SEATTLE – Washington State University alumna Courtney Davis (BS ’07, MS ’08 civil engineering) was named the Puget Sound Engineering Council’s 2014 Young Engineer of the Year.
Davis, a structural engineer for Seattle-based KPFF Consulting Engineers, was nominated by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in recognition of her educational and professional achievements as an engineer and because of her work in engineering outreach.
As a graduate student, Davis studied masonry design codes and suggested changes to the building code that were later implemented. The work earned her the Best Master’s Thesis award from The Masonry Society.
“Courtney was one of the very best to graduate from the WSU CEE program,” said Balasingam Muhunthan, chair of the WSU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “We are proud and happy to learn of her receiving the coveted Young Engineer of the Year award.”
WSU’s ‘team player’ emphasis
In addition to the civil engineering skills Davis gained at WSU, she also recognizes her ability to bring people together as part of her early career success and attributes WSU’s “team player” atmosphere with fostering that skill.
“Receiving this award is another time in my life that has caused me to reflect on how great of a decision it was to go to WSU,” she said. “Finding out about the award was exciting, but I was almost more touched by how many professors reached out to congratulate me.”
From WSU Davis went on to work on some impressive projects – from helping design hurricane flood prevention in New Orleans to working on what will soon be the world’s longest cable ferry.
Part of the criteria for the Young Engineers Award is actively serving on a professional society, and Davis has many activities to list under that category. She is president-elect of the ASCE Young Members Forum and last year was a co-organizer of a Popsicle stick bridge competition that took place at area high schools. She participates in the PSEC mentoring program and several other volunteer activities through ASCE.
Communicate, bring people together
Davis’s biggest pieces of advice for students and young professionals looking to follow in her footsteps include getting involved and getting to know your professors, as well as a more simple idea – be nice to the people you work with.
“Communication and being approachable is a big part of what we do,” Davis said. “If you can bring people together, that will go far.”
Davis will receive her award at the PSEC Engineering Awards Banquet on Feb. 15 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. The PSEC is comprised of Puget Sound chapters of national and international engineering and science societies.