Featured Alumnus

Jacquelyn Schmalzer, BS Engineering, Civil Specialty, 2007
Jacquelyn Schmalzer
Degree: BS Engineering, Civil Specialty, 2007

Research project or internship/co-op experience:
Researched Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) applications in soil compaction, and the relationship between compaction energy and optimum water content/maximum dry unit weight of soils (summer 2006)

Activities and extracurricular interests:
Intramural sports (especially volleyball), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Engineers for a Better World (EBW), camping, skiing, tennis, etc.

Honors and awards:
Outstanding Graduating Senior in Engineering/Civil Specialty (Spring 2007), Dean's List, graduated with high honors

Hometown:
Highlands Ranch, CO

Why did you choose to attend CSM?
I have wanted to be an engineer ever since the 5th grade and CSM is the best engineering school in Colorado.

Why did you decide to get a degree in Engineering, in your specialty?
I was debating between Engineering/Civil Specialty and Metallurgical and Materials Engineering because they seemed the most interesting to me. I ultimately chose Engineering/Civil Specialty because I wanted to minor in Humanitarian Engineering and I thought that, of the two, the Humanitarian minor would be more applicable to the Civil Specialty.

How has the multidisciplinary nature of your education helped you?
My multidisciplinary education at CSM helped me develop the background knowledge that has allowed me to quickly learn how to perform the tasks that my job requires. Some engineering programs are more concentrated in their specialties, but even then, coming out of an engineering school you won't know how to do your job. You will have the tools that are necessary, but you actually learn how to perform the tasks of an engineer in the workplace. So it is nice to have a more broad education because then no task seems totally out of your comfort zone. Also, you will generally deal with other types of engineers on projects, even if they're not within your own company, and it's useful to have at least some understanding of their portion of the project since all parts of the project have to work together.

What do you like best about CSM?
I like that CSM is a relatively small university and that most everyone here is in an engineering program. At a smaller university like CSM, you can get to know your professors and classmates better. The professors are usually very willing to help if you have problems, and you will almost always recognize someone in your classes and around campus, which makes it easier for students to help each other with their coursework. Another benefit of CSM is that since it is an engineering school, everybody else is working hard and knows what you're going through. Every student takes the same classes for the first year and a half or so, which helps students to adjust to the college classes, workload, and lifestyle together.

What has been your biggest challenge as a student at CSM?
I would say that the biggest challenge of being a student at CSM is keeping up with your classes. Many of the classes at CSM build upon what you learned in previous classes. So, it's important to keep up and understand the course material, otherwise you may find yourself struggling in following semesters.

What do you do for fun on the weekends?
Camp, ski, play volleyball or tennis, spend time with my family and friends (I lived with 10 CSM students for the three years after I moved out of the dorms and it was probably the best experience of my life).

Describe the best professor (or class) you've had in the Engineering Division.
I have to pick two professors as the best: Joe Crocker and Candy Sulzbach. Both of these professors explain the class material very well and in a manner that makes it easy to learn. If students have questions, they find another way to explain the material. They are also willing to help outside of class, and they are easy to approach and talk to. They have teaching methods that work and they genuinely care about their students.

What are you doing now that you have graduated, and how has CSM helped you reach that goal?
I am working as a Civil Engineer I, EIT at a civil/structural consulting engineering firm in Lakewood, CO. Some of my duties include site grading, preparing drainage and erosion control plans and reports, and designing storm sewers, sanitary sewers, and water lines. My multidisciplinary CSM education made the Fundamentals of Engineering exam easy to pass, which allowed me to become a certified Engineer Intern. I also had the background knowledge to quickly learn how to do my job as a civil engineer.
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