SJBiz_Engineering Dept_1124FINAL.qxp_Layout 1 11 / 5 / 24 3 : 10 PM Page 1 impactful on its environment and ecosys - E N G I N E E R I N G tems includes carefully considering the potential disruption to the local popula - tion’s quality of life . Fiordaliso continues : “ An engineering firm will build out these teams to include experts in community engagement , peo - ple who will … talk to the community , say , in order to understand what people’s commuting patterns are like . Where do you need to get to ? How do you get there ? Do you have a population that doesn’t have cars , that relies dispropor - tionally on bikes and walking to get to where they need to go ? You’re not nec - essarily going to know that just as an engineer sitting in front of your software designing a bridge : You’ve got to have Engineering a teams of specialists that are sitting there engaging with the community . ” Diversity and equity are key consid - Stronger New Jersey erations internally , too . Both Fiordaliso and Michael Regan , CCM , SVP New Jersey Operations at engineering firm With exhaustive training , proactive teamwork and a steady T & M Associates , help ensure that de - mographics long underrepresented in eye on the horizon , the region’s engineering professionals are the field , especially women and those improving today’s infrastructure and bringing new projects to from historically disadvantaged commu - life while simultaneously considering the needs of tomorrow . nities , have a fair chance at claiming their seat at the table . [ by Madeleine Maccar ] “ There’s a real need to bridge the gender gap in STEM fields , ” Regan af - s Joseph Fiordaliso puts it , engineers are naturally problem - solvers . Whether firms . “ Supporting STEM is a big part of that means working within a client’s prescribed parameters , arriving at a so - what I do with [ the company’s charitable lution that considers multiple perspectives ’ input , or delivering on projects arm T & M Foundation ] . I really focus ex - that marry immediate solutions with long - range viability and minimal inter - ternally on driving STEM education to A vening repairs , navigating thorny issues to arrive at the best possible resolution plays promote STEM opportunities for women to engineering professionals ’ strengths . and to reach other underserved portions As president of the American Council of Engineering Companies of New Jersey , of the community underrepresented in Fiordaliso’s privy to the kind of collaboration propelling impactful engineering projects the technical fields . Just the visibility of toward a meaningful , sustainable final product both reflecting today’s best capabilities and what their opportunities are with some - considering the needs of tomorrow . thing like early high school engagement “ There are so many factors to consider , ” Fiordaliso says . “ It starts with just coming up with the field are making a big difference . ” with a problem statement , like ‘ We’ve got a crumbling bridge ’ … Then you go through a The need for engineers is continuing whole concept development phase before you can even begin to do that hard design and to rise , which can become problematic engineering work . Think of it as a pipeline : The concept development is at the front of the considering Fiordaliso’s observation that pipeline , then it advances to preliminary engineering , then final design , and then ultimately “ there’s a constant demand for finite onto construction and then operations and maintenance . But the early work in that con - talent , ” especially when that talent is cept - development phase is really where a lot of the issues get unpacked . ” molded by accumulating the specialized Those exhaustively scrutinized engineering projects include , but certainly aren’t limited education and applied experience that to , reinforcing aging infrastructure , respecting a long - standing structure’s historic significance , take time to refine . A focus on STEM anticipating a changing climate , accounting for future advancements , minimizing education certainly does help ensure environmental impact and prioritizing human safety — all while operating within a project’s that the education pipeline directing budget and timeline . Given all the areas of expertise that guide a project through its prospective talent to the field doesn’t multiple phases , it’s imperative to cultivate teamwork , trust and rock - solid relationships dry up . among all the parties providing insights along the way . And the field will be navigating new To ensure all those boxes are ticked , environmentalists , architects , construction workers , challenges , he says : “ If the data is correct , strategists , regulatory experts and community representatives are among the crucial and we’re going to experience a certain varied perspectives weighing in before ground is even broken , ensuring that cumulative amount of sea - level rise over the next benefits outweigh any disruptions , inconveniences or , in some extremes , outright conse - 100 years . ” An engineer would incorpo - quences . As Fiordaliso points out , “ One of the most important things we can consider — rate and factor that into their design , and that we need to consider — is how a project will address the needs of all populations , Fiordaliso explains , with adequate particularly marginalized and vulnerable groups . ” drainage systems , using materials in - Indeed , ensuring that any construction , expansion or modernization is minimally tended to withstand severe weather 10 | SOUTH JERSEY BIZ | VOLUME 14 ISSUE 11 | SouthJerseyBiz.net