Employee Spotlight: Meet Allison Rowe

“Hi everyone, today is the last day of my internship, and I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for making me feel welcome this summer here at Design Engineers.  Whether we only met once or collaborated on projects all summer, you helped make my internship a positive experience. ” Allison Rowe, 8/16/2019

Design Engineers is not your average MEP Consultancy. One of our greatest assets is our Culture of Appreciation. In addition to a natural tenacity, proactive approach and collaborative attitude, the tools of common courtesy, a willingness to try, and a solutions-minded approach to problem solving are always at the ready for a true Design Engineer. That is why DE welcomed Allison as a full-time employee as soon as she graduated (with Highest Distinction, no less). 

But Design Engineers is not the only group eager to recognize Allison and her Engineering future. In June of 2021, she was featured on the cover of Iowa Engineer Magazine. Follow THIS LINK or click the cover below to read the 4-page article on DE’s newest Researcher, Scholar, Tutor… and Engineer. After the jump, scroll down for a short one-on-one interview with Allison about working at DE so far. 

CONGRATULATIONS, Allison Rowe, we’re proud to have the DE logo on your hardhat.

DE: Hey Allison, welcome to DE, officially! First up, what drew you to Engineering?

A: I had a talent for math and science growing up, and I was also pretty creative. However, it wasn’t until my junior year of high school when I attended a roundtable day with women in science and engineering that I realized that engineering was the ideal path to suit my interests and talents. It was the first time that I’d seen exceptional, well-rounded women in an engineering role, and I was inspired to pursue it for myself.

DE: Any insights from your time interning with us?

A: My DE Mentor had a “crap” function built into most of his spreadsheets to tell him when something in the numbers was off. And when we saw that pop up, we’d say “crap”, and go figure out what went wrong. Coming from the throes of engineering school with exams where wrong answers felt very daunting and final, this process brought some levity to the problem solving process. It also helped me get better at going back through my own work to find my errors and improve.

DE: What’s it like to apply those ideas to real world projects?

A: When applied to real world projects, I’ve learned that a “crap” function in Excel is way better than a “crap” moment on a job site. I’m still learning a ton and growing as an engineer, and I’m quickly realizing just how iterative the design process is. However, this gives me lots of chances to go back over my calculations and design and find ways to improve it. I’ve also realized that even when things look fine on your end, there are so many other aspects at play between the architect, owner, and other disciplines, that often the design changes anyway.

DE: What do you see for DE’s future in Madison?

A: I see so much potential – Madison is such a dynamic city, and the University of Wisconsin and the state capital are only two of the factors that contribute to its momentum. With our Madison office, we can tackle projects from the Mississippi to Lake Michigan, and all the way up to Minnesota; headquartered in a city with deep environmental and economic roots. I’m excited to see our work and staff grow in the near future.

DE: What’s you’re favorite part of work at DE?

A: Professionally, my favorite part of work at DE is the fact that we tackle complicated and exciting projects. Personally, I love the company culture of a healthy work-life balance, encouragement among coworkers, and personal growth. It always feels good to come to work knowing you’re a valued part of the team.

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