 'not know what I will do next' and this has led me to take on many new challenges. It was a pleasure to meet with the other Advisory Board members and share our experiences and current research initiatives in fire safety. I am excited to work together to contribute to the FSRI mission."

Not only is Dr. Weckman a long-time colleague and mentor to many FSRI research engineers, she also served as an examiner for several as they earned their Ph.Ds., including FSRI Vice President and Executive Director Steve Kerber. As both FSRI and the University of Waterloo pursue collaborative initiatives with the fire service, FSRI eagerly anticipates jointly driving innovation with Dr. Weckman and her exceptional expertise.