Meet some of our Wilson & Company family during Engineer's Week 2018:
Lucas Reed, PE,
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What about the engineering profession attracted you? Why did you first get into engineering?
I have always had a technical and analytical way of approaching things. I enjoy the problem solving aspect of a project and seeing my designs take shape in real life. I’m passionate about the transportation sector, and rail specifically because the use and application is so diverse. -
Does the engineering profession run in your family? Or do you have a mentor/friend/etc that inspired you? Tell me more.
My parents are civil engineers and both worked for the Illinois Department of Transportation for +30 years each. I grew up in a household where talking about plan sets around the dinner table was normal and where most trips involved making a “quick stop” to their most recent job sites.My mother’s father, brother and sister are engineers as well – electrical, aerospace and electrical, respectively. I had several professors in college who got me excited about engineering as a career and a way to make real, measurable improvements which impact so many communities and businesses. -
What is your favorite project you have worked on?
My favorite project I’ve worked on was designing the modernization of a 100+ year old multi-line elevated transit corridor for the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority). I learned a lot about the history of the CTA and how rail standardization for their transit system came about. I was able to design innovative route improvements which will reduce crowding and improved train efficiency in CTA’s busiest corridor.