Name: Kyleen J.
Major: Civil Engineering
Title: E.I.T., Bachelor of Civil Engineering
Company: Nannies R Us (not really, but I am currently a nanny...)
Why did you want to become an engineer, and more specifically, your particular type of engineer?
Unlike my dear friend Alisha, I did not enjoy playing with Legos. I did, however, enjoy math workbooks. In fact, I used to complete my brother's workbooks at the end of each school year for fun, even though he is three years older than me. When senior year rolled around, I knew I wanted to attend Georgia Tech. After looking at the majors, I chose architecture on my application. Then, I went to a meeting for incoming architecture students and realized I was the only person in the room who hadn't played with Legos. I asked the advisor how I could do architecture with more math and less art, and civil engineering is what I ended up with. Since then, I have fallen deeply in love with many aspects of civil engineering, including land development, city planning, environmental management, and construction.
What do you do? (At your job or in your research?)
I take care of a 7-month-old baby. Seriously. But what I'm looking to do for my career is anything that's at the intersection of civil engineering and public policy. I live in Los Angeles, so there aren't a lot of jobs available for a recent graduate in my field, but I've heard encouraging things about the energy field, so I'm shifting my job search focus to that area.
At my co-op, I did land development, which gave me the opportunity to work alongside public policymakers, hydraulic engineers, transportation engineers, architects, surveyors, drafters, sanitary engineers, city planners, and construction workers. And here in L.A., we were often working alongside the ocean or celebrity properties, which always made the day a little more interesting. I got to spend time in the office, working with my wonderful co-workers on designs for residential and commercial properties, but I also got to spend time on construction sites, learning about the different stages of construction and the unique challenges for each type of job. Some days, I got to do some light surveying tasks in the field, which included counting parking spaces, measuring distances and curb heights, and taking pictures of wheelchair ramps at every intersection in a particular city. I also got to attend a public hearing on the changes that were being made to the Stormwater Pollution Protection Plans for Ventura County. Sometimes, I'd set alignments in master files for projects or mark up a set of plans to check quantities in cost estimates. A couple of times, I got to go downtown to do research for projects. These were my favorite days because it was usually just as quick to take the freeway downtown as it was to take the Pacific Coast Highway, so I got paid to drive the PCH and see dolphins jumping in the Pacific Ocean!
I loved every single day of my job. There were rough times when an engineer wouldn't trust me with a task or when layoffs came through our office or when I just couldn't meet a deadline, but I was reminded every day that God has given me the ability to perform the tasks necessary for a career that speaks so strongly to many aspects of my personality and my calling.
What do you do outside of engineering?
I spend a lot of time at coffee shops, meeting plenty of people from all different walks of life. God has blessed me with unique ministry opportunities at coffee shops all over L.A. I also enjoy being with my roommates and other believers here, sharing our triumphs and struggles with each other as we seek to live out the Bible through God's transforming grace. I always have a beach towel in my car because I love driving down to Malibu to see the sunset or just soak in some fresh air and sunshine. I really treasure this time in my life, when I can spend hours alone with the Lord and then drive somewhere to meet up with a friend who needs encouragement and then come home to my sisters, who are always up for a good conversation.
Anything else you would like us to know about you or your work?
Civil engineering takes a great deal of technical knowledge, communication skills, determination, and openness to change. Even though it's the oldest type of engineering, technology is changing the field daily as more projects are being handled using video conferencing and 3-D CAD. I can't wait to watch civil engineering evolve into a more sustainable, more ethical, and wiser industry.
Showing posts with label engineering spotlight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label engineering spotlight. Show all posts
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Engineering Spotlight: Jennifer S., IE
Name: Jennifer S.
Major: Industrial Engineering
Title: Quality Assurance Engineer
Company: Lockheed Martin
What is Industrial Engineering?
Historically, Industrial Engineers were employed in the manufacturing field to increase throughput, decrease costs, and ensure quality. Today, manufacturing is still a major IE focus but IE methodology is now applied in healthcare, finance, the energy sector, transportation networks and many other areas. Industrial Engineers are continually looking to improve the way things are done, maximizing efficiency and effectiveness. They use math-based techniques to optimize a complex system of people, technology, and resources.
Why did you want to become an engineer, and more specifically, your particular type of engineer?
I actually never wanted to become an engineer. I am in the engineering field today because of convenience and aptitude. Convenience due to the fact Georgia Tech, a premiere engineering school, is less than an hour away from my parent’s house; aptitude because I am intelligent and excelled in math and science during high school. I am thankful I happened to choose Industrial Engineering because it is a great fit for me. I like the math-based approach to solving problems and the basic idea that Industrial Engineers find efficiencies to make things better.
What do you do?
In my current job at Lockheed Martin I help ensure certain quality standards are being followed and implemented. As an aerospace manufacturing company, Lockheed Martin adheres to standards such as AS9100 (aerospace specific) and ISO9001 (quality management). These are usually contractual requirements but I also ensure other regulatory or legal requirements are being followed.
During college I worked in the Industrial Engineering department at Walt Disney World. This job was a more typical IE position and I used techniques like simulation, calculating throughput, and statistics. I worked on projects that included optimally deploying buses throughout the property to ensure guests are where they want to be when they want to be, making lines move faster, efficiently washing and handling the 100,000 pounds of laundry A DAY Disney guests use, and improving processes in the warehouse that maintains stock of Disney products used in the parks.
What do you do outside of engineering?
My current endeavor is decorating my new apartment. I am on the hunt for the perfect couch and am looking for simple, cost-effective ways to decorate. I love to read (recently getting into the SF genre). One of my favorite things to do is relax on a boat and have fun water skiing, jet skiing, or wakeboarding. I also like to run.
Anything else you would like us to know about you or your work?
My favorite foods are sushi and cereal.
Where can I find more information?
Georgia Institute of Technology, the number one school in the nation for Industrial Engineering, is a great reference for learning more about IE and its application.
Watch this video to learn more about IEs at Disney.
The professional IE organization, Institute of Industrial Engineers.
Major: Industrial Engineering
Title: Quality Assurance Engineer
Company: Lockheed Martin
What is Industrial Engineering?
Historically, Industrial Engineers were employed in the manufacturing field to increase throughput, decrease costs, and ensure quality. Today, manufacturing is still a major IE focus but IE methodology is now applied in healthcare, finance, the energy sector, transportation networks and many other areas. Industrial Engineers are continually looking to improve the way things are done, maximizing efficiency and effectiveness. They use math-based techniques to optimize a complex system of people, technology, and resources.
Why did you want to become an engineer, and more specifically, your particular type of engineer?
I actually never wanted to become an engineer. I am in the engineering field today because of convenience and aptitude. Convenience due to the fact Georgia Tech, a premiere engineering school, is less than an hour away from my parent’s house; aptitude because I am intelligent and excelled in math and science during high school. I am thankful I happened to choose Industrial Engineering because it is a great fit for me. I like the math-based approach to solving problems and the basic idea that Industrial Engineers find efficiencies to make things better.
What do you do?
In my current job at Lockheed Martin I help ensure certain quality standards are being followed and implemented. As an aerospace manufacturing company, Lockheed Martin adheres to standards such as AS9100 (aerospace specific) and ISO9001 (quality management). These are usually contractual requirements but I also ensure other regulatory or legal requirements are being followed.
During college I worked in the Industrial Engineering department at Walt Disney World. This job was a more typical IE position and I used techniques like simulation, calculating throughput, and statistics. I worked on projects that included optimally deploying buses throughout the property to ensure guests are where they want to be when they want to be, making lines move faster, efficiently washing and handling the 100,000 pounds of laundry A DAY Disney guests use, and improving processes in the warehouse that maintains stock of Disney products used in the parks.
What do you do outside of engineering?
My current endeavor is decorating my new apartment. I am on the hunt for the perfect couch and am looking for simple, cost-effective ways to decorate. I love to read (recently getting into the SF genre). One of my favorite things to do is relax on a boat and have fun water skiing, jet skiing, or wakeboarding. I also like to run.
Anything else you would like us to know about you or your work?
My favorite foods are sushi and cereal.
Where can I find more information?
Georgia Institute of Technology, the number one school in the nation for Industrial Engineering, is a great reference for learning more about IE and its application.
Watch this video to learn more about IEs at Disney.
The professional IE organization, Institute of Industrial Engineers.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Engineering Spotlight: Logan W., AE
Name: Logan W.
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Title: Graduate Research Assistant
Company: Georgia Institute of Technology
Why did you want to become an engineer, and more specifically, your particular type of engineer?
Truth be told, it was a bit of a convoluted path. I grew up under the shadow of Cape Canaveral where my father worked for a time, and my grandfather was involved with the Apollo program. Needless to say I was watching shuttle launches from the front yard before I could understand what I was looking at. While I was interested in the space program, I never really considered actually doing anything related to it; instead I always figured I’d go to med school though I don’t remember why. That changed in high school physics when I realized that the immutable laws of the universe, albeit sometimes unknown, were much more interesting than a study of medicine. Adding to that, I found I would rather do something with this knowledge – application of knowledge, rather than the pure study of knowledge. Thus I decided to be an engineer.
There were two fields of study in physics that I found the most enjoyable and fascinating that I wanted to work in: atomic/nuclear physics and astronomy. For an engineer, the applications opened to me were fission/fusion research for the former and the space program for the latter. It was only in my last year of undergrad (which was in mechanical engineering, as it was the most general major) that I read about the Deep Space missions and the use of ion engines as the primary propulsion unit. One of my professors informed me that Georgia Tech recently picked up a new professor starting a lab researching these types of engines. As this type of technology, called electric propulsion, combined features of both atomic physics and the space program it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. That is how I ended up in aerospace engineering working on electric propulsion.
What do you do? (At your job or in your research)
The kind of research our lab focuses on is prototyping new technologies and testing new concepts, be it new engine concepts or modifications to existing engines. Currently I am involved in two avenues in research: ion engines and helicon plasma sources. Ion engines operate by ionizing a gas to form a plasma. The ions are accelerated out of the engine on an electric field generated between two grids. These engines are characterized by very low propellant consumption rates with very high exit velocity, making the engine very efficient when used over long periods of time. As a rough analogy, think of a car with very low acceleration but very high gas mileage and very high top speed. My involvement is focused in trying to improve the efficiency of the plasma generation within the thruster.
Helicon plasma sources are devices that generate a plasma using radio-frequency waves. Most thrusters in use today ionize their propellant using electron collisions, which can be inefficient as electrons tend to collide with the engine walls, other ions, etc before colliding the desired neutral atom. This wastes energy that could have gone to thrust generation. Helicon sources have been found since the early 1980s to be more efficient for generating a plasma, but the problem is that why it is so efficient is not well understood. I work to better understand how these devices operate and how to predict their behavior and performance given a set of operating conditions.
What do you do outside of engineering?
I am a voracious reader; I’ll read almost anything, from the classics to military history. I also enjoy music, both listening to it and making it when given the opportunity. I must also confess to being a fan of computer games, particularly of the strategy genre.
Anything else you would like us to know about you or your work?
Truth be told, electric propulsion is one of those research areas that doesn’t have a field per se. I am in the aerospace engineering department, but my work is mostly electrical engineering with a mix of mechanical engineering, chemistry, physics, and a little bit of aerospace. So the next time you hear someone talk about “multi-disciplinary fields” don’t snicker too much, you just might find yourself in one.
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Title: Graduate Research Assistant
Company: Georgia Institute of Technology
Why did you want to become an engineer, and more specifically, your particular type of engineer?
Truth be told, it was a bit of a convoluted path. I grew up under the shadow of Cape Canaveral where my father worked for a time, and my grandfather was involved with the Apollo program. Needless to say I was watching shuttle launches from the front yard before I could understand what I was looking at. While I was interested in the space program, I never really considered actually doing anything related to it; instead I always figured I’d go to med school though I don’t remember why. That changed in high school physics when I realized that the immutable laws of the universe, albeit sometimes unknown, were much more interesting than a study of medicine. Adding to that, I found I would rather do something with this knowledge – application of knowledge, rather than the pure study of knowledge. Thus I decided to be an engineer.
There were two fields of study in physics that I found the most enjoyable and fascinating that I wanted to work in: atomic/nuclear physics and astronomy. For an engineer, the applications opened to me were fission/fusion research for the former and the space program for the latter. It was only in my last year of undergrad (which was in mechanical engineering, as it was the most general major) that I read about the Deep Space missions and the use of ion engines as the primary propulsion unit. One of my professors informed me that Georgia Tech recently picked up a new professor starting a lab researching these types of engines. As this type of technology, called electric propulsion, combined features of both atomic physics and the space program it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. That is how I ended up in aerospace engineering working on electric propulsion.
What do you do? (At your job or in your research)
The kind of research our lab focuses on is prototyping new technologies and testing new concepts, be it new engine concepts or modifications to existing engines. Currently I am involved in two avenues in research: ion engines and helicon plasma sources. Ion engines operate by ionizing a gas to form a plasma. The ions are accelerated out of the engine on an electric field generated between two grids. These engines are characterized by very low propellant consumption rates with very high exit velocity, making the engine very efficient when used over long periods of time. As a rough analogy, think of a car with very low acceleration but very high gas mileage and very high top speed. My involvement is focused in trying to improve the efficiency of the plasma generation within the thruster.
Helicon plasma sources are devices that generate a plasma using radio-frequency waves. Most thrusters in use today ionize their propellant using electron collisions, which can be inefficient as electrons tend to collide with the engine walls, other ions, etc before colliding the desired neutral atom. This wastes energy that could have gone to thrust generation. Helicon sources have been found since the early 1980s to be more efficient for generating a plasma, but the problem is that why it is so efficient is not well understood. I work to better understand how these devices operate and how to predict their behavior and performance given a set of operating conditions.
What do you do outside of engineering?
I am a voracious reader; I’ll read almost anything, from the classics to military history. I also enjoy music, both listening to it and making it when given the opportunity. I must also confess to being a fan of computer games, particularly of the strategy genre.
Anything else you would like us to know about you or your work?
Truth be told, electric propulsion is one of those research areas that doesn’t have a field per se. I am in the aerospace engineering department, but my work is mostly electrical engineering with a mix of mechanical engineering, chemistry, physics, and a little bit of aerospace. So the next time you hear someone talk about “multi-disciplinary fields” don’t snicker too much, you just might find yourself in one.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Engineering Spotlight: Alisha H., CEE
Name: Alisha H.
Major: Civil Engineering*
Title: E.I.T.**, Bachelor's of Civil Engineering
Company: Georgia Tech...Currently looking for a job...hire me! (Update: Alisha actually has a job now in Nashville, TN)
Why did you want to become an engineer, and more specifically, your particular type of engineer?
I've always been in love with logical concrete solutions. I loved looking at how things were put together and how they stayed that way. Engineering runs in my family. My Dad is a Civil, my Grandpa and Uncle built/designed their own small planes, and my brother has always worked within automotive (including diesel engines). However, I got my love of order and organization from my Mom who is a teacher. I chose Civil because it was the best fit; I was the kid always playing with my brother's Legos and building my own Barbie accessories (tree house, playground, etc.).
What do you do? (At your job or in your research?)
Currently, I am on the job hunt as a recent graduate. My primary interests are in Site Design and Transportation Design. I've also had a couple years experience with a small geotechnical firm in which I designed retaining walls.
Contrary to popular belief you cannot set a building anywhere on a site and expect it to be fine; this is where a Site Designer comes in. A Site Designer takes a site and an idea on location for a building and figures out how to mesh the two by looking at how to move the dirt, where to drain the water, where to run power/water/everything lines, and how to do it with minimal environmental impact.
Do you know road surfaces and traffic signals get designed? Guess what: that's the Transportation Engineer's job. There is so much more involved in roadways than anyone can imagine, so much data is collected and used to run tests.
Finally retaining walls: bet you've hardly ever noticed the walls that hold the road up or hold the hill back so there can be a flatter surface below. These walls are not made up of simple blocks stacked in patterns; no, there is much more behind the surface. There are many types of walls: Cast-in-Place, Modular Block, Baskets, Soil-Nail, Earth Anchor and tons of variations within those. I truly is amazing feat to hold a 40 ft. tall hill with a shopping center on top up and away from a small creek bed with a quiet neighborhood on the other side.
What do you do outside of engineering?
I ride and take care of my horse (sometimes I'm acting Barn Manager at my stable and am in charge of 50+ horses). I design and make most of my own jewelry. I also love to read, spend time outdoors, and create.
Anything else you would like us to know about you or your work?
I truly enjoy and love Civil Engineering. It is a timeless job that we will always need people doing. It can be challenging and a whole lot of fun!
* Technically I'm in the last freshman class that was listed as Civil and Environmental Engineering, before Environmental Engineering got it's own major
** E.I.T. = Engineering-in-Training. This means I passed an 8 hour long exam covering everything I ever learned in college including some stuff I didn't actually learn in college. Passing this test also means that after 5 years of work experience within my degree, I can sit for my Professional Engineering License, P.E.
Major: Civil Engineering*
Title: E.I.T.**, Bachelor's of Civil Engineering
Company: Georgia Tech...Currently looking for a job...hire me! (Update: Alisha actually has a job now in Nashville, TN)
Why did you want to become an engineer, and more specifically, your particular type of engineer?
I've always been in love with logical concrete solutions. I loved looking at how things were put together and how they stayed that way. Engineering runs in my family. My Dad is a Civil, my Grandpa and Uncle built/designed their own small planes, and my brother has always worked within automotive (including diesel engines). However, I got my love of order and organization from my Mom who is a teacher. I chose Civil because it was the best fit; I was the kid always playing with my brother's Legos and building my own Barbie accessories (tree house, playground, etc.).
What do you do? (At your job or in your research?)
Currently, I am on the job hunt as a recent graduate. My primary interests are in Site Design and Transportation Design. I've also had a couple years experience with a small geotechnical firm in which I designed retaining walls.
Contrary to popular belief you cannot set a building anywhere on a site and expect it to be fine; this is where a Site Designer comes in. A Site Designer takes a site and an idea on location for a building and figures out how to mesh the two by looking at how to move the dirt, where to drain the water, where to run power/water/everything lines, and how to do it with minimal environmental impact.
Do you know road surfaces and traffic signals get designed? Guess what: that's the Transportation Engineer's job. There is so much more involved in roadways than anyone can imagine, so much data is collected and used to run tests.
Finally retaining walls: bet you've hardly ever noticed the walls that hold the road up or hold the hill back so there can be a flatter surface below. These walls are not made up of simple blocks stacked in patterns; no, there is much more behind the surface. There are many types of walls: Cast-in-Place, Modular Block, Baskets, Soil-Nail, Earth Anchor and tons of variations within those. I truly is amazing feat to hold a 40 ft. tall hill with a shopping center on top up and away from a small creek bed with a quiet neighborhood on the other side.
What do you do outside of engineering?
I ride and take care of my horse (sometimes I'm acting Barn Manager at my stable and am in charge of 50+ horses). I design and make most of my own jewelry. I also love to read, spend time outdoors, and create.
Anything else you would like us to know about you or your work?
I truly enjoy and love Civil Engineering. It is a timeless job that we will always need people doing. It can be challenging and a whole lot of fun!
* Technically I'm in the last freshman class that was listed as Civil and Environmental Engineering, before Environmental Engineering got it's own major
** E.I.T. = Engineering-in-Training. This means I passed an 8 hour long exam covering everything I ever learned in college including some stuff I didn't actually learn in college. Passing this test also means that after 5 years of work experience within my degree, I can sit for my Professional Engineering License, P.E.
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