Projects

Bosley Wash Detention Pond
Mesa County, Colorado

“I had never completed a pond design before and learned how to do all of the calculations and models. As part of the project, we also had to realign a small access road, so I learned some road design and criteria as well. I learned a lot of AutoCAD functions in the design process. Because this project had a pond, a road, a drop into the pond, and several culverts, it was a good project to really learn many different features in AutoCAD that I was able to implement into other projects.

I was really set loose on this project and was able to complete a substantial amount of work on the project with guidance from my team. My team let me try out the waters with a lot of responsibilities on this project, but they were always there when I needed help.”

Amy Gabor
Former Olsson intern and now an associate engineer on the Denver Water Resources team

Antelope Valley
Lincoln, Nebraska

“I was involved with the Antelope Valley project on the Transportation team as a student for two years. Initially, my responsibilities were mainly clerical – project quantities, plan production and deliveries, and sitting in on meetings. As I became more familiar with the project and with MicroStation design software, my responsibility increased. I became responsible for engineer revisions to the plans (redlines) that involved designing roadway, storm sewer, and project details.
 
This was a huge project with many phases, and most of the design had been completed. However, I did get to complete the erosion control design for the East Leg of the Big “X”. This included locating a staging area, placing the silt fence, and completing that portion of the plan set.   

Looking back, I definitely wish I would have asked more questions. I learned that, after trying your best to complete a task or figure something out, there is nothing wrong with admitting you don’t know an answer, especially as a student. No student is expected to know how to do everything immediately – it’s a learning process. Sometimes the hardest part of my job was knowing where to start, or what to even ask. Real-life projects are a completely different animal than homework or school projects.

I was lucky enough to work under Tom Leikam, widely considered one of the best transportation engineers in the Lincoln/Omaha area, if not the state of Nebraska. He was the project leader for the Antelope Valley project for Olsson Associates. He worked very efficiently and demanded the same from everyone else, a quality of a good project leader. He could be very intense, which made for some entertaining times.

I also participated in two public relations events for the project. One was a public information meeting at a high school; the other was a ribbon cutting for the opening of the Big “T”. It was valuable to see how important Olsson’s work was to the public, and I felt important just to be invited.”

Brett Lauritsen, EI, LEED AP
Former intern on the Lincoln Transportation team, now an assistant engineer on the Kansas City Traffic team