Major: Mechanical Engineering
Class: 2004
Major at MSOE:
B.S in mechanical engineering
Year of graduation:
2004 (second-generation MSOE graduate)
Master's degree received:
M.S in environmental engineering from University of Illinois
Hometown:
Winnebago, Ill.
Position and Company: Development Planner, Western Canada Major Projects, Imperial Oil (Canadian affiliate of Exxon Mobil Corporation) – Calgary, Alberta Canada
Briefly describe the work that you do at this company.
My current role focuses on early concept definition and selection for major oil and gas projects in the heavy oil portfolio of Imperial Oil. The role is a relatively broad based engineering role which:
- Leads multifunctional teams to evaluate development alternatives and select the concept and execution plan that best satisfy business objectives
- Establishes a project’s business case and assesses a project’s profitability
- Coordinates the necessary engineering support across the Corporation to evaluate, capture and commercialize business and development opportunities
- Coordinates activities across the Corporation and influence external partners to ensure the most effective technologies are employed and seamless transition to project development is made
At the simplest level, I am a “value hunter” trying to figure out the most efficient resource (capital, time, and people) method to meet all internal and external requirements for oil and gas developments.
How has your MSOE education helped to prepare you for your career?
Simply put, MSOE prepared me to critically examine and challenge assumptions towards delivering the best solutions possible. The fast paced-learning environment helped to make the tight deadlines I experience everyday seem easy in comparison. The hands-on nature of dedicated professors and significant amount laboratory experience gave me the knowledge and confidence to be able to immediately contribute in the workplace. The preparation provided by MSOE was a large factor in my success; keep graduating great engineers!
What opportunities at MSOE helped to make your career choice a reality?
The biggest opportunity is that you can’t “get lost” at the university. The small campus and class sizes foster, supports and encourages all students to get involved in a variety of areas. The emphasis on team based projects that start even in freshmen year replicated the working environment that I experience everyday. Overall, I really felt that the university was focused on developing the best technically skilled graduates whether engineers, scientists, nurses, business professionals while at the same time actively encouraging and supporting utilization of this technical knowledge in the team-based workplace environments prevalent throughout industry today.
What would you tell someone who is considering going to MSOE?
I would say that MSOE is the rare small engineering school that is in an urban environment. It is a challenging and rewarding university that allows you the opportunity to get actively involved, know most of your fellow students, and all of your professors. The classes are actually taught by your professors. You will never be just number at MSOE, but a person. I felt that the university actually cared about its students' success. In general, MSOE is not a university to come to if you want to get lost in the crowd.
What are your tips for success?
- Keep an open mind for the world around you; never stop learning.
- Understand what the inputs are, what the process does, and what the outputs mean;
- Don’t get stuck in the “black box” trap;
- Trust but challenge and verify assumptions.
- Care about people first and success will come; as per John C. Maxwell -“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”
What did you like most about your MSOE experience?
The thing I liked most about my experience was the laboratory classes in which I actually was able to do stuff (pour metal molds, build electronic circuits, run a wind tunnel, etc) instead of just watching the demo and collecting the data for analysis like some of my friends who went to larger universities. The ability to actively build your test setup, experiment, fix mistakes and try to figure out the best solution has served me well in my career after MSOE.
What's your favorite memory at MSOE?
My best memory of MSOE was the people, friends, and co-workers I met while at the university. MSOE’s soul as a university is the general “Wisconsin” friendliness that pervades through the students, professors, and staff members. On the funnier side, another best memory was organizing a trebuchet catapult competition during the a Student Activities programming week; seeing the ingenuity us students could muster to toss object across a field still bring memories every time I am back on campus and see the field.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Cycling and learning Mandarin Chinese