Happy Women’s History Month! This month, we’re highlighting the incredible women of Lund Opsahl who continuously redefine what it means to be in this industry. We spoke to Madeline Phillips, EIT and Design Staff here at Lund Opsahl. Madeline is currently working on our Seattle Aquarium Pavilion Construction Support and King County Metro Transit South Annex Base projects. Reflecting on her time with Lund Opsahl, she shares about her journey to structural engineering, her hopes as she develops her career, and what being a woman in this industry means to her.
Why did you go into structural engineering?
I’ve always been super interested in the built environment in general, as well as being strong in math and physics, so it was a pretty easy transition there. I’ve also been very interested in how things work in general, and I hope to have some sort of sustainable environmental influence on the built environment because it can be a very carbon-intensive process.
What would you say is the best part about being a structural engineer?
I love being able to wander around a city and understand how the built environment works. That’s ever-increasing the more I learn and work.
Can you describe your journey to Lund Opsahl?
I grew up in Melbourne, which fed my built environment interest because it’s a very visually interesting city. I would go into the city all the time and wander around.
I moved to Seattle for college to play basketball and for civil engineering, and then I got an internship at Lund Opsahl. I loved the environment and the culture and felt like it was a great fit for me and would help me progress in my career.
What does being a woman in this industry mean to you?
Because I’m very young in the industry, my experience is going to be quite different to a lot of women that may have been around for a bit longer. I was lucky that the barrier to entry to the industry is a lot less than it has previously been, and I want to keep that trend going and be a mentor to future engineers.
I think the importance of having women in the industry in general is to bring a variety of experiences and outlooks on life, and that doesn’t go for just women, it goes for all minority groups within the industry.
I was lucky that the barrier to entry to the industry is a lot less than it has previously been, and I want to keep that trend going and be a mentor to future engineers.
What in your career are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of being a part of LO’s sustainability team, the LORECS committee, because sustainability is part of what motivated me to become a structural engineer. In college, I wasn’t sure how I could get there, and here at Lund Opsahl, I feel much more like I have the power to change things.
Favorite Lund Opsahl project?
The Seattle Aquarium Pavilion. It’s my favorite because of its community significance.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
To be able to speak and understand all languages.
I love _____.
Sewing. Creating things with my hands.
