IDM/ISE 288 Alumni Interview Presentation

1. IDM/ISE 288 Alumni Interview Presentation Interviewee: Dr. Frances Alston Interviewer: Kristen Alston April 26, 2010

2. Overview • Education • Current Career • Work Environment • College Experience • Career Choice/Path • Advice Interviewer: K. Alston Interviewee: Dr. F. Alston

3. Education • Degrees • BS in Industrial Hygiene & Safety – Saint Augustine College • MS in Environmental Engineering – Southern Methodist University • MS in Systems Engineering - UAH • PhD in Industrial and System Engineering/Engineering Management - UAH • Certifications • Certified Hazardous Materials Manager • Yellow Belt Interviewer: K. Alston Interviewee: Dr. F. Alston

4. Current Career • Interviewee: Dr. Frances E. Alston • Employer: URS Corporation • Job Title: Environmental, Safety, & Health Director Interviewer: K. Alston Interviewee: Dr. F. Alston

5. URS Corporation • Established in 1951 • “Provide program management, planning and design management, systems engineering and technical assistance, construction and construction management, operations and maintenance, and decommissioning and closure services.” ~ URS Website • Employees 45,000 employees in over 30 countries • Focused on Federal, Infrastructure, Power, and Industrial & Commercial Interviewer: K. Alston Interviewee: Dr. F. Alston

6. ESH Director • Works in Niskayuna, New York on the SPRU DP Project • “Responsible for implementation of ESH program, policies, and practices to ensure safety and health of the workforce, that quality of work meets company standards and that the work that is preformed by the company does not adversely impact the environment and surrounding communities.” • In charge of people with both engineering and science degrees Interviewer: K. Alston Interviewee: Dr. F. Alston

7. ESH Director Cont’d • Has good benefits • Require travel approximately 2 times per month (depends on your assignment) • A Lot of room for growth and professional advancement • Can travel all over the world • Does not usually work on weekends and nights (depends on the assignment) Interviewer: K. Alston Interviewee: Dr. F. Alston

8. Work Environment • Normal work day includes meetings with engineers and customers, doing presentations, and reports • Require skills such as communication, technical knowledge, and the ability to converse with a diverse group of people, and flexibility • Generally work 40-50 hours per week Interviewer: K. Alston Interviewee: Dr. F. Alston

9. Work Environment Cont’d • Job can be stressful; you have to handle differences of opinions between staff and clients • Satisfying when you know people have a safe and productive environment to work and succeed in Interviewer: K. Alston Interviewee: Dr. F. Alston

10. College Experience • Helpful Courses • Engineering Courses • Leadership • Communication • Some technical classes • Least Helpful • Liberal Art courses Interviewer: K. Alston Interviewee: Dr. F. Alston

11. Career Choice/Path • Chose engineering field because it links people, processes, and the work environment with engineering principles • Would not change anything. • Future Plans • 5 years - ESH Director for a large project with limited travel requirement (5000 people) • 10 years - Retired Interviewer: K. Alston Interviewee: Dr. F. Alston

12. Advice • Internships • Leadership courses • Communication courses • Maintain a GPA above 3.0 Interviewer: K. Alston Interviewee: Dr. F. Alston