Women in Engineering Day 2022

Today and every day we celebrate the women engineers that create value for our communities and for our clients. Read below to learn more about what our powerhouse ladies do on the Ulteig team and their passion for the field.

Sarah Beckman, PE – Program Director, Key Clients – “Coming out of school as a structural engineer, I started working in the high voltage power delivery industry. This career has been so rewarding to work on the infrastructure that delivers power to our communities. Beyond that, it has challenged me to grow in areas like sales that I never even dreamed of as an opportunity coming out of school, to speaking to women and girls of all ages to encourage them in their STEM journey.”

Marisol Velilla, PE – Senior Engineer – “At young age I always want to play with my cousin’s Legos. My mom would not buy me those since they were messy and not for girls.

Going to an all-girls nun school from grade school through high school I was not exposed to any engineering, but I was good at math, and someone mentioned to me that I could become an engineer. The idea of being an engineer was fun to imagine. It sounded smart and very interesting, so I applied to my local college after high school.

I was the first engineer in my family and the second with college degree after my sister. I emigrated to the USA after college. It took me 5 years to obtain my green card, but as soon as I had a work permit, I was lucky enough to be hired by Ulteig, and eventually I took and passed the Professional Engineer’s exam. Now I build with computers and earth moving equipment instead of Legos, and it’s just as enjoyable.”

Molly Thiebaut, PE – Engineering Supervisor – “Being a construction manager allows me to interact with people from all walks of life and learn how we can all work together to satisfy everyone’s vested interest in the project. I find that being the only woman on the construction site isn’t the most challenging part of my day, rather it is making sure the contractor has all the tools needed to complete the project on schedule and within budget.”

Caitlin Greagor, PE – Engineer – “I chose engineering because I love diving into the details to solve problems and find the most elegant solutions possible.”

Mari Beedle, PE – Engineering Supervisor – “As an electrical engineer I not only get to continue my love of lifelong learning through solving complex problems and overcoming challenges, I get to do so on projects that will positively impact people for generations to come. The engineering field is one that is constantly pushing the boundaries and changing the world and it is exciting and rewarding to be able to say that I am a part of that team.”

Mckenzie Dickerman – Project Manager – “I really enjoy Project Management because you get to work with different teams and see all aspects of the project come together.

Kristina Koshavenko – Graduate Engineer – “I support a great variety of P&C projects across multiple Ulteig teams. Currently, I support California’s relay replacement efforts along the aqueduct, Xcel’s recent project in upgrading networks to encourage smart monitoring and logging capabilities, as well as designing solar sites.”

Melissa Linville – Graduate Engineer – “I wanted to become an engineer to make the world a safer, healthier place for future generations.”

Vickie Lee – Engineering Technician – “Communication and teamwork are what it takes to get projects done. I love helping others and have always had a passion for designing and drafting.”