GLASTONBURY, CT — The S/L/A/M Collaborative (SLAM) announces the following team members have been promoted to Associate Principal: Tracy Caisse, AIA, NCARB, Amy Samuelson, AIA, LEEP AP, Todd Schaefer, and Robert Zygmunt, PE, SECB, LEED AP.Caisse, a resident of Glastonbury, Connecticut, joined SLAM in 2005 and is a Registered Architect, serving as a Designer and Health Care Planner who manages and provides technical expertise for the firm’s national health care and medical education projects. Caisse actively attends national conferences and has presented about patient-centered care at the Planetree International Conference. She has also achieved Evidence-Based Design Accreditation and Certification, which provides a method for developing design solutions that are rooted in research to help achieve a health care client’s desired goals and improved outcomes.

Her leadership skills extend outside of the firm, serving local organizations, as Director on the Board of Professional Women in Construction’s CT Chapter (PWC-CT) and as Chairperson of the Mentorship Committee providing opportunities for students interested in pursuing careers within the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. In 2019, Caisse received an Excellence in Mentoring Award from PWC-CT. Caisse is a member of the American Institute of Architects and holds a Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Arts in foreign language from Roger Williams University.

Samuelson, resident of Woodbury, Connecticut, has been a member of the SLAM team for 25 years and serves as a Project Architect and Project Manager, bringing an expertise in higher education and public/independent education facilities of all types. Samuelson was recently named to the Studio Core Team Leadership as the Management and Human Resources Leader. Highly regarded for her team building skills, Samuelson manages complex projects, overseeing large teams from planning through design and construction.

She is a member of the American Institute of Architects and holds a Bachelor of Architecture, magna cum laude, from the Catholic University of America, where a passion for sustainable design began. Samuelson is a LEED Accredited Professional and a member of the United States Green Building Council. At SLAM, she is a member of the GREEN Team and currently leads the firm’s AIA 2030 Commitment. Samuelson was named the 2019 Designer of the Year by the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Connecticut.

Schaefer, resident of Willington, Connecticut, has been a member of the SLAM team for 22 years. He currently serves as Director of Quality Assurance & Control (QA/QC), leading the development and implementation of SLAM’s QA/QC process, the development of SLAM standards/best practices, and performing project QC reviews firm-wide. As one of SLAM’s Technical Leaders, he serves as a resource in matters including documentation, codes, sustainability, construction administration, and Revit.

Prior to this role, he was a Project Architect, who managed the documentation, specifications, code analysis, engineering coordination, and construction administration on complex educational facilities. On the University of Notre Dame Campus Crossroads Project, Schaefer led the development of a masonry façade support technique for the new additions, including documentation and coordination. He holds an Associate in Science – architectural engineering degree from Wentworth Institute of Technology.

Zygmunt, a resident of Glastonbury, Connecticut, joined SLAM in 2007 and serves as a Structural Engineer in the corporate, municipal, hospital, laboratory, education, and entertainment resort markets. Zygmunt is a Registered Engineer in the state of Connecticut and was appointed Chairperson of the Connecticut Structural Engineering License Committee, and a member of the Connecticut Structural Engineers Coalition and National Council of Structural Engineering Associations (NCSEA).

Zygmunt also is a committee member on the NCSEA and Connecticut Chapter of the Structural Licensure Committee, leading a local effort in Connecticut to establish a structural engineering licensure bill. He holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering and a Master of Science in structural engineering from the University of Connecticut.

SLAM is a national, multi-disciplinary design firm offering architecture, planning, interior design, landscape architecture, site planning, structural engineering, and pre-construction, with S/L/A/M Construction Services offered throughout the New England region. The market focus is on higher education, K-12 public/private education, health care, corporate, justice, sports, and recreation sectors.