IFMA Foundation Expands SFP Tech Scholar Program

HOUSTON, TEXAS -- The IFMA Foundation has expanded the scope of its Eric Teicholz Sustainability Facility Professional (SFP) Scholarship Program to include corporate partners.

The goal of the SFP Partner Program is to make additional scholarships available and provide an opportunity for organizations to support a sustainable future, creating a generation of facility management (FM) leaders committed to environmental best practices. Partner organizations can opt to introduce a scholarship program in a topic area of their choosing or join an existing program, such as the newly launched SFP Partner Technology Program.

The first additional program created by the IFMA Foundation is related to the use of FM technology. A creative use of electronics and other technologies in FM is critical to combating climate change as large-scale data-gathering and information-sharing allow ever-more efficiencies only if the technology is there to identify and realize them.

With awards starting in 2022, the initial SFP Partner Technology Program sponsor is the Planon Corporation. 

“Planon is a firm advocate of continuous development, and we believe that the ambition to do better every day will stimulate all of us to take on the major challenges of our time, such as combating climate change,” said Erik Jaspers, Director of Global Strategy and Innovation. “Buildings and workplaces that are sustainable and encompass forward-thinking technological capabilities can significantly contribute to this goal. Enabling young professionals in FM to broaden their knowledge in environmental practices will allow them to support their organizations in moving towards a sustainable future.” 

Established in 1990 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and a separate entity from the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), the IFMA Foundation works for the public good to promote leading research and educational opportunities for the advancement of facility management.

To learn more about the IFMA Foundation, visit foundation.ifma.org.

Eric Teicholz, IFMA Fellow, graduated with a master’s degree in architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, where he later became an Associate Professor and the Associate Director of the university’s largest R+D facility, the Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis. He also is the author/editor of 17 books related to FM, CAFM/IWMS and GIS technology. Teicholz was awarded the U.S. Navy’s Superior Public Service Award by the Secretary of the Navy under President George W. Bush for his participation on a blue-ribbon FM panel defining the future strategy for naval shore facilities. Teicholz has served on IFMA’s Global Board of Directors, as a Trustee to the IFMA Foundation and is currently a member of IFMA”s Environmental Stewardship, Utilities and Sustainability (ESUS) committee.

Planon is a global leader in real estate and facility management software that enables building and service digitalization by integrating the diverse landscape of smart building technology, business solutions and data into one source of truth and turning that into value for building owners, building users and service providers.

For more information, visit Planonsoftware.com.