Sang Chung, M.Eng., P.Eng. is a dedicated Senior Transportation Engineer with a passion for achieving balance in all aspects of his life. With over 20 years of experience in highway and airport/aerodrome design, Sang has a wealth of expertise in delivering major transportation projects, as well as a strong commitment to maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle.

Sang holds a Master of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering from UBC. Since joining Associated Engineering in 2003, he has worked primarily on highways and airport projects in Western and Northern Canada. In the highways sector, Sang has been involved on many significant projects, including the Highway 91/91A Interchange Improvements and the Mountain Highway Interchange Improvements in BC’s Lower Mainland. In the airport sector, Sang has worked on major projects such as the Vancouver International Airport North and South Runway Rehabilitations, Whitehorse Airfield Upgrades, and Inuvik Airport Runway Extension. 

Sang is deeply committed to community service and has served as a member of the Association of Korean-Canadian Scientists and Engineers (AKCSE) for over ten years. Currently, he holds the position of President for the Mainland BC chapter. Sang has organized various chapter events aimed at bringing together engineers and scientists in the local community. These events were designed to facilitate networking, knowledge-sharing, and personal and professional growth.

In his role representing the Association, Sang has engaged with the Korean Consulate General in Vancouver, sharing the Chapter members’ professional experience and achievements. This has helped to create future opportunities for the Chapter’s students and young professionals. Sang has also participated in the national Canada Korea Conference, where he represented the BC chapter.  

In addition to Sang’s professional and personal achievements, he deeply values his family life. He has been happily married to his wife, Lisa, for over 25 years and they have two children, Caleb and Hannah. The family enjoys spending quality time together, participating in activities such as cycling, hiking, and camping. Sang is an avid cyclist and has participated in events such as the Grand Fondo in 2022 and Tour de Cure in 2023. He also enjoys running, golfing, and snowboarding.

Thank you, Sang, for your efforts to shape our shared future!

The post Shaping our Shared Future – Sang Chung first appeared on Associated Engineering.

Lisbeth Medina, a Water Resources Engineer in our Calgary office, credits her parents as early influencers in her life. She saw their discipline, dedication, and hard-working attitude and sought to emulate them. Her father, a mechanical engineer, always told her, “Everything is possible in this life, as long as you work hard and have a clear vision of you goals.”

As an undergraduate studying civil engineering in Venezuela, Lisbeth was attracted to water-related disciplines, including hydraulics, hydrology, water and wastewater treatment, and fluid mechanics. She was inspired to understand the science behind water and its impacts on infrastructure, the economy, and people’s lives. This led Lisbeth to move to Canada to pursue a Master’s degree in water resources engineering, with the added challenge of having to learn a new language. She says, “Earning a Master’s degree was always my goal as a junior engineer. It was very challenging to study and learn technical vocabulary in a different language, but I was determined to achieve this goal.”

After graduating, Lisbeth decided to take a job with a small consulting engineering firm in Peace River, AB. However, she always wanted to work for a big, successful consulting firm. She says, “Associated Engineering has always been known as an industry leader for quality of work, technical excellence, and innovation.” So, in 2011, Lisbeth moved to Edmonton and joined our Water Resources team. 

“Now, I can’t see myself doing anything else, but consulting. I love the projects and the diversity of clients as a consultant, as well as the problem-solving, fast-tracked learning, design processes, goal-oriented work, and teamwork. We get to experience all of this in the consulting engineering world.”

Lisbeth reflects that being a female engineer has had its challenges, especially early in her career. She recalls, “As a young professional, some people on construction sites were disrespectful. With time and confidence, I learned to be more thick-skinned and focus on the goal and project deliverables.”

She adds, “My experiences as a water resources engineer and project manager have been absolutely great. I really enjoy connecting with clients and working with a team. Nothing makes me prouder than seeing the team working together toward a common goal and hearing clients express their appreciation for the completed work. Strong communication and teamwork are the keys to success.”

Lisbeth believes that mentoring young staff is a great way to promote a successful work culture, foster positive relationships, and share knowledge and experiences. Lisbeth feels that by providing support, guidance, and opportunities, young staff get to develop and meet their professional and personal goals. She encourages young staff to always ask questions, be curious, and be open to new ideas.  

In her free time, Lisbeth enjoys working out, playing golf, hiking, spending time with friends, and exploring new places. One of her new adventures is modeling in charity fashion shows. She is also a Zumba fitness instructor and teaches classes a couple of times per week, incorporating some Latin-American inspired dance moves. Lisbeth is a strong advocate in motivating others to achieve their personal fitness goals, as well as their professional goals.

The post Perseverance and goal-setting led Lisbeth Medina to find her true calling in consulting engineering first appeared on Associated Engineering.

At an early age, Akinbola George learned about groundwater by spending time with his father, a geologist who specialized in hydrogeology, on various field investigations to locate groundwater. This led to his interest in studying civil engineering at university. Akinbola then attained a Master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering, specializing in hydraulic and hydrotechnical engineering.

Akinbola tells us, “During my research, I focused on the application of 3D numerical models on controlled flows and sedimentation transport within open channels. This sparked my love for hydraulics and hydrotechnical engineering.” After working in Manitoba for over ten years, his interest transitioned from hydraulics and hydrotechnical engineering to water resources engineering. 

Asked about his early career, Akinbola tells us, “When I first entered the consulting industry, I had the notion that you had to perform – to prove yourself. I was very determined to figure things out myself. I spent lots of time researching and learning.” Akinbola advises that this phase of his career was quite challenging, but he is grateful that he never gave up.

Reflecting on this time, he tells us he now advises young professionals, “Always ask questions; no question is silly. Everyone is ready to help you, regardless of their position within the company.”

“Never spin your wheels on any design when you can ask someone who has proven experience doing the same thing.”

Akinbola shares that he has always enjoyed learning, from coding, to design tools, to designing. He still carries this learning philosophy with him. “I have completed a number of designs and developed many 1D, 2D, and 3D numerical models related to water resources engineering. I consider every one of them a huge success.” Akinbola credits his research background and early career experiences to his ability to accomplish difficult and challenging tasks.

When seeking a career change and new opportunities, Akinbola shares that he was attracted to Associated Engineering because he was impressed with the thought-leadership and projects shown on the company’s website.

“I just had a feeling that this environment would be different compared to my experiences with other organizations.”

A visit in Winnipeg with our Senior Vice President, Civil Infrastructure, Chris Skowronski, helped to convince Akinbola that Associated was the right company for the next phase in his career.

Since joining Associated, Akinbola says he has had the opportunity to complete many exciting and interesting projects with amazing team members. He tells us that his most memorable experience so far was also his first project with Associated, the Mill Creek Erosion Study. He says, “The project was quite challenging with regard to the scope and our proposed methodology. We used an innovative approach to address the project’s objectives. Today, the approach is still being used and recognized by the City of Edmonton (Drainage), now EPCOR.”

“With hard work and the will to succeed, you can do whatever you set your heart and mind to do.” 

Today, Akinbola is a Senior Water Resources Engineer and Manager of the Water Resources group in our Edmonton office. As a manager, Akinbola has more responsibilities which he finds interesting. He says he continues to research and learn in his new role. 

Akinbola advises that, before he joined Associated in 2015, he never had a formal mentoring relationship. He appreciates participating in the company’s formal mentoring program as both a mentee and a mentor. Akinbola advises, “I love mentoring young staff. I don’t want them to go through what I went through when I was a young engineer.”

Away from work, the musically talented Akinbola spends his free time playing the guitar. He is also learning to play the piano. Akinbola also works with kids from his church community, guiding the next generation of engineers and leaders.

The post Akinbola George credits his career success to dedication to research and learning, and determination to succeed first appeared on Associated Engineering.