7-11-2022
Omar Masood is an engineer with Parametrix's Portland Community Building Team. He has nine years of industry experience and has worked at Parametrix for one year. He recently earned his Professional Engineer (PE) license. We asked him about his career, favorite project, and advice for others pursuing their PE license.
What inspired you to pursue a career in engineering?
I always loved math, physics, and earth science classes in high school, which led me to studying civil engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The idea that engineers assess important needs and provide efficient solutions across different facets of society made me want to become a civil engineer. Knowing the design effort that went into a roadway or sidewalk that people use all the time without realizing how much it takes to construct ... (more)
7-08-2022
We're thrilled to have several interns joining us at Parametrix this summer! We strive to provide challenging, hands-on project experience to students entering our industry. Inspiring young professionals early in their career is critical for the future of our profession and for our purpose of restoring the health of the planet for future generations.
Meet Nicole Chen, an intern with our Puyallup Water division. She is from Mercer Island, WA and recently graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering with an emphasis in Environmental Engineering.
Why did you choose an internship at Parametrix?
I chose to intern at Parametrix because I have grown up in the Pacific Northwest learning about Lake Washington and the surrounding environment and I want to help leave a lasting impact on the place I’ve called home for the past 20+ years. ... (more)
7-06-2022
Michael Jones is an engineer with the Salt Lake City Transportation team. He has four years of industry experience and has worked at Parametrix for nearly two years. He recently earned his Professional Engineer (PE) license. We asked him about his career, favorite project, and advice for others pursuing their PE license.
Tell us about your professional background.
I graduated with my Master’s with an emphasis in Hydraulics from Utah State University in 2019. I had an internship that switched to full-time status at another consulting firm where I did roadway engineering for several large freeway projects. In November 2020 I moved to Parametrix to help create vibrant, sustainable communities through engineering.
What inspired you to pursue a career in engineering?
I come from a family of blue-collar workers so the only professions I knew about ... (more)
6-29-2022
During Pride Month, we are sharing the stories of LGBTQ+ employee-owners at Parametrix. Today we wrap up the month with Emily McKernan, who is a Senior Administrative Assistant for Parametrix's Portland and Vancouver offices and is part of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. She has worked at Parametrix for 4 years.
Tell us about your career. What do you do? Tell us about a project you’re working on currently or a project you have worked on that you’re proud of.
My background is in English/Creative Writing and Theatre, but I have worked as an office professional for over 10 years. I’ve been at Parametrix for four of those years and am the Senior Administrative Assistant for the Portland and Vancouver offices. I do a little bit of everything, but I suppose the things I am most proud of in my time here were being involved in the 2020 Labor Day Fire Cleanup project with... (more)
6-28-2022
During Pride Month, we are sharing the stories of LGBTQ+ employee-owners at Parametrix. Meet Joanna (Jo) Johnson, a transportation engineer based in Bremerton, WA. Jo has worked at Parametrix for over 3 years.
Tell us about your career. What do you do?
Born and raised in Washington, I have my bachelor’s in civil engineering from Saint Martin’s University in Lacey. I started my engineering career as a geotech field engineer and only lasted one construction season. Realizing the physical and travel demand of field work wasn’t for me, I applied for an entry level engineer position in the Parametrix Bremerton office.
Tell us about a project you’re working on currently or a project you have worked on that you’re proud of. <... (more)
6-23-2022
During Pride Month we are sharing the stories of LGBTQ+ employee-owners at Parametrix. Meet Chloe Nichol, an engineer with the Bremerton, WA environmental planning and compliance team. She recently moved to the Puget Sound region from Portland, OR. She joined Parametrix in January 2021.
Tell us about your career. What do you do? Tell us about a project you’re working on currently or a project you have worked on that you’re proud of.
Parametrix is the first engineering company I have worked with out of college. I started in the Oregon water group during COVID and have since moved to the Bremerton EP&C group. Both groups have consistently provided me work for most of my time at Parametrix and I am always excited to get to think through new types of projects.
One of the most interesting projects I had the opportunity to assist with required the development of a... (more)
6-22-2022
Photo by EG Aerial Photography
LOTT Clean Water Alliance provides wastewater treatment and water reclamation services for nearly 120,000 residents in Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, and Thurston County, WA. The non-profit, formed by four government partners, is recognized locally, regionally, and nationally as an industry leader in progressive treatment approaches that meet some of the most stringent discharge limits in the United States. LOTT operates the Budd Inlet Treatment Plant, which was built in the early 1950s in downtown Olympia, Washington.
The Washington State Department of Ecology has initiated a general permit process that will eventually require all 84 wastewater treatment plants discharging into the Puget Sound to implement biological nutrient removal (BNR). BNR is an important treatment process to reduce nitrogen in wastewater effluent. This process reduces nutrient loading in receiving water bodies,... (more)
6-09-2022
Earlier this month the Leafline Trails Coalition shared their vision to connect Central Puget Sound through over 900 miles of trails. Parametrix employee-owner Hailey Brey has volunteered her time and technical skills over the last year and a half to create a WebMap of the trails.
The Leafline Trails Coalition is made up of more than 60 organizations, agencies, and businesses. Their vision is for an “interconnected, intuitive, well-traveled, and treasured network of trails spanning the Central Puget Sound region, providing equitable access, health benefits, and recreational opportunities for all.”
In February 2021, Leafline Trails Coalition put out... (more)
6-08-2022
During Pride Month, we are sharing the stories of LGBTQ+ employee-owners at Parametrix. Meet Kyle Chiodo, a Designer based in Central Oregon who is part of our Portland Transportation team. He has worked at Parametrix for 4 years.
Tell us about your career. What do you do? Tell us about a project you’re working on currently or a project you have worked on that you’re proud of
I am a Civil Designer in the Portland Transportation Group. Currently I am working on the Interstate Bridge Replacement project as the CAD Lead. I have been working through the quirks of learning a new software and helping set the project up for success on the CAD front as we move further into the design phase of the project and creating exhibits for some of the many meetings. One of my other favorite projects at Parametrix was working as the Civil and Right of Way CAD Lead for the Southwest Corridor project, one that ... (more)
5-17-2022
Griffin is a surveyor with Parametrix's Puget Sound Survey team based in Seattle, WA. He has been with Parametrix for 5 years and has a total of 11 years of industry experience. He recently earned his Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) license.
Tell us about your career path.
Like most people in land surveying, I actually stumbled across it after going to college for a different career path. I graduated from Oregon State with a degree in Environmental Science with a specialization in remote sensing and GIS. From there I worked for a company providing airborne LiDAR acquisition for a few years and really enjoyed that work but it was a lot of travel (over half the year I’d be out of town). When I looked around to see what I might want to do next, land surveying seemed like a good fit.
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