This month we celebrated Engineers Week (February 16-22) by sitting down for some Q&A with Mark Van Eeckhout, one of our MWMC engineers.
What got you interested in engineering?
I became interested in studying water when, in high school, I toured Glen Canyon Dam. I found the engineering and ingenuity of the structure and workings to be fascinating and the idea that we as a human race can build such amazing things. Following this tour I spent the next two weeks in the canyon seeing the amazing environment and realizing that the dam had flooded miles and miles of similar river environment on the upstream side.
The juxtaposition between the built and natural environment is one that is complicated and worth spending time learning and understanding. This is why I went into engineering and water.
What types of projects are you working on for MWMC?
My most recent project was the management of the design and construction of a new, expanded Water Quality Lab and Maintenance Facility, located at the wastewater treatment plant. These two structures were designed and constructed to help support the MWMC’s staff by providing space necessary as our organization grows. We added more than 17,000 square feet of space in these new facilities for the sampling of water and for crews that maintain our regional facilities. My hope is that these facilities provide necessary working space needed to meet our goals of cleaning water.
What would you tell a young person who’s thinking about getting into the
engineering field?
It is a long road to become an engineer. Remember what got you interested in the career path in the beginning and continue to come back to that understanding as you progress through school and job growth. Don’t go into Engineering just because you are good at math and science and that is what is expected of you by your teachers.
