Rachel Sokol

 

 

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS ARE TALENTED AND CREATIVE.

 

THANKS TO THE TALENT AND CREATIVITY OF ENGINEERS, BEAUTIFUL STRUCTURES, SUCH AS SAN FRANCISCO’S GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE AND CHICAGO’S SEARS TOWER, AS WELL AS SPECTACULAR SIGHTS, SUCH AS NEW YORK’S TIMES SQUARE ALL ABLAZE, ARE HERE FOR US TO ENJOY AND APPRECIATE. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS KEEP THESE MONUMENTS, BUILDINGS, AND EVEN WINDMILLS AND AIRPORT MONORAILS, GOING—AND WE’RE GRATEFUL AND APPRECIATIVE FOR THEIR EXPERTISE.

 

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ATTRACTS STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS INTERESTED IN MATHEMATICS AND WANTING TO KNOW HOW THINGS WORK. THEY SEARCH FOR SIMPLE SOLUTIONS TO COMPLEX PROBLEMS AND AIM TO REDUCE CONSTRUCTION COSTS BY FOCUSING ON THE OVERALL EFFICIENCY FOR DESIGNS. PUBLIC SAFETY IS ALSO A MAJOR FACTOR FOR ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS TO CONSIDER WHEN WORKING WITH A TEAM ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SKYSCRAPER, MALL, AND OTHER PROJECTS.

 

IN THIS FEATURE, FOUR ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE FIELD, AND ENCOURAGE THOSE INTERESTED IN ENGINEERING TO LIGHT UP THE WORLD. READ ON TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR DAY-TO-DAY TASKS.

 

ATKINS: ADAPTING TO CHANGE

“I’VE always had great curiosity about how things work. As a child, I spent hours taking things apart—mostly electronics and electrical appliances—and putting them back together,” recalls Geary Heinrich, who was born and raised in La Paz, Bolivia and currently resides in Orlando, FL. “I still get great satisfaction from repairing something that has stopped working.”

 

Heinrich is lead electrical engineer with Atkins, one of the world's leading design, engineering, and project management consultancies, employing some 17,400 people across the North America, the UK, Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Europe. A University of Arkansas at Fayetteville graduate, Heinrich is also licensed as a Professional Engineer (PE) in Florida and Virginia.

 

“I direct a team of talented engineers and technicians. Our work, simply stated, consists of designing electrical systems for various types of buildings,” he explains, “We develop power distribution, lighting, communication, fire alarm, and security systems; and over the years I’ve been fortunate to work on a wide variety of projects. I’m primarily responsible for the technical correctness, accuracy, and completeness of our designs.”

 

Heinrich, who has been in the engineering field for more than 30 years, stresses the importance of math and science knowledge at the university level.

 

“More so than in other fields, the electrical engineering curriculum builds upon itself; and one's academic success depends in great part on having a solid science and math foundation,” he reports, wanting students to know that electrical engineers are not all nerds.

 

“Actually, in college I was quite the opposite; I helped pay my way through school by working as a disco DJ,” he remembers. “On a more serious note, I’ve come to realize that the biggest benefit we gain from school is the discipline and ability to complete a technically and academically challenging program over a period of time. College teaches us life skills that are transferable to any type of professional work, and they’re essential for success in engineering.”

 

Heinrich and his team designed a unique air traffic control tower (ATCT) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. “It’s decorated with six crescent moons made of white glass, and the appearance of the moons changes depending on viewing angle and altitude. At night, the moons are illuminated in a sequence that mimics a heartbeat,” he says.

 

Keeping up with the innovations in engineering “can sometimes be daunting, but it keeps me on my toes,” concludes Heinrich. “I’ve learned to never get too comfortable with any process, procedure, or technology because things invariably change; and when they do, I must remain flexible and adapt.”

 

If the idea of working in a company that offers genuine international career opportunities appeals to you, Atkins’ geographical footprint can provide that scope.

 

LEIDOS: EXCITING TIME FOR ENERGY

Headquartered in Reston, VA, Leidos is a science and technology solutions leader working to address some of the world’s toughest challenges in national security, health, and engineering—and one of the company’s electrical engineers is Trishia Swayne, a Kentucky native based in Hendersonville, TN.

 

“Right now, I am studying the impact of solar and wind power as it interconnects to the grid for utilities in and out of the United States,” states Swayne, a Murray State University graduate. “It’s an exciting time for energy and utilities across the country. My team runs simulations on distribution systems and looks at a multitude of potential impacts and comes up with mitigations.”

 

Currently, Swayne is more of a project manager than a technical analyst. “I still dive into data and perform computations, but I mostly focus to make sure we deliver quality work to our clients to meet or exceed their expectations,” she explains.

 

The range of disciplines in the field of electrical engineering, adds Swayne, is broad. “However, most electrical engineers have a theoretical knowledge of electricity, understand the application of it to the real world, and design and test electrical devices and systems.”

 

Swayne wants aspiring electrical engineers to know that, “pursuing a career in the field of electrical engineering means you work hard and think hard. You continue to learn and stay up-to-date with ever-changing codes and procedures; and there is much value to others in the type of work you perform as an electrical engineer,” she declares.

 

So, does this mean Swayne can swing by and rewire your place? She has a clever response to that misconception. “Just because I’m an electrical engineer doesn’t mean I can come in and wire your whole house,” she remarks. “I’m not an electrician. Engineers, in general, are expected to be able to fix anything. I admit that it’s flattering, but we are just regular people who happen to have a way with trouble shooting and coming up with solutions.”

 

NOVELIS, INC.: KNOW FUN TO CREATE FUN

Jose Lee comes right out and says it: “I am captivated by modern technology.” So captivated, in fact, he believes that electrical engineering has helped advance our society in technology and improved our ways of living. Lee is a cold mill electrical engineer for Novelis Inc., the global leader in aluminum rolled products and the world's largest recycler of aluminum.

 

“I maintain and ensure the reliability of Novelis’s cold rolling mills in Oswego, NY,” explains Lee, who grew up in Malaysia and earned his engineering degree from Stony Brook University. “I currently work with a senior engineer on a $2 million capital improvement project. We are replacing a 72-inch mill in order to upgrade its electrical motor control to the latest technology. I am also helping our engineering group test and prepare our two new CASH lines that produce aluminum automotive sheets.”

 

Lee encourages aspiring engineers to be continuous learners. “You don’t stop learning when you graduate; you learn by doing and you learn from others,” he says. “Don’t be afraid to approach problems or challenges.”

 

He calls engineers “great problem-solvers and inventors who turn concepts into reality. Electrical engineers have successfully invented and designed electronic devices and software to entertain the public. One must know fun to create fun.” 

 

HNTB CORPORATION: LET THERE BE LIGHT

“The inspiration for my career stemmed from my father, who has a PhD in physics,” comments Jorge Fiallo of Miami, FL, who works as an electrical engineer for HNTB Corporation. “I also felt highly motivated by the new emerging technologies in the market while I was in high school.”

 

Headquartered in Kansas City, MO, HNTB Corporation is an employee-owned infrastructure solutions firm serving public and private owners and construction contractors.

 

“Part of my position is the design of coordinated documents to build roadways, parks, and all type of buildings such as hospitals, schools, residential condominiums, and so forth. My responsibilities spread over a variety of fields within the electrical discipline; presently that mostly involves the design of roadway lighting,” states Fiallo, a graduate of Cuba’s Higher Polytechnic Institute. “It also is within my duties to review other consultants’ plans and provide recommendations for efficiency, code compliance, and current standards.”

 

For Fiallo and his team, current projects include designing the interior lighting for tunnels at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport Runway and the development of a Roadway Lighting Manual for Miami Dade County to implement consistency throughout and serve as a standard guidance for county lighting projects.

 

“An electrical engineer is a professional who has been captivated with the enthusiasm to harness the power of electricity and to use it for the benefit of society in a safe and efficient manner,” continues Fiallo, acknowledging the safety aspects of the job. “It’s as demanding as structural engineering, in that both place a great responsibility on life safety. Any mistake could affect people’s lives. Nowadays, almost everything needs electrical energy no matter what the power source is.”

 

Fiallo points out that there is a sheer beauty and elegance behind construction projects that rely heavily on the expertise of electrical engineers. “There is the misconception that engineers are only concerned with the performance of their projects and ignore the aesthetic aspects,” he notes. “To those, I would refer to the Eiffel Tower, the Brooklyn Bridge, Hoover Dam, the bridges that HNTB designs.”