UCA Young Members

What is your background?
I graduated from Missouri University of Science & Technology in Rolla, MO with a BS (2017) and an MS (2019) in Geological Engineering.

Where do you currently work?
Black & Veatch Corporation - I'm in the Civil Works Group and support Tunnels, Dams, and underground projects. I'm based out of Overland Park, KS.

Do you investigate, design, build, or manage?
Primarily investigate and design - I have experience planning and executing geotechnical investigations for tunnels and dams in some pretty remote locations with some interesting logistical challenges. I've also gotten experience in designing rock reinforcement for highwall/roof stability and developing Geotechnical Baseline Reports. I like rocks and groundwater.

What is one thing you wish you knew when you first started working?
You don't have to know everything, you just need to know who to ask!

Favorite Tunnels, Shafts, or Construction Reference?
Ron Heuer's RETC "Estimating Rock Tunnel Water Inflow" papers, Parts I and II.

What is your background?
University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia: Bachelor of Engineering with Honors (Civil) and Bachelors of Commerce (Finance) graduated with both March 2019.
Fun fact: I did a semester abroad at Iowa State University - Go Clones! 

Where do you currently work?
I'm a Tunnel Engineer working for Black & Veatch Corporation, currently based out of Charleston, SC.

Do you investigate, design, build, or manage?
I'm a Tunnel Engineer on the design side. I have experience in both primary and permanent lining design for rail, road, and hydropower projects as well as tunnel remediation design experience. I prefer rocks over soils but find the design of anything underground fascinating.

What is one thing you wish you knew when you first started working?
There are no silly questions so ask lots of them - no one expects you to know everything, you're just getting started!

Favorite Tunnels, Shafts, or Construction Reference?
CIRIA 671 Tunnels: Inspection, Assessment, and Maintenance. Journey to the Center of the Earth - the movie.

What is your background?
I graduated from the University of Mississippi with both a BS (2018) and an MS (2020) in Geological Engineering.

Where do you currently work?
I am a Tunnel Engineer with GEI Consultants in Golden, CO.

Do you investigate, design, build, or manage?
Design! I primarily work on preparation of Geotechnical Baseline Reports and specification for tunnel and trenchless projects. Additionally, I have experience in tunnel feasibility, evaluating design constraints and risks and translating them into constructable designs.

What is one thing you wish you knew when you first started working?
It's okay if you feel like you're drinking from a fire hose in the beginning - it does get easier!

Favorite Tunnels, Shafts, or Construction Reference?
Geotechnical Baseline Reports: Suggested Guidelines, ASCE MOP 154 by Randall J. Essex.

What is your background?
I went to Colorado School of Mines and received my BS (2016) in Geology and Geological Engineering and my PhD (2019) in Geological Engineering.

Where do you currently work?
I'm a Tunnel Engineer at the firm Gall Zeidler Consultants out of their DC Metro Area office.

Do you investigate, design, build, or manage?
One thing I love about my job is that I get to wear multiple hats! Design takes up much of my time, and the expertise I've bored into has been rehabilitation of tunnels and other underground structures. With that comes a lot of investigation, which is a fascinating phase of rehabilitation because there are so many different puzzle pieces to put together to better understand the structure.

What is one thing you wish you knew when you first started working?
You're going to make mistakes, and that's okay. Learning from missteps helps you become a better engineer!

Favorite Tunnels, Shafts, or Construction Reference?
US DOT's "Tunnel Operations, Maintenance, Inspection, and Evaluation Manual" - affectionately known as the TOMIE.

What is your background?
I have a PhD in Underground Construction and Tunneling from CSM and an MS in Geotechnical Engineering from Virginia Tech.

Where do you currently work?
HNTB as a Geotechnical and Tunneling Technical Advisor.

Do you investigate, design, build, or manage?
Design and Investigate - I have nearly 10 years of experience in delivering geotechnical and tunneling projects in North America and Asia. I've worked on BART to Silicon Valley Phase 2, West Seattle Ballard Link Extension, LA Metro Eastside Phase 2, Scarborough Subway Extension, and other large-scale infrastructure projects.

What is your background?
Graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a BS in Civil Engineering (2022) and the University of California, Berkeley with MS in GeoSystems Engineering..

Where do you currently work(or attend school)?
University of California, Berkeley - I'm a PhD Candidate in GeoSystems Engineering

Do you investigate, design, build, or manage?
Investigate - my research focuses on Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing (DFOS) for lifeline infrastructure monitoring

What is one thing you wish you knew when you first started working?
Follow what makes you happy!

Favorite Tunnels, Shafts, or Construction Reference?
Ralph Peck’s 1969 Rankine lecture - "Advantages and limitations of the observational method in applied soil mechanics"

What is your background?
I graduated from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a BS (2023) in Civil Engineering and from University of California, Berkeley with an MS (2024) in Civil Engineering.

Where do you currently work?
HNTB - I'm a Structural Engineer with the National Tunnels Practice based out of New York, NY.

Do you investigate, design, build, or manage?
Design - I build finite element models to simulate the structural performance of complex underground infrastructure projects.

What is one thing you wish you knew when you first started working?
Experience is invaluable. Ask as many questions as you can and say yes to opportunities in the field when they arise! Seeing construction firsthand makes design much easier.

Favorite Tunnels, Shafts, or Construction Reference?
It's tough to choose one, but at the moment I'll go with Ralph Peck's Laurits Bjerrum Lecture - "Where has all the judgement gone?"

What is your background?
Colorado School of Mines: BS in Civil Engineering (2022) and MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a emphasis on Geotechnical Engineering (2023)

Where do you currently work?
Black & Veatch Corporation: I am in the Civil Works group and support Tunnel projects. I'm based out of Charleston, SC. 

Do you investigate, design, build, or manage?
Design and investigate. I have experience executing geotechnical investigations for dams and tunnel projects. Additionally, I've assisted with shaft and tunnel design in soft ground. If I had to choose, I prefer soil over rock.

What is one thing you wish you knew when you first started working?
Experience is invaluable. Ask as many questions as you can and say yes to opportunities in the field when they arise! Seeing construction firsthand makes design much easier.

Favorite Tunnels, Shafts, or Construction Reference?
Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering by Braja M. Das and Nagaratnam Sivakugan

What is your background?
New Jersey Institute of Technology BS in Civil (2016) and MS in Geotechnical Engineering (2019); thanks Mott MacDonald for sponsoring my Masters Degree!

Where do you currently work(or attend school)?
I currently work for EPC Consultants, a niche company focusing on Construction Management in their Underground Division.

Do you investigate, design, build, or manage?
I started my career designing and investigating, then tried building, but finally settled in as an Underground Construction Manager on a $819M Tunnel Project. My career has taken me full circle to say the least. 

What is one thing you wish you knew when you first started working?
One thing I wish I’d known when I first started is that even the people in the C-suite don’t have all the answers. Your real value isn’t in knowing everything yourself, but in knowing how to find the right information and put it to good use. We all start from the bottom. 

Favorite Tunnels, Shafts, or Construction Reference?
Best Underground reference hands down would be the people in the field doing the work, especially the ones with 20+ years and hard hats full of stickers. As much as I have learned from school and textbooks, just talking about peoples experience is where I learned a ton. 

What is your background?
I graduated from Purdue University with a MS in Civil Engineering (2023), focusing on Construction Engineering and Management.

Where do you currently work(or attend school)?
Mott MacDonald: I currently work as a Tunnel Engineer based out of the New York City Office, NY.

Do you investigate, design, build, or manage?
My current role is inspection and construction oversight, ensuring compliance with design, safety, and quality standards during construction.

What is one thing you wish you knew when you first started working?
Technical engineering knowledge is something that can always be learned, but how you deal with people and communicate effectively is what makes you a successful engineer. Always stay curious to learn because “Once you stop learning, you start dying.”

Favorite Tunnels, Shafts, or Construction Reference?
Ralph Peck’s 1969 Rankine lecture - "Advantages and limitations of the observational method in applied soil mechanics"