Engineers Week 2017 by Bangor Daily News

February 26 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 4th

engineers Maine

week

Date: Saturday, March 4, 2017 Time: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Location: USM Gorham campus, Costello Field House, Gorham, ME engineeringme.com

Engineers Week is the catalyst that sparks organizations and volunteers to make a difference by engaging students in engineering and celebrating the profession. A Special Section of the Bangor Daily News February 24, 2017

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ENGINEERS WEEK • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 24, 2017

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Sargent Corporation provides technical expertise, dependable service COURTESY OF SARGENT CORPORATION

argent Corporation is an employee-owned earthwork construction company that traces its beginning to 1926 in Alton, Maine. Today, Sargent Corporation’s 400 employees work in seven states, special-

izing in commercial, industrial and institutional site preparation, landfill construction, utility projects, airports, athletic facilities and wind power access. The company is led by a field management team boasting over one thousand years of combined experience. Sargent Corporation uses the latest technological resources available, a commitment to the equipment they operate, and a perpetual attention to detail. Their mission is to be the most efficient and effective contractor on the planet—and to do things better than they’ve ever been done before. With operations in Northern New England and the Mid-Atlantic states, you can count on Sargent Corporation’s team to meet the demanding technical challenges

of your next heavy earthwork project and to produce world-class results. The company is dedicated to providing exceptional quality, ingenuity and service for their clients. They look forward to continuing their uncommon drive to participate in the community and contribute to the growth and development of the people they serve. Sargent Corporation is one of the fastest growing companies in the industry. They are the foundations of your roads, runways, wind power and more. Sargent Corporation’s success, they say, is in the dirt—they never stop honing their craft. As they say, that’s what earthmoving excellence is all about. Sargent Corporation is proud to support future engineers and welcome the opportunity to meet them in the near future.

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ENGINEERS WEEK • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 24, 2017

Yes, Engineers Do That! Engineering is all around us COURTESY OF STANTEC

Bridges. Roads. Computers. Robots. These are just a few examples of what most people think of when they picture engineers. Many engineers do work on these kinds of projects—but they also do so much more. Engineers help ensure airport runways and airfields are safe for aircraft. Engineers keep our drinking water clean. Engineers design the systems that keep our lights on, including finding new ways to tap into wind and solar energy. Engineers study traffic patterns and design new roads and intersections to make travel more efficient. Engineers reroute streams for fish passages and study the impact of development on wildlife. Engineers work with government officials to make sure projects comply with laws and regulations. Engineers host public meetings to explain projects to the community. And the list goes on. Stantec’s Maine-based team of over 175 professionals includes all of those disciplines, from traditional civil and structural engineers to engineering-related professions like landscape architects and wildlife biologists. Wildlife, power, water, roads, airports… engineers do all of that? You bet they do. And they do it right here, at home, in Maine.

ENGINEERS WEEK • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 24, 2017

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Great engineer opportunities start at the DOT COURTESY OF MAINEDOT

he Maine Department of Transportation (DOT) is looking for a few good engineers! College graduates seeking engineering careers should consider MaineDOT—it is now recruiting assistant engineers to work in nearly every corner of the state, from Scarborough to Presque Isle. While a career at MaineDOT provides stability, the department also offers a wide-ranging scope of work and the opportunity to get hands-on experience quickly, said Joyce Taylor, the chief engineer there. “If you are really interested in a lot of things, this is a great place to work,” said Taylor. “There is something for everybody, depending on what your style is.” The agency spends more than $600 million annually to build and maintain roads, bridges, port facilities, ferries and even rail lines. MaineDOT employees develop and implement new technologies, respond to emergency situations, and work on national issues with colleagues from other states and the federal government. MaineDOT projects have lasting, state-wide

significance, such as the emergency project to replace the failing Waldo–Hancock Bridge, said Bill Pulver, who heads the department’s statewide capital improvement program. Pulver oversaw efforts to keep the old bridge open for traffic long enough for workers to finish the new bridge, the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, the only cable-stayed bridge in the Western Hemisphere with an observatory at its top. “We get to build a lot of cool stuff that people need and use every day, which is very satisfying work,” he said. “We’re not just working on one project and moving on to another one. There is a sense of ownership you get, and a sense of responsibility as a public servant.” He said he decided in college to pursue a career at MaineDOT because he was impressed with the attitude of the career employees he met during his summer job. “They not only enjoyed the work, but took great pride in its importance,” he said. “They were also able to strike a good balance between their work and

their personal lives.” Pulver was hired to work full time at MaineDOT after graduating in 1986. Taylor, also a UMaine graduate, began her career in 1999 after working in the private sector. Likewise, Commissioner David Bernhardt rose through the ranks as an engineer and administrator during a career that has spanned three decades. These long careers at MaineDOT are typical—the stability and the department’s collaborative culture foster long-lasting relationships, Taylor said. In 2014, when she was fighting breast cancer, she continued to work because of the support she received from her colleagues. “Everyone was so upbeat and positive. I wanted to be here,” said Taylor, who today is cancer-free. “It does feel like family here.”

Salaries for assistant engi neers range between $40,643 and $48,089, depending on experience. Employees are eligible for a pension, dental insurance, and health insurance. The state pays between 85 to 100 percent of the cost of the health insurance premium, depending on the employee’s pay. Assistant engineers perform a variety of civil engineering duties related to planning, project development and maintenance of public work facilities. More information about the jobs and how to apply is available at maine.gov/mdot/jobs.

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ENGINEERS WEEK • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 24, 2017

Maine Maritime Academy

Advancing Innovation in Sustainability BY MATT CHABE

PHOTOS BY MATT CHABE

(top) Components of the diesel engine are carefully arranged on a tabletop in MMA’s METEL lab recently. Students and staff dismantled the engine as part of a recent maintenance and training exercise. (middle) The full-size diesel engine in MMA’s METEL lab allows for real-world testing to improve fuel emissions. (bottom) Richard Kimball, a professor of engineering and the director of research at MMA, points out components of the engine in MMA’s METEL lab recently.

here are some new things afoot at Maine Maritime Academy (MMA). Traditionally known for its maritime engineering and operations curriculum, this public college nestled in Castine is developing new programs built around sustainability issues. As one of only six state maritime training colleges in the United States, MMA is in a unique position to influence future generations of mariners. “[Our students’] careers are going to be involved in moving goods around the world,” said Barbara Fleck, a professor of engineering at MMA. “Many will work on oil rigs, or go on to drill ships or supporting drill rigs. So understanding where [sustainability] fits in the big picture...and the effects they’re having on the environment—I’m hoping just to open their minds and get them to start asking questions and thinking about it more deeply.” Fleck is part of the team that’s developed the new Environmental

Sustainability minor, to be offered as soon as fall 2017. While many of the courses that make up the minor are already offered at MMA, others have been newly developed. However, this will be the first time they’ve been offered together as a cohesive whole. The minor, said Fleck, will be comprehensive, addressing technical issues, policy issues, environmental science and economics as they pertain to sustainability. “The idea was to do an interdisciplinary minor that would address environmental issues across all majors,” said Fleck. “We worked with faculty from every department, so there was at least one faculty member represented in each department...to put the minor together. All our graduates are going to face environmental issues in their jobs and in the world, both as employees and citizens, and it just seemed necessary to address this.” The goal, she said, was to provide students with a toolkit that addresses the unique challenges of mariners in the 21st century. “Hopefully, [they gain] a better understanding of how their work affects the environment,” said Fleck. She said she’d like them to be able to see the environmental impacts of their careers, whether they’re operating a power plant, working on a drill rig, or shipping out as a deckhand or engineer. Down the hill from Fleck’s classroom, Professor Richard Kimball is developing a laboratory to test alternative fuels and reduce emissions for shipboard propulsion systems running heavy fuels. Situated in a building near where the training vessel T/S State of Maine is berthed, the lab features a full-scale diesel engine like those found in the maritime industry. “This is essentially a vessel engine room that you’re looking at,” said Kimball, a professor of engineering and the director of research at MMA, as he

ENGINEERS WEEK • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 24, 2017

MMA students network through Society of Women Engineers PHOTO BY BILLY R. SIMS, MAINE MARITIME ACADEMY

BY BILLY R. SIMS, MAINE MARITIME ACADEMY

Professor Barbara Fleck teaches a course at MMA recently. pointed around the lab. “It’s seawater cooled, like our training ship. We can very closely simulate what you see on a ship—in fact, we have more control over the environment.” Kimball said the one-of-a-kind lab is critical as recent regulations force mariners to take a hard look at the types of fuels they use. “There’s a big change in [marine] emissions regulations right now, just like what’s happened with vehicles on land,” said Kimball. “The marine world is behind the landbased one.” As a result, said Kimball, the International Maritime Organization (IMO)—a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping— assumed responsibility for maritime emissions standards. One protocol, MARPOL Annex VI, sets forth a tiered emissions improvement process to curtail air pollution resulting from shipping. While the protocol thus far has focused on areas within 200 miles of the coast, said Kimball, the regulation rolls out worldwide in 2020. That’s a big problem for the industry, he said, because they’re not ready. That’s what his Marine Engine Testing and Emissions Laboratory (METEL) is hoping to address. “Large diesel engines work a little differently than smaller diesel engines,” he said. “They burn fuels which are much lower grade and can potentially be much more polluting. There are a lot more soot particulates.” One of the fuel solutions Kimball and METEL are working on is a glycerin/diesel

mixture. Glycerin, a biofuel waste product, creates an improvement in emissions when combined with diesel, said Kimball, as well as an improvement in cost: “glycerin is cheap and it’s a waste product.” Another potential solution is a water/diesel mix, which Kimball admits sounds counterintuitive. Injected correctly, however, the mixture lowers temperatures and results in less nitrous oxide, with a sacrifice to efficiency. Kimball said despite the regulation looming on the horizon, METEL is currently the only lab of its kind addressing the issue. “One of the problems is testing this stuff,” he said. “There’s no place in the country that can really independently test these types of things on a real working marine engine. So that’s what we’re building, a lab to do that. We actually have large corporate customers who want to use this lab now. There’s a lot of industry interest. There are no independent labs in the country...that can do what we do here. It’s unique.”

achel Jondle has more than a year to go before graduating from Maine Maritime Academy with a degree in marine engineering operations, but she is confident of her career prospects. As vice president of the recently-formed student chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) at MMA, Jondle is among 14 members who are harnessing the career and personal networking opportunities the group provides, as well as other benefits. The chapter’s members constitute about half of the overall female enrollment in MMA engineering programs among several hundred males at the college in corresponding programs. While their numbers are small, Jondle, her peers, MMA faculty and staff are actively promoting the growing career opportunities for women engineers where they are underrepresented, making up just 13 to 24 percent of IT and engineering programs globally, according to research by General Electric. “Engineering has an image problem,” said Professor Barbara Fleck, the faculty advisor to the SWE chapter. “Not many young women are exposed to examples of other women in engineering versus, say, health care. Therefore, they can’t visualize themselves in those careers.” Forming an affiliation with the national professional association of Society of Women Engineers, an educational and professional service organization founded in 1950 with more than 34,000 members, allows the MMA group access to SWE’s resources for scholarships, job placement and pre-professional development opportunities. The professional group has more than 300 professional and 100 student chapters. The MMA chapter has plans for its own outreach efforts to area schools and youth organizations. And it’s joined a successful chapter of SWE at the University of Maine for several meetings and field trips. Belonging to the organization has already provided a career springboard. Molly Marcotte, a 2016 graduate in Marine Systems Engineering, says her involvement in co-founding and serving as president of the academy’s SWE chapter “was a large topic of conversation” at a job fair interview that led to her present position as Naval Architect with the U.S. Naval Systems Command in Norfolk, Virginia.

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ENGINEERS WEEK • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 24, 2017

Native Mainer brings engineering talents home COURTESY OF TRC

ith Maine’s unemployment rate at its lowest level in 16 years, demand for filling engineering jobs is booming. More and more engineers are finding they can enjoy all the benefits of living in Maine while pursuing challenging, stimulating careers here, too. Just ask Elisabeth St. Pierre, P.E., an electrical transmission engineer with TRC, a leading national engineering, environmental consulting, and construction management firm that employs 325 people at its Maine offices in Augusta, Ellsworth, Scarborough and South Portland.

A native of Monmouth, Elisabeth received her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and master’s degree in structural engineering from the University of Maine. Like many young Mainers, she moved away after graduate school to work elsewhere. But five years ago, St. Pierre and her husband returned to Maine when she joined TRC, where she works on designing electric distribution and transmission systems—intellectually challenging work that also improves Maine’s infrastructure and keeps the lights on. “We moved back to Maine to be close to

our families, and we were able to quickly find engineering consulting jobs that we really enjoy,’’ St. Pierre said. “Every day I look forward to collaborating with my TRC peers.’’ “It’s part of TRC’s culture to recognize and capitalize on everyone’s unique, individual strengths,” said Paul Elkin, Sr., the vice president of TRC’s power delivery operations, “and we take deep pride in providing our clients with innovative, excellent service.’’ TRC’s Maine staffers work on all aspects of power engineering projects including environmental permitting, design, pro-

curement, construction and commissioning. While they enjoy working on projects in Maine, St. Pierre and her colleagues have the opportunity to work on significant, complex engineering projects across the country. Most recently, St. Pierre has been travelling to California, working with a TRC team improving transmission, distribution and substation infrastructure. “When I’m travelling, I hear quite frequently from people that they think Mainers have a high-quality work ethic,’’ she said. “I certainly find that to be true of my TRC colleagues.’’

ENGINEERS WEEK • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 24, 2017

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Sappi sets standard for engineering careers, innovation

COURTESY OF SAPPI NORTH AMERICA

aper permeates nearly every aspect of our lives. It can be found in our clothes, our cars, our pantries and, of course, our mailboxes. Because it is a critical resource, the paper industry is on the forefront of innovation and sustainability to meet consumer demands and solve solutions. An engineering career at Sappi North America provides the opportunity to work with a leader in this fundamental industry. Sappi’s employees are developing new applications for paper every day, such as its first functional release paper, which acts as a mold to input a texture on surfaces to inhibit bacterial growth without the use of toxic additives or chemicals. The potential for a product like this is exciting and holds boundless opportunities. Due to the nimble, innovative leadership at Sappi, the company is continuously growing and has an eye on the future. Investments and capital flowing to the company’s mills in Maine ensure its long-term viability. Most recently, the company announced a $165 million investment to rebuild of

one of its prominent paper machines. The project will increase the machine’s bandwidth by 180,000 metric tons of capacity and expand product offerings for the company’s packaging product lines. Sappi is a leading global company in the pulp and paper industry with offices and mills located in Boston, Maine, Minnesota, South Africa and Europe. The company is driven by its 2020Vision, which seeks to bring unity to all of its locations around the world and pursue growth opportunities in the wood fiber industry worldwide. The work is challenging and interesting, the pay is competitive, but perhaps most importantly, Sappi is full of seasoned engineers ready and waiting to mentor younger staff. Many of Sappi’s employees have been with the company for decades, and are eager to pass their knowledge on to the next generation. Sappi works closely with the University of Maine’s Pulp and Paper Foundation to support students who express an in-

terest in the pulp and paper industry, ensuring that the next generation of paper engineers is the best and brightest. Sappi consistently works with local institutions to offer competitive co-op programs and career development opportunities. Our 130 local engineers come from a variety of institutions, including the University of Maine, Maine Maritime, Northeastern University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and more. For hundreds of years the paper industry has been a staple of Maine’s economy, and Sappi North America’s local mills and offices in Skowhegan, Westbrook and South Portland have remained a bright spot throughout time. By strictly adhering to the three Ps—people, planet and prosperity—the company has set the gold standard for environmental practices and continuously updates processes to drive innovation and sustainability. For more information or to talk with someone about joining the Sappi team, visit sappi.com or contact Dale Wibberly, Human Resources, at 207-238-7962.

OUR INDUSTRY IS ON THE FRONTLINES OF THE SUSTAINABILITY MOVEMENT, UNCOVERING NEW WAYS TO BE ENVIRONMENTALLY AND SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO BUILD AN ENGINEERING CAREER AT SAPPI.

Sappi Somerset Mill 1329 Waterville Road Skowhegan, ME 04976 United States 207.238.3000

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ENGINEERS WEEK • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 24, 2017

Lack of engineers real problem, says UMaine engineering head Solutions include education, infrastructure improvements

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hen we look specifically at Maine, and specifically at engineers, in the last year there were 1,450 postings for engineers,” stressed Dana Humphrey. “To put that in perspective, we graduate somewhere around 300 to 350 engineers per year in Maine.” That disparity between demand and supply for engineers spells trouble, said Humphrey, the Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Maine and a professor of civil and environmental engineering there. He said the problem is only expected to increase, and as it does, we’ll feel the ripples not just in the engineering industry, but in our everyday lives. “There are so many more jobs that require engineers today, compared to years past,” he said. “You look at all this

technology that we carry around, that we use in our cars, in our homes. That requires engineers. The demand for engineers is increasing.” Humphrey said that as engineers from the Baby Boomer generation retire, it creates a demand that’s not being filled. In Maine, 27 percent of working engineers are age 55 or older, he said. What that means is that for the next decade, Maine will graduate roughly half the number of engineers that it needs to fill available positions. “That should cause great concern to all Mainers, because engineers contribute 4 billion dollars per year to Maine’s economy,” he said, “and each engineer individually contributes about $600,000 a year to Maine’s economy. That’s not what they get paid. That’s their economic contribution.”

“It hurts me in the engineering industry,” said David Dunning, Vice President of Marketing and Human Resources at S.W. Cole, an engineering firm with eight offices across New England. “The more you have, the more you can do. So that hurts when you’re in a manufacturing company and you can’t find enough people.” One could present facts and figures to suss out the cause of the problem, but Humphrey said the root is deceptively simple: “I think it’s because [potential engineering students] just don’t know how much fun it is,” he said. “I’ve been an engineer now since 1978…[and] I truly had a blast making it a career. And the reason is that engineers have solved some of the biggest problems that we have in the world today.” Duning concurs: “Well, I think it’s a challenging [field],”

ENGINEERS WEEK • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 24, 2017 he said. “You get to get to work on pretty neat things. I think when you go into some of the engineering firms like ours, a lot of people are surprised at some of the types of projects we get to work on. They can challenge you in that regard. And then also, I think, you know the career prospects are pretty good.” A typical starting salary for an engineer in Maine is around $50,000 per year, and possibly over $60,000 depending on the pension and the engineering discipline, according to Humphrey. In many cases, he said, you have flexibility in terms of your work environment: “It’s just a great career.” Humphrey cites engineers’ contributions to fields such as health care as the type of impact engineers have: “Some of the biggest advances in health care are actually coming from engineering. Certainly medical doctors play a critical role, but when you go into a hospital and you look at the amazing technology they have, that came from engineers.” He said there are several steps that can be taken to promote young people into the engineering field. Number one, he said, is to increase the focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) in elementary, middle and high schools. “What they really need to be doing is adding engineering into their curriculum, so that students can get exposed to the joys

of being an engineer,” he said, “so ultimately they are prepared and motivated to be engineers. My colleague, Mohamad Musavi, who’s the Associate Dean in the [College of Engineering], is working very hard with five high schools in Maine to develop those kind of programs.” Humphrey said it’s also important to provide enough faculty and facilities to accommodate incoming engineering students at the university level. “UMaine graduates about 90 percent of the engineering degrees granted in our state,” he said. “This year we were able to add six new faculty members and next year I expect to be able to add another four. And the other [thing to focus on] is that we need to invest in the facility space that it takes to educate these engineers. I’m very working very hard with the president of the university center, as well as with the state legislature and others, to obtain funding for our new Engineering Education Design Center which will be located in the heart of the engineering district on the campus.” “I think for the state of Maine, [this problem] is an opportunity,” said Dunning, “because we have all these students coming into this area who are being educated and whose capabilities and expertise we could draw from. But a lot of them are leaving the state because there’s less opportunity. So it’s kind of twofold.”

(above left) Professor Eric Landis of Civil Engineering teaches a class at UMaine recently. Engineering faculty members at UMaine have been recognized with honors such as the Maine Distinguished Professor and the Carnegie Foundation Award.

(above) Dana Humphrey, Dean of the College of Engineering at UMaine, teaches an Engineering Leadership and Management course recently.

PHOTOS COURTESY UMAINE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

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PHOTO COURTESY UMAINE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Electrical and computer engineering undergraduates Colby Fischang and Travis Weismeyer put the final touches on their lab report.

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ENGINEERS WEEK • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 24, 2017

aine is a very special place on Earth, but it’s not without its building challenges. For civil engineers, one issue is clay—and in the following scenario, over-consolidated clay. “It’s like a coil spring that’s been compressed,” said WBRC Civil Engineer Paul Monyok. When existing overlying material is shifted to create a building pad, such clay can result in unacceptable levels of building settlement over time. When over-consolidated clay was discovered at the site of Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ) in Augusta, the WBRC project team worked with geotechnical consultant S.W. Cole Engineering to come up with a solution to prepare a building pad and distribute the weight of the 101,700-square-foot building. “The project team chose a lightweight fill consisting of concrete with a foaming agent, which injects air into concrete as it’s being mixed,” said Project Manager Mat Ward. “This reduces the

load on the clay when compared with typical aggregate fill.” The concrete came out of the mixer with a watery, foamy consistency, and was pumped into place using a six-inch diameter hose at two-foot lifts. A layer of sand was first laid between the clay and fill to accommodate any groundwater that arose. Because the JFHQ building is on a slight hill, the lightweight fill had to be poured and cured in a series of checkerboard squares over a few weeks’ time. The fill extended beyond JFHQ’s footprint to spread out distribution of the building load, and was covered with regular soil to provide easier trenching of sub-slab piping as construction continued. This solution enabled the design team to use conventional foundation wall and spread footings, all to achieve a structure that will stand the test of time. “New construction in Maine, even on land that was previously undeveloped, is rarely a simple process,” said Rob Frank, a civil engineer and the project’s principal-in-charge. “When this building is finished, some of us will be proudest of what’s above ground, and some of us of what’s below.”

Solutions Down Under COURTESY OF WBRC ARCHITECTS • ENGINEERS