This summer, the women engineering interns were given an assignment to choose a woman engineer at Altieri to interview for the wom(EN)gineer blog. They decided to individually interview an engineer from each of the four trades (MEPF) to get different perspectives. They also collectively came up with the same questions to pose to each of the engineers they would be interviewing.
Lauren Ciuffetelli is going into her senior year of high school with the intent of studying Architectural Engineering in college. She chose to interview Nona Rudd – Altieri’s first and only woman plumbing engineer.
What is your favorite part about being a woman in STEM?
Nona grew up with 4 brothers who were very respectful of and kind to her, and learned early on that any job can be for anyone if they work hard enough. Being held to this standard, she doesn’t think of herself as a woman in engineering – she is an engineer. If men make comments about her presence on a job site, she doesn’t think about gender differences, but rather the individual’s integrity.
What is your favorite part about plumbing engineering?
Nona loves the puzzle plumbing design offers. She is the last step in the project, so she has to find a way to adhere to the code, include what’s needed, and fit around the mechanical and electrical appliances. She loves the design element – making sure the building works, but also enjoys the formulaic process of following the code. Outside of day-to-day work, Nona likes to learn about wastewater and the newer, greener systems involved. Understanding new systems helps her provide Altieri clients with the optimal designs and also brings her joy because she is interested in the movement and separation of different types of water.
Were there any certifications, skills, or classes that have been useful during your career and have helped you to stand out?
For plumbing engineers, Nona recommends CPD (Certified Plumbing Designer) and GPD (Green Plumbing Designer). The CPD certification enhances skills and gives an engineer the knowledge to improve design. The GPD is incredibly helpful in today’s world as we move toward more efficient systems. Nona also suggests working in a wastewater treatment or public facility to gain first-hand experience with plumbing systems in action. She found this experience helpful in understanding what she was designing and how plumbing systems worked. Finally, having a background in both plumbing and fire protection can be beneficial since many plumbing engineers are expected to do fire protection engineering as well.
Lauren’s Reflection
While talking with Nona, I realized that engineering is creative just as much as it is mathematical. Engineers produce designs that show their creativity and problem-solving abilities to work with code restrictions. Learning that engineering brings together different skills, capabilities, and interests has only increased my excitement to study the things I love in college. Nona’s advice taught me to stay ahead of the game as a woman and an engineer. To be successful in this field, I will need to learn as much as possible…continuously!