Tim Nelson

Culture:

I think the Degenkolb culture focuses primarily on two things: successfully developing your career, and being happy while doing it. Even in the early stages of my career, Degenkolb is giving me opportunities to develop my skills and gain exposure to all sorts of projects. Plus, I am surrounded by engineers who share this culture and are more than willing to help me. Degenkolb takes extra steps by providing flexible work hours, countless in-house technical seminars, company cabins in Tahoe and Monterey, and a very comfortable environment to work in.

There really is no typical day at the firm, and that’s what I love so much about this job. On any given day, I could be working on several different jobs that range from sketching up the simplest detail to processing the output from a complex computer model. Some days I’ll be focused on technical calculations, while other days I’ll be putting together a seismic evaluation report or doing some research for our in-house Sustainability Committee. The fact that Degenkolb gets many different types and sizes of projects keeps the work interesting and refreshing. That, in turn, makes it very easy to get excited about what we do.

Career

I am originally from Connecticut, and I spent my undergraduate and graduate years in the Civil Engineering Department at Tufts University, just outside of Boston. Boston is not traditionally known as a center for seismic research (or seismic hazard). However, during graduate school I was able to be a part of a small earthquake engineering research group at Tufts. My thesis work took me out to California several times, and I quickly realized that I wanted to be a part of the structural engineering community here. I was very fortunate to make a connection with Degenkolb.

Now, I serve as the Treasurer for the Younger Member’s Forum (YMF), a SEAONC committee that focuses on providing social and technical events for engineers who are in the beginning stages of their careers. Our region’s structural engineering community is relatively small and tight-knit, and I think it’s important to get to know your peers both inside and outside of your firm. Plus, as an officer, I’ve found it both fun and rewarding to help plan events and shape the future of this very large and active committee.

Passions:

I stay excited about my profession by being involved in SEAONC and surrounding myself with people who share the same passions that I do. I try to stay current by attending educational seminars and reading publications put out by the various professional organizations. I also enjoy telling people about the work we do. I think a large percentage of the general public does not fully understand the role of structural engineers, and it’s up to us to change that.

I love being a structural engineer because I can feel the importance of my work on a daily basis. Whether it’s sizing a bolt for a simple connection or evaluating the seismic safety of a large temple, people’s safety and livelihood depend on the work of structural engineers. That type of responsibility can be a bit intimidating, but I feel fortunate to be in a profession that has such great opportunities to do such influential things.

On The Job

Beginning with my first phone interview, I definitely noticed that Degenkolb is different from other firms. Here, you are not just an engineer; you are made to feel part of a community. Because our firm is employee-owned, there is an added sense that we are working together as a team for a common purpose. The firm provides unconditional support for career development and professional activities and also openly recognizes the importance of a life outside of the office. I find myself working alongside people that are happy to be here, and that makes for a very nice work environment.