2020 40 Under 40: Fiona Martin McCarthy, PE, QCxP, BEAP, LEED AP O+M, 34

Project Manager, Grumman/Butkus Associates, Evanston, Ill.; BS Mechanical Engineering, MS Renewable & Clean Energy, University of Dayton

By Chris Vavra and Amara Rozgus May 14, 2020

Martin McCarthy is a mechanical engineer specializing in energy efficiency and sustainable design work. She works on energy and resource benchmarking, energy conservation studies, U.S. Green Building Council LEED consulting, Environmental Protection Agency consulting and commissioning and retro-commissioning projects. She pursued engineering and music in college, and while her passion for sustainability and making buildings better won out, music continues to be a key part of her identity. As an engineer, Martin McCarthy has been involved in new construction commissioning and functional testing of equipment and systems. She also participated in retro-commissioning projects, implementing energy savings measures and conducting measurement and verification. She’s become an expert in the developing field of monitoring-based, or continuous, commissioning. Martin McCarthy has taught a local community college energy audit course and an online course for her alma mater, the University of Dayton. She currently sits on the University of Illinois-Chicago Master of Energy Engineering program advisory board. She also shares her knowledge by regularly presenting at ASHRAE meetings and conferences. She is currently the ASHRAE Illinois Chapter President, she started the chapter’s Women in ASHRAE committee in 2019 and participates in its mentorship program. Martin McCarthy’s passion for singing continues to this day — whether it’s at her church or with her baby daughter. During the summer, Martin McCarthy can be found sailing with her family and she has competed in near-shore weekend and long-distance races.


Author Bio: Chris Vavra, Associate Editor, and Amara Rozgus, Editor-in-Chief