Corporate News
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| 2/2013 | Reflections on Engineering as a Career Edgar G. Williams, PE, President ACEC/G |
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I have had an unusually diverse engineering career. It has included design and project
engineering in industrial Research and Development and later private practice Consulting
Engineering. Assuming my readers will
include fellow professional engineers, students heading towards a career in
engineering, and young engineers, I would like to share some of the perspectives
I have gained on engineering as a career and the particular career path of
consulting engineering. My first two jobs were with major international
conglomerates. My major was mechanical engineering, with early career
experiences in heat transfer, machine design, and mechanical system analysis
for the plastics and electronics industries. I actually used calculus! The last two jobs, including my current position, have been
with small-business engineering consulting firms as an owner. Consulting
engineers work under a contractual relationship to provide engineering services
for businesses, governments, or institutions when they don’t have permanent
staff to perform certain types of work or lack specialized knowledge or staff
resources for a particular need. There are consulting engineers in all the specialties,
like civil, mechanical, and electrical. For many years now I have managed
multi-disciplined projects that were mostly “public works” oriented. It has been my experience that engineering is a great career
choice for people who can tolerate math, and enjoy science. Many disciplines/professions study some form
of science but don’t do much with it except be better informed on issues when a
scientific principal is involved, as frequently happens in day-to-day life.
However, engineers of all disciplines use that scientific knowledge to solve
problems and develop solutions instead of just adding to humanity’s
knowledge-base. We want to feel we have
accomplished something useful in our work endeavors, rather than just earn a
pay check. The National Society of
Professional Engineers uses a catchy phrase: “Engineering: Turning Ideas into
Reality”. Settling on a Field
of Practice and Choosing Your Future Job I have been in conversations with fellow engineers when the
question came up, “Why did you decide to major in ____ engineering?” Sometimes it was because of a thoughtful
decision making process that involved examination of skills and interests. However, the range of answers usually included
some less than thoughtful reasons like: “I heard it had easier labs.”; “It had
the shortest line at registration.” or “I had a friend in the same major!” There are a number of questions to consider in choosing your
technical specialty or branch of engineering. Is the field related to your
personal interests? Does it fit your personal mission in life? Does the field
have a positive outlook in the economy of the future? Are you driven solely by making as much money
as possible, or are you looking for career involvement with something that
improves public health and safety, protects the environment, or otherwise
improves the quality of life? Early in my career I had job offers from different companies
that would have involved designing machines that packaged panty hose, equipment
to manufacture potato chips, packaging machines for candy bars, and production
of cigarette filter material. I could
never get comfortable with accepting those jobs. They did not fit my goals for work
satisfaction that I eventually found in consulting engineering even though they
were often higher paying. The two characteristics of consulting engineering that
appeal to me the most are (1) the variety of work assignments, and (2) the
satisfaction of seeing important needs being satisfied in an enduring way, and
every once in a while with a “monumental” result. As you evaluate your engineering career
options, consider how you would answer this question from your grandchildren,
“Granddad, what did you do in your job?” Help is available for making career decisions. I have found that practicing engineers are
almost always willing to spend some time mentoring interested students to
provide insight into what they do in their careers and what types of
engineering issues they work with on a daily basis. Many firms offer
internships and co-op opportunities that are extremely useful in deciding on a
college major. Published data suggests that engineers who had an internship or
co-op opportunity as an undergraduate noted higher job-satisfaction in their
careers. Take the initiative and contact several firms. Trends, Past and
Future We talk a lot about “Emerging Trends” these days. There are
many speakers (also selling their books) offering their insight into
opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for engineers. We should pay close
attention and use the available information as best we can in moving forward. Consistent with the
worn-out saying, my hindsight is 20-20. I wish I had had more insights
available to me earlier in my career. Below are several things I did not foresee,
but borrowing a quote from fellow South Carolina native, Darius Rucker
(formerly of Hootie and the Blowfish), “Thank God for all I missed 'cause it led me here to this.” 1.
The enjoyment I would receive from the human-interaction
involved in solving engineering problems and managing business issues. 2.
That I was not going to be the source of all
knowledge and that almost every problem has been studied by someone, somewhere,
sometime. 3.
That there are non-engineers out there,
including public-minded elected officials, contractors, and tradesmen for
example, who are very savvy, dedicated, and effective in dealing with complex
issues. 4.
That computerized automation and control would
become thoroughly integrated into all engineering disciplines, radically
changing how we design things. 5.
That getting my Professional Engineering license
(even though I was initially in an exempt industrial job), would add much
flexibility in my career path. 6.
That so many of my early-career references are
retired or deceased now that I am finally applying for National Council of Engineering
Examiners registration. I did guess correctly on one thing. That beyond the satisfaction of “giving
something back”, volunteer involvement in service organizations and professional/technical
associations would be extremely valuable in developing my personal skill-set
and making significant business contacts. As with the other engineering associations
featured in Georgia Engineer,
ACEC/G’s forums, committees, and programs provide “soft-skill” development to
its members in a very cost effective way.
As an engineering employer, I have used these opportunities to enhance
leadership development, networking skills, and public speaking skills for
myself and my staff. I believe the time
committed will payback dramatically in staff development and new business. | |
| 2/17/12 | The Winthrop University Campus Green Project is Selected as a National Honor Award |
After being honored as one of the top projects in
this year’s American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of South Carolina
Engineering Excellence Awards Competition, the Winthrop University Campus Green
Project was selected to move on and compete on the national stage! The National ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards
Competition places the winners of the state level competitions together in
various categories to compete and determine the nation’s top engineering design
efforts.
As the winner of the South Carolina's category of
small-miscellaneous projects, the Winthrop University Campus Green Project
faced off against projects from California, to New York. Keck & Wood, Inc. is honored to share
such elite company among award finalists.
A distinguished panel of 25-30 judges representing
industry, government, academia and media assembled to critique and rank the
submissions for this year’s competition. Projects were rated on the basis of
uniqueness and innovative applications; future value to the engineering
profession; perception by the public; social, economic, and sustainable
development considerations; complexity; and successful fulfillment of
client/owner's needs, including schedule and budget.
The panel selected 24 top award winners – 16 Honor
Awards and 8 Grand Awards. Keck &
Wood, Inc. is pleased to announce that the Winthrop University Campus Green was
selected as one of this year’s Honor Award recipients!
Winners of this prestigious awards competition will
be honored at the 2012 Engineering Excellence Awards Gala to be held on
Tuesday, April 17, 2012, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C.
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2/10/12
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The American Council of Engineering Companies of Georgia Honors Keck & Wood, Inc. and the City of Buford |
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Recently, the
American Council of Engineering Companies of Georgia (ACEC/G) recognized Keck
& Wood, Inc. with an Honor Award for the design of the Little Mill Road
Revitalization Project. ACEC/G annually
recognizes projects designed in the state of Georgia through the Engineering
Excellence Awards Competition. The
purpose of this award program is to spotlight engineering achievements
demonstrating the highest degree of merit and ingenuity. Entries are rated on the basis of uniqueness
and originality; future value to the engineering profession, social, economic
and sustainable development considerations; complexity; and successful fulfillment
of client/owner’s needs, including schedule and budget.
The City of Buford retained Keck & Wood, Inc. to assist with design and project management of a multi-phase project to revitalize historic Little Mill Road and change it from a narrow, dangerous, winding lane into a beautiful experience for drivers and pedestrians, while at the same time maintaining its historical integrity. The final result enhances the “livability” and beauty of the corridor with dramatic landscaping, street geometry that meets modern standards, and new sidewalks where none previously existed. The planning and design of the project had to contend with rocky, mountainous terrain, a narrow corridor through the city’s historic cemetery, and an environmentally sensitive stream near the roadway. In implementing the project, Buford chose to break the project into multiple phases to provide more opportunities for local small businesses, and to maximize the use of City resources as a cost-saving measure. | |
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