Our People: Emma Misdea

Can you share your journey and what motivated you to become an engineer?

Well, I always enjoyed math. I knew in third grade that that was my strongest subject, and I loved being outside and being active. I wanted to take that skillset and blend it into my career. I went into college to pursue a biomedical engineering degree because stem-cell research was what I was interested in. My dad has MS, and that was something that was kind of talked about in biomedical. Then, when I started doing the courses, I decided that this wasn’t my interest so much anymore. It kept trickling down to civil engineering.

My grandfather was an engineer, too. He was a mechanical engineer.  He was part of a team that designed and developed elevators on aircraft carriers. I marveled at the fact that he made it possible to lift fighter jets from one level to the next, so the engineering world always intrigued me, but mechanical was not my forte.

What I liked about civil engineering was that it is very tangible. I am a visual learner, and I could see how beams would bend, how soil could fail and move. So, I think my career choice had a lot to do with my love of math, being active, being outside, my grandfather’s influence, and being a visual learner.

Have you had any influential mentors or role models in your journey as an engineer? If so, how have they impacted your career?

My first influential mentor was my professor at Delaware. A lot of the civil engineering programs are geared towards structural discipline, so for a while I was very intrigued by becoming a structural engineer. Then, come my junior year, I had my geotechnical engineering professor Dr. Meehan. He was so enthusiastic and over the top about his love for Geotech, and I was inspired by that. He really opened up my eyes to the fact that Geotech is not just textbook. There is some judgement and common sense that comes along with geotechnical engineering and that it would grow with experience. I still keep in contact with him today. Recently I went back to Delaware to speak to his class to hopefully motivate young engineers to pursue a Geotech career.

My direct managers have always been influential to me. They have given me the space to learn on my own and also be challenged. They have let me work on a wide range of projects, which has allowed me to become a well-rounded geotechnical engineer.

There is also a collective group that is called the Women in Deep Foundations. They are a committee that is a part of the Deep Foundations Institute. They hold monthly meetings over Zoom and have made it even more intimate by breaking out this large group of 100+ people (mostly women) into smaller groups called mentoring pods. We meet separately once per month, and that mentoring pod is 8 people. We just talk about anything and everything. It can be personal, or career related. We have asked each other “I have this project going on, what are your thoughts?” It’s been really refreshing to speak with like-minded professionals that are also women. It’s given me some comfort. I was resistant to joining very early on, but I’d say that is a regret. There is one woman in particular, her name is Lucky, who basically runs that larger committee. She has always been encouraging, and every time she is in town she calls me and says “Hey, are you around? Can we meet up? Let’s talk!” So, it’s nice to have someone to lean to like her.

Tell me about a time or project that solidified your passion for the engineering industry.

I would say one of the first projects I’ve worked on. It’s the new Tappan Zee Bridge. I was tasked with taking on the seismic and liquefaction evaluations. That was something that I had never heard about or learned about in school. Because it was such a large project, there was budget for me to really dive in and get a good understanding of it. So, it was something that was different, as few engineers do seismic work. Some are willing to take it on, but it’s rarely done on a daily basis. It was something that I really had to research, find examples on, and kind of learn on my own. But it was very intriguing to me because it goes back to the tangibility. You’re envisioning the ground shaking, what’s going to happen below and above? It was cool to put that into analyses to see how certain sites would react to earthquakes. That was only 5 months into my career. I just ran with it and held onto it. Then I was able to do site specific studies. I’ve had other engineering firms reach out and ask me to do this site-specific study. I can do that at a premium because it’s not done often, especially in this area.

What do you find most fulfilling about this industry?

The people that you work with, particularly colleagues. They are open to help, they are inquisitive and curious, they are friendly. There’s a lot of smart people here.

It’s also the satisfaction of completing your scope and the client is satisfied or beyond thrilled that you were part of this project. It’s truly gratifying to have a client come back and say, “You made this so easy, it was great to work with you and can’t wait to work with you again.” It’s those repeat clients.

What advice would you give to young engineers who are just starting their careers in the industry?

It’s okay to make mistakes. You can always work around it. If you’ve missed something, it’s not the end of the world.

Also to remember why you started this in the first place. There are times that it can be discouraging. You can feel like you might be falling short, but that’s just because you are putting high standards on your work. Keep those high standards but don’t let them discourage you.

How have you seen the landscape change for women in engineering throughout your career?

The level of respect has improved. I would say I’ve been pretty lucky with my experiences and the women before me have paved the way.

What advice do you have for girls interested in becoming an engineer?

Do it!

What do you enjoy most about working for FPA?

The culture. It’s wonderful. People’s accomplishments are celebrated whether that’s personal or professional accomplishments. It’s also the community. There is great involvement in the events such as the golf tournament, softball and volleyball, the mentorship program, the company parties, etc. It’s very encouraging to go because everyone wants to go. I’ve found in my career that those things can be offered, but if you don’t have people interested in going, it’s difficult to create that community.

Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of FPA?

The continued growth. The flexibility of embracing change and challenges such as AI. I know that we are trying to stay on top of that and many other resources. 

Can yo share a fun fact about yourself that your colleagues might not know?

I’ve gone skydiving and I know how to drive manual. Also, my husband is a New Yorker cartoonist!