Marcia Brown
Company: Fluor Corporation (www.fluor.com),
Aliso Viejo, Calif.
Job Title: Structural Engineer
Education: B.S. in architectural engineering from California State
Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo (1989); M.S. in civil engineering
from the University of California Davis (1990)
1) How long have you been at your job and what do you do there?
I joined Fluor Corporation in 1991, after working in a small engineering firm for a year. As an engineer for Fluor, I perform calculations and create drawings for industrial buildings, power plants and oil refineries. I also answer field questions from contractors and work with the building department.
Most recently, I worked on the Long Beach Emergency Command and Operations Center, a steel building on base isolators where 911 calls are received. The building sits very close to the Newport-Inglewood Fault and it is vital that the building is functional after a large earthquake, so emergency crews can respond to people in need.
2) What one thing do you know now that you wish you could have known in your past?
I now know how strong I really am. You are your own worst critic. Ease up!
3) What is the best and worst career advice youve ever received?
The best career advice would be to follow your passions. If you are unhappy with where you are, leave.The worst career advice would be to start your own firm. Working for Fluor provides me with all of the opportunities and technical advancement that I need without the stress of trying to be a one-woman show and handling all aspects of my own firm.
4) What advice do you have for students interested in your field?
Get as much field experience as you can, like working on a construction site or answering field questions. Designing structures on paper takes on a whole new meaning when you actually see a person trying to fabricate something you just drew.
5) How do you relieve frustration with your job?
Frustration from my job usually is caused by time constraints. So, I try to deal with things one at a time and not let the frustration get to me. It helps to realize that you can only do so much and people understand that.
6) If they made a movie about your life and work, what would it be called and whom would you want to be the star?
Thats a tough one . . . I cant think of a title, but I would like Sandra Bullock to star. She seems casual and fun-loving. My life and work have been pretty smooth sailing; nothing dramatic, which isnt a bad thing.
7) Whats wrong with the world? Whats right with it?
Whats wrong with the world is that people forget whats really important in life; they get too caught up with the day-to-day small nuisances. Whats right with the world is children and their pure innocence.
8) Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as?
I suppose I would choose to be reincarnated as an eagle. The bird is pretty high on the food chain and has the freedom to go anywhere.
9) What do you do for fun?
I love the outdoors, especially the beach. I play a lot of softball and Im just starting to pick up golf, which I love. My husband and I used to do a lot of traveling; now we have twin girls who are almost two-and-a-half years old and we really enjoy our time with them.
10) What cartoon or sitcom character do you most identify yourself with?
Ive always liked Disney movies (even before having kids), so I would choose Belle from Beauty and the Beast. As a kid, I was always looking for adventure and to spread my wings beyond my boundaries.
11) If theres one thing my colleagues dont know about me, its this:
During my leave of absence, after the birth of my twins, I held another job. I was a stage mom while my twins shared the role of Maddie on Beverly Hills 90210 during the last six episodes of the show. I traveled to Van Nuys twice a week, shuttling the girls back and forth from home to the studio.
John L. Watts
Company: Michael Baker Corporation (www.mbakercorp.com),
Virginia Beach, Va.
Job Title: Structural Engineer
Education: B.S. in civil engineering from Penn State University
(December 1996); currently pursuing a masters degree in structural
engineering from Old Dominion University
1) How long have you been at your job and what do you do there?
I started with Michael Baker Corporation in the Virginia Beach office on March 31, 1997. I am a structural engineer working mostly on bridge design.
2) What one thing do you know now that you wish you could have known in your past?
I wish I knew how fast time was going to fly by!
3) What is the best and worst career advice youve ever received?
The best adviceDont get involved in office politics!The worst adviceWhen I was at Penn State, someone told me Dont worry, you will never use this method of analysis or you will never see that program again (FORTRAN). Dont believe it! I guarantee that the day will come when you have to dig deep into your old notes to try and figure out a problem using a method you never thought you would have to think about again.
4) What advice do you have for students interested in your field?
You are going to quickly realize how little you really know. The real world is a much different place than the classroom. My advice is to treat the first year of your job like an additional year of college and listen to your peers.
5) How do you relieve frustration with your job?
I try to turn my frustrations into something positive such as motivation to do better work. However, sometimes I simply have to vent with a trusted colleague.
6) If they made a movie about your life and work, what would it be called and whom would you want to be the star?
I think they already made that movie. Its called Office Space!
7) Whats wrong with the world? Whats right with it?
WrongRacism, violence, poverty
RightHow our nation bonded together after 9/11
8) Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as?
Paul van DykInternational DJ. He gets paid millions to travel the world and play his favorite music, how cool is that?
9) What do you do for fun?
Ice hockey, softball, jet skibasically, anything to do with sports!
10) What cartoon or sitcom character do you most identify yourself with?
Boy thats a tough one. I guess Ross from Friends because I start talking about bridges the same way he talks about dinosaurs. We both think we are cool and cant understand why everyone else thinks that we are nerds
11) If theres one thing my colleagues dont know about me, its this:
I am extremely stubborn and I hold grudges. I cant help it, but when someone does something to make my life miserable, I dont forget!