Acentech Announces Two Fellows

Acentech is pleased to announce Acentech’s President, Benjamin Markham, and Principal Michael Bahtiarian have been recognized for their significant contributions in the fields of architectural acoustics and noise control with the honor of Fellow designation in May 2023. Ben was elected as a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), and Mike was elected as a Fellow of the Institute of Noise Control Engineering of the USA (INCE-USA).

The Acoustical Society of America recognizes select members for Fellowship based on their contributions to the advancement, generation, promotion, or dissemination of the knowledge of acoustics or the fostering of its practical applications. Markham was elected a Fellow for his leadership and teaching in the field of architectural acoustics.

Benjamin Markham, FASA, LEED AP is a versatile acoustics expert, lecturer, and industry leader with over 22 years of consulting leadership experience in architectural acoustics, sound isolation, and mechanical noise control for hundreds of award-winning projects. He served as Director of Acentech’s Architectural Acoustics Group for 10 years, growing the group into one of the largest acoustical practices in the U.S. In 2023, he became Acentech’s President, leading its corporate operations and national growth strategy across the AEC industry.

A major focus of Markham’s acoustical career has been teaching and research. He frequently teaches architectural acoustics at several prestigious architecture and design schools, including the MIT School of Architecture, Cornell College of Architecture, Art and Planning, and Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, as well as several other institutions. He actively speaks across the AEC industry at conferences, including ASA meetings, on topics related to building acoustics design, auralization (computer simulation of soundfields), sound isolation, and noise control. Beyond his lecturing and speaking, Ben’s involvement in the Acoustical Society of America spans over 20 years. He serves on the Technical Committee on Architectural Acoustics, the ASA Foundation Board, was a patent reviewer for the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, and has co-chaired technical sessions at several ASA meetings.

The Institute of Noise Control Engineering of the USA (INCE-USA) advances members to Fellow who render notable service to INCE-USA, make distinguished contributions to the advancement of noise control engineering, and promote knowledge of noise control engineering. Michael Bahtiarian, INCE Bd. Cert., INCE Fellow was elected a Fellow for his extensive service to INCE-USA and his decades of professional experience as an expert noise control engineer serving the maritime, industrial, and architectural communities.

Bahtiarian is an accomplished noise control engineer with a career spanning 37 years in the field of acoustical and vibration engineering, environmental acoustics, noise control, and sound and vibration testing, measurement, and mitigation. A Principal at Acentech since 2017, he consults on a wide range of acoustical, environmental noise, and vibration issues including the design of noise control barriers, enclosures, damping and vibration isolation solutions, and also serves as an expert witness. He is an expert in shipboard noise reduction for the maritime industry, collaborating with international science and engineering teams on strategies to reduce the impact of underwater shipping noise on marine life.

Throughout his career, Bahtiarian has been a dedicated advocate of the noise control engineering community through his involvement in the Institute of Noise Control Engineering (INCE-USA). A board-certified member of INCE-USA, he has served in several leadership and committee roles over the past two decades. From 2020-2022, he served as President of INCE-USA providing exceptional leadership during the tumultuous pandemic period, as well as extending his term to realign with the INCE-USA bylaw changes. He oversaw INCE’s virtual annual conferences for both 2020 InterNoise and 2021 NoiseCon. In 2018, he served on the INCE-USA board of directors and was awarded the William W. Lang Award for Distinguished Noise Control Engineer the same year. He led NoiseCon 2016 as General Chair while serving as Vice President of Board Certification from 2015 to 2017. In addition, he has presented at numerous INCE-USA conferences each year. Currently, he serves on INCE-USA’s Long Range Planning Committee and is Chair of the Nominations Committee.