NAMBA’s Building Official Scholarship supports building officials, emerging code professionals, and students in attending the 2025 Building Fire Safety Symposium in Philadelphia. This initiative helps recipients deepen their understanding of building and fire safety, engage with industry experts, and explore the technical aspects of safe design and construction. Below, several of our 2025 scholarship recipients reflect on their experience at the Symposium and how it has influenced their academic and professional paths.
“The NAMBA Symposium was incredibly informative and offered practical guidance on key fire safety topics that were only mentioned briefly in my classes at Morgan. I walked away with a much better understanding of how fire protection systems are evaluated and the role they play in overall building safety. It’s the kind of knowledge that directly impacts how I think about design and development moving forward. Highly recommend the symposium to anyone in architecture, construction, or real estate who wants to stay sharp and build safer spaces.”
Kianna Spencer, Graduate Research Assistant
Center for Equitable AI and Machine Learning Systems (CEAMLS)
Morgan State University
“I had a wonderful experience with the North American Modern Building Alliance and the American Chemistry Council at the Building Fire Safety Symposium. As an architecture student, we don’t get a lot of exposure to the more technical sides of design, like fire safety, and this symposium was a perfect introduction to it. Through this opportunity I got to build my network not just professionally, but academically, while broadening my knowledge on what safe, impactful design means. I’m excited to take what I learned and apply it to my design and architectural processes from now on.”
Rachel Maxwell
Howard University
“As an Architect, and member of multiple professional organizations, I attend a fair number of education conferences throughout the year. I can confidently state that last year the Fire Safety Symposium was easily the most valuable, and favorite one of them all. So much so, that I truly wanted to be part of this year’s event and be a presenter…and even though I had to “work,” this year’s symposium was once AGAIN my favorite event.
Every session last year, and this year, had information that I have used on every one of my projects to improve their design and fire safety. In fact, not only have I been able to improve my work, but I was also even able to disseminate that information to clients to easily convince them of these changes, as well as improve the general public’s knowledge.
I hope it goes without saying, but I will be there next year as well, and all the years after that.”
Bryan Toepfer, AIA, NCARB, CAPM, CEO
Principal – Architect
TOEPFER Architecture, PLLC
“Through my program, I learned about the NAMBA Fire Safety Symposium, an event that immediately caught my attention since fire safety plays a vital role in the construction industry. Attending the 2025 NAMBA Fire Safety Symposium was an incredible experience. The hospitality was warm, the organizers were welcoming, and I had the chance to connect with many fire safety professionals and students who share a passion for construction. I look forward to applying the lessons I learned to my own career, and I sincerely thank NAMBA and its sponsors for making opportunities like this possible for students like myself.”
Eduardo Valdes-Trujillo, Graduate – Construction Management
Delaware Technical Community College
