National Engineers Week: ATC engineers share their stories
ATC is powered by engineers of several different disciplines. From electrical to civil, computer to industrial, we salute our engineers for helping us plan, design, build, maintain and keep our data secure to help keep the lights on.
In honor of National Engineers Week, we asked a few of our engineers to tell us why engineering is the field for them.
Ruchi S., senior transmission planning engineer
“I’m an electrical power systems engineer. I grew up in India where if you are a good student you are expected to take up math and science and are expected to become either an engineer or doctor. I really wanted to be a doctor growing up, but to do that you have to sit for competitive exams where only a few hundred are selected from a pool of a million students. I ended up succeeding in both of the exams, but I didn’t get into the mainstream medical field. Instead I ended up making the cut into dental sciences and electrical engineering. I opted for the latter, which I thought was cooler than having to fix people’s teeth. That’s how I became an engineer and I have loved it ever since. I also have bragging rights since I am the first and only female engineer in my immediate and extended family.
“The thing I love most about being an engineer, specifically a power systems engineer, is that I am able to contribute towards ensuring that people can have access to one of the basic necessities of modern life, electricity, and that in itself is very gratifying. It’s a career that has taught me to constantly innovate and be in constant learning mode and is a career which pays well and makes me financially independent.”
Greg H., asset support engineer
“I am an industrial engineer. I decided to become an engineer because I always enjoyed tinkering, problem-solving and figuring out how things work (and to prove to my high school calculus teacher that I really could do it!). Marquette University had a young scholars program that I participated in in high school that gave prospective students a taste of the various engineering disciplines they offered. I enjoyed the industrial engineering curriculum because of the variety of work that IE’s do, from making operating room scheduling at hospitals more efficient to making factories more productive to helping electric utilities operate better.
“What I enjoy most about being an engineer is that each day brings a new challenge which requires continuous learning. The great thing about being an engineer at ATC is that the company supports continual learning by supporting formal training, but also through the informal transfer of knowledge to and from the other engineers with whom I work. I am always amazed at the level engineering expertise at this company and the willingness of those who share it.”
Barbara M., major project manager
“I am a civil engineer with an emphasis in transportation. My dad was a civil engineer for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, and he was very good at what he did. I realized early on in college that the money was better in the engineering field than in education, where I initially began my college career.
“I like problem solving, and the fact that every problem is different. No two engineering projects are the same; each project has unique problems that are solved in different ways. I also like that to move forward in engineering, you need to keep up with technology and keep up with projects. I like to keep learning something new. Engineering is definitely a team effort, and I like working with other people to make a project successful.”
Logan B., associate system protection engineer
“I’m an electrical engineer with emphases in power and energy, as well as controls. I also have a sustainable and renewable energy systems minor from UW-Platteville. In the years leading up to college, I imagined I would be a civil engineer – I always liked seeing the physical make-up of things, such as how the static and material properties of a bridge worked. But I was persuaded into electrical engineering by Dr. David Drury (he gave many UW-Platteville EE grads some unforgettable college stories) because of my good math skills. Performing circuit analysis was always like a puzzle to me, and the problems have become more complex and challenging as I’ve developed as an engineer. This reaffirms my decision to become an electrical engineer, and I couldn’t be more excited for what the future holds!
“I enjoy being an engineer because it offers exciting challenges on a day-to-day basis. While working at ATC, I’ve strived to learn the intricacies of each department and how ATC’s holistic attitude has made us a great company to work for and work with. Like the typical engineer, I love to know the “how” and “why” to everything, yet fully realize we must rely on and leverage others’ skill sets to be the best team. Having an engineering background is also a great benefit for everyday life, whether it’s forming a budget, working on projects at home, or understanding causes and effects personally, economically, nationally and globally. Life is like an equation with some basic inputs and outputs. Hard work + family + fun = success!”
