Engineer's Week offers an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of engineering and highlight those who are currently in or pursing a career in engineering. At HRSD, our Engineering Department provides customer-focused services for the planning, design, construction, and lifecycle monitoring and analysis of infrastructure assets to meet the near term needs and long term goals of HRSD. Divisions within our HRSD Engineering department include Asset Management, Design and Construction, and Planning & Analysis.

We’re celebrating Engineer’s Week by featuring two of our Engineers! Get to know our HRSD Engineers:

 

Daquan Beavers, HRSD Planning and Analysis Intern

Q: What/how inspired me to become an engineer?

A: From an early age I have always had a curiosity of how things work in the world and I would love to take apart things and see the inner workings and I wanted to be able to have a job that consisted of taking apart things and seeing how they work. I did a little research and found what I had been doing was reverse engineering and that there are many ways that one can use engineering. I researched more and found a class in my high school that went over some of the basics of Engineering and I took it. From that day I was fascinated with solving issues of broken things and taking them apart to find out what is wrong with it. Here I am today as an Intern in HRSD helping fix the problems before they are created.

Q: What’s something interesting about you that we wouldn’t learn from your resume?

A: I love to play Minecraft I can spend hour on the game playing it and I also love to do mini crafts like building miniature models such as the Discovery Spaceship using metal or the Space Needle using Legos’. I also just like crafting and creating things with my hands that serve a purpose like I am Currently working on a bamboo stick to become a Walking stick. Along with working on a chest to renew it

Q: If you were stuck on a desert island (and had all the food, water, and shelter you needed) what 3 personal items would you bring?

A: If I were stuck on a desert Island and I had a choice to bring 3 personal Items I would bring my Eragon series to pass the time and it is one of my favorite books of all time to reread I’m currently on my fourth reread of the series. The second item I would bring is a multitool shovel that way I could work and make crafts all day and dig hole because that is fun. The last item that I would bring is, a Hammock so I could rest in the sun on the island and get a nice tan.

 

Shirley Smith, HRSD Project Manager

Q:If you were stuck on a desert island (and had all the food, water, and shelter you needed) what 3 personal items would you bring?
A: Sunscreen, a viola, and a life jacket because I can’t swim.

Q: If you could go to any country (that you haven’t already been to) where would you go and why?
A: Italy – for the history, culture, food, art, music, and automobiles.

Q: If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A: My mom’s wonton soup.

Q: What’s something interesting about you that we wouldn’t learn from your resume?
A: I am a professional violist routinely performing with symphonies and small ensembles in the Hampton Roads area.

Q: What’s your favorite part of being an engineer?
A: Working on critical human infrastructure is pretty cool in and of itself!
 

 

 Other ways we’re celebrating Engineer’s Week 20203 at HRSD:

• Egg Drop Challenge: for this challenge, volunteers will design and build a device with only supplies provided by the Engineering Department. The goal of this challenge to design a device that will protect the egg from a drop within the designated landing zone.  
• Family Feud: for this challenge, volunteers will compete against other teams in the classic Family Feud game! Teams will be challenged to answer question
• School Outreach: Engineers are bringing the egg drop challenge to 17 classes in various K-12 schools throughout Hampton Roads.

 

Learn more about Engineers Week here!