The 2017 Jury of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has elected Leslie Gartner, a senior vice president at WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, to its prestigious College of Fellows.

The AIA Fellows designation honors architects who have made significant contributions to architecture and society, and have achieved a high standard of excellence in the profession. The newly elected Fellows will be honored at an investiture ceremony in late April at the 2017 AIA Conference.

Mr. Gartner is the national director for WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff’s science + technology group in the United States. He has extensive experience with high containment research laboratory design, project management, costing and programming, including special requirements for national clients such as National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DARPA and USAMRIID and research universities. The principles of science and health protection have been central to his design of BSL-4 facilities for the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense in every region of the U.S.

The firm’s lab design and planning team, part of the science and technology sector, collaborates with architects and clients to focus on the functional organization of facilities, planning of laboratory spaces and provision of unique technical solutions involving containment and equipment.

“Les’ election to the AIA College of Fellows is a testament to the national impact his work has had within the high-level containment lab arena,” said David Cooper, president of WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff’s U.S. buildings practice and the region’s chief commercial officer. “His expertise has gained him international recognition as evidenced by his continued leadership in the field and the design of these unique facilities in countries such as the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Saudi Arabia and India.”

Mr. Gartner received a master of science degree in architecture and a bachelor of science in environmental studies from the University of Manitoba. In addition to the AIA, he is active in the American Biological Safety Association, Royal Institute of British Architects, American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, and National Environmental Health Association.

About WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff

WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services consulting firms, provides services designed to transform the built environment and restore the natural one. In May 2017, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff will rebrand as WSP.

The firm’s expertise ranges from environmental remediation and urban planning, to engineering iconic buildings and designing sustainable transport networks, to developing the energy sources of the future and enabling new ways of extracting essential resources. Approximately 36,700 employees, including engineers, technicians, scientists, planners, surveyors, program and construction management professionals, as well as various environmental experts, work for this dynamic organization in more than 500 offices across 40 countries worldwide. wsp-pb.com/usa