Paul Fast Appointed Kerbis Fellow and Professor at the University of Illinois

October 26, 2021

We are excited to announce the appointment of Paul Fast as a professor at the University of Illinois in the architectural program, focusing on mass timber design. The course will cover the rapidly growing topic of contemporary mass timber design, including fundamental design ideas, a discussion of mass timber products and their application to diverse building sectors, as well as considerations for sustainability and construction.

The school conducted a search for the Kerbis Fellow in structures, materials, and innovation that resulted in his hiring. Paul will share his extensive knowledge as a world-renowned expert in mass timber design and construction. Kerbis Fellow was created in recognition of Gertrude Kerbis’s contributions as an inventive architectural engineer and her leadership as a woman in a male-dominated sector. Since that time, the fellowship has sought a renowned leader to advance discovery and education at the nexus of architectural structures, materials science, and experimental engineering. It is internationally renowned for producing highly qualified graduates and for planning a sustainable future.

As founder of Fast + Epp, Paul has amassed over 35 years of structural engineering experience as the design lead for many of the firm’s most significant award-winning projects.