Jennifer Nelson Smid, Chair
Jennifer Nelson Smid is a senior consultant for Arup in Chicago, IL. Her career allows her to share her passion of architectural acoustics with architects, engineers, construction workers, and more!
She has been involved with the Acoustical Society of America since her undergraduate degree at Georgia Tech. She holds a BA in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech and a Masters in Architectural Studies from the University of Florida. Jennifer enjoys exploring and learning more about Chicago’s architecture with her husband. She’s looking forward to sharing her love for acoustics even further through her involvement in the local chapter of ASA – Chicago.
Christopher Landschoot, Vice-Chair
Chris is a machine learning engineer at Whitebalance. He works developing audio AI technologies such as audio source separation, music recognition, and audio enhancement.
Chris attained his BS in Mechanical Engineering from SUNY University at Buffalo and his MS in Acoustics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He has published several papers related to his research in acoustics and machine learning as well as binaural externalization.
When he is not working, Chris can be found playing, writing, and recording music and spending time with his wife and their little dog.
Robert Lingenfelter, Treasurer
Rob is an acoustical consultant at Burns & McDonnell in Chicago, IL. Learning how to play the recorder in elementary school led to the baritone in middle school which led to the tuba and ultimately the bass guitar in high school, which eventually led Rob to pursue a career in acoustical engineering. His passions include surfing, camping, playing music, and studying different focuses within the field of acoustics. His primary areas of focus within acoustic consulting are architectural acoustics and environmental noise and vibration.
Rob has a bachelor’s degree in Multidisciplinary Engineering, Acoustical Engineering Concentration, from Purdue University.
Sandra Guzman, Council Member
Dr. Sandra Guzman is a lecturer in Acoustics at Columbia College Chicago, focused on human perception of sound. Dr. Guzman has formal training in behavioral science specializing in auditory perception (Ph.D. Loyola University Chicago), and has over a decade of experience leading and executing psychoacoustic and consumer-based sound quality studies across a range of consumer devices. Dr. Guzman’s current research focuses on perception of complex patterns by musicians and non-musicians.
Peter Xinya Zhang, Council Member
Dr. Peter Xinya Zhang is Associate Professor at Columbia College Chicago, Department Audio Arts and Acoustics. His research interests include psychoacoustics (binaural and spatial hearing, 3D sound simulation, and virtual reality), auditory physiology, singing voice, acoustics and its applications in media arts.
Dr. Zhang is the author of the psychoacoustics chapter in “Handbook for Sound Engineers”. He serves on China’s national platforms and collaborates with internationally distinguished artists on acoustical improvements. He has appeared on stage and TV, as tenor on western opera and Peking opera, and as MC of performance galas. He gives lectures on Chinese traditional performing arts at Peking University to students across the world.
Dr. Zhang served as Director of China Initiative for Columbia College Chicago from 2012 to 2016, when he established partnerships with top-tier institutions in China, which significantly increased the college’s international enrollments, and created international collaborative research opportunities for faculty and students.
Dr. Zhang received Bachelor of Science in physics from Peking University, China. He received Ph.D. in physics with a focus on psychoacoustics from Michigan State University, U.S.A. He is member of the Acoustical Society of America, and member of the Audio Engineering Society. He served as President of the Chicago Chapter, Acoustical Society of America from 2010 to 2013. He is President of the Society of Chinese American Professors and Scientists.
James Hong, Member at Large
Bio to be added.
Andrew Schmidt, Member at Large
Andrew Schmidt is the Acoustics Lead, Building Science at USG Corporate Innovation Center. Andrew is an acoustical consultant experienced in a wide array of commercial and residential construction types. With an engineering degree from the acoustics and music program at University of Hartford, he spent his early years as a consultant at Jaffe Holden Acoustics, under the mentorship of the late Chris Jaffe. Schmidt’s expertise spans all areas of architectural acoustics, including sound isolation, room acoustics, and mechanical systems noise and vibration control. He joined USG Corporation in 2017 as a senior researcher in the Building Science Lab with focus on new product development, technical support, and creating next-generation acoustic tools and resources. Andrew is an active member of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), and the Gypsum Association (GA).
Shane Kanter, Immediate Past-Chair
In Shane’s young hands, household appliances were often subjected to impromptu dissections and musical interests included all things percussive. We can only imagine his parents’ relief when he ventured off to college (University of Kansas, Master of Arts in Architecture – the childhood pursuits left their mark). While studying at KU, Shane discovered architectural acoustics in a lecture by the venerable and beloved Bob Coffeen and he never looked back, capping his academic career as a recipient of the ASA Newman Medal for Excellence in the Study of Acoustics and its Application to Architecture. Spending his days at Threshold Acoustics, and nights and weekends going on adventures with his wife, kids, and dog, Shane never ceases to ruminate over design, acoustics, and their application to the world around us.