Alumni

During my time at UWA I was fortunate to work as both a fly-in-fly-out engineer in the Pilbara and as an engineering consultant. I gained a broad and valuable experience; from drill and blast firing, to shovelling concrete, to working within the sophisticated 3D/BIM environment.

I have many fond memories of UWA. Whilst achieving such a highly reputable degree, I learned the invaluable skill of problem-solving; a skill crucial to all engineers which I find myself applying to all aspects of my life.

Becoming a national champion as part of the UWA Rowing Club taught me how to work as part of a versatile team; I learned to balance professionalism with now life-long friendships in a fun social setting.

After completing my graduate program in 2015 and being a corporate representative of Engineers Without Borders (EWB), I realised that although I am passionate about the built environment and have an appreciation for the sophistication of structural design, I wanted to contribute more. I learned that sustainability is generally seen as a compromise and awareness in the built environment is still gathering momentum in Australia.

Through research I discovered a career in sustainable building design would allow me to utilise my structural skills to form innovative building solutions to benefit not only the environment, but also the health and wellbeing of people.

My ultimate goal is to become a leading consultant for net-positive energy buildings and precincts – that is, one that produces more energy than it consumes, through specialising in high performance building envelope design.

Although it is my generation and generations to come that will experience the full effects of climate change in the future, there is an unfortunate perception that we cannot influence crucial decisions and positive change now.

Engineers have the unique opportunity, and I believe the responsibility, to bridge the gap between technical innovation and sustainable culture. Many of these opportunities are already readily available; such as suggesting cycling facilities rather than carparks, renewable rather than non-renewable energy resources, or naturally ventilated rather than air-conditioned buildings.

We also have the opportunity to aid others that may not have access to our skills; organisations such as Engineers Without Borders (EWB) provide such opportunities and welcome all skill levels.

I hope other engineers will join me in harnessing our abilities to make this cultural change so pertinent to our industry. Let’s work towards a holistic, intrinsic sustainable design practice and, in turn, a better world.