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Feb 19, 2021
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Each year, approximately 224 million roses are grown for Valentine’s Day, 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold, and Americans wrack up more than $1 billion in gifts for the apple of their eyes… we’re talking about their pets, of course.
While hearts, chocolates and flowers might be the first thoughts that pop to mind for this month, each February we also show some love to our team of visionaries, thinkers and doers in honor of National Engineers Week, or EWeek.
Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951, EWeek is dedicated to inspiring a diverse, well-educated future workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) careers.
Celebrated from February 21 to 27, 2021, this year’s Engineers Week theme, “Imagining Tomorrow” is a perfect match to Jacobs’ own tagline, “Challenging today. Reinventing tomorrow.”
At Jacobs, we make the world smarter, more connected and more sustainable and the bright members of #OurJacobs team being profiled this week represent just a few of the many people around the globe who make our vision a reality.
We couldn’t not start off with a nod to National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) which was celebrated earlier this month in the U.K. and share a story or two about some of our phenomenal engineering apprentices. Take Katie Rotherham and Rebecca Roberts who went from being classmates at high school to teammates at Jacobs. These engineering degree apprentices are inspiring the next generation and helping to challenge the perception of women in engineering through active promotion of STEAM and mentoring high school students. To celebrate NAW, Katie spoke with the U.K.’s Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills and shared how her interest in design and technology led her to pursue a STEAM career!
In contrast, did you know that we have materials engineers like Nick Campbell working in our Advancing National Security team? With a background in metallurgical engineering, Nick’s specialist knowledge and skills have been relied upon in support of a variety of efforts like bomb failure analyses, investigating the effect of damage on linear charge assemblies and examining and discussing fractographic results.
Or water visionaries like Hui Chng Chan, Jacobs water portfolio manager in Singapore? Reflecting on her career journey at Jacobs, Hui Chng says, "From desalination, water treatment, wastewater treatment and stormwater management, the projects I have been a part of serve a common purpose – to improve the quality of life for our local communities through innovations and enhancements on water management."
From engineering degree apprentices in the U.K. inspiring the next STEAM generation and materials engineers in the U.S. working to advance national security to transformational water leaders in Asia and everyone in between, give a cheer for the engineers that make the world go round this Engineers Week. Join us on Instagram as we celebrate with quizzes, trivia and more!
Sunday, February 21, 2021
First up, meet senior civil engineer Tim Lougoon. To Tim, the best thing about #OurJacobs is the ability to work flexibly. Outside of work, he’s a professional umpire of Aussie rules football. Based in Melbourne, flexible working empowers Tim to pursue his passion and spend quality time with his young family alongside his work. Don’t miss out on his Jacobs 2020 Integrated Annual Report cover photo, which was taken at the Melbourne Cricket Ground before he officiated in his 100th Australian Football League match!
Also on Sunday, get to know Thalia Gonzalez, a civil engineer based in Houston, Texas and the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) – Houston Chapter Young Engineer of the Year. Thalia joined Jacobs as an intern and joined the team fulltime after her graduation from the University of Houston. In addition to her active engagement with WTS and numerous roadway projects, Thalia is an engaged member of our Enlace Employee Network, which links our Latinx communities.
“The opportunities and support that I have experienced at Jacobs is phenomenal. From working on assignment in Darwin, Australia for six months on the Jacobs Go! program, to working on relevant impactful projects within my community, the work I do is always meaningful and fulfilling,” she shares.
Monday, February 22, 2021
It only takes a short time chatting with Monday’s first feature, Ariane Brotto, to see that her achievements, passion, drive and commitment to creating a better future shine through. Ariane is a Principal Carbon & Energy Consultant based and the recent winner of the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM)’s Young Environmentalist of the Year 2020 award. We connected with London-based Ariane on her award, her STEAM career journey to date and what inspires her in this Q&A piece.
Next up, meet Breanne Rohloff, a mechanical engineer at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Her unofficial job title? Rocket driver.
A graduate from the University of Central Florida, Breanne received her degree in aerospace engineering. The summer before her senior year, she interned for Jacobs on the Test and Operations Support Contract in the asset management department. Through this internship, she had the opportunity to work on multiple projects, and it was there that she was first introduced to the crawler.
Breanna is one of the few women to ever drive the crawler. A pair of behemoth machines called crawler-transporters have carried the load of taking rockets and spacecraft to the launchpad for more than 50 years at Kennedy Space Center.
“Getting to drive the crawler is a rare opportunity, because there are only two in existence,” she explains. “It’s also very intimidating because of its massive size.”
Weighing in around 6 million pounds, NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 will carry the agency’s mobile launcher with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft – an additional 18 million pounds – from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to Launch Pad 39B for the launch of Artemis 1 mission. Driving all of that weight around is no easy task.
“It’s a bit like steering a large ship,” says Breanne. “And when the rocket is onboard, it will be like steering a large ship with a skyscraper on top.”
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
To electrical engineer turned recruiter Tre Sayles, the best thing about #OurJacobs is the people. Based in California, Tre has worked in several functions across the company and visited offices in multiple countries, interacting with co-workers at all levels. Can you spot Tre on the cover of Jacobs 2020 Integrated Annual Report?
Across the Atlantic, we meet electrical control and instrumentation engineer, Simon Ramzi. Simon brings his combined background of electronic engineering and media technology to our nuclear team - and with digital techniques increasingly important in engineering design, he’s also bringing forward-thinking ideas to the table.
Simon's work has enabled a project developing a new type of modular nuclear power station to construct a digital ecosystem that allows for an efficient, highly productive and collaborative ways of working. He was also able to introduce new ways of working while supporting France’s ITER, the world’s largest nuclear fusion experiment, and the principles he developed on the small modular reactor project have proved useful for projects researching the use of digital technology to change the way large nuclear reactors are designed, built and decommissioned.
“The common theme which encapsulates these projects is nuclear’s contribution to future energy systems,” says Simon. “I don’t see how we can arrive at a carbon neutral economy without innovation in order to generate safe, sustainable nuclear power, and it's exciting to be a part of making that happen.”
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Dubbed “The Volcano Trekker,” most days Dr. Kayla Iacovino can be found at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where, as an Experimental Petrologist and Volcanologist, she works as part of Jacobs’ team in the Experimental Petrology lab using a combination of fieldwork, laboratory experiments and thermodynamic modeling to better understand the inner workings of crustal volcanic systems, and when and why catastrophic eruptions occur. You won’t want to miss Tuesday’s feature on Kayla’s explorations, which have taken her to the southern most active volcano in the world, the Erebus volcano in Antarctica and even the world’s largest lava lake at Mount Nyiragongo in South Africa.
Next, we meet Daisy Carter – A technician in the rail team in Birmingham U.K. and Chapter Lead for the Jacobs Women’s Network, who is passionate about promoting equality and working together for gender inclusion. When we caught up with Daisy, she said that one of the best things about working at Jacobs is the opportunity for young professionals to develop and gain new skills by working in different teams, citing her own experience of working in highways, drainage, environment and now rail. To Daisy, #OurJacobs makes her feel as though there’s a bright future ahead with endless possibilities for professional growth.
Thursday, February 25, 2021
From the islands of Hawaii to the hospitals and hotels, roadways and communities of California, Jazzy Quinabo Principe takes her “Aloha Spirit” wherever she goes. Born and raised on Oahu, from an early age she embraced the values of community, family and the understanding that we all need to do our part to protect those around us and the world we live in. She knew she needed to find a career that helped the greater good – and that’s why she became an engineer. Jazzy, a project manager and executive advisor at Jacobs, was named one of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) New Faces of Civil Engineering last year. In honor of EWeek’s Girl Day, read what Jazzy thinks the five keys to successful engineering relationships are.
In the Northwest of England, we meet project controls engineer Chloe Pascoe who works in nuclear decommissioning. Chloe’s first experience of Jacobs was through a regional work experience program while she was in high school. Fast forward to today, and Chloe has not only completed her apprenticeship at Jacobs but also developed a new industry-accredited work experience program that was recognized as a finalist in the Industrial Cadets National Awards for displaying outstanding commitment and dedication in the local community. As a STEAM ambassador, positive mental health champion and work experience coordinator, Chloe hopes to motivate and inspire others to believe in their own capabilities.
Friday, February 26, 2021
Process engineer Hayden Porter recently relocated from our Vancouver office to join Jacobs’ water team in New Zealand. There, he’s working on projects like the Central Interceptor in Auckland and odor treatment efforts in Christchurch. His favorite part of the role, Hayden says, is working with great people on challenging projects that have a positive impact on people and the environment.
Head into the weekend with a little Friday fun feature on Jaynelle Pemberton, a project manager, water group leader and Harambee Employee Network Group trailblazer based in Jacksonville, Florida. Jay and her son appeared on our Jacobs 2020 Integrated Annual Report cover with their Kindness Rocks – a One World Employee Network initiative and one of our bright spots of the past year.
“My son is totally into superheroes (borderline obsessed in my opinion) and it’s not often that he sees himself represented,” Jay reflects.
As such, he frequently talks with her about characters and superheroes – some from popular movies or comics and other unique characters he’s made up of his own. He even has a sketch book with his own made-up characters and their unique superpowers.
Participating in the Kindness Rocks initiative, Jay’s son painted the red rock inspired by his favorite speedster and she painted the black rock as a special tribute to the actor Chadwick Boseman who passed away in August 2020.
“I'm acknowledging the impact his role as King T’Challa 'Black Panther' has had on my son and other little boys like him who were excited to see themselves represented as a prime superhero. Chadwick didn't just act as a superhero in the movies, he was a real-life superhero that shared his gift with us. I enjoyed painting these rocks with my son. It's also a reminder of the real life, everyday heroes inside of us all.”
Saturday, February 27, 2021
Each year, The Northeastern Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance highlights manufacturing professionals and their accomplishments through the All Stars Annual Career Magazine and this year, our own Ericka Saari had the opportunity to reflect on her career as part of the special issue as a 2021 All Star.
Based in Appleton, Wisconsin, Ericka is a process engineer who’s currently working on a soybean oil facility in Sidney, Ohio and has been involved since the preliminary stages of design, taking on additional responsibility as the design phases progressed and mentoring new engineers along the way. As one of the Manufacturing Alliance’s All Stars, she’s excited to share her journey with the hope of convincing young students who are on the fence to consider entering the manufacturing industry.
From his earliest years, Tim Abney loved art and drawing. He recalls his drafting class in the 7th grade, "In that class, I learned to draw mechanical parts and devices and developed a skill for doing it and enjoyed it." Fast forward to today, Tim’s career spans 40 years in the commercial nuclear power industry, including a key role in setting up Barakah, the first nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates. Barakah will make a significant contribution towards clean energy targets in the UAE by providing 25% of the nation’s electricity when fully operational.
"Always seek to learn and never be satisfied with the status quo," Abu Dhabi-based Tim says when asked for advice. "Develop the ability to work effectively as a team and build close relationships where there is shared accomplishment(s)."
We hope you’ll “be ours” on Instagram for more on these members of our team, trivia and fun to celebrate EWeek.