SFPE Announces Seven Members Elevated to Highest Fellow Status; 10 Additional Awards Recipients

SFPE Announces Seven Members Elevated to Highest Fellow Status; 18 Additional Award Recipients

 
 

July 9, 2025: GAITHERSBURG, Maryland – The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), the world’s leading professional society for fire protection and fire safety engineering, announces its 2025 class of Fellows and award recipients. 

Fellow membership represents the highest professional honor of SFPE and is bestowed to individuals who have amassed significant accomplishments and stature in fire protection engineering.  SFPE members elevated to the status of Fellow in 2025 include:  

  • Anthony R. Cole, PE, CFPS, CFEI, FSFPE, SenezCo

  • William V.F. Cosey, PE, BS ChE, FSFPE, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions LLC

  • Andrew Grenier, PE, FSFPE, Coffman Engineers 

  • Michael Klemenz, PE, FSFPE, RAN Fire Protection Engineering, PC 

  • Katherine A. Pothier, PE, FSFPE, Bowman Fire & Life Safety 

  • Christine (Christy) Theisen, MS, MBA, PE, FSFPE, Goodhead Consulting Engineers, LLC 

  • Michael J. Wojcik, PE, FSFPE, Jensen Hughes 

The SFPE “5 Under 35” recipients represent the industry’s top rising leaders who give back to both the fire protection engineering profession and the community.  The 2025 recipients are as follows: 

  • Brian O’Connor, PE, PMSFPE, NFPA

  • Charlie Hopkin, PhD, PMSFPE, Ashton Fire

  • Christopher Wicker, PE, PMSFPE, Coffman Engineers

  • Dillon Grewing, PE, GSP, PMSFPE, Performance Based Fire Protection Engineering

  • Jazyah Aldossary, Fire Protection Engineer Pro Board Certified, PMSFPE, Saudi Aramco 

SFPE is pleased to announce ten award recipients in 2025, as follows: 

  • Kieran Ager, CEng, CFPS, P.Eng, PMSFPE, LMDG, recipient of the SFPE Ahern President’s Award

  • Shaun Kelly, P.Eng., CEng, IntPE, EUR ING, PMSFPE, Arencon Inc., recipient of the SFPE Ahern President’s Award

  • Timothy A. DeRuyscher, PE, FSFPE, RAN Fire Protection Engineering, PC, recipient of the SFPE Bryan Mentoring Award

  • Wojciech Węgrzyński, Prof. ITB, Instytut Techniki Budowlanej, recipient of the SFPE Lund Award for Professional Recognition  

  • Adam M. Barowy, PMSFPE, UL FSRI, recipient of the SFPE Nelson Award for Inspired Service

  • William E. Koffel, PE, FSFPE, Koffel Associates, Inc., recipient of the SFPE Jensen Award for Outstanding Committee Service

  • Prof Richard S. Walls, Stellenbosch University, recipient of the SFPE Lucht Award for Contributions to Education

  • Nicole Hollywood, M.Ed, University of Maryland, recipient of the SFPE Fire Protection Person of the Year Award

  • Jake A. Pauls, PMSFPE, Jake Pauls Consulting Services, recipient of the SFPE Trailblazer Award

  • Craig E. Hofmeister, PE, FSFPE, LEED AP©, The Fire Consultants, Inc., recipient of the SFPE Spotlight Award

  • Frank J. Ellis, National Fire Sprinkler Association, recipient of the SFPE Spotlight Award

  • Kieran Ager, CEng, CFPS, P.Eng, PMSFPE, LMDG, recipient of the SFPE Spotlight Award

  • Vusal Ibrahimli, MASc, EIT, Canadian Wood Council, recipient of the 2025 SFPE Annual Conference Top Abstract Award

    • Co-authors: Joseph Su, Marc Alam, and Noah Fetterly 

“Each year, SFPE proudly recognizes members whose exceptional achievements have made a lasting impact on the field of fire protection engineering and the global safety community,” said Chris Jelenewicz, PE, FSFPE, Chief Executive Officer of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. “Their contributions are advancing critical science and technology, helping to reduce fire risks worldwide. We commend their leadership, expertise, and unwavering dedication to the profession and to SFPE.” 

The awards will be presented by Amanda Kimball, PE, FSFPE, SFPE President, during the SFPE Annual Conference & Expo in Vancouver, BC, Canada, on October 21-23, 2025; registration for the conference is available at sfpe.org/annual25. Nominations for the Society’s 2026 class of Fellows and award recipients will be solicited in early 2026. 

 

# # # 

 

HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOS                         

2025 FELLOWS 

Anthony (Tony) Cole


William Cosey


Andrew Grenier 

Michael Klemenz

Katherine A. Pothier 

Christine (Christy) Theisen 

Michael Wojcik 

5 UNDER 35 RECIPIENTS 

Brian O’Connor 

Charlie Hopkin 

Christopher Wicker 

Dillon Grewing 

Jazyah Aldossary 

AWARD RECIPIENTS 

Kieran Ager recipient of the SFPE Ahern President’s Award 

Shaun Kelly, recipient of the SFPE Ahern President’s Award 

Timothy A. DeRuyscher, recipient of the SFPE Bryan Mentoring Award 

Wojciech Węgrzyński, recipient of the SFPE Lund Award for Professional Recognition   

Adam M. Barowy, recipient of the SFPE Nelson Award for Inspired Service 

William E. Koffel, recipient of the SFPE Jensen Award for Outstanding Committee Service 

Richard S. Walls, recipient of the SFPE Lucht Award for Contributions to Education 

Nicole Hollywood, recipient of the SFPE Fire Protection Person of the Year Award 

Jake A. Pauls, recipient of the SFPE Trailblazer Award 

Craig E. Hofmeister, recipient of the SFPE Spotlight Award 

Frank J. Ellis, recipient of the SFPE Spotlight Award 

Kieran Ager, recipient of the SFPE Spotlight Award 

Vusal Ibrahimli, recipient of the 2025 SFPE Annual Conference Top Abstract Award 

 

About SFPE: 

Engineering a fire-safe world since 1950. Headquartered near Washington, DC, and in Brussels, BE, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers is the world’s leading professional society for fire protection and fire safety engineering. Learn more at sfpe.org. 

SFPE media contact:  

Austin Guerrazzi
Director, Marketing & Data Analytics
Society of Fire Protection Engineers
https://www.sfpe.org/newsroom 
Aguerrazzi@sfpe.org