Q & A with Mary Siegan, P.E., Assistant Project Engineer
In recent months, the news and social media have focused a great deal on women in STEM related fields. One such movement is the #ILookLikeAnEngineer hashtag on Twitter and Facebook, celebrating women who are sharing their accomplishments in the field of science and technology. NTH employs many female engineers so in the spirit of sharing, we have created this “Women in Engineering” series to highlight some of the talented women who work at NTH.
Our fourth Q & A in the series is with one of our project engineers, Mary Siegan. She has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from University of Michigan.
What was your favorite subject(s) high school?
Math and science
When did you know you were interested in engineering?
When I was young my favorite toys were legos, Lincoln logs, and tinker toys. I was lucky enough to have an older brother who had outgrown these toys. I was also known to dig large excavations in my mom’s flower gardens with my brothers old toy tractors!
What was it that peaked your interest?
I always enjoyed learning how things work.
Did you have any mentors?
While I didn’t know any Civil Engineers, I had an uncle who was an electrical engineer and my brother was studying to be a mechanical engineer.
Who was your biggest influencer in your career choice?
I think that having my brother obtain an engineering degree before I ever started college allowed me to realize that engineering was an obtainable degree.
Did you face any resistance from family or friends about your career choice?
No, I come from a very supporting family.
Did you entertain any other career possibilities? If so, what and why didn’t you go that route?
Until I was a senior in high school I wanted to be a teacher. I think I ultimately chose not to go into teaching because the job market in Michigan was bleak.
Where did you go to college? Why?
The University of Michigan. I went to high school in Haslett and wanted to get out of the East Lansing area. I also based my decision on the fact that the Fab 5 won the National Championship my senior year of high school.
What is it about civil engineering that caught your interest out of the other engineering fields?
I enjoyed the civil engineering classes better than the other general engineering classes at school.
How/why did you choose NTH?
NTH has a reputation of being a great engineering company and I wanted to be a part of company where I would be involved in challenging projects where I could grow and learn as an engineer.
What do you do at NTH and what do you like most about your job?
My main focus at NTH is landfills but I also work on several energy projects and industrial sites doing various types of projects. I enjoy finding solutions for clients and learning new things.
What is your favorite project you’ve worked on as an engineer?
My favorite project was a comprehensive stormwater project that we worked on at Cranbrook Educational Community. We performed streambank stabilization, developed a best management practices guide for stormwater controls, and designed concepts that the campus could use to reduce flooding.
What was your favorite subject(s) high school?
Math and science
When did you know you were interested in engineering?
When I was young my favorite toys were legos, Lincoln logs, and tinker toys. I was lucky enough to have an older brother who had outgrown these toys. I was also known to dig large excavations in my mom’s flower gardens with my brothers old toy tractors!
What was it that peaked your interest?
I always enjoyed learning how things work.
Did you have any mentors?
While I didn’t know any Civil Engineers, I had an uncle who was an electrical engineer and my brother was studying to be a mechanical engineer.
Who was your biggest influencer in your career choice?
I think that having my brother obtain an engineering degree before I ever started college allowed me to realize that engineering was an obtainable degree.
Did you face any resistance from family or friends about your career choice?
No, I come from a very supporting family.
Did you entertain any other career possibilities? If so, what and why didn’t you go that route?
Until I was a senior in high school I wanted to be a teacher. I think I ultimately chose not to go into teaching because the job market in Michigan was bleak.
Where did you go to college? Why?
The University of Michigan. I went to high school in Haslett and wanted to get out of the East Lansing area. I also based my decision on the fact that the Fab 5 won the National Championship my senior year of high school.
What is it about civil engineering that caught your interest out of the other engineering fields?
I enjoyed the civil engineering classes better than the other general engineering classes at school.
How/why did you choose NTH?
NTH has a reputation of being a great engineering company and I wanted to be a part of company where I would be involved in challenging projects where I could grow and learn as an engineer.
What do you do at NTH and what do you like most about your job?
My main focus at NTH is landfills but I also work on several energy projects and industrial sites doing various types of projects. I enjoy finding solutions for clients and learning new things.
What is your favorite project you’ve worked on as an engineer?
My favorite project was a comprehensive stormwater project that we worked on at Cranbrook Educational Community. We performed streambank stabilization, developed a best management practices guide for stormwater controls, and designed concepts that the campus could use to reduce flooding.
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