Engineers Week comes to Houston area
Engineers Week Houston is taking the city by storm honoring those committed to the profession, Feb. 16-22.
National Engineers Week, observed the third week of February, showcases contributions to society by more than 70 engineering, education and cultural societies, and more than 50 government agencies and corporations. Engineers Week Houston focuses on those outstanding in their field and aiding prospective engineers in achieving their goals.
Rachel Ray, Engineers Week Houston chair and project manager at CH2M Hill, has built on her years of past experience to continue their success in reaching out to the community.
“We’re doing our best to promote all types of engineering, and encourage kids to get interested. We’re trying to support our scholarships, and we’ve been very lucky with donated items. This year we’re really trying to reinforce what we’re trying to do. There’s a great level of participation to help us get exposed and allow us the opportunity to give back,” Ray said.
The kick-off event begins with the soldout Young Engineers of the Year Banquet, featuring numerous Houston engineers from various professional societies.
On Tuesday, the Extraordinary Student Luncheon recognizes junior- and senior-level college students from area universities with scholarships. During the past 10 years, more than $50,000 in scholarships have been awarded to area students from this event.
The week concludes with the Engineer of the Year Gala on Friday, Feb. 21. Tickets are available for purchase at www.houstonengineersweek.org.
This year’s Engineer of the Year is Stephen Costello, president of Costello Inc., who is serving in his second term as a Houston City Council member. He serves as the chair on the City Council’s Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee and is the vice chair of the Transportation Policy Council of the Houston-Galveston Council.
Costello began his career in Galveston with the Army Corp of Engineers witnessing firsthand flood damage and continued to work in storm water management and flooding issues. His interest in Houston’s drainage infrastructure led to working with the passage of the ReBuild Houston program, addressing the city’s drainage and flooding issues.
On city council, Costello focuses on the city’s long-term financial health, increasing access to fresh, healthy food in underserved communities, upgrading and maintaining Houston’s infrastructure, and improving transportation and mobility.
Children of all ages also benefit from Engineers Week Houston.
In January, local engineers assisted as judges and mentors with Future City, a competition held at NASA for middleschool students. The goal was to build a city with an engineering mentor and write a paper with their school team. Winners of this will compete on a national level and share their ideas at the gala on Feb. 21.
Middle-school students also were part of Math Counts, a team competition held Feb. 8. Winners compete at the state level in March and the national level in April.
Engineers Week Houston provided a financial donation as well served as judges and event organizers. More than 300 children competed in Math Counts. A recognition dinner will be held in May to honor the winners.
“I really love that this organization does so much,” said Megan Siercks, vice chair for the Engineers Week Houston committee and traffic engineer for the past seven years with Walter P. Moore.
“We’re able to go above and beyond by doing a lot of good for the community, and that matters. We’re able to see what students can accomplish and that they’re excelling in what they love to do. I love the fact we can reward these kids to be part of something bigger. I’m looking forward to being involved for years to come,” she said.