I started as an intern approximately seven years ago, and GFT made it abundantly clear that investing in young professionals is a top priority. I worked on job sites, conducted surveys and tunnel inspections, and contributed to mechanical system designs. It can be daunting to accept an internship position with nothing but ambition and curriculum engineering knowledge. Still, I quickly learned Revit, AutoCAD, and various load calculation software programs that gave me all the tools I needed to contribute in meaningful ways to project success. I now work as a full-time associate mechanical designer and am approaching my second anniversary.

I attribute my success to my team, who shared their decades of industry experience with me, and I am exceedingly thankful for the ongoing career growth opportunities that GFT provides.

This year, I became a steering committee member of Future Generations, GFT’s employee resource group providing resources, opportunities, and networking for young professionals. GFT has invested so much in me and my career development as an intern and a young professional, and I am honored to have the opportunity to give back to a program that advocates for GFT’s Future Generations.

I recently worked on a large-scale HVAC equipment replacement project. I helped develop and test an AI-enhanced data-capture application to streamline existing equipment condition assessment and inventory efforts. It is amazing how evolving technology can support data organization and management, enabling us to deliver designs with greater accuracy and efficiency.

Mechanical building systems are constantly evolving to stay up to date with building codes and regulations, particularly regarding energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. One such initiative is the phasing out of higher global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants, such as R-410A, in favor of eco-friendly A2L alternatives with lower GWP that meet federal environmental standards. Studying the impacts of these alternatives is imperative to successfully integrating them into system designs, as refrigerants differ in thermal properties that affect HVAC equipment sizes and electrical characteristics. It is also imperative to study the refrigerant mitigation protocols to ensure that the safety of the building occupants is always the primary consideration.

Oil painting and quilting are my current favorite hobbies for recharging and replenishing my creative energy. Although mechanical engineering is commonly thought to be all numbers and logic, there is a surprising amount of intentional creative design that goes into routing piping systems, ducts, and other mechanical systems into a finished space so that the final product is both functional and aesthetically cohesive. Painting enables me to study my physical environment thoughtfully, helping me notice the fine details that are commonly overlooked, and quilting exercises my attention to detail and geometry skills.

My husband and I have fully embraced winter, taking up cross-country and downhill skiing, ice skating, and exploring the frozen lakes. Our philosophy is that we will get the same amount of snow either way, so we might as well enjoy it!

I have seen the northern lights many times! I enjoy tracking space weather with various apps and am a member of a northern lights-chasing interest group. During a solar flare, if the atmospheric power, solar wind, and Kp-index values are just right, there is a great chance for an impressive northern lights show just after dark!