Hello from Park City Utah

Hello Everyone,

I figured I should introduce myself since I have been lurking about these forms a bit for the last few months. I am a Structural Engineer working in Utah. My background does not set me up well for this, I graduated college with a Mathematics and Environmental Engineering degrees. I worked for a buckling restrained brace (BRB) manufacturer where I learned about steel connection design.

When the company was purchased by a competitor (and eventually shut down) they were kind enough to pay for me to take the SE exam, and for the PPI course. I took both SE exams in April, failed them booth. I took the vertical part in October, and failed it also. So now that I can't take the PPI course again I figured it would be best to get a study group, or at least accountability partners as I study for taking the exam (again).

I am a registered PE in five states. California and Alaska being the most note worthy. I also am in the Navy Reserves. I have been gainfully mostly (f)unemployed for the last year as my non-compete with my previous employer expires. I also have been working for a local small structural engineer doing wood design. So I am coming to the point where I need to start working more and find a more real job.

My other interests is big data analytics (I wrote a Master's Thesis on it), biking, hiking, fishing, hunting, skiing (got out 60 times in the 15-16 winter, already at 6 times for this winter), backpacking, and studying for the SE exam (ugh). I also enjoy politics, in a more philosophical sort of way. I am also relatively active in a local Rotary club. I was active in the local Structural Engineers Association of Utah, but I am taking a year off from that group.

Cheers,

Welcome!  I'm new here too but have been lurking long enough.  I'll see you around.

@Parkite, welcome.

@Parkite I have been in Rotary for a while, our club likes to play hard and then give back to the community every weekend. Did you see the Novembers Rotarian magazine with the article about the structural engineer? 

Good luck on your studies with the SE. It will be a bear but well worth it. Get through as much study material as you can before you have to work full time. In my market the work is picking up to frantic level. You may not have as much free time as you would like in the future.