Longtime GBA blogger Vera Novak died on January 28, 2016, after a prolonged battle with cancer. We will miss her.

Novak, a champion of women in the field of construction and green building practices, received a Masters of Science degree in Building Construction Science in 2011 from Virginia Tech. A year later, she received her PhD in Environmental Design and Planning from the same institution.

GBA introduced Novak to our readers in a 2011 article, “Blog Review: Eco Build Trends Blog.”

Over the past four years, GBA published 12 blogs by Novak:

• The First National Green Code — or Communism?
• Be the Change You Want to See in the World
• Design for Disassembly
• Shades of Green: the 1970s vs. the Millennial Generation
• Jobsite Communication: Creating a Dialogue
• Disseminating Building Science Knowledge
• Dealing with Rising Damp in Building Reconstruction
• Adaptations That Accommodate Nature
• Improving the Energy Efficiency of Rental Housing
• Praise for the Czech Team’s Solar Decathlon Entry
• Keeping Green on the Right Track
• District Heating

Vera is survived by her mother, Ruzena Novak; her sister, Jana Novak Garner; her sister, Eva Novak; her husband, David Franke; her daughters Charlene and Katie; her brother, Peter Novak; his wife, Teresa, and daughters Marissa and Kendra; her stepsons, Nathan Sondelski (and Eleanor Rudasi) and Benjamin Sondelski (and daughter Claudia).