Meet Our Staff
The SFPE Foundation is a global non-profit organization that supports research and education to improve the scientific understanding of fire and its interaction with the natural and build environments. Affiliated with the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Inc., the SFPE Foundation leverages support from external grants and individual, corporate, and SFPE chapter donations to fund professional awards, student scholarships, and research grants; lead cross-sectoral research collaborations; conduct research workshops and meetings; develop new initiatives to support the next generation of fire protection engineers; and disseminate knowledge to advance the field of fire engineering and fire safety science globally.
With strategic oversight from the Board of Governors, the SFPE Foundation is supported by a full-time staff whose work is essential to delivering impact in support of our mission and ensuring transparent, reliable, and effective administration of the funds entrusted to our care. Learn more about our staff below!
Lisa VanBuskirk, PE
Program Manager, SFPE Foundation
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Location: Maryland, USA
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lisavanbuskirk/
Email: lvanbuskirk@sfpefoundation.org
Lisa VanBuskirk is the Program Manager for Wildfire Urban Interface (WUI) Initiatives at the SFPE Foundation. Her work includes grants management, partnership-building, program evaluation and reporting, events coordination, and training oversight.
Prior to joining the SFPE Foundation, Lisa worked with the AARP Community Challenge Grant as Outreach Coordinator, responsible for tracking and managing grants, grantee reporting processes, and public education via webinars and livestream broadcasts. She is a registered Professional Engineer in Maryland, having worked as a fire protection engineer and code consultant in California, Maryland, and internationally. Lisa is a retired Commander in the United States Coast Guard Reserve, where she had the opportunity to work at the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Center as a reserve fire protection engineer reviewing high-capacity passenger vessel submissions.
Lisa has a M.E. in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.