I did some of my best research while I was a PhD student. As a post-doc and then full-time faculty member, there have been many other activities competing for my time, which means I now find it difficult to focus, uninterrupted, on ‘doing research’. I, therefore, rely heavily on the work of my own PhD students to satisfy my interest in research and provide me with a channel for ideas (in both directions!), as well as provide the powerhouse for undertaking the research.
In recognition of the important role PhD students play, I wanted to provide a dedicated outlet for the next generation of researchers to ‘exhibit’ their wares before an international audience. In the last few months, we have requested and received a number of submissions authored by PhD researchers, reporting on their work. The articles in this edition are the result of these efforts. They cover topics on energy demand, phase change materials, BIM and refrigeration, highlighting the breadth of research going on across the globe in the area of Science and Technology for the Built Environment. All of these articles have gone through the same rigorous peer review process as all articles submitted to the journal. I am grateful to all submitting authors and reviewers for their assistance with this special edition.
PhD students who would like to feature their articles in next year's topical issue should submit their articles to Science and Technology for the Built Environment by January 1, 2018 via https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ashrae.