If you’ve ever visited the Edmonton Valley Zoo or the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton, you’ve witnessed first hand some of the amazing work that UAlberta alumni, Sandra Renihan (PEng, MEng) has contributed to with the team at DIALOG Design! Sandra is a rockstar; a structural engineer by trade who now leads the transit design team at DIALOG, all while continuing her commitment to providing mentorship and acting as a role model for young females in STEM.
Sandra at the DIALOG office in Edmonton.
Given her immense career success, it is hard to believe that engineering was not something Sandra had initially considered! While Sandra was exploring careers, there weren’t really any relevant engineering role models within her life. She initially set her eyes on science, with the hopes of leveraging her superior skills in science and math. It wasn’t until she saw several of her male high school friends applying for engineering (many of whom copied their homework from her!) that she realized her own capabilities and decided that she was incredibly capable of pursuing this career as well. It seemed like a more definite path than pursuing science; very safe and secure, with a job at the end of it, but she still went into it a little naively. She expected the engineering degree to lead to a project management role, without necessarily understanding the depth of career opportunities this degree would bring.
The Beginnings
During university, Sandra completed internships as a Research Assistant at the Institute for Reconstructive Sciences and Medicine, and as a Materials Tester with EBA Engineering. In the first role, she hoped to bring her passion for science to an interdisciplinary team of physicians, researchers, and engineers to contribute to the creation of dental and hearing implants, and prosthetics. She then went on to do Materials Testing with EBA Engineering, and while neither were her dream jobs, they became these incredible stepping stones that would launch her career in the Civil Engineering world.
DIALOG
Sandra had her sights on DIALOG (Cohos Evamy at the time) after graduation, and went on to get her Masters degree to achieve this! For the first six years or so, Sandra worked as a Structural Engineering Designer for institutional projects such as the Edmonton Valley Zoo, Edson Healthcare Centre, and a dream project of hers, the Royal Alberta Museum. She got to see these projects right from when they were just empty sites, to when these projects opened and people used them. This, she realized, was what engineering was really about for her. It was extremely satisfying and fulfilling for Sandra to see these projects that were very public facing, that interacted with the community, and positively impacted the lives of the people. At DIALOG, she explained, there is really high value that is placed on choosing projects that meaningfully improve our communities; for the public, to address a public need.
Sandra in front of the EdVenture Lodge Education Centre of the Edmonton Valley, one of the first projects she worked on while at DIALOG.
Sandra at the construction site on the Royal Alberta Museum Project.
Shifting Gears
Now, Sandra is the Project Manager for the Transit Design Team at DIALOG that is working on the Valley Line LRT. This time, instead of doing the technical work like in her previous role, she manages and coordinates the work of various smaller teams. Initially, this task and role was the farthest thing from what Sandra had imagined for herself. She wasn’t really interested in the LRT project, but she did it as a way to help out her team. This opportunity has taught her the importance of trying new things. It has opened up this new door to the world of large scale civil infrastructure projects that Sandra had no idea she was so interested in. She has really been able to leverage her communication, organizational, and prioritization skills in this position. So while this project was a huge departure from what Sandra was initially comfortable with, she could not be more grateful that she said yes.
Parting Words
As a last piece of wisdom, Sandra encourages us all to be less critical and hard on ourselves. She insists that we all show up to our work, our lives, and our education with confidence: “Don’t pretend you know something, but be confident that you can figure it out.”
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Thank you Sandra for taking the time to chat with us! If you are interested in learning more about what Sandra does, check it out here !