February is best known for its marquee celebrations that range from love to civil rights, but rather than go down the well-trodden path, Waterborne is highlighting a lesser-known celebration that spans beyond a day into an entire week: National Engineering Week. To commemorate this important week, we asked several of our own engineers, "Why did you become an engineer." Their answers are below:

Russ Krueger

I wanted to learn how the world works. I started in geology because I enjoyed being outside, looking at maps, and figuring out what caused the features we see in our everyday life. Eventually, I learned about the impact humans can have on the environment, both beneficial and detrimental. I wanted to do something that could have an impact, so I learned about engineering. The school I attended for my bachelor's does not have an engineering program, so I knew I needed to continue to grad school. My work in grad school solidified my interest in geological engineering as I had the opportunity to develop skills in study design, instrumentation, and making good measurements - all of which have proven beneficial at Waterborne. Ultimately, I became an engineer because I wanted to learn to think like an engineer and use those skills to continue to explore and investigate the world around us.

W. Martin Williams, PE

My path to a career in water resources engineering started with a childhood fascination with playing with a hose and watching it in motion. To this day, it never ceases to excite me when channels flood and see the signs of the power of water in transforming the earth. I pursued a degree in engineering mainly because I was good at math and terrible at memorization. Engineering is more about problem-solving, deriving equations, and knowing where to find information. Like many entering college, I wasn’t sure what to pursue, but I chose civil because my father was a civil engineer and surveyor, and civil provides many options, including structures, highways, water, and wastewater treatment and distribution. My focus in graduate school became water resources engineering and geomorphology because of my fascination with water movement, along with the inspiration of a professor during an undergraduate course in water supply and pollution control. To model rainfall, runoff, erosion, river flow, dam breaks, and hurricane surge waves is pretty awesome, wouldn’t you agree?  I will add that both of my sons have continued the family legacy of engineering. 

Jennifer Trask

Growing up, teachers told me that I was good in math and science. It was fun to problem solve, which wasn’t too hard with an engineer as a father. Before computers were a common staple in the household, we had two sometimes three. I watched my dad tinker and analyze data. He enjoyed programming. From elementary school, I recall discussions of chlorofluorocarbons or commonly known as CFCs being discussed with him and their impacts to the ozone layer. From that time, I was inspired by my dad to become an engineer and to follow in his footsteps. He worked as an environmental engineer for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and taught me that we need people to protect our resources for future generations. While I pursued a slightly different path of engineering (Civil and Agriculture vs. General and Environmental), our pursuits to protect air, land and water resources within and outside the country have overlapped. My dad assured me that having degrees in engineering from the University of Illinois meant more than just the standard courses in the curriculum but offered a different way of thinking, approaching, and solving problems that will stay with you forever affecting all areas of your life. This explanation drew my curiosity and strengthened my desire to increase the number of women succeeding in engineering fields.

Andy Jacobson

While I have always had an enthusiasm for problem-solving and a fascination for science and technology, it was not an easy decision for me to become an engineer.  In fact, I was actually undecided through my first year at the University of Missouri.  However, after getting the opportunity to intern with Waterborne for a couple of years, as well as to job shadow engineers at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), I decided to enroll in a few civil engineering courses (e.g., hydrology, soil/water conservation, and programming/modeling) and I quickly found my passion.  Today, I am very happy with my decision to become an engineer, and I enjoy the challenge at Waterborne to provide innovative solutions to unique environmental problems.  While my engineering colleagues at Waterborne may be currently celebrating Engineers’ week, my fellow Mizzou engineers and I celebrate E-week in March to commemorate Mizzou engineers’ 1903 discovery that St. Patrick was an engineer!  https://engineering.missouri.edu/engineers-week/history/