Engineering Week 2024

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The History Behind Engineering Week

Engineering Week was first celebrated in February 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers. The celebration started in close conjunction with George Washington's birthday on February 22, 1732. Many distinguished him to be "The first engineer" with his surveying work. Although Washington did not perform survey work professionally, he conducted over 50 surveys for his land exploration, defending property lines, and dividing his holdings into profitable farms. The very first engineering week was celebrated by the University of Missouri College of Engineering in 1903. This was 48 years before the National Society of Professional Engineers started to celebrate it annually. Now NSPE's foundation DiscoverE continues the celebration each year.

Engineering Week 2024

Engineering Week is one of the largest annual STEM celebrations to highlight the importance of engineering in our society and enhance the public's knowledge of the different principles. This year, Engineering Week is celebrated February 18-24, 2024. Engineers have been at the forefront of technological advancements, renewable energy solutions, and progress to make our lives more efficient. 

This year's theme is "Welcome to the Future." The theme celebrates the accomplishments that engineers have made while creating a path for future engineers to contribute to a brighter and more diverse industry. The future of engineering belongs to the students, and with endless opportunities and challenges lying ahead, it is important to inspire and engage the younger generation with the possibilities that engineering can offer. The "More than a Week" year-round initiative aims to make a difference by educating K-12 students about engineering and technology professions and their significance in our society.

There are several special events hosted during NSPE's DiscoverE Engineering Week!

February 22, 2024, is "Introduce a Girl to Engineering" day.

This is a day dedicated to teaching young women how engineers can impact the world. 

February 23, 2024, is the Federal Engineer of the Year Award Ceremony.

This is a ceremony to honor engineers employed by a federal agency that employs at least 50 engineers worldwide. 

Check out DiscoverE's website to learn more about Engineering Week 2024! 

Our Civil Engineers' Perspectives

In honor of Engineering Week 2024, we're shining a spotlight on our highly skilled civil engineers. At Barghausen, we cater to a diverse range of 8 markets, including commercial, residential, industrial, mixed-use, energy, healthcare, community and recreation, and tribal. Our team offers 7 different services, including civil engineering, land surveying, architecture, landscape architecture, energy system design, permit expediting, and land use planning. Our civil engineering teams work in conjunction with other departments to make a meaningful impact in the markets we serve. Our engineers have completed projects throughout the United States, transforming communities with their designs. Below, we asked some of our civil engineers to share their perspectives on a few questions!

In the theme of “Welcome to the Future,” what advice would you give to aspiring engineers who aim to make an impact in their careers?

• "One of the most important pieces of advice I received from a former mentor is to approach problem-solving with critical thinking. When you encounter a challenge or have a question, take some time to evaluate your options. If you can't find a solution on your own, don't hesitate to seek assistance from colleagues or mentors. Asking questions is the simplest way to acquire new knowledge and develop your skills.
  " -Chase Heath
• "My advice would be to embrace continuous learning, develop strong interpersonal skills, focus on networking and relationship building, and this is all in addition to growing your technical skills." -Jason Carey
• "Don’t be afraid to ask questions to fully understand the work you are doing. Your managers are happy to help you become the best engineer you can be." -Vicente Varas, PE
• "There are a lot of good jobs out there that you can make a career with lasting impacts. Don’t limit yourself to one job or one title because you think that is the only place you can find fulfillment and make a difference. The grass is the greenest where you decided to water it, meaning you make impacts and initiate change where you choose to." -Austin NG, PE
• "It’s important to learn as much as you can from your mentors and the people you work with. It is crucial to build a strong foundation of knowledge and experience to make a bigger impact in your overall career." -Nazariy Nazarchuk
• "Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool with the potential to transform industries and the world in a short time. While AI lacks human perspective and empathy, it should be used as a tool, not to replace engineers and designers." -Logan Palmer, PE
• "Don’t close any doors. Civil engineering is a very broad profession so keep yourself open to all possibilities. It’s just a component of my job, but I swore in college that I was never going to deal with transportation. Now, I’m here creating and designing half-street improvements and loving it. Be willing to learn and try things, people will notice, and more possibilities will open up for you." -James Fleharty
• "In my experience as a new engineer, I've found that there's no such thing as being too inquisitive. The more questions I ask, the more knowledge I gain, leading to a better understanding of the concepts I may have missed in school or forgotten about." -Lucas Lazaga
• "To succeed in a career, be kind and friendly to work with, seek opportunities for growth and learning in areas of interest, and ensure that you enjoy the process." -Will Recla
• "Aspiring engineers should prioritize communication and interpersonal skills. Being able to clearly articulate your ideas will help you communicate with clients and make sure you understand what their goals are. This is crucial for building good relationships with them and will in turn help your career immensely!" -Carmen Clinch
• "Be engaged in your work, follow through with what you promise, and understand the impact of your work on others. Gain respect by going the extra mile and delivering on your commitments. Be confident and always believe in yourself." -Cara Visintainer, PE
• "Follow your passions and never say no to a challenge. Every situation you encounter will make you a better problem solver, and ultimately a better engineer." -Gillian Huylar

In your opinion, what are some of the most exciting developments or innovations in civil engineering today?

• "The updates to the Civil 3D program are making design and construction more efficient than ever." -Vicente Varas, PE
  
• "Seeing how stormwater management is rapidly evolving and seeing changes in the world of proprietary stormwater treatment devices and storage." -Jason Carey
• "Since water is such a valuable resource, the developments that have been made in stormwater treatment have been fascinating to learn and use." -Chase Heath
• "Technological Advancements have led to remarkable developments such as towering skyscrapers. The emergence of autonomous vehicles has posed interesting questions about traffic management and civil engineering. These include the prospect of a separate 'autonomous lane,' the likelihood of all vehicles becoming autonomous, and who will regulate the capabilities of these vehicles." -Austin NG, PE
• "In my opinion, some of the most exciting developments in civil engineering include the shift in how we think about renewable resources and sustainable building practices. We can repurpose many materials in building and site development." -Nazarity Nazarchuk
• "The integration of our tools with artificial intelligence technology, the potential to use augmented reality in design and construction, the use of drone technology in land surveying, and the invention of living concrete." -Logan Palmer, PE
• "Many of my projects are located in Washington, which means stormwater is a major consideration when it comes to design. It seems like there's always a new stormwater manual to learn about, with requirements that build upon previous ones. It's fascinating to witness how the political landscape and design manuals of the past influence the current standards we see today." -James Fleharty
• "One of the most intriguing advancements in civil engineering is the increasing number of cities and counties that allow and create regulations around mass timber design and construction." -Lucas Lazaga
• "By leveraging green technologies, firms and jurisdictions can reduce the environmental impact of their projects by replicating natural processes. The use of analysis software upgrades has made it possible for engineers to make better-informed design decisions, as they now have access to more information and can complete their work faster and with greater accuracy." -Will Recla
• "New stormwater proprietary devices are being developed every day with unique characteristics! It’s exciting when you find a recently approved device that fits perfectly into your design, and you get to be one of the first ones diving into how it works and how to use it." -Carmen Clinch
• "The constantly evolving technologies and awareness that encircles environmental protections, and how we can utilize them to make the world a better, cleaner, and safer place for future generations." -Gillian Huylar
• "I think the most exciting innovation is the continuous digital transformation that reshapes how we do things from reducing errors and costs to ensuring we design and construct things in the most efficient way possible." -Cara Visintainer, PE
• "This isn’t an innovation but I like that protecting our natural resources, providing water quality treatment, using recycled materials, LEED certification is more mainstream. Finding out the small town I grew up in is adding those requirements to development as well." -Karen Harris, PE

What inspired you to become a civil engineer?

• "As a civil engineer, we can make large, visible impacts on the communities around us. Our goal is to develop infrastructure that can be utilized by thousands of community members. This infrastructure will simplify tasks and lead to a better quality of life for people." -Chase Heath
  
• "My passion for problem-solving guided me to become a civil engineer. Each project is very different and therefore comes with its unique set of challenges." -Vicente Varas, PE
• "My dad inspired me to become a civil engineer." -Austin NG, PE
• "One aspect that inspired me to become a civil engineer is knowing that the projects I work on will be utilized every day by people. The work that I do will become real concrete, rebar, and soil that will be somewhere out there in the world." -Nazariy Nazarchuk
• "I come from a family of civil and mechanical engineers, so I grew up around design and construction. I saw the decline of public infrastructure and “climate change” as one of the biggest threats to American society." -Logan Palmer, PE
• "For me, helping others is a true passion. Being a civil engineer allows me to contribute to the development of the infrastructure that supports our daily lives. From ensuring clean water is readily available, to proper wastewater disposal and stormwater management, to preserving the environment, I'm grateful for the opportunity to make a difference. There's no doubt that working in this field is both satisfying and rewarding." -James Fleharty
• "I was inspired to become a civil engineer because I fell in love with nature and civil engineering. It is the discipline where we get to mold and adapt innovation to the natural world." -Lucas Lazaga
• "I’ve always been fascinated with infrastructure, human development, and the outdoors. Civil engineering encompasses all three of these passions in one field." -Will Recla 
• "I wanted to find a career where I could apply my technical skills to projects I could visibly point to and say, 'I contributed to that!' Civil Engineering offers a tangible form of engineering, where the results of your work are visible every day. I've found that working on the civil design side for commercial land development keeps me challenged and excited. Every project has its unique problems to solve, which keeps things interesting!" -Carmen Clinch
• "As a child I was always interested in how things were built and also loved math and science, so civil engineering was an easy choice for me." -Cara Visintainer, PE
• "My dad! He had wanted to become a civil engineer and build bridges. He did not go down this career path, however his passion for the built work was passed to me, where I was able to pursue it within my own niche." -Gillian Huylar
• "Engineering was always the goal since middle school when math and science were my favorite subjects. My mom would say it started when I wrote a poem about manholes around the same time. Which may be true since whenever I go on vacation it is not unusual to come home with at least one photograph of an unusual manhole cover." -Karen Harris, PE