A highlight of IPTW 2014 was the presentation of the 2014 Askins Achievement Award to David R. Mertz, Professor and Chair of the Building Preservation/Restoration Program at Belmont College. The nomination, submitted by Simeon Warren, Dean Emeritus of the American College of the Building Arts states, "I nominate David R. Mertz for the Askins Achievement Award not only in recognition of his great achievement in sustaining an exceptional academic program for over 25 years in the United States, but also in my humble opinion perhaps, he is the most influential figure in trade education this side of the Atlantic. Every academic professor who has built a program in these United States has referenced this man and his work. Which means that every student who has been through an academic trade education program has been influenced by this man."