Tiffany Wang, Civil Engineering, Class of 2027

Where are you interning, and what is your role?

I am interning with American Water in Camden, New Jersey, as an Engineering Planning Intern for the New Jersey American Water Asset Planning Team.

What projects or assignments are you working on?

I’ve been working on making demand forecasts for how much water communities are anticipated to use in the coming years.

What does a typical day look like?

A typical day for me is sitting in the office in my cubicle, reading through data sheets and making calculations in Excel. Sometimes I get to work at home, which is nice to reduce both my carbon impact and my time spent commuting.

What Rowan class or experience has helped you most?

My Junior Clinic experience was helpful for giving me my first exposure to water treatment plants. I was lucky to get matched with my top clinic pick, Fate and Transport of PFAS/Microplastics in Local Wastewater Treatment Plant. Working with wastewater and PFAS in the lab was an incredibly rewarding experience.

What new technical or professional skill have you developed?

I’ve been introduced to Microsoft SharePoint, which is used to build corporate intranet sites. I learned to edit site pages and manage files in SharePoint.

What has surprised you about working in the civil engineering field?

I’ve been surprised by how ordinary it is. Many professors have told me that the calculations we do on paper in class will actually be done using software in practice. Still, it’s surreal to see in action how much Excel can do for you.

How has a faculty member or mentor supported you?

I’d like to thank Dr. Jahan as well as Vinayak Thengumthottathil, my Junior Clinic graduate student supervisor. They have taught me much of what I know, and I am grateful for their guidance.

I would also like to recognize my manager at American Water, Margaret Hunter, for teaching me about the water industry and engineering planning. The assignments she has given me have been meaningful and interesting.

What advice would you give another student pursuing an internship?

• Take advantage of not only the Career Center to review your resume, but ask your professors if they have the time to take a look. Your engineering professors can give resume advice that is more specific to the industry you’re looking to get an internship in.
• If you’re a sophomore struggling to get your resume seen by an engineering firm, don’t be afraid to branch out. My first internship with PSEG ISS allowed me to learn stormwater best practices, research ways to implement green infrastructure in the real world, and how to use ArcGIS Pro. These skills are easily transferrable and helped me obtain my current internship.

Complete the sentence: “This summer, I am helping to…”

Provide affordable drinking water to our communities.