What are your main responsibilities or activities in your current position?
As President and Senior Engineer of the company:
- Business development
- General management of structural engineering and research projects
How does your current work relate to your graduate degree?
About 40% of my time is dedicated to formulating new research projects that can lead to practical applications for structural engineers, homeowners, developers, architects, and government agencies. My research work at UBC and during my academic/professional career are the main foundations for the success of many projects being developed at PBRV.
What do you like and what do you find challenging about your current position?
Keeping my employees with competitive salaries considering that Vancouver is a very expensive city to live in.
Is your current career path as you originally intended?:
Part of the path. Being an entrepreneur was something that was triggered once I left academia and started working as a professional engineer.
What motivated you to pursue graduate work at UBC?
I was finishing my MASc at the Ottawa/Carleton Institute of Civil Engineering and found out that UBC was the strongest program on earthquake engineering. I had very limited offers in some of the big universities of California and didn't want to move out of Canada at that time. The mild weather of the west coast was also a very important factor to grow up as a professional engineer and with the family.
What did you enjoy the most about your time as a graduate student at UBC?
The diversity of my research group and the engagement on practical issues and projects from my supervisor Dr. Carlos Ventura.
How did the graduate degree at UBC help you achieve your career and/or personal development goals?:
What key things did you do, or what attitudes or approaches did you have, that contributed to your success?
My attitude at work and life is to be surrounded by good, wise, and knowledgeable people, so I can get feedback, recommendations, and potential partners to have a solid plan ahead. Investing in education and training with young people and peers is key to the success of my company.
What is your best piece of advice for current graduate students preparing for their future careers?
Finish your bachelor studies ASAP, and get involved on projects in small or mid-size companies. After a year or two, try to get an idea of what your next step will be and what master's program you want to pursue. If your path is in academia, then you should go directly to a MASc program and then a PhD. If your plan is to make tons of money, consider other options/paths.