1. National Women in Engineering Day View this email in your browser
National Women in Engineering Day, sponsored by the Society of Women Engineers, is a
day dedicated to raising the profile and honoring the achievements of women in
engineering. To celebrate those women who continually raise the bar, are dedicated to
producing quality work, and who act with a sense of integrity, we would like to commend
you on your accomplishments. Ladies—this day’s for you!
Spotlighted below are three of Huitt­Zollars' female engineers, in different stages of their
career, sharing their perspectives on what it means to them to be an engineer.

2. What influences would you attribute to your choosing a career in engineering?
My path to engineering was really an internal journey without a lot of outside influence. My
professors, many of which acted as mentors, and my experiences with the Seattle University
chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), definitely influenced my goals and the
trajectory of my career path. SWE provided great opportunities and my professors offered
great encouragement; through this I discovered that I have an aptitude for leadership and
began to develop goals for project management.
How do you envision women impacting engineering in the long run?
Women are capable of impacting engineering just as men are. It's not about gender. It's
about young engineers (men or women) having the passion and drive to work hard and be
innovative; those individuals will have the greatest impact on the field and that’s what
women should be encouraged to do. I'm not going to impact engineering because I'm a
woman, I'm going to impact engineering because I am a confident, hardworking, excited
young engineer with a bright future, and I am proud of that.
What advice would you have for girls who want to pursue engineering/STEM­
focused careers?
One can spend a lot of time underestimating themselves, especially since engineering is a
male dominated career, but I’ve found you are your own biggest obstacle. Don’t be afraid
to get out of your comfort zone; constantly challenge yourself to improve. With that said,
grab a hard hat and strap on your steel­toed stilettos (or boots if you prefer).
What do you find most rewarding about being an engineer?
I like to believe that my work contributes to better society and the lives of others. I’ve
found engineering to be a very rewarding and self­fulfilling career. I guess the old saying is
true, if you find a career where you do what you enjoy, you will never work a day in your life
and let’s just say, I have never complained about working over a 40­hour work week.

3. What influences would you attribute to your choosing a career in engineering?
When I was a senior in high school I interned with NASA, Johnson Space Center. I worked
on an Earth Observation program helping a team of scientists train astronauts in
recognizing oceanographic, atmospheric and geologic phenomena from space. I became
very interested in geology and applied to two of the best geology schools in the country,
eventually choosing University of Wyoming. About halfway through working towards my
degree, I realized I would have to continue on with a Masters and PhD to actually get a job,
so I elected to change my degree to geotechnical engineering. My mother encouraged my
decision as she had graduated with a degree in industrial engineering from the University of
Houston in 1979.
What advice do you have for women looking to advance their careers and how
do you envision the industry changing because of their increased involvement?
Seek out a good mentor, or possibly more than one —it helps to have someone work with
you to understand the aspects of our business. Choose individuals that focus on different
areas of the business from technical to management, and marketing. Women are creative
and great communicators, [and because of that] I believe there will be greater discoveries
and new ideas surfacing as more women begin leading engineering efforts.
Huitt­Zollars, Inc. is a full­service multi­discipline design firm with extensive expertise in planning,
program management, and construction management. Headquartered in Dallas, TX with offices
throughout the U.S., we're ranked among the nation’s top design firms by Engineering News­Record.
After 40 years of ADVANCEDESIGN℠ we're just getting started. For information about what we can do
for you, visit our new website at www.huitt­zollars.com.
Copyright © 2016 Huitt­Zollars, Inc., All rights reserved.

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