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I am a Civil Engineer who works on geotechnical, environmental,
and engineering-geology related problems. As one of the key areas
the company I work for specializes in is failure analysis, much
of the work I do involves figuring out what went wrong on a variety
of projects. Examples of "failures" that I have worked
on include: landslides; earthquake related damage; retaining wall
collapses; corrosion of buried storage tanks and pipes; groundwater
leaking into buildings; and transport of contaminants in groundwater.
The projects I work on range from small ones that take only a day
to complete, to bigger projects that are still on going after more
than three years! I am responsible for performing site inspections,
doing analysis, preparing reports, giving presentations and preparing
expert testimony.
I graduated in 1996 from Queen's University (Canada) with a Bachelor
of Science degree in Geological Engineering. My core classes were
in the geology, civil engineering and chemistry departments. In
my undergraduate program, I concentrated on environmental engineering
and groundwater flow, as well as classic geotechnical problems such
as landslides and foundation design. Each summer, I worked at the
Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) in Ottawa. Working as an intern,
I gained a lot of great field and lab experience that helped me
not only at school, but has also been invaluable for my career.
Through people I worked with at the GSC, I did a really interesting
thesis project in my senior year studying the properties of soils
involved in a landslide in my hometown. After graduation, I decided
to stay at Queen's University to complete a Masters in Science (Engineering).
For my research project, I investigated the geochemical properties
of mine wastes at low temperatures. My field area was in the Arctic
and as such was able to travel to remote, exciting places that would
have been inaccessible to me but for this research. I moved to California
and started work as a Civil Engineer after finishing my Master's
degree and taking a few months off to travel.
I am a member of the Association of Women in Science, Association
of Engineering Geologists, Canadian Geotechnical Society and the
National Association of Corrosion Engineers.
I enjoy working with a team of engineers on projects that involve
more than one specialty. This allows me to learn about things such
as medicine, material properties, statistics and human health. Having
a strong background in science has helped me to understand many
aspects of a project, not just the small part that I am most intimately
involved with. The other part of my job that I love is explaining
the results of a project. Often our clients do not have an engineering
or science background so it is an exciting challenge to be able
to provide a technical solution to their problems in a way that
is easily understood. When they "get it" it is very satisfying!
To help me do this, I have focused on developing clear writing and
presentation skills.
To date, I have not faced many barriers in my career. One of the
biggest things that I have had to overcome is that I am often younger
and less experienced than other people I am working with. Once I
realized that I can learn a lot from other engineers, and that for
the most part people are really excited to share their experiences
with younger engineers, it became easier to ask for help. Initial
meetings, whether on a construction site or in a boardroom, can
still be a challenge. However, I have found that by knowing what
I am talking about, and knowing when to ask questions of people
who know more than I do, it is easy to develop a good rapport with
just about anyone.
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