Young Entrepreneurs Program’s Post

To continue celebrating National Engineers Week… Today, we’re highlighting one of NOTU’s facility’s engineers Ryan S. from St. Louis, Missouri. Ryan’s motto is, “If it’s not broken, take it apart and fix it.” That makes a lot of sense when take into consideration that Ryan, who is NOTU’s crane program manager and certifying official, is a mechanic engineer; which, going back to the Oxford English Dictionary, is literally the branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of machines and mechanical implements. He said his interest in engineering grew out of spending time in parent’s garage fixing old lawn mowers. “I excelled in both math and science in school,” he adds. “Originally, I wanted to work for a car manufacturer after college,” he adds, “but that didn’t quite work out. “I also took an architecture class once,” he says, thinking that perhaps designing structures might be in his future, but “that bored me to death, so I knew I wouldn’t be able to do that for very long.” So, after completing bachelors in mechanical engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology, Ryan took on several opportunities before landing here at Cape Canaveral. Ryan was an internal with Manufacturing and Duke Manufacturing St. Louis; and a project engineer with United States Gypsum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before moving on to Walworth, Wisconsin, to be a maintenance manager for United States Gypsum. Engineering is not a pin-point focused career path. There are many different aspects to it. Ryan recommends for those considering engineering as a career path, “go to school for a general engineering degree, like mechanical, civil, or electrical engineering,” he says. “Try to get several different internships in different industries to figure out what you like best,” he adds. “With all of the different positions out there you might find something else you really enjoy even though you started out in engineering in a different pursuit. From there you can get additional education or take more specific courses to get more specified in engineering. “For me, I like anything that will keep me out of meetings,” he says. “I don’t like meetings.”

Meet Our Intern! 🌟 Jeremy, a first-generation college student, chose Civil Engineering due to the high demand for civil engineers. He is aware of their critical role in shaping and maintaining communities and sees the field as an opportunity for personal and community growth. Here's Jeremey's advice for aspiring Civil Engineers: "My advice to someone who is considering a career in civil engineering would be that you do not have to be a genius; all you have to do is put in the time and the effort. Anything with a greater return will require greater effort."

We want to take a moment to acknowledge Kris Mitchell, P.E., one of our valuable team members at SSE! See below to learn a little bit about Kris. 🔹 What do you enjoy most about your job? I enjoy the fact that we provide an excellent product to our clients. With SSE having so much experience in our industry, we are able to provide designs that are efficient, cost effective, and fabricator/erector friendly. 🔹 What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone just starting out in this field? College provides a great base of knowledge that can be used in the engineering profession, but the majority of the required knowledge is going to be learned once you start your career. My advice would be to be prepared to learn as much as possible in your first couple of years on the job because this is when much of the relevant material will be learned. 🔹 What are some of your hobbies or interests outside of work? My favorite hobby outside of work would be playing golf although I don’t get to play as much as I would like. I love to vacation with the family whenever possible and to also go hiking with the family. 🔹 What inspired you to pursue a career in structural engineering? Growing up, I was always much better in math and sciences than in history or English classes. Because of this and the fact that I always loved building things, I gravitated toward the engineering program at Clemson. 🔹 What is your favorite project that you’ve worked on and why? My favorite project would be the Ford BOSK battery plant that we started back in 2022. This was a massive project that offered many challenges from a connection design complexity standpoint and shear volume standpoint.

~Insights and experiences from a 3rd year Civil Engineering student: ________________________ A third-year civil engineering student often finds themselves immersed in a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical experiences. They've likely completed foundational coursework in subjects like structural analysis, fluid mechanics, and geotechnical engineering, gaining a deeper understanding of the principles behind designing and constructing infrastructure. At this stage, they might engage in more advanced projects, such as designing small-scale structures or participating in interdisciplinary collaborations. Fieldwork and internships become increasingly important, allowing them to apply classroom learning to real-world scenarios. They might assist in site surveys, construction supervision, or environmental impact assessments, gaining hands-on experience and insights into the complexities of civil engineering projects. Time management becomes crucial as they balance coursework, internships, and extracurricular activities, honing their organizational and multitasking skills. In addition to technical skills, they develop critical thinking abilities to solve complex engineering problems and communicate effectively with team members and stakeholders. They might also start exploring specialized areas within civil engineering, such as transportation, water resources, or environmental engineering, to tailor their education towards their interests and career goals. Overall, the third year of civil engineering education marks a transition from foundational learning to practical application, setting the stage for deeper specialization and professional development in the years to come.

"Being an engineer is such a rewarding job, especially as a female engineer. Due to the gender imbalance in STEM, you have the chance to be a trailblazer and bring different perspectives to teams and workplaces that are valued by employers, so don’t let it put you off!" 👩🔧🔧⚙️🚀   We spoke with Harriet Bell, an MEng Civil Engineer graduate, about her experience studying civil engineering at university and what her career has looked like since graduating in 2023. 🏗 Read more below ⤵

Blair's 'education, education, education' might sound rather hollow today as more students graduate with qualifications that don't meet the needs of employers. But, for civil engineering, it's more important than ever. 1 Clients need to be educated about the tiny margins contractors work with while delivering the services the public demands. 2 Educationalists need to address the incentives for students to go to university rather than to take up an apprenticeship. And 3 The public needs to be made more aware of the vital work that contractors undertake, and why civil engineering is an aspirational career.

Working with engineers can be… well, let’s just say you never quite 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 to it. They can even surprise you now and then... You don’t get used to the moments when you see something different in their expression when talking about helping their daughter with her school project. You don’t get used to their stories about the weird things they’ve encountered on projects… like an alligator named Charlie. You don’t get used to the proud smile that slowly sneaks across their face when they witness the “lightbulb” moment of an intern who just applied what they’ve taught them. Edward Guinn, P.E. and GEL’s Civil Engineering Group are some of the engineers that may just surprise you! And if you follow the worn path on the carpet of GEL Engineering’s Charleston office, you’ll likely find Eddie. Yes, if he’s on the phone, he’s usually pacing around the office. Just another thing we love about our engineers. 😊 Join GEL's team! Check out our open opportunities here: https://lnkd.in/euyzFXCi

Welcome Back! Today was the last day of my 5-week rotation in Roadway Design, marking the end of my design phases. During my time here, I attended lots of informative meetings, received a sample project to work on, learned about Traffic Design’s Lighting and Signalization plans and the different programs they use, such as: Mathcad, Guidesign Plus, Agi32, and OpenRoads Designer (ORD), and got to review and implement comments made on Signing and Pavement Marking plans. I also had the opportunity to attend the big SW 10th Street Selection meeting. The sample project I received was to propose a right turn lane in an area with limited right-of-way. Through this project, I was able to design in ORD and consider other challenges, such as: having to relocate utilities and tying the proposed ground elevation back into the natural ground elevation without sufficient right-of-way to meet the slope requirements. I attended weekly in-house design section meetings, meetings with multiple FDOT offices for coordination on specific projects, and inter-agency meetings. One of my favorite meetings was for a project on A1A with proposed implementations to achieve a speed reduction. A1A is a state road that the Drainage Design office is constantly looking at because of its low elevation, as mentioned in my previous post. One of the proposed implementations conflicted with a drainage structure and some of the others were concerns with regards to pre vs post discharge conditions. It was one of my favorite meetings because it was the first meeting I was able to confidently speak up about the potential conflicts, thanks to my recent drainage design phase. These moments have given me a deeper appreciation for the department and the P.E. Trainee program for building me up to become a well-rounded engineer. In May, the Employee Benefit Fund Committee (EBFC) celebrated Public Service Recognition Month with multiple events. My favorite events were the ping pong tournament and lunch, Ice Cream Sundaes Day, and Coffee and Donuts Day. I would like to give a special thanks to EBFC for always going above and beyond in boosting morale and giving us opportunities to meet more coworkers. Thank you!

I am happy to share that the American Society of Civil Engineers has recognized me as one of 10 Collegiate 'New Faces of Civil Engineering'! I am honored to be part of this great group of students representing the bold future of civil engineers. Please feel free to read this article to learn more about why I got interested in this field, and what I hope to accomplish once I begin my career.

I just completed an excellent GHD 's Engineering Consulting virtual simulation on Forage. Keeping the primary focus on a rail road development system, the 4 hours of virtual training solely focuses on the in-depth structure of the company and how GHD is managed. This simulation gave me with all the confidence that I need, in order to excel as a GHD intern in Software Development, Automation or any relevant teams in the coming days. In the simulation I: Completed a job simulation involving an options analysis for different rail alignment options for the GHD transport team. Used design brief documents and preliminary designs to formulate cost and construction time estimates for different rail alignment options. Investigated and compared the impact of each alignment option on stakeholders, the environment and design outcomes. Compared each alignment option using a weighted options analysis spreadsheet and communicated key findings and recommendations to the client in a technical memorandum. Thanks GHD for providing me with such a realistic experience in a short amount of time. Check out the simulation here: https://lnkd.in/gwqzVhAq