SLAM announces national science & technology practice leader

Glastonbury, CT, May 18, 2021 – Jeffrey “Jeff” Talka, AIA, LEED AP, will serve as the national Science & Technology (S&T) Practice Leader for SLAM (The S/L/A/M Collaborative). Jeff will expand the firm’s national expertise in science and technology programming, planning and design, with an immediate focus on the corporate sector. This builds on the recent acquisition of five CBRE | Heery architectural design practices.  The firm’s long-term goals are to expand opportunities in the higher education and healthcare markets, two major practices of the firm. Jeff will be located in SLAM’s Boston office.

“I am excited to build upon our already robust science and technology practice and to broaden our service offerings throughout SLAM’s nine geographic markets,” says Jeffrey Talka, AIA, LEED AP. “The trends in research being conducted in today’s laboratories and anticipated trends in the field are breaking new ground. We at SLAM are well-positioned to guide facility design, through our expertise and utilization of current technologies that are being leveraged in the workplace in response to the pandemic.”

Jeff brings more than 35 years of experience as an architect and lab planner practicing in the field of science and technology, including six years with SLAM. His ability to understand the relationship between the built environment, research, and technology has helped SLAM develop numerous cutting-edge S&T projects including L’Oreal’s new North American Research and Innovation Campus, Rutgers University’s Richard Weeks Hall of Engineering, and a wide array of facilities for Sanofi Pasteur, including their Quality Control and Global Clinical Immunization Buildings, BSL 3 Laboratory, and Seed Lab Facility.

He holds various memberships with industry organizations including the American Institute of Architecture, American Biological Safety Association, American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, and the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering.

Throughout his career, Jeff has presented widely on science and technology related topics, including at the Laboratory Design Conference, International Laboratory Design Conference, Scientific Equipment and Furniture Association, American Biological Safety Association, IFMA Conference, and the Society for College and University Planning Meeting. His thought leadership has been published in the ILAR Journal, Lab Manager Magazine, Project Kaleidoscope, and Lab Design.

SLAM President Robert F. Pulito, AIA, says in welcoming Jeff back to the firm, “He is widely recognized in the S&T field as an expert who is always ahead of the curve,” says Pulito.  “We are eager to demonstrate the synergies between science and technology in the healthcare and higher education markets and Jeff is the right person to help us anticipate and plan for those next generation lab spaces.”