We recently sat down with Marty Williams, one of our young engineers, so that we could give you a better idea of the man behind the plans.

INTERVIEWER: What draws you to engineering?

Marty: Civil engineering isn’t a static field. Roads, bridges, and intersections have been around for thousands of years, but they’re evolving every day. We use new tools, new techniques, and new methods to create and augment them. It’s the synthesis of so many different disciplines that unify to create a grand outcome – infrastructure that millions of people use every day and rarely think about. That’s impressive in its own right – often if you do the job perfectly, your masterpiece is invisible.

I: What is your typical day at KMJ like?

Marty: There’s an incredible amount of variety in day-to-day activities. It’s great because it hardly feels like work. One morning, I’ll be wheeling around in CAD, busy drawing up a plan, then that afternoon I’m out in the field taking curb measurements and catching intersection signal timings.

Working on-site is often a very unique experience. One of the simple quirks I like best is the impromptu Q&A sessions with concerned neighbors who walk up and ask what I’m doing. They’re genuinely curious and thankful because they have a vested interest in project success. It really adds impetus to successfully complete a task when you add a human face to it.

I: What’s it like being an engineer in Philadelphia?

Marty: I grew up in the Greater Philadelphia area and am a proud Drexel alum, so it’s been a pleasure working here. There’s a tremendous amount of social capital in the Philadelphia Civil Engineering community and I’m proud to be a part of it. I’ve made it a priority this year to attend more events for young engineers (recently ASHE and ASCE YMF!) and so far it’s been a blast meeting new people and seeing old faces from engineering classes.

I: What can we find you doing on weekends and spare time?

Marty: Lately I’ve been into hiking a lot. I’ve summited a few mountains up and down the east coast. In September, I backpacked Franconia Ridge, New Hampshire. More recently, I’ve been outfitting some serious technical gear to do more advanced climbs. I bring my dog Xena along too; she loves the outdoors as much as I do!