Working as a civil engineer at Dewberry has provided me with many diverse opportunities. I’ve had the chance to design and manage all types of projects. I’ve been able to work in both the Richmond and Charlotte offices. I’ve also taken advantage of some excellent professional development programs.
Recently, I’ve had a great opportunity to reconnect with my alma mater, Virginia Tech, and become involved with the engineering program again. I’m supporting the Land Development Design Initiative (LDDI), a program launched in 2006, as a member of the Advisory Board. Dewberry is a platinum sponsor of this unique program, which is working to improve land development design education through enhanced curriculum; mentoring; and creating a closer connection between students, practitioners, and the “real-world” challenges we face in engineering today.
LDDI committees include Curriculum and Course Enhancement, Practitioner Involvement, and Outreach. In addition to conference calls related to board and committee activities, I also head back to the Virginia Tech campus for quarterly board meetings—something I really enjoy. Our primary goal is to see this valuable program fully endowed and ensure its future as a vital part of the engineering curriculum.
I’ve also had a chance to participate in mentoring a student design team. Emily Powell, another engineer and Hokie here in the Charlotte office, and I created a site planning assignment based on recent Dewberry projects. The students took the project from concept layout through the different phases of site design—erosion and sediment control, grading, utilities, and creating a complete site plan package—which culminated in a student presentation. The team did an outstanding job.
Although this was my first opportunity to take part in the exercise, Dewberry has participated for several years now—mentoring student teams on a variety of residential, mixed-use, and industrial projects. It’s an example of the commitment to education that I see every day here. I’m honored to be a part of it.