Interview with Energy Engineer - Laura Rip

 Laura Rip is a co-worker.

What is your work position title?

Energy Engineer

When did you decide you wanted to be an engineer/scientist?

I didn't know what an engineer did until my last year of highschool.  When I heard that engineers got to use math to solve practical problems, I thought that it would be a good fit since I loved math and was good at it.

What kind of things did you like to do growing up that you think influenced your decision to go into engineering?

I always was interested in how things work or how things were made.  I remember 'Mr Rodgers' often had a segment on his show about how some item, such as tennis shoes was made.  I thought it was so interesting what all goes into the common things that we use.  Also, my mom is a seamstress and I learned from early on that there is so much you can make yourself.  My siblings and I would make our own patterns and sew up bags, stuffed animals, quilts and clothes.

What kind of work do you do in Antarctica?

I am an energy engineer who thinks of things to do around the stations to save electricity, heat and water around station.  I'll help get low flush toilets or showheads or automatic faucets (like at airports) installed around station.  I also install meters to track how much fuel each building takes to support itself. 

What would you say to anyone thinking about going into engineering?

There are so many different kinds of engineering: Test engineers who find the best ways to test materials and newly design equipment, building engineers who specialize in facilites and how to make them work efficiently, design engineers who turn ideas into something that can work whether it's a new doornob or a space station, research engineers who get to figure and try out new technologies, and the list goes on.  Its worth talking to lots of different kinds of engineers to see what they do, since it is easy to find SOMETHING you enjoy doing.

What school did you go to and how long did it take you to get your degree?

I went to Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  I graduated in 4 years.